((Sorry about the long absence. Real life was pretty hectic for a while. Things have calmed down so I should be good.))

John stepped out of the corner as he heard mention of food. The smell of turkey dinner was actually appetizing and made his stomach growl despite watching what had happened mere moments before. He hesitantly walked towards the wolf girl, unsure of what to say. He had no money to pay for food, and no good way to get such money. Maybe he could work it off? Movies sometimes did things like that....This isn't a movie. This is real life. Things like that don't happen.....And magical powers exist in real life? He countered his own argument. He had nothing to lose... Tapping the wolf girl politely on the shoulder, "Um, excuse me, but I was wondering if I could possibly...." John trailed off. Man this was humiliating. Clearing his throat he tried again..."I was wondering if I could possible work off a room and bed here? I know I am asking a lot but I don't have any money on me and I don't have a job, so I was hoping that you could give me one?" This was actually spoken very fast and basically as on long word. He cheeks were flushed from embarrassment and his eyes were downcast to the floor. He was just waiting for a rejection.

Lily had left the room as soon as it was clear that pleading would not help. The most that she could do was to make sure the patrons got out safely and that her father was safe. After clearing out the inn and promising that everything would be back to normal tomorrow, she went back. Feng was planting trees. Apparently it did get violent then...I'd better go check on Father and make sure he is okay... And bring him supper. It was something of a normal routine for her once it had slowed down a little. She would go upstairs with her father's meal and tell him stories of what was going on downstairs. With his mobility greatly decreased, he normally came down for lunch and stayed until the dinner rush in which he went back upstairs. Sometimes, old patrons convinced him to stay downstairs though.

((welcome back ^^))

Feng turned and faced the boy, a polite smile on her face as she listened to him. "I'll have to check with my boss," she informed him, and turned on her heel to find Lily. She froze, however, when she heard the screams outside. Paling slightly, she excused herself to the boy and walked swiftly to the front porch. She heard the cries, that the Respians were coming. "Shit," she muttered, and went back inside. Sadly, she lacked her broadsword, but the knife she had used earlier would be more than sufficient. She picked it up and once more coated it with lethally sharp ice. To the patrons, she said, "I'm sorry for interrupting your meal, but it seems we are under attack. I suggest you either flee while you can, or stand and fight with the army. For those who wish to hide here, please go through that door. You will find the basement to be quite sufficient to hide out in, unless the Respians begin to burn things," she informed them, her voice icy.

Eva ran inside the inn for lack of anything better to do. She had no idea what she would do in a war. Going indoors seemed the safest idea. She heard the girl's command, and was about to go downstairs when she spotted the boy from the science lab. Gaping at him a moment, she hesitated. Should she approach him, or hide? She fidgeted, then came to the conclusion that it might be easier for them to stay together. She tugged his sleeve nervously, but couldn't find any words of greeting.

John nodded, surprised that even consideration was needed for what seemed to be a fairly straightforward no. Maybe there was some hope for him after all... He allowed a glimmer of hope to shine through when the waitress turned to go find her boss. John could only hope that they were fair. When she turned around again he just knew the 'no' was coming, except she was slightly pale...When she announced something about being under attack, he followed suit and turned pale as well. He breathed a sigh of relief as she mentioned a basement for hiding....He was so relieved in fact, that he missed her next words about burning. He started following the crowd when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned slightly to look over his shoulder, and saw Eva. "....Hey. Seems we both have our share of rotten luck, huh?" He said in greeting. He was not really in a mood to talk. His life had just been literally flipped upside down and there seemed to be no way to get it right side up again.

Lily had heard the shouts of war, coming in through an open window. Worry spread across her face. Quickly ushering her father downstairs as fast as she could, they were nearly to the bottom when Lily heard Feng's declaration. Grateful that her employee was handling the customers, she went to the entrance of the inn. Summoning her magic she chanted, "Unseen we hide, From those that ride, In plain sight, From those with might." Upon speaking the words there was a flash of blinding light, and then nothing. Lily was kneeling on the ground, slightly out of breath. Turning to her customers that had stopped moving as soon as she came down, "We should be safe now...The illusion I cast should keep us protected from those that mean us harm... and the additional protections should take care of the rest. But to be on the safe side, we should probably head downstairs anyway." Lily ushered them downstairs and turned to Feng, "Are you going to fight/ Or stay?" Lily was truly curious. Her employee was definitely capable of surviving the battle, but would she want to, was the question.

