-Matshona Dhliwayo

Sophia didn't say much when their little embrace ended, and neither did John or Seras. The events of the day and the emotions coursing through them had left a muddled mess that John was quite sure all of them would need time to sort through. Time that they, as usual, never had, so John went slowly to let all of them compose themselves in that room before exiting. He made sure to usher them out before the room began to reek of its newly wrought **** and undeath… but he took the time to stride over to the corner, eyeing the objects around the room. Without enough mana to Observe every object he couldn't be too sure if there was anything valuable, and frankly he didn't particularly want to go rooting around in the bloodied and charred corpse of Victor… but all the same, John pocketed the collar that the woman had been wearing. Singed and shattered as it was, something powerful enough to contain a mage could be very useful. Eventually.

"What the hell happened in there?"

Although John saw that Etriyya was long-gone, the woman he had inadvertently rescued was still there, although she no longer glowed with the same aura as before. Her tattoos had also returned to their mundane appearance, reduced to mere ebony ink fluttering over the surface of her skin. John nearly answered, half-trained by people like Moira, Etriyya, and Tricia to respond to questions from feminine figures. The realization took a back seat in John's mind to his growing list of concerns as he eyed the woman before him with a hesitant Observe, using most of his remaining mana in the process.

Willow Bianchi
Level 19 Exuder
<Independent>
340 / 340 HP
Alignment: 28
Relationship: -19
Status Effects: N/A

"What does that even mean?"

John was confused about the woman’s Class, and that she was the first independent person he’d run into, but didn't bother to seek answers. The woman in question, strange as she was, had struck against Victor and chosen to not **** John when he was at his very worst, with no mana to separate his minimal health from the hostile world around him. He had no leverage and no position to demand answers from her, so he merely ignored her question and responded with some of his own.

"Little of this, little of that… you saw what happened to her, after all. Honestly, I'm more interested in what happened to you. How did you come to be a prisoner of the Cabal?"

"And why are you so interested in that?"

John grimaced as he started to get a sense of what this conversation was going to hold for him. True to his expectations, every question he asked the woman was answered with a responding question, or at best a half-answer followed by a change of subject.

"Why so nosy? Just because you rescue a lady doesn't mean that she has to answer all your questions."

"Just trying to figure out what you want."

"Who says I want anything?"

"Enough questions," John sighed, rolling his eyes. "Listen, you waited out here for us. Like you said, we were in there a while. Etriyya stormed off instead of worrying herself about you, and instead of following her, you waited around for us. You didn't interrupt us, and you didn't attack when you and I were alone either, so you don't seem too hostile… but you clearly want to talk to me. A lot of people do these days. I want to know why."

"I mean, you did rescue me. Isn't that enough?"

"No."

The blunt answer didn't seem to bother the woman, who shrugged and brushed it aside. "Well, fine then. Call me curious - I've been locked up here for weeks and the only chatter I've really heard was about you. Didn't recognize you at first until I went out into the hallway; I figured you were just another Order Knight, but I only know one person who walks around with a vampire and a woman who can grow wings out of her back. Well, at least only one in Springfield, that creep back in Montana with his weird anime fetishes-"

"Let's not throw stones here," John interrupted, shaking his head. "Alright, curious. You’ve seen me, and I'm not answering your questions because I have no idea who you really are. Why are you still sticking around?"

"Why are you?" That infuriating shrug caused John's eye to twitch.

"I'm not," he spat, turning down the hall but being careful to keep an open eye and ear. Seras and Sophia fell in behind him… and so did the woman. The moment he realized she was following in behind them, John spun on his heel and faced the woman with annoyance.

"Jeez, you really take things too personally," the woman noted. "Look, I'm sticking with you because I'm not with you. If I go wandering around here trying to get out and run into the Order, what the hell do you think is gonna happen to me? I'll get attacked at the least, maybe even captured or killed! You know I'm friendly."

