It's late on Capitol Landing. The full moon shines brightly over Sol City, but it's the warm, festive glow of jack-o-lanterns, hanging candles and torchlit windows that illuminate the streets. Yet, despite the hour, the roads are bustling. At this time of year, night becomes more popular, more raucous and more social. The Black Harvest Festival... has yet to begin. It demands an entire month of preparation and, already, sinister decorations are being hung from the shops and residences: handprints of fake blood on the windows, miniature skeletons hanging from miniature nooses, shrunken heads on windowsills... none of it is truly frightening to anyone but a child. Or is it?

Veliky sits at a table in a fenced enclosure outside a cafe, wearing her standard attire. Her gaze is unusually downcast, and her posture is uncharacteristically anxious. She glances at a wooden decoration beside her, painted to resemble a black cat. She averts her gaze with a shiver.

"Knight, toss that damn cat away."

Of course, and as always, Veliky's army of Blixtbots™ isn't far. In fact, they're even more protective of her than usual; Fisher and Bishop sit at an adjoining table while Rook and Knight sit with her. Meanwhile, Vampire hangs upside-down from a windowsill, Stalker lurks beneath the tables, Lag Switch lies at the foot of Veliky's chair and Envy stands just over the fence. The menacing lot dissuade anyone from coming near; in fact, they have the enclosure to themselves.

Knight turns its mechanical head to Veliky with a hiss.

"Mistress Veliky, negative: that decoration is not our property. This act would violate the law."

"I don't care," she snaps. "Get rid of it."

She crosses her arms, feigning imperiousness and warming herself at once.

In an effort to compromise between Veliky's orders and its built-in obeisance to the law, Knight stands and delicately moves the cat to a spot outside of Veliky's sight.

Meanwhile, Veliky stares at a large, overcrowded shop across the road: Carly Beth's Haunt Shop, the long-time most popular place to purchase costumes in all of Charon. Countless customers await their turn to explore the eerie emporium, and to buy their own costumes and decor in preparation for the Festival. Veliky isn't normally one to participate in holidays like these and, in truth, she still isn't certain, and seeing how busy the shop is has made her even less so. Inwardly, she's already elected to browse only if there is such a moment that the shop is less crammed. She hopes that opportunity will not arrive.

Zarius was no stranger to festivals. Gods know how many he indulged in while in Darkveil. Those were very different events than those held in Sol City. You were much less likely to get mugged, drugged, or murdered in an alleyway in Capitol Landing after all.

Walking down the street, it was like being at a carnival full of costumed performers attempting to get a scream as they jumped out of the alleys at anyone who walked by. Zarius barely flinches though and also sees their intents a mile away. There was comical, childish nature to the decorations which were trying oh so very hard to be scary. It was amusing at the very least and for once he let himself just enjoy the festive atmosphere to take a break from his normal hustle.

Approaching the busy storefront which had an impressive line spilling out from the front door, he stands up on his tippy toes to peer over the crowd and see what the fuss was all about. The shop had a number of peculiar costumes displayed on faceless mannequins that all on their own give a sense of uncanniness and unease. He couldn't help but imagine the shrieks of terror if one of them were to move on their own suddenly.

Out of the corner of his eye he catches the face of a young human child staring at him with wide eyes and a tight grip on their mother's hand. Ah, yes, he did not need a costume to receive such looks of fear thanks to his fiendish features. He flashes the child a toothy grin. The child hides behind their mother's skirt and she turns her console them. Even in the season celebrating all manner of monsters, people would still judge all the same.

Zarius turns away from the busy store and stops by the café on the opposite side of the street. As he's reading the menu posted outside its door with all the festival specials, he spots a familiar face amongst more familiar forms. "Miss Veliky, what a pleasant surprise."

He doesn't wait for an invitation to join her and merely walks up past her constructs to speak with her. Surely she wouldn't start a fight in such a public space. Too many witnesses and the city guard would be quick to respond to any disturbance with so many civilians out and about.

"How are you this fine evening? Are you planning on decorating your shiny friends for the festival?" He doubted it, Veliky didn't strike him as the type to partake in frivolous things, but the imagery of her robots decked out in pumpkins and paint was amusing to him. 

Veliky visibly jumps as she sees Zarius approaching from her peripheral. For reasons difficult for anyone but herself to understand, it is the realization that he is actually a charcoal-skinned tiefling - not costumed commoner - that eases her mind. Still, it's clear that he noticed her fright; it was difficult to overlook. She lets out a groan, averting her eyes to hide her ignominy.

"I'm fine."

She isn't fine. Veliky's obviously uncomfortable being here, and it isn't in thanks to Zarius' presence. A teacup of hot cocoa sits on the table in front of her, but it's gone cold.

