The sunshine beamed down on the two travelers below. Their hoods pulled over their heads; trying to escape the heat. A soft growl came from behind them, but they didn't bother to turn to look. Soft steps came up behind them and a small hand reached out from under the cape to let the white tiger run nuzzle into it. “Were almost there. Kiyomi.” The tiger purred into her palm while he walked next to her.

Frowning to herself, Katerina looked down at her child beside her. The heat didn't usually bother her, but the sun seemed to be blazing that day. “Sweetheart. Here.” The elemental said while taking down the child's hood, and laying her hand on the girl's neck. Soft smoke seep out from beneath her fingers. “Awe, thank you, Mom.” Kiyomi sighed with a smiled while looking up to her mother, as she took in the coolness of her mother's fingers.

As they walked along the path down over the mountain, a large castle came into view. A gasp left the little girl's lips. “Mom! Is there really a king or queen that lives in that castle?! Its beautiful!” Kiyomi being only a two years old, had not seen the city of Adeluna yet. The city circled around the large castle, with its stained glass window's and tall towers that looked like they were entering the sky. The ocean behind the castle made it even more spectacular.  “A queen. The best this city has ever seen.” Katerina said, thinking back to the moment she met the lovely queen. She was only a child then. A smile curved on the woman's lips. “For a little girl, she sure had a spark of fire within her.” Katerina thought, her eyes tailing back to her daughter. “Just like you…”

It wasn't long until they reached the inn, it wasn't dusk yet, so the bar was almost empty. One man asleep on a table in the corner and another at the end of the bar. After about an hour in the bar, well fed, and now with a room to sleep in, the three of them went up to their room. “Get some rest. We'll go out in the morning and do a bit of shopping.” The wolf demon announced while she started to sit down on the window seal near the bed. “Really?! Can I get a new dress??” The girl asked, smiling at her mother, as she twirled around in delight. Her dark blue traveling dress did need an upgrade. “Yes. Now go to bed.” The wolf demon a giggle escaping her lips.

After a few moments, the soft breathing of the child and tiger filled the room. It was like a lullaby to the wolf demon. Her eyes soon started to close. “Damnit.” She whispered, sitting up straight. She knew that this town was well protected, but with the events that have been happening lately, the wolf demon wanted to keep watch. Changing her position on the window seal, she lean back and her eyes turned back to the window. The city lights shown from the darkness. The sun had just got down, and the city was getting ready to sleep. Besides the laughter that erupted from below. The bar was in full swing. She was glad, her daughter could sleep though loud sounds.

Bright blue eyes slowly closed with the sound of breathing and soft laughter from down below them. This time, they didn't snap open and a curse didn't leave the lips of the elemental. Dreamland soon took Katerina. White clouds and the sound of laughter appeared in her mind.

Soon the sound of laughter faded, and the sound of cannons made the wolf demon jump. Sitting up straight, the wolf demon's eyes shot to the window. An explosion on the castle made her eyes widen. Screams of fear replaced the laughter below. Turning her eyes downward, a gasp left her lips. “Pirates.” She groaned. It was like they couldn't get enough of her. Many pirates filled the streets, grabbing women and men at will. Dragging them down the alleys. The men that fought had a sword through their gut. “Mom!” A sudden voice made her head turn to look at her daughter. “Mom, whats going on!?” The child asked, worried.  

Quickly making her way to her daughter, she sat on the bed beside her. “It is going to be alright.” She soothed, as her fingers moved loose blonde hair behind her ears. “Stay here. I am going to go help.” Katerina said softly. “Mom! I am going with you. I can help!” The child said, ripping the covers from her legs, and reaching to her dagger on the nightstand. “I know you can, but you have to stay safe. Please.” Kissing Kiyomi's head, the woman stood up, not stopping to grab her cape, she opened the door. Looking from the tiger to her daughter, she hoped they would be okay.

“Kill anyone that enters.”
“But mom! Wait.”
“Kill anyone that enters.”
“Mom!!”

Katerina didn't wait a minute more, before shutting and locking the door behind her.

As the wolf walked down the hallway of the in, cannon fire and screams was the only thing she could hear. With a flick of her wrist, a puff of smoke shot out and while it faded, a sword was held in her hands. A black leather handle with floral steal design. The ancient language scrolled down the middle of the sword put off a soft glow to the though the sword.

