He Who Hunts Monsters

[kingslight]

Who: Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII & Whomever else [OPEN]
What: After finally getting his injured leg healed thanks to Carlisle, the King of Light decides to test his resolve against a few fiends for the sake of training. However, the old man forgets he's no longer as young as he once was twenty years ago.
Where: Near the entrance of the Caves.
When: Evening (Ongoing)
Warnings: Fantasy violence, possible Injury, accidental swearing



It all starts as a flash of fantastic light that shatters the gloomy tranquility of this onimous cave. In just mere seconds, beasts all types came pouring out as a cloaked swordsman stood before the entrance with such a smug grin. Regis had hoped to test out his skills against a more worthy opponent but these beasts will do.

The king quickly summons forth his glaive and makes short work of the first fiend that shambled towards him. Regis might lack the agility and speed of his youth but the King still has his strength. With out breaking a sweat, Regis manages to cleave right through one of the many dog-like fiends. A messy display of blackened blood spills forth as Regis swings his sword through the chest of the next varren. The king keeps up the momentum with relative ease as the hounds circle him menacingly. He cuts them all down with just a few well aimed strikes before having to take a moment to catch his breath.

Regis instantly creates a translucent silver shield around himself to stop the incoming fiends from slashing at his throat. His eyes glow menacingly as he taps into his magic. It still surprises Regis that he can wield such power here in Hadriel. Maybe the Gods felt benevolent to grant him some of his abilities or maybe they're in need of a good show. Either way, Regis is grateful that he can keep the monsters at bay long enough to gain his second wind.

Unfortunately, the towering green Malboro that slithers out of the cave has other plans for the pesky king. The overgrown plant fiend flicks its green vines harshly against the the barrier with enough force to make Regis wince some. The Malboro's unrelenting strikes were enough to stagger Regis momentarily but the shield holds. It seems that the King could use some help here.

Comments

[circumitus]

Malboros. Rather pathetic, once you think about it. But that would be the case when you're someone who can melt a human into ash and metal into liquid.

Plants? They just go up in smoke. There is another flash now; a gust of oxygen when the Malboro erupts into smoldering flames.

It lasts for only a moment, as the creature requires more than just a flash bang of heat to dispatch it.

Well, not without dispatching a certain king as well. And it'd be such a pain to have to deal with the consequences of that.

This is why she usually hunts alone.

Shortly after the flicker of heat and light, a woman emerges from the opposite end of the cave, having already been within its cavernous tunnels. She doesn't even appear to be as well equipped as Regis when he came in, carrying nothing more than a long, curved knife at her hip, of which she hasn't even drawn.

The plant-thing momentarily stunned, the charred black surface of the Malboro begins fading back to its original green hue.

From the other side of it, Rey glances over to Regis.

"Unless you got a match, you're going to have a bit more trouble with this asshole."

[kingslight]

That sudden flicker of heat distracts the Malboro long enough to give Regis his chance to escape. He manages to push the charred vines back and quickly put some distance between him and the overgrown plant. Regis peers through the darkness briefly and quickly spots the woman behind the massive plant. That's odd, why didn't he notice her before? There wasn't a single soul here earlier within this dark and desolate cave, nothing besides the fiends.

"But of course." Regis grumbles as he summons what seems to be a sphere crafted out of flames within his hands. "Malboros are notoriously fiendish in my world. I'm not too surprised that the Gods thought to invite such vermin here." The ball of fire grows twice its size before Regis suddenly chucks it at the monstrous plant fiend with an excellent throw. The Malboro dumbly tries to swallow the fireball and in its error explodes into a dozen of so puffy chunks of green ooze. Thankfully, Regis creates another shield to protect himself from the venomous aftermath.

"Twenty years later and I still detests such fiends."

[circumitus]

Before the creature even has the option to turn towards its new quarry, the flash of light has its attention back on its original target. Not long after, it makes its one, fatal mistake.

Rey retreats a step, avoiding most of the slippery mess as the plant thing bursts. She wipes some off her face, but for the most part appears entirely nonplussed by the display. After all, she's seen plenty of magic by now to know it when she sees.

"Well, at least it wasn't a deathclaw this time." She'd much rather deal with something she can punch with a fiery fist than a walking tank.

Come to think of it, she hasn't seen one of those lizard bastards around for a while.

She makes a face down at the thickest pile on the ground between them. Though it is undeniably dead, she nudges a piece with the toe of her boot. "So these big bundles of fun and fuckery came wherever you're from?"

