Scene #4574: The Scion enters Castle Rozenbach

Owner	Pose
Adele Rozenbach	Castle Rozenbach is built into the mountainside, overseeing an entry into a pass and a nearby valley. The warpgate is in the town of Rozenbach, a small and somewhat desolate looking village. The technology is perhaps a bit older than one might expect, and there is a distinct lack of young adult men. Only woman, old men, girls and boys in this settlement. There's some military trucks marked with symbols of imperial germany passing by the town, due west, but they don't stop. The air overall is gloomy, and occassionally the distant sound of shelling and gunfire makes it here. The only way from the town to the the castle is by a long and somewhat winding road, carved into the mountainside with as its singular purpose to make the castle more defensible. Any approacher will be noticed long before they can come. The gates are open, and a single androgyne figure wearing a butler's uniform is waiting. Flying above the castle, walking the walls, and at some other points there are figures to be seen that look far less human, and far more dangerous.
Eithne Sullivan	It was awfully nice of that super creepy princess to give Eithne directions to her castle. It's been a few days since that conversation, but she finally had today off of work. Storming castles and such isn't what pays the bills. Her trip through the village is somber, and the whole thing reminds her of some creepy French film about the ennui of constant war. She doesn't speak to anybody, just pedals her bike down the streets and eventually up the winding hillside road. It's not a bad place for a castle, Eithne figures. Ma would approve, and also of the constant sounds of shelling. Less so, probably, the warped and unrecognizable figures that mill about the edges of the castle and soar overhead. Dismounting her bike twenty feet or so from the butler, the Scion puts down the kickstand and reaches into nothing for her sword, settling the wide and pitted blade over one shoulder like a baseball bat. "'Scuse me then," she waves to the servant. "I'm Enya Sullivan. I believe yer princess is expectin' me?" If she has to kill her way in it's going to take forever.
Adele Rozenbach	"Welcome, miss Sullivan. Her Serene Highness is ready to receive you." The butler-esque ghoul turns around and starts to head into the castle, at a brisk pace. It seems most of the figures remain distant, unwilling to step in the way while the visitor is guided onwards. Yet at the same time, it's clear Eithne is being watched. The ghoul leads towards a grand hall at the heart of the castle, with large blinds covering the windows, and within there's a wide open area that may once have served as a ball room, perhaps occassionally it still does. On one end, there's a large table, which could easily seat thirty people. A young woman sits there, sipping a glass of wine and eating a steak. She looks to be in her late teens or early twenties, with a slight, upturned nose, big eyes and a handful of freckles. "Good evening, miss Sullivan." She greets as the Scion comes in, and with a slight hand gesture dismisses the servant. "I hope you had no trouble making your way here?"
Eithne Sullivan	Serene Highness, huh...? What kind of person has a title like that? Maybe she's just as calm as her voice had sounded on the radio. It's good to know that Adele von Whateverenberg remembers their tea date. "Ah, thanks." She'll follow the ghouled butler, underneath the watchful eyes of Adele's entire castle, to the ballroom. Already she approves - the princess at least knows the importance of wide-open spaces for duels. You never can tell with royalty - sometimes they're idiots. (Much like regular people, and oftentimes Scions as well.) The dark-haired girl looks around with unabashed curiosity, noting the blinds covering the windows. Hmm. "Good evenin', Princess," she returns, with a nod of her head. Eithne walks forward at an unhurried pace, sword still swung over her shoulder. That's a looong table. "It was easier than I thought."
Adele Rozenbach	"I hope you did not get inconvenienced by war on your way here. The Emperor thought invading France and Russia at once would be a good idea." She has a distinct German accent, but doesn't seem to be too attached to this Emperor by the casually dismissive tone she has. She pours out another glass of wine, and puts it opposite her at the table, where a plate and some simple food has been prepared. "I'm afraid I can't offer you much more than this, I have lost much of my appetite for regular food a long time ago, and my beloved servants no longer need such things."
