Elder Blood Witcher 562 The Banquet Becomes A Masquerade!

Solaire had heard what sounded like a terribly designed windchime while he was conversing with Risryn, looking up he could see the minute movement of the chandelier, in the darkness above that he saw the Prospects ready and waiting for an attack. He nudges Risryn and quietly draws her attention to it, she quickly turns her back to it as to not look complicit. They both knew that the Reverend was heading in their relative direction and both separate to subtly guide his movement under the chandelier.

It was difficult but they managed to do it, the chandelier started descending on the old man slightly late but it mattered not, he'd be crushed regardless. The surrounding people scream and point as it falls, however just as the Reverend's life was snuffed out the large figure of his bodyguard Card Dorcick flies past and manages to get himself and the Reverend to safety.

The Prospects that were atop the chandelier as it was falling all jumped off just before it hit the ground, rolling as they hit the floor to alleviate the impact.

The screams of terror for the Reverend's life were replaced by ones of fear, the six masked a.s.sa.s.sins had used magic to materialise weapons and started moving towards the Reverend.

Mensfeld scowls at these men who had the audacity to attempt such a public a.s.sa.s.sination while HE was here! "Men! Arrest this fools! I want at least one alive to reveal the conspirator!" he points and shouts at the Prospects.

Reverend Albwin isn't holding up any better, he hides behind his bodyguard Card and screams, "GUARDS STOP THEM!"

The Prospects are quickly surrounded by the heavily armoured guards of the king as well as many Witch Hunters, all seething with fury at what they'd just attempted.

Talem "Remember your task!" he says simply before jumping into combat towards the Reverend. Card Dorcick blocks his progress however, the man's steel armour and Zweihander proving a difficult match for Talem's glaive. This, as well as the couple Witch Hunters trying to flank him almost completely stops his charge.

Card "You will surrender of die heretic!" he shouts while pointing his blade at Talem.

Talem "Oh? Then I request the same of yourself." he states as Fold Energy manifests in his left hand, he palms the ground below him which causes the earth to shudder, creating small cracks in the marble floor and causing a few of the surrounding men to fall over. With the numbers made even if slightly, he steps forward and jabs his glaive at the bodyguard, however, the man deflects it with ease with his Zweihander.

Talem twists and turns as he pulls the glaive with him, this action would have severed one of the bodyguards vital arteries in his leg had he not backed away.

Card "You are a strong warrior."

Talem doesn't say anything, instead ducking under a slash courtesy of a Witch Hunter before delivering a roundhouse kick to their face. The force of it instantly knocks them unconscious as well as shattering their jaw and possible their neck. He stops and drops into a low stance, performing Bruce Lee's signature "Come at me" taunt.

Card roars, a combination of seeing one of his men killed as well as this masked man's arrogance sending him into a rage. He sprints forwards and brings his Zweihander down with a brutal strike, Talem misses but the sword collides with the floor, cutting the stone as if it were flesh.

Talem chops at the man's left arm in an attempt to cripple him but the man leaves the Zweihander and moves closer, grabbing the handle of the glaive and attempting to pull it from Talem's grasp.

The two engage in a tug of war momentarily but Talem has to let go to avoid being stabbed by yet another Witch Hunter. He grips the sword that had barely missed his waist and locks it in place as he thrusts his elbow backwards at the man's face, it collides heavily, knocking out the man's teeth and destroying his nose as they topple over backwards.

Card Dorcick now holds Talem's glaive in a grip fitting of someone who'd never handled one before while Talem holds the sword up in a foreign stance never before seen in this world. Those from earth would recognise it as being from China, though no one here had such a reference.

The bodyguard steps forward and stabs the glaive at Talem, the masked warrior moving his head to the sword and stepping forward into an awkward range for the glaive. His sword ready to pierce the large man's vitals. He jabs at the man's neck but his forget barely blocks it, saving the man's life temporarily.

Card jumps back while slas.h.i.+ng down with the glaive, Talem side steps and places his foot on the back of the blade, causing the large bodyguard to pull it back to prevent being disarmed. However, Talem uses this momentum to launch himself over the man and towards the Reverend.

The crowd watches at Talem readies his blade to pierce the Eternal Fire leaders heart, only to be surprised when his Achilles tendon cut. He rolls to the floor a couple of meters away from his target, glancing at whoever was responsible for preventing the kill.

Albwin "Sir Gaeveled! You've saved me!" he exclaims gratefully as his savior approaches the downed masked man.

Kreld points his rapier at Talem and demands he surrenders. Talem tries to get up but is unable to due to his injury.

Talem "Gaeveled? I will remember that name." he growls out, his anger revealing itself for the first time in a while at his task being impeded by this man.

Kreld "Indeed, I will have it carved on your grave so people will know who had slain you. Now, let's take off that mask shall we?"