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Deep in the night, mere hours before dawn returns, and all is still. Even the more restless circusfolk have finally worn themselves out. In one of the cozy wagons, Danielle sleeps, arms around Amanda, lost in whatever semi-peaceful dreams she gets to enjoy. Until something tickles at a sense she hasn't needed much since returning to her homeworld. With a soft little 'mmpf', she lifts her head and listens to the darkness. As carefully as she can, she untangles herself from the other girl, and eeeeases out of their bed. Then starts tugging her clothes on.
*
Amanda seemsto be snoring away peacefully. At least she doesn't snore loudly? As the weight on the bed shifts, she turns around, wordlessly adjusting herself in Dani's absence. She senses nothing. Her wards remain up and active - as far as she knows. She is still, let's be honest, a novice. Someone could possibly take them down without her being aware.
It starts cautiously. A cautious probing of the wards, like fingertips brushing just above skin, feeling the extents. Feeling the strength. Pressing at a weaker point to 'worm' further in.
*
Dani, meanwhile, tugs her boots on, then grabs the 'decorative' spear from the wall. Tassels or no, she's not going outside without a weapon. But she /is/ going outside. She pauses on the ground outside the door, and peers worriedly into the gloom. With a frustrated frown, she closes the door a little harder than intended, and nimbly scramble-climbs up to the roof of the wagon to get a better vantage point. Not that there's much to see with normal human senses.
*
Awakens with a start, due to some combination of the pressure on her wards around the circus, and the door slamming. "…Dani?" She sits up in the bed, rubbing at her eyes as she peers into the darkness of their little wagon. "…Dani?" Amanda mumbles something under her breath, the lantern above the stove flaring into life, showing to the young magic-user that her girlfriend has indeed left the premises. Worry for Dani is the only thing that serves to pick at her normally calm mind. And feeling something push against those wards… did Dani sense something? Hurriedly, worriedly, Amanda starts to get dressed, grabbing a long white hooded coat before teleporting out of the wagon and to within a few dozen feet of the pressure upon her wards.
*
From where Amanda emerges teleporty-wise, it's not hard to spot Dani atop the roof, brandishing her spear at the darkness. However, to more mystical senses, there's a much more urgent problem. The 'thing' probing the wards is a mass of invisible tendrils of magical energy, pulsing with a sickly feel. If there's a sentience behind the thing, it's too far away to clearly detect. It's almost like an octopus inspecting a clam, searching for a way to break open the shell. And if it gets in…
*
Danielle slowly straightens, then carefully clambers off the wagon roof, keeping a firm grip on her spear and muttering to herself.
There's more than one way to get something to reveal itself. Amanda might not be the strongest spellslinger around, but she's learned a few tricks. When the tendril prods at another point in her wards, she gestures downwards, letting the wards collapse entirely… making it look like the wards were mostly designed for show. She then crouches carefully and tugs the hood over her head, waiting and watching.
*
Unaware that her girlfriend is up and alert already, Danielle starts to climb back inside, but soon re-emerges and hastily scans the area. No, she doesn't call out. If something /is/ out there, no sense alerting it. Instead, she lets that tickle in the back of her mind guide her closer and closer, until she spies a glimpse of white in the gloom. Hasty but quiet steps bring her up behind Amanda, and she gently places a hand on the other girl's back as she crouches. "..magic." she murmurs, as if realizing the nature of the threat. "Felt death whispering in my ear.."
*
When the ward falls, the invisible tendrils withdraw slightly and wait. Coiled. Ready to strike. Then they glide silently forward, and pick up speed when no ward or trap is discovered. And from the darkness stumbles a wild-haired human figure, host to whatever the magical octopus-thing is, aside from 'hungry for circus folk'. The tendrils start to whip wider and faster in anticipation, stretching towards wagons.
