Dire summons

=Catona turns to the block of ice as it enters, his fingers lightly caressing the hilt of the blade at his side. He had seen these, the damage and destruction just one could wreak upon an opposing force. He remembered watching them rise from snowy ambushes, and seing them tear stones from castle walls.

He also remembered how they died, and in this memory felt no fear, no apprehension.

he turned his attention back to the group as they spoke, silent as ever.=

=Kinsen too took a long moment to glare at the ursine in the ice. His fingers twitched against the weapons at his belt out of habit. A hundred or more of these beasts? They would decimate ten times that number of men. Even good steel would not avail...

His eyes widened a bit with a start. He turns to jaric. "What is the status of the armory at Raven's Crest?"=

((ALL the light in the room suddenly goes out. Each candle is snuffed out one by one, only the smell of their smoke remainds. The fire in the hearth snuffs out immediately, as if the oxygen were leaving the room. Complete darkness engulfs the room regardless of any window or door. It grows very cold.

**Any with magic WILL NOT feel or "sense" MY presence.**

Suddenly, despide the temperature change to biting cold, the sound of ice cracks even more, a little at first, then faster, as the Ursine begins to move inside the ice block that had been keeping it prisoner. Its giant wings flutter and its massive white fur paws move, the claws stretching. The ice cracks even more, until it cannot stand the pressure and finally smashes free.

The ice turns to water and the creature finds itself wet and cold, angry and alive. It roars out, the noise resonating along the walls of the stronghold. Its teeth are bared and it stands on hind legs as much as it can in the cramped war room, on the defensive.))

OOC Note: Please react IC as you see fit, and give me a chance to make my action also, thank you.

=As darkness falls Catona responds on instinct, blade flashing into his hand with a smooth movement as he steps in front of Angel. His senses are hyper-active, compensating for his lack of vision as he focuses on the sounds of cracking ice. One hand raised behind him against Angel, he takes a step back, staying between her and the sound as he moves her away from the threat.=

=Kinsen snaps his head around at the sudden cold, the snuffing flames. As the darkness descends he curses himself for a fool, for not being armed and armored.

Pulling the long steel dagger from his belt, fe places a hand against the wall, his senses straining the darkness. And then he hears it: cracking ice. For a moment, his heart is a lump in his throat. The shattering confirms his fears, and he feels himself pelted with ice as he instinctively throws his body backwards, away from the beast, colliding heavily with the heavy table and bouncing off with bruising force, hitting the ground behind it before coming up in a roll.

He needed a sword. Aye, and a breastplate and shield and a dozen of his marines. But he'd settle for a sword.=

*The sudden darkness caught Angel by suprise, she wasn't expecting it at all and so she gasped, her breathing heavy. "What..." she began...then hearing the ice crack, just barely, she almost stopped breathing. "Catona..Kinsen.." She remembered them being closer than the others to her.

Desperately, Angel's eyes blinked and attempted to adjust, her hand instantly falling to Angelfire. The bear roared and a cold shiver of fear ran down her back. Instictively, she draw's Angelfire quickly, as a form of defense - its strong and powerful light radiating as she waved it.

Angel knew this was no doubt a foolish response, in terms of the bear who would no doubt react. But they needed the light and she was willing to take the risk.*

<< As the light drops and the ice cracks Vlad's eyes shift to deep red. the darkness in the room fading in front of him, each "living" creature appearing in white against the black, his eyes widen as he hears the crack of the ice fall away and see the massive form of the Ursine stretch its wings and bellow its challenge. Out of instinct he calls Shadow'sbane to his hand, the slim sword glowwing darkly against the artificlal night surrounding them. He moves from his chair to Bathory's, grabbing the back of it he tosses both her and the seat toward the door, moving to stand in front of the monster.

