[IC] Revolt

[Katrix]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village | <Skari, SYSTEM>

Another guard came up behind Revere. "I am afraid that is not possible" the guard said as he walked behind Revere and put handcuffs on him. The handcuffs had a weird hole in the middle that looked like it was to serve some sort of purpose. At that moment Skari came up to him. "Don't worry, we just need to make sure you don't escape before our talk" she said to Revere directly. "Bring the Gravity focus" she ordered three of the guards. After some time they came back with a big chest. When they opened the chest however there was only a small marble just big enough to fit into the hole of the handcuffs. As they put it in, Revere felt a extra 50 kg on his hands. "Don't worry, nothing personal. We just have to make sure that you don't escape" she said with a slight smile on her face.

[Cucoo5]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village

Revere didn't move. "I heard you the first time." He said with a slight bored tone. "But it seems you didn't hear me the first time, I said I don't have time right now. This talk can wait." His tone slowly became more level and almost cutting.

[Katrix]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village | <Skari, SYSTEM>

The SYSTEM agents didn't care what Revere said. They had their orders and that was all they had to listen to. At the same time Skari replied back to Revere in the same way Revere had replied to her. "Didn't you hear what was said a little bit ago? This talk can't wait. We're bringing you to Máttur right now" she said to Revere. "Someone bring the hovercraft. We're living within 10 minutes" she ordered the SYSTEM agents around her. Two of them then went into the forest again to bring the Hovercraft.

[wonderweiss]

Sjavar

---

The masqueraded man patrolled the village. Luckily, today was a good day. No one to punish... Yet.

All of a sudden, as if on cue, his ears (that he trained and honed for listening to disturbances) heard a ruckus going on nearby. He went to inspect.

There, he found a gang beating on one man. The gang was obviously drunk out of their minds. However, the man getting beat up was recognized. He was a local brewer. The characters in this scene already tells the masqueraded man of the situation.

"Aye, we got enough yet, ah? Have we had enough now, Jimmy?!"

The brewer trembled. "I'm sorry, but if you drink anymore, it would be dangerous, plus you have a record for getting into trouble frequently, I couldn't-"

The leader kicked the brewer in the gut, making him fall to his knees with an audible 'oof.'

"Now you shut tha hell up! I say I want me some rum, I'm gonna get me some bloody freakin' rum!"

"That is enough out of you all," the masquerade said. He stepped forth.

"... And who tha hell're you, ya bloody bilge rat?"

"Someone you should fear. I know you. I recognized your choice of words. You were once a thief in a pack."

The leader turned to the masquerade.

"... And wut'zit to ya, huh?"

"Nothing much if that were all to it. However, you causing violence on this man for something so trivial deserves nothing more than punishment.

Just then, a thug tried to sneak behind him and knock him out with the back of a knife. However, the masquerade foresaw this and grabbed his hand.

"... I'm impressed. I never noticed him sneaking past me. But you're going to have to train your lackeys better than that to be a challenge."

"Hey, who're ya callin' lacke-"

Suddenly, the masquerade twisted himself and the lackey's arm, sending him in the air. Then, the masquerade took out his rapier. It was purple with a black blade. He rushed past the suspended lackey with a swing of the sword. When the lackey got down, he couldn't get back up. He was out cold, not only from the impact, but from the shock of getting hit by the rapier. He moaned in pain.

"Oh, now ya done it, ya bastard. Get 'im, boys!" Cried the leader. The group ran at the masquerade.

"... Very well. I will gladly take you on."

[Cucoo5]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village

"I think not."
Suddenly, the handcuffs shattered from a field of gravity that had been amplified by the gravity focus. Revere sprang into action. He went down to a knee and slammed both hands to the ground causing all SYSTEM agents in the immediate area to fall down to the ground, pinned by the increased gravity. Once they were trapped by his gravity, Revere turned to Skari, slowly getting up as he tried to lessen the gravity affecting him. "Your first mistake was looking for us. Now, I don't want to cause any more of a scene so I'm going to make you an offer that, if you refuse, you give me no choice than to kill you where you lie. You're going to go back to Máttur and tell all your SYSTEM friends that if they don't stop looking for her...let's just say you lot won't have to try and find us again. Because I will find you. And I will kill you." He drew one of his swords and pressed it against Skari's throat. "Do... I.... make.... myself... clear?"

[Katrix]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village <Skari>

As Revere drew his sword and pressed it against Skari's throat, it also touched the marble that she had woken up with in her hand this morning.

When she saw it she had immediately recognized it as a focus stone, but she had never seen this type before so she tested it. After testing it she was blown away by what she had seen. This was not no normal focus stone at all. In fact she didn't really understand how it could even exist. Regardless tough she had gotten some string and weared it for the day out like a amulet of sort.

