The Prince sat patiently upon his throne, deep within the black rocky caverns of a place unknown to the galaxy. Patiently his foot tapped in time with the dripping of water down the walls, waiting for the exact moment he would give his order. Soon enough that time came, at which point he gestured to one of the orcs around him to bring over the small computer tablet. On it he began recording the message for one person in particular; "Mordeci of the Reich".

"I hold information on two of your bounties on the Almis family. Daniel and Jaya are hidden on the independent world of Halshire in the Outer Union Sector. The co-ordinates are contained with this message; a small cottage used to hide her until the child is born."

"The only payment I wish for in return for this information; make their deaths brutal. Broadcast their defeat across the galaxy. Put an end to their cursed bloodline."

Sending the transmission and then handing the tablet away, The Prince leaned back into his throne. Now it seemed all there was to do was wait. Slowly but surely they would pick of each and every Almis in the galaxy, ending their tyranny once and for all...

"Shit." Dan cursed under his breath, glancing with worry at Jaya who was sleeping on the bed behind him. This was a few minutes before Mordeci knocked on the door, as he had kept his senses heightened for any strange approaches to the area. He knew already this one meant trouble, and so he began working on the runes around her bed. They were etched in purple lines around her, glowing softly evermore as he poured energy into them. Their purpose was to create a shield around her, which happen in time for the knocking. The teleportation part of their job would need time...

There wasn't enough time for them to wait it out. The intruder was already at the door, but from his heightened smell Dan could only sense one person, not the group who had come to the planet. Either way, it was not a Halfling resident come to chat.

Preparing himself on the other side of the door, Dan reached out for it and placed a palm on it's center. After a few seconds of gathering energy, he let out a blast that would send the door flying off it's hinges, hopefully sending the intruder back a good few meters with it. Once the door was out of the way, Dan stepped out with one last glance at Jaya.

"We aren't accepting visitors." He said, raising his hands in preparation for anymore spells.

Mordeci leaped back as the door was blown off its hinges, smiling grimly as Daniel spoke. "Heretics do not get a choice whether or not they accept my stay." he said, drawing his pistols and opening fire on the man, moving backwards to draw him into the open. The lady Almis was pregnant, and unlikely to run, or fight. He fired a few more times, the slag rounds of his first set of chambers depleting. He holstered his handguns, drawing his knives. The rifle was for if he ran.

This man was the very thing that had killed the ones he loved. He would end the demon, here if he ran, on the GNN if he didn't. This was not a fight, this was his own judgement.

"The Reich sends its regards, Daniel Almis."

"Heretics, huh?" Dan's hands flicked forward, releasing small wisps of his own blood that came piercing out of the skin on his hands. These wisps shot out to create an intricate web infront of him, meeting the incoming bullets to protect him. The 'branches' kept growing to match each bullet until his rounds were depleted, at which point the web then retracted. "I've made alot of enemies, but never been called that." 

His hands now reached down to his belt, seeing the man's knives and considering his own weapons. There was a revolver on his right-hand side and a combat knife on his left. With a smirk he unsheathed the knife, holding it backwards and high up as he awaited the hunter's next move.

"The Reich can kiss my arse."

As the man deflected Mordeci's bullets he let out a low growl. "Your kind are no longer welcome in the galaxy, Almis." he said, slowly approaching the man. "You have brought scourge after scourge to the galaxy, and I will see you and your lineage dead for it."

He let out a battle cry as he lunged towards Almis, one knife in a downwards strike, the other in a left-to-right slash towards the man's gut. He wanted to get this over with soon, and he would. His eyes burned with a fire of hatred and evil.

"Can't argue with that." Dan half-shrugged, swaying his knife hand side-to-side as he awaited a movement. Soon enough an attack came, first a downwards strike he managed to dodge to the right, sending him towards the arm that was coming for a slash. His own knife shot down and met the slashing blade, locking the two in place with a struggle.

"Not bad." Dan quipped, quickly sending his spare fist towards Mordeci's stomach in an attempt to wind him and hopefully push him back slightly..