"No, not for the bots." She sighs awkwardly. "Tried dressing them up before, making them more kid-friendly. Didn't work. It's their voices. No, wouldn't normally do anything for this... stupid holiday, but this is my first Fall since opening Blixt™ Cafe. Good marketing opportunity, but need decorations to capitalize on it. And a costume, just in case."

...Sitting in the white, wooden chair, her feet don't even reach halfway to the ground. She'd definitely be looking for a toddler's costume.

"But this place is just too busy. I doubt I'll be able to get in before it closes." She doesn't seem altogether displeased by this musing. "Buying decorations and banking on more business is a gamble, anyways. Could just as easily break even by closing on the day of the festival... maybe set up a street stand, instead."

Her face is gradually losing colour. The line to the shop is actually shrinking... oh no. She looks away from this new source of anxiety and stares into Zarius' eyes.

"You? You're a long way from Zeinav. Some new errand? Do they even have Black Harvest in Zeinav?"

Zarius tilts his head curiously at Veliky. She seemed pretty jumpy for being in a safe city surrounded by her bots which all looked in good repair compared to last time. 

"Given that many are looking for a good fright during this season, perhaps you should embrace their...less than friendly appearances and voices." It wouldn't be hard to make the bots more intimidating than they already are, and their voices certainly could unnerve the weak spirited folk of Sol City. "Maybe you could set up your café as a haunted house of sorts so people have the expectation that there might be frightening things inside." 

He then gets a puzzled look and backs up to look at the cafe's façade again. "Is this your cafe?" He looks at her with a smile. "You have a great eye for location, this street will no doubt be very busy as the festivities draw nearer."


Compared to other businesses, the cafe was lacking in eye catching decor. There was still time to fix that, but Veliky seems discouraged from even trying. He supposes her construct companions were probably not the best at giving pep talks.

"I get around." He shrugs. "I am actually taking a bit of a break for the time being. It is important not to overwork oneself."

He thinks for a moment. "They do celebrate it there though there isn't much of a harvest seasons there due to the climate. It is more of a...celebration to remember those who have passed on. But it is just as colorful and energetic with the creepy morbid undertones."

His eyes drift to the cold cup of cocoa, then back up to her pale face.

"You know, I have time to spare. Would you like help in decorating your lovely shop and picking out a costume?" He glances over his shoulder at the dwindling line. "Seems like things are starting to slow down over there."

Turning back to her, he flashes a toothy smile. "I would not even charge you for my assistance."

Zarius turns back, only to see an offended expression on Veliky's face.

"You thought this place was mine? What do you take me for? My cafe's between the Market District and the Docks. That way, it can attract sailors, merchants, visitors and labourers alike. This place barely attracts flies."

Whether or not she was actually offended by Zarius' words is hard to tell, but she clearly harbours a distaste for this cafe, much in the way that a passionate painter might be vexed by a mediocre portrait. She scowls at the warm, hearthlit windows and the cozy furniture, but looks away when her eyes fall on a fake, rubber spider. Her voice softens.

"...Don't need help with decorating. Wouldn't bet on a haunted house; heard of that one on Warren Street? I won't bother trying to compete with that monster. Besides, I have the bots for labour, if I even do end up decorating the cafe, which... just might happen, at this rate," she says dejectedly as the line continues to shrink.

She glares at the people outside the shop, as if trying to intimidate them into stasis. It's to no avail, of course; little by little, people funnel into the shop while others leave with colourful, festive costumes. Veliky lets in a long, congested sniff and exhales.

"Well, I guess I should get in there... and..."

She trails off. Her eyes have been drawn down the street, to the left. Feever Avenue extends all the way to the docks, beyond which the moonlit waters of the Luna Sea are beheld. But it's what hovers above the water that's drawn her attention: three oddly-shaped silhouettes against the night sky, clearly not birds or any other natural creature. They're coming closer, quickly, soaring above the Avenue, yet motionless, gliding through the air like wraiths.

Veliky narrows her eyes.

"Are you a gambler? 100 solars says that's trouble."

Zarius hasn't even the time to respond before they come into perception. The flying figures are three women, adorned with the regalia of stylized witches and riding atop flying brooms. Without warning, one of them drops something into the crowd some hundred yards from where Veliky and Zarius now sit. Whatever the item was, it explodes into a huge cloud of pink gas that rises higher than the buildings. The busy, bustling sounds of the Market District quickly devolve into screams of panic as shoppers flee from the bombardment.

It isn't over yet; the witches continue to soar until they reach the Haunt Shop, in front of which one drops another explosive: an orange, pumpkin-shaped ball painted with a sinister, black face. Reflexively, Rook rises and kicks over the table, providing cover from the blast for Veliky, Zarius and Knight. Pink gas fills the air, but the party is able to avoid breathing it for the moment.