“Up here! We ought to get some good sh*t.” She heard a rugged voice come from down the stairs followed by footsteps. Two sets. “Easy.” She whispered with a smirk. Stopping in just around the corner from the stairs, she waited for the men to reach her. A gasp left the man's lips seeing the woman before him. The one second pause before he reached for his sword on his hip, would be the biggest regret in his life. The tip of Katerina's sword came up to his throat the instant he hesitate. Blood poured from his neck, as he fell down on his knees.  The man behind him jumped over the dead man, sword drawn, and tried to cut the woman before him. In a quick movement, the wolf demon was now behind the man. He looked around dumbfounded for a minute before a sword was protruding from his gut.

“B**….ch” Gurgled from the mans mouth before he slid off her sword. “Pirate scum.” The elemental whispered as she turned away, and walked down the stairs. Making her way towards the streets, she held back a gasp. People ran for their life from the pirates, a few bodies laid around the streets, and smoke poured up from the castle and its walls. “Damnit.” She cursed under her breath. She had to help these people. “Helpp!!!” She heard a scream from the alleyway beside the Inn.

Katerina's feet ran from under her, leading her into the alley. She came to a sudden stop seeing the men gathered in front of her. A dead man at their feet. Four men stood with their swords drawn and one of them held a set of chains. “Hhahaha. Look what we have here boys.” One of the men said then nodded to someone behind her. Taking a quick glance behind her, she saw four more men. “I wonder what is under that clothing.” The same man said as he licked his lips.

A smirk curved on her lips, “This is going to be fun.” She thought as she held up her sword. She was ready to take them all down.

At the sound of the first cannon he woke with a start.  One day, one day he’d get a full night’s rest in the city.  But that day was not today.  The cannon fire was unmistakable: these were pirates.  We’re a long way from Vilpamolan…  Not that pirates were bound only to that ragamuffin coast, but it was quite a feat to get to the jewel, especially as there was no ocean.  There were catacombs though…To say they were brash in making such a move would be an understatement.  It was possible that they had come up the river, but with such a narrow escape that would only make them more brash…or insane.  Most likely a combination of the two.  Either way, they’d bleed and die like any other man so long as they were human.  Don’t go that far.  He had to remind himself.  But he was incredibly grouchy from lack of sleep to say the least.
 
Ever since the battle in Bakulaw he hadn’t gotten anything that could closely resemble rest.  Each night was filled with cold sweats and tossing and turning.  That sickly green color was always haunting his sleep, along with the men that seemed nearly impossible to kill.  What’s worse, he hadn’t seen Natsumi since that night and while he didn’t think her dead he knew that there were things far worse.  More than that he couldn’t shake the enjoyment he’d felt at unleashing such destruction.  Yes it had been in the name of the greater good, but when those explosions were coming out of him that hadn’t been what he’d been thinking of.  Normally he would have blamed it on Minasé, but couldn’t…not that night.
 
He rubbed his hands together slowly as he sat up on the edge of the bed.  Despite only having gone to bed in a pair of shorts he was dripping sweat.  It was the same thing every night.  His fingers pushed through his damp hair and he willed himself to wake more.  With a flick of his wrist and very minimal concentration he had his clothing brought to him, and dressed himself that way as he moved about the room.  There was no sound or muster from his daemon.  At least one of us is sleeping.  Though it made him more than a little uncomfortable to think of Minasé being fully rested while he struggled: it’d make him more vulnerable.
 
Screams started, far off he could tell, but increasing in volume: the pirates were moving closer to his inn’s location.  The sounds of running, doors scraping opened and hinges being wrenched told him that other people had come to the same realization as him and were evacuating.  When Torinasu was fastened at his hip he made his way out of his room and down the stairs at a leisurely pace.  Their steel would be painful if it sliced into him, but not lethal, and he was in no mood to rush.  Maybe when he was more awake.  He needed tea but there was no time to brew some and they didn’t have anything strong enough here anyhow.
 
