((this is happening at around about... 12:00 today IC))
Sophie sat on the floor of the house and looked up at her Goddess and sighed looking around at the place were the brotherhood had taken residence. It was small situated in the hollows next to the gulch, it was probably not the best place to hide but with the door barracaded and 60 novices within they were relatively safe. She turned as Soloquial spoke.
"ok then, we all know what is happening, in case no-one knows both Soulstruck and Sub-Aether have died and Jack is... missing," she sighed "Jack's past is complicated, you must understand that, Gauisus Somnium, my protector, has lived since i have and has protected me all my life, when one dies the soul and memories pass onto another, Jack is the most recent. Slowly though the memories build up and Jack more than anyone else is bearing the brunt of a mind that has been alive for millenia. This though is not the reason he has... become what he is although it may be the reason he lost control." Soloquial sighed and looked out the window at the street beyond and then turned back to the novices. 'Within Jack's mind lies anger, it is like a dormant volcanoe for when he accepted the position of my guardian i locked it away within him, Jack sees this anger as a wolf, you have all been in classes, you know how much visualisation helps with this sort of thing. Well recently this 'beast' for lack of a better word has become more and more free, Jack assured me it was nothing but i have had my doubts for a while. Now i shall introduce another set of characters to the story, the circle of thorns, everyone knows of them but you may not know of their feelings towards Jack. All of them beleive he is special, they think his anger is like that of the spirits they first discovered when they gained their powers, despite Jack's fight against them they still try to maintain the fact that he has some form of deity trapped within him.
As i'm sure many of you have noticed the insignia on Jack's chest is one classic of the brotherhood and we beleive this is what is keeping him permantly in his feral form. To apply this magic we beleive that the circle are using something Jack used to call 'the thorn in his side', Soloquial sighed, 'when the circle was founded there were 13 spirits who gave 13 thorns to the founding members of the circle, now as i'm sure you know there were only 12 founding members and so, we can only assume, the thorn Jack refers to is the missing thorn, how he came about this object we do not know but we can safely assume he has it. This may be what the circle is using to imprison him, for,' she looked at Sophie, 'as one of our novices has seen the power of even an airvetian feather were repelled by this object.' She looked at this class altough Sophie felt that she was talking to her, 'this is all we know, we have to hide and stay hidden if we are to survive so i want no-one leaving the building.'
As the class began talking Soloquial walked to Sophie and spoke to her, 'i am sending a letter to those at GG who may be helpful with this, i want you to keep attending, try and get friends, we need all we can now, don't get into danger and for God's sake Sophie don't do anything stupid, you know the rules.' The the young Goddess strode away and Sophie was left by herself, she sighed and sat in the corner creating a pencil and paper sitting down to try and pass the hours doodling.
((the letters will go to Acenra, Oniel Onieros, and anyone else who wants to get involved, no-one has to obiously 
but if i can work this up i would really like to, if you want to join in just say you got a letter and talk to Sophie about it although i assume this will probably fall flat on it's face i hope to see you all later 
lol))
Oniel sighed as he left the house of yet another patient. He had come off empty handed this time. They had decided there was nothing to worry about anyway, seeing as magic wasn't real. He chuckled as he rembered what he had said to them. "When you are under attack from the circle, or the carnival, i will remind you of that fact!". And, once again, it was the circle causing the problems.He stopped as he heard creaking in the dark alleyway next to him, and smiled. He was in luck. A thin, vine like sword swiped out of the darkness, catching thin air as he danced out of the way. A flicker of purple light shot from his fingers and straight into the cultists eyes. He fell to the floor instantly. "The circle i knew was made of tougher stuff" Oniel muttered, rooting through the Circle mages robes for anything useful, "Kids today..." Then he noticed it. A small pendant, an exact likeness of a Thorned rose." Better keep this, think it might be a clue..." he said to no-one in particular, before striding off back to Galaxy.
((Realised that didnt add much, but hey, i found something! Plus it gives a few clues to Oniel's actual age :P Oh, yeah, is GS going to be dead after this?))
((no, or at least i hope not... to be honest i don't know exactly, if he does die though i will be very dissapointed, i merely wished to enhance his story and explain the disbanding of my SG whilst still keeping links if ya know what i mean))
((Good. Otherwise you would have an angry Wynd on you And you dont want that. Oh boy no...))
