Episode 53 "Gathering of lost souls"

<Storyteller> The ships rocks in it's port as you prepare it for it's journey
* Hans holds onto the railing.
* Angelo looks somewhat ill.
<Storyteller> Ahuru and Brianna arrive on the seventh day of the week,
* Brianna is holding on to Ahuru's hand
* Huntress looks over the railing into the dark water
* Ahuru turns to Brianna
<Ahuru> "I must go back to the consulate, there is something I must do. I will return and instruct everyone where to go."
<Remy> "Ahuru! Brianna! Good to have you back. We about ready to get this thing underway?"
<Brianna> "How long will you be gone?"
<Ahuru> "A short time, this will not take long."
<Ahuru> "On the ship, I have left you a...gift."
* Brianna nods
* Hans comes over to the rest of the group and listens.
<Brianna> "What is it?"
<Ahuru> "You will see after I have left," he turns to the rest of you. "I shall return, continue to prepare."
* Brianna reluctantly lets go of Ahuru's hand as he leaves
* Brianna looks at the rest of you. "Are you ready?"
* Angelo shrugs, and looks out over the water.
* Hans nods to Ahuru as he leaves.
* Ahuru heads off to the MET
* Brianna walks up onto the ship towards her cabin.
* Daniel nods
<Storyteller> William finishes his prayers and stands up, "Look." he says pointing into the city
* Angelo looks back toward the city.
* Huntress looks back at the city while leaning on the railing
* Remy looks
* Hans looks to the city.
<Storyteller> Off in the city you can see a very large battle taking place
<Angelo> "What the fuck?"
* Daniel blinks and looks at the battle
<Storyteller> "There must be hundreds of spectres out there." Will says
<Hans> "My God."
* Huntress grips the railing with what look like clawed fingers, splinters form in her hands. You can hear the chains around her waist begin to rattle, almost like a rattlesnake's tail
<Remy> "What in the name of..."
<Angelo> "We should be in there."
* Brianna walks back on deck holding an Anubis-tipped staff in her hands. She looks off over the water at the city
* Brianna walks forward across the deck and stands at the railing, studying the fight
<Remy> "We can't be in there. The battle with Markova will decide the outcome of all of this."
<Storyteller> Both sides seem evenly matched, neither side is gaining or losing ground
<Angelo> "Yeah, Markova."
* Brianna studies the battle, eyes distant
<Brianna> "The outcome of this fight is still unclear. Something has yet to be decided.
<Brianna> "I believe that our fight with Markova could be the turning point in all this."

<Storyteller> Somewhere in New York
* Ahuru walks slowly into the Met, once he reaches the Egyptian exhibit he stops
<Ahuru> "You cannot hide, I know you are here."
<Storyteller> There is a sigh and something walks out of the shadows
<Storyteller> "I came for the girl, I came to kill her, but you'll do."
<Ahuru> "We shall see Scar."
<Storyteller> "I'm going to kill you, old man," he says holding up the two techno guns
<Ahuru> "Perhaps..."
<Storyteller> Scar fires twice

<Storyteller> Back at the Ulysses
<Storyteller> "We should do something." William says
<Brianna> "No. Our role in this battle is far from here," Brianna says
<Remy> "We are doing something, William." Remy says wearily
<Angelo> "I don't like just sitting here."
<Storyteller> "Yeah standing here watching them."
<Brianna> "You have heard what we are meant to do."
<Hans> "Then lets get moving. The longer we wait, the more that will suffer."
<Daniel> "Being the tool of Fate is often a test of one's mettle..."
<Brianna> "Ahuru said he would return before we are to go. We must wait for him."
<Storyteller> "I'm with Hans, we should go there." Will says
<Brianna> "And how do you know where to go? Ahuru hasn't given us the location yet."
<Brianna> "Ahuru has been working too long for us to ruin everything with our impatience."
<Storyteller> Suddenly the tide turns, as the Allies begin to fall back ...
<Hans> "If we are meant to meet Markova, then we will find him... somehow."
* Daniel frowns. "Surely we can do something to help..."
<Angelo> {Nice to see you're so patient, Brianna dear. I wonder if Scar is waiting around for something to happen?}
<Brianna> {I will take care of Scar, you can be sure of that!}