Eva nodded in agreement, glaring in order to keep from crying. She motioned towards the basement, then stopped as the woman cast an illusion. She felt some relief from the woman's confidence of safety, but still she made her way down into the basement. "This is a complete nightmare," she thought, shaking quietly.

Feng was relieved that Lily and her father, the inn, and the guests would be safe now. Still, she grabbed her ice-sword and headed towards the door."Of course I'll fight. I can't let those jerks run free, can I?" She said over her shoulder, and then went outside. She walked calmly against the masses. She met up with the army as well as armed civilians, all grim faced and determined as they set off to meet the enemy.

John was a bit startled that Eva glared as she agreed, but then again....he probably would be too. It was strange that the inn was now invisible to everyone outside of it. Even more so when he realized that their savior was addressing the waitress...maybe they were friends? He shrugged and looked around the basement they had just entered. Cellar was probably more appropriate. It was actually pretty roomy. There was casks of things everywhere. To past the time, he started reading them. Lemonade, Apple wine, Cider, Radesin...what the heck is that? I've never heard of it... As John continued reading the names to keep himself occupied, he found several more that were unfamiliar to him.

Lily followed the last of them into the basement and sealed the door behind her. She sat down heavily on the last step, trying to catch her breath. That spell had taken a lot out of her. She normally only did small illusions, and even then it was on a very rare occasion. She was definitely out of practice, after all, how much time did she really have to spend with practicing her magic? There was always things to be done around the inn... She scanned her customers and saw that most of them were at ease, believing that the army would find nothing of value here and move on quickly. There was a girl who seemed rather uneasy about what was going on. Her outfit designated her as an outsider and the other customers seemed to avoid her and her....companion? A tall boy who was currently investigating her casks. Standing up. she made her way over slowly. Kouki ran ahead and jumped on the girl's shoulder.

Eva sat as far away as other people as she possibly could, her knees drawn up to her chin. She was shaking slightly from fear, but she was doing her best to control herself. "Never let them see when you're afraid," she reminded herself. "Never show them weakness, or they'll exploit it. Stay strong..." Her hands were fisted around her legs, the only truly visible sign of nerves. Fortunately, everyone was preoccupied with their own stress to notice hers. She was happily invisible.
((begin edit HERE lol)) Then, her worried thoughts were disturbed as something jumped on her shoulder. She froze, glaring at the thing out of shock. She wasn't sure how to react to the cat-like thing. She heard someone approaching her, and she whipped her head around to see the inn keeper. She was moving slowly, like she was tired or something. Eva's head quickly turned back to the little creature, wondering what to do about it. ((END EDIT HERE!!))

The gates to the city closed. Already troops were firing from the top of the gate. Sill, the Respians were prepared and were quickly burning down the thick wooden gate. "Get water!" Someone shouted. Feng darted forward, thinking, "Here's my cue." The fire was making quick work of the gate. It had already completely eaten through the gate in some places. "Another mage's work, I've no doubt," Feng thought darkly. She knew that she would have to touch the door for the ice to be able to spread over the door quickly and overcome the enemy's fire. Gritting her teeth together, she pressed her hand onto the door. The pain seared through her hand, but it was quickly cooled as ice raced across the burning wood, putting an end to the fire and covering the door in a thick coat of ice. Biting back a groan of pain, Feng removed her hand from the gate. It was badly blistered, though it was nothing that wouldn't heal with time. She spotted the leader of the army easily - he was quite well known for his heroic deeds. "That won't last long," she told him bluntly, clumsily wrapping her hand in a handkerchief and stuffing it in her pocket. It throbbed uncomfortably.
He nodded, considering a moment. Then, he shouted to his men. "Mages, concentrate on a barrier around the city with focus on the gates. Archers, continue shooting. Black platoon, come with me. White platoon, stay here in case the enemy breaks in. Let's move!" The men quickly followed his orders. The armed civilians (the militia, one could say) split in half as well, and the general led the troops outside the east gate.
Feng went with the general, her good hand gripped tightly around her icy blade. "I really wish I had my broadsword," she thought as they ran out the side entrance and headed towards the front to meet the Respians. "Then again, I can't properly use that hand anyways..." Her stomach churned with the feeling of a bad omen, but rather than dwelling on it, she attacked with the rest of the soldiers.

((...Kuro-chan.....do you want me to edit my post? Or was Eva too lost in her thoughts to noticed that Kouki (attempted) to jump on her shoulder?))

((oops!! Lol I'll fix mine. I read John's and skipped over Lily, lol. I meant to read John's and respond with Eva and then read Lily's, but I skipped a step in there...haha I'll change it right now!!))