((explaining my last 2 days absent))
Sophie sat in her room pouring her mind into the open book, searching it for answers or questions to which she already had the answer. Osox's diamond, Osox's diamond, she had heard of it but where was it! Probably in some dusty old book that hadn't left the library since she was studying.
Continuing to search frantically through the books she looked up at her window as through a crack beneath it a thin sliver or shadow entered the room, as it reached the floor it became roughly human shaped and formed together, it was Steve, another novice of the academy, he bowed and smiled at Sophie.
Since Jack's leaving of the academy the novices had basically accepted Sophie as their leader, she had elected Stever as her co-leader since they'd known eachother for a long time and she trusted him.
he sighed, '7 more have died in the skirmishes but i think we have pushed them off for a while'
'any more appearances of Jack?' He grinned, 'yes one, and i think you will like it'.
'what?'
'he appeared like normal before one of the mages who pointed at us shouting frantically. But Jack stuck this thing in his leg, turned around and bit the head off the magician, another one waved his hand they dissappeared but we haven't seen anything since then.'
She grinned, 'go on Jack, fight back'
'your going to be expected on the frontline again soon'
she sighed getting up and walking into the shadows, 'ok'
((Oniel won't be here for the next few days. As Emmet put it, he has unfortunate family matters to deal with. If ive got time, you get Emmet instead))
Sophie sat in the main room of the small house the brotherhood had rented out pouring over the tomes and scrolls which she hoped may contain something to do with Osox's diamond. She yawned and looked up at the clock 3:00, she yawned again and looked at her bed, she really wanted to wrap up and go to sleep but she shook her head and went back to the book. She hadn't slept since her nap at Galaxy last night but she had to keep studying. Finally unable to stay awake any longer she fell over sideways and went to sleep.
Waking up her head in the book Sophie sat up groggily looking at the time on her watch, 6:00, she picked up the book again and there, Osox's diamond, her heart leapt as she began reading and understanding Jack's complicated message.
Images of Sophie's cut flashed continuously in his mind. He was restless. He went without sleep the night before and spent the night in terortheus, scouring the Airvertian magic and historical library which took up a quater of the capital city
"Where is it?" Acenra muttered, looking for the right book "there must be a cure in here somewhere..."
it was almost hopeless, there was only one book left in the whole library, and it was comming to eleven oclock in the morning. so, weraly picking up the book, he flicked through it and found a surprising image.
it was an artwork of somekind, but from what Oniel had said to him, Acenra thought it could be a depiction of the first 'initiation' of the circle. he continued through and found a picture of a thorn. in Airvertian, the title of the chapter was "the thorn: all the facts". however, it must of been written by one of the circle themselves, and did not wish for the rest to read, because every word was a different and difficult language
"no one in Terortheus has been able to translate this" said a female voice from behind Acenra. the elf turned around and saw a young Airvertian woman in royal dress
"Princess Meetra" he replied with a bow "I need to take this book for a while. a close friend of mine back on earth has been struck by one of the first thorns. She has a worrying looking wound and it needs to be cured"
"as you wish, just remmember, you must return the book within a week, and if you wish to keep it, you know the price" Meetray said
"thank you, I must be getting back to earth"
Jack smiled as the door opened and the mage entered, he rattled his chains and some of the dried blood on his manicles cracked off and feel to the floor. He looked at the cuts on his legs and hoped it was worth it, but he sighed as he saw the mages robes part and the thorn that haunted his nightmares emerge from beneath them. he resigned himself to what would happen as the thorn plunged into his side.
Emmet sighed stepping off the train. He chucked his useless book to the ground. It hadnt been much use to him. He was worried about Sophie. And the "Arralle". He frowned as he thought it over. It sounded fammilliar.. but he wasnt sure where he had heard it. A sound interrupted his train of thought. Oniel was entering from the back. He sighed. Oniel was far too obseesed with his dream magic to actually help now. He talked of Haures often, although he were some vulture waiting for his death. In fairness, he probably was. His mind wandered back to Sophie. He was still worried, and nothing he was doing was helping. He had made up his mind. he was going to vent his anger on the thorns and see if that helped. It was Fun AND Educational.
Steve sighed as he walked into the operating theatre, another hero with some scratch that had to be checked before anything else on his agenda. He nodded to Sun Stroke, the hero present for the operation in case of anything un expected, he had been told this was going to be different to his other appointment this day but he had been working in Paragon for 10 years as a doctor and he had seen everything from impaled werewolves to injured fire imps.