As Angelfire is drawn, bringing light to the room, his free hand goes to sheild his eyes, momentariy blinded by the sudden shift in light>>

~Ral was standing closest to the ice as the darkness fell and the ice shattered, showering him with large fragments. He reacted on pure instinct, diving to the ground in a roll, coming up with a blade in each hand as AngelFire lights the room vaguely. He looks at the towering behemoth, raging between everyone and the exit, and the adrenaline floods his body. A quick glance shows Catona between Angel and the threat, and the others around him, and he wishes beyond all wishes for armor, not that it would do him good against the short-swords that thing called claws.

He kept his distance, blades readied: he knew that in the room, they had the advantage of small size..but that the size of the thing could easily crush the few mortals in the room like so many insects. He takes a steadying breath, grinning, balancing the shadow dagger and the SwyftBlade in his hands as he inhales sharply and spits at the beast's face.

"Come on you mangy excuse for a seal pup. I'll skin you like I skinned your bitch mother. I could use a new cloak."~

{{ As the room goes dark Jaric draws the sword at his hip, the crack of the ice loud in his ear. He scans the room, quickly letting his wraith sight take over, noting the location of every person in the room. He grabs Rensain by the collar even as the final crack resounds in the room, tossing him back toward the tables and away from the monster. }}

GUARDS!

{{ As Angelfire sparks light into the room, Jaric steps intoward the beast, thrusting his sword at the monster's hear, trusting in his armor shell and the beast's disorientation to allow him a quick strike.}}

((The snow white Ursine stops roaring when he see's Angel's sword waving across the room, and it starts to sprint towards her in a flash of fury and claws, its heavy feet pounding and shuddering across the floor made for humans.

Yet Ralean is the first to stand in his way and make the boldest of statements, and the winter creature grins, his teeth glinting as his mouth drips with salivia. It twists and turns its massive fur form towards Ralean.

"FOOL" It bellowed, an utteral growl. His wings swept back and forth and so easily, he swipped his sharp, 5 dagger-like claws towards Ralean to strike damage. A massive bear paw, came down towards the dragonslayer, aimed to swipe him off his feet or slash his chest at the very least.

However, Jaric's sword swept towards him, and although it didn't fully penetrate enough to pierce and reach his heart, it slashed across the beast's chest and dipped into his rib cavity. This caused another furious roar of anger and blinding pain. The beast could only react in anger, its energy and focus now turning completely on Jaric.))

~Ral grins as his challenge is met, eyes shining, and he laughs as the beast swipes at his chest with dagger-like claws. He lurches backwards at the last instant, the beast's claws rending the air dangerously close to his body, tearing into flapping cloth as they pass, leaving the faintest line of blood across his chest.

Without assessing the risk, and as the massive paw swipes by, he launches a backhand cut into the beasts unprotected ribs~

=Kinsen snarls at his own foolishness, wordlessly vaulting the table to stand beside Angel, clutching only his dagger in hand. He watches the Lord of the Watch challenge the beast and take a cosmetic wound before charging the beast, and...laughing?

The crazy bastard was laughing?

He looked around him for an alternate weapon, feeling ineffective and impotent in this fight witghout a real weapon.=

=Catona uses the sudden light, and distraction from Jaric and Ralean to snap forward, taking a half step to the creature's blindspot, his broadsword snapping up in a thrust through the ribs from the unprotected side which it had just turned towards Jaric, driving the point of the blade towards the heart with his entire armored bulk behind it=

((As Ralean and Catona thrust their weapons towards the impressive beast, it lowers itself, hunching quickly as it can. Its arms tuck in to themselves and its gigantic wings come shooting down around his body, forming the very best of sheilds and knocking the metal swords clear across the room. They make an errie clang sound as they hit the floor close to the far end of the room. Then when it seemed the briefiest of pauses, the Ursine makes its strike, its wing flying out and pushing Catona and Ralean with full force across the room and into the wall.