Eithne Sullivan	"Nothin' new to me. I'm from Belfast." The place has a bloody enough history for three cities, even though the fighting was mostly over by the time she was born. Still, the armistice remains shaky. "And it's my Ma's business anyway." Her eyes flicker down to the meal laid out. Is this really...? Weeeeeell, she /did/ go to the trouble. Eithne supposes she ought to be polite, since Adele was polite enough to open her doors like this. She leans her sword carefully against a chair and pulls the next one out, settling comfortably into it. "Beloved?" she repeats, frowning a bit. "They don't seem all that beloved to me, bein' all warped and messed up. I buried the two I killed, by the way," she remembers, as if Adele would appreciate the sentiment. "Proper burials." There was even a prayer, even if it was to her mother instead of the usual.
Adele Rozenbach	"Does God not love his creations?" Adele counters the statement of them being warped and messed up, right after she finishes her side of the meal. She seems to be in a relaxed, casual mood. "Thank you for giving them a fitting final resting place." She then leans back, waiting for her visitor to finish eating. She seems to be sizing Eithne up, "So, miss Sullivan. Are you prepared to die?" She asks mildly, seeming to be confident about the fight that is about to begin.
Eithne Sullivan	"Are yeh the goddess of this place, then?" Eithne asks, forking up a mouthful of unidentified greens. She's certainly entertaining the notion. Who knows what kinds of strange deities other planes have? Since she's going to be fighting for her life in short order, she really only eats enough to be polite - even though Eithne reeeeeally wants to ask for the recipe for that dinner roll. "I felt bad fer 'em," she says, like that explains everything. Eithne puts her knife and fork down, rests her hands on the edge of the table. "My mother's a death goddess. I am. How about you?"
Adele Rozenbach	"An entertaining notion, but I'm afriad I have no claim to divinity. Demon perhaps, is a term that may apply to me, though it's not one I would use." Adele shrugs, and as she does so she turns into liquid, a puddle of liquid that then starts to float in mid-air, a massive skeleton forming, easily twice as tall as she was prior, with four arms and a pair of wings. Muscle and organs form from blood around and within the skeleton, massive bulging muscles, and soon enough bone plating forms on top of those muscles, with spikes at every elbow and large claws coming forth. Her face has two mouths, the bottom one with large canines that drip poison and the top one seems to have an extremely long tongue covered in barbs. "I died a long time ago, and I will not perish here, miss Sullivan." She responds, with clear convidence, her voice coming twice, once from each mouth, "Shall we begin?"
Eithne Sullivan	She has to raise an eyebrow, certainly, at the sudden... meltiness of her hostess. Eithne stands up, pushing her chair out with the backs of her knees as she watches Adele reform into something new and horrific. "Hmmm." She spies the heart form and be hidden beneath layers of organs and muscle and fat and skin and bone. "So yeh based Angelica on yerself, or would it be the other way 'round?" It's damned impressive is what it is, but Eithne doesn't want to admit it. "Let's go," the Scion nods, before picking up the /entire table/, all thirty places of it, and swinging at Adele's monstrous form. "Nnnh!"
Adele Rozenbach	Adele gets hit straight on by the table, it shatters on her shoulders, and she flinches just briefly as her bone shoulderplate cracks under that force. "I do not have a true form, merely useful ones." She answers, and then the response comes, the massive figure balls up one of her fists and throws a punch straight for Enya's face, with no hesitation. The force behind that punch is likely to hit like a wrecking ball, that's a lot of muscle, and a lot of mass. Not to mention supernatural empowerment to make her punch just hat much harder than her mere mass and muscle would suggest.
Eithne Sullivan	There's a momentary sense of satisfaction that always comes from seeing an attack hit. Something that sets off a spark in her chest. This isn't any different, and she's still smirking when Adele's monstrous fist cracks across her face. It feels like punching a tree. Eithne is driven back by the blow, boots skidding on the smooth floor. Her sword clatters to the ground and she scoops it up with one hand, all five feet of it ancient, pitted iron. "Yeah," she breathes, grinning wide enough to show the gap of a missing tooth on the left side of her mouth. "Yeah, that's just what I needed." Her skirt flares as Eithne pushes herself forward, swatting lightly at Adele's left elbow with the ery end of the blunt blade. Watching. Testing.
