After css in the middle of the day, Baron stood on the edge of a tall, dipidated, and multistoried building as the winds pulled on the chestnut strands of his hair. The smog-filled air hung over the constant chatter, where he looked below with his Manifest, Intent’s Confession activated. Baron could see the emotions and distress of The Haven of York, a melting pot city hidden between dimensions.
While there were cognizant towns spread throughout the real world, The Haven of York, also referred to as York, was a beacon of Cognizant society, and also the biggest gathering of their popution in the world - which in the end was a vanishingly small percentage of Earth.
He had donned Spriggan’s uniform - a magically infused, loose-fitting bck undersuit that was covered by a knee-length dark blue cloak that opened in the middle. It came up to a colr that then wrapped around his head to cover his nose and lower face - not that he actually needed to hide his identity. It was common for people to openly use their magical abilities, and there were even people who became professional hunters and mercenaries for profit with their supernatural capabilities.
Baron took one st look down at the city before he took the st, full measure that made him Spriggan. He focused his mana over his face with a small illusion spell that should only st around three hours, before needing to be recasted. This turned his bnd brown iris and pupil white, like the sclera of his eye.
Next, his loosely ruffled hair turned jet bck and shaped into a sleek middle-parted style that appeared an inch longer than it did before. The final touches were to slender out his face into a sharp jawline with stronger cheeks, and a nose that was bigger than Baron’s, since he felt his own was too small.
Spriggan smiled confidently, taking a step off the ledge into a fatal fall. He plummeted from the rooftop and twisted himself through a series of flips and gainers. Spriggan was happy to be back in the city. While the buildings were densely packed together, and not too dissimir from New York, this would always be home-with its multicultural districts, filled with people that would be considered mythology, or the insane ramblings of someone disconnected from reality.
Gravity pulled Spriggan down toward the busy street below with more acrobatic flips. As he fell, his mana flowed through the vines supporting each arm, causing one to rapidly unravel.
He slowly burned through his mana reserve to fire off his right vine toward the towering skyscraper on his left - an old tower of aged brick. It unraveled from his arm until there was only enough left to support his forearms - more than enough.
The wind blew through his hair as he nosedived toward the loud street below, his vine found a grappling point to tch onto. Spriggan’s mana enforced the vine supporting his arm, before
It pulled back and catapulted himself forward, sending him flying through the sky. He flipped as he soared over top of a happy couple, faster than what was possible with physical ability alone.
He passed over those below in a fsh. Spriggan’s white eyes scanned over the many transparent aura trails emitted by the dense York’s poputions. The individual whispers came together to form a cloud of emotion that danced together in a mix of mencholy blues, and happy, honest greens that cshed against angry, overwhelming reds with slippery, yellow strands of uncertainty snuck between.
Spriggan streamed toward the street’s end at a breakneck speed. He confidently smiled underneath the bck colr that hid his face, as he gracefully twisted himself sideways. Both vines zipped out like bullets to the building overhead, tching onto the barred window as his body soared closer to the end of the block.
With a touch of mana, he empowered the strength and esticity of the Liana vine’s under his control. They slung him around the corner without losing the momentum he’d gained, and at the same time, Spriggan pivoted his body through a quick series of flips to face forward as the vine reeled back to him.
Spriggan smirked, exhirated as he flew through the Haeirmont district’s dipidated streets without missing a beat. It felt natural as he swung - more importantly it made him feel free from his worries. It felt like he was born to move like this, but was forced to run around like everyone else, when he was Baron.
Through the mix of visualized emotions, Spriggan picked out a dark consuming bck dread among the more vibrant and common feelings. This unignorable bleakness was utter fear - and not just the unsure anxiety you felt through your day over your peer’s judgment, or that stressful feeling, knowing that you’re te for something. This inky shadow that devoured someone’s mind without discretion was the hopeless despair of death.
Spriggan swung forward, softer than before, slowing his flight as he urgently tracked that obsidian-colored aura through the dense mix of the local area’s emotions. It was hard finding the source through the overwhelming stimution during his flight, but Spriggan could do it.
No, Spriggan knew that he needed to do this or she would die, and he couldn’t let that happen - not today.
Yes! He found them in time! It was a young girl with two goat-like, curled horns that were still growing with her - A Dimidium child, no more than eight, he quickly identified.
Spriggan remained focused, securing a vine to the closest building that slowed him and left him hanging over the busy street below.
A bus smmed on its break, before the innocent child that didn’t deserve to lose her life. It was evident that the incoming traffic wouldn’t be able to stop in time, and judging by that hollowed bck gloom that bled from her psyche, she knew it too.
Spriggan knew what he needed to do and didn’t spare a second more! The spare vine that wasn’t being used to hold Spriggan in the air, urgently unraveled from his arm. It traveled through the air as the bus’s brakes loudly screeched, desperate to stop the vehicle.
His vine uncoiled quickly as he could at his current output, desperately reaching out for the child with its coiled grip. Still, though - the vines weren’t going to make it. He was running out of time!
Spriggan pulled from the pits of his mana reserves, a sense of tiredness taking its pce as he willfully shoved his energy through the strong, individual fibers that made-up the whole of the vine. He kept a tight-focus on that output of mana, unraveling it faster, as the vine-endings desperately reached out for her.