As he entered the operating theatre he almost fell over as the smell hit him, he reached for a gas mask trying not to breath in the smell of rotting flesh. Once he had regained his composure he looked at the rest of his doctors making light of the smell.
'no-ones been cooking have they?' They all looked back at him expressionless as he wondered to the operating table putting on his gloves, maybe this was serious. He peered over the edge of the table and gasped at what he saw. The girl was youngish about 19-21 as far as he could tell, she was waring a white robe that covered everything except her left arm and as he stared at that arm he felt nauseia creep up his throat as he reached to the nearest bucket and threw up.
Almost half of her upper arm was missing, the edges of the giant hole were green and looked as if they were liquidising, there were millions of white eggs covering the inside of the skin and he could see her bone through the rotting muscle and skin. He sighed and looked at the girls face, contorted in pain and her hands like claws and began the operation, touching his knife to the cut he dropped it suddenly as the metal melted.
Sophie walked down the hallway in the hideout, the battle she knew raged outside but inside here, this place of refuge, she felt as if everyone was against her. They avoided her eyes or gazed at her in defiance, they avoided her or purposefully got in her way students and teachers alike treated her differently, hugging her books to her chest she entered her room wishing Acenra was here to talk to, he would know what to do about there, she though reaching over and rupping the bumps on her back where the wings lay beneath her skin.
She heard someone laugh as a boy walked out of the shadows, his name was James, they had competed as novices in class but he was forbidden to enter another novices room without permission, walking to stand in front of her he grinned and spoke.
'So little Sophie, an angel are we? looks like you have finally beat me,' he sighed creating a fire ball in one hand, 'but then again there were always some things i was better at then you.' He aimed the fire ball at her and hurled it, Sophie darted to the side but her robes were singed and James looked at her triumphantly as she turned to face him, she quickly stepped into the shadows as James filled the air with fire.
Silently she felt the anger built within her and cried as she felt the wings in her back push against the skin, bursting out in a spray of blood and bone, she screamed once before the sense of right overtook her, she knew what she was doing was right... but everyone hated her for it and as she stepped out the shadows she regretted what was happening.
She blasted James in the stomach knocking him unconscious and sending him reeling into the wall, once she was sure her opponent was subdued the wings sank back into her and the wounds cleared up on her back. A teacher found her half an hour later, crying on her bed, the unconscious body of James lying in a corner.
((am really srry it appears i have made a giant massive codswalloping boo boo 
lol, i didn't realise wings would be a 12-21 month vet reward or whatever they are, i thought they were inherrent, damn my foolish mind, this kinda craps up my entire plot line a bit since now Ebon cant get wings needless to say i am a little annoyed oh well, my fauly entirely, i will keep it going just gonna have to imagine wings unless anyone else can bring me outta this? lol))
((Ebon, frightened, finds means to cut off the wings. Alas, they regrow at a later time))
((or she could just hide them... i been r/ping currently she is rather embarrassed about them, i could just say that she doesn't the confidence YET to show them at GG? better idea than killing her off which i had to admit was the first thing that came to mind.))
((Yeah. Pious has been hiding his for over thirty years. I was disappointed that he couldn't wear wings when I first started the game))
((ok i am srry this has gone kinda pearshaped on me, hopefully if i do do another plot it will be better lol, oh well here is the end))
The small party of students moved through the shadows silently approaching the look out point across the road. They assembled around the building and exchanging various nods and signals leapt through the wings into the single roomed house. The fight was short, the circle minions were taken by surprise and each student dispatched his or her enemy quickly and efficiently, Sophie winced as she heard a menacing crack from behind her as necks were broken. She strode into the centre of the room kicking away the various magical paraphernalia and garbage littered across the floor concentrating her energies and sending a blast of dark magic up through the ceiling alerting the other 30 squads of students that her checkpoint was secured. The other students had been wary of Sophies new found powers to begin but they bowed to her power and knowledge for this assignment, she was happy she wouldnt have to fight anyone over leading the assault on the circle fortress.