Mordeci grunted. He would not trade words with a man such as this. He did not deserve such a commodity. No, this man deserved his full attention on his attacks.

As Daniel sent his fist towards Mordeci's gut, Mordeci swung down again, hard, towards the man's arm. If he didn't pull it back, Daniel would likely lose an arm. As this happened, Mordeci moved his blade down Daniel's knife, hoping to chop a finger or two.

Dan did pull back, but not quick enough to avoid any injury. A neat slice opened on his arm, whilst a smaller cut graced his finger. With a wince he stepped backwards some more, examining his small yet somehow non-healing wounds. It looked like those countless years and forms were catching up with him...

Realising he could not be cocky or play time, he simply unholstered his pistol, unleashing it's 6 rounds towards Mordeci in even succession. A quick effort to try and end the fight before he sustained anymore injuries.

Mordeci would have pressed his advantage, but the quickly drawn revolver proved to be a threat. He dived to the side, but it wasn't fast enough. No one could truly dodge a bullet, and he expected to be hit. The bullet pierced his shoulder, and he rushed the man. He knew revolvers, and the ones that Daniel had looked familiar. Six rounds in a cylinder. He would be out, and with his knife now sheathed, he would be defenseless.

He rushed him with a battle cry, stabbing at Daniel's thigh with his knife, while sending a kick towards his gut, intending to disable him.[/td]

Hitting the shot filled Dan with some confidence, but only before a knife lodged itself right into his thigh. With a grunt of pain he fell back from the combined force of the stab and the kick, writhing on the floor to try and keep Mordeci off him. From his own wound came tendrils of blood, animated with the purpose of wrapping around and constricting the arms and legs of his opponent.

Already though Dan was losing blood, so whilst his tendrils slithered around to try and constrict Mordeci he had to concentrate immensely hard not to pass out from such extensive use of his magic and blood.

Mordeci sheathed his knives, drawing his revolvers and standing over Almis menacingly. Unfortunately there was no time to gloat, as even on the ground Daniel fought back with blood magic. "You only make things worse for yourself, Almis!" he shouted. He had planned to leave the incapacitated man and go to kill the woman, but it seemed he still had fight left in him.

Mordeci pulled one of him legs from the grasp of the blood magic, using the newly freed leg to kick Daniel in his side.

As the tendrils snapped up at their target, another sharp pain came into Dan's side. A kick that shattered his control over the blood, causing it to drop uselessly onto himself. Now he simply lay there in agony, soaked in his own blood and unable to move most of his body. He had well and truly lost his legendary power, now merely a shell of his former self. All of those times he cheated death had come to this.

Spitting out blood onto the grass by the side of his head, he slumped back fully into a state of unconsciousness.

In her deep sleep Jaya could still feel the impending danger, yet she willed herself not to be stirred by it. So well it was going that she barely noticed the shattering of her shield after the first bullet. Only when the teleportation kicked in did any sense of feeling or vision come to her. Moments later she lay in her royal quarters in Phoenixspire's castle. To her side came a worried Talis, pressing against Jaya's chest.

"She's bleeding," He called to a servant outside. "Quickly, contact Kittiana and Gavin."

"Let them know the baby needs to be delivered now..."

"It is done." The Prince broke the odd silence between him and the many orcs, springing from his throne suddenly. "I can sense their pain. His death will come soon, yet for her we must deliver the final blow." His maddened eyes gazed around at the soldiers around him, a cruel smile creeping along his face.

"Mobilise the army for Phoenixspire. We must strike when she is weakest and ensure the child belongs to us." A single hand ordered the orcs into movement, and with grunts and nods they willingly obeyed. Mages and warlocks began working on portals, whilst the warriors gathered their axes and maces.

"The Almis bloodline ends today..."