<Storyteller> The MET New York
<Storyteller> The shots hit the wall harmlessly, where Ahuru used to be
<Storyteller> Scar looks, "Where the he-urk!" he says as he feels two quick hits to his back, he flies off his feet and slides to the far wall
<Storyteller> he whirls around looking for his guns, and finding Ahuru standing over them where he once stood
<Ahuru> "Try again?"
<Storyteller> Scar roars as his two fists moliate into blades and he rushes to meet Ahuru
<Storyteller> The battle between the two is fierce, neither side letting up, neither side recieving any hurtfull wounds
<Ahuru> "This is useless, you cannot kill me anymore than I can kill you."
<Storyteller> Scar backs away, "Maybe your'e right, old man."

<Storyteller> Back at the Ulysses
<Storyteller> * Brianna starts to pace restlessly along the deck, using the staff as she walks
<Storyteller> "Come on, we have to help. Maybe our joining will turn the tide!"
* Hans goes to Brianna. "Ahuru will be safe."
* Huntress waits, near the rail of the ship.
<Brianna> "Do you see how many of them there are? We would be swallowed up out there."
<Angelo> "I'm starting to agree."
<Hans> "If we go out there, we lose to markova and his damned spectres, you want that Will?"
<Remy> "Seven of us can not turn the tide."
* Angelo drums his fingers on the rail.
<Storyteller> "No, but..." Will says rubbing his chin
<Angelo> "Ahuru had better get back here soon."
<Brianna> "He will be here, I know he will."

<Storyteller> Back at the MET
<Storyteller> The two look at each other standing back a ways away.
<Ahuru> "Your death lies with another, Scar."
<Ahuru> "And that vengeance shall be a terrible one."
<Storyteller> "Are you talking about Brianna, old man?" Scar chuckles
<Storyteller> "You forget," he pounds his chest, "We were *lovers*. I taught her everything she knows."
<Ahuru> "She has had a new teacher, and I have taught her to fight with legends, she will face you...and you will die."
<Storyteller> Scar laughs as he walks out of the exhibit
<Storyteller> "Ahahaha No man! no man shall kill me!"
<Ahuru> "*You* forget Scar...she is not a man."