As he opened the front entrance his lips parted.  To his left he could already see the orange glow of fire in the further parts of the city.  They were making good time…how long would it be before the guard was upon them?  Strange, they should have been well on their way by now.  Adeluna wasn’t known for being defenseless, quite the opposite actually.  Now he started to worry.  Luckily he was downwind of their attacks which would give him enough time to stave them off or at least redirect them into the forests.  They’d be much easier to attack there.  Here we go.  His walk picked up to a jog, a run, a sprint until he was teleporting to push himself further, faster.  The sting of smoke burned into his lungs and he coughed into his hand, holding his breath as he ran through the attacks.
 
So many people, so many victims, to try and take on each attacker at once…it’d take too long.  But the sound of a scream for help down a nearby alleyway caught his attention.  He was close enough to at least stop that…and then he’d try and figure out a way to cull the rest.  A woman ran into the alley way before he could, probably answering the same desperate cry, and his eyebrows furrowed.  Something about her seemed familiar…He slowed to a stop, making it there just in time to see others close in behind her: a trap.  His jaw locked and his eyes narrowed as he took in everything in the blink of an eye before darting forward. 
 
The men behind her went down first: the razor edge of Torinasu cutting through their kneecaps like butter along with the strength of his arms.  Before their bloody stumps had time to hit the ground he’d brought his swing up and done the same with their necks: freeing their heads from the rest of them without batting an eye.  He disappeared, only to reappear behind one of the others and the tip of his blade cut through the back of him resulting in a bloody blade protruding from his chest.  One of his arms shot out, his fingers gripping around the top of the other man’s head and with a light squeeze he sent forth the same type of explosion he’d done in Bakulaw…only now it was contained within the man’s body.
 
The warm spray of blood on his face and up his arm only lulled him, and later on he would feel remorseful for taking any form of pleasure in that, but right now he was blinded by bloodlust.  The last man was the smarter of the group and made to run through the alley, and as he was about to round out of the mouth of the alley he clenched his fist, ready to send another explosion…but stopped.  He blinked, taking a step back and in that brief hesitation the man managed to escape.  His blade was still skewered through the other’s chest, his twitches into death bringing him back to attention and he quickly pulled his blade out…letting him fall to the ground to finish his descent into death.
 
What had he done…?  These men had likely run up a world’s amount of wickedness, but just like in Bakulaw that hadn’t been what was on his mind at the time.  The usual emerald hue of his eyes had shifted to bloody crimson and he moved them to the woman.  She was alive…at least he’d had enough forethought not to attack her in his swift rampage.  His lips moved silently, unsure of what to say before managing, “A-Are you all right?”

Standing in between the men, Katerina eye’s watched them all. She waited for the first attack. Nothing came, instead a scream from behind her making her head look over her shoulder. Another man took them down. It was quick and easy for him. The look on his face showed he liked it. With a mental sigh, she narrowed her eyes at him as he finished another off, but he let one get away. With a flip of her hand, the sword disappeared. 

The man thought he would get away without getting killed, but he was wrong. Before he turned the corner out of the alley, a shard of ice shot at him, and stabbed him in the back of his head. His body fell with a thud at the same time the man removed his sword from the pirate. He suddenly asked if she was alright, but instead of answering his question she answered with, “I didn’t need your help.” Her stern voice has a hint of distaste. Crossing her arms, she looked at the man before her. He came in like he was a hero and that annoyed her. 

Hearing another cannon fire off in the distance. She wonder what was taking the guard so long. She had to save the people of the city, even if she only did it for the kill. The beast within her craved the blood. The full moon was only in a few days.

Katerina’s bright blue eyes went to the man, he looked familiar to her, but she couldn’t pinpoint how. Until it hit her all of a sudden. “Holy shit…. I fell on him in the battle.” She thought to herself, remembering the cannon ball that almost hit her. “Shit…Sorry by the way for falling into you at the battle. I didn’t have any control over it…” She said to him while scratching her head. Now that she knew how well he could fight, she needed to get over her annoyance of him, and go kick some pirate ass. 

Another scream was heard in the streets ahead of them. With him on her back, she would feel a bit better about how this day… or days would end. “Want to help me kill some pirate’s?” She asked, nodding towards the street where pirates roamed. 

