((Please refer to the Request Topic for further details.))

Roleun still wasn’t sure quite how they got in. The black robes that had been supplied for the mission were tight around him, though he was holding his wings as tightly to his body as he possibly could. He didn’t have time to think about that, though; people’s lives and futures were at stake and his team might be the only chance they have at freedom.

It had about a week ago, when Roleun had heard about recent kidnappings around Estolad. Strange... He thought. There are too many at such frequency to be coincidence... I‘ll have to go investigate. He left from the Library of the Divine Trinity in a hurry, wanting to get there as fast as possible. He flew as fast as he could, but he hadn't gotten to Estolad quickly enough; he arrived just after the most recent kidnapping took place.

There had been enough witnesses. A young woman with short blonde hair and a sardonic smile said that the traveler that had been kidnapped had stolen goods from her husband, and she didn't do anything because she thought he was being apprehended. An old man with a bent back and wispy gray hair said that two large men, cloaked and hooded in black, approached the victim and beat him mercilessly, then threw him in the back of a nearby wagon and carted him off into town, though which dwelling wasn't known. The last witness, an observant young boy, said that they were both humans with light hair.

After several days of close observation, Roleun found two individuals that matched the descriptions; they walked around after dark wearing dark cloaks, they were tall and muscular, and Roleun got a brief glimpse of a head to see blonde hair. He followed them to a barn on the outskirts of town and could hear the distinct slamming of a trapdoor a few moments after they went inside. Perhaps there is a network of tunnels beneath the barn.

Roleun developed several theories. Perhaps a cult for Raku had appeared underground, and they believed that blood sacrifices would make Raku favor them. Maybe a large necromantic army had arisen, and necromancers were manipulating the spirits of those they kidnapped. Perhaps there was a large slave trading black market, and the kidnapped people were being sold to the highest bidder. He couldn’t be sure. He just knew he’d need more people to do anything.

It was only a matter of time to find other people to help him. One was from the guild he was in, a devout of Threnody, and the other was an Angel from the Temple of Lothlómendil, renowned for his skills and faith. Both were strong, kind and righteous. Roleun still wasn’t sure how he got both of them to come and help, but they were there, and that’s all that counted. Roleun wasn’t sure what was waiting down the dark abyss in front of them, and he was sure he‘d need all the help he could get. The Black Robes were caught off of some kidnappers that were conveniently wearing robes that would fit each of the liberators. Everything was in place. Now it was time to go and find out what was waiting for them in the darkness.

Roleun looked sidelong at his companions, stepping down into the darkness. “Thanks for showing up. You both ready?”

"So what do you think they're up to, Colonel?" The man seemed hesitant in his words, pausing at times to better think of the proper phrases to express. It seemed as though he was more careful than normal when addressing his superior, like anything had the potential to be interpreted as insulting. The brown angel in question had been unusually quiet all day, his focus remaining steadfast on the road ahead. Hours had passed since he had even turned a glance toward the men riding alongside him, who took his silence with building tension and stress. They were used to their leader cheerfully joking around or conversing with them, motivating them to do their duty as effectively as possible. But no words danced through the air; no small-talk, no 'wise' sayings to help reduce the mounting anxiety amidst the four guardsmen. Only the rhythmic beats of horse hooves pounding against the loosely paved road.

It had been intended for the soldier's question to break the ice and bring lightheartedness back to the cold and rigid atmosphere, but the tension only seemed to rise (though the brown angel had no idea there was any in the first place). The other guardsmen peered quizzically at the bold one, almost in amusement as they waited for the colonel to chastise the man as would have been inevitable in their minds. Thavron at first paid no attention to the question. As usual, his attention was focused exclusively on the horizon, wings folded against his back and hair blowing in the gust they all rode against. His equipment was fastened to areas of the saddle he sat upon, all carried by a well-built mare of a raven black color. Moments had already passed when Thavron finally turned his head to his left, in the direction of the other rider. "Well," he began matter-of-factly, "if Stonemason hasn't already sliced off each of their heads, they're either powerful or just cowards. I'm assuming the latter." Most of the guardsmen blinked, surprised.

Their destination was Estolad, whose buildings' silhouettes became more and more defined as time passed. Thavron would have cared less about the endeavor had Roleun not contacted him about his suspicions. It seemed trivial enough to take part in; after all, business around Lomedor was slowing down considerably and greatly lessened the brown angel's workload. Thavron didn't have nearly as much military power in Estolad as in Lomedor, but he and the Third Company of guardsmen he led were still permitted to aid the village if necessary. The banner of the Lomedor Guard flew high in the hands of one of the guardsmen as they progressively neared the city. Each of them were moderately armed; volunteers who wished to take part in something different than the daily grind of a standard guardsman.