<Storyteller> Back at the Ulysess
* Angelo paces up and down the deck.
<Storyteller> "Look! Look who's joined the battle! It's Scar!"
<Storyteller> shouts Will
<Brianna> "What????"
<Angelo> {Well, speak of the devil, sweetie}
* Brianna whirls in the direction William points
* Daniel watches the battle, face not betraying any emotion
<Brianna> As Brianna turns, she places her mask on her face and instantly her features are darkened, turning her golden hair raven black, and her pale skin light brown
<Brianna> "You will not escape from me this time,"
<Storyteller> You see him now, he has indeed joined the battle
<Storyteller> there are footsteps on the plank
* Brianna 's voice has the sound of murder, dripping with the promise of vengeance
<Brianna> "He's close, I can catch him before we have to go!"
<Ahuru> "He is close. Come, it is time."
* Brianna rushes for the plank
* Brianna stops right before she runs into Ahuru
<Angelo> {Don't fool yourself. He would eat you alive. If he killed Iron John out of hand, what hope do you have?}
<Brianna> "He's out there! Please! I have to catch him before he disappears again!"
* Remy sighs
* Brianna swallows past the lump in her throat. {IronJohn was unprepared. I have been readying myself for this. I *will* stop him}
<Ahuru> "Come with me," he says motioning for everyone. "Destiny awaits," he finishes as he walks down the plank
* Brianna folllows closely behind Ahuru, head turned and eyes intent on Scar
* Brianna clutches the staff in a white-knucked grip
* Ahuru reaches into his robe and pulls out a large mask
* Daniel nods and follows Ahuru, drawing the black-bladed Nocturne
* Remy draws his pistol, then strides down the plank. "Now's the time we join the battle."
* Angelo grins. "Finally a little action."
<Storyteller> Will pulls his blade and begins to pray
* Hans draws his pistol, then heads into the thick of battle.
* Huntress 's chains begin to unravel from her waist, they look almost like serpents writhing around her.
<Storyteller> You walk off the ship and into the streets.
<Storyteller> Towards the battle you walk with a purpose. There is a feeling around you, it is thick within the air
* Brianna keeps her staff ready, eyes alert. Her whole body is tense and she appears to be stalking down the street
* Ahuru puts on the mask and his form changes, his cloak goes black, his face becomes skeletal, and his staff becomes taler, there is a noise as a blade protrudes from it.
* Daniel begins whispering to himself as he marches onward
* Ahuru slows down to be next to Brianna
* Ahuru lowers his head and whispers into her ear
* Brianna glances sidelong over at Ahuru
* Angelo twirls his gladius, a look of glee on his face.
* Brianna almost misses a step as Ahuru speaks to her
<Storyteller> You reach the edge of the battle, the Allies begin to nearly rush past you as the spectres advance
* Ahuru holds up his sickle
* Brianna looks up at Ahuru and smiles, for a moment the terrible mask of rage that is contorting her features diminishes and you see the Brianna you know
* Daniel smiles. "Fight bravely and honourably, my friends."
<Ahuru> "Atepa, ephrata nehpnothua!!!" He shouts and the sickle begins to cut a swath through the spectres
* Brianna holds her staff aloft, daring Scar to meet his Fate
<Brianna> "I am here Scar! I have come for you!"
* Hans fires his pistol into the mob of the Spectres.
* Remy holds off spectres with his pistol, keeping one hand free.
* Brianna starts making her way through the chaos towards where she last saw Scar
<Storyteller> Scar looks at you and smiles
<Angelo> {Brianna- the scene around you suddenly changes. Ahuru and the Cohort have just disappeared.}
* Brianna stops in shock
* Brianna looks around wildly
<Angelo> {Some of them approach, sneering and threatening, while others look at you in confusion.}
<Brianna> "No!!!!! You can't hide from me! Come out and fight, you pitiful coward!"
* Brianna swings her staff at the nearest carnation of Scar
<Remy> "Learned a new trick. C'mon, you shadow hugging wastes of plasm."
<Angelo> {No, you cannot hide from us...}
<Storyteller> Several spectres leap towards you, their faces twisted in hate, pride, and glee
* Daniel steps in front of an advancing spectre, thrusting with his dark sword
<Storyteller> The spectre is hit in the abdomen, it howls
* Huntress sends her chains streaking at the nearest spectre in an attempt to rip the damn thing apart
<Storyteller> The spectre is caught and the chains rip an arm off
* Huntress howls with glee as she rends the corpus of the dark one
<Storyteller> Brianna, then Angelo and Remy
* Brianna twirls her staff, aiming for the head of the closest carnation of Scar
<Brianna> "Aeiiiiiiiiiii!"
<Storyteller> The spectre is hit in the chest, it shrugs it off and keeps coming
<Angelo> {The spectre sneers at you, Brianna, and says, "No man! No man shall kill me!"}
* Brianna screams in rage
* Angelo twirls his gladius in his right hand, and dives into a spectre, grabbing it and grinning widely.
<Storyteller> Angelo misses completly
<Angelo> "Damn it!"

* Remy points his gun grimly at a spectre, and pulls the trigger
<Storyteller> The shot hits the spectre squarely and it falls back a couple of steps
<Storyteller> The spectre lashes out with it's claws
<Storyteller> The one armed spectre tries to break free
<Storyteller> It gets a leg lose, but it's arm is still caught
<Storyteller> Scar brings his blade to bear and swings
<Storyteller> The blade connects
<Storyteller> Scar laughs and then suddenly falls
<Storyteller> The spectre whirls it's foot at you as you pass by him
<Storyteller> It misses and falls flat
<Storyteller> The spectre staggers toward you
<Storyteller> It grabs ahold of you and tries to fling you down
<Storyteller> The spectre in front of Brianna falls as a large hole appears in it's chest, her vision clears as the multiple Scars fade, and now there is only one, standing behind the fallen spectre.
* Brianna blinks in suprise then quickly focuses on Scar
<Storyteller> "She's mine..." he says putting the gun away and moliateing his hands into blades.
<Storyteller> "Let's get this over with, bitch."
<Brianna> "Never yours, Scar. Never!"
<Storyteller> to be continued