"You owe me 100 solars!" Veliky shouts, despite Zarius having never accepted the bet.

Chaos can be heard through the smoke, and the sound of a third explosion echoes from down the street, to the right. The fog finally begins to dissipate, and what the party now sees is something truly strange.

In the street before them, an all-out attack has begun. People are being assailed by brigands - brigands in costume, no less. Some are dressed with black cloaks like particularly comic depictions of vampires, while others are wrapped in bandages like mummies and others are simply draped with white sheets to resemble ghosts. As well, the three witches continue to hover in the air, now casting colourful hexes on fleeing civilians. Some of the disguised bandits have broken into the Haunt Shop, where they can be seen pilfering through the windows.

Veliky is flabbergasted, but she can't let the perplexity cause her hesitation.

"Zarius, listen!" Veliky speaks in a hushed, rushed tone. "I don't have a goddamned clue what's happening, but we're in this together, got it?! Let's teach these punks a few lessons!"

Behind them, Bishop shoves a table aside, which they had used for cover just as Rook had. It stands at the ready with Fisher, as do Rook and Knight.

"Go!"

Zarius holds up his hands when he sees her offended face. "My apologies, I should have known better. Of course you would have picked a better location for your own business."

She dismisses his help and his suggestions. To each their own. No one could say he hadn't tried to be amiable towards the grouchy half-halfling-half-goblin. He wouldn't take it personally, that was just how she always was.

Admittedly, he was curious as to what he story really was, but she didn't seem to be the type to trust personal baggage with anyone. He respected her death glares at least, and that was all that really mattered. 

He notices her attention shifts from the shop to down the street and he looks over just in time to see chaos break out on the street as the witches pelt the ground with the colorful smoke bombs. He ducks behind the table as Rook tips it over to shield them from getting swallowed in the explosion. 

"That was an easy bet!" He retorts as he peers up over the edge of the table to see all manor of hooligans in costumes run about terrorizing the civilians and breaking into the costume shop.

It was like all hell had broken loose. People were screaming and running about in a panic. Some dive into alleyways and under wagons to avoid the bombs and hexes from above. Others run down the main street fleeing from the cackling costumed thugs. 

"Little early for all this." He huffs in annoyance. "So much for taking a break."

Veliky seemed to be taking this whole mess very seriously as she hastily whispers to him. 

He nods. "You do not have to tell me twice." 

Vaulting over the table shielding them, he runs into the fray. 

There is no shortage of targets, so he just goes for the closest mark. A goon dressed as the most unconvincing vampire he had ever seen. Too focused on those who were fleeing from him, the costumed goon doesn't see Zarius' fist until it introduces itself to the side of his face. The goon bounces down the street and rolls to a stop at the feet of a mummy and ghost. 

Zarius cracks his neck and shakes out his arms. "You punks want to try your hand at fighting a real monster?" He grins toothily and takes up a defensive stance as they rush towards him. 

The fight turns against the brigands as their brutal attack quickly transforms into a skirmish. They couldn't have expected such swift resistance, much less from such strange adversaries.

Rook stands off with some barrel-chested man, painted blue and raising his arms forward in a childish imitation of a zombie. Slow and unarmed, it takes only two slashes to put him down. But the Blixtbots™ are not merciless - quite the opposite; Rook's electrified weapon^[1] zaps the man unconscious to be prosecuted later.

Rook's next opponent is not so defenceless. Wielding a bloodstained knife, a man clad in black robes and donning the mask of a screaming ghost creeps behind the bot. Rook is quick to notice, turning and parrying a stab. Three slices more from the man are dodged and deflected before Rook seizes an opening, swinging its blade into the his shoulder. But, unexpectedly, the blade passes directly through the man's body as if he were made of thin air. Unable to adapt in good time, Rook finds the knife penetrating through its chest; it falls lifelessly to the ground with a clatter.

Veliky witnesses the clash from nearby, eyes widened by the unnatural sight. What magic was that? It doesn't matter, not right now; evidently, conventional weapons can't harm this bandit, rendering the bots useless. Veliky's mind tugs her away from the idea of fighting the costumed murderer herself, but she's the only one that can... is this what bravery is?

Veliky's hand glows with holy light^[2]. She dashes toward the unsuspecting bandit, leaps up to eye-level and punches him in the centre of the face. It is greatly satisfying for her. The radiant force sends him to the cobble and shatters his mask. He touches his face, panicking when he realizes that his disguise has vanished. 'But why?' Veliky wonders. Many of the other brigands' faces are exposed, after all.

Just then, Lag Switch dashes past Veliky. It leaps onto the man and grips his neck in its jaws, shaking him violently. He's tangible now! The mask...