"Do we really though?" Seras remarked, still holding her arms tensely at her sides, not taking her finger off the trigger guard of her rifle, pointed at the ground though it was. Sophia seemed similarly tense, particularly after John had turned to face the woman. Her legs were half spread, and John could see a glimmer of battle lust still present in her eyes.

"My Father wishes you to leave us. You will do so."

"Funny, because from the way you guys were talking in there, you and your 'Father' are in no position to stop me from doing what I want."

The tone in the hallway took an immediate shift. John and Sophia both took a step apart to brace themselves, while Seras finally raised the rifle she'd never truly abandoned. Staring down the literal and metaphorical barrel of a gun, Willow did nothing but chuckle, raising up her arms.

"Guys, guys, I was just pointing it out - I'm not going to fight you."

"Then why are you glowing?"

John's observation did not go unheeded. Something changed in Willow's face, something he didn't immediately understand. The woman sighed, raising her hands as her flowing, impressive tattoos started to fade in their intensity.

"Fine, whatever, just… take me as your prisoner, then? I can fix that collar for you. I know you grabbed it; it'll restrict my mana again - I'm seriously not trying to piss you off, I just don't want to get stabbed or shot or fucking smited on my way out of here, okay?!"

"That sounds like something we can agree on," John nodded, preparing to pull the collar from his inventory again. Just as his menu had popped up, the sound of metallic clanking from behind them drew his attention. Half-turning to keep his eye on the woman, John glanced back and saw Moira striding forth at high speeds, accompanied by two other Knights.

"John, what are you still doing here? Knight Etriyya told me that she left you behind with a prisoner; I scolded her for her carelessness, but I assumed you would follow shortly."

"Yeah, I- Moira, this is Willow Bianchi, and it says she's not affiliated with anyone," John said, trying to subtly slide over his window, still having Moira in the party from the earlier conflict. "She claims that she's here as a prisoner of the Cabal and that she just wants to leave safely… and somehow that means she has to follow me. We told her multiple times to leave us alone, but she's tagging along like a stray puppy."

"I'll wag my tail if you tell me how you knew my name."

John winced at his inattention to secrecy, but when he turned his head back to face Willow and examine her more closely, he noted that she didn't seem displeased. If anything, the woman was actually more excited than she had been when taunting them before fighting… a glimmer of that same emotion from earlier flickered in her eyes, and despite attempting to appear helpless for the Warden rapidly approaching her, she seemed extremely excited.

"Unfamiliar with scrying spells? John, do not worry yourself with this woman's threat - she's clearly a novice. Probably only started learning magic recently, or she'd have already removed those stains on her skin."

John fought the urge to shake his head at Moira's abrupt aggression toward the woman and her appearance; whatever excitement had been in her face faded as she turned to the arrival of the Warden and her escort.

"You must be Lady Brighton. Please, I mean no harm to you or this boy - I was only tagging along because I feared what might happen if you were to discover an unknown woman making her way through a Cabal base as she attempted to escape."

"The same thing that would have happened to any other prisoner - capture, interrogation, and release once deemed to not be a threat… you should be more afraid of what I would do to a woman stalking, harassing, and apparently readying herself to attack one of my allies."

Despite John's exuberance at being so readily identified as an ally - especially after it had only just become apparent that he was the primary reason for the entire war in the first place and that his carelessness was at least in part to blame - John couldn't ignore the tension growing in the room again. Moira had her hammer and shield as ready as ever, Seras' gun was still pointed quite harshly, and though the woman's tattoos were passive at the moment, there was no doubt in John's mind that they were only ever a moment away from flooding with light and mana.

"Well, I wasn't one of those, so hopefully nothing?" The woman's air changed again, too quickly to be entirely natural. She smirked and shrugged in an almost goofy manner, before continuing. "Seriously, I came here to join Lady Arista's mercenaries, but that doesn't mean I'm dumb. I researched allllll of you before coming here, and I know what happens to people who piss off the Order. Which is exactly why I'm trying not to do that, but apparently you guys are even more high-strung than my old bosses!"