Adele Rozenbach	And Adele gets hit by that blunt blade, and it shatters the bone guard of her lower left elbow. Unfortunately, this does not seem to hinder her so much as to be a serious detriment, and her hands up up as she attempts to dig her claws deep into Eithne's sides. "What you needed is death?" Adele answers, with some confidence. She knows this girl she's fighting hits hard, she can tell why her servants were defeated, "Your skill explains how you could defeat my creations, but I don't think you're ready for me." And then, if she got her hands on Eithne, she throws the scion upwards, trying to have gravity aid in proving her point. That ceiling is high up.
Eithne Sullivan	So the armor isn't as hard as Eithne had thought. Well, that's good for her, isn't it? She's not very agile, alas... Adele digs her fingers into Eithne's sides, the flesh there a little softer than her (extraordinarily thick, some might say) skull. She grimaces as blood wets the monster's claws, but doesn't cry out even when she's thrown. Sailing high overhead, Eithne is surprised to find the ceiling approaching swiftly. Instinct makes her twist, feet cushioning her impact with the ceiling; knees bent, sword grasped in both hands, she kicks off, heedless of the damage her impact might cause her own body. The extra speed and force will be enough to make a crater in the floor - it's going to be up to Adele to be in a different place when that happens. Rolling away, Eithne gets back to her feet. Her sides are bleeding sluggishly, but she's still grinning. "Nah. Somethin' to get my blood up. Is it working fer you yet?"
Adele Rozenbach	And Adele gets hit, she's big and tough but apparently not that fast. More cracks appear in her armour, but now she's showing another trick. Blood seeps into the gaps, blood covers the shattered elbow, and then things repair, although the damage is still visible. "My blood is always up." And as Eithne rolls away she lashes out with her upper mouth's tongue. The muscle is exceedingly long, and it tries to wrap around Eithne's neck, the barbs likely to cut deep regardless of where they hit.
Eithne Sullivan	Wouldn't it be nice to always feel like like this? Like scratching an itch, or eating when you're hungry? Even bleeding feels a little good. "Lucky," Eithne sighs, and she's not very fast either - not fast enough to jump out of the way when that barbed tongue darts for her. "Kkkhhhh!" The barbs pierce her skin, the tongue thick and strangling, and she grabs for the muscle with her empty hand. Something sharp sprouts into Adele's flesh from her palm, and it too drips poison - thick and brown, necrotic just like the bear's venom had been. Her blood tastes simply divine.
Adele Rozenbach	And at the poison, Adele lets go. She quickly retracts before much of the poison manages to get into her system, though some does, and she seems to have taken this as a cue to escalate the fighting. "This has gone on for too long." She says aloud, and then she jumps forward. When she gets close, she tries to get the claws of all four of her hands digging into Eithne's flesh, and then pull the Scion's flesh into four different directions, quite literally attempting to tear the daughter of the Morrigan to pieces.
Eithne Sullivan	"But we're just gettin' started!" Eithne complains, swiping at the mess on her neck. Her palm comes away red, and she chuffs out a breath that could be a laugh. "A tongue covered in thorns. Ma wouldn't believe me if I told 'er!" Again, she can't dodge in time, and Adele's claws dig into her tough flesh. She's made of stronger stuff than a human, though, and while her flesh may rend her skeleton is strung together far too tightly for her to be torn apart like that. "Hgggh!" It hurts, though. It hurts, and it hurts when Eithne clamps both hands down onto Adele's top arms, and it hurts when she /tears/ herself out of the monster's grip, leaving strings of flesh on her claws. "Hhhhaaaaaaah!" Bleeding freely, with gouges taken out of her, Eithne's eyes are starting to become glassy. She hurts. She feels good. She throws her sword aside and charges, screaming, for Adele. Ripping, tearing, wedging her fingers in between armor plates. Pulling them off. "Ahahahahaaaa~!"