Just a little more! I need to be faster, or she’ll die! Spriggan’s thoughts and vine raced against the bus. Shut up! Stop thinking and save her! Spriggan focus was sharpened in these urgent seconds that passed.
The vine secured itself around her chest before it was too te. He did it.
Spriggan frantically snatched her up! Her body narrowly avoided catastrophe as the bus tore through her previous spot in the road. Spriggan pulled her into his arms, the vine supporting their weight, making him seem and feel a lot stronger than he really was.
He got a better look at her horns and red-hued skin that most likely made her a Fiend-Blood Dimidiae. While Dimidiae was the bnket term that referred to the offspring of a human and an arcane creature. They usually didn’t look too dissimir from mundane society, except for their inhuman features gained through their magical inheritance.
While many combinations of Dimidae were wholly unique to their births, they tended to fall into a few categories. Fae-Bloods, those that had ties to the Feywild dimension, and tended to take on the animalistic features of that world’s mythical beasts. Then there were Fiend-bloods like this girl, who had familial-ties to unholy ‘abominations’ and hellish devils that were distinct with their demonic characteristics. The st of the more common subgroups of Dimidae were the Spirit-bloods; they were born from ethereal bodies that have been referred to as ghosts, lesser gods, Djinn, and Yokai through man’s history.
On the much rarer side, there were the Dragon-Blood Dimidae, who generally had evident dragonic features. They also tended to be more gifted, both physically and magically than other Cognizants.
Suspended in the air, Spriggan allowed the Dimidae child to cry into his cloak’s shoulder as he held her tightly. “It’s ok! It’ll be ok. We’re gonna find who’s taking care of you” Spriggan spoke softly with his voice that was pitched down with the previously cast Illusion spell - he thought it sounded more masculine and interesting than Baron’s natural one.
Specifically, he was searching for the same dark terror that helped him find her originally. After all, he assumed, any reasonable guardian would be terrified to death over losing their child in an unsafe part of the city like this. Spriggan held the crying child tightly as he searched for a guardian through the vibrant dispy of emotions only he experienced.
It didn’t take long for Spriggan to find the bckness that snuck through the more exotic colors. Tracking it back with acute accuracy, Spriggan found a demon that stood tall at 7 '0” with a tanky build and impish wings that were too small for his body. On his head was a set of long pointed horns over dark red, leathery skin. The demon-man was in a panic, pushing through the crowded sidewalk, calling out something unheard over the loud noises of the city.
The vine attached to his arm, holding Spriggan stories above the road, began slowly lowering him to the hustling sidewalk, where her father shouted out for her. “Hey,” Spriggan called out from yards above him. “Is this your daughter?” he asked, gently beginning their descent.
Her father gasped with tears in his eyes. “Sera!” He reached up with his big arms, taking the sobbing girl into a warm embrace. “Thank you! Thank you so much,” he said through tears of joy. “Is there anything I can get you, do for you?”
“I’m alright, just take care of yourself,” Spriggan said, suspended by the vine’s tight grip a few feet over the sidewalk
The father looked up, teary-eyed. “Are you sure? Not even lunch?” A delicate, joyful green began radiating from the reunited family as he spoke. Seeing that happiness with his Manifest made him smile underneath the tall, dark blue colr that hid that part of his face.
“I’m really alright, just have a good day.” The vine holding Spriggan in the air pulled him multiple stories up as it reeled around his forearm and bicep. He swung himself forward from the daunting heights with both his body, and the powerful force of his vine.
He flew toward a tall building once more, before leaping up from the peak of a short, tight swing that had an upward angle. Spriggan sailed skyward with great acceleration, and before reaching his apex, he shot out the vines ahead, each grappling to a skyscraper on each side of him.
Spriggan smirked, self-assured as the two vines slingshotted himself to ascend even faster.
He ughed to himself exhirated, as he managed to clear the towering building with an impressive series of controlled, multi-directional flips that led smoothly into a series of advanced somersaults that twisted, and turned his body elegantly as he descended on the building’s other side.
He swung forward with reckless abandon, looking for more people in need of aid with his supernatural eyes.
The streets below seemed clear of any danger, so, as he did before, he flew over the next building with a combination of vine maneuvers and flips. He soared through the next street in search of anyone in need again. But it seemed like everyone was alright, which was a good thing in Spriggan’s opinion - just meant he needed to look elsewhere. He continued on through the next few blocks, each with a simir scene of impoverished, chaotic, but safe city life.
Wonder what Rose is up to, he asked himself between swings. He really couldn't seem to keep her off his mind, even if he knew that he needed to stay vigint as Spriggan - he just couldn’t seem to help himself.
Without realizing it Spriggan had swung to where Hairemont, the district he had been patrolling, bordered the city outskirts. He slowed his swing to match the buildings, which were shorter than before, but still stories taller than the street level. Spriggan was well versed in the area, as he was in most of the other city’s districts, and as he looked around, he remembered that it had been a little too long since he had st visited St. Joan.
He pivoted around the corner of the street, where a small church built from faded, cut stone stood in its old age. It stood tall with its polished stained gss windows and tall steeple that had long ago broken in half. No one was quite sure how ancient St. Joan was, but rumor had it, the church was made in the 15th century, when Joan of Arc escaped her execution, and built this as her new home. While its rich history was almost entirely lost, it was repurposed into a homeless shelter. and soup kitchen that Spriggan made a habit of volunteering at.