Judging by the way he talks alone, it's obvious to Rey that Regis does not come from a time or place like her own.

[kingslight]

The thick ash nearly causes Regis to cough as he waves the black smoke away. It seems that this ugly beast finally met the end of its lengthy life. While the King feels oddly proud for dispatching such a monster, he cannot help but fret about the possibility of there being more Malboros lurking about in this godforsaken cave. Just the thought alone wins a mighty scowl from the cloaked king as he steps over the charred remains with care. He doesn't want any gunk on his boots.

"Native they are to swamps unknown. Malboros are fiends who take to places dense in shrubbery and water." Regis explains as he approaches the woman. He gives her a slight nod out of politeness before continuing with his explanation. "They're known for their rancid breath and their spiny teeth are laced with a deadly toxin. However, a malboro's vine is known to be quite delicious in a stew once the toxins are drained." He may or may not be speaking from experience here.

"Still I much rather not tangle with such foes as I test the restraints of my magic here."

Regis gives the woman a brief once over in silence. She's unfamiliar to him but she doesn't look hostile. However, why is such a person wandering within these caverns alone? The king arches his brow some as if expecting her to answer his unasked question.

[fracturedbeauty]

How ironic that Yukari was on his way here for much of the same thing: Training.

With his eye restored, and things going relatively well between Curufin and himself, he'd like to get a little practice in before he challenges anyone to a duel. So, of course he goes where the lesser of the monsters are (he'll avoid the Silent Hill Zone when he's on his own, thank you very much), and heads to the depths of the caves.

Only... he finds someone has rather beat him to it here. He seems to be making effective work of most of the monsters and Yukari just curiously watches with his arms folded. Before long, though, the King's barrier goes up and he's working to compose himself to continue fighting. And when Regis winces from the force of his barrier being hit by the Malboro, he can't help but give an amused smirk. How interesting.

He finally decides to make himself known and steps up toward the King.

"Well, I suppose I could repay you for that little favour of rescuing me twice now, can't I?" His voice sounds nothing short of amused as he pulls the sword out of the sheath on his back, giving it several flambouyant twirls as he steps around the King's shield to the Marlboro. "Although, with your level of skill, I must say I'm rather disappointed. Is there a limit on your magic, Majestic-chan?"

He charges his sword with a massive amount of Green Electricity and charges at the Malboro. Although, his rendition of this fight seems to be more playing with the beast, rather than trying to make quick work of it. He gracefully dodges the monster's every move and strikes off another small body piece of it in his flurry of a sword dance.

[kingslight]

The translucency of Regis' shield starts to shift from its usual silver appearance to more of rosier hue as the Malboro keeps clashing against it. It should be apparent that despite Regis' magical strength, there's limits to his amazing powers. His magical energy or mana is directly linked with himself. The more the Malboro attempts to break the barrier, the harder it becomes for Regis to uphold it. To be frank, every hard strike seems to cause the King terrible agony. It's enough to make his teeth gnash together in discomfort. He's really in agony right about now judging from how red the barrier has become. This Malboro is having a field day trying to rip it apart much to Regis' discomfort.

A familiar electrical energy pools around Regis' right hand as he upholds the paling with his left. He was just seconds away from zapping the enormous plant fiend with a bolt of lightning until a certain someone walks onto the scene. "You again?!" An annoyed huff escapes Regis once Yukari uses that offensive nickname again. "I thought you had learned about jeopardizing yourself so haphazardly by now." The old king scolds much like like father would.

"The secrecy of my magic is for me and me alone to know." Despite clearly in need of aid, Regis is quite an saucy old man. Something about Yukari's playfulness rubs him the wrong way. He doesn't trust this willowy jester, not at all. The King uses Yukari's interference as a welcome distraction to charge his magic well enough to rain purple streaks of lightning onto the Malboro. Regis does his best to avoid striking Yukari dead.

[fracturedbeauty]

"Me again, indeed, your Majesty." Although he finally uses a respectful title for Regis, it has no connotation of respect behind it. He chuckles at that annoyed tone in Regis' huff. "It's rather hard to get rid of me. You should just enjoy the ride. This endeavour is hardly jeopardizing."

As he slashes off piece after piece, continuing his playful show and onslaught of the Malboro before him, he finds himself swiftly cartwheeling backward to avoid a rather dangerous-looking Purple Lightning Streak. His good-humoured smile doesn't fade and he twirls his landing, observing the frying of the monster before him. Yukari's icy chuckle is accompanied by a light round of applause.

