Flawless [IC]

[ylvathrall]

Will glances back and nods once, the gesture tight and controlled. "Hold on," he calls back, and with no more warning than that, the motorcycle starts accelerating as though previously it had been standing still rather than already doing highway speeds, as the magic in the bike flares to life. The speedometer stops at a hundred and twenty miles per hour; the bike does not. The elven riders put on a burst of speed as well, but still fall away slightly in their pursuit.

"I can't keep this up for long," Will shouts back, his voice already strained. Not only that, but Bethany notices the gas gauge is draining rapidly, and ahead the road goes into a series of long, loose curves. Maintaining this speed through the curves seems...inadvisable.

Spoiler: OOC

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You gained one zone of space between you and the riders.

[Halae]

Rather than attempting to hit the Sidhe riders with another field of adjusted gravity, this time Bethany opts for something rather more violent and destructive. With the power she called up earlier and now, she casts her hand out towards the sidhe and their mounts; the spellcaster among them is likely going to be boggling at the raw energy this mortal sorceress is willing to bring to bear, and on such a massive stretch of ground too

"IMPER HURA!" she calls out and the very light begins to warp and twist around the Sidhe. Some extremely lucky ones may make it out, but the rest have just been hit with a miniature black hole.

Spoiler: OOC

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11 shift spell; Bethany just at 5 shifts of stress to cast a spell she was charging for two turns. 2 of those shifts were dedicated to hitting an AoE, while the remaining 9 were for attacking every target that could reasonably hit by the attack.

[ylvathrall]

The spellcasting Sidhe is too far back to be caught by the spell, and two of the others put on enough of a burst of speed to escape the event horizon before the black hole finishes forming. The others, though, are not so lucky, and as the spell fades, Bethany makes out five horses and riders in a tangled mass at the center of the burst. It's impossible to tell whether they're dead, unconscious, or just unable to continue chasing her; at the speed the motorcycle is setting, they're out of sight in seconds.

By that time, though, Will is having to slow down for the curves ahead, leaving enough room for the Sidhe to catch up. Two of the riders draw short javelins from quivers at their knees and throw them, uncannily accurate for the distance and the speed at which the battle is moving. The third, the spellcaster, throws out her hands and lets out a ululating battle cry. In front of you a shimmer appears over the asphalt, looking like a heat haze. And it's not an inconsiderable one; the asphalt looks to be melting with the intensity of the heat.

Spoiler: OOC

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You've got a strong border here; lore to know how strong it is, but it definitely looks like a significant obstacle.

[Halae]

As the spears whizz past far too close for comfort, Bethany sees the threatening area ahead, "Ugh. This is gonna suck! Hold on!"

She clamps her arms around Will's stomach and her legs over the sides of the bike; This isn't strictly necessary for the spellwork, but she also wants to keep herself from falling off the bike, and holding onto the primary rider is the best way to do that. Once more pulling on her spell power, she cries out "Hevuun!" and she suddenly heaves Will and the bike upwards, in defiance of physics through the magic of manipulated gravity. It's on Will to make sure this poor bike lands without spilling its occupants onto the road, but Bethany's spell should get them past the worst of the molten roadblock, though Bethany is exhausting herself along the way.

Spoiler: OOC

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Bethany's spell is meant to take the pair and Will's bike into the air. Mechanically speaking, this is a block action versus a maneuver that would have left them in such aspects as [Bogged down] or [Melting] or some such; since it's six shifts, six shifts of power on the defender's side negate all consequences. Of course, Bethany can't keep this up, so she's hoping that the riders are also blocked by the molten road.

[ylvathrall]

Will grunts as one of the spears glances off his leg, tearing a hole in the leather and drawing blood. There's no time to stop and examine the wound, though; by that time the bike is already leaving the ground in an abrupt, jerky leap. As you fly over the molten asphalt a sudden, painfully intense wave of heat washes over you, but you pass through the superheated air before it can do more than sting.

Unfortunately, as the bike falls back to the ground, the front tire twists slightly. Will does his best to pull it back under control, but the bike is listing too hard to the side by that point, and it ends up going into a spin along the ground. Bethany goes flying, tumbling through the air uncontrollably before slamming back to the asphalt hard enough to make her see stars. Will skids along the ground with the bike, shredding his leather garments and leaving his leg and side looking uncomfortably like raw hamburger.