The massive bulk that was its frame and muscled body, snarls, its breath vile and misting in the cold. He begins to stomp forward in rage, its wounds still bleeding but not making a blind bit of difference as it then twists its body, his giantic left paw backhanding Jaric into the war table that was Aurora and then, since Kinsen was next and closeby, he raged with a full attack, his paw coming down to push Kinsen to the floor in a single strike and hold him there. With a final bellowing roar of victory, his head darts and fiercely snaps down towards Kinsen's face in an attempt to bite his head off.))

*Angel's eye's widen as she watches in sheer horror the carnage that the Ursine creature was causing. It was so massive and cramped into the room, which made the damage far worse. Everytime it turned and moved, more furniture crunched and broke.

Yet, nothing amazed her as much as seeing the eighteen foot bear-like beast swat away Ralean and Catona as though they were nothing, and more so, that Jaric was so easily flung. Pirces from the war table were flung everywhere, little markers of the stags troops and that of the aurorans scattered across the floor and rolled.

She gritted her teeth and prepared herself mentally. After all, if she could face down SoulRever, she could handle this. Gulping down her fear and straighting her stance with one foot ahead of her, she readied herself with Angelfire raised.

It was almost as if the Ursine had read her mind, its determined stride towards her and Kinsen, and the fear forced her to freeze to the spot in terror. "K...Kin.." Her voice was trapped with terror, she couldn't say his name as the beast tried to claim him. Yet something inside her snapped - she couldn't loose Kinsen, not like this.

Her mind went blank, shock took over. The bear reached forward, roaring as it snapped and lowered it's ugly head towards Kinsen. Angel could hardly look, but she instinctively took Angelfire and raised it, bringing it crashing down on the top of the Ursines head. Point first, right down the back of the damn things skull.*

=Kinsen smiled, a calm coming over him as he met the charge, unarmored, only a long dagger in hand.

Time seemed to slow as the shield-sized paw came down at him, and with a jerk to the side he accepted a rake of the clows but avoided being bulled over, blood from the wound in his shoulder and arm splashing down as he stepped forward, the pain from the wound flaring but wuickly pushed down as he stepped into the charge.

He stared into the beast's eyes. And then, as the jaws came down, the slammed his dagger forward, towards one of said eyes, using the beast's momentum and proximity against it in an attempt to drive his weapon into the brain=

=Catona is not phased in the least as he hits the wall in a low crouch, his expression never changing. Weighing his options in a split-second, he foregoes reaching for his dropped weapon and instead pulls the second "sword" from his belt, 8-inches of broken steel, a bade of song and legend. As the beast turns to Kinsen, it presents its large back to Catona, who snaps himself forward, metallic arm flashing in the pale light as he drives his blade towards the unprotected spine of the ursine=

~Ral hit the wall, his breath leaving him in a gasping choke as he struggled to his feet, tasting blood. He coughed as he regained his feet, watching the beast turn aside and toss Jaric away as it charged the Admiral.

Spitting blood he akes the opportunity to dash to his fallen sword, scooping it into his hand and turning back to the beast.

"Come on you stupid lice bag! I'll gut your mate and roast your cubs, you worthless piece of mange!" He did his best to get the monster's attention again, as he came in from a flanking angle, yelling more insults and curses~

((The Beast's head came dangerously close to Kinsen but Angel's sword pierced his skull, and Kinsen's dagger penetrated his eye. A roar of excruating pain as his nostrils flared and he snapped his head sharply upwards, blood pouring out of his bloody pulp of an eye socket. Angelfire fell loose from Angel's grip.

IT wasn't dead.

The Ursine snapped into a blinding frenzie, taking Angel into its razor sharp teeth and shaking her like a rag doll, pressing down onto her stomach and licking her blood which mingled with his.

Suddenly, its back straightened and it was forced to drop Angel from the mouth as it stiffened and roared in more pain, the dagger from Catona striking his spine perfectly. It was slower now, and he knew he was loosing the battle.