Thavron himself stood out as blatantly as one could possibly be. While studded leather graced the forms of the four soldiers, the brown angel was outfitted in glistening silver-colored plates of armor, with a long black cape draping over one side of his horse's back and a sword sheathe idly hanging from his left hip. His helmet, however, rested neatly among the other possessions he decided to bring along, though Thavron was uncertain if force would need to be used in the coming situation. On one side of the horse's saddle hung a long bladed spear of a glistening blue, while on the other was a thick silver shield tightly strapped in. All of the horses lacked barding; if the colonel was going to fight out in the open, he would have certainly taken in trained warhorses rather than those simply used for traveling.

The roads now bustled with activity, though they were still several yards away from the city entrance. Thavron lifted his left hand and motioned for his men to follow him off of the road. Confusedly they obeyed, and the small troop quickly made their way to the arranged meeting location; outside a barn situated on the outskirts of the village. "Now, to remind you four; this is not a kill-fest. If I see our enemies collapsing in a pool of blood, I will personally advocate your removal from the Guard. We will make arrests, fight in self-defense if it's needed, and be on our way. Is that clear?" His men responded with confirming salutes as they came closer to the barn in question. Finally the colonel's contact came into sight. Thavron trotted before him and gave a grin and a salute, but otherwise said nothing. The four guardsmen followed suit, each soldier quickly dismounting and leading their horses to a safe area. The colonel removed the spear, helmet and shield from the black mare while one of the guardsmen stabbed the Lomedor Guard banner into the ground. It was then that Thavron finally approached Roleun again. “Thanks for showing up. You both ready?” The brown angel looked back at his soldiers for a few moments, then returned his attention to the intended person.
"If I wasn't ready, I wouldn't be here," he commented with a slight chuckle.

Paige was already in the dark corridors that lay beneath the barn. She was accompanied by two burly sailors and a small shipment of slaves they had mustered up. The group of five men were shackled together at the wrists and ankles to assure a safe march. The party had come in the dead of night as to not raise suspicion. People would surely asked questions if Paige had come in broad daylight. No matter how much she enjoyed a challenge, she was also not stupid.

The group moved quickly, the two men behind her carrying torches to light the dark walkways. Paige knew them well and moved with considerable speed, making turn after turn without thinking. This was not the first time she had sold others into slavery to satisfy her lust for gold. It was better than just killing her victims. This way she was given the opportunity to toy with them the entire journey back.

The group stopped when Paige held up a hand. They had entered into the largest room. Cages lined the walls and a large stage was placed on the back wall. That was where they were able to show off the slaves. Paige did none of the auctioning. She sold right to the owners of the dark business, supplying some of the merchandise.

The group walked forth again. They would have to find the two men in black if they wanted to get their gold and split. The pirate did not want her crew to be known as slave traders. Even pirates worried about bad reputations, they just had a different view of bad.

The rhythmic sound of chains clinking together sounded in the room, mingling with the cries of broken souls. As they moved on Paige gave a soft smile to each cage. It was not a look of pity, but rather one of superiority. She knew that she was better than the slaves and was not afraid to show it.

Soon the small group was standing outside the owners office. Paige knocked on the door softly before turning the knob and walking in. She gave a toothy grin to one of the men in black. She never asked for their names, never wanted to know them " Hello again my friend. I have brought you some new goods! Five big sailors! I am sure you will be able to sell them for quite a sum of gold."

Kami' listened silently as the sailors marched by. Another group condemned to become slaves. She leaned her head back against the wall. Why was I fated to come here? I just want to uncover my past and instead I'm wrapped up in some dirty dealings. No. I am the dealing. They're the ones doing dirty work. Of all times and places, I was in Estolad on the night they were going to kidnap some of the villagers. How long has this been going on? Feeling watched, she opened her eyes and turned her head toward the door. Looking back at her was what was unmistakably a pirate. A pirate girl of 19 that is. She quickly moved on as more sailors followed behind her. Kami' lowered her gaze before peering at the cell she was in with other slaves. They looked back at her with envy. I must look like a noble like them. I guess I do stand out. Leaning back again she closed her eyes. Suddenly she felt a small tug on her shirt and Kami's eyes shot open. "Huh?" She turned her head and looked down. Standing by her with a small hand on her shirt was a child of 3. She had short brown hair with wide, fearful, hungry, hazel eyes. Kami's eyes softened. "Hello." Very hesitantly and in a small voice she heard her response. "I'm Tillba." Kami' smiled faintly. "Tillba. What's a matter?" Tillba replied in a small voice, "I'm scared." This broke Kami's heart. Picking the young girl up, she placed Tillba on her lap. "It'll be ok." She said gently, running her fingers through Tillba's hair. Was it just her or had the fear deminished a bit in Tillba's eyes? Tillba curled up in her lap and Kami' saw a faint smile appear on her lips. "I'll be ok." Kami' whispered to herself as she leaned her head back against the wall. I wish you happy dreams, Tillba. Kami' peered out into the passage. I pray to you goddess. Free us! Hear this little girl's fears and relenquish them! Please! Please...