Spriggan saw jolly greens that led back to the dy who ran St. Joan. She stood in the middle of the church as she tended to the potted pnts, and flowers that were pced around a simple fountain that no longer worked. With her were two children that chased each other in circles, giggling as they pyed tag.
“Clear the runway!” Spriggan called out as he slowed down, and released himself in the air above them. He descended with a tight set of back flips, nding with his arms strung out like a showman. In that fshy dispy, he pulled down the colr-mask to reveal his smile to them. It made him feel goofy, showing off for their entertainment, but it’s not like it mattered what anyone thought of Spriggan.
“Oh, very good Spriggan! 10/10, impressive as always,” Miss Valentina said, cpping along with the two children that cheered for him, excited to see him again.
Miss Valentina was a tall, skinny middle aged human that stood around 6 '5”, but what stood out most was her fshy peacock tail feathers that folded down like the rear end of a long dress.
Her tail feathers were exotically colored, and once, Spriggan got to see their hypnotizing beauty once before. She tended to wear her bck Sister’s habit, except for the ck of a traditional head covering, and the bold colors from her Thaumic Mutation
“Thank you! Thank you,” he said, bowing to them, before stepping closer. Spriggan slipped out three small seeds from one of the six pouches sewn into the inside of the cloak. With a small push of Life Magic, he quickly brought two of them alive. They blossomed into long-stemmed, pretty blue Cornflowers that were handed to each of the smiling children.
“Flowers are for girls, Spriggan! How many times do I have to tell you?” The younger Ezekial handed his flower to Cire, who already was happy to have one, let alone two.
“I forget that every time.” Spriggan rubbed the back of his head, again pushing a cornflower through the stages of growth in an instant. It stood out from the top of his head, and it made the two children ugh. He picked it from his head, offering it to miss Valentine, who lovingly smiled as she tended to.
“Why, thank you Spriggan,” she said, inspecting her delicate flora closely with her purple lipstick and dark mascara.
“Spriggan has flower brains,” Ez said with a jovial giggle, and an accusatory point that made his counterpart join his ughter.
“Now, now Ez. Be nice to Spriggan, there’s nothing wrong with his flower brains.” She teased Spriggan, making the two kids innocently ugh. “It's an incredible surprise to have you visit us,” she said with kind eyes.
“Just passing through the area, need any help around the pce?” Spriggan asked, following her as she walked through the tiny courtyard. They watched the children run, who resumed their game of tag. They had a hard life with their parents, who were addicts that were stuck battling their demons. Spriggan had helped them a year ago, and luckily, convinced them to keep their children safe during their rehabs; they ended up trusting Miss Valentina as their temporary guardian, which made him really happy when he first heard.
“Not currently, we just finished serving lunch, so we’re taking a little walk during our break.” He noticed her gncing toward the small home-made greenhouse, built from cracked plexigss and two-by-fours. “Well, maybe you could do the traditional little check up?”
“Of course, I’d love to.” She had already pulled out the St. Joan’s keychain, knowing that he’d always help her in any way he could. Spriggan followed her to the greenhouse’s door that was protected by a long series of locks and bolts, where she began the tedious, but necessary process of unlocking the garden, when a tiny hand spped Spriggan’s leg.
“You’re it Flower-Brains!” Cire tagged him, giggling as she ran around the fountain to hide. Both kids looked to him from their separated positions with a cheerful look, and an innocent green that came from their psyche.
“I’m gonna show you two what this Flower-Brain can do.” Spriggan, with a smile, began chasing after Cire, who ran from him with a high-pitched squeal. She dodged between potted pnts, and ducked under the branches of short seedlings, before sprinting toward Ez. He kept a consistent pace with her that made her feel like she was winning. “I’m gonna get you!” He teased.
“Hey! Leave her alone, you bully,” Ez closed the distance progressively in an attempt to get Spriggan’s attention.
Spriggan suddenly peeled away from Cire, who quickly tired. He redirected his pursuit to Ez, who turned to dash away from him. Ez didn’t chuckle like Cire; he took this much more seriously than her. Spriggan understood that, so he increased the intensity of his chase to match his energy.
Ez didn’t use the environment like Cire; he’d rather sprint away at his top speeds. Spriggan stayed on his heels, while still giving him the chance to escape in the end.
“I’m right behind you,” Spriggan said, allowing Ez to cut right in a hurried sprint, toward Miss Valentina with her short bck hair, who stood aside the unlocked door. “Race you back, Ez!” he said, watching the young boy run harder than before. Spriggan increased his pace, closing the distance between them, but not overtaking him - of course in the end, he was going to let them win, he just liked letting them feel like they earned it.
They crossed the imaginary finish line with Ez in the lead. “Oh, yeah! I win again, Flower-Brains!” Ez rested over his knees, breathing heavily with a proud smile.
“Spriggan always loses,” Cire said, standing beside Miss Valentine with a metallic pink water bottle, she sipped from.
“You guys are just too fast for me.” Just like Baron, the alter ego of Spriggan wasn’t the best actor or liar, but it was more than enough to harmlessly trick the kids.
