Epim is a man, he stands at five-foot nine. He is not heavy, he is not light. One could call his build average. Like everyone, there are peculiarities in the way he walks and carries himself. A slight drag of the foot here, a slight drag of the foot there. He does not walk heavily, his feet do not sink into the ground when he walks.
His companions, of course, also had their own peculiar way of walking. The Shade walked with heavy footsteps, its feet did sink into the ground. With each step there was an indentation. Prose flew, and so he rarely made a trace of where he walked.
Bart, as a Bloodsucker he walked primarily with his forearms, though of course his back legs did move as well. His indentations were strictly different than the flats of Epim’s footwear; they showcased his balled fists.
In the battle with the mercenaries, Epim used his knife that was always attached to his hip. It struck Aiga across the eye, and even in the mummified state Aiga was in, this wound was evident.
There are other, slightly less intuitive factors that one could pick up on, were they to examine Epim with all their intensity as Yi did. His hair color was rare, slightly. He was not balding, but thin strands of it did fall off, now and again. Of course they were infinitesimally small pieces of evidence, but they existed all the same.
Right handed, presumed by the angle he had cut Aiga at. He traveled with a Bloodsucker and a great beast, inferred through not his footsteps but of course the ones around his own.
So, when Yi, Arch, and Heacrim walked into the castle which had certainly been a place of great activity, and they saw the group of five gathered around, it was not hard to pick out Epim. While Arch was a man who wished his vengeance, he also was a man who was used to giving orders, and satisfying his desires through the actions of those around him had become something he was accustomed to. Yi, knowing this, did not find it odd that he had been asked to take the shot on his behalf.
Yi was a marksman of great renown, his eyes gave himself an understanding of his environment in an intimate, knowledgeable way that frankly most could not fathom. And while he was unnerved by their companion, the mysterious doctor Heacrim, the flow of his actions did not falter as he saw his mark.
In one quick movement, the bow from his back, the arrow in his hand, his bow strung back. He took only a second as he fired, pleased by the absolute unaware nature of the group in front of him. His plan was simple, in through the side, in an instant blow of lethality. What came after was not his concern, though Arch had warned him discreetly that the doctor at their side was someone with great ability and unknown motive, he believed that were their goals to align they would be allowed to happily part ways. Thus, he let the arrow fly.
He was slightly off put, by the fact that the woman of the group had turned her head to them slightly before he fired. Although she did not alarm the group, a slight shift in Epim’s posture had turned the lethal arrow into only that was quite severe. He quickly reached for another.
Epim’s body fell, the pain in his side unbearable. Instantly he felt his breath taken from him, pain radiating from his side and into his chest in a way that was much more severe than the feral Bloodsucker’s teeth and claws.
Bart opened his mouth in shock, Alucire turned his head to the source. The Shade had already begun to run, the three functional arms unfurling from its shoulders and side. Its white eyes flashed with rage, looking to Yi, and then Heacrim, and then back to Yi.
As it pounded its way forwards, Miede 's locked Heacrim’s. His face was curled in a friendly smile, and his eyes mockered, round and bright. His right hand was raised to his hat, lifting it so the view was unobstructed.
Bart leaped over to Epim on the ground. Alucire’s eyes gleamed the truth. “Do not! Your life would be forfeit!” He yells, grabbing Bart before he could sink his teeth in.
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The Shade swung its right fist forward at Yi, who had stopped his attempt for an arrow and now cowered in fright at the sight of the absurdity in front of him. Its speed betrayed his expectations. Arch’s left leg slammed into the Shade’s arm. And then the same leg slammed into its stomach, and it felt its feet uplift from the floor. It flew back, the extendable arms slamming into the ground and steadying itself.
Bart struggled in Alucire’s grip. “Stop! He won’t be allowed to die!” But Alucire held fast.
“He won’t! I’ll assure you of it.” He turns to Miede, seeing her shocked face. He looked to the trio that had just invaded, and his eyes darkened as they went to Heacrim’s face. “Miede!” He spoke with haste.
She snapped from her shock, and turned over to Heacrim. When their eyes met, time seemed to slow. They understood each other. Alucire grabs Epim’s body and stands, straining. His breath is heavy, and he turns out back to the group.
“That’s the man who killed my brother!” Arch yells, his eyes fixated on Epim. Alucire looks down quickly, at the man at his side.
“His brother was a mercenary who’s preying on us!” Bart yells back in quick retort, recognizing the uniform Yi is wearing. Alucire nodded his head, and dispelled any thoughts of doubt.