"Bravo. And here I thought you were behind that shield because you needed to regain your strength. It seems you were quite capable on your own." He's being subtly sarcastic, trying to see how much he can slip past Regis' radar. Regis was obviously in dire need of assistance. But Yukari is also certain that Regis wasn't aware for how long he was there. As far as the King is concerned, Yukari probably just happened by when he stepped into the fray.

As he continues to observe the Lightning Spell, Yukari believes he finally has a good feel for where the strikes will land, and charges the monster, dancing easily out of the way of future bolts while he slashes in deeply with his sword. And as a bolt comes straight for him, he uses his Colourless Shield to defend against it, deflecting it away from him. It had been awhile since he felt so passionately about his skills. It's been a wonderful thing to experience this again.

[kingslight]

A frustrated grumble escapes Regis as he watches this flippant swordsman dance circles around the Malboro like some sort of dancing fool. An elegant and strangely precise jester who's far too good with a blade. While Regis is moderately impressed with Yukari's display of skill, he hesitates to compliment the youth. The other is just dripping with sarcasm and egotism both of which Regis cannot help but scorn mentally. Though make no mistake, Regis did acknowledge that Yukari somehow managed to block his spells by summoning that strange power again.

The King narrows his eyes somewhat. "I can do without your commentary." Regis quickly replies as he idly checks to make certain the Malboro is dead. His hands shake ever so slightly not from fear but from the force of the mana charge he exude earlier. Killing such a massive beast with bolts of lightning required a bit of effort on Regis' part since Malboro are typically weak to fire. Regis has a habit of relying to lightning first before casting fire and that's because of his affinity for it. After all, the Fulgarian was always his favorite.

"Why is it that you've come?" Regis asks suddenly as he glances at the youth. It seems that the awful eye patch is gone. That's mildly good to see. Maybe the Gods felt like being charitable. "I assume you have business with the fiends here." He realizes that he might not be the only one attempting to hone their skill.

[godofrain]

Technically, Nagato shouldn't be here. He was supposed to play the role of the poor crippled man, who certainly didn't know how to fight. He was better off with people underestimating him, ignoring him while he kept his eyes and ears wide open. It wasn't that far from the truth either, since his arrival to Hadriel had robbed him of some of his favourite abilities. The King of Hell no longer answered his call: as for the rest of his summons, they were massively depowered, and barely more than regular animals now.

But he could steal rob lifeforce from anything leaving, and the monsters were prime targets for this ability.

So Nagato had wandered near the entrances of the tunnels, looking for an easy prey. Instead he found a massive plant... Thing? The ninja had never seen anything of the sort but there was more urgent matter: was that a man?!

Damn. He had few supplies, but Nagato couldn't just leave someone to die here: the redhead lost no time to wrap an explosive tag around one of his knives and sent it flying toward the monster. It stabbed the weird... flesh? and then exploded, sending the Malboro flying back a few feet.

"This way!" He called to the other man, readying another of his explosive tags. "It's getting up again!"

[kingslight]

Regis is in the middle of a casting a secondary spell when suddenly a powerful explosion rocks the foundation of this cave. The Malboro is sent flying and Regis ends up stumbling backwards against the rocky pillars. A pained gasp escapes the king as he struggles to get the slight ringing out of his ears. That sudden explosion too close for comfort but serves as the perfect distraction.

"Ah?" Regis glances up once spots someone signalling him in the distance. His ears were still ringing leaving him slightly deafen but Regis could make out the words nonetheless. The Malboro menace is about to rise again judging by how its massive vines were quivering. Regis is on his feet within seconds and his magical glaive reappears within his hands after a flurry of blue ash. He winces a little once he feels the slight ache in his arms. Maybe attempting to train here on his lonesome wasn't a very smart idea. Noct is going to be quite livid with him. He could almost hear his son grumbling already.

"We must away to higher ground!" The cloaked king yells as he makes his way towards the ninja. "This fiend has gone frenzy!" Quite the understatement since the Malboro is just howling for blood now. It's mad, very mad.

[godofrain]

Wonderful. Usually, a single explosive tag was more than enough to take out the wildlife, at least back home it was. But now Nagato was locked in combat with a creature that could take one and be frenzied about it. The ninja couldn't say he was thrilled.

