The Lady’s Hand (A Dickings & Dalliances Adventure) - (Closed Except By Invitation)

[justspitballing]

Sprite doesn't notice any protection that stands out to much, but she does get a good lay of the land. The building is almost a perfect square with a set of luxury stairs just behind where she had come in. There's a gift table in the northeast corner, likely where Arx would be headed, and a band playing music that would never hope to please her harpy clan in the northwest corner. The southwest seems to lead to the kitchen and on her quick glance it seems vacant, but that does not matter. Actually none of it matters because a crowd is chatting up someone that they claim to be the 'Man of the Hour'. Sprite laughs, a long, hard, sickening chuckle. Nothing wrong with cutting the head off the serpent before it can turn into a hydra.

Sprite walks head first into the mob of people. She uses her hands to try to part them as if they were bits of trash in her way.

"Pardon me, I want to congratulate this lucky young man myself," Sprite says with a smile.

 

[Poprockz]

“Hmmm…” Arx thought for a moment, her eyes being drawn to the blazing hues of the harpy’s feathers as she batted people out of her way like a cat in a mob of mice.

“If I was an ego-centric man horny for power and pussy, where would I stash her…?” There was also the fact that he had to know that Amy and Marita might object to his nonconsensual union. Four halls, four options. It would take too much time to physically explore the place, so it seemed more suitable to find someone who might know where the lady was.

“We need to get into a place behind the scenes with the servants,” she replied to Amie, inconspicuously making her way to the hall opposite of where the attention was being drawn. She looked around for where the servants were entering or exiting.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The crowd parts only slightly to let Sprite in. One of the nearby noblemen lowers his eyebrows at Captain DeGaulier, who is in the center of the huddle. “Odd company you keep now, eh, Candré?”


Chasen, partway up the stairs, would both see this exchange and see Arx and Amie making their way toward the hallway by the gift table.

 

[justspitballing]

"Oh, I am the kind of company he wishes he did not have," Sprite smiles.

After that she only sees red. They had come here to end this wedding anyways, they had come here to deal with the captain, and as such Sprite saw no reason to not strike now and well she could. She drew her axe and the anger over flowed as she went for the kill.

 

[ICM8781]

Chasen moves through the crowd pretty easily. He finds a server and slaps a few silver up on the tray.

"Gift for the big man. From Amie!" He clicks his tongue and winks as he answers.

As the staff quickly checks the coins he looks back up to see Chasen gone like a distantr memory. He shugs and moves towards the west end of the room near a large table full of other gifts and dowries. There is also a large crowd gathered to admire who they were calling "The man of the hour".

That's him, Chasen thought noticing a large guard's spear in the corner of his eye.

He couldn't get a good shot with the crowd everywhere. He snuck through the party with ease finding the stairs and climbing them until he could see a perfect opening for the man everyone was crowding. He was already willed to fire his arrows but while he was setting up he confirmed the target was the same bastard who harrassed the prisoners every so offten, Capitan DeGaulier. He noticed Sprite get closer and start up a conversation. If she was sticking to the plan he could strike at the same time as she did; two people with the jump on him.

He also saw Arx and Amie dive down the adjacent corner where he saw the guard. They must have found the Lady. The plan couldn't have gone more perfect if he tried. Hopefully the guard will rush to the capitan's aid, if not he knows Arx can handle it, and maybe Amie as well.

He saw Sprite raise her axe above her head. Chasen quickly shot his first arrow. As he saw her strike down he shot his second. The Capitan and all his forces shocked at the sudden violence.

 

[justspitballing]

Sprite swung twice with her weapon of choice, the axe coming back into her grip with a bit of blood on its blade. She had hit with the first blow, missed with the second, but then arrows flew in from Chasen, peppering the target before her. At least one of them hit true too.

"Revenge is the perfect meal when served boiling hot I always say!" Sprite laughed out.

She was sure a mad house was about to explode out before her, but honestly that was all the better.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

As soon as the Captain locks eyes with Sprite, rage fills his countenance, but he quickly squashes it away, and turns to the man questioning the harpy's presence. "Now, Thivolle, you wouldn't expect me to turn anyone away on my wedding day, would you?"