“Excellent job children.” Miss Valentina handed Ez a bottle the same as Cire’s, except for its blue color. “Give Spriggan space to work, and take the chance to rehydrate.” She nodded to Spriggan with the children by her side, who sipped on their waters as they watched.
Stood in the doorway of the greenhouse that had a soft bed of clovers in pce of flooring. Spriggan gently stepped in, wishing that he could feel the ground with bare feet. He began to slowly walk, checking out the state of the produce that hung from posts, and beds of dirt that surrounded the outside room. It wasn’t rge, so they had to maximize every inch they could use for St. Joan.
Almost everything was green and likely to provide a productive harvest, except for the short sapling that wasn’t looking well. It was a bell pepper pnt that wouldn’t survive long enough to bear fruit. Luckily, Spriggan was there to aid it before it was too te.
He guided his mana into the pnt through Life Magic, bringing it back to life as it stood vertical with a deeper green than before. Spriggan didn’t stop there, spreading his field of control out to the rest of the garden, boosting their vigor but not rushing them through their growth cycle. The greenhouse felt more alive than before, each pnt glowing brighter with their natural beauty.
“Just needed a touch-up. You’ve gotten a lot better at gardening,” Spriggan said, stepping out of the doorway with a smile.
“Thank you, I’ve had a great teacher afterall.” She began the process of locking up their home-grown food source. “Will you be avaible for dinner preparations, or will you be busy today? It’s alright if you are. I think we can all agree just having you visit was a blessing.” She spoke for herself, and the children who were distracted by a centipede in one of the flower pots.
“I’d love to, but I’ve got somewhere to be in…” Spriggan felt a surge of panic, realizing that he completely lost track of how long he’d been out. “What time is it?”
“It’s 3:18,” Miss Valentina said, reading it from a petite wrist watch. “We’ll handle Dinner. Just make sure to visit again soon, even if it's just to say hello,” she said with an understanding tone.
“Yeah, I’m sorry, I’ve got to get back home at 5.” His right arm reached upwards as he spoke. “I’ll stop by again, when I’ve got a little more time.” The corresponding vine zipped through the air to fasten around the streetmp above.
“Don’t stress yourself over it, we already appreciate everything you do,” she said with that same warm smile as she waved him off. While sad to say goodbye, the two children joined her.
“Bye, Flower-Brains,” Ez said, sticking his tongue out at him as he left.
“Bye-Bye, Spriggan!” Cire waved him off, while holding onto the side of Miss Valentina’s leg.
“I’ll stop by again soon,” he said with a smile, before catapulting himself into flight. Spriggan twisted through the air to find his center, before swinging forward off the street lights' ahead.
I need to visit them again soon, Spriggan thought to himself as he reached the apex of his trajectory. He looked over the outskirts, where there was not much joy in the air. It was primarily colored by sad blues, dishonest yellows, desperate reds that came together to form a depressing smog that lingered over the district’s streets. There was so much trash, needles, debris, and damaged property, it looked like this was where all the litter from the city ended up.
He grappled to the street sign with a shorter length, and a sharper release that carried him skyward. The surrounding buildings that still stood were only two to three stories tall, and much shorter than Hairemont’s. Unfortunately, many of the blocks were piles of rubble, and the structures that survived barely did so with cheap, unreliable repairs that got them through.
Spriggan pivoted his momentum with the vine that secured itself around the base of an old business sign that had long ago faded. Spriggan pitched his body onto the roof, nding with a soft roll over his shoulder that carried him into a full sprint. He kicked forward with a quick and powerful stride, committing with a bold confidence, before leaping over a rge hole in the roof, which would be too far for any Non-Cognizant to clear.
Spriggan cleared the distance easily, nding into a full speed toward the edge, before diving off with a front flip, sending himself into a slower, more concise flight in this more contained environment.
His next point to swing from was an old mp post, not too dissimir from the one he used near St. Joan’s, except that this one probably didn’t work at Night - things this far out didn’t get repaired by the city. Spriggan propelled himself over it, sending him gliding through the air.
He pulled himself onto the rusted ptform of a decrypted billboard. Spriggan looked across the outskirts, where in contrast to the joy he just saw, there was a smoke-stack of violently bold reds. That was not anything to be concerned about, except for the bck threads that escaped its suffocating presence. He didn’t hesitate, stepping off to traverse over the few blocks in between them.
Spriggan nded softly on the rooftop that oversaw the dark alley that emitted these emotions, where four people kicked someone in the fetal position. They were openly jumping him, but no one bothered to get involved, their lives’ were hard enough already. He dropped down to the fire exit below with an audible nding. He knew if he didn’t stop them, then more likely than not, they’d end up killing him.
Before he was engaged, Spriggan identified and recognized features of the four to the best of his abilities. It didn’t take him long to assume each of their races, since he knew how to tell the subtle differences apart. There seemed to be a human like him with nothing else of note; a Lunar-Enthralled that had a distinct untamed glint in their eyes, and facial features that were slightly more sharp and wolf-like; then there were, what looked like two Vampires with their much-too-pale complexion with slitted eyes suited toward night vision.
