The East Woods

[Katie Rose Rare]

Katie wasn’t going to let the last round go. She was eager to defend their last few rounds of flag. Hopefully more of the blue team will come and help her. She watched as closely if any red team followed, and picked up the trail where the location of the blue flag was at. She already brought enough weapons the blue team helped crafted and she was sure that this time they were not short handed. The team had the flag casted under protection spell like the last rounds so it would deflect any kind of spells casted on it. Yeap, and this time, she built a tiny fort near the flag so that they could prepare supplies for defense. She hid there right now watching if any of the red team arrived. 

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

Azrael did not have the extreme speeds of one of the Hermes cabins or the magics of the Hecate campers but he had to work out the best way of balancing the game and to scout out the way the blue team were setting up defenses before he brought the younger campers of the red team to action. He had not seen Lilythe on the field though she had said she was participating and more worryingly he had not seen sign of trace of Shadow, an ominous portent for when the sun started to dip. If the red side did not have a lead before then the illusions, the mind games and the outright dangerous bolts of magic would definitely tilt the game in their favor.

The true strength of the children of nemesis were the way they were grounded, it was hard to be high and mighty when you were filled with Wrath and the need to answer any slight. But most of all it made them mundanely push themselves to be good at tasks and four years within New Rome had sharpened his combat training rather than dulled it at all. Senātus Populusque Rōmānus he though as he chose a good vantage point and began a fast, methodical and skilled sprint towards the flag, analysising each element of their defense for when he would later be on bodyguard duties, planning to grab and barrel through any who decided to step into his path and escape with the flag.

[The Chronicler]

 

Azrael was able to grab the flag and make a break for the Red Team's base. It was a long and arduous journey, with Katie hot on his heels. But eventually she was able to take it back to the Red Team's base, claiming 1 point for her team. 

Red has successfully captured the Blue Team's flag, Blue Team your flag will be placed in a new location (check your PMs). 

[The Chronicler]

The Blue team was given a new directive after their flag was captured, they were to head back to the eastern part of the woods and set their flag upon it once more. The team trekked into the forest, and managed to set their flag. Hopefully it would be protected well enough to prevent the red team from finding it. 

 

[Shadow Moore]

It's okay.

The blue team has a lead thanks to the key member's efforts so he wanted to join in on the battle effort. Rounding up some of his half-siblings and other campers that made the decision to join him, he approached the blue flag and had two campers guard the flag from ten yards away while the magicians placed spells around the proximity. All of them he made sure are non-lethal and that the incantations are correct because one mispronunciation and everything could go wrong. Observing as some of them recited the spell, the trap was to set an alarm to alert the guards if anyone stepped within a couple feet near the flag along with a flash bang that could temporarily blind them. With this in place, the noise would alert anyone nearby whether friend or foe and perhaps a small battle would occur. Still, it would be nice if one of his half-siblings knows umbrakinesis. Where's one when you need it when they could only rely on their small-scale magic?

[Katie Rose Rare]

Katie wasn’t going to let the red team get the final victory any sooner today. She had assembled enough crafted weapons and some specially created dungbombs for the red team attackers. Inside was all the magic the Hecates filled with so she hoped they would be a good backup for them. She followed the other of the blue team, as some of them cast incantations to the blue flag area and some guarding the area several distance away. She remained close to the flag , back and forth actually to be both defender and attacker since had gotten used to the game. She wanted to be front line if they had the chance to capture the red flag, she would put in her best effort as an Athena child. 

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

James wanted to win this game as they had a good group this time! Watching the area around him, he began to scout to find the location of the next blue flag. When he stopped close to it in the east woods. Smiling he put his hands together to make a bird noise to let the others know that he had found it. Now it was time to try and get past Shadow and Katie. A smirk on his face as he began to get closer as he snuck up. Hoping his luck would get him close enough to take the flag. 