Without waiting for him to answer, the black haired lass ran off to the open streets. Chaos still covered the streets. “There is so many of them…” She whispered. “How the hell did all this happen…” She couldn’t understand how they were able to get into the city. This city had great defenses. Seeing a woman being grabbed with a knife in her face, the world demon ran over. A shard of ice went through the back of his neck. Blood sprayed over the woman in front of him, another ear piercing scream was heard before she ran off.  “Your welcome!!” Katerina yelled to the woman, but didn’t bother to say anything more. 

Katerina finally spotted the pirates hovering over the boarder of the city. That was how they were getting in easy and attacking. "We need to take out that ship!" She called the the man, hoping he was still there. "How the hell are we going to get up there…" She said, mostly to herself. 

His lips parted, completely taken aback by her response.  That left him even more speechless than he’d been at the realization of what he’d done to these men.  When he saw someone in possible danger he acted, that’s just how he was…sometimes too much for his own good, it’s usually how he got himself caught into situations that went much deeper than his previous intentions.  He wasn’t one to say ‘no’ if someone asked him for further assistance.  Either way, it hadn’t even been her that had drawn him there, someone had screamed, though he saw now that they unfortunately had perished before he or the woman had made it to the alley.  That’s what his mind focused on and his eyes saddened at the realization before looking passed her.  

The only one to make it out of the alley was sent to the ground by a quick slice of ice through the back of the head and he internally winced.  All of that didn’t matter though when another blow of cannon fire pounded in the sky like thunder.  He breathed in quickly, head turning in the direction it had come from, though he of course couldn’t see as they were in an alley.  He stepped forward to move around her but was halted by her voice and returned his attention to her face.  Her words along with taking a good look at her suddenly sparked a memory: she had been there that night.  Their encounter had been extremely brief, but she’d been there.  She’d helped Natsumi…whether that was by accidental incident or on purpose, he didn’t care: she’d helped his friend.

He shook his head to her apology and continued to move around her and back into the street, reholstering a much bloodier Torinasu to his hip.  The fires had spread and now more pirates were making their way down.  While he didn’t want to help kill anyone if he didn’t have to, he definitely wanted this to stop so he answered her with a brief nod.  She bolted off, taking down another would be attacker.  Well…I’ll leave you to this part then.  There wasn’t time to waste on every villain and it was more important to get to the head.  He ran past her, going quickly but not teleporting like he normally would have done seeing as they might end up working together.  

As he went, he spread a paralyzing blow to anyone that attacked an innocent.  That would give the victim enough time to get away at least and he could continue on advancing to the core of the attacks.  His pace slowed to an awed stop as they finally got close enough to see where these brutes had been coming from: a great airship was situated high above the palace.  Why had he only thought of water…?  It was so obvious that they had attacked using an airship!

He looked over at her and then back up, a quick flicker of that fateful night flashing through his head from the amount of similarities.  Well at least these men bled, died, and stayed dead.  On the first try. “I know a way, if you’re willing to trust me.” He walked in the direction of the palace, but more to think than actually accomplish anything, “I can bring us up there by way of teleportation.  Or…well, I can bring us above it.  It would be a short drop onto the deck, unfortunately if I can’t see where I’m going I can’t get us there…and an active and mobile ship is harder to pinpoint for opening a gate.”

Now he turned his attention back to her, pausing once more in his strides, “Is that something you’d be willing to do?  If not then we can figure out other options.  There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

Meanwhile back at the inn…

“I want to go out there!!” Kiyomi yelled as she ran towards the door, only to be stopped by the large tiger. He stared at her in the eyes, a sigh left him. “You can’t, you know it is too dangerous,” he nudged her with his head back to the bed, “Now sit.” The tiger nodded once, watching the child sit down at the edge of the bed. “But.. Alex I know how to fight. I can handle myself out there, you know it. Plus you’re —-” The child was cut off by the the tiger putting his paw against her mouth. “Quiet.” Alexander said sternly, his ears twitching towards the door. 

Kiyomi did as she was told, the sound of screams from outside her door hitting her ears. “Wha— Oh no..” She thought as her eyes widened. The tiger slowly made his way to the door, his ears twitching towards the door then the window. 

Fear swelled up inside the child. Her eyes staring wide at the door. “Get under the bed.” She sat frozen on the bed with her legs against her chest. “NOW!” His growl echoed through the room, and snapped Kiyomi out of her daze. Without another moment’s hesitation, she jumped off the bed, her dagger in her hand, and crawled under the bed.

