The Streets and Connecting Alleyways

There seemed to be no one in pursuit of Strålende, no sounds of footsteps against the cobble or nearby signs of movement. Despite her slower than usual picking of the door’s lock, it would eventually open without any further event… At least that’s what it would seem in the moment.

As she hurriedly dashed inside the tavern, she would come face to face with a cloaked figure. They stood no more than ten feet from the entrance, a faint smile on their lips that was only just visible in the dim light. And just after that, it was likely to strike Strålende that the one standing before them now was the old woman they had just robbed moments earlier. By looks alone it was an easy conclusion to come to, but the how would be far more difficult to reconcile.

“I believe you have something that belongs to me child…” Grandma’s voice held a certain scolding tone to it, yet her expression was one of amusement. “And I wouldn’t try running if I were you. While I can find it in myself to forgive a child, I suspect you have some idea what happened to that pack of dogs you brought to me.”

Cane gripped firmly in hand, Grandma waited to see what the girl would do.

This girl certainly possessed magical talent… This was the second time the girl had attempted to pull at Grandma’s mind. Even more intriguing was the fact Grandma had a suspicion she was unaware of it. After all, why would she be brandishing a knife in such a way and look so frightened if she was aware of her gifts? That was a matter to be discovered later, however.

“Brandishing a weapon at an old woman? Do the children of Isra have no respect for their elders nowadays?” Shaking her head, Grandma wagged her finger disapprovingly at Strålende.

Tsk tsk tsk

Without warning, Strålende would feel the texture of the knife in their hand begin to rapidly change. The handle felt rougher and uneven. Should she look down she would find her knife had been transformed into a weathered stone that then crumbled to dust before her eyes. The slam of the door alerted that something had closed it, but if the girl glanced behind her there was no one to be seen.

“Now, let’s try this again, but without the knife. To start things off, how about you return the things you stole from me, eh?” Extending a wizened hand in the girls direction, Grandma fixed her with an expectant look.

This was really a rather fortunate encounter, now that Grandma had a moment to think about it. She had sent quite a few Inquisitors out months earlier to locate some proper candidates for her… And as luck would have it, she’d simply stumbled upon this girl right before doing the selection.

This girl really was quite something… It seemed talking the girl down would take far too long and Grandma was a busy woman. Perhaps she’d be more willing to talk once she’d be given some time to cool down. Of course, it wasn’t like Grandma was going to be giving her the option but had made an attempt to calm the girl down. A poor attempt but an attempt nonetheless.

Enough 

The single word rang loudly through Strålende’s mind. Her body grew heavy and numb, even her very mind would seem to grow sluggish.

Sleep

Once more the command pierced the girl’s mind, a thought that overwhelmed all others. There was nothing to do but obey it. Within seconds Strålende would find all her worries washed away as she fell into a deep slumber.

Exiting the tavern, Grandma turned towards Strålende, the child now peacefully asleep on the ground. Pulling back one of her robes’ sleeves, Grandma examined the mark on her arm where one of the thrown rings had hit. This one had potential… Still, there were many with signs promise she had gathered. Whether this girl would be one of the chosen had yet to be seen.

Glancing up at the sound of boots on the cobble, Grandma directed a look of disgust at the two Inquisitors who were panting for breath before her. Absolute disappointments.

“Take the girl and follow me, we’re returning to the Empress’s Eye.” Grandma’s harsh tone was all the reprimand the Inquisitors needed, the pair glancing nervously at each other before hurrying to obey the command.

Throughout the city streets, the Blue Bloods emerge. From houses and hovels, from alleys and boulevards, people-driven mad with power and rage spill into the streets. Whatever magic that affects them seems to leave a blind spot in their all-consuming lust for violence when it comes to other afflicted but everyone else is fair game.

Innocent men and women run ahead of the hoard, carrying children as they try to find safety. Many are not lucky but Isra has the finest guards in the world and some manage to find mobilized patrols ready to meet the hoard.

Makeshift barricades and organized men and women in armour wielding swords, shields, cudgels, and bows try to set up areas of safety. Some are successful, others not so much. Those who underestimate the magic fueled power of the hoard are torn to shreds as the streets begin to flow red with blood.