"Of c--" begins the nobleman just as an arrow lodges itself in the poppy-patterned wallpaper behind the captain. All eyes turn to look at the stairs to see Chasen nicking another, and miss the downward swing of Sprite's mighty axe. The weapon cuts into the captain's silk robe, a deep purple garment that looked quite expensive seconds ago. But, Captain Candré DeGaulier is quick, spinning away from the threat, and Sprite's second swing sails over his head. It doesn't stop Chasen's second arrow from lodging itself into his thigh, however.

By now, people are screaming, and two guards from the entrance begin wading through the sea of panicked bodies, trying to reach the conflict.

The hallway that Arx and Amie have just begun walking down is short, and ends in a doorway, but there is an alcove just to the side with another door that leads to a stairway down, and that is where two guards have been stationed during the evening's festivities. They step out into the hallway, rushing past a sneaking Arx and Amie without registering their presence. They see Chasen on the stairs, bow in hand, and begin making their way toward him.

Wylo's feet twinkle with magical energy, and he steps up to the far wall, and then up its vertical surface, walking up on the wallpaper as if it were the ground. He quickly chants in a low voice, and a nibble of healing energy races toward Sprite.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Amie runs past as soon as the guards leave the hallway, and jiggles the knob on the door they were guarding. Mindful of the chaos, she risks a Knock spell, the loud sound echoing through the hallway, and opens the door. It leads to a finished staircase with carpeted steps, leading down to a level below.

 

[Poprockz]

Following quickly behind, Arx wondered if the Lady was waiting bored in a room or whether she was strapped down with a ballgag. Who knew what that foppish bastard wanted to indulge in on his wedding night. None of her holes were safe while he still had the phallus.

 

[justspitballing]

The blood in the air only added to Sprite's determination. She spun around wildly, her bladed skirt not quite reaching Degaulier, but the axe smacking into his shoulder. The heavy weapon was then pulled back and swung forward again, this time crashing hard into his side. Blood went seemingly everywhere, hitting Sprite's face and staining the floor. How Degaulier still stood was anybody's guess but he was clearly a step shy of falling over dead. Sprite pondered the idea of flying back in retreat, but there were to many around her to make it a good option. Instead she stood her ground, adding to her terrifying nature.

 

[ICM8781]

Chasen quickly fires another arrow hitting the Capitan square in the chest. He can see the arrow didn't hit anything major as he's still up and around, but the large clanging of two guards climbing up the stairs hastens his next actions. He loads his bow with two arrows and being the two guards are so close to eachother he is able to nail both of them through their armor with the one shot.

No words, just straight concentration, no time for gloating or communication of any kind. Worried about being trapped up on the stairs he jumps over the railing and makes it to the floor. The impact opens the clotted wound from the previous battle and the pain makes him slump to the ground.

Not one to risk anymore injury for this, Chasen gets up, fights back some tears and takes a step towards the crowd away from the fight. The capitan is bound to be down soon, Sprite, Maritia, and if he's up to it Wylo coud finish him off. Leading these two guards and maybe more towards him would be the perfect way to help now.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Screams pierce the quiet, and one of the nearby guests draws a long, thin, flexible blade from out of his robe and points it at Sprite.

“It’s a good thing that Sir Heatheringbone always carries a blade!” he shouts, and swings in the harpy’s direction, but the slash is well telegraphed, and Sprite is easily able to twist out of the way.

Thivolle, the guest who’d criticized Sprite’s presence in the first place, finishes handing a vial of red liquid to the captain and turns to take his own swing, but this one is wide as well, and Sprite is unharmed.