He gets up, though, and hoists the bike back up, swinging his leg over it a little unsteadily. Behind you, the Sidhe are taking the long way around the molten asphalt, losing time but avoiding the heat.

Spoiler: OOC

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I think a three stress hit is fair considering how fast the motorcycle was going and how poorly Will rolled on his drive check to keep it under control. The Sidhe are back to being two zones behind you.

[Halae]

Bethany has trouble pulling herself to her feet; the helmet kept her head from being busted open in the fall, but skidding along the asphalt has left her shirt and the skin under it in tatters. "Go! I'll hold them off!" Bethany calls to Will, "I can handle the last three!" Without waiting for Will's response, she turns to face the sidhe, calling up her power for an attack against the spellcasting rider.

She calls out "Vosh!", and around the spellcaster an orb of twisted air.

Spoiler: OOC

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Discipline Roll for the spell I'm casting: (4d3-2)[4]

This is a rote spell, so I take no mental stress from using it.

[ylvathrall]

"Like bloody hell you can," Will says, pushing himself to his feet and turning to face the enemy alongside you. He's clearly pretty badly hurt, and wobbling on his feet a little with his leathers hanging in bloody shreds, but he's standing all the same.

Bethany's spell, meanwhile, collapses in around the mounted Sidhe, twisting gravity itself to crush in at her. She makes a warding gesture and Bethany feels a force pressing against her magic, but it happens too quickly for the Sidhe to properly counterspell it, and when she attempts to fling herself off the horse and out of the spell, she isn't able to overcome the gravity well. She collapses to the ground beside the horse, limbs arranged in a way that suggests many broken bones. It's not immediately clear if she's still alive.

The other riders, though, show no signs of being deterred. One of them draws and flings another spear, while the other spurs his mount into a charge at Bethany, spear leveled at her.

Spoiler: OOC

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Two more attacks.

(3d4-5)[3]
(3d4-3)[6] (this is the charging Sidhe, who has a stunt for that)

[Halae]

Bethany extends her hands out towards the charging sidhe and his mount, and lets out a cry of "Graun!" to block the strike. He'll feel his inertia and kinetic force leeching out of him, slowing his movements and taking force from his mount's stride and the tip of his spear.

Spoiler: OOC

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Bethany is using a variation on her "Graun" block spell. As it's a variation, her discipline roll is going to be versus standard mental stress, but she's also going to be eating an extra two points of it because she overdrew past her conviction level. Since she needs a whopping eight shifts of power to be able to block the incoming attack fully (and even then, due to the attack hitting but dealing no damage, the sidhe will get to tag her with an aspect as if he'd gotten off a maneuver), she's very likely going to be taking some mental stress from this. So, here's a discipline roll to see how well she handles the power she just brought to bear:
Discipline: (4d3-2)[3]

Regardless of the specific outcome of her defensive spell, she follows it up in just a moment, bringing another ball of twisting, warped gravity to bear on the sidhe warrior that attacked her, hoping that it takes him out of the fight so she can deal with the last one. Preferably before Will is too injured to move.

Spoiler: OOC

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Using the "Vosh" rote spell to attack the sidhe that attacked Bethany. He'll get slammed with a weapon 6 attack if Bethany's discipline roll to strike him is good enough. No mental stress from this attack, at least, but let's see how good her aim with this particular spell is.
DFiscipline: (4d3-2)[8]

[ylvathrall]

The Sidhe warrior dives off his mount, avoiding the worst of the spell, but being caught by enough of it that when he crashes to the ground he doesn't rise. The last of the Sidhe, meanwhile, hesitates before drawing his spear in a quick vertical stroke. It leaves behind a line of absolute blackness which he rides into, disappearing after a moment - Bethany recognizes this as a gate to Faerie.

Will, breathing hard and wounded, limps over to the motorcycle. "Come on," he says, his voice rough, as he lifts it back onto the wheels. "Won't be safe until this is delivered."

[Halae]

Bethany breathes out and nods, climbing on the bike behind Will, "Yeah. Let's go, before more show up." She slumps onto his back, though holding no less tight than before.

[ylvathrall]

Will guns the engine to life, wobbling slightly before evening out as he accelerates down the highway. Some thirty minutes later, you ride into the neighboring city of Colorado Springs, passing the wreckage left by the blast which still hasn't been cleaned up. Will ignores it, driving to the downtown area of the city and parking the bike outside a large office building. He gets off and heads toward the door.