The child covered her eyes as her body shook. They were going to get in the room. The sound of screams echoed into the room. Her body froze again, fearing the worst. 

---

Katerina poke to the man wondering if he had a way to get up there. She knew he was strong, if they fought together they could drive out these pirates. There are too many mundanes around the city. She wanted to save them all, and the best way would be to destroy the pirate airship.

The voice of the man she spoke to made the wolf demon take her eyes off the airships, and turn towards the man. She listened to him speak. Her eyes questioning his idea. She didn’t know what he was talking about but they had to get up there somehow. Then he said it, teleportation. Her stomach turned at the word. It had been a long time since she had teleported. The last time she couldn’t hold her stomach. 

Resisting the urge to swallow, she nodded. “Let’s do that… Every time they shoot off the cannon they hold still. We only have a moment to. So let’s go.” She agreed with the man while taking a step towards him. Just then, a ax was thrown at her face. At the last second, she moved her head to the side. With the movement, the ax cut off an end of a strand of hair. “Shit.” She cursed pointing behind the man. “We got company!” She yelled as she saw the small group of men coming at them.

Katerina ran passed the man and to the group of pirates, a smile curving on her lips as she made held out her hands. Her power surged in her hands, swirls of icy smoke circled her hands to her elbows. Her eyes started to glow brighter. In a quick movement, she knelled to the ground and slammed her hands onto the ground. The earth shook for a second before ice spikes shot upward through the dirt at their feet. The men screamed at the attack from the wolf demon. Three of the men dropped with many spikes protruding from their arms and legs. The others had slashes from the spikes, and a few of them ripped them from their arms or legs. Only six stood now.  

Standing up, she ran towards them, another spike shot out from her hand, hitting a man in the chest, making him drop. Two of the men ran towards her, the others ran to the man behind her. “You C**t!!” One yelled while trying to stab the wolf demon with his dagger. Dodging, she twirled around him and to the other man behind him, and laid a punch in his face. He fell back with the force of her fist. Giving her the opportunity to make an ice spike appear in her hand and stab the man on his feet in his back. “You're not very nice. Can’t you be respectful of woman?” Katerina said with a laugh before pushing him forward to fall on the ground. 

The last man who came for her got to his feet. “Well finally. I don’t want to wait here all day.” She said kicking him in the stomach. “You—” Before he could could curse at her, the wolf demon’s dagger appeared in her hand and sliced the man’s neck. Jumping back, she watched the blood splatter on the ground and his body fall. She wasn’t one to get blood on her clothes. They were new after all.

Hearing the cannon’s start again, she turned around towards the man. Hopefully he was done with the other men. “Let’s Go!!” She yelled over the cannons and started to run towards him. The only had a few moments before they moved again.

He nodded quickly, eyes lightly glaring up at the airship as he prepared to take them but just as he was about to reach for her an axe flew past!  Lurching and leaning back to the side he stayed just out of its range, his wide eyes moving to her in time to see her reacting just as quickly.  Following the source of the throw he saw that there was a group rushing towards them, realizing that they were the nuisance that had been taking care of their men one by one no doubt.  Or they were just bloodthirsty. “Come on, if we go right now we can-” But before he could finish she was running towards them, ready to attack.
 
“Wait!” He stepped towards her, his arm outstretched, and though he knew that he could have grabbed her right then and there he had a sinking feeling that it would have angered her.  If we had gone now then we could have taken the ship and worried about them later! , he thought to himself, but at least this would be less danger on the ground to hurt others.  Sighing, his fingers moved to his hilt and undid the lacing of Torinasu before pulling it free from its sheath; blood still sticky on its edge, though he knew it would have no effect on its sharpness from how fast he would be using it.  That and it had been forged by the best he knew…no time to think about Natsumi though.
 
He ran forward, staying low as their attacks came and with an upwards arc took out two of their arms at once before turning towards them and thrusting out his arm: unleashing a blast of explosions into their chests.  They were contained enough to not be bombastic, but still crashed through their chests to leave them dead on the cobblestones, their innards a splattered mess beneath them.  His jaw locked but the smirk still came, as did the bleed of crimson into his eyes; he was enjoying it.  Four more came, slashing their cutlasses, and a few throwing magick of their own that he managed to dodge with taking only a singe of his clothing along the way.  One was cut at the legs before his free hand gripped into his hair on the top of his head.  With a sharp twist of his wrist he turned his head completely around and released him with a satisfying thud as Torinasu stabbed directly behind him: skewering one of them straight through his belly.
 