Adele Rozenbach	"You think we're just getting started. I think we're just about done." Adele retorts, without a single doubt in her mind that she's finishing this op soon. "And I will show you." As Eithne comes charging in, Adele steps back, refusing to give the scion an easy grip on the armor plates, but even the less successful pulls draw blood, seeping from behind, and the one solid hold that her assailant manages to get tears of bone straight off, bleeding and leaving for now a vulnerable spot. And she allows the blood to drip, to spill, especially over Eithne. The flow increases, and other wound start bleeding more as well. "I'll show you why you made a mistake in coming here." But for all that, there doesn't seem to be an attack coming.
Eithne Sullivan	Getting started, getting finished... It feels the same. She's not old enough to know the difference all the time. Even with a goddess's blood in her veins, Eithne is still young, and often still foolish. If she survives to get older, maybe she'll learn something from this. "Don't care," she murmurs, eyes fever-bright. Every drop of blood that spills on her dyes her clothes and skin, and even if she remembered that Adele is /made/ of blood and that the blood /is/ Adele, there's not much she could do about it now. But she's not so far gone as to miss the feeling that Adele's gathering herself - she said as much, after all - and she leaps back, covering a quarter of the ballroom's diameter at once. Eithne reaches for the sword that lies yards away, and the red ribbon wrapped around the handle lashes out to tether itself to its mistress's wrist. The Scion flicks her wrist, the sword seeming to fly up off of the shattered ground and into her waiting hand. She draws her arm back and /hurls/ the weighty greatsword like a spear, hoping to sink her weapon into that one uncovered spot...
Adele Rozenbach	Eithne is accurate, the the greatsword is throne to the right spot, and right as it lands the bone starts to reform. A little too late to be truly effective at blocking it, but soon enough to limit the damage it can do. "You should." Adele answers. And then, the monstrous Adele leaps forward, and the blood she's scattered all over Eithne turns into bone, just enough to help immobilize the scion, and just vulnerable enough to shatter into shrapnel as Adele just barrels forth, using her mass, using her tough bone plating, using her supernatural strength to just attempt to massively overpower her challenger.
Eithne Sullivan	Ah, well. She knew coming in that she was likely to die. At least she won't have to put down any more of those sad creatures that Adele claims to love. Blood becomes bone becomes a prison and Eithne has just enough time for one last maddened wheeze before Adele simply runs her the hell over. Her body is tough - perhaps as tough as the monstrous princess's - and though bone shatters within and without her, Eithne doesn't die. It's just a bit too much for her, is all. A bit too much, and a bit more, and her head's ringing and she'll get up in just a few minutes, she needs to lie down... The Scion is in a heap on the floor, head lolling to one side. Blood trickles from above her hairline, trails across her forehead. "Nnnn...."
Merlin	The grand hall has seen a titanic battle - but that battle has ended now. Enya's toughness, legendary as it may be, has succumbed to the blood-magic of Adele, and as if the bell of a boxing match being run there is a Sound. That sound is the single atmosphere-shattering explosion of a thunderbolt. There is also a Flash, a brilliant bolt of light that looks like nothing so much as a jagged sheet of lightning that suffused the entire hall. It's downright blinding for them both, and it's also entirely impossible to have happened in such a place. When Adele's vision clears moments later, there's already a burned patch between them and a thin smoke suffusing Enya's end of the battlefield. From behind a pillar he could never have walked toward, via doorways that never existed, a lone figure slowly glides across the floor. As Merlin steps through the fog, his features - quite damn good looking, as anyone would attest to - become quite clear; the long silver-blue hair and those temperate sky-blue eyes...narrowed slightly, when he takes in the form of his charge. There's no words, as he drops to one knee and presses his hand over Enya's face. It's enough to cut off her breathing, pinching her nose and lips shut, at least until she squirms a moment and wakes the hell up - good, she's still alive. Hmpf. The smoke from the blast in the great hall starts to swirl and thicken, and Merlin spares Adele the barest of glances. And should she intend use her magic to follow Merlin, he decides to preempt that plan. "This road is closed. Find another." As he speaks smoke swirls once more and for an instant it obscures wizard and warrior...before it dissipates, leaving Adele alone in the smoldering hall. Who /WAS/ that incredibly good looking rescuer?!