Alucire was now carrying Epim by the shoulder, who was slumped down and seemed to be quickly draining of color. He ran off into a corridor, over the rubble and without taking another look back. Bart followed quickly behind, not allowing even for a moment for his eyes to leave Epim. His thoughts did, and he hoped for the Shade’s safety. The feeling he got from Heacrim was chilling, so much so that the idea that his back was turned to him now nearly froze him in fear.
The Feral Bloodsucker runs forwards, standing to the side of the Shade. The Shade stands next to it, side-eying it quite a bit but never taking its full attention of the assailants. Miede stands in front of the corridor, behind both of them. She stares forwards, knowing that at this point forward she would never look back.
Heacrim moves his hand down from his hat, his eyes still carrying their mocking gaze. Arch clicks his tongue. “Allies of a murderer are murderers all the same. Yi, take her out. We’ll focus on the two monsters.” He turned his eyes to Heacrim, and the man nodded in assent. He had slipped a serrated knife into his hand in a moment, and casually glided through the air.
“I’ll take the bat, if that’s ok.” Heacrim chuckled. “I’m used to the biology, you see.”
Arch nodded, his eyes focused on the Shade. It was different than anything he’d seen, but it was ultimately the same as any other. Destroy the body, cripple the limbs, it was an equation of force. Arch had proven to himself that it was capable of being hurt. He eyed the countless cracks over its exoskeleton greedily.
Yi’s right hand moved to notch another arrow. Before his hand gripped it, he felt his body freeze. It felt as if his body was sapping completely of strength. Across the room, Miede’s eyes focused intently on him.
The Shade ran forwards as the Bloodsucker did. It threw a right fist, and its extendable arms shot forwards like spears. The Bloodsucker simply charged, and the moment it neared it seemed to be filled with even more ferocity, it bared its fangs.
Arch took no notice of Yi’s lack of action. As the clawed hands shot forward, Arch moved quickly forward, directly up to the Shade’s own body. The Shade looked down, its own additional limbs in the way of its primary arms. The extendable arms constricted, in an attempt to wrap backwards and crush him in a tight grip.
Arch moved faster. His breathe called the air in, a veritable breeze could be felt as he commanded the entirety of his force. His two fists slammed into the stomach of the Shade. A thickening crack resounded through the Exoskeleton. Its hands fell limp, and it flew backwards, slammed into a pile of rubble and disappearing from sight. Miede’s eyes flinched, but she did not for a second take her attention away from Yi.
The Bloodsucker slashed forwards with its claws, and Heacrim quickly dodged its side. His knife slided across its arm, drawing up an arc of blood. It twisted, its teeth snapping at his neck. He took a step back, and it bit only the air. He aimed quickly for its neck, missing by just a hair, as it seemed to grow an untimely awareness.
“Oh..” He turned his eyes to Miede, they flashed with amusement. The Bloodsuckers backed up, retreating carefully as it clenched its muscles, stemming the blood. Arch prepared to deal with it himself, until he found a piece of rubble flying through the air and nearly slamming into him. He ducked out of the way, as the rubble slammed into the wall. The Shade stepped out of the pile of rubble, the exoskeleton all around its body now completely gone.
It still stood tall. A collection of twisted branches and wooden flesh, it was refined and mimic’d human muscle. In Between the branches, a white light ran through the entirety of its body. The light culminated in its eyes, and they shone with focus.
The Bloodsucker stood by it. Its ears curled back, its body tensed and it moved close to the ground. The wound on its arm pulsed with pain.
The Shade right foot lifted up, and slammed against the ground. It shook the earth. Arch cracked his neck, not intimidated at all by the obvious show of force. Heacrim traces the edge of his knife with his hand, staring past Miede into the corridor. He laughs at the thought of the conditions they had found themself in. It suited his desire perfectly.
Deep beyond Heacrim’s sight, Alucire carried Epim into a room with a spiral case, leading down into the castle’s dungeon. Bart moved at his side, his eyes incredulous. “Stop now! You’ve done nothing to assure him his life-”
Alucire continued to trudge forwards. “With my life, isn’t it obvious!? I’ll do what I couldn’t, all these years. I’ll set it into motion, a future that will be better.” Bart stared at him, wanting to disbelieve. But the honesty, and the clear struggle he had carrying Epim led him to wait. As long as his heart still beat, he could save him. Since that was the case, he followed behind him down into the dungeon.