[Halae]

Bethany waits by the bike, simultaneously resting and keeping a lookout for anybody that might try to make off with Will's vehicle. It's been a long night already, and the road rash on her body makes her look as bad as she feels.

[ylvathrall]

Will opens the door, apparently unlocked despite the late hour, and goes inside. Only a few moments later he returns, nodding gratefully to Bethany, and swings his leg over the bike again. "Ride back to Denver?" he asks. "Least I can do, really."

[Halae]

"Yes, please," Bethany says, moving to climb up onto the back of the bike again, "I need a hot meal and a coma."

[ylvathrall]

"I can get you at least one of those things," Will says, "but I don't hit friends on the head, so you're on your own for that one."

After a ride back that feels much shorter than the ride down did, Will stops at a 24/7 diner for a late dinner or an early breakfast, depending on how you're looking at it. "Thanks," he says over the food, scarfing it down hungrily. The staff are shooting each other looks and whispering at each other over your battered condition (even after Will produced a set of spare clothing from the bike's bags, including a trench coat for Bethany), but none of them have actually asked you about it. "I owe you one."

[Halae]

"Nah, just part of the job," Bethany says. Will's tenchcoat hangs heavily on her, much too large for her body in most places, and yet there's no way she'd be able to do up the front, "It was, admittedly, a bit more hectic than I'd been hoping for, but the way I see it, you don't owe me anything."

The mage extends a hand, "you call me any time you need something done though; reliable people are difficult to find in our circles, and I could always use an extra friend."

[ylvathrall]

Will extends his own hand to shake, passing over a business card marked only with a phone number as he does. A short time later, he insists on paying for the food and refuses to accept the trench coat back before biking off into the night to get some rest, and maybe some medical attention.

[Halae]

Bethany is too mentally exhausted to argue about the trench coat and paying for dinner/breakfast. For her part, she heads right home after finishing her meal, and proceeds to go home to rest.

Mi Na will find her on the couch, still wearing that trenchcoat and torn up clothing, on discovery channel. Her roommate may remember she likes to use nature documentaries to wind down, and evidently ended up passing out in the middle of one last night.

[ylvathrall]

The next morning, Bethany wakes to the smell of fried eggs and potatoes with toast. Mi Na is in the small kitchen preparing the food. Her expression when she turns to face Bethany is drawn and tired. "You're awake," she says. "Breakfast is almost ready. What happened? You look like death warmed over."

[Halae]

"Got into a fight with a faerie hit squad," Bethany says, groggy, still exhausted from last night's exertions, and barely able to pull herself off the couch into a standing position to move into the kitchen for breakfast, "You should see the other guys."

[ylvathrall]

"I think I'd rather not," Mi Na says, her tone worried. "Are you sure you're all right?"

[Halae]

"Nnngh," is Bethany's eloquent reply, "Nah, not alright, but it's nothing good food, bedrest, and taking care of this situation won't fix. I got into the fight because I was helping an information broker; now he owes me some answers on the succubus thing you handed me. With luck, I'll be able to figure out what happens next."

[ylvathrall]

Mi Na seems to be overcome with a strong emotion at River's words, but eventually manages to say, "Thank you so much for doing this. I know it's not easy, I can't imagine what you went through last night, and I...thank you."

A while later, the ritual circle is once again set up and the calling completed. Anemone steps out of nothing into the circle as soon as Bethany calls, as though he was waiting for the summons, looking much the same as before. He leans back in the chair comfortably, stretching his legs out to the edge of the circle. "Well, well, Miss Calum," he says. "Delivered, and in a timely manner. It is quite satisfying doing business with someone who can keep their bargains under...adverse circumstances." He pauses. "Ah, and before I forget, the Seelie Court has been made aware that you were acting as an agent in this matter rather than under your own volition. They will hold no grudges, though naturally I cannot guarantee the same for the individuals who were personally involved." His lips twitch into a thin, wry smile. "Or at least, those that survived."

[Halae]

Bethany waves a hand, sitting opposite the information broker. She's wearing form-hugging long-sleeved shirt to cover over the road rash. Thankfully, none of the wound is visible on her face or neck, as her helmet kept her head from being anything more than knocked around, leaving her pristine beauty unmarred, "Thank you for letting me know," Bethany says, "I'll keep an eye out for anybody that survived."