Shalura sat alone at the back of one of the cages just next to Kami''s, however she wasn't upset or scared by the experience at all, more just a bit irritated by it. Her memory was a bit hazy as to what happened, but she did remember how it had begun:

She'd left Lomedor to try and go searching for a few answers about her past, she'd set out in the middle of the night, when there were fewer people around, and took off into the night, heading in the direction of Estalod. She remembered looking towards the village as it slept in the dead of night, in the blackness of the ight it was hard to tell what Shalura's expression had been, at that time however it had been one of sadness; she'd had a good few adventures centering around Estalod, back when she'd been just another overconfident adventurer.

She put all those behind her now and walked towards the village, leaving her memories back on the hilltop, they didn't matter to her now. When she entered the village she thought she could hear somebody else, moving about behind her. She stopped and looked around, drawing her staff from her back.
"Who's there?" She demanded.
Nobody answered, she moved in the direction of the sound and a figure clad in black robes stepped out in front of her. Shalura raised her staff in a defensive position and centered her vision on the man, keeping each limb in plain view.

"Who are you?" She asked.
The figure didn't asnwer, it was hard to tell through the hood that covered his face but Shalura thought she saw him look up. She was about to turn around herself when she felt something stike her from behind, and from that point she didn't remember a thing.

She'd woken up in this cavern, alone, and to be honest she couldn't care less.
"Some search this turned out to be," she muttered.
She sat against the back of the cage, folding her arms and keeping one leg outstreached and the other foot resting just infront of her so that the knee pointed upwards.

She looked up and noticed the Pirate girl looking in, and finding that smug smile irritating, she was tempted to try and blast her head off there and then, but then she looked at the burn on her palm and decided against it. She glared back up at the pirate, but she'd gone.
"Don't get used to this," she said in an undertone, not that anyone would hear her.

“What happened to this place, everyone just seemed to go off on their own paths while I, well I was left behind.” These were the words of a certain winged being who was standing at a place formally known as Keepers Peak, the home of the Keepers of the Sacred Deed. This guild of Holiness had once been a powerful force for the Light of Arda but one day their leader suddenly vanished from sight, then without someone to lead them in their Holy endeavours the Keepers all parted taking the journey of their hearts. Yet to this day one member of this guild still stayed faithful and in hope that his leader would return, that member was Zenith Meria.

He was just standing there looking at what use to be his old home; the angel was not exactly sure why he had returned to this place but was glad he had. The sacred mountain was in bad shape these days making it clear nobody else had been there for many months. A sigh softly passed by the winged beings lips as he thought of all his friends, Zenith had not seen any of the other Keepers in such a long time and he could only pray that the people he thought of as family were still safe in this world. The one he was most worried about was a dwarf that went by the name of Sraxen, not only was he Zeniths closest friend but in the time the pair had spent together the short man had become like a second father to the angel.

Just as Zenith was about to leave Keepers Peak the old, and cracked, Scrying Mirror suddenly became active. The image was not very clear, infact all that Zenith was able to establish from the image was that it was set in the village of Estolad. Not sure of what was exactly going on in the village the Arch Angel of Life thought it best to check it out anyway to be safe, after all as a Divine Protector it was his job to aid the people of Arda when they were in danger.

Walking over to the edge of Keepers Peak the ethereal one let out a loud whistle, moments after letting out said whistle Zenith jumped from Keepers Peak; his form heading towards the ground with great haste. As he drew closer Zenith spread out his wings and started to beat them hard against the wind, although he was only doing this in order to hold his placement in the air until a close friend of his came to him.

Another set of wings could be heard beating, other than Zeniths, the beating getting ever closer until a strange looking creature came into focus. It was the beast that Zenith has whistled on to come, a large beast known as a Manticore. This beast had a horned human like head, as well as the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion, the manticore was roughly the size of a horse thus making it a perfect mount for most situations.

Landing on the beast the angel made his way to the village he had seen in the Mirror. It would take a day or two to get to Estolad but with luck Zenith would not be to late to help those in need, that was of course if there were anyone in need of help in the village.

Two days later….

Zenith Meria had made it to Estolad and was staying in one of the villages Inns. Just by staying there the angel had managed to hear stories of people going missing in the village, so many people had been taken in the midst of night which meant that this winged being of Holiness would have to try and find out exactly where these people had vanished to.

It was not long before news of another man trying to find the missing villagers graced the ears of Zenith, this was good news and meant that Zenith would have help, or rather would be helping someone else, in finding all those that were lost. Whether these people would be found or not was another question but it would not stop the dark winged angel from helping.