“I think that’s enough.” Spriggan confidently projected his voice, drawing each of their attention to him. They looked confused at first, until they began ughing at him. The battered victim on the floor with their blooded face tried to crawl away, but one of them grabbed his colr to yank him back.
“Yeah? What’s a dressed up bitch like you gonna do?” The human with natural silver hair asked, smirking as he pnted his feet, and sent the frail homeless man twirling with a ruthless right hook.
He leapt down from his vantage point, dropping down only feet away from them. While Spriggan wasn’t sure if they had martial weapons, firearms, or Magic; he knew that it was time to interfere, no matter the threat they could potentially pose.
“I’ll give you one st chance to leave him alone.” Spriggan warned them a final time, he really didn’t want to have to fight them here. He understood the criminals in this area were only trying to survive, but that didn’t mean Spriggan could just stand by. They turned toward him, quickly their short-lived amusement shifted to a violent rage that bled red from their subconsciouses.
That color que was enough for him, he stepped forward with his left foot, closing the distance with the human, not much bigger than him. Spriggan peppered him with two quick, snappy jabs that whipped him in the nose, causing his eyes to water-up involuntarily. Spriggan slid back after the attacks nded, creating distance between them with smooth footwork that didn’t overp, or cause him to trip.
He stumbled back, holding his nose into the much taller and broader Lunar-Enthralled. The vampire with a dark hood moved forward, his hands up in a loose guard that had too many openings. Spriggan had been tactical with his positioning in the tight, cluttered alley, where he stood it was difficult to be surrounded, and currently only two of them could pursue him at a time without running over each other.
The victim of their attack took his chance, running out the other end as their attention was diverted. Spriggan smiled confidently underneath his cowl, this was going to be easy now that he didn't need to defend him.
The hooded vampire in the lead stepped forward with a sloppy, looping punch that was heavily telegraphed. Spriggan lowered his knees and ducked his head, rolling underneath the attack with ease, before following up with an uppercut that exploded from the strength in his legs.
The hood snapped back off his head, and Spriggan continued with the counter, stepping forward with a thrusting teep kick that stabbed into his stomach like a spear. It sent him crashing into the hollow dumpster behind him, knocking the wind out of him. His focus was kept on the Werewolf with a thick beard, who pushed past his human friend with a wild flurry of swipes from his sharp, dagger-like cws.
Spriggan effortlessly bobbed and weaved, slipping through the attacks, where he entered the ‘pocket’ - the area where both opponents could nd strikes or start grappling. Spriggan knew that, even within this space he couldn’t win in a straight brawl against the physical superiority of the Lunar-Enthralled, which traditionally surpassed the enhancements of a baseline Cognizant.
Spriggan slid through this pocket, snapping his elbow in on his nose with the forward momentum. It caused his nose to stream blood, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough to put him down. It was only a distraction. Spriggan pced his outer leg behind the much bigger person’s calves, before pulling them out from under him as he shoved with his arms, sweeping him into a rotted pile of trash.
Before he could do anything else, the silver-haired one, who recovered from the first attack, leapt at Spriggan with open arms in a formless takedown. He zipped upwards with the right arm’s vine, easily avoiding the sloppy attack when something caught his eye from the back!
A red thread from the shorter vampire with chunky cheeks, led through the air, behind Spriggan’s point in the air. That could only mean one thing! Spriggan twisted himself in the air, where a busted-up shopping cart flew at him! In the crucial moments, Spriggan threw out his spare vine, catching it with a quick binding, before shifting its trajectory at the hooded one, who smmed into the dumpster again as it exploded into rusted parts.
Probably a Manifest of some sorts, something telepathy based? Spriggan noted the opponent's potential Bloodline Manifest.
Spriggan, using his own Manifest, Intent’s Confession, followed a second red thread that led to a rusted AC unit on his right. It violently shot out of the window, but Spriggan knew that would happen. His vine pushed him back down as the AC crashed through the damaged wall on his other side. Before Spriggan hit the ground, he swiftly slipped a seed out from one of those hidden pouches, throwing it toward the shorter vampire in the rear.
That small, dark, oval-shaped seed sprouted to life in flight, expanding into a long Liana vine, just like the ones around his arms. The vines sprawled around his legs, binding them together as it snaked up his body in twisted knots, leaving him helplessly squirming on the floor - one down.
Spriggan nded between the human and bloody-nosed Werewolf, who surrounded him in his descent. They both lead into their own attacks at the same time, Spriggan knew it was impossible to keep track of each of their movements in this scenario, so he fell back on his Manifest.
He followed the whispers of red that gave their attacks away, making it easy to predict when and where they would be attacking. Spriggan slipped under a series of straights, before rolling under a sharp, cwed strike, followed by a sloppy kick that was pushed to the side, as he slid under a powerful overhand.
They attacked him in synch, targeting him with everything they had in an untrained assault, but Spriggan dodged and slid through their attacks, all while keeping a tight fixation on their next attacks.
The human fell out of sync with their timing, allowing Spriggan to counter with a spinning back kick that shot-out his turn’s momentum through him. His heel reverbied painfully as it bounced off a hard, rounded off carapace yer that protected the exterior of his arms. Spriggan didn’t allow them to seize the moment of his mistake, instead shifting a step back to narrowly avoid the attack from his left.