At least, whoever that was who had been locked in combat with it looked competent and kept his cool even as the... creature came charging at them. Nagato dropped the bit of copper pipe he used as a makeshift cane a pumped some chakra to his legs so he could move.

"You seem familiar with those...'fiend'." The ninja noted as Regis came closer, reaching to help the king climb the low wall the ninja himself was standing on. "Do you know if they have any weakness? Or..."

Nagato eyed the Malboro as it began to slither closer, wide open mouth belching some sort of green fog the redhead was definitely going anywhere close too.

"... If they are softer inside than they are outside?"

[kingslight]

It only took a small hop and the ninja's aid for Regis to climb onto the wall. His dislike for plant-like fiends is apparent judging from the look of sheer distaste upon his face. The overgrown weed is belching a foul odor that is threatening the choke the unfortunate pair if they don't try to escape. If Malboros weren't so overall gross and disgusting, Regis would've easily dispatched the foe.

"I'm far more familiar with these disgusting fiends than I like to admit." The old man admits with a disgruntle sigh. He hates Malborors, utterly hates them. "Their only value in life is in death. These horrid beasts should be put down as soon as they're hatched. Fire works well to dispatch such vermin but they have a rather thick hide." Regis explains while summoning forth what seems to be a ball of fire within his hands. The old king is something of a mage and magic is definitely the key to defeating these foes.

"If we can get it to swallow flame, it will burn from the inside out!"

[elegant_and_proud]

Ikaruga is a regular visitor to the tunnels. If she's feeling sociable, she might invite someone who she knows is capable of holding their own to join her here, but generally she goes alone. Too fast for the human eye to even perceive, her speed has been called peerless in her homeworld. Here, she wonders if that still holds true. Combined with the ability to cut anything (save for whatever the gods are using to force them to stay here), the monsters aren't a great threat to her so long as she stays alert.

In the dim lighting of the caves, she enjoys that test of her senses and reaction time. It's excellent exercise. The monsters are numerous enough and this is their territory. Even if they aren't as much of a threat to her as they are to some, they're still a way to keep her skills sharp.

There's magic nearby, which means someone else is here and she shouldn't cut loose the way she otherwise might. Given how few people have abilities that are magical here, she's curious if it's someone she knows. She doesn't have to wait long for her answer. Moving in a quick flash, she spots the Malboro beating against Regis' magical barrier.

A few glints of light reflecting off of a blade flash within a split second, and the Malboro is in pieces. Ikaruga's already sheathing her sword before the pieces of creature hit the floor.

"Regis. You are unharmed?" He doesn't seem to be from what she can tell.

[kingslight]

It all happened so quickly! One moment there's a massive ten foot tall plant-like fiend trying to devour poor Regis an the next, it's dead. Worse than just dead considering how brutally the beast is killed by the simple strikes of a well-trained swordswoman. Regis stares at the remains of the Malboro in complete shock before turning his gaze towards the individual who rescued him. A faint smile tugs at Regis' lips once he sees Ikaruga. He honestly didn't expect to find a friend here within these monster infested caverns.

"I'm well enough." He says with a sheepish chuckle. The poor man feels somewhat esmaculated here but the embarrassment promises to wear off eventually. Regis never seen Ikaruga in combat before and he's feeling quite humble. "I do believe I owe you one. I doubt I could've dispatched the fiend so swiftly." Regis admits humbly. The king is starting to become aware of his limits now.

He's no longer as powerful as he once was, especially without the Ring of Lucii to aid him and the divine protection of his ancestors. Regis flexes his right hand a little to test their strength but realizes they're shaking. Is it fear that causes them to quake? Hopefully not. The poor king can't help but frown. Maybe it's too soon for him to be testing his limits here. He should be resting not running around playing monster hunter. Regis has no excuse for this folly.

[elegant_and_proud]

"My magic allows me to move at superhuman speeds and cut through anything save for the barrier the gods are using to keep us in here," Ikaruga explains. She's not one to coddle too much, but it's her own way of reassuring Regis that there's no shame in not being as quick at killing monsters as she is. Her magic's just optimal for this sort of thing.

"You would have done the same for me if I was in danger." It's not a dismissal of him owing her a favour so much as she's not going to hold it over him. Regis is an honourable and kind man. She's already seen his willingness to put himself in harm's way for people he barely knows. Still, quid pro quo is something she understands quite well, and she has her own sense of honour, albeit a far more pragmatic one than Regis does. Hers is based in professionalism rather than altruism.