Hearing that this man, who Zenith heard was called Roleun, was going to be searching for the missing ones the next night the angel got himself ready. He had sent out his Golden Harrier Arc with a message to Roleun to inform him of Zeniths help in the upcoming mission, and in reply the angel had been sent a message on where the group would be meeting.

When the faithful night arrived the angel made sure he had all his golden armour in the best condition possible. All of the armour was placed on his body, minus the helm, while under the armour Zenith had sewn two magical cloaks into clothes. One was formally a Cloak of Neutrality that the angel had fashioned into a pair of pants, while the other was a spectacular cloak known as a Winters Embrace, which was now sewn into a top worn under the angels gold armour. The other items Zenith thought he may need for the night ahead were his Mithril shield that was strapped tightly onto his left arm, and Salvations Judgement that lay secure in its sheath at the angels side. Lastly Zenith made sure to pack a few things into his travel pack, such as his medic kit, Lembas Wafers, and Apple Miruvor Cordial in case the group were going to be gone for a while.

Before he left the angel of holiness draped his black cloak around him and placed on his magical rings and bangles then set off to the barn this Roleun had said to meet at. Sure Zenith might have taken a little bit to much with him, but the only small hindrance would be the travel pack and the helm which was helm under his left arm ready to wear when needed.

Ahead of him the brown haired angel of life could see a small group of men gathered together, and on a pole that was set into the ground was the symbol of Lómëdor. This had to be the group Zenith was looking for! With that thought in mind the angel quickly walked in the direction of the men only to hear one of them say, “Thanks for showing up. You both ready?” in which another man said in reply, "If I wasn't ready, I wouldn't be here," The second voice seemed familiar to Zenith, and then it hit him who it was, it was Thavron of the Lómëdor Guard a powerful angel that Zenith had met a few times in the past, however whether the angel would remember Zenith was another thing altogether.

“I’m ready. Sorry that I was a little late, so shall we get started?” Zenith said with a smile across his lips.

((OOC: Sorry if the post sucks :'( ))

((Sorry for the delay. -_- ))

"If I wasn't ready, I wouldn't be here," Thavron answered Roleun with a chuckle. Roleun smiled at the Angel's comment and looked to the other, the Angel known as Zenith.

“I’m ready. Sorry that I was a little late, so shall we get started?” Zenith replied, smiling. We're so cheerful a bunch, Roleun thought, grinning slightly. I hope all turns out well. Confidence can be deadly. He shook his head slightly and looked toward the guards that Thavron had brought. "You four, we're going to have to chain you. Can you pretend to be slaves, captured recently from your respective stations?"

"Aye, we can do that," One of them replied steadily. "How are we supposed to act?" Roleun considered the question for a moment, then answered, "Well, act strong, as if you knew that you were going to get out soon, but cautious. If someone goes to hit you, turn the other cheek. Try not to cry out in pain, if you can help it, though I'm fairly sure they won't hit you, because they'll want you in prime condition for when they sell you... I'm sorry that we're putting you through this." Roleun said, truly feeling bad for the guards as he started to chain them together. "It's nothing. Just don't go too hard on us." Another guard replied, chuckling. Wow. Still cheerful.

"Right. Let's go, then!" Roleun said, grabbing the chain and gently tugging on it. He grabbed a torch from a nearby and conveniently placed barrel and lit the end off of another conveniently placed torch on the wall of the barn, and began to descend down dirty stone steps.

The hallways were narrow once reached. Rough walls and low ceilings provoked claustrophobia. The only reassurance was the constant flow of air around their ankles, inferring the presense of air vents. They didn't pass anyone until they walked into an intersection of hallways. A man in a dark cloak similar to Roleun's walked up from their left and confronted Roleun, a sneer visible on his face. "Hey... Nice haul you got there. Trying for a nice chunk of change, huh? How'd you get these? Guardsmen, looks like. Hard to catch. You didn't overwhelm all of these, just you three, did you? You must be tough. Or maybe they're just weak." He punched one in the gut, making the guard blink, but nothing more. "Hey!" Roleun yelled, mustering the most evil voice he could, surprising himself at the biting tone. "Keep off the merchandise! If you hurt one, I'll make sure to kill you, here and now!" His eyes widened as he said it, even though he knew it was only a ruse. Gah, I hope I never have to say that again, it was very far out of my scope. Saying that was strange, I didn't like the way the words felt as they left my tongue. The words had the desired effect, however. The hooded man's face went from sneering to shocked as glared at Roleun. "Just testing your meat. Tough is right. You could get a nice bit of gold for that, between you three." He turned and left, walking quickly and deliberately away.

"Let's go the way he came from." Roleun mused aloud. "You okay?" He asked the guard, slightly concerned. "Fine. That guy punched like a schoolgirl." The guard replied, smiling slightly. "Alright... As long as you're not hurt." Roleun replied. Tugging on the chain a bit, they continued on in the direction that the man had come from. Faint voices could be heard, as well as a loud clashing noise.