Veliky's epiphany is interrupted by a blast of elemental energy^[3] scorching the ground in front of her. She looks up to see the three witches descending from the night sky.

"Aww, hey there, sweetie. Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Veliky crosses her arms, unamused.

"Yeah, your parents will be worried about you! Why don't you run home and let the big girls play?"

The three harmonize their laughter - not quite the cackling one would normally associate with witches, but more of a vain giggling. But Veliky would prefer the former; the mockery and condescending in their tones gets under her skin far more than it should. Her eye twitches.

"Cute costumes."

Whispering in arcane tongues and tracing sigils in the air, Veliky casts a spell of her own^[4]. Suddenly, one of the witches clutches her own stomach and falls from her broom. The landing is not pleasant. The remaining two's expressions twist into horror, then fury.

"Oh, you did not just-... fine! Get ready to burn!"

---

1. Enchanting Sigil
2. Angelic Light
3. Chromatic Blast (Hex Sister)
4. Desperation

The two brigands dressed as a mummy and ghost rush forward at Zarius as he takes up a defensive stance in the street. He briefly debates how ruthless he can be. Sol City isn't a place to be brought in and questioned about the situation later. Best to use some restraint and just knock the goons out rather than beat them into a bloody pulp in the street, regardless of how tempting it is. 

The two rush up, the ghost seemingly floating to the side while the mummy goes in for a grapple. Zarius catches the mummy's hands with his own and pushes back against him, his feet skidding back a little across the cobblestone. He grins and his grip tightens on the mummy's fists, he wasn't going anywhere now.^[1]

To his surprise, that was the mummy's intention to begin with. The wrappings that made up his costume suddenly lash out and wrap around Zarius, entangling his arms and legs in the fabric and partially blinding him as one loops over his head. 

With Zarius restrained by the mummy, the ghost circles around pulls a club from under the sheet draped over him and clubs Zarius across the back of his head. 

Zarius doubles over from the blow. A trickle of blood stains the mummy wrappings as it drips down his face.

Okay. Maybe holding back wasn't an option he was willing to entertain anymore. 

Instead of pulling back, Zarius jumps forward to throw his weight against the mummy and topple him over backwards. They tumble back across the street as Zarius unravels himself from the fabric.^[2]

Rolling up onto his feet he grabs the wrappings and uses the momentum to sling the mummy into a cart full of decorations sitting on the side of the street. 

The ghost appears behind him and raises up the club high above his head, aiming to bash his skull in. Seeing the attack coming this time, Zarius reaches back to catch the club as the ghost brings it down on him. He uses his core and legs to absorb the impact and negate the damage.^[3]

Zarius licks the blood dripping down his face. "That will not work on me a second time."

The ghost releases the club and turns tail to run. Zarius flips the club around in his hands and throws it at the back of the ghost's head, but it seems to pass right through him. Zarius huffs. It seemed like the costumes were giving the goons some magical abilities.

He doesn't have much time to think about that as some brigands dressed as skeletons appear on the roof tops and start firing bone arrows down at him. He bolts and dives behind a crate to take cover. Hopefully Veliky was having better luck on her end. 

---

[1] Iron Grip. Due to all the training and strengthening of their hands, the brawler has gained an incredible grip strength, able to hold onto anything or anyone. Their grip is so tight now that they can no longer have things ripped from their grasping, preventing things from knocking or pulling objects out of their hand, regardless of how hard it was hit or how strong the force was. This also makes them excellent grapplers, able to hold onto an enemy without easily being pushed off.
[2] Escaping Technique. A very useful skill to have for people who are use to getting caught or restrained. This skill gives you the knowledge and ability to free your self from normal restraints such as rope or manacles. You know the precise way to free yourself from bondage and can do so in a quick and quit way. This does not help with magical binding or restraining effects.
[3] Hands are weapons. The brawler knows that the best weapon is the one that can never be taken from you, the one that is always there with you, your hands. You have been in so many fights and have used your fist so often that they have begun to become stronger. Your fist are now considered weapons and deal blunt damage like a normal blunt weapon would. The skin of your fist have become tougher, ignoring minor damage such as cuts or bruises. You can now use your fist like they were made of metal, able to grab sharp edges without being cut, or blocking a blunt weapon without feeling the impact.

The witches swoop over the street, lobbing balls of fire^[1] down at the helpless Veliky. Of course, she's only apparently helpless; though unarmed and unarmored, she's proving to be quite the nuisance. She's struck several times, only to vanish and reappear a few feet away^[2,3], unscathed which each barrage. The city itself, however, is not unscathed; both the cafe and the Haunt Shop are alight, having suffered heavy collateral damage.

The witches pause their murmuration, hovering in the air with irritated glares.