Definitely a Mutation, seems like it gives him a shell-like outer yer. Spriggan kept dodging and moving, not allowing the light throbbing in his foot to inhibit him.
Spriggan refocused on their auras, waiting for his time to counter as he slipped past their offenses.
The opportunity appeared. The bearded Werewolf overcommitted on a sharp punch, sending him stumbling toward Spriggan. From a third pouch, he grabbed a singur podded seed, before cutting the angle around him, dodging an unruly hook from his left. He passed by him, pcing the seed onto the fabrics of his clothes, and with a strong push of mana, it burst to life!
It sprouted into a tall white birch that grew around the Werewolf. The cracked wall behind him, creating a wooden prison perfectly fitted to his body, and was enforced by the brick structure. He struggled against its entrapment to no avail, the physical augmentations from his Lunar-Enthralled ancestry not enough to break through - two down.
He noticed another twine entered the sway, leading to the Vampire standing up again, whose hands were sparking and crackling as they charged with electricity.
Most likely, low-level Elemental Magic, Spriggan thought to himself, continuing to avoid the single opponent’s strikes; even more untouchable now as their numbers dwindled.
Spriggan couldn’t let him fire that spell off! His vine crashed into the dumpster behind the Vampire, who sidestepped the attack as he continued charging with electricity. Luckily for Spriggan, he wasn’t aiming for him.
That vine took hold of the dumpster behind him, ripping it forward with great force, crashing it into the spell-caster’s back! It sent him cascading, hard to the ground, interrupting his spell as he bounced from the pavement.
Quickly, Spriggan flicked a Liana seed out as he danced around his silver-haired foe. Like before, it extended to life in a mess of knots that sought out the fallen Vampire to bind him just like his friends - three down.
“I think maybe now is a good time to surrender,” Spriggan said, sliding back out of the range of a messy straight. “You can’t think, you possibly have a chance. Just give up…” He cut himself off, noticing a deep rage in his blood-red aura that directed toward something unseen on his waistline.
Spriggan watched his hand begin reaching for, what he assumed was a gun! Intent’s Confession, luckily allowed him to predict their next moves, and gave him a head start!
From his right arm, Spriggan shot out the vine, which quickly wrapped around his arm, and smmed him into the wall beside him. The vine detached, instead using its length to bind him, leaving him writhing on the ground, same as his friends before.
A relieved noise escaped Spriggan as a new vine grew to repce the one he lost. He turned his head up and down the alley - it seemed that their victim escaped, and was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to make sure he'd be okay, but it’s best he got out of here when he did.
He stepped over to the silver-haired one, who pointlessly struggled as Spriggan took his phone from his pocket. He began dialing 911, where the phone only rang once before being answered.
“911, where is your emergency?” The raspy, sleep-deprived voice asked, attentive to the potential danger their caller was in.
“I’m at…” Spriggan lightly jogged to the alley’s end, looking for a road marker that was still legible. “I’m in an alley off of West 43rd street, a turn before the dirt lot.” He paced back to the phone’s owner, who helplessly called out for his property.
“What is the nature of your emergency?” They continued asking in a calm, reliable tone.
“I got four guys tied up out here that were just assaulting someone. Could you send some officer’s to pick them up?” Spriggan stood over the phone’s owner. “I’ll leave them here for you.”
“Sir, please do not leave the scene! We are sending Police and EMS no…” After ending the call, Spriggan read the phone's clock at 4:39! He completely lost track of time again!
“Shit,” Spriggan said, returning the borrowed phone before sending himself flying out of the alley into a rushed flight.
He raced around the block, traveling at greater speeds than before, toward the towering city of bleached stone, cement, and gss that refracted the sun’s light. He didn’t see it, while traveling deeper into the Outskirts, but the main part of the city always lingered over the abandoned district, suffocating it with its grander stature.
It didn’t take long to clear the border that connected the Outskirts and Hairemont’s western side, but he zipped forward with a flip that recentered his bance.
He continued on, but something concerning caught his eye, causing him to nd on a much taller rooftop. There, Spriggan saw a fire that left an old, shady motel destroyed - that rumor had it that it participated in shadier practices. Maybe that's what led to this, but no one had any evidence, just baseless word of mouth.
He watched the Haven’s PD, securing the area from any potential danger as firefighters attended to the small inferno, where one of them bsted water from the palms of his hands, and the others manned a firehose that worked to simir effects. Out of pce from the City’s officials, there was a young female reporter of Korean descent, taking pictures of the fire and asking officials questions, they ignored.
Spriggan shook his head - he didn't have the time to be idling! He swung away, assuming they had it handled, not that his arsenal of pnts could do much against a fire anyways, and thankfully, it looked like they had it handled.
He didn’t reach the same speeds; his destination, Dirk’s Express was only a few streets down now, which was still in a, less-than-privileged area of the Haven.
It only took a few swings to reach the old convenient store built into the corner of a much taller, and rger structure that he first lept from today.
Dirk’s Express had windows covered in out-dated beer and cigarette advertisements with a sign over the door that read, ‘Deli & Groceries & Lotto’. Spriggan nded into a hurried walk, as he pushed through the gss door that rang the bell overhead.