Paige sat on the corner of the desk and watched as one of the men in black examined her merchandise. He began to look each of them over. He checked their muscle mass, looked for any flaws of the body, then for any wounds, and then he checked their mouths. One of the rowdier slaves bit the man's finger. One of the crew mates jumped into action but Paige held up her hand, telling him to be still.

The pirate hopped off the desk and stepped over to the slave, grabbing a handful of his hair and pulling back hard. He had no other option than to throw his head back. Paige placed her mouth next to his ear and a smile spread across her face as she dominated over the male. She whispered to the slave in a hushed voice " If you don't behave yourself than the good men will not buy you. If they do not buy you than I do not get my gold. If I do not get my gold I become a very unpleasant girl..."

She turned his head violently, making him look down at her leg and the dagger that was strapped to it " You will find that I treat things much better when they are worth something!" She soon relinquished her grasp and threw him back. The man cringed in hatred and malice as he had no other choice than to submit to the girl.

Paige took her seat back on the desk. She did not see these people as people, but rather as her ticket to a rather hefty some of gold. She was not the type to feel compassion or a bond to others, especially not strangers. It did not bother her that these people would be put into slavery for the rest of her life because to Paige they were not people. They did not have a name and she did not know anything about them. The sailors she had captured were merely items to be used to her discretion.

As Kami stroked Tillba's hair, her curiousity became strong. She leaned over to a slave near her. "Excuse me, but can you tell me more about this little girl, Tillba?" The slave, an old woman, shook her head slowly. Kami' blinked. "But why?" The slave didn't reply for a while, and then said in a very low tone, "Because there is not much to say." "What do you mean?" she asked. The old woman rocked back on her heals, and stayed silent till Kami' thought she would hear nomore from her. The suddenly she began speaking. "She just appeared one day, no parent with her, and it seemed she didn't have one. She was pushed in by Them, scraping her knee on the rough concrete. Though I tended to her, we didn't have much and for 3 days her desperate and sorrowful crying could be heard. Then, one day she just quit. From then on, she would avoid every body, not talking or getting close to any one. It was like she was just a shadow. Until now that is." Thew old lady smiled wearily. "You are the first person in so long that she has talked to. I think she believes in you." Kami' looked away and down to the child. How alike they were! Except I'm lucky. I may have no memory of my past and I don't remember what it's like to have a mother or a father, but TIllba has no parents period. And she can remember them. As she stroked Tillba's hair, now she knew why Tillba had less fear now. I bet, that her...her mother used to do this. Run her fingers through her hair. Thinking, she closed her eyes. "Believes in me..."

(Sorry for the shortness. Ran out of ideas.)

Zenith was not one hundred percent sure on what the plan for this mission was going to be, but only moments after everyone had gathered the man called Roleun spoke out to everyone; "You four, we're going to have to chain you. Can you pretend to be slaves, captured recently from your respective stations?" At least now the angel of life knew exactly what was being planned. Roleun, Thavron and of course himself where to take all four of the guards in as if to sell them. How this would turn out was not exactly known, but the winged being could only hope that the Goddess of Life would be watching over the group on this night.

Keeping his eyes on Roleun and the Guards Zenith watched as the angelic like man placed chains on all four guardsmen, he had missed what the guards and Roleun had been saying to each other during that however as Zenith was a little preoccupied on thinking of different ways that the group could get away with this plan. If even one of the three so called “captures” were found out for who they really were then the entire group would be in danger of death. That hardest part for Zenith would be the usually simple task of walking, as he would have to make sure his black cloak did not open in any areas and show his golden armour.

Letting a small sigh of worry sweep past his lips he heard Roleun then say, "Right. Let's go, then!" It was time for everyone to enter the barn and head wherever it was to take them. Upon entering said barn Zenith saw a large set of dirty stone steps, which looked a little unlevelled to walk upon. Sorting his long black cloak once more Zenith made sure none of his armour, blade or shield were shown, as the golden gleam would instantly attract attention in his direction.

The hallways made it difficult for Zenith to manoeuvre through, as he had to keep his wings tucked tightly into his back. After what seemed like a long time of walking another being closed in on the group and went straight towards Roleun before saying; "Hey... Nice haul you got there. Trying for a nice chunk of change, huh? How'd you get these? Guardsmen, looks like. Hard to catch. You didn't overwhelm all of these, just you three, did you? You must be tough. Or maybe they're just weak." Once saying this the man aimed a punch for one of the guards hitting his directly in the gut, it was only after he did this that Zenith heard a much darker version of Roleuns voice when he said; "Hey! Keep off the merchandise! If you hurt one, I'll make sure to kill you, here and now!" The archangel was shocked to hear Roleuns voice in such a tone and kept his gaze fixed on his now fully cloaked form, however the way he had spoken seemed to have worked as the one who had punched the guard was taken aback. Infact the next words to leave his lips were; "Just testing your meat. Tough is right. You could get a nice bit of gold for that, between you three." With that the man walked away quickly, soon being taken in by the darkness of the hallways.