"Ugh, you are such a brat!" shouts one of them with a sneer.

Veliky grits her teeth, preparing to rebut with the same spell that blighted the other witch, when an arrow of bone impacts the ground by her feet. It distracts her just long enough for the witches to fly in opposite directions. Veliky looks to the rooftop, where she sees a firing squad of archers dressed like skeletons, of all things. What sort of power do skeletons even have? It doesn't matter; as she saw before, not only do they borrow the powers of these creatures, but also their weaknesses.

Veliky raises both hands and whispers a prayer - distasteful, in her opinion, but a necessary component of the spell. Suddenly, the skeletal bandits freeze in place, paralyzed^[4]. Bishop takes the opportunity to rise from its cover and fire a bolt into one of their chests, while another bandit simply teeters over the edge, unable to maintain balance. They aren't the only ones effected, either; the clubber in the sheets that was fleeing from Zarius falls forward as its body enters a stasis.

The witches, however, are unfazed. They zoom over the street from either direction, raining sheets of fire below them^[5]. If nothing is done, both Zarius and Veliky will be incinerated.

"Burn!"

---

1. Fire Bolt (Hex Sister)
2. Invisibility
3. Replicant
4. Halt Undead
5. Flame Breath (Hex Sister)

Veliky had done something to stop the skeletal archers in their tracks as well as the ghost which now lay on the ground paralyzed. Zarius uses the temporary ceasefire to run back out into the open street over to the ghost. He grabs the sheet and pulls it off the brigand, assuming that his magic was somehow tied to the costume.

Indeed, with the cloth removed, he started to move from the spell no longer being effective. Too bad for him Zarius' boot was right there with a sharp kick to the underside of his jaw. He rolls across the cobblestone and comes to a rest against the side of a building, unmoving.

There was no time to celebrate though as the fiery glow from the witches hands threatened to toast them to a crisp.

A burst of adrenaline surges through Zarius' body as he dashes forward towards Veliky.^[1] He wraps the sheet around both of them as the blast of scorches the street, setting the decorations and store fronts ablaze.

In truth, he had no idea if this would work or not. It was all he could think of in the moment. Peering through the sheet, their surroundings appear a ghostly blue glow and a low haze fills the street instead of fire. There was no sensation of pain or heat. Lucky.

They couldn't relax just yet, these witch posers needed to be taken down a peg.

Zarius looks at Veliky and gets a terrible idea. "I am going to give you a boost. Do not miss. I will catch you." He explains his ill-thought out plan quickly then flaps the sheet off of them.

Scooping Veliky up, he crouches and musters as much strength as he can and then basically shotput launches Veliky towards one of the witches. He feels a twinge of pain shoot through his shoulder as he pulls a muscle from the exertion. Yeah. This is why he prefers having time to think things through. 

Seeing that they were not smoking pieces of charcoal, the witch that currently does not have a small half-halfling half-goblin flying towards them pitches one of those smoke bombs back down on Zarius. 

With a wince from the muscle strain, Zarius sucks it up and manages to catch the bomb before it hits the ground. He winds up and pitches it back up at the witch.^[2]

"Wha-!" She exclaims before being enveloped in a cloud of choking pink smoke. 

He turns his attention back up to Veliky and positions himself in a place to catch her when she comes back down from her impromptu flight. 

---

[1] Dashing. This enchantment buffs the user instead of the weapon, allowing the wielder to dash a very short distant while simultaneously striking, giving them the chance to close a gap and attack at the same time. The dash can be seen but gives them a spurt of energy.
[2] Deflecting Palm. Not only is the brawler an excellent offensive fighter, but they have also mastered the skill to defend themselves, even at a range. If they are attacked with a ranged physical attack such as an arrow, bolt or spear, they can use their deflecting palm to either knock the projectile out of mid air or even catching it, allowing them to throw it back. If a weapon is caught and thrown back, it can only go half its normal distance and will only deal half its normal damage. This can be used twice per topic.

"Don't you dare-"

'Do not miss,' he said, as if Veliky somehow has a choice. In fact, she doesn't recall having a say in the matter of being used as a projectile in the first place, let alone where or how accurately she'd be thrown. But that doesn't matter anymore, because, now, she's off the ground. She's in the hands of fate - or gravity, in more scientific terms. Her screams are cut short as she collides.

Veliky's eyes are closed. She can feel the wind blowing past her, but she isn't falling. She's hanging onto something for dear life - something surprisingly soft...

"Get off me, twerp!"

She opens her eyes in time to see buildings rushing past her at blinding speed, and the witch trying to shove her off by pushing against her cheek. But she's clinging onto the fabric of the witch's dress like a louse, immovable.

"Yeah, right! Land already!"