"Walk with me? I would appreciate the company."

[kingslight]

A faint smile settles upon Regis' lips once he hears the invite. He already knows she doesn't need the company but he agrees to escort her nonetheless. Ikaruga is a woman of impressive skill much like his own but she's much stronger than him currently. Regis may have been quite powerful in his youth but those days are long gone. His magic is still quite impressive but his swordsmanship skills are somewhat lacking. Maybe he should convince Gladiolus to help him train in private. He doesn't want to show his blunders to his son and the others. That would be far too embarrassing to endure.

"It would be an honor to stand by your side." Regis answers with such a grateful smile. He doesn't doubt that Ikaruga can handle the fiends within this dark and desolate cavern but it's always better to have a partner.

"How long shall you linger in places dark and deep, Ikaruga? Caves are no place for a lady."

[chantes]

It was soon that the Door would open again and bring through new guests and monsters. Leliana had been to the caves before, to see how restless the monsters were they received new additions. Seeing what lurked, beating anything back, and finding out if anything had changed always helped.

Like the light now. It was something that Leliana hadn't seen before, not here and not quite how this moved. She'd already been on her way over, hurrying her steps now, and getting there in time to send an arrow to the Malboro before it can stagger Regis further.

With the first arrow launched she quickly readies another, pausing only to ask if he is alright before she also lets it loose at the plant.

[kingslight]

Regis was in the middle of shielding himself from the Malboro's enormous tentacles using his magic, when an arrow suddenly zips past and makes it's mark within the plant-like fiend's many eyes. The creature let's out a defeaning screech as it starts flailing about in frenzy. Several more arrows make their mark upon the beast giving this old mage a momentary reprieve from the monster's assault. Regis puts some much needed distance between himself and the screeching Malboro.

It took him a moment to notice the archer but once he sees her, Regis couldn't help but sing her praises. "My gratitude, dear savior, but the beast has you in its sights!" Regis yells over the commotion once the fiend starts slithering its way towards the brave archer. The king acts with haste to protect the woman by crafting another barrier but this time around her. Within mere seconds an odd translucent silver light cascades around the archer like water and literally shields her from the Malboro's might. Each powerful strike causes the shield to briefly glow red but it manages to hold up against the monster's attacks rather well.

Unfortunately, Regis' magic starts to strain once the Malboro starts pressing his full weight against the paling. A trickle of blood flows down from his nose as he forces himself to keep the barrier up. While the creature couldn't harm the archer from the outside, the woman might notice she could still fire her arrows at the beast. Pretty convenient, no? Hopefully the nimble archer will use this to her advantage. Regis' strength is fading fast.

[chantes]

Leliana's focus is taken by the barrier for the moment, watching as it surrounds her before she looks back to the man, a nod of thanks sent his way. She's quick to pluck out another arrow, letting only those few seconds distract from her efforts of aid, though he's right -- the beast is now on her.

She doesn't worry though, confident that between the two of them they can take it down. Her arrows fly, though the beast moves closer still, and the sight of the man isn't an inspiring one.

With the Malboro's full strength hitting the barrier, too close for her arrows now, Leliana drops her bow to one hand, pulling out one of her daggers to move in to attack, making a swift strike into it.

cracks knuckles

[daemonized]

What a terrible ruckus the old King was creating, muses Ardyn to himself. It's late in the evening now (or so it would appear -- the darkness seems forever prevalent in places like these, making it difficult to judge the passage of time) and Ardyn had been exploring the caves at his whim, undeterred by the various creatures lurking in the depths. They didn't prove difficult for him, after all, some barely registering as more than an annoyance.

But it's awfully difficult to miss the flash of light, and the sound of a blade tearing through the flesh of monsters, a telltale noise of wet muscle and tendons and bone rending in two. For a moment, Ardyn contemplates making life even more difficult for Regis, but he manages to hold steadfast to his own sense of restraint. (For now.) Besides, things are getting interesting.

For that is certainly a malboro slithering out of the dark, lashing out with its vines against Regis' silver shield. He wonders how long the man can hold it -- how long before the malboro tears through the King's magic and subsequently, the man himself.

"Difficulties, Your Majesty? How long until your magic begins to wane?" he calls out from where he stands at a relatively safe distance, but close enough to comfortably cajole. Hi, Regis.