After the cloak figure had left Roleun suggested the group head in the direction he had come from, Zenith quickly nodded in response but still did not say a word. The angel then followed Roleuns lead as he headed further down the hallways, the deeper they travelled the more sounds Zenith could hear gracing his lips. His helm was still held tightly under his left arm ready to be worn in a moments notice. Zenith was still slightly worried on how they were going pull this off, but he did not give into his worry and instead held trust in Roleun and his plan.

((OOC: I didn't know what to do ^_^; Sorry for suckyness :lol: ))

Aravis, Shalura's dove, was in a state of confusion. She'd woken up one morning to find that Shalura had left, and taken all of her things with her, the dove had immediatly flown out in search of her, lately having been concerned for the young dragoness' state of mind. She'd flown for three days straight and had come to rest on a roof in Estalod. While she was up there, washing herself, she noticed a group of angels grouping around an old barn, she watched as they took a torch and wandered down into a hidden trap door. Aravis watched, and something inside her told her that Shalura was in there too. She hopped about on the roof before flying down to the trap door, it opened and she hopped back as a black robed figure walked out, before it shut again she quickley flew inside and was suddenly trapped inside as the door closed.

She looked down the corridor, it was a catacomb and had several more tunnels branching off this one, each lit by flaming torches. She flew along, keeping in shadow as much as possible and trying to work out where the party of angels had gone, and if they knew anything about Shalura.

Shalura, meanwhile, was still where she'd been a few minutes before, alone at the back of the cell. She looked up, watching the movement of people outside, some taking in new slaves, other leaving to go hunting for more. She caught a glimpse of a comotion through the door at the other end of the chamber, but it was quickley stopped. She lowered her head again, glowering at her own foot. She could hear people talking in the cell next to her, about a small girl and her parents, upon the mention of the word 'parents' Shalura handballed into a fist, shaking slightly and her expression grew darker than before, almost angry at the word.

The brown angel's tongue fell still, expression returning to its former coldness. He wasn't the most familiar man in the world with these sneaky tactics employed by his colleagues for this endeavor. Disguising oneself as a slave trader and one's men as captured slaves seemed somewhat counter-productive in Thavron's ever-critical eyes, though he never showed it. He skeptically trusted the judgment of the half-angel. The colonel's helmet slid over his skull in a tight fit. His massive black cloak's hood came next, effectively casting a shadow over all forms of distinctive identity. He pulled the rest of the cloak over his shoulders (as it had been formerly behind them, functioning as a cape of sorts) so it draped over the rest of his visage. He had no need to borrow the stolen one offered to him by Roleun; his personal one was just as believable.

One problem remained, however, and that was the wings. The falconesque pattern of each brown feather was something he had never seen in anyone else in the area, and he couldn't risk a slave trader recognizing them. Normally he wouldn't care about such a detail; if things were being done his way, he would have simply initiated an organized assault of the headquarters. It would have probably instilled more fear than three angels creeping around like nobody's business. Thavron controlled the removal of his wings from the slits cut into the back of his cloak, folding them tightly against his back in an amateur effort to conceal them.

Before finally leaving for the tunnels along with Roleun, Zenith and the guardsmen, Thavron picked up the bladed spear he had dropped to adjust his cloak. Integrity, as it was so named, glistened with a crystalline sky blue color, opaque runes etched into its surface with varying concentration. Its power would be an asset on the battlefield, but it was so large and noticeable that it would be almost impossible to conceal until the moment of arrest. And what if the group was ambushed in a narrow corridor? Thavron's favored weapon was useless in small spaces. The same went for his bulky mithril-reinforced shield. Heaving a small sigh, Thavron strapped the two pieces of equipment back atop the black mare he had ridden and made his way in the direction of the group that was moving toward the entrance to the barn.

His hidden face frowned slightly. He had seen this type of menacing underground lair before. Winding tunnels etched into the very earth lined by mere torches, shifty cloaked men prowling its halls, it was like a dream come true when it came to mass-arrests. Of course, there would always be the inevitable 'defiant one' whose only liberation would be death (by their choice and not Thavron's). Such is the unoriginality of the criminal mind, the brown angel concluded.

The guardsman's silence remained even after the three angels had traveled a good distance into the slave traders' base of operations. Tactics were constantly running through his head, making him seem somewhat detached, unaware of the events around him. Even the 'visit' from another cloaked man barely caught the colonel's attention, though he felt no sympathy for the unfortunate guardsman. His men were tough, or else they wouldn't stand a moment in the Third Company. The colonel's fingers constantly itched for the hilt of the concealed blade dangling from his hip, but he knew the moment was fast approaching.