Veliky reaches up, trying to snatch the witch's hat, but her hand is smacked away. The broom rolls and spins as the two grapple, bite and slap one-another.

"Grrrah! I am so done with you!"

The witch clenches her fist, which begins to burn like brimstone, and reels back.

Veliky's eyes widen, but she's quick to react, tapping the insignia on her hat. The air changes, growing colder; Veliky radiates an aura of authority, uncompromising as the law^[1]. The witch's jaw drops in horror and she quickly loses control of the broom, which loops through the air before depositing both riders into an alleyway.

Veliky and the witch roll along the cobble until they each slow to a halt. Veliky rises with a groan; battered, but unwounded. She sees the witch crawling desperately away from her. Veliky stalks forward. Despite her minuscule size, she casts a long, looming shadow over the witch, who looks at her with terrified, pleading eyes.

"H-hey, I-I-I didn't mean that stuff I said! A-And we weren't really gonna hurt anybody, I swear! Please don't hurt me!"

Veliky's clenched fist begins to glow again^[2]. But something about the witch gives her pause. Her desperation, her fearful expression, even her costume: there's something familiar about it all - something deeply reminiscent, but not in a nostalgic way. She remembers that little girl in the ragged costume; beaten, bruised and sobbing; that she saw so long ago... It makes her angry.

She launches her holy fist into the witch's cheek, sending her sliding face-first across the stone. She won't be standing again before morning. Meanwhile, Veliky's hand sizzles and steams as she turns back to the street.

---

Hovering above the street, the other witch coughs and retches on the pink gas.

"Oh my god... You can't... just do that! What'd I do?!" she whines.

The smoke clears around her. She readies her broom to zip away again, only to find it somehow immobile.

"Wha- huh?!"

She looks back to see one of the Blixtbots™ below: a whip-wielding bot called Knight. The end of its whip has wrapped around the broom handle, restraining it!

"Ugh!" she starts to smack the broom handle in a tantrum. "Faster, you stupid, stupid thing!"

Her 'encouragement' appears to work. Knight struggles to hold onto the broom as its propulsion intensifies. But it isn't enough to escape; Knight grips the whip with both hands and tugs, yanking the witch's wooden steed from under her and letting her drop into a heap on the cobble. She hardly has time to get her bearings before the whip cracks again, zapping^[3] her into instant unconsciousness.

It's at this point that Veliky runs back onto the scene, only slightly worse for wear. Bishop has already sniped the skeletal archers, making the immediate area relatively clear.

"Knight, report!"

"Mistress Veliky, affirmative: the attack continues, but we are thinning their forces. However, a cell of attackers have garrisoned Carly Beth's Haunt Shop. There are not enough Blixtbots™ present to mount an assault against them."

"Then don't bother. Zarius!" It's easy to pick out the charcoal-skinned tiefling now that the enemies have been culled. "You and me! Haunt Shop! Go!"

---

1. Banner Lord II
2. Angelic Light
3. Enchanting Sigil

Oh. He dared. He also realized quickly that he was not going to be able to make good on the promise to catch Veliky when the witch takes off across the street on the broom with the small bean. She'll probably be fine. She full of attitude he was sure she could back up. Question was if there was an ounce of forgiveness she would spare for him after this was all over. 

No time to worry about it, though things seemed to be calming down in the street. One of Veliky's constructs had taken down the whining witch while another finished off the last of the skeletons. 

He looks over as Veliky comes out of the alleyway.

"Sorry about that." He gives an apologetic smile, though he had to admit, it was kinda funny. 

He isn't sure she heard him or even cares as she barks orders. For a shorty she sure was scarier than anything else they had encountered this night. 

"Yes, Ma'am." He stalks over to the Haunt Shop.

The display windows are shattered and glass is strewn across the ground. It looks like the door is also busted in and part of the building is still billowing a thick black cloud of smoke. It's strange though. The inside of the shop is eerily quiet from what he can tell. The Blixtbot™ said that there were more enemies inside, but peering through the broken window into the dark interior of the store didn't reveal any of their positions. 

Carefully, Zarius hops up into the window--shards of glass crackle under his weight as he moves inside cautiously. The store was a mess and there was evidence that it was ransacked during their fight outside. Shelves were toppled over onto the floor, pieces of the display mannequins were scattered about and no signs of the outfits they had been sporting in sight. The lights were also off and the choking scent of smoke hung in the air. 

He glances about as he creeps forwards, passing by a tipped over display stand. The hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he turns just in time to see the maw of a werewolf costume lunging at him from behind the cover of the display stand. The fangs of the werewolf pierce the muscles of his arm as he tries to block the attack. 

"AGH!" He exclaims as the sharp teeth puncture his flesh and blood wells from the wound. 