*
Dark octopus tentacle thing. Great. She coul really use someone with more knowledge, but she doubts anyone is within easy reach. So it's up to the two of them. Amanda recognizes the feel of Dani's hand on her back, and so doesn't freak out when she's touched from behind. She nods once as she turns to look at Dani, then lifts a finger to her lips. Even so, she speaks in a hushed whisper. "I'll distract, you attack from behind. Dart in and out." Guerilla tactics. Something she, in a way, learned from her mother. Easy to hide one's weakness if one uses the surroundings to one's advantage. "Ready?" A hand fingers one of the throwing knives she was given, and in a flash she teleports away, to the other side of the woman.
*
It doesn't take long for Amanda to take aim and loose her knife towards the wild-haired host. No magic trap, just a sharp-bladed knife.
*
The blade sinks satisfyingly deep into the host's shoulder, causing him.. her..? to pivot with an inhuman hissing snarl. The focus of the creature also pivots towards Amanda, tendrils snapping back to the host's body, then reshaping into a large monstrous aura, nearly potent enough to be visible even to normal eyes. Congratulations, the thing and its host are fully distracted! And hungry!
*
Danielle waits for her moment, prowling closer and closer as the attacker starts to tromp towards her girlfriend. Suppressing the itch to war-whoop, the Cheyenne darts forward, leading with her spear. She drives the sharp tip deep into the host's back, just to the side of the spine, which makes the thing inside .. him, yes, him.. spasm and roar, all windstorm-ish.
*
It's not because Amanda doesn't trust Danielle to move, it's because Amanda is a little overprotective. She suddenly flashes between the Cheyenne and her target, wrapping one arm around her as they teleport-hop again. Pausing only long enough to throw another knife, to direct the thing and its host away from the circus and its residents. Then it's another teleport hop away, to keep out of the danger zone. "I have no idea what this is," she admits in a whisper.
*
"It's dangerous," Danielle answers quietly, a touch of steel in her tone. She hangs on as they teleport and lure the thing further and further away from the circus. "So much craziness around this city, I suppose it'd draw some hungry strays." After another hop, she nods and steps away from the other girl, checking the immediate area out of habit. "I don't think the guy was alive anymore. He felt .. wrong. But whatever it is, it didn't like us stabbing him."
*
It takes a few minutes for the stumbling, shuffling host to reach the two girls, but the thing inside him isn't risking those tendrils anymore. It feels even more sickly than before, when it's close enough to resume its attack on the mortals preventing it from snacking.
*
"That makes me feel a little better," Amanda murmurs. "But I've never heard of something possessing a corpse before." Doesn't mean, of course, that such a thing doesn't exist. As the shambling thing approaches, Amanda gestures… a bit dramatically, her hands glowing with a healthy green light. The ground rumbles around the shambling thing, weaving around like tendrils of stone and earth, trying desperately to bind the host in place.
*
Danielle watches carefully, then peers up at the sky as the gloom begins to gradually lighten. "Not long until dawn," she notes, then turns her attention back to the matter at hand. "Maybe it possessed him while he was still alive, and just.. didn't ever let go?" Shudder. Not a happy thought, that. The knives Amanda threw are still jutting out of the host's flesh, and the wound from Dani's spear oozes with more magic than blood.
*
The host bears down on its foes, only to be caught up tight in the snare of earth and stone. It struggles to free itself, and wind-roars in anger. The hulking aura of the magical thing shifts again, stretching rapidly forward towards the two young women. Straining to get close enough to 'grab', its host begins to slump towards the ground.
*
Now is not the time to admit that this is the most 'magical action' she's been involved in. Even chasing those tormenting boys off didn't take much effort. This? This is much more serious. "I think we can hold it off until the sun comes," she says, hoping that she sounds more confident than she feels. Amanda whirls her arms, palms facing outwards, towards the host. She murmurs something again, and the energy around her hands blazes red and a stream of fire erupts from her fingers as the tendrils of darkness grasp ever forward. "Maybe if you can damage the host enough!"