His body quickly flickered in and out of view as he circled around the remaining two, sending a surge of light towards them in a near complete circle to blind them and as their hands lifted to their eyes he clenched a fist: ten thin spikes of earth shot up from the ground and impaled them where they stood.  His eyes narrowed, watching as their limbs twitched until there was no life left…he left them there like that, a bloody reminder to anyone that might dare come and attack them again.  A low chuckle resounded in his head and he took an unstable step back, his eyes emerald once more and nearly dropped his blade. “I’m proud of you, you know.” The worst thing about it was that Minasé actually sounded honest this time…Be quiet. He responded to him in their shared head. 
 
Without looking back at the pirates bleeding out on the spikes, he walked towards her with strong strides, saying nothing as he looped an arm around her waist and teleported them.  When they reappeared it was nearly fifteen feet above the airship’s deck, and he bent his legs to counteract the force of the fall when he landed; blade raised in expectance of a fight.

Feeling his arm wrap around her, Katerina wanted to slap him, but they were in a battle. She wasn’t one for having people touch her the way he did. He could of grabbed her arm, but instead it was her waste. “Of course…” She thought to herself, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. It was a bad night already, and a handsome man grabbing her waist didn’t improve the situation. She had sworn off men, and that meant touching as well. With an inward sigh, she closed her eyes as they teleported to the ship in the air. She had to put her thoughts behind her, and think of the task at hand. Disabling the cannons.

Rather having her feet on solid ground when they teleported, the two of them were hovering above the ship in mid air. A gasp left her lips as she readied herself for the impact of the wood beneath. Standing up, she didn’t have a chance to glance around. The wolf demon’s stomach turned quickly, turning around she threw herself against the railing, and barfed up what she had, had for dinner. Realizing what she had done, she wiped her mouth off with the back of her sleeve, and turned around.

Four cloaked men stood across them. They hands lit with fire. “They were shooting off the fireballs…” She thought to herself, she didn’t realize it was men until now. Pirates started to come towards them both. Flicking out her hand, her sword appeared in a puff of icy smoke. Looking over to the man beside her she nodded. They needed to take out the mages as fast as they could.
Her eyes caught the blade coming from her right, turning she lifted up her sword to block the blow. Her sword lingered inches from in front of her face. “Kill them both! Then we take the city, boys!!!” A man with a gray beard called from the starboard end of the ship, near the wheel. “The Captain.” She thought to herself as she kicked the pirate in the gut to force him back to swing her sword, and cut his throat. “Another one we have to kill.” She smirked as she glanced up at the Captain before she stabbed another pirate in the gut. “But first the mages.” With her last thought, she concentrated on the task at hand.

Taking out another pirate, Katerina jumped onto a nearby barrel then quickly flipped over the pirates to land next to one of the mages. Taking up off guard, she stabbed him from behind. A gasp left his lips as he fell to the ground. The mage beside him didn’t wait for his body to hit the ground before waving his hand, forcing Katerina flying into the air. “OHHH SH*T!” She yelled before grabbing onto the rope ladder on the other end of the ship. Wrapping her hands around it, she breathed heavily as she looked down at the city below. “Oh…Sh*t..” She repeated while looking to the pirates climbing up the rope to her.

Many had died from her hand and the man she came up their with, but only a few stilled lived. Two came up the rope ladder as she climbed up further. Looking down at the teleporter below, she knew he could handle himself. Then she looked towards the Captain. She could take him out easy. Having her sword reappear in her hand, she cut the rope beneath her feet and jumped. The two pirates that tried to get her fell off the ship to their deaths. Landing on the top deck, she held up her sword in the Captain’s face. “Call off your mages, or die.” Her voice stern, she didn’t blink her eyes while staring at him. A smirk appeared on his face before the wolf demon was thrown back against the railing behind her. A mage appeared behind the Captain, his hand held out forcing her to stay where she was.

