It Has Begun

[Kaden]

Jumping a slight bit at the sudden feeling of arms around him, Kaden relaxed quickly when he realized who it was. Moving the scythe's blade off his shoulder so it wouldn't harm her, he turned toward her and hugged her back. "Is everything okay love?" The wizard asked her.

[cassandra]

"As okay as it can be Kade. It's just tearing me up to think that some of these people might not make it back.." Pulling him to her so close that she could hear his heartbeat, she looked up at him and said, "Just promise me that you're coming back...that you won't let anything happen to yourself!! Promise me Kaden!!"

[Kaden]

Holding her face in his hands, Kaden looked deep into her eyes. "I promise, Cassandra. I promise you from the bottom of my heart that I will let nothing happen to me." He said with confidence. "Alright baby?"

[cassandra]

"Okay baby...you've never broken a promise to me yet, so I'm counting on your not breaking this one either. Well...everyone seems to be here...Kratos has stepped outside, but he has a way of keeping up with things....Eli isn't here yet...but do you think we should go ahead and get everyone together and start heading out?"

[Kaden]

"We can spare just a few more minutes to wait for him." Kaden said after thinking about it for a while. "Just a few though."

[Alledyra]

Watching everyone from her quiet shadow, Dyra felt a tugging from her heart...wondering why it was that everyone always seemed to match...except for herself. Fleetingly, she touched the key that she kept tucked under her shirt, and smiled vaguely...but she hadn't seen Kane in such a long time..she barely remembered what it felt like. Shaking her head, she focused on what she was doing, instead, and settled back to wait for the battle to start.

This must just be the normal part of preparing for battle...to think of one's loved ones and hug like the world was ending. Watching with part envy and part curiousity, she sat quietly while the world spun around her...

[Kane]

Kane had been away for a long time, trying to fix what was wrong with Dyra. He was just about to find a solution when he felt an intense feeling of loneliness from the woman he loved. When he looked closer into the situation, he found out what they were going to do.

He made her key grow warm and start to glow. In her mind he said, "I will protect you always. Come see me when your mission is over." The key stopped glowing, but stayed warm so she knew he was with her.

[narym]

Narym hadn't been inactive whilst people arrived and were greeted. She had taken Lily over the protection ritual quietly, making her repeat the mantra over and over til she was word perfect.
Then she had checked the contents of the pouch she wore hanging from her belt. She had a few ready made healing potions and the makings of a few more. It was a pitifully small amount, but with everything going on in the last few hours she hadn't had an opportunity to restock. Ah well, it would have to do.
Aware that they were waiting for someone, she assumed her previous position against the wall and closed her eyes.

[Alledyra]

Her breath had caught in her throat as when she felt Kane through her key and she smiled, blushing as she looked blankly around the Club. Without pausing, she answered him with a smile, "I will...I promise. Where will you be?" She paused a moment, as though waiting for an answer, and then continued speaking unaware that anyone watched her, "I miss you...so much..." Smiling, happy, and unexplicably happy, she knew that even if Kane didn't anwer this time...he was still there, somewhere, and watching, and suddenly felt very safe....so what, she was going into battle...but the mental hug she had felt was just as good as any physical one could have been. Smiling like a fool gone mad, she sat back in her chair and continued to wait, but this time she didn't feel the time, or the worry or anything...as she watched everyone gathering together...

She didn't think that anyone knew that she was in love with Kane...but she wasn't sure...and she never considered that some in the room might think she was talking to herself...smiling she started to watch the room again, her eyes a vivid clear blue...

[narym]

Narym was close enough to Dyra to hear her mumbling. What was that? I miss you? She opened her eyes, unaware that anyone new had entered the room. Hmmm, no one had. She watched Dyra from the corner of her eye, the young woman was slightly flushed but said no more. Curioser and curioser, Narym thought. Then smiled sadly, ah and wasn't it a long time since she had uttered those words to someone she loved. She sighed and closed her eyes again.

[Kratos Cage]

Kratos stepped back, eager than he had been before. "Im sorry my sister, I needed to clear my mind for a bit. I am glad to meet everyone here. Where do you want to meet? Im eager to hear the news you have for me."

[Eli]

Eli flung the doors open, and looked over the room, smiling sinisterly. On the belt of his black shorts were 2 blue steel daggers, the gift from Rincon. His hat and sunglasses covered his eyes, and his gloves were ready to protect his hand from anything he needed to punch. His blue steel staff was on the back of his belt. The only thing odd was the knee brace, which showed from under his shorts. But half the people there would know that was normal for him and wouldn't be anything to worry about. After his scanning of the room, he strode over to Cassiel, caught the staff as she was practicing with it, grabbed her behind the back with his free hand, pulled her in and kissed her passionately.

"I haven't missed anything, have I?" he asked after he finally broke the kiss off.

[Cassiel]

After kissing Eli back, Cassiel grinned. "Wow, that was one hell of a greeting. You didn't miss too much yet. There are weapons out in the alley if you need new ones, and after everything is done, you and Merlin should have a nice chat." Cassiel kissed him again. "But that is for later."

She looked around and saw that everyone was there, except for the one they called the captain. She looked at Kaden and Cassandra. "So, should we get this show on the road?"

[narym]

Narym took a deep breath. Well, it's now or never. She stood, cleared her throat and announced, " Um guys? Um, I'm afraid the captain won't be joining us." There was deadly silence. She stood up to the scrutiny, she was expecting it, after all. In fact, she was expecting far worse.
" He's disappeared. Neither Lily nor I know where he's gone. Lily followed him to the forest, but lost him there." Sharp intakes of breath were all that could be heard. Unless they could all hear her beating heart. Surely everyone could hear that?
" Um, going by the map, the forest isn't anywhere near the castle, so we may be ok. I'm hoping that he's fallen down a hole or something, never to be seen again."
She stood erect. " I'm sorry I lost track of him like that. I took my eye off the ball and now he's gone."
She sat down abruptly and waited for the inevitable explosion.

[cassandra]

"Don't blame yourself Narym. It wasn't your decision to accept him in the raid. In fact, you advised against it. for some reason, I don't think he's betrayed us, rather I think he's gotten into trouble of some other sort. Unfortunately, we can't go look for him until after the raid."

Turning to Eli Cassandra said, "Eli? Although you're magic, you've fallen beneath Melacham's radar so far. As timing is everything in this raid, what I'd like for you to do is to fly in with Lily, when you see that she has Malacham occupied, I need you to fly back to the east edge of the castle grounds, where Cassiel will be waiting, and then go in with her to take care of the king...is this okay with you?" Taking his quircked eyebrow for assent Cassandra continued, "Also, once you have Cassiel safe, I need you to fly to the first floor to assist Blaine in cleaning out the guards on that floor? Is this also okay with you?" Motioning to Kratos to meet her in the storage room as soon as Eli answered, Cassandra shifted from one foot to the other, impatiently waiting on the inscrutable Eli to reply...in words..."