As Revere touched the stone, a bright light erupted from the stone, knocking Revere that was the only one standing down on his feet and away a meters too. "Well, that quite nifty, don't you think. I guess you don't make yourself clear" she said as she both at the same time pressed a button on her device and raised her hand, ready to attack. "You should just be thankful for the fact that this is the first day that I use this power and I have no idea on what it can do" she said as a rune circle formed in the air. A second later a strong blast came from the circle towards Revere's direction, knocking everything away a few more meters.

[wonderweiss]

Sjavar

---

The gang was great in number. However, somehow...

"How the hell is this guy- OOF!" One man cried before getting elbowed in the stomach.

The masquerade simply kept working his way around thugs. His body was almost like fluid, swaying to and fro... Like a dance. "Danse Fatale."

He took one man's arm, pulled him in and let him pass his body to ram into the other man coming. He pulled out the rapier and hit a thug on the head. He quickly spun around and slashed at the last man. His fighting style was nothing less of elegant.

He stared into the leader's eyes and bore into them. The leader fell back and cowered. "W-wait, I wasn't doin' nothin' I swear, I won't hurt the guy any more, honest!"

The masquerade simply turned around.

"I do not mind you and your gang doing what you can to pass the day. Just don't hurt anyone in the process and you'll be safe from my wrath."

The masquerade began walking away, when suddenly...

The leader was rushing at the masquerade with a knife! "I'LL SHOW YOU WRATH, YOU SONUVA-"

He was interrupted by the masquerade turning around and giving an upward slice, knocking the knife out of the leader's hand and then let his own rapier fly. As the leader was distracted by the rapier, the masquerade did a chop to the leader's neck. The leader fell with a thud as the masquerade caught the rapier.

"... You bast-"

The knife fell between the gap of his legs. Shocked, the leader passed out. The masquerade sheathed his rapier.

"A trick that all men -- nay, amateurs commit to try and gain the upper hand. A foolhardy trick indeed."

The masquerade began walking away. But then, the bartender called out to him, "Wait, sir!"

The masquerade stopped. "Is there anything you require?"

The bartender walked up to the masquerade. "I know this is not much, but... Here, take it."

He handed the masquerade some money, enough for five meals. The masquerade took it.

"... Thank you, but I do not do this for money," he responded.

"Then take it, not for saving me, but for my gratitude in doing so."

"... Thank you. I shall be leaving now."

But he was stopped one last time.

"Young man... What is your name?"

Without turning around, he simply answered. "I haven't a name. However, I gave myself an alias to be known by. They call me... 'Midnight Sin.'"

"Midnight Sin..." The bartender repeated. "... Catchy."

[Cucoo5]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village

"..." Revere slowly got up and wiped some blood from his face from the impact. He didn't look at any of the SYSTEM agents. He stood there motionless, focusing his energy.
"You should have taken my offer."

A loud crunching sound reverberated through the air as all the SYSTEM Agent's skulls imploded from gravity manipulation. Skari was the only one spared, but not before it felt like a hand began to grasp at her neck. Revere was still staring off into some unknown direction but was talking directly at Skari. "Let me put things into perspective for you." He glanced about, once at Skari and twice in the other direction where he noticed curious eyes of the villagers. "You might have powerful magic at your disposal, but you are not welcome here. Imagine how the tales will go of a group of SYSTEM agents come into Endalausir Forest, attempt to arrest a man and a girl trying to desperately live a peaceful life free of SYSTEM's grasp... Imagine how the people will respond."

[Katrix]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village <Skari>

As the skulls of all the imploded she had an uneasy look on her face. Partially because of that she had led these men into their own death, but also because she now understood that this wouldn't be over in just a few hours. Of course she wouldn't let herself be defeated, but it was obvious that she had to retreat for now. Continue to fight another day. That was the way she had to think now.

Before that tough she wanted to make him pay a little and maybe even feel a little sorry for his actions. Most likely he would just brush it of like it was nothing, but the townspeople on the other hand could easily change perspective on things. "Then I find it funny that the same man murdered 6 SYSTEM agents not long ago. 6 SYSTEM agents that were on their way to Skógur to deliver a message to a famous scholar and Reagen Forvitni. It is clearly stated both inside and outside of Endalausir forest that murder is illegal. All SYSTEM agents know this very well. The same man that wanted to live in peace made a action that can lead to war. We just wanted you as fast as possible. The people of the forest might have used weeks on tracking you down while we could do it fairly quickly. When you would have been caught it is not unlikely that you would have ended up in Mattúr anyway" she said in way to make the village doubt Revere. It clearly had effect. Many of the townsfolk. Many of the people he had paid with the money he stole from the SYSTEM agents threw the money back towards him while yelling things like "I don't take money from a thief", "Did i really take this blood money that you brought me?" and "Get out of here while you still can". In was clearly not a safe place to stay anymore.