[The Chronicler]

James was able to grab the flag and make a break for the Red Team's base. It was a long and arduous journey, with Katie hot on his heels. But eventually she was able to take it back to the Red Team's base, claiming 1 point for her team. 

Red has successfully captured the Blue Team's flag, Blue Team your flag will be placed in a new location (check your PMs). 

[The Chronicler]

After having their flag captured once more, the Red team was given a new directive, they were to head back to the North Woods and set their flag within  it. The team trekked into the forest, and managed to set their flag. Hopefully it would be protected well enough to prevent the blue team from finding it once more. 

 

[Shadow Moore]

Shadow moved from the rest of the team to make an attempt to grab the red team's flag on his own. In the least, he wanted to see how he can fare by himself after going away from camp after a couple of months. That time period was not long but he felt like he was out of shape after staying at his father's home. The older child of Hecate sprinted through the forest with footsteps which made no sound due to the spell he had casted beforehand. Tracking was his specialty - particularly because of a special someone - which is how he came to specialize in skill set that requires stealth. Smirking as he got past one of the guards that stood ten yards away, he trudged on to approach the seemingly unguarded flag. He glanced around, jazz hands craving to grab the pole. And before he knew it, he was going for the attempt to capture it. 

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

Azrael stood not ten feet from the flag, he had place himself just downwind of the position using his mundane skills to prepare himself for any incoming blue team members. Seeming how one of the Athena campers had almost got mauled by one of cabin hephestus' creation. He would have to be cautious none of them actually took a solid injury. 

Whether it was from scent or sound though,  Azrael looked up at a movement in the undergrowth. It took all of his a active thoughts to overcome years of reflexes and training, not to dash out with blades and roll into combat. This was just a game with the kids to teach them basic life skills. "Halt, who goes there. Friend or foe"

[Shadow Moore]

Hold on. Is that... the Azrael Blackburn? Shadow wanted to reconcile with him but meeting him during these circumstances... He grew hesitant and pursed his lips. And he was so close to scoring a point for his team. The bushes near the Nemesis child began to rustle, bringing his attention to the shrubs when his somewhat tall figure appeared from behind it. His foot steps could be heard now since the spell had worn off - he figured he did not need to maintain it after he grabbed the flag but the 'grabbing' part never happened. Staying in a rather cautious stance, he set a wary gaze to the man who once pushed him off a cliff in a past Capture the Flag game.

"Depends." He answered his question, then interrupting the silence the area that surrounded the red flag. "If we're talking this game, then foe." Shadow stretched out his fingers, waiting to cast a spell in case he tries anything funny.

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

All pretence of games and clever wordplay left him as he heard that voice cut through the clearing. He had not seen any of the children of Hecate enter the field and now that the midday sun had started to lose its glare he worried about how long play would continue for and when the dark fell.

He had his blades ready, settling a trained combat stance and assessing his rival. He looked for blades, weapons preparations, actually hoping for blades as that would mean he would more likely be playing the game over otherworldly blasts. He was fortunate this time it was not on a windy rocky precipice of Zeus' fist.

He started to look around for others, Shadow has always had a flair for the dramatic, for the audience and if there were other campers then they should show a good face. Azrael started to slowly circle , aiming to interpose himself in defence of the flag, all the while not taking his eyes away.

"I don't see us talking on any other terms" he said coldly.. cautious for any magical trickery or danger.

[Emberlynn Knight Rare]

RPC - Spy on the enemy team

Emberlynn crept behind the bushes in the East Woods. The helmet that TJ had been doing it's job - stopping the enemy combatants from spotting her a mile away. Still, she was not the most stealthy of children. Her strategy so far has been to rush to the enemy camp as quickly as possible and make a play for the flag before too many people gathered to defend it. And so far it had been working. The little girl beamed with pride as she realized she had nabbed three of the red flags so far. Not too shabby for a total rookie. The only one she knew of to match that score so far was... Speak of the devil.