The brigand dressed in the werewolf head throws his weight on top of Zarius, knocking him down to the ground and keeping him pinned there as a number of vampires drop from the ceiling and zombies lumber out from behind the back counter. 

A shrill laugh pierces the once silent store. A woman dressed like a princess with a towering powdered wig, ridiculous makeup, and fan stands on top of the back counter overlooking the scene before her. 

"Oh dear me, the peasants are revolting. You made a mistake trying to foil our plans and attacking my subjects. Now, I am afraid you will have to be punished!" She laughs again, cackling in a haughty manner. From behind the edge of the fan she looks down on them. "Though I may be persuaded to let you live if you bow before me and beg."

There's a resounding echo of snickering and slow guffaws from the vampires and zombies respectively.

Though Veliky had charged into the shop just beside Zarius, it wasn't long before they became separated. She nearly fell over upon coming into close contact with a fake spider about the size of a small cat - that is, not even as large as Stalker. Her confidence vanishes quickly as she looks frantically around. She's surrounded by dimly-lit costumes, statues, figures and prosthetics, looming over her with open jaws and wicked claws, and Zarius is nowhere to be seen. Sweating and hyperventilating, she crawls into the shadows beneath a table.

She creeps through darkness, feeling about in the claustrophobic spaces between shelves, counters and mannequins that no larger person could squeeze through. She flinches at the caress of every spiderweb, real and manufactured. There's a voice coming from somewhere in front of her, oddly regal and boisterous. She follows the sound between the legs of a costumed model and over the corpse of a rat before she finally emerges into light.

She's crouching behind a counter, atop which stands someone in one of the poofiest, goofiest dresses she's ever seen and coated in matching makeup.

"Though I may be persuaded to let you live if you bow before me and beg."

Is she supposed to be a princess? What a bastardization! Princesses are supposed to be graceful, with peerless natural beauty! And what's that wig even supposed to be? A nest for termites?!

The offence makes Veliky forget where she is, the creepy knick-knacks surrounding her. Veins bulging from beneath her forehead, she leaps from her stealth onto the counter before leaping again with a shoulder-charge into the masquerade's back. The kinetic force is insignificant - it's Veliky, after all - but the radiant force^[1] sends the woman flying forward, off the counter with a cry. She crashes into the were-bandit pinning Zarius, knocking him off of the tiefling, as well. Both brigands land in heap.

Veliky hops into the fray, landing beside Zarius. The horde of zombies and vampires - or shabby depictions of them, at least - prepare to swarm them until Veliky produces a bottle of bubbling, sky-blue liquid^[2] and opens it. The gang cries in confusion and panic, staggering away from the tiny halfling. Veliky secures the advantage by rudely pouring the liquid over Zarius' head, matting his hair. It's disgustingly sticky: a minor payback for the stunt outside. The costumed criminals stare at him in horror, except for one, now standing up after Veliky's tackle.

"What audacity! Very well, then. If the peasants shan't accept my courtesy, then let them eat lead!"

She reaches beneath her own skirt and pulls out what appears to be, for all intents and purposes, a naval cannon. Holding it in both arms, she points it directly at Zarius and Veliky. A wick extended from the back of the cannon is already lit.

Veliky gives Zarius a pat on the back.

"You've got this one."

With those encouraging words, she vanishes into thin air^[3].

---

1. Angelic Light
2. (Holy Water) Blixt™ Lite
3. Invisibility

Zarius grimmaces in pain as the were-bandit rips into his arm while keeping him pinned on the ground. He grits his teeth and glances around. Where was Veliky? He thought she was going into the store with him but he couldn't see her anywhere. Damn, did she just ditch him? Honestly, a smart idea. 

He glares past the vampires and zombies closing in on him at the princess upon her perch. It would be all too humiliating to die at the hands of these clowns. Movement by the princess' skirt catches his eye though. Oh. There she is. What is she-

Suddenly the princess flies past, slamming into the were-bandit. The were-bandit yelps in surprise, unlatching his jaw from Zarius' arm. 

Zarius rolls up onto on knee and holds his arm as Veliky hops over. His arm was in pretty bad shape. Between getting bitten and wrenching his muscles when he chucked Veliky, the damage was adding up. He huffs and is about to make a comment to Veliky when she pours the blue substance on his head. 

He just blinks at this action, but glancing past her and seeing the horror on the vampire and zombie faces is at least somewhat reassuring that she knew what she was doing. 

Then she's gone and Zarius is on his own before the princess brandishing a portable cannon. You have got to be kidding. 

He quickly gets up on his feet and braces for impact. He could deflect a cannon ball, right?

Right???

KABOOM!

The cannon fires and the princess is hit with the recoil of the blast and reels back, nearly falling back over. Zarius digs his heels in and readies himself to absorb the impact. 

NOPE.