Meanwhile, a woman in a very trendy green dress pushes through to stand a few feet in front of Chasen. “What is the meaning of this?” she asks as she reaches under her dress to pull out an épée that was strapped to her thigh. “Draw your blade, assassin!”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Captain DeGaulier opens and chugs the healing potion, his grievous wounds beginning to knit together in seconds, and pulls a large pink crystal on a silver chain from his pocket and puts it around his neck. He also pulls out an ornate jeweled dagger. “A man can’t even attend his own wedding out of armor, it seems,” he grumbles, and starts pushing through the packed crowd away from Sprite. The massive throng of people have begun herding toward the exits, and he slips in among them.

 

[justspitballing]

Sprite swings out her axe but before it can land he is already gone.

"Coward!" she hisses, but likely the mob is already blocking out her screams.

Now she was surrounded and with her main target pulling away. She had indeed rushed into this without a second thought, but there was no going back now. She would still have her revenge, she would see to it.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Maritia touches her palm to her chest, glowing silver light spooling around her feet. She steps through the crowd, her body magically sliding into and out of gaps, gliding across the floor like she’s the only one there. She reaches the captain’s side, and swings out with her holy staff. The captain turns, and her staff punches a small hole in the wall behind him.

What little of the crowd is watching and not fleeing gasps at seeing a cleric of Priam the Lightfather seemingly joined with assassins.

 

[Poprockz]

Within the door Amie had so skillfully magicked open, there was a staircase that wound down to a hallway with three doors: one left, one right, and one straight ahead

Arx stopped and looked at each of them, finding no indication of which would lead them to the lady. There was no sobbing, screaming, nor was there any sound of trying to break the door down. This was tough… she had no way to know which way to choose.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, she called out a Hail Mary. It could bring them unwanted attention, but at least it would allow them to flush out any guards nearby that might stop them once they had the woman. “Lady of Rionne, if you’re nearby, then give us a sign! I have Amie with me and we want to help you!”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

“Ailette! Ailette! It’s me!” Amie calls out, but no response is audible.

 

[Poprockz]

“Fuck! Arx hissed in an exasperated manner. Not a peep could be heard from any of the doors, and they were back at square one. She supposed it could be worse- there could be guards boiling out of the rooms to apprehend them. It was lucky that there wasn’t anyone stationed… well, at least no one obvious.

When one had to pick between three doors, it didn’t really matter which door she picked first. It was all a matter of luck. Therefore, she picked the middle door because she figured the pompous ass would have liked walking straight up to his bride’s room. Her lock picking tools were taken out after trying the knob and she started fiddling with it. She had once come across an enchanted knob that moaned lewdly and loudly whenever anyone touched it, but otherwise there was usually no harm in checking if a knob would open on its own.

“Goddammit!” She spat, withdrawing her pick and tucking it back in her bag. The thief was having no luck with this lock, so it was time for a more basic lock picking method…

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The crowd upstairs rushes to the exits, many of them screaming at the blood gushing from the captain's wounds. Some run outside, some run deeper into the hallways, and some run upstairs, trying to get away from the violence. Thivolle and Sir Heatheringbone are knocked into each other, drawing a bit of inadvertent blood with their swords. Two of the guards stumble, mildly crushed among the crush of bodies, and one of the two near the stairs, who was chasing Chasen, is dragged under and trampled, with none of the panicked nobles responsible even aware of his death.


Meanwhile, Amie steps up next to Arx, who is clearly about to attempt to shoulder her way through the locked door. Knock is a loud spell, but she's already cast it once, and with all the screaming upstairs no one came. "Allow me," she says with a hand on Arx's wrist. She casts again, and with a loud knocking noise the lock is disengaged, and Amie turns the knob to open the door.

Inside is what looks like a small servant's room. A desk sits against the near wall, with a small upholstered chair in front of it. A bed sits against the back wall, and on the bed is a woman. She looks human, with round ears and pale skin. Her barley-brown hair is mussed, and she lies on her back, spread-eagle on the bed, manacles around wrists and ankles that secure her to the bed's frame. Tears have clearly run down her face, and dried, leaving behind a stoic, but sad, expression. She's naked, full breasts listing to her sides, except for her chastity belt. It's made of shining, polished metal, and looks like a pair of high-waisted, full-coverage panties made of a single piece of whatever metal it's made of. There doesn't seem to be any kind of opening or mechanism to it. She's looking at the ceiling.