No sooner had she spotted her prize than she saw the telltale glint of a now-familiar sword. Well, if it was Azreal on his own, at least she had a chance. It would be difficult as ever, but her odds against him seemed to go up with each meeting. But before she could break through the foliage and get off a clever quip, another voice came from the clearing. Another enemy? No... This one appeared to be on her side. Normally that would've emboldened her to charge forward, but something was off. The voice Azreal responded with was cold and suspicious... Nothing like her interactions with him. Curious, she remained hidden and peeked through the bushes to observe.

 

[Shadow Moore]

"Funny for someone who pushed me off a cliff. Sounds like you prefer to speak with your actions. A firm believer of that phrase." Shadow retorted with narrow slits for eyes.

He began to maintain his distance as Azrael began to move, having to bear full awareness to his surroundings. For all he know, he could have a camper jump him or be surrounded by many to overwhelm him. That man isn't Athena's child but he knew he tends to be full of tricks when it comes to strategy. Though now that they are in Capture the Flag, he thought it was about time he paid him back for nearly killing him over Lilythe. He wished he could just blast him away just so he could snag the flag but she would see it some other way. 

"A little birdie told me you have a date planned with her. Let me just say, I'm proud of you sir for managing to get yourself comfortable when I am gone." There was sarcasm dripping on his voice but all he wanted to do was to stall him until more of his team members arrive.

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

The game forgotten, the bitter feeling flared within him. He circled the blades in his hands as much to keep active and to avoid the goads.

"You were always self serving and selfish. You likely forget the hexes you were trying that day." he said looking back sternly at him. "Play the victim while you scheme and look for a back to leave the dagger in". 

He was sure that the final barb was just an attempt to goad him into lunging at him but it too all he had not to be pulled into it. He stared daggers out at him, this was no longer a game and if he wanted a challenge then he would have one. Azrael began to close the distance as they circled, the flag no longer the main thing on his mind. He would not lash out blindly but he worked towards a position of advantage, readying his blades.

[Emberlynn Knight Rare]

Ember's eyes widened as she watched the two circle each other. Terrible hider though she was, she highly doubted they'd notice her now. The men were so engrossed in this vicious conversation, she might have strode right up to them without being spotted. The way they spoke to one another, each word dripping with venom, was a display she didn't see often from the adults. As a teen it was easy to forget that the grown-ups had drama of their own. And Emberlynn in particular was as drama-hungry as a middle schooler could be. Just as the two fighters seemed to forget the game, so did she in observing them.

Who was it they were talking about? A mutual crush? And wait - Azreal pushed someone off a cliff!?! Emberlynn recalled her encounter with the older camper on Zeus's Fist. There he'd been extra careful about the slippery rocks, warning her even as they fought. She'd even played on that concern to even the odds of the battle. Could that same man really have done something like that. Still, he wasn't denying it...

Perhaps she had been wrong about him. Had she mistaken concern for a child for general concern for human beings? Maybe he was only kind to her because she was so young. That didn't seem right though. He'd accused the other man of something too - doing some kind of hex. So he'd done it to protect someone. That must be it! That aligned much better with the knightly image of him that Em had built up in her head. She listened intently for more information, thoroughly absorbed in her eavesdropping. 

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

Azrael growled in frustration as Shadow stood his ground "You hurt everyone around you." he yelled "She's is better off with someone who doesn't treat her like a treasure to capture and lock away." He fell into a crouched position, one blade ahead and in a tensed grip to one side read to strike, ready for magical assaults and illusions and preparing to call on the luck of Nemesis to let him strike true. "You are toxic to everyone and everything you touch."

 

[Shadow Moore]

The heat was building up and Shadow's scheme was working. He didn't need to capture the flag but distract Azrael long enough for someone else to make for the grab. "I forgot because the fall hit my head. You're welcome by the way but I could never forget that you waited for the right time to strike. You think you're special? You're no different than me, my friend. You're just taking a different approach."