She sighed, hoping the other squads had been as successful, she had heard no screams or thunder claps that normally accompanied the circles magic and assumed everything had gone ok, peering out the window she smiled as she saw 30 different magical energies floating into the sky, all good so far. Looking at the rest of her squad she regretted not telling anyone about this, Acenra and Emmet would probably be angry with her for net telling them and the militia may be annoyed that she hadn't included them in the breakout although she doubted it, they had not known her long. She probably would have liked to but she hadnt seen many people in the last 2 days and she feared they would want to come along and get in the way. Glancing at those assembled they moved out of the house moving towards a large office block next to the gulch, looking down into the chasm she gulped, trying to keep her mind at what was at hand. They reached the bottom of the office block and Sophie took in the surrounding, although this looked like any other part of the hollows the ground was filled with catacombs and caves that harboured the circle soldiers.
She nodded to a student next to her who began to gather in his power letting it loose at the already unstable wall which crumbled creating a door into the office block. The students marched through, breaking off to secure different parts of the building. Gathering her energy Sophie ran to her destination, through the catacombs, past people fighting and demons the flooded the halls, she heard tremors from other parts of the building as the few remaining students began the battle. Coming to the end of the passage Sophie observed the door blocking her way, it was made of steel on new hinges, well made but nothing to her, she gathered her power and blew the door off it's hinges moving into the room.
There was a long table down the middle of the room and 6 men in blue robes were frantically discussing something or another. They looked up as Sophie ran into the room all of their eyes flitting to the corner were a black form lay in chains. As one the threw back their cloaks and began to incant their spells, sophie smiled as she felt a brush of wind against her cheek as Srgt. Stone ran into the room, hammer in hand. Rising slightly off the floor she screamed as the wings burst from her back in a spray of blood and gore, filling the room with darkness. The circle magicians stood in awe as each of them was destroyed by dark magic or the stone hammer, only one remained still as his bretheren were destroyed, when stone reached out to grab the front of his robes Sophie saw his hand meet an invisible barrier and he was chucked across the entire room into a wall standing up groggily and shrugging at Sophie she turned and smiled at the magician. Gathering the rage inside her she directed a blast of pure hatred at the magician, his sheild rippled as the blast struck him but it remained firm as he smiled back. Cutting off her attack Sophie waited.
"so then, we have a stalemate?" he said sarcastically, his dry nasal voice filling the chasm as more students rushed into the room, with a flick of the eyes he closed the door and looked back at Sophie. "what do you plan to do now little girl? you can't harm me, and neither can that big oaf with the hammer." Stone grunted but remained carm as the room became extremely cold. "so then? What are we going to do dear?" pretending a look of sudden revelation he looked at the crumpled heap in the corner and said "i know, lets do this!"
Raising his hands above his head he began incanting and the bundle of rags in the corner moved, as Jack walked to the magicians side Sophie could see his fur matted with blood, long scars running down his body and the circle insignia burned brightly on his chest. As Crour Canis leapt at her Sophie concentrated forming a portal infront of her, the hounds inertia carried him into it and out of the room. Smiling she concentrated teleporting the 2 shadow mages and the circle magician out of the room.
Jack groaned as he tried to stand, his head was groggy but he was not were he had been... he lifted his hands to stand up and gasped as he saw his now furrless hands, looking up he saw 3 poeple and as they slowly came into focus he smiled, it was Sophie, one of his younger pupils and Stone, he wondered why Sophie was there but shrugged, he was just happy to see a familiar face. He followed her gaze and beheld his captor, the magician was cowering behind Jack, probably nausiated from the teleporting. Looking at his surroundings he saw where he was and smiled 'good girl, osox's diamond, but now what?'
Looking back at Sophie he awaited her next move, what could she possibly do to the mage? he had tried, he was too powerful his sheild simply blocked all elements from entering, sighing he looked back at his old apprentice and his student wondering what on earth they had planned, his doubts were removed as Sophies back exploded. The wings filled the entire diamond casting a shadow on the floor, the feathers were coal black and Sophie's eyes burned her body surrounded by a film of shadow, he drew in a breath, this was not possible... she was so young.
*extract from the brotherhood texts*
Slowly did she raise her hand and doubt flickered across the face of the mage of thorns as the ground beneath him tremored, the face of eternal Daniel Stone filled with glee as he watched his advisory sink. Ebon Tear's face was filled with pleasure and the scent of victory was ever so sweet as the man who had haunted her dreams sunk into the all encompassing earth. Slowly did she lower her hand with the mage as he sunk ever deeper into the ground until finally all of his wretched body was immersed in the unforgiving earth.