"What is that racket out th--" she starts, sounding weary and resigned, and then sees Amie step into the room. "Amie!"

"Ailette!" Amie cries, and runs to her side, leaning over the bed to cup The Lady's cheek. "We have to get you out of here. The captain..."

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Wylo lifts his hands from the wall across the room, and the wood under the captain's feet starts to split and sprout. Vines grow in an instant, and wrap around his waist and shoulders, tightly constraining him.

 

[justspitballing]

The crowed around Sprite breaks as the blood hits the floor. People move by Sprite, but none knock her down. Instead she parts through them like water, her stance strong and true. Her prey was now getting away and the nobles around her couldn't seem to land a good hit, but they would get lucky at some point. She honestly did not have time for that. Sprite spun around, her skirt swishing out, forcing one of the nobles by her to take a step back. She took advantage of this and flew forward, a different noble using his sword against her when she did. Sprite moved far to fast for them though and soon she was up above the mob.

The captain, DeGaulier, Sprite could just make him out. She flew down, axe coming down with her. The weapon thudded, but didn't cut him. Her hand froze for a moment, almost like she had smacked her axe into some kind of icy barrier. She turned her blade and then the pink crystal he wore around his neck broke apart into a dozen shards. Whatever protection he had was now gone and so she brought her axe down a second time and hit him true. Yet another blow to the shoulder, yet more blood spilled.

"Death calls for us all, listen to it for once!" Sprite said, honestly impressed that he wasn't dead yet.

 

[ICM8781]

Chasen sees the Noble lady in front of him blocking the way to the the commotion his compatriates are making.

"You are not worth my time." He says as he darts around her.

He plows his way through the crowd throwing the people in his way to get to the real fight. He breaks his pace overtaking Maritia and just behind Sprite. The view of Wylo's familiar vines surounding DeGaulier's body holding him from escape makes a delicious view seeing the final blows about to be performed.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The three meddling plutocrats quickly surround Sprite and Chasen, thrusting at the air near them with their thin, flexible blades, but can’t seem to draw blood.

Meanwhile, Captain DeGaulier scowls, and pulls at the vines encircling his legs with one hand while the other grips a small, jewel-hilted dagger with a blade of strange, dark blue metal. “He was supposed to keep you all away from here, but at least he gave me this!” He reaches out and manages to stick it in the harpy’s thigh. To her, it feels like a pinprick, scarcely enough to draw blood, but enough for the magic in the dagger to attempt its work.

Sprite feels her muscles begin to loosen and go limp, but the strength of her fury is too much for the magic in the blade, and she shrugs off its effects.

The captain’s eyes widen, and he takes a step back as the vines finally give way, leaving an opening for Sprite’s ax to find its mark once again. Candré DeGaulier’s eyes go dark.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

As soon as Maritia sees him fall, she relaxes her stance and addresses the guards and nobles fighting with him. “This man is a villain! Stand down!”

The nobles grip their swords tighter. The guards keep coming closer.

 

[Poprockz]

Thank fuck- the door she had picked was the right one. It seemed that today was truly her lucky day. As she looked upon the Lady of Rionne, the leader of this region, she thought to herself that she didn’t look so grand while naked and tied down. She was a brown-haired human to boot which were a dime a dozen. Still… she was beautiful in her own right and Arx wouldn’t have minded a little romp with her. Consensually, of course.

The changeling started to move toward her ankles, hearing the woman say, “just one of my hands, please! There’s no time to waste!” Nobles and their demands…She pivoted and went for her right-hand manacle, inserting her pick and unlocking it with a swift turn and jerk. A fine lock-pick if she did say so herself.

“Please! He has the Spectral Phallus! You must bring it to me! Hurry!” The woman urged her.


“Yeah, yeah. We know he has the magic ghost dick. Our job is to get you the fuck out of here. The other part of the group is supposed to beat him within an inch of his life. I mean, if you know where it is, I’d grab it for you on the way out though.” She crossed her arms and waited for an answer.