*
The stream of fire causes the greedy tendrils to recoil and arc away. The creature doesn't like that, not at all. The tendrils split again and again, until there are nearly a dozen thin 'whips', each lashing out with increasing fury. Whatever it is, it's not used to defiance. Or being hurt.
*
"Oh, I can damage it," Danielle growls softly, as she spins her spear in her hand, then stabs it down into the soft earth. Instead of her weapon, she darts over to grab a heavy branch from the ground. "Times like this, I could wish for Mist's axe, but…" She circles wide, letting the monster stay focused on the girl hurling fire in its alleged face. When she's clear, she gets close enough to the trapped host, and with the cold dispassion of a valkyrie, begins to whomp the holy crap out of the animated-but-trapped corpse with her hefty club.
*
Oh yes. Valkyrie. Amanda… sort of forgot about that aspect of her girlfriend. But now's not the time for that! She focuses on those diverging tendrils, spinning the fire quickly in front of her. Not only does it help with the tendrils, but it also ensures that the monstrosity is keeping focus on her. "Mother used to tell me that possessing spirits resided in the head of their hosts. … I hate to even suggest it, but…"
*
Danielle takes the suggestion without comment, and while the monster tries and tries and tries to get past the swirl of flames to the tasty, tasty young mage behind them, Dani angles the heavy branch… And with a nasty noise, whomps the head of the corpse hard enough to send it tumbling off into the bushes.
*
The creature's scream of frustration echoes on the material plane, a whisper of its annoyance in its home realm. With one last ditch effort, it launches itself forward, blindly trying to hurl itself through the flames…. only to dissolve into nothingness instead, leaving behind the silence of pre-dawn calm.
*
The earth rumbles again, as Amanda quickly shifts to using the prior spell. The remains of the body are then pulled underground, kept solidily out of reach… she hopes. "…Dani?" Amanda wobbles a little as she finishes casting. "I… think I'm going to need a hand getting back home, if you don't mind."
*
Dani takes a moment to catch her breath. She shoves the club down on the spot where the earth swallowed the body, then she hurries back to catch Amanda. "Whoa, easy, easy. Don't worry, I got you." She also sends a mental whistle. As she helps her girlfriend stay upright, her winged horse swoops down from above, landing in the clearing before trotting to his two favorite mortals. "Hold on, Brightwind's gonna get us home, and then we'll get back to bed. You'll feel right as rain after a little nap," she talks soothingly, reassuringly, as she hoists the other girl onto Brightwind's back first. Then she smoothly swings up behind, and gives the horse the nod. Rather than risk flying, he sets off at a smooth amble through the trees, unerringly headed for home.
*
It's perhaps a good thing that Amanda was so focused on her magic. She didn't have to think about the poor person, trapped within that darkness-thing, alive at first. She leans heavily into Dani. "Breakfast will be good too," she murmurs. The winged horse is met with a smile. "I'm really fine," she tells the horse. "Whatever she said is an exaggeration." Just a little worn out. It's kind of amazing, in its own way, how rapidly she can go from active to exhausted, when she finally stops using magic spells for her own - or others' - defense.
*
Danielle's snort is echoed by Brightwind's. Neither of them buy the 'I'm fine', clearly. It's just a surprisingly short ride back to the Circus, and their wagon. The horse stands steady as Dani slides off first, then helps Amanda down. After a couple of quick pats of affection, he strolls off back to his own rest. Dani half-carries Amanda up the short stairs and into their wagon, steering her towards the bed in the back. "Rest first, breakfast later. I promise. You were amazing, sweetheart."
*
Amanda hmphs, both at the snorts and the insistence she naps. "…better not get up and vanish on me," she mumbles, hands wrapped firmly around one of Dani's hands, tugging her into the back of the wagon - and only briefly letting go as she removes her white coat, tossing it onto a chair before she bedflops rather forcefully. Zzzzz.
*