Kitty was sitting at a desk in a large study room in her castle, although she had adapted it into a space that looked like Frankenstein's lab and an alchemists laboratory mushed into one. There was a autopsy looking table on an incline, a tall and intimidatingly muscled man was strapped to the table. He had long blonde hair that went to his shoulders and chiseled features, except his eyes were closed and his chest did not move. A golem. Taped, stapled, pinned to the wall were various rituals and spells. Tables with beakers full of mysterious potions and blood and other things floating in jars. A woman in with long dark hair and a cruel smirk with burning violet eyes sat perched on the other side of the desk, looking down at Kitty. "Staring is rude Dakora, although I don't except demons to have the ability to grasp the concept of manners." 

Dakora simply chuckled, leaning back a little and taking the quill from Kitty's hand which caused her to glare at her. Then suddenly Dakora's hand shot out, the sheet discarded beside the Frankenstein table began to glow purple then rise and fall over the unfinished golem. Suddenly Diana came bursting into the room, an alarmed looking Temperance and a pissed off Avalon following suit. "Jaya's been hurt and Dan is missing." Instantly Kitty was up, and Dakora slid from her perch without so much as a flinch in her cruel smirk. 

Kitty ran to a cupboard, getting four bags five bags. She filled each bag with various pre prepared spells, charms, hexes, and enchanted stones. Then Kitty threw a bag to Dakora, Diana, Temperance, and Avalon. Each woman caught them, and Dakora was the only one to not look down at the bag with confusion. Kitty slipped on her glove, then grabbed her angel blade and watched as holy flames licked the metal. Already Dakora was already drawing up a portal, within five minutes the woman had arrived in the Phoenixspire Palace looking prepped for war.

As Jaya was carried to the back of the hall to be treated by healers and Kittiana arrived with her followers for war, the war was fast approaching. Portals of dark magic shot open around the city, unleashing hordes of orc warriors and mages. They did not hesitate to cut down any civilians or guards in their way, laying waste to the roads that led up to the castle. Whilst their purpose was to cause destruction to Phoenixspire, they were all converging on the castle and it's spire quickly.

From one of the middle portals appeared The Prince, grasping a white object in his right hand. For a moment he traced his thumb over it's decoration, narrowing his gaze up at the castle's spire which held the phoenix statue the city was famous for. By the time his orcs reached the main gates of the castle, and the warning bells were ringing, The Prince donned the white skull mask he was holding.

Seh'makou had come for the Almis family.

Kitty followed after Jaya, her grip on the handle of her angel blade tightening as she pushed her own feelings down deep inside herself. She couldnt let them rule her right now, it wouldn't be safe for her to lose control here. "Diana you take the others and go hold off the orcs. Temperance in your bag are stones etched with runes and spells specifically centered around storms. You can use them to draw power from. Dakora hold them off, use illusionary magic to create dead end halls. Make this place a maze. And Avalon," Kitty paused as she wondered what Avalon could do. "Smash." Avalon grinned and nodded then the group turned and ran towards where Diana could smell the orcs.

Diana ran down the halls that were still empty, but Dakora stopped. Dakora's hands lit up with dark violet fire, walking to the walls and beginning to burn symbols into them. "Carry on, I'll create the maze." Dakora continued to burn symbols into the walls and floor, then shuddering as something sprouted from her back. Sharp leathery wings like that of something crossed between a bat and and a dragon. She leaped into the air, flying up to the ceiling so she could create the circle of runes. Then she went to the other end of the hall, repeating the same process before landing beside Diana who still hadn't left yet. "The orcs will run through the hallway and be transported into an illusionary hallway. They will keep running and running but they won't reach the end unless the spell is broken. Should hold up for a bit." 

Then the group continued on, Temperance withdrawing a storm stone from her bag and holding it in her fist as her eyes glowed and the air crackled with electricity. Avalon had since changed into her massive hellhound form, leaving scorch marks behind. "They aren't far from us, I can hear them." Dakora nodded and split off, flying away from the group so she could repeat the same illusion spell in different hallways.

Jaya groaned slightly as she was treated to, the pain in her stomach increasing as the child neared it's time. By her side were Kitty, Talis, and two healers, one of which was channeling holy energy to help calm her. Slowly she was regaining consciousness from the sleep the teleportation runes had put her in, allowing her to grasp at Kitty's hand softly.
"He's here." She said, her eyes widening slightly as if she'd seen something within her slumber.