((hi there this post has a few reasons, 1. to explain what happened after GG 2. if (and i doubt) anyone wants to mention anything to do with my plot atm 3. to show you Jack is an unwilling participent 4. he has killed and 5. the brotherhood is on the run))
but i'm sure we'll come up with something))
))
The house cast a long eery shadow across the front garden of the imposing building. It was late, she had decided to visit some old haunts and regain her composure before returning home, but as she approached the school her pulse quicked as she realised something was definitly wrong.
As she apporached the building a young girl ran out to meet her. Sophie wiped away her tears as the she approached, noting the paniced expression on her face Sophie knelt down and hugged her. The girl was called Megan, one of the Brotherhood's youngest Alcolytes. Behind her was Will, James and Ak'Tharu, more trainees and minor agents, all of whom were indicating frantically for her to come inside.
"what happened?" She whispered as she entered the hall, Will placed a finger to his lips and Sophie fell silent.
"He's here," Sophie's heart quickened and as she turned to run she saw him, walking up the drive. He was a good foot taller and covered in black fur, the marking on his chest burned and his breath formed clouds in the air has he slowly made his way towards them. Turning to face them he smiled and dissapeared, stepping into the shadows. Sophie turned, all sense of dignity lost.
"Run!"
They all turned tail and legged it, through the house, heading towards the dormitries where they all kept assorted armaments and clothing in case of an emergency. As they turned a corner Sophie glimpsed another novice, Sub-Aether and called out to her. She turned and began running towards them but as she did so Sophie heard a crash of glass and something fly through the window landing on the young girl. The dog bit into her shoulder tearing through muscle and bone, as Sophie turned to run she heard Aether's scream cut short by a sickening crunch and a bestial howl that echoed down the corridors.
The novices ran, some cried but most kept quiet as they rounded the corner to the apprentices dorms. There were bodies all over the floor, but not the black robed bodies of the novices but blue robes, and these were all men aged over 40, not friends of there's. Some had been torn apart, other blasted or burned, some were still alive and reached for Sophie's feet as she walked through them horrified. As she turned the final corner she breathed a sigh of releif as she saw most of the novices in the corner behind a defensive sheild.
As she stood she heard a door open behind her and she spun around to face whatever was coming. He strode calmly through the doorway and smiled at her, 7 blue robed men were behind him, their faces covered by hoods but the markings they wore indicated them to be of the circle. As Sophie turned to face her former teacher she felt her heat rise as from the shadows, walked Soloquial.
Jack halted as he saw her and howled, Soloquial was crying as she said.
"oh my littly puppy, what have they done to you?" The dog howled again, it's face contorting in pain and anger as the expression changed from feral hound to human and back again, amongst the pain Sophie heard the words.
"Sorry..."
A look of annoyance crossed the face of the mage behind him who clicked his fingers firing up the symbol on Jacks chest, the incal burned higher and all conflicting emotions on the dogs face were replaced by one of pain as it feel to the floor. The mage clicked his fingers again and the dog rose again growling at Soloquial. Sophie watched as she turned and walked back towards the novices.
"Do It," she said as she walked past to stand behind her. Reaching to her headband Sophie felt for the feather Acenra had given her and pulled it free as she face the hound, throwing it on the floor infront of him she stepped back and attacked the dog with all her strength, using her entire knowledge of binds and attacks to hold him. Jack smilied and began to walk forward. As he did so one paw landed on the feather and the room was filled with the smell of burning fur. Jack withdrew his foot howling as the mages backed away looking shocked. Sensing that something had happened the novices opened fire and the room was filled with the sounds of energy blasts flying past Sophies head at the Madness Mages.
Avoiding the blasts one of the mages approached Jack, who was lying on the floor, drawing from his robes a thorn which he rammed into the shoulder of the huge dog, the symbol on his chest flared up as he did so and the burns on the dogs foot all but dissapeared as it stood up again next to it's new masters. Alarmed by the sudden onslaught of magic the first mage looked to the others and nodded, drawing in his powers he smiled as those assembled dissapeared into the night.
Soloquial turned.
"come with me, we aren't safe." Sophie picked up the feather and hurried after Soloquial clutching tightly to her only defense as she spoke, echoing the novices thoughts.
"Jack... what have they done to you?"
((ok i realise this is nothing like being perfect but i merely wish to show you what happened last night, hopefully someone can think of something to do because as far as i know there isn't a cure
((feel free to post further if you like, say if something happened to your character involving this... i doubt it but hey? you never know