So, ignoring Ralean's call's and insults,it turned and headed back towards the door where Jaric used to be - his whole body charging and swaying as it headed towards the wall.))

*Angel tried to dodge the oncoming Ursine's Jaw, but she was too close to the damn thing with Angelfire and her midsection was exposed. It was a godsend that she was wearing chainmail, but there was no time to think on that as the bastard ursine unexpectidly snapped upwards and grabbed her.

She expected that it was going to die - but now, she found herself the one screaming with pain and terror as it's razor teeth bit down onto her. Her hands came to its jaw, and closing her eyes she tried to raise divine magic, but her mind was a blur and it was too much..as the blood dripped from her and down her wrists...she could feel it all slipping away.

Her body hit the floor, limp. Angel was unconscious.*

{{ Jaric slams into the table, splinterring the wood under his armor even as he rises back to his feet, only to see two of his best cast aside like leaves in a strong wind. As the beast bears down on Kinsen, he readies his blade and prepares to rush at it, only to watch in horror as the monster is first stabbed by, and then savages Angel. With an unintelligible shout that seems to echo from the grave itself Jaric calls out the monster, his armor falling to the floor even as the temperature in the room drops further. Where once stoof the BlackRose in full armor, was now a dark shadow, the Wraith Lord.

With the speed of thought he crosses the room, his hand lashing out at the beast, grabbing at it's throat and willing its lifeforce into his own, dark form, draining the essence from the beast as it tries to make good its escape.

As the monster roars and headed for escape, the door bursts open, the two dragon knights coming in level their weapons, a heavy crossbow and a spear, and attack, the bolt and spear point passing through the insubstantial wraith on theri way toward the Ursine.}}

=Burying one hand into the fur and fat for a grip, Catona rips the shattered blade out, twisting it, and slams it in again as the beast savages Angel, swiping the ancient steel through the spine of the animal=

((The Crossbow hits it first and the Ursine swayed, left and right, it's feet stumbling uneasy. It groaned, the blood and ooze still pouring from its dagger eye, and now the other fresh wounds were seeping and matting it's white fur into a bright red.

The Spears were sticking out of it's muscled form. His wings fluttered out sharply, but they were no use against Jaric who had now turned into the Wraith that he was.

The Wraith Lord reacted before the Ursine could - charging full force towards him with anger and fury reached out grabbing his throat. It protested, roaring but Jaric had a good solid grip and now it was more physically weak.

The bear thrashed it's head left and right, trying to fight against Jaric, but it's energy was draining and fast. Suddenly its body was starting to serge a white, tansparent color, that glowed and shimmered blue.The Ursine was loosing it's soul, but it wasn't for a lack of fighting on it's behalf.

It's soul is trapped - leaving its physical body that fell with thunder to the ground as the creature hit it's final death, the rattle of it's last breath leaving in a mist and a shudder.))

=Kinsen twists as the beast mauls Angel, digging the blade deeper before it turns away to escape. He catches Angel as she falls, easing her to the ground as he looks at the bloody wounds in her abdomen.

Taking a deep breath, he lays hands onto the wounds themselves, his eyes closed as he begins to murmur prayers of healing over her without missing a beat=

*Angel felt herself falling somewhat, yet she was unaware of who had caught her. Her mind was numb and blind with pain. Her skin was pale, her lips ashen white as she gasped. Her eyes were rolled to the back of her head. She knew she was shaking from shock - couldn't breathe well, so her chest rose and fell - shallow and rattling.

Kinsen would see the wound was deep, the beast had so easily torn through her flesh and the blood was gushing now, instead of seeping. It looked ugly.

Somehow, as he was praying, she was able to open her eyes and look up, seeing Kinsen praying made her smile a little and she reached out, squeezing his hand before she faded out of consciousness again and it fell limp.

Little did she know, his prayers were helping, and although it was not curing the wound, it was at the very least, slowing the seepage of blood from the fatal site.*