Reunion

JP with Omni, Winteroak, and White_Caribou

Malacost ran towards Voah swinging his blade as two dark robes made to flank the woman. They seemed to be holding back somehow.

His eyes were drawn to the witch. Her focused solely on the Arbiter. He came to her side to protect her flank.

"We need to get out of here promptly." He started. "Just kill that bitch and let's be done with this lot." He growled looking at the approaching Dark Robes.

It took a second to have her eyes adjust from the blinding firelight to the moonlit darkness, but when she did an interesting sight sat before her.

The holy woman stood with her sword out and dressed in little but what looked to be a nightgown. The fire had not consumed her. Voah sounded a plea--to who it was directed Shalia was unsure as she approached, but she would not waver. The Inquisiton allowed no mercy...why should she?
The woman began to move back upon the destructive sound of two figures having crashed out of the building and into the main street, toppling to the ground. The witch shot a brief glance to them and wondered if this had been the man who attacked her in the alley. The kill that was stolen.

But she was proven otherwise by the unknown man's beastly appearance and when Alcuin came to Voah's side suddenly.

"We will never be done with you," she poisonously growled in Helian after the man's words before rushing forward to take a few swift stabs at Voah.

The natural investigator in Voah wanted to know more but she was on the cusp of being a losing battle if she didn’t kill the witch now. It was as if the dark robes were just coming out of the walls.

The witch did seem to be spitefully chatty, so maybe she could get an answer of some kind.

Stepping lightly in an arc to evade one of the robes, Voah had to react quickly to fend off the witch.

~Clack~ She blocked a stab.

“Tell me, witch!”

~Clang~ She parried another.

“How could you betray Islana?! She’s one of your own!?”

~Clack~ She blocked again and moved forward to put some pressure on the witch’s stance.

She heard another painful scream from Gonyaul and she told herself she had to focus.

'Fight me, coward!' Shalia wanted to scream into her face as they held their weapons forcefully against one another's. Voah was not striking back anymore but instead trying to make conversation and reacting with defense. But the witch was surprised by the question. Someone who knew Islana? She leaned in closer. If she were a dog, her mouth would be twisted with snarling teeth and barking.

"Who are our own--Maleficium? What is it to you?"

Shalia eyed their weapons pressed together and slipped one hand off her own, allowing the sword and spear to slam into her armored shoulder harshly. As they did, the free hand reached across her body to pull out the dagger and she plunged it toward Voah's stomach. Alcuin's attention bounced between the robes and the witch, but he used this chance to slice forward, cutting deeply into the pale, unguarded arm from the elbow to the shoulder. Shalia whimpered, recoiling quickly with a few steps back just enough to miss his second strike. She winced and shoved the dagger back into her waistband before gripping the spear tightly again, biting the inside of her cheek at the stinging wound.
She looked to Voah again and began slowly moving right, nearer to where the beastly fellow was now being attacked. This way she was keeping the ex-Arbiter in her sights and making distance from the holy man as much as possible. Killing him was important and her catalyst to this hunt, but the woman in the black garb was the thief in two ways. Sticky fingers taking what wasn't hers. How typical of the Inquisition and Empire.

If they hadn't had their boons they would already be dead.

She was baffled by the woman's meaning. Just a way to get under her skin, maybe, and it was succeeding. Shalia raised her tone greatly to further draw attention.

"Why is it you think I betrayed the girl? I saved her fucking life!"