"Who were they?" Moira continued, not dropping her stance in the slightest.

"Well, technically I was hired for a brief moment by some start-up enchanters to provide additional mana as a resource since they were breaking out on their own, but if you're talking combat, a bunch of other mercenaries hired me as a member of a hundred-man escort for a truckload of Soul Gems from Colorado to California. Sorry, part of the contract was I couldn't say what area to what area; all you get are states."

"If we wanted, I assure you that we would get much more than that. But as it stands, I have no desire to be around you any longer than necessary. I will radio our soldiers and inform them of your appearance and that you are allowed to pass out of the Barrier so long as you pose no threat."

"Thank you, Lady Brighton… your graciousness knows no bounds."

The woman gave what felt like a half-sarcastic curtsy, and took the chance to flee before further words could be exchanged, pressing herself against the wall to avoid any contact with the Order. John thought about stopping her, but as soon as Willow had passed her, Moira held up a hand to silence John. She didn't lower it until the woman was well out of sight, and presumably well beyond most mundane earshot.

"John, what did you learn from that woman, besides her name?"

"Nothing, honestly," John replied, keeping his voice low. "I didn't even get that without Observe. She was chained up and collared when we arrived, but I freed her with a spell while we were dueling against another prisoner who had gone a bit mad - Victor, the Necromancer that they were talking about earlier, actually. He had broken free of his restraints and started raising the dead in the chaos caused by our invasion."

"I noticed the corpse on our way in… a most hideous end, something no man deserves, much less a faithful servant of the Lady," Moira noted, brows furrowing as she considered the entrance to the hotel's long hallway again. "But if this man could escape from his bindings, we have no reason to believe that she would have been incapable of doing so herself. Are you sure she revealed nothing else?"

"Only that she had heard of me… and I have no way of knowing how much she knew from captivity and how much prior."

"Then we are at an impasse. Once we have secured the Cabal's remaining territory and gleaned what we can from our new prisoners, we will dedicate what we can to determining her origins and intentions here. She claims to be a mercenary, but she has moved a long distance to seek employment… and from such a place…"

Moira furrowed her brows for a moment, then hesitantly waved off her concerns.

"No matter. Time will tell her intentions - time and effort. There is never any rest in the Abyss, not truly. But for now, I think all of us - especially you, John - have earned a reprieve. There will be much work in the coming days as we divide up the Cabal's shattered territory and begin the work of interrogating our numerous prisoners."

"That doesn't sound like something I'd be much use for," John ventured, trying not to sound too terribly hopeful.

Moira smiled wryly. "Not in the least. Your most immediate foes are subdued, John Newman, and there is nothing I would ask of you. Do as you will - you are without duty and without burden."

John's eyes glimmered at the possibilities. Could he finally focus on his private world? Finally develop more abilities than those useful for slaying and killing? Hell, even his efforts for the war were often interrupted - he still had a pile of molten iron sitting in his inventory due to a lack of proper tools and methods for solidifying it safely in a manner he could utilize. Where would he even begin?

"For now… let's return home. We have dead to bury, and cells to fill."

Ending her otherwise quite optimistic note with a morbid undertone, Moira beckoned John and her guards away from the bloodied dungeon, leading them away from the hellish sights. Together the lot of them travelled through the halls in what felt like a rather mundane procession. John was left with only his thoughts, plans… and an annoying dinging sound which proved too harsh to ignore.

John eventually opened the menu begging for his attention, uncertain what he would find. It was not a particularly demanding menu, to his surprise.

Faction War Points: 308

"Huh. Almost forgot this wasn't all for nothing…" John smiled to himself, even as they rejoined the rest of the Order, even as Moira gave her victory speech. He was relieved to find that they were free of the war, even more so to think that Moira would not message him daily with their newest goals. But at the moment, surrounded by hype and excitement…

All he could think was how relieved he was that his new friends and children would no longer be threatened daily for their mere existence.