Jay followed his commander out the east gate, glancing over at the white haired girl who had turned the gate to ice. "Are you still alright to fight?" he questioned her. He cared greatly for those he faught with. He often acted as the general's right hand man, since he had been training so extensively with the army for so many years. As awful as it sounded, he was more than excited to go into battle, he loved seeing how his skills would fare in a real right. He looked over at the girl once more, noting that she definitely seemed to be worried about something. He glanced back down at the hand she had shoved into her pocket, hoping it wouldn't cause her too much trouble.

Elliana was sitting inside a small hut when she heard the commotion outside. She smiled to herself, realizing that only on a whim had she decided to travel to Vaellor the day before, and obviously it was paying off. She rose from her seat, gently peaking her head outside the door, watching as soldiers faught to protect the city, and the civillians were running around quite frantic. She also knew that this time it was not going to be her place to take any part in this battle, but there was no harm in watching it insue. She walked away from the hut, finding a semi secluded tree to sit infront of and wait. The small animals in the city also seemed disturbed, causing her to frown. Calm down, it's alright, she silently thought to herself, communicating with all the animals close enough to hear her. At her words, most came to a rest around their homes, but it was obvious they were still afraid. She sighed deeply, hoping them to be alright.

Feng looked over at the person who had asked about her hand. Smiling coolly, she nodded. As she stabbed someone through the torso, she commented, "Something like this won't stop me." Moving quickly, she killed as many of the enemies as she could. Soon she was covered with slices and bruises from the battle, but nothing was deep enough to be considered dangerous. She fought with cold precision. However, there were some with similar skills to her own. One such man, a captain, locked blades with her. For a while, they danced around one another, each looking for an opening. Unfortunately, he found it first. She managed to evade for the most part, but he scored a deep slash on her side. She was well aware that he meant to gut her. She glared at him icily, then darted forward. He dodged, but tripped on a corpse. Taking advantage of this, she neatly decapitated him before moving on, holding her side. "This might stop me," she realized, beginning to feel faint from the loss of blood. Cursing, she retreated, stumbling towards the east wall where other injured men had gathered.

Jay smiled at the girl's willingness to fight. He watched her for a moment, she was very impressive. He easily dodged as a sword came crashing down towards him, slicing the man through the stomach before he was even able to pick his blade back up. Two soldiers were soon on both sides of him, charging. He easily blocked one sword attack, bringing his own blade up to stop the other. He quickly unlocked his blade, sending it through the man's chest. He felt the other's presence ontop of him, and Jay sent a ball of fire from his palm, killing the soldier before he was even able to strike. He could clearly see their number's thinning, but as he glanced behind he saw a large amount of the own injured retreating. Amongst them was the white haired girl, and he cursed to himself under his breath. He continued his onslaught of attacks as both sides seemed to be retreating. One demon had caught his arm before he was able to kill him, and it was bleeding profusively. He could easily see it was a deep cut. Suddenly his general was next to him as well. "Jay, you cannot continue with that arm, it will be dangerous," he stated. Jay was about to protest, but the commander held a hand up to silence him. He sent a blast of fire at the soldier he was fighting, the blast being slightly larger than he intended as he became irritated. "Yes sir," he called over the battle, quickly racing back to the gate to see how badly the troops had been injured. He ripped the bottom of his shirt off, wrapping it around his arm to help the bleeding. He scanned the crowd, soon finding the girl he was looking for, she was stumbling. He ran to her side, worried about her health as he saw her wound. "Are you alright? You need to get back into the city quickly and have that healed," he stated, with obvious worry.

Feng was startled slightly as someone came up beside her. She held up her sword (which was now just a kitchen knife since her ice melted due to her weakened state) but quickly dropped it again when she recognized the man from earlier. She smiled coolly and nodded. "I'm fine. There are a few healers here that will be able to do a patch job," she informed him quietly. She eyed his arm and asked, "You should get that looked at as well." She smiled gratefully as a healer quickly approached her and took a quick look at her wound.
"I'll be able to speed the healing process," he told her, and pressed his hands to the wound. His hands glowed brightly for a moment, then he retracted them. Quickly, he bandaged her side. "If you move too much you'll reopen it." he told her, before turning to Jay. "Can I have a look at that, sir?" He asked, his words quick and clipped. There were too many casualties on both sides, keeping him and the other dozen or so healers busy.
Feng sat down and leaned against the wall, considering. She was still feeling weak, but nothing that some food wouldn't cure. The bleeding had stopped, but it still hurt like hell. She looked back to the battle, scowling slightly. She didn't like sitting when others were fighting, but her own survival came first. Appeased by this thought, she tucked the kitchen knife away and examined the burn on her hand quietly. It would heal well enough on its own - it wasn't a wound that the healers need waste their energy on.