The blue dust had been a very bad idea, but this thought didn't cross Aldergaze's mind in the slightest. It was like he was walking a dream and his paws were sinking into the softest grass in the hills, his whiskers hypersensitive compared to the norm. But something was edging his vision in blue that was turning almost purple with red and he felt a fire grow in his stomach. Something about the unmarked people was filling him with an unnamed hatred - why were these people weren't touched by the awesome feeling of the blue powder?!

The constant use left the once noble warrior cat in a rather ragged state, with his fur unkempt and fluffed up - more so along his arched back and all across his tail. The white belly fur was streaked subtly with the blue, and even coloring the tips of his fur just a bit. His eyes remained fully dilated despite the bright light of the day, and he stepped precisely with flexed paws that refused to retract the claws. An ungodly yowling sound emitted from the small creature as he prowled around - at least until a mother and her child crossed his path in their attempt to flee from the madness on the street.

It was then that the demonic sound shifted to a rather shrill screech of a very pissed cat and tore after them with forepaws constantly swiping at the pair - no threat but clear intent to maim and shred in sheer violence.

Guardsmen Helena's charge to rouse the guard would go down in the annals of Isra's history. It was as brave as it was fool hearty and it got many mobilized far faster than they might have otherwise. The start of the attack right in the wee hours of the morning was insidious with the night shift ready to head to bed but the day shifts not quite fully roused. The city was sluggish when its attackers were already filled with manic drug-filled energy.

The charge of a horse through the crowd proved effective for a while but there were many blue blood addicts and even more spilling out on to the streets. They also proved to be less crazed than she might have hoped. Many springing out of the way but as she went careening past an alleyway one clever Blue Blooder swung out with a shovel the blow aimed at the delicate knee of her horse aiming to lame the creature.

Meanwhile, the Colonization Force was assembling as quickly as they could but even the bravest of men were faced with horror when realizing that those they faced were the very same they'd sworn to protect. Something that was thrown into sharp relief when a young girl barely out of her teens launches herself upon the barracks gate slamming her fists into it hard enough to cause the wood to splinter. Soon joined by a mod of people who wanted nothing more than to tear them apart. So when the cohort came charging out they dealt a mighty blow but those soldiers were forced to see the young, the old, the infirm, all the dregs of Isran society trampled under their hooves.

The Centurion was doing exactly what the figures behind this attack wanted. Then again, like all the best plans, there was no option that did not give those behind this damnable plague what they wanted. Fight the Blue Bloods and Isra lost people on both sides. Try to contain them and lose even more in the bargain. Run and the city would burn. There was no good option, there was no option that did not accomplish the goal, to prove that Isra was vulnerable.

Holding the intersection peacefully did not last long. Like moths to a flame, the Blue Blood's descended onto any concentration of people that were free of their distinctive markings. Even when it meant throwing their lives away they were so full of rage at those who were not like them that they would claw until their dying breath, they would rip their fingernails lose trying to kill those that were gathered.

Then the Centurion would see something very disturbing. A group of people down a side alley would come sprinting towards her group, they were unmarked and looking for shelter. However, before they could make the line a Blue Blood smashed a vial of the powder at their feet. It swirls up and a few members of the group inhale some of it sharply. Then, just like that, they were gone to the frenzy tearing those they'd been running beside apart.

The two he had been chasing managed to get inside the door and slam it shut, leaving him outside and continuing to yowl and screech as he scratched at the wood for a short while. He couldn't get through it, and gave up - doing a 180 and looking for another mouse to chase. He saw several of them, being overrun by other cats, and took up the chase to become a terrifying torpedo of claws and teeth and a horrible sound of a tiny demon. Sadly, the mice he was seeing were more untainted bystanders that were desperate for sanctuary from the madness in the streets.

"Who..." was all that came out as the bag soared into a group of her men (and women), almost in slow motion. She had never really appreciated mages until that moment. One gust of wind and that bag would have been deflected back. Instead, it made a gap in her line. The rapid dehydration of her foes was not something the Centurion noted immediately, as she found herself once more blade to blade with those she should have been defending.

She shoved back her target, a sergeant she had known for years, and took the opportunity to answer the comms bead.

"We are holding the square outside the 1st Legion's main barracks. Civilians are--" The sound of clanging metal and then a sickening thud as she pulled her gladius out of the sergeant, suppressing the tears of anger she felt. "--Civilians are secured inside the barracks but I don't know how much longer we'll last...could use some reinforcements or at least a mage!"