Inside, it was a typical bodega with tightly packed aisles of packaged foods, and refrigerated goods. Spriggan walked through the mostly empty store in a rush, waving to the middle-aged worker behind the counter, Dirk, who hung his head low, looking defeated as he tended to.
“I’m gonna be using the New York closet,” Spriggan said, petting a fluffy cat that purred, not far from the grill behind the counter. Dirk, uncaring of the health-code viotion, responded with a low grunt and a slight nod, which in Spriggan’s experience with him, meant yes.
“Thanks, Dirk.” He gave the cat one more scratch behind his ear, before jogging down a short hallway that led to another exit, and a set of restrooms, which paralleled a trio of doors beled LA, NYC, and DEN.
He opened the door beled NYC, stepping into a small, tight mop-closet that stank of cleaning chemicals and mildewed mops. Spriggan locked the door behind him, before reaching upwards to a small shelf, where he hid his backpack behind a box of hand soap.
Luckily, no one had stolen it, which he didn’t think would be an issue - who’d steal from Dirk’s nasty closet? He took out his phone from a secured spot on his suit to check the time, it read 4:48, and he got a message from Rose 15 minutes ago. ‘Hey, not trying to be annoying, just wanted to make sure we’re still meeting up?’
Shit, Spriggan thought, texting her back with rapid thumbs. ‘For sure. Sorry, got stuck up doing hw lol’ He put the phone down, before taking Spriggan’s suit off, starting with the colred-cloak, and then the bck undersuit. He shoved them in his bag, exchanging them for Baron’s typical blue jeans, and pin t-shirt that he paired with one of NYU’s sweatshirts.
It didn’t take him long to change, and it took even less time to deactivate Spriggan's facial illusion spell, unfortunately returning him to his dull, rounded features, squeaky voice, and bnd brown hair.
Baron slung the backpack over his shoulder, before unlocking the door and exiting to the same hallway, except that this time, there was only the one door beled ‘York’, which he exited from. He didn’t react, nor did he understand the pathways between The Haven’s Pocket Dimension and Earth, except that they tended to be named ‘York’. It wasn’t an exact science, but it was reliable, once a pathway was established.
He walked out through the main exit, waving to Dirk, who still stood with his depressingly blue cloud that filled the store, which looked exactly like the one he’d just exited. Though the cat was missing - which made more sense then Dirk being in two pces at once - odd as it was though, Baron learned not to question how it worked.
Baron pushed through the gss doors of Dirk’s Express, which sat on the corner of an even taller building than before. Outside was no longer the old dingy Hairemont district, but now the modern gss skyscrapers of New York City - a city not just busier, but in much better condition.
Luckily for Baron, his dorm was only a few streets away from the Bodega. He took off into a light jog - nothing compared to the powerful strides Spriggan took on that sunken rooftop.
He hastily moved through the more crowded sidewalks, before crossing an active street. The cars halted with a honk, as Baron waved and mouthed an apology, swiftly making it to the other side. He cringed at himself, it made him not just feel rude crossing before his turn, but it also made him feel like a bother in their lives. But there was no time to spare - it was already 4:54!
He picked up his pace, hoping that the other college students, and people around him weren’t judging him for being the only one running. Only a little further - Baron just needed to turn the corner, and cut through the courtyard to the side of their dorm, where their window sat four stories high.
Baron made it around the block, running through the grassy courtyard with his backpack that bounced uncomfortably. Thankfully, there weren’t many people around, and it seemed like no one had their eyes on him, why would anyone anyways? He's just Baron.
As he jogged, Baron took command of the old oak outside their window. It lowered one of its stout limbs for him to grab onto, before it sent him upwards through its foliage that covered his ascent from others. It brought him to his level, where he used the smaller, more delicate branch endings to open the window.
Baron hurriedly climbed through the window, anxious that he didn’t make it in time, as he sent the reliable branch to its original pce. What if she hates me! Baron thought to himself, he couldn’t help but think of all the bad scenarios that could happen.
He nded in the small dorm with a bunk bed, and two desks that took up a wall each. The room was decorated with a variety of succulents, flowers, and potted pnts that gave the room a fresh atmosphere. In the remaining space, a small corner, Abel kept his bass, electric guitar, keyboard, and other instruments.
Baron pulled out his notification-less phone - 4:57! He made it with time to spare! He took the opportunity to take a seat on his desk’s chair, a relieved sigh escaping him. This was the first time he’d gotten off his feet since his csses that started early in the morning, and he was starting to feel the fatigue catch up. His legs, arms, and almost every muscle in his body felt some form of strain, not to mention his foot still throbbed from earlier.
He sunk into the cheap, pstic chair, finally taking a breath, allowing himself a quick respite. Maybe it was time to save up for an espresso machine, Baron thought to himself, seemingly alone in the dorm, Abel should be at his band’s rehearsal afterall, and it didn’t seem like Dawn pnned on visiting.
“Seems like Spriggan had a busy day.” Dawn spoke up, making Baron jump in his seat startled. He must have not seen her behind Abel's half-closed bck out curtain, where she casually id sideways on the bunk.
“Oh, Dawn!” He quickly lost that feeling of unexpected fear in pce of a familiar comfort “I mean… Sort of,” Baron said, sounding unsure in himself. It always made him feel childish when she or Abel brought Spriggan up to him, even if he knew they weren’t trying to make him feel that way. “How about your day?”