"Would you like some tea?" Bethany offers, pouring herself a cup. Another one is set aside for Anemone should he choose to partake, and if he does Bethany will provide the drink, breaking the circle so that he is here under guest right. Regardless of whether he accepts, Bethany moves on afterwards, "Right. I believe it's time I call upon your end of the bargain. What can you tell me about the succubus I'm investigating?"

Making deals with the fey isn't always wise, but there's a constant in them that's worth remembering - they'll always pay you back, either for what you agreed to give them, or what they owe you. It may seem like a small distinction, but it's an important one, as this particular creature made a living off of exchanging even goods; it's not like he'd get much business if he got a reputation as a cheapskate. given the situation from the night before, Bethany has little doubt that he'll comply as well as he's able.

[ylvathrall]

Anemone accepts the tea, and seems content to remain within the circle even after the actual barrier to his exit is lifted. "Well, I'm afraid very little, in that there's no such being to my knowledge," he says with a wry smile. "I'm reasonably confident I know what the being is you seek, you see, and it's no succubus. Though I don't blame you for confusing it for one; the details of its work would make it rather easy to mistake for one." He takes a sip of tea, apparently enjoying the suspense, and then says, "It's a spiritual being of sorts, an entity formed by possession leading to fusion. You would call it a wendigo."

[Halae]

"Hmm," Bethany frowns, sipping her tea. It really is an excellent tool for when you're not sure what to say - it'd be impolite to speak while drinking, after all. When she's gathered her thoughts a moment later, "I'm afraid I don't know much about Wendigo. I'm aware that folklore believes they're cannibalistic monsters that come into being after someone is forced to resort to cannibalism, but I'm not sure whether that's real or simply myths and legends."

[ylvathrall]

"As usual the myths are rooted in a real phenomenon, and extrapolate in directions which aren't always correct. Cannibalism isn't essential to the wendigo's nature. Rather, it is formed by a spirit of transgression forming a union with and eventually fusing with a mortal host. Cannibalism, as a taboo which was tightly held and often broken with a feeling of guilt at the breaking, is one of the easier ways to invite such a spirit into your being. Once there it acts much like any other possessing spirit...at first. Eventually the spirit takes more control, until eventually the host is all but consumed. Once that happens the spirit can exert more direct control on your world, influencing events and others. It generally seeks to spread the essence of its own nature - that is to say, it leads other mortals to transgress against their taboos, among other things it does to them." Anemone's voice is calm and dry, and he watches you closely as he speaks, his expression betraying nothing.

[Halae]

Bethany absorbs this information, nodding along. This does make sense, and works along the lines that would lead to cannibalism based monsters without being exclusive to them. so, someone transgressed in some serious way, and had their mind taken over by a spirit, progressively worsening as time went on, "Then are you aware of what our current Wendigo is doing? Aware of what it's doing to people and where it's doing it?"

[ylvathrall]

"As to that, I am afraid, the answer is no," Anemone says calmly. "Indeed, it's only by deduction that I can confidently say that the wendigo is the one responsible; I don't know of any other predator in the area which is capable of the same sort of hunting, and it most certainly is. The specifics of its hunting patterns are not something I've taken the time to find out, though I can hazard a guess as to where it will be operating. Like most possessed beings, a wendigo has a natural tendency towards areas that are charged with the same spiritual essence as itself. In this case, you might look for places where people transgress against societal boundaries regularly and with some degree of shame in the act. Or you might present yourself as one who might be lured into such behavior and wait for it to find you." His smile is sharp, and entirely without pity. "It will be hunting for those who can be tempted. Those are both its means of reproduction and, to put it into your terms, its food source."

[Halae]

The wizard closes her eyes and thinks about that a moment. Transgression. Societal boundaries, and the people involved feel shame. And this particular wendigo targets magically potent children and teens... That likely means prostitution, maybe drugs. Maybe there's a school on Colfax Avenue that has drug problems. That'd be the most obvious place for such a thing to feed. Research needs to be done.

Bethany breathes out and nods, "Thank you for the information, Anemone. It was a pleasure doing business," She does a small bow towards the fey. He can remain as he likes; he's here under guest rights. But being a fey, he likely has other appointments to keep, and won't want to stick around.