[Cucoo5]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village

"And whose story is more believable?" Revere asked with a level tone. "The story of those that have a reputation for oppressing the people, that would hunt down and kill a man? Or the story of the man that fights to survive and protect a girl from your grasp, where she would most undoubtedly be treated as nothing more than a object to be experimented on?" He released the magic that held Skari. "I will not permit any harm to become the girl. Take that message back to Máttur. Take that back to the ones that seek us out."

[Katrix]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village <Skari>

Skari saw that she was right. It didn't move him at all. It had moved the people around the place here tough. That was her real goal anyway. Now he would need to leave too. "Well, I guess you can see who they believe. We are not oppressing the people. Instead it is people like you that are oppressing us. We have a goal to unite this land. We strive to get rid of thieves and murders like yourself. Besides, what do you even mean that we will harm some sort of girl? We are after you because you are a thief and a murderer. But very well, I will make sure they get your message. In the meantime you should get as far away from this place as possible" she said. She didn't really know why she said that last part tough. Maybe she felt sorry for him. It didn't matter much anyway. She met up with the agents that she had ordered to get the hovercraft and quickly headed back to Mattúr.

While on her way she opened up her phone and called back to Mattúr. "How did it go? Do you have the person? You sent a signal that you entered combat, where there many casualties?" the man on the other side of the line asked. I sounded like he thought something had gone terrible wrong. He didn't know what tough.

"It went bad. We don't have the person and yes we were forced to attack" she said with a slight pause at the end. It didn't sound like she was done talking, she was just sad about what she had to say. "As for the casulties, everyone died except me and two other" she said with a sad voice.

"Oh, I see. So this person is more powerful than we had anticipated. I hope this does not mean that you give up" he said. He clearly shared her grief over the loss of the agents. At the same time it sounded like he was excited. As if he was waiting for something.

"No, this is not the end. I request permission to bring a military squad to a search tonight. Could you order permission to enter as soon as we finish this talk?" she said with a frim voice. She knew that if she did not do this mission, it would have consequences. That was why she was doing it and that was why she intended to keep on going.

"You have permission to take a military squad with you. As for permission to enter again, I'll work on it. Well I guess that is all? We'll see each other when you get back" he said as he hing up.

[S121]

Outside Azeruk's House - Endalausir Forest - 3:56 AM

After two hours of walking through the forest, Azeruk finally returned home. Of course, he had a lot of thinking to do. After all, he was asked to go on this trip to wherever, possibly far from home. Azeruk didn't like the idea of leaving for so long, but he felt obligated to follow Reagan and Sidna. Azeruk gave a light grunt as he wrestled with the thought and entered his home.




Outside Azeruk's House - Endalausir Forest - 3:56 AM

To be honest, he was torn between his peaceful life here and the possibility of what was out there, beyond the forest. Just what would he do? After a couple of minutes, Azeruk prepared his late lunch consisting of a couple sandwiches and sat down at his dining room table, still deep in thought. Azeruk had never really left his home and had usually kept to himself, ever since his run-in with the bandits, back when they killed his mother and father. Yes, the bandits still attacked every once in a while, but he had weakened them significantly, all on his own. It made Azeruk think about why he was so reluctant to go. The townsfolk knew about him, about the tragic death of his parents and how this lone boy was now essentially a hermit. To be honest, the entire situation left a bitter taste in his mouth and made him wonder how exactly the townspeople of Skoger viewed him. Perhaps they felt pity for him that he was alone, or perhaps they thought he was a monster for mercilessly killing countless bandits in his self-contrived quest for vengeance. Then again, people had their opinions. Perhaps the reason why he didn't want to leave was because the bandits were still alive. As long as they were alive, he would have this empty pit in his chest, this void, one that he tried to fill by working. At least working took his mind off of it, at least for a while.

Of course, when it was time to put away the tools of his trade and go to sleep, it was almost as if he would relive the countless battles he had against those who took everything away from him. To be honest, Azeruk didn't feel sorry for himself, but he did feel hollow, depressed about his entire situation. He knew there was something wrong with him, but there was little he could do to remedy that. Perhaps that's why he didn't feel like going with Reagan and Sidna. Azeruk was perfectly happy working away in his home, creating complex weapons and durable armor for those who were willing to pay. As long as he had that, he would be perfectly fine. With that in mind, Azeruk finished his late lunch and exited his house, ready to go to the crafting shed and continue his work.