[OOC: Gack! I caught Short Posting Disease! Forgive me! >.<]

There was little but hatred for what she did from the mercenary. She hated slavery, but the pay was excellent, and in a couple days they would let her hands on the keys. Charlotte already had her hands on where they supplied their food and drink from. In short, her one woman operation could end this little slavery outpost without a single death, and cleanly. But there were some things she would have to do to stop the deaths, and that was stop this foolish attempt at rescue from three lightly armed fools. She could bet money on the fact two were wearing armor. The shape of the cloaks, the fact one of them had his arm out as though he was holding something to his side, and how much noise plate armor made.

It was a spectacular racket, all those metal parts hitting into one another could hardly be muffled by a simple layer of cloth. Thus, the woman who hardly bothered to wear one of the all-consuming(not to mention bulky, hard to move in and impractical, aaaand impossible to see in) shifted from the shadows. She uncrossed her arms from just beneath her bound bosom, and strode to the group of fools from behind them. It was simple hiding in plain sight, you simply didn't move. The mercenary brushed alongside of them as she passed them, careful not to get caught up in the chains. The racket was incredible, but that was mostly thanks to the chain. Her eyes lit up as she felt past one of them, the exact feel of heavy armor she was looking for. The mercenary however di not react to her find, and instead kept moving. Charlotte quickened her step until she was a full ten feet in front of the slaves, and then she wheeled about. Her blade was out in a flash, and she centered herself in the passage way.

Her stance was that of a full defense, trying to get past her would be impossible unless they had a weapon that outreached her impressive eight foot reach. And the passage way itself was five feet wide. Although she didn't have the room for a horizontal slash, neither did they. Charlotte cleared her mind, and gave out a crystalline but brazen order that would fill the full fortress, and if not the corresponding alarm would.

"Intruders! Main passage way, disguised as slaves! Some are wearing heavy armor, so bring up the heavy crossbows!" Charlotte shouted. Simultaneously, Fall of Blades released a bolt of chaos energy, the perfect surprise attack. In such a linear order, it was also inevitable that it would hit at least one. They were still chained as well, so Charlotte had yet another advantage. Within moments of the first being fired, a second hurtled off, and a third, and a fourth.

"Fools. Trying to save the world, trying to get even more people killed in your righteous acts of cleansing this pleasant little continent of evil. Have you ever considered the fact those slaves are kept at sword point? Ever considered that if you got close to them, the slaves would begin to die one by one? You fools, too bull headed and too forwards to think of a true plan to save these poor people. And no, I will not help you. Helping those so single minded only furthers the slaughter your world has condemned itself to. You have two choices, do this with massive bloodshed, until those slave pens are the holders of blood and meat, or allow me to do my work." Charlotte said, barely loud enough for those down the hall to hear. The ferocious blond gave a sweet smile as she steeled herself for the impending attacks. Paladins, clerics, all those holy men were bound by their own foolishness. Slavers such as these had no doubt become used to constant incursions, and knew that their slaves were the most potent defense they had. Martyrs one and all they would be today.

(For the record, the above are Charlotte's feelings and not my own. If it insulted you, be insulted at Charlotte. I play her how she is without diluting her.)

Soon the clamor of a female voiced willed the area as she shouted out about intruders. Paige let out a sigh and pushed past her slaves and stepped out into the hallways. She was annoyed that goodies kept showing up on every turn she made. It was like they were stalking her.

She did not bother to run, just keeping her calm and collected walk. Soon enough she arrived to find a girl firing off magical blasts. Paige stood behind her and pulled her dagger from its sheath "Here to help!" She placed her hand on the other girls back to show she was with her.

The pirate looked out of place among the armor clad combatants. She was not out of luck though. She would have to fight without defense yes, but she could move much more quickly and freely throughout the narrow hallways. The other men would be slowed down by the bulk and almost trapped. Another reason she preferred to go without armor was the sheer risk of battle. Danger was a major turn on for Paige and she had the scars to prove it.

While standing behind the girl who was firing attacks Paige pointed a finger to one of the intruders and said a few words under her breath. The spell was a silencing spell that would seal the intruders mouth, not allowing him to cast spells or even talk. (( this is aimed at you zenith))

Paige did not charge in quickly, but waited. She was attempting to calculate in her mind. She waited to see if her silence spell had taken effect. If it did it would handicap the other team for sure, giving them the advantage. They already had more people since the foolish good doers walked right into the belly of the beast and they also had leverage. In her eyes, the intruders were not doing so hot.

Morgo Domanu had heard of the under ground slave trade business. He was next in line to auction his items off. This pirate girl was taking a while, having her merchandise act rowdy and insubordinate. But compared to his, the pirate's slaves were in much better condition. Morgo liked to toy with his prisoners. Blood was spattered on all of them, limbs were not present, and a few began to slumber into an enternal sleep of death. Xoac, his familiar alligator was muching away at these few, splattering blood on the nearby slaves. Aha, his lupine minion granted by Ita, was trying to get a bite in as well.