A laugh escaped the Captain’s lips as he walked behind his mage. “Kill her.” Was all he said before heading down to the deck to help out his pirates. The mage moved his hand up, the sudden pressure on the wolf demon’s throat made her drop her sword, and grab at her throat like someone was physically choking her. It took a moment for she waved her hand forward, spikes of ice shot out from the ground while making the mage step back in shock. “Yeah, I got powers too.” She said as she breathed heavily and moved her hand upward. The ice spikes shot out from the ground and into the mages neck.

Falling back against the railing, she coughed and continued to try to breath. It will take a moment before she could see if the man below was okay

His eyes slowly moved from side to side, surveying the suspiciously calm deck while never lowering his weapon.  Perhaps they could keep the element of surprise, or maybe that’s exactly what the enemy was trying to do.  Either way, he kept his words low, “All right…it might be best if we-”  But she was quickly moving to the side of the ship and his eyes widened as he straightened up and watched her as she lost the contents of her stomach over the railing.  He shrunk down just a bit, feeling guilty in knowing that he was likely a cause of that: not everyone was used to flickering around as much as he was.  He made a mental note to apologize to her after all of this was said and done.
 
Adjusting his stance to better defend her should she need it, he realized that their time of taking them by surprise was up.  Cloaked men stood on the other side of the deck from them, but she seemed to get her spark back and was on them instantly.  A smirk curled on his lips as he watched her and he knew she wouldn’t need his help.  Besides, he had attackers of his own to worry about.  Another rush of them was quickly running up from below deck: their footfalls causing the suspended wood to shudder like thunder, and he quickly turned to meet them.
 
This time it would be different, this time he would keep his composure.  Why was it so hard to hold the aggression in lately?  At least with Natsumi it had made sense that his judgment would have…slipped: she was a dear friend that he had been hoping to give aid to.  And while these brutes were rampaging an innocent city, he’d dealt with much more wicked than they and kept his temperament.  No matter, he quickly ran forward, holding the hilt of Torinasu tightly in his grasp as he bent his leg forward and swung out in a long swooping arc: sending out a wave of holy light that sliced through their hearts.  Figuratively of course, there was no bloodshed, though he quietly observed as they fell to their knees, scratching at their chests.
 
For this particular attack he had consecrated the blow, and that holiness was carving through the evil at their cores.  Their nails scratched through cloth, digging up against skin and blood until they started to do his work for him.  All he did was slowly walk towards them, keeping Torinasu held gently now as it absorbed the negativity and fear that dripped from their being along with the warm blood.  It pulsated between his fingers, feeding on them so hungrily that he had to hold it now in both hands.  So much negativity, he knew it couldn’t all be from fear of his previous attack, just how much evil had these people caused…?
 
No matter, he had more than enough now and could feel the transmuted energy flowing through his veins: revitalizing him as he looked down at them.  Holding Torinasu in one hand, his other shot out, bringing together the mass of shadows cast against the ship and her deck.  Shadows from the mast’s ropes rose up and tangled around their necks, cutting off their air as larger shadows began to swirl around them.  He could feel it again, that bubbling rage that had started to become almost second nature to his attacks now.  Gritting his teeth he held down the urge to do more than was needed, and most of all he tried to keep from enjoying their choked screams.
 
The inky circling of shadows quickened, causing even his hair to whip around his face as the small whirlwind of shadows slowly enclosed tighter and tighter around the men…until he could hear the crunch of bone and wet coughs of strangulation.  His eyes closed, turning his back on the display just as the lights of their life went out.  When they opened they were glowing crimson and he looked up to see his fighting companion still in her own fray.
 
This group of men had been handled, but there were still more to take their place: pushed further in their pursuits by fear or rage or more.  The mass of shadows unfurled itself from the now dead men and slunk along the wood like some hungry animal waiting at its master’s feet as Naota walked towards them, and with a wave of his hand the blanket of darkness unleashed its attack on these newcomers.
 
His fingers itched to send out explosions, cause more chaos, but the ship was so large that he feared what damage she could do to anyone underneath them; be it from falling debris or them extinguishing the magickal source of her power that kept her aloft.  The last thing he wanted was to be the cause of a crashing airship, and he didn’t trust his own strength at the moment to keep her afloat should that happen.  He was broken from his thoughts as quick steel slashed inches from his face, so much so that even as he leaned back from it he feared strands of his hair might have been shaved down an inch or two.
 