"I will help the guards hold the main gate." Talis decided, standing from Jaya's side and drawing his enchanted sword. "When Elijah arrives, make sure they take Blightslayer with them." He spoke directly to Kitty, unsure whether she knew what their plan was, but confident she would be able to follow those instructions once the time came.

Without waiting Talis then set off for the front of the castle, rallying any guards he found along the way to fight with him.

The orcish hordes clashed against the frontline of the castle guard, some of the heavier grunts already managing to break through the defense. Now in the large courtyard at the front of the castle, a large skirmish raged on between orcs and guards. A few of the scout-orientated orcs managed to slip through into the castle itself, but quickly found themselves in a maze of corridors. It seemed no one would be able to reach the throne room...

Seh'makou sighed as he passed the commotion, channeling his powers to simply make himself unnoticed by the combat-focused guards. Once he reached the corridors he continued on the correct route, being the only one able to see through the illusions that hindered his army. Soon enough he reached the throne room, albeit alone, but with a large smile on his face as he saw Kitty and Jaya.

"Kittiana Youngblood," He announced loudly with an outstretched arm, his other hand reaching within his cloak. "If you would so kindly open something for me so that I may leave without killing the whole Almis family." As he said so a book appeared in his grasp, extremely familiar to Kittiana. Holding the Dagmaer Grimoire forward with that same smile, he awaited her reply.

Kitty held her daughter's hand tightly, then knelt. Her daughter was the only one she would ever kneel to. She sheathed her sword, now using her other hand to stroke her daughter's hair and smooth it out of her face. "Who my little angel, who's here?"  Kitty turned away before she could get an answer, looking to Talis as he spoke to her. "Yes I'll make sure they take Blightslayer with them but that is all I will do. I won't leave my daughter behind." After Talis left Kitty turned back to her daughter stroking her hair and quietly telling her to breathe. She'd gone through labor before, she knew it was painful and stressful but with the current situation Jaya was bound to be overwhelmed. 

Kitty whipped around when someone said her name, unsheathing her blade in the blink of an eye with holy fire flickering off of it as her glove glowed brightly. Her eyes narrowed at him for a moment, something familiar about him. Then she looked at the mask more intensely. Seh'makou. Just to prove her point he withdrew her family's grimoire, a snarl dripping from her lips. Then She considered her options. Stepping forward she looked at him with hatred and defiance, vengeance worthy of her friend the ghost rider glittering in her eyes. "I'll open the book for you so long as you swear on your soul to never harm any of my family or friends or use it's magic against them." Kitty stuck her hand out, slicing her palm open with the angel blade so magic blood flowed freely from the wound. "Do we have a deal?"

At the first sight of orcs Diana pressed her hands to the floor, ice spreading from her palms and covering the floor and causing them to slip. Then Avalon melted it with her fire and nodded to Temperance. Temperance leaned down, dipping a finger into the water and charging it with enough electricity to kill a herd of elephants. Then they carried on, while Dakora did her work. It took her awhile but once the hallways were all booby trapped, she flew out of the castle. Then she flew and flew until she was above it, looking down upon it. 

Spreading her hands out Dakora closed her eyes as her palms glowed violet. Suddenly the orcs trapped in the illusionary maze began to notice that the walls were closing in. Dakora breathed hard with the effort of manipulating all that, but she held strong as her illusions began to crush the orcs trapped inside. Granted it also destroyed a great deal of the hallways. But how was she to know that Elijah needed a path to get inside?

"Oooh, the great Kittiana is offering me a deal?" Seh'makou laughed, running his fingers over the grimoire as he pondered it. Slowly he walked down the hall, approaching her until finally he stood right infront of her. With his spare hand he reached out, shaking her palm firmly. "Deal."

"Now if you would kindly open the book, baring in mind I get your soul if you don't." He smiled somewhat sincerely, but there was obviously an undertone of threat. There would be little movement on his face or entire form, as he eagerly awaited Kitty to open the book so that he could get on with his plans.