Bella's body froze as she heard the screaming from outside, immediately she grabbed her sword and headed outside. Her forest green eyes stared at the gate as the fire began to eat through the thick wood. Mages... she thought to herself. When the white haired woman from the Inn came out Bella's eyes followed her. Ice suddenly covered the large gate, but some soldiers had already pushed through. Bella's blade glowed in the light as she began to fight, she didn't aim to kill any of the men, only disable them. One man had aimed for her head and her eyes narrowed, these men weren't going down easy, and though she was against ruthless killing, if she didn't kill them, they'd kill innocent. Then ground rumbled underneath the battle as the woman focused on the earth below her. Suddenly cracks started to form under members of the Respia army, and they fell into the crevice before it closed and crushed them. This happened to about 7 of the soldiers before the rumbling beneath them ceased. Letting out a long breath Bella charged forward and began to shed the blood of any Respia soldier in her way.

Jay smiled at the healer that had come between them. He nodded his head to the healer, and unwrapped his arm, extending it for him to work his magic. ((Hope you don't mind if I take him over for a moment.)) The man grabbed Jay's arm, and repeated the same technique that he had on the girl's arm. "Thank you very much sir," Jay nodded, grinning widely at the healer, who continued to work on the other injured. He sat down next to the girl, stretching his arm out. "Fire can be a real hassle sometimes, huh?" he joked, reffering to her burned hand. "I know I sure have problems with it sometimes," he laughed loudly, and grinned at the girl. "What's your name by the way? I'm Jay, it's a pleasure to meet you," he questioned, wishing to know a bit about her.

((not at all. He was just a random NPC))

Feng made a small, wry smile as she tucked her hand away once more. "I suppose so," she agreed. She vaguely wondered why he had problems with fire in the past, but moved past such thoughts. It wasn't like her to worry about such things, especially not when others were fighting. "I'm Feng." She told him after a moment's hesitation. "A pleasure," she said, her voice maintaining its usual icily aloof tone. She froze a moment as she felt the earth shake. "What was that?" She asked, somewhat alarmed. She rose shakily, wondering if it was a random earthquake. "We never get earthquakes here. I've felt them in Everreame before, but here...?" A thought occurred to her, and she shuddered. "If there's a mage who can do that, they could destroy the city. Unless, of course, it's someone from our side, in which case why are they shaking up our city?" Alarmed, she ran into the east gates as quickly as possible without experiencing excruciating pain. She darted up to the top of the wall, searching for the source of the earthquake, knowing as she did so that it was a stupid, pointless task unless they created another earthquake.

Bella was still fighting as one of the soldiers came up from behind her, he had no weapon but had her from around the neck. Grinning the ground rumbled softly again as the earth below the man started to drag him within it like quick sand. Panicking the mad tried to move his feet, but the hold on them was too great. Bella struggled out of his grasp and turned to watch his body disappear into the ground. Once he was a fair distance under the shaking grew still and Bella turned to seek out her next victim.

Feng jolted when the ground shook once more, but didn't spot the source outside the walls. However, she did spot a Respian man sinking into the ground. The mage was one of their own, it seemed. "That's somewhat comforting," she thought, and hurried down from the wall towards the girl. She recognized her as the one who had been in the inn earlier. She smiled coolly as she approached the girl, gently touching her shoulder. "Interesting technique," she commented lightly. Icily, she continued, "Just don't sink the city. That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?"

((Btw, the last comment was strictly Feng speaking - I really don't care how you dispatch NPC's...I just thought I should point that out ^^ ))

Bella smirked and chuckled. "If the City ever began to sink i could reverse it." She said as she glanced around herself and the white haired woman. The fighting was coming to an end some and they seemed to be winning. Glancing at the womans wound Bella's brow furrowed. "We better get you to a healer." She walked over to the healer with Feng as he was being mended by one of them.

Feng's eyes narrowed slightly, but her cool, passive expression otherwise remained the same. She shook her head and stepped away slightly from Bella, saying, "Thank you for you concern, but I've been healed." She turned and looked towards the main gate. Some soldiers had broken through, but they had been killed. Through the gaps, however, Feng could see through to the battle. It looked as if it were coming to a halt. The Respians, it seemed, were calling a retreat. They hadn't expected the Vaellorians to react so quickly. "Sadly this is only the beginning, not the end," she thought.

((I'm actually posting. Yep. Fear me. Seven pages after I joined, I finally make my first post.))