[Cucoo5]

Endalausir Forest - Eleven village

Revere stood rooted to where he was, nary moving a single muscle. He stared off in the direction of where Skari had left for what seemed to be an eternity before finally collapsing. He used his drawn sabre to prop himself up as he fell to his knees. His breathing was hard as exhaustion poured over him. He didn't dare show weakness, his will kept such a thing in check. But his will gave in and he found himself staring at his hand, that was also helping to hold up his weary body, pressed against the stone road; He was questioning his own resolve.
The people that were there earlier...he ignored them. He had no energy left to care. He gasped in air. His hand clenched and started to form a fist while the other on the hilt of one of his swords strained.
"Why...Why has it...."

Suddenly he felt someone embrace him. He could tell by a quick glance it was Selene. She had ran out of her hiding place to him. The broken clock was still in her hands.
"I'm sorry....Sel....Selene....I...."

***
A few months ago...

It seemed a simple enough job...
I never would have thought....
The one that I was told to find....my target...this girl...
...Before that day, I would have never seen myself trying everything I could to keep her safe.
After the ones sent with me to retrieve her...
....after they killed her parents.
I changed then and there.
Selene...this girl that SYSTEM wanted...
I heard her screams.
I saw what she was capable of.
The two other SYSTEM Agents that I was working with.
Frozen in time.
I saw her face. Her terrified face.
She looked right into me....my soul.
I looked from her, to the two frozen in a sphere of trapped time...
I was afraid.
I was afraid of the girl.
That scarred little girl.
I was horrified.
And I did something that I told myself that, as a mercenary, I would never do.
I killed the two SYSTEM Agents.
I betrayed them.
For the girl's safety.
In cold blood.
For the safety of this young Time Mage...
I turned into the keeper of the gates of hell that day.
For the child.
She became my ward.
I her guardian.
I put myself between SYSTEM and her.
That terrified little girl.
And I shall not falter.
Was I right to kill for her safety?
Would SYSTEM do the same?
How far would they go for her?
To get their hands on a Time mage...
I do not believe in chance meetings. I have become paranoid.
If it bears the mark of SYSTEM...I assume immediately they are there for the girl.
They say they do not know.
I will never believe....
They might not know.
But their superiors...
They Know...
And they are pawns.
And pawns that are not taken early in the game...
Can become so much more.
A preemptive strike.
Pluck out the weeds before they grow.
Leave some alive to spread rumors.
Play a dangerous game...
A wounded animal is the most dangerous to corner.
Do I dare play this game?
Yes.
I Dare.
And I dare SYSTEM to take this girl away from me.
For I will do all in my power to keep her safe.
I willingly sacrifice myself for her safety.

My life is forfeit.
I sacrifice all that I am,
To ensure her everlasting protection.

[Katrix]

Mattúr - 10 Hours later <Skari>

After a few hours of preparing, Skari was finally ready to depart towards the forest. During this time she had been granted permission to go into Endalausir Forest. She had also gotten clearance to use military forces. These were much more suited for battle than a normal SYSTEM agents. They were also using advanced technology in order to confuse their enemies as most people didn't have any knowledge about SYSTEM weapons. Now she all that remained was to make a plan to catch him. Although they had originally wanted him alive, they didn't care anymore. They had also been able to gather a little information about him as he had been working as a mercenary for them before.

Now they were cruising trough the air trying to find the man they were looking for. Luckily they had lot's of gadgets to find a persons location. Withing about 30 minutes they had his location. Apparently he was passing by on one of the sides of Skógur. If they were fast enough they could maybe reach him before he would get too close to the town. This was what they went for. Withing minutes they were hovering over his location.

[Cucoo5]

Endalausir Forest - Near Skógur
3 hours prior

"Where are we going?"
"West. To Lake Thoka."
"Why are we going there?"
Revere paused for a moment. "Because there is possibly something there that can help us."
"How can it help us?" Selene continued her questioning.
"I'm not too certain how...I just know it can."
"That's not a very good reason..."
"I know, but it's our only hope..."
"I don't think that lady is going to leave us alone..."
"She better. Or else it's her head."
"Why do you have to kill them?"
"Because...It's the only way I know how to get a point across."
"I don't think it is...I think it's just making them angrier."
"I hope so. Because then they'll make mistakes."
"Is that really a good idea?"
"Not really. But my hope is that if I kill enough of them that anger will turn to fear. When the bodies pile up, then their will shall falter. No man would willingly throw his life away. Men are animals. They will learn to fear me. Or else lose their lives. I spill blood now, and I guarantee your safety."
"How many would you have to kill?"
"As many as it takes. Be it hundreds or billions, I will make them know fear."
Selene went quiet for a moment. She seemed restless at the thought of her freedom being paid for in blood.

Present
Selene was sleeping as Revere stood watch. They found a niche under a tree and boulder and well hidden. The sound of the hovercars made Revere alert. He woke selene and told her to be quiet. He then carefully glanced out of the niche, still concealed from sight.