“Eh,” Dawn said unenthused as she pyed with a strand of ginger hair that hung from a loose bun. “Definitely had better days.” She tried to look cheerful but it felt forced, compared to her naturally contagious smile. “Anyways, I just thought I’d swing by, I know Abel’s at practice for that show coming up, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do something fun without his me ass,” Dawn said, still trying to match her normal, pyful energy, but her tone felt ft and almost sarcastic.
Baron’s gaze shifted to the ground, an uncomfortable feeling taking over his mind. He hadn’t ever told Dawn no before, nor did he like telling anyone no - especially his new friends, which treated him better than any peer in High School. “I’m sorry, Dawn. Me and Rose are going out to Central Park, here in a little.” Guilt ate at Baron, once he saw the disappointed look on her face.
“Oh…” For those short moments, Dawn wasn’t able to hide that beaten look behind a smile. The sadness slipped through her facial features, before she obviously forced herself to look happy for him. “That’ll be nice.”
“You okay?” For a moment, Baron considered using Confession’s Intent as he looked at her with a hesitant, unsure look. Even if he just wanted to help, he knew, she’d probably beat him up, if she ever found out. “I can reschedule if you need, I’m sure Rose will understand.” He wasn’t actually completely confident she would. What if she hated him forever, and never wanted to see him again because he called off at the st second? The thought made him visibly anxious through his poor poker face, but he couldn’t just leave Dawn like this.
“Nah, I’m good…” She was cut off by a rhythmic knocking on the door. Dawn stood first to open the door, where Rose awaited with her shoulder-length blonde hair, and cheeks that he couldn’t help but want to kiss. “What’s up, Rose,” Dawn greeted her with a fake smile that only Baron could notice.
“Oh! Hi, Dawn. How’re you doing?” Rose asked with her bubbly smile, but Baron couldn’t linger on these feelings of desire because of his growing concern.
“Been chillin’, heard about your guys’ cute little date though.” Dawn tried to tease them again, but she just sounded tired and sad. “Third one right? Things must be going well.” Even if something was up with her, it was obvious that Dawn really was happy for them.
“Yeah.” Rose bit down on her lip to suppress a bashful smile, but Baron could see the red blushing of her cheeks. “Baron mentioned that he’s never been to Central Park.” Dawn stepped to the side to let Rose in, before taking a step toward the exit herself.
“That’ll be a good time.” Dawn looked between Rose and Baron, who hadn’t yet stood from his chair. “I’m gonna get out of your guys’ hair, and let you two lover-birds enjoy the date.” She managed to make both of their faces flush, still embarrassed by their newly found feelings.
“It was nice seeing you though,” Rose said with her joyful tone as Dawn began walking away from the dorm door. Baron stood from his seat on shaky, sore legs that struggled to find their ground at first.
“Hold up, Dawn.” Baron followed her through the doorway, where she turned back for him. “You sure, you're alright? We can swing by your dorm after if you’d like?” Baron couldn’t hide his concern in his tone, which seemed to break through Dawn’s tired demeanor.
“Bruh, of course I’m good. I’m goated,” she said, doing her best to smile, but the look in her eyes betrayed her. Dawn didn’t wait for Baron’s response, instead heading toward the elevator down the, mostly empty corridor, except for the few other male college students that only seemed to pay any mind to Dawn’s backside.
He was still so worried about her, and he wanted to go after her, but he knew that she’d probably be stubborn and get frustrated. Stood outside of his door, Baron watched her enter the elevator door, leaving his line of sight as he frowned.
“Is everything alright?” Rose quietly asked, worried from within the dorm. He turned to her with an unsure look, but she unintentionally distracted him with her pretty eyes.
“I don't know.” He shook his head, stepping back into the dorm without entirely closing the door. “I think something is bothering her,” Baron said worriedly.
“Oh…” Rose started to look concerned, before speaking again. “Do you want to go check on her? We can always reschedule.”
“I’m not sure, she’d like that. She didn’t seem like she wanted to talk about it.” Baron responded, a weight being pced on his conscience. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was conceiving Rose, or himself. Yeah, she could be hard-headed at times, but she waited in the dorm for him; maybe she even pnned on opening up before he chose his desires over her needs.
He bit down on his inner lip, pinching it softly between his canines as he lost himself in thought. What should I do? Baron really couldn’t help but get stuck questioning his own judgment. A part of him felt he was being selfish. Yeah, he really did want to go out with Rose, and looked forward to it all day, so he questioned himself. How good of a person could I be, when I chose to go on a date, instead of supporting one of my closest friends?
“Well. If you’re sure” Rose didn’t sound fully convinced, but she didn’t press him on it further. “Should we get going then?” she asked, helping Baron escape the pitfalls of his mind. He looked at her from the floor, noticing her pretty face that adorned a delicate coating of make-up.
“Yeah, you’re right, let’s go before we miss the train.” Baron walked across the small room on heavy legs, where he grabbed a small pair of keys and a velcro wallet, before leading them out of the Dorm. He locked the door behind himself with Rose beside him, where she stood in her white skirt matched with a dark blue, wool sweater.
They turned down the hall together, smiling goofily at each other as their arms brushed together on their way to the elevator.