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic, Kei thought, his scarlet eyes narrowing. He was watching the battle from the distance, disdain obvious on his face. Their soldiers couldn't even win one simple battle. Still, it made things easier for him. In their all-too-lucky victory, the Vaellorians wouldn't even think that an assassin could work his way into their ridiculous little town. The white-haired man strode evenly through his retreating countrymen, giving a cold glare to any who dared meet his eyes. No one who had failed so miserably had any right to look at him. No, it was better this way. Let the Vaellorians get a small taste of victory, before their defenses crumpled entirely, and they were left only with defeat. Yes... that would be perfect. He smirked lightly, the expression invisible behind his red scarf, but all too visible in the dangerous glint of his eyes. As he approached the main gate of the town, his hands held up in apparent innocence, he could only think one thing.

This... might be fun.

((FAIL Ligeia...but still, welcome back! :D ))

Lily smiled gently at the girl. "Don't worry about Kouki. She won't hurt you. She just can't seem to stand negative emotions like worry, or sadness. She does everything she can to put a smile on a person's face. I'm Lily by the way. I run this inn." Lily smiled again hoping to put the younger girl at ease. Her head suddenly turned towards the stairs as cheers became the domainant noise from above. "See, it looks like we won. Let's go up, shall we?" Lily stood up and turned to the rest of the crowd. "Let's go up and celebrate! Free house speciality drink for everyone!" With cheers and more hopefully looks, everyone followed her upstairs. Taking a few extra minutes, she dropped the illusion from the inn before serving the drinks.

John looked over towards Eva as he noticed a strange cat-like thing and the girl who had cast the illusion move towards Eva. Curious, he moved closer to see what was happening. He was interrupted when cheers from overhead became obvious. They must have won the battle and saved the town! John cheered slightly in his mind. Knowing that he wasn't about to be killed before he even figured out where he was, did wonders for the soul. His attention was brought back to the room with the illusion girl's statement. Comprehension dawned on him as he quickly fit the puzzle pieces together. She was the innkeeper that he need to talk to about getting a job! He swallowed, and carefully approached after she had gotten drinks for everyone, including himself. He, luckily, was the last one to get a drink so he gathered his courage and asked, "Do you...uh...need an extra hand? You see, i need a place to stay, but I have nothing to give you in exchange...except labor so....yea.." John trailed off hoping not to be shot down. Lily's eyes widen as she understood what he was asking. "I was actually about to ask around for another hand. So yes! I'd love to hire you. Do you have any experience with this sort if thing? If not, then it is okay." She smiled again, grateful for the extra help. John's eye's widened as she accepted his offer. "Great! Thanks! I am afraid that I don't have any previous experience. But I'll work hard and I promise to learn quickly!" He added quickly. Lily smiled again. "Well then, you and your friend can stay the night for free and you can start work tomorrow. I'll get Feng to show you the basics and we'll go from there, okay?" Without waiting for a response, she walked away and started cleaning up the kitchen, expecting Feng to come in at any moment. I do hope she isn't too badly hurt...Hopefully it won't be anything I can't heal easily... For the first time in a long time, she wished her healing abilities were a little stronger.

Eva just nodded her head and managed to pat Kouki's head. She looked over at John and tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Her face relaxed every so slightly when the news of the victory spread through the cellar, and everyone filed upstairs. She went with them, though she was unsure on where to go. "I should ask him," she realized. "He might know something more..." Gathering her courage, she approached John in time to hear that he was looking for a job, and the owner was letting them stay the night for free. "Oh, but I have money!" She realized, and pulled out her change purse. Lily, however, had already walked away, so she went to John instead. "Erm...I overheard...sorry, I didn't mean to, but...I can pay to stay," she told him awkwardly. Her voice was still rather hoarse, but she was beginning to think that was just how her voice sounded now.

The troops had fully retreated. Feng was slightly disappointed that she had been taken out of the fight so soon, but at least she was still alive. She looked back to Bella and managed a cool smile. "Looks like it's over," she stated. "I better return to the inn. I ran out on the job, and a drink doesn't sound too bad right about now," she mused aloud, and walked back towards the inn. When she entered, she saw the girl with the troublesome man, and a lot of very happy people enjoying drinks. She nodded politely in acknowledgment before she went back into the kitchen. "It's over," she told Lily. "Though I think that much was obvious." She was about to ask what she should do to help, when she realized that she needed to at least sit. She was injured and exhausted from battle. The adrenaline that was keeping her upright was leaving her now. She slid on a stool and bit back a rather pathetic moan.