/squints at

[kingslight]

The Malboro is determined to eat this flashy magic wielding king but Regis is twice as determined not to become its bedtime snack. Despite the telltale sign of a migraine in the making due to his over-channeling of his mana, Regis summons a powerful flurry of flames around him that quickly ignite upon the Malboro's massive vines. The creature howls out in agony once its lit ablaze.

A loud gasp for air escapes Regis as he almost collpase to his knees. He almost didn't hear the chancellor's mocking tone thanks the Malboro's beastly roar. His pale green eyes widen with surprise once he sees Ardyn standing there within the darkness looking so woefully smug. An indignant scoff escapes the King of Light as he forces himself to stand upright. A thin trickle of blood fell from his nose but Regis is quick to conceal it.

"Not at all, Chancellor." Regis grumbles bitterly as he glares at the man hatefully with such unspoken spite. "The limits of my magic is no concern of yours." There's a hidden threat within his words that goes unsaid but Ardyn should be able to hear it well.

The towering orange flames that smothers the Malboro start to wane ever so slowly as the beast uses its poisonous breath upon it like a makeshift smog. Regis quickly turns his attention from Ardyn and back towards the charred fiend that approaches. The king's eyes start to glow once more as he weaves another spell upon his fingertips. A peculiar chill claims the cavern as several jagged pillars of ice forms out of thin air. The icicles pierce into the Malboro's flesh like dozen of sharp needle like daggers. Greenish black blood coats the rocky cavern floor once the beast's front vines are severed.

"Let this show as proof!" Regis shouts with such confidence.

smiles innocently

[daemonized]

“On the contrary, it’s quite the concern of mine,” he retorts, which perhaps could be perceived as a threat of its own. But the way Ardyn says each word, so casually, so unaffected, makes it difficult to know. Even so, the man is no fool — Regis may put up a courageous act, but after such a display of fire and then ice, Ardyn has no doubt that he has to be concealing a tired sort of weakness.

He feels the chill blast through the cavern after the ice spell is cast, playing at the edges of his coat. The cold itself is intense even in this secondhand form, but Ardyn barely seems to react to it. He only pelts Regis with more backseat commentary, clearly amused at this entire display.

“After all, you’ve severed its vines, but it still writhes. One can only hope you last long enough for it to not scoop you up in its massive maw,” he continues, and chuckles lightly. “As far as deaths go, that would be even more humiliating than the one you suffered in Insomnia.”

Can Ardyn speak even five lines without throwing in something meant to sting? It seems not.

“Don’t be so prideful as to not ask for assistance if you need it, dear king.” What a laughable notion, clearly meant to get under Regis’ skin.

[liveasmyself]

This isn't the strangest place Ray's found herself in lately. So far she's been treating this town like Greenwood: a place to solve so that she can move on. And maybe eventually get home.

Exploring the buildings hasn't yet turned up much but a can of what looks like food. She moves on to the outskirts and is tiptoeing her way towards the caves when she sees and hears all the commotion.

At first, she merely watches, stunned that someone's actually taking on these creatures--and doing a relatively good job of it, too. For a time, at least.

She gasps when she sees the monster strike at the shield. "Watch out!"

She has no offerings here, but she does have the can; she'll have to try, because she sure can't fight something like that. With all her strength, she winds up and throws the can so that it lands in front of the Malboro. Will that placate it?

[kingslight]

The girl's yell catches Regis momentarily offguard but wins the attention of the Malboro Menace. For a brief moment, the plant-like fiend stills and stares at the tin can that landed before it. Obviously a tad baffled by this method of attack, the Malboro eyes the can for a moment before suddenly scooping it up within its vines and eating it. Yes, it ate the can. There's goes your offering can, Rey. The plant just devours it in one scoop and gnaws on it like a petulant child.

Meanwhile, Regis uses this momentary reprieve to carefully slink away from the fiend. He quickly lunges for the girl who just possibly saved his life with a mere can. "Come!" He shouts as he grabs the teenager by her arm. "We must away while it's distracted." The king isn't going to ask how or why the Malboro is so distracted with that simple can. No, he's going to use this moment to escape with the child in tow.

[liveasmyself]

That's not quite how she imagined it would go, but it works. She doesn't need much encouragement, and Ray nods hastily as she runs beside him.

"What is that?"

Nothing like that appeared in Greenwood, and she's found no leaflets describing this new lingered. Then again, she didn't find anything about those strange snakes either; maybe whatever power was helping her along has forsaken her.

She wouldn't be surprised--but focus on the present. They have to get out of this.