Though as much as he did not want to admit, but he was right. Shadow did well to keep up with his facade but the entire situation exploded and Lilythe got hurt. He was only "lucky" to use the mist for damage control. "I'm sorry. Was that "treasure" yours to steal? I don't think so!" He smirked. "She was mine, Blackburn. You've got the wrong guy. Aren't you the one who drove us apart because of that stunt of yours?"

Edited October 1, 2022 by Shadow Moore

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

"There was never much in there to damage." he bit back. he felt the venom in his tone when he mockingly used the term friend. He had never liked the self serving punk anyway, as if that barb would catch beneath his skin.

He had long since came to terms with how he had managed to cut shadow down on that rain covered dark night. He had used all the luck to strike out through illusions and veils to strike out and block the flag. It seemed mother's gifts drove his thirst for vengeance as much as his strike true and he had owned his actions that day. Shadow on the other hand still looked for someone to blame for every action that did not match the strings he pulled.

Lilythe was her own person, if he couldn't see that he knew nothing about her. Her choices were not playthings to be toyed with.. He gritted his teeth and bit back the anger that welled in him at Shadows petty selfishness.

"You want to blame me for your own shortcomings? I left before I did something I regretted." he twisted the blades in his grip "Maybe it wouldn't have been much of a regret after all"

[Shadow Moore]

Shadow was offended and he pursed his lips. Thinking about it now, he was wondering what's taking everyone so long when they were notified of the flag's new location. He figured he could snatch it when no one else is around but he did not think he'd run into this bastard again. In no way he was going to let it attack him, not alone anyway.

"You must be satisfied in attempting to kill an innocent man. What did I ever to do you?" He attempted to twist his words. "We hardly speak to each other and yet you were out to kill me that day. Why didn't you just speak to me like a grown up?" There was a bit of irony in his comment and if Lilythe were here, she would know. The two of them act normal in each other's presence whenever she's around but when she's out, an air of contempt for each other grew right back.

"Maybe you should not have come back." Shadow knew very well what he meant by that but he was not going to let it provoke him. He was planning on making him regret that. Just not now. This time, Shadow drew his dagger with a crescent moon design on the hilt. Short and ornate, the rain-guard and cross guard are intricate and curled in a W-style and the grip has a similar double-helix design leading down to the pommel. It was his best friend in battle. Readying himself in a combat stance, he decided not to use magic... for now.

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

Azrael took the moment to check the clearing, he hated this wretch but he remembered this place was filled with campers, kids and that the flag itself still stood proud and in plain sight. Whether he had trouble meeting Shadow's eyes for the moment or was just assessing the grounds it was visible that Shadow had scored a point there. Shadow had no claim on innocence but Azrael's actions that day had lead to the near fatal injury and he had nothing against the man that would have held up in a court of law, though his suspicions were rife. 

"I never set out to kill you. If I had you would have felt more than just the flat of my blade before you hit the ground." If I intend to kill anyone then I will face off against them directly. He looked deeper at Shadow as he pulled his blade  "Just like then I can feel the wrath you feel bubbling beneath the surface. Helped me pick you out of the mists, not that I could tell how little you had paid attention in classes on how to take a fall." It was good that he had chosen a weapon, It leant he was at least maintaining the charade of the flag game, even if that blade looked to have occult significance, he tried to note details of it for later investigation.

He was fed up of the verbal shots that Shadow had tried to goad him with, in similar spite he added "Oh but I felt so much sorrow from my week without dessert rations. But somehow I too survived"

"I also hate to break it to you but this place is my home as much as any other of us who fought to defend it" he couldn't recall if Shadow had been on hand to defend the camp during the second war... though if he had it would have been skulking in the shadows themselves.

He moved to make sure he was between shadow and the flag. The game had just started after all.