"Intruders! Main passage way, disguised as slaves! Some are wearing heavy armor, so bring up the heavy crossbows!" a females voice rang through the tunnels. Every got up in a bussel, and the slaves eyes brightened at new hope. He got up and walked down the hallway, seeing a party of adventurers. Xoac and Aha were right behind him.

Their were four men disguised as slaves, and others as slave traders. But one stuck out to Morgo. Zenith Meria in his massive armor and great magic made Morgo's blood fire up. But to his pleasure, the pirate girl had launched a spell of silencing at him. If the attack was successful, Zenith's power would be reduced majorly.

"Why, nice to meet you again, Divine Protector. Would you like to try this again?" Morgo asked Zenith politely, drawing his mace, Denger's Talon. The blonde mercenary in front began launching chaos bolts at them. Morgo decided to go with the flow.

Aiming Denger's Talon at Zenith, Morgo launched lightning bolts above, below, to the sides, and directly at the archangel, in hopes that at least on would hit. Most of his spells would be useless in this small space, especially his Ashen Shower spell. He would have to think carefully in this fight.

((OOC:Sorry about the delay! ^_^; ))

It was not that long after the group had went further through the small passages that Zenith saw someone passing by them, he thought that things were going rather well since the person that had passed them had not done anything to alert anyone. Of course the angel was proved wrong at this as the person that had passed them quickly turned round and unsheathed a large and very powerful looking blade. Instantly Zenith was able to tell who this person was, it was Charlotte. The angel has heard stories of her death running through many places in Arda, but seeing her there on that very day proved that those saying she was dead were all wrong, the one once known as the Daughter of Chaos was still alive and it appeared as though she was as powerful as ever.

As Zenith opened his cloak and placed the helm of his armour onto his head (after making sure that his hair would be fully inside the helm) he heard Charlotte say, "Intruders! Main passage way, disguised as slaves! Some are wearing heavy armor, so bring up the heavy crossbows!" This was going to be very troublesome, with Charlotte here it was clear that whoever had set up this operation had been ready for people to come and save the slaves. From below his helm Zenith kept his eyes locked onto Charlotte, as he did so the magical effect of his armour took effect by sealing all of the parts together and thus leaving no gaps in the armour anywhere.

With his Mithril Shield strapped to his left arm, and Salvations Judgement held in a tight grasp in his right hand Zenith was ready to defend anyone in the group, as well as trying to protect himself. Only then did Zenith notice that Charlotte was shooting out chaos projectiles towards the group, four to be exact. In response to this Zenith fired out two projectiles from his own blade that managed to collide with two of the forth being sent to the group. With the other two still closing in the angel quickly stepped in front of the others and blocked the third with his shield (although the force of the blast had still managed to hurt the angels left arm) while the forth blast crashed into the chest of Zenith and caused him to stagger back slightly.

Taking in a breath of air Zenith then saw two other figures start to emerge from the darkness of the passageway, one was a female Pirate who had tried to cast a silence spell on Zenith however the angel was protected against said spell thanks to Cloak of Neutrality that he had sewn into a pair of trousers and wore beneath his armour. The second being however was someone Zenith had met for the first time not to long ago, another warrior of Chaos known as Morgo. It was not long before Morgo launched an attack of his own by sending out several magical bolts of lightning from his Mace, Zenith had been on the receiving end of this attack before and knew the power it had but he had means of stopping it from hurting him or the others for that matter.

Placing his left hand out towards Morgo and the others Zenith used one of the special abilities given to him by his training with the Goddess of Life, the ability was known as Shell and it created a shimmering, transparent globe of protection large enough to hold Zenith, Roleun, Thavron and his four Guardsmen. This globe had the power to protect Zenith (and all others within it) against any offensive magic thus it proved most useful in stopping the lightning attack from Morgo. Already Zenith was feeling the pain in his left arm and chest from the chaos blasts send out by Charlotte, but he was not going to let that stop him yet, the Archangel still had a lot of energy left after all.

Stopping his Shell ability Zenith then said, “So much for getting in easily then.” Once saying this four, spinning three bladed objects appeared around Zenith as he had cast his Blade Sentinel spell, the spinning blades would only last for five minutes but hopefully that would be enough to try and push back Charlotte and the others into a large area for the battle that was clearly going to happen. The four spinning objects they shot forth towards Charlotte, Paige and Morgo. One was headed for Morgos torso area; another for the arm that Paige held her dagger in while the remaining two sped towards the legs of Charlotte. With the first offensive attack of the angel made he then stood ready to defend again, after all by being in such a confined area there was little room for a lot of movement.

((OOC: Sorry if the post is not that good))