The captain.  His jaw locked and he returned his attack with one of his own from Torinasu.  The man was smart, keeping his mind distracted with quick slash after slash; forcing him to keep up with great speed to parry his attacks.  One good thing happened from this, while it kept him in one place it also did the same with the captain.  He flickered from view to appear behind him, but the man anticipated his attack and swung to meet the blade of Torinasu as if the two had sparred with each other many times before.  Well, he should have expected nothing less from someone that had fought his way to this rank on the ship.
 
His eyes narrowed on him as he attempted to mentally send out sharp piercings of psionic daggers…but nothing happened.  Jaw locking, he realized what was happening immediately: a heavy layer of protection had been cast over him, all but absolving him from any psionic attacks.  But for how long?  If need be he could hope to tire him out long enough to finish him off, but if she came to his aid it would be two against one and end the job faster.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw a mage; nearly invisible from how shrouded in shadow he was, but though he could not see his face he could just make out the quick movements of his lips.  That was it!
 
He shouted up to her, never pausing in their fight, “He’s keeping him protected from any non-physical attack!  Kill the mage and we can kill him!”  His words were quick, but just in case, he attempted to amplify them by pushing them towards her thoughts should she allow it.  Even in situations like this he wouldn’t force himself into someone else’s head unless absolutely necessary.

The town below slowly started to calm while the guards started to round up the last of the pirates. Their plan was failing because of two people on the ship who wanted to fight back and wanted to keep people safe. One was because of a daughter in the city below, the man had his own reasons. Maybe he had a hero side of him. Katerina did sometimes. She was slowly started to feel like when something bad like this happens, she had to find a way to save everyone. Her daughter was changing her slowly. The cold hearted woman who didn’t care for anyone or anything, heart started to warm.

Katerina soon started to breath normal again, it wasn’t long before she moved to see what was going on on the main deck. She saw the man fighting the Captain, the last of them all. “Wait….wasn’t there..” Before she could finish her thought the man below called out to her. Following his eyes, she saw the Mage in the shadows. Jumping down the railing, she ran across deck, head onto the mage. With this move, it was very unsmart on her part, but the mage lost his concentration as he saw her face. As soon as he held his hand up to shoot out fireballs at her, his spell on the Captain dropped.

Dodging the first fireball, then the next, she jumped up and brought her hand back to punch the mage. He moved at the last moment, and her fist landed into the wooden wall behind him. With her free hand, she grabbed his throat, and he gasped. Soon his soft warm neck grew cold. As his neck slowly turned to ice, he started to cough and gasp for air and then his neck was solid ice. Katerina almost smiled as he fell down at her feet. Maybe her cold heart was still there? Justice was sweet to her.

Despite his constantly having to dart this way and that with the captain’s strikes, a smirk spread on his face at the bold move of his fighting companion.  She had the mage under control and the second his spell fell he took his moment.  With a last flicker behind and around him, he thrust Torinasu through the man’s gut, bringing the two so close their noses were nearly touching.  With no magick to aid him now, he was able to get him with a bit of his own, and spread paralysis through him: the action only amplified by the power of his blade which he channeled it through.
 
As life slowly drained from the other man’s eyes, all he could do was stay frozen in the last movement he’d made.  He kept close to him like this, keeping him supported only by his blade until he was dead weight against it.  The last beat of his heart thudded softly in his ears and he closed his own eyes in time with his.  He quickly pulled the blade from him, the action followed soon after by a heavy thump to the deck.  His shadows had finished off the remaining men and he walked away from the heap of dead flesh and blood.  Torinasu was satisfied. 
 
His eyes opened on her, much lighter than they had been when directed at their foes, and he offered a gentle smile that shone with pride, “Well done.  That was a bit of a bold move dropping down on him like that.  A second too soon or too late and you might have had a half burned face.”  Nowadays he was more used to fighting alone, but it was nice to have a fighting partner every now and again.  Now that the proper authorities had arrived on the ground, everything else would fall into place.  Their part in this was done.
 
An apologetic smile replaced his previous expression as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Apologies…about the teleporting.”  He hadn’t forgotten how it had made her sick, “If your stomach is up for it, I could really…really use a stiff drink right about now.”