Alan was away on holiday this week so Charity was in NPC mode. Since she was in Dierdre's Tower and away from this weeks primary action I can deal with the goins on there when she returns next week.
Charity finishes first aiding Alfred and Allagahn. Allagahn bashes the rents in his armour "closed" to allow it to heal quicker. He then returns to the Unicorn Grove to join Sorcha and Cordelia. he takes the book of Selheim with him and gives it to Cordelia.
Sorcha finishes healing herself then begins rehearsing the initial steps of the ritual, although at this time the markings on the stones delimiting the grove are not apparent, which makes it a little difficult.
Ignoring her own wounds Cordelia stands watch waiting for Allagahn's return. When he does she takes the book then scouts the vicinity to determine if there are any more surprises waiting for then. Just as the 13H ends she runs across a group of 6 demons she previously encountered inside castle Amber. She manages to dispatch 2 before they re-animate, but is forced to fight the remaining 4. She gains a few more scratches on her armour and a couple of bruises before dispatching them. She returns to the clearing to find that Alfred has returned, although he's barely able to do much more than stagger about.
Alfred moans about Cordelia having the book and wandering off. Cordelia complain's about his inability to remain vertical in a fight but hands him the book so he can coach Sorcha through the ritual.
Cordelia and Allagahn back off a little way to keep watch. Alfred settles himself against a burnt out stump as Sorcha begins the ritual.
It takes Sorcha nearly half an hour to activate all the stones completing the first part of the ritual. She moves to the alter and commences the first reading of the second part of the ritual.
As the hairs on the back of Allagahn's neck start to prickle he scans the skys. Off in the distance, he spies a number of winged shapes, obviously heading in their direction. He flies out to meet them.
Five of them break off and fly to meet him. He choses a fast fly by and kills one. If he continues this he'll never reach the others before they reach Cordelia. He flys into the four killing one and taking a number of scratches, but is now able to fly after the others.
Rather than a fly past he charges into the back of the second group killing one and slamming into a second, disrupting the group's formation. Knocked flying by Allagahn's charge the demon forces Cordelia to dive sideways, but not before she slashes through its wing resulting in a fatal impact with the shield now in place around the grove.
Her dive however leaves her facing three of them whilst Allagahn faces off the other two. Cordelia starts to back up fighting defensively whilst Allagahn wades into the other two. He aquires a few more scratches on his armour.
With the other three approaching, Cordelia decides she can't afford to wait and attacks, killing one of her three but taking another wound in the process. She turns the remaing two so they now have their backs to Allagahn who's killed his remaining adversary.
The approaching demons yell a warning as Allagahn flies in but it serves only as a distraction and the two facing Cordelia expire in a flurry of sword blows. Realising they're outgunned the three remaining demons change tack. One turns and heads back the way they've come whilst the other two cover its retreat.
Realizing he can't allow them to escape Allagahn reprises he bowling ball move and charges after the retreating demon. Cordelia steps in and kills the disorientated pair, whilst Allagahn catches and kills the third.
After a brief conference Allagahn flies off to scout for any more demons. Despite the discomfort of her wounds, and her desire to heal them Cordelia remains on watch. Sorcha, now bound to the alter which has moved to the center of the grove and grown to 5 times its original size continues with the ritual.
Spotting a body of troops on the road from the castle Allagahn flies in to investigate. This has the desire effect and forces them to deply to meet the threat of an attack. Several minutes pass before they realise he's just bluffing and start to move again.
In the distance, black storm clouds begin to gather and rapidly thicken above the Unicorn Grove. With the level of arcing increasing Alfred and Cordelia are forced to back away leaving Sorcha on her own.
With the troops on the move Allagahn circles in and lands between the demons and the way back to Amber. They deply to meet the more overt threat. Lightening flashes in the distance and thunder rolls about the hills. The demons begin to fidget. Allagahn draws his sword and steps forward.
From the distance comes and intense flash followed by a huge sonic boom. Seconds later a shockwave sends the demons and Allagahn flying.
It takes him a minute or two to recover and finds his armour has shutdown.
Doggedly he makes his way back to the grove.
It takes him over an hour to get there. The alter has returned to its original position and size. Sorcha is either dead or unconscious upon it. Bound to her by a golden thread stands the unicorn. Passing what appears to be the unconscious form of Cordelia Allagahn approaches cautiously. The unicorn stands there apparently ignoring him.
After a while he picks up courage and speaks to it. It chooses not to be helpful. Tiring of its answers, Allagahn first checks Sorcha, then goes in search of Alfred and Cordelia. All are alive, although he is forced to extract Alfred from the midst of a burnt stump. All are also unconscious.
Time passes. Allagahn once again tries to talk to the Unicorn, principly about gaining its help to leave here. The conversation is interupted by the Unicorn's announcement of the imminent arrival of a band of troops which emerge from the Black Road about 500yds away.
Allagahn's initial panic is not helped by the unicorn's reluctance to do anything to help. It is not helped either by the lead demon's decision to psychologiacally torment him before revealing that he is there to move them away from here to somewhere safer. With no real chance of offering any resistance Allagahn is forced to comply and the demons do indeed remove them to a place further down the Black Road.
Whilst the demons stand guard Allagahn goes in search of transport. He returns a couple of hours later with a cart and driver. When he sees the Unicorn he offers to put them up at his residence.
Sorcha recovers consciousness about half an hour before the 13H, and is able to use her Logrus powers to contact her mother.
Messages are exchanged.
After the 13H Sorcha goes in search of a bath whilst Allagahn keeps watch on the Unicorn. Alfred and Cordelia are still unconscious. Night falls before Cordelia recovers and dawn arrives before Alfred stirs. Allagahn spends his time talking to the unicorn about Pattern.
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