He drops to the floor and the cannonball sails over his head, careening into the zombies and vampires cowering in fear from the substance Veliky had poured on Zarius' head. The shell explodes in a cloud of confetti and sticky goopy rainbow colored foam that expands rapidly, restraining the goons.

Zarius looks back at the mess. It was a good thing he hadn't tried to deflect that. 

The princess throws the cannon down and stomps angrily, having a full on temper tantrum. "How dare you! The impudence! The audacity!" She shouts at him. 

Zarius just gives her the most unimpressed look before standing back up and cracking his knuckles. 

"Don't just stand there! Get them!" The princess orders and the were-bandit stumbles back up onto its feet. 

The were-bandit takes one look at Zarius and whimpers and whines in fright. It slinks back with its tail between it's legs. The princess looks around with fury in her eyes.

"What are you all doing! Cowards! Impudent cowards!" The princess yells angrily at the few costumed goons who were still left, all the while stomping her feet.

Zarius just walks up to her and grabs her by the poofy collar of the dress. "Just shut up." He drives his fish into her face, knocking her clean off her feet.^[1] She lands back in a pile of pumpkin shaped throw pillows, knocked right out.

The tiefling takes a deep breath, lungs burning from the smoke in the air. He looks at the rest of the goons who give him a wide berth thanks to the effects of the potion. "Well. Who is next?"

---

[1] Hands are weapons. The brawler knows that the best weapon is the one that can never be taken from you, the one that is always there with you, your hands. You have been in so many fights and have used your fist so often that they have begun to become stronger. Your fist are now considered weapons and deal blunt damage like a normal blunt weapon would. The skin of your fist have become tougher, ignoring minor damage such as cuts or bruises. You can now use your fist like they were made of metal, able to grab sharp edges without being cut, or blocking a blunt weapon without feeling the impact.

Not one meets his challenge. Though unable to place the dread they feel toward the substance that drenched Zarius, they simply can't bring themselves to face him. A stampede of colourful crooks floods out of the store, tripping over furniture and knick-knacks on the floor. One of them, though, appears to stumble over nothing at all - that is, until a prone Veliky appears, rubbing her head where it impacted the man's shin.

"We're clear; the bots can deal with stragglers," she curtly declares, standing up. "And you managed to detain some in the process. Nicely done."

She strides with a commanding air to the remaining goons, those ensnared in the glittery goo. Forefront is a man clad like a vampire, though this can only be seen by his fake fangs and champagne glass of what appears to be blood in his hand (the rest of his body is covered by the foam).

"So, was this just for money, or is there something more going on here?"

The man is sweating profusely in Zarius' presence, but puts on an unconvincing front of defiance.

"Of course it was for money! What did you think this was? Some sort of... um..." He can't think of an adequate way to end his quip. Sad.

"Uh-huh. And you couldn't have done that the honest way? Gotten a job on a ship? Opened a shop, maybe?"

"Ha! What is a shop? A miserable pile of products!"

He attempts to throw the glass, but, his arm being trapped, he can only awkwardly flick it away. The red fluid spills onto the ground.

"...Right. That aside, I've seen enough grand larceny in my time to recognize that this has been in the works for a while, meaning you have some sort of base of operations. Seeing as you're already going to prison, how about you tell me where it is now?"

"What? Do I look like a fool to you?"

Veliky eyes him up and down, trapped in rainbow-coloured floss as he is.

"Now that you mention it..."

"Bah! I get nothing from telling you now! Give me a plea deal, or-"

"Is that a fire?!" shouts another crook, dressed like a werewolf.

Veliky looks over her shoulder. So it is; the front of the shop is ablaze, gradually coughing smoke into the room. The panic grows in the goons' faces.

"That's correct. Which is exactly why expediency is so valuable. Now, your headquarters are...?"

"Warren Street! We set up a haunted house as a front."

...That makes sense, actually. It appeared so suddenly, but hardly ever bothered with advertising. She kicks herself for not having thought of it before. Still, it'd be good to confirm. She lets out a sigh.

"If you aren't going to tell us the truth, then we're done here. Goodbye."

She turns around dismissively and begins to walk away.

"What? No, no, he's telling the truth! He isn't lying, dammit!"

"Please! It's the truth! Warren Street, our boss works from the basement of the haunted house! 'Mr. Game,' that's what he makes us call him!"

Veliky stops. Weird name. Nevertheless, they're obviously being truthful. Always good to be sure.

"Zarius, free them and meet me outside. Sounds like this night's only just begun."

As she walks away, she steps in some of that red fluid which spilled from the vampire-bandit's shattered glass. Upon closer inspection, it isn't blood, nor even wine. It's Blixt™ Cranberry.

"...Thanks for buying" is all she remarks.