Edited October 1, 2022 by Azrael Blackburn

[Shadow Moore]

Shadow did not want to admit it but Azrael is exceptionally good at his craft so it would be difficult to take him on by himself. Even if it is just the two of them, he could not find an opening. Even tried teleporting using the Mist and that led him to fall several feet down. If he liked him, he would not have cursed Nemesis for granting her children the luck they need to ensure the odds are in their favor. Well no matter. As long as he waited for the sun to set just like how he waited for the right time to strike, he could be on even terms, maybe even better but he'll try not to let his ego be his downfall.

A week without dessert rations was not enough for Shadow. Even if he was given the same punishment, he would have survived as well. The two of them could perhaps be the best of their respective cabins and maybe that's why he did not like him so much - because he's persistent. Shadow certainly had a hand at the past events the camp had faced and each was too big for them to even meet. Maybe they saw each other once or twice but then they forgot they even existed at the time but Shadow knew he fought for their home. Everyone did.

"It's about time I pay you back for what you did. How about we make a bet? Loser... leaves camp forever." A winner take all situation, literally - but it would be fun to see his disbelief when he knew he would be the type of guy to fulfill his self-interests.

Edited October 1, 2022 by Shadow Moore

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

Azrael had been on his guard for magic and lethal strikes but even when magics entered the field they were to bi-pass him, simple testing forays rather than full offenses. Enough that he could interpose himself but he was waiting for a true shot instead of each of these feints.. he was reminded of his own scouting of the flags earlier in the day, he would not let his guard down but the possibility that Shadow was still just looking for the flag began to cross his mind.

He felt the jibe on the dessert loss punishment land as he saw the hint of sourness cross Shadows face. He had never felt that it was the fairest, meant to make sure campers knew worst case your life could be on the line at camp but it seemed a slap in the face for anyone that ended up maimed or worse.

He didn't need to hear what the goal would be for this Win/Lose scenario. He took the time to state his objection loudly "I made a promise to someone very dear to me I was back for good. I wouldn't risk that for all the wagers in the heavens." he silently thanked Lilythe for that one, he would have felt it hard to back away from sure a balancing of the scales. He knew the kids were capable on both sides of this but he also didn't want to bring the youths into a bet like this, assuming he had meant the match at all.

He took the time to shirk the long coat he had been using preferring the mobility to intercept him over the small amount more defence it granted him. Beneath it showed a wiry, solid frame with scars of recent years, a few cuts and an impressive sized bite mark over one shoulder. The other shoulder brandished what looked like a fresh tattoo, glistening in the afternoon light, the letters SPQR, circled in a laurel wreath with a whip making a border.

He flexed his front blade arm and spoke "You can try to take your pound of flesh though.. I can even make sure get my dessert rights for the week. I would hate for you to miss out" he said while taking an assessing eye over his opponent's physique "though it doesn't look like you have been going without recently.."

[Luca Cassano]

After having a hand in fending off the blue team campers, he decided he wanted to contribute to defending the flag. The boy sprinted across the forest, with each step allowing him to have greater awareness once he passed the creek. It would be easier to just use teleportation... but there could be a moment when it needed his magic. Within ten yards of the flag, he was approaching until he stopped his tracks when he heard voices. He could see it right there but the two men are about to fight. He edged closer as he was curious as to what they were talking about instead of playing the game. What's so important if the flag is right there? Luca wanted to know.

Wait a second. Azrael? He knew he wouldn't hesitate to grab the flag when he saw the opportunity but he didn't. He kept on talking with that older Hecate child, with every word filled with mal-intentions. With the planning of Operation Cupcake, he thought he was a good man to kids but this is side he hasn't seen. What could make of his man that could bring it out? After he eavesdropped, one of them was finally going to make a move. It was the other guy as he was about to lunge towards him with his blade. But just when he was about to get close, Luca grew vines around his legs and have them wrapped around them. When he showed himself, the vines began to tighten. Even if that man we're to cut them down, more would grow. "Azrael!" He called out to him. "I'm here to help. Sorry I took so long." It was half a truth when he was hiding nearby to hear all that tea.