The Mana Wars

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie looked confused for a moment then said, "No no, I don't hate it! It's a good idea. But the only bad part is that, as skilled as I may seem, this gun can not shoot long ranged yet." She shrugged and looked embarrassed. " I mean, we could try, but there is a eighty-three percent probability that it will miss."

Jessie changed the gun back into her sword and put it in the sheath. "Do you know the way around this palace? I mean, you live on this planet. Sometime in your life you should have been on a tour in here at least."  

[Maha1930]

"Crap, of course I get stuck with the girl who has a tiny gun," Vex sighed. "Hmm, well I have been in here only once, but I believe if we keep following this hallways down and turn right, we'll reach the Kitchen. From there, I know how to get to the balcony. Since we can't use your gun, lemme think here for a second....aha! Idea! What if, you use Lucius's dagger for ammo? That way it'll project further and hit the emperor!" Lucius whimpered at the thought of losing his weapon.

"Oh stop it Lucius, you have like two more in your pack." Lucius growled at him then at the mention of his pack. "Oh...s**t, That's back in the bathroom now isn't it? Hold on Jessie, I'll be right back." Vex went into the bathroom retrieving the pack which was soaked in water. "Gross." He pulled out another dagger and stuffed it in his belt, pulling his coat over it to hide it.  

[Ashley_Winston]

She let the "tiny gun" comment slip for only this time." Ok good. The dagger should work. But when this plan unfolds, we'll need to make sure no one gets in the aiming zone. I'd hate to miss and then have all of them guards come at us. Knowing there are probably about 50 or more here, we don't stand a chance." Jessie looked at Lucius, "Sorry for having to use your dagger, Lucius."

Jessie motioned for Vex to lead the way. As they were making their way to the balcony, Jessie was looking at all the detail put into this palace. "Huh. I wonder who designed the palace. The details are intricate." She slowed down a moment to look at a few pictures of people she recognized but thought to herself, "They were living before I was even born, how could I remember them?" She looked around and saw Vex and Lucius in the distance and ran quickly to catch up and not lose them.  

[Maha1930]

"Yo Jessie, keep up will ya?" The three made a roundabout and reached the kitchen, which was surprisingly empty. "Ah, must be empty since the servants are probably already setting the table for the after coronation feast. The balcony is up those stairs there." Vex said pointing to the staircase directly in front of them. They hurried up the staircase, pausing a few steps from the top to survey the area. There were two guards stationed above the main hall where the coronation was taking place.

"Okay, we're gonna have to be really quite, any noise like the clashing of swords or armor will surely alert the hundreds of soldiers on the lower level." Vex thought long and hard on how he was going to approach this, seemingly impossible feat. "I've got an idea. You guys just stay here." Vex crouched, walking very slowly and quietly up the stairs and positioned himself right behind the two guards. His time stealing food in the slums really payed off in moments like these. He closed his eyes focusing on his gloves, making the flames slightly larger and more potent. He then stood up and quickly grabbed each of the guards heads pressing his gloves into their helmet. They welded shut and all Vex could hear were muffled yells. Too soft for anyone to really here but him. Then, he he grabbed both of them by the neck and placed them up against the wall behind him. Using his gloves he pressed his hands up against their chest, hands, head, and feet, melting them into the wall itself.  

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie stayed put with Lucius while watching Vex. Wow, it'd be cool to be able to melt people like that, Jessie thought. She got up and waved for Lucius to follow as she made her way up to where Vex was standing. She looked around and saw all the soldiers down below surrounding the Emperor.

"Ok we only have one chance to make this work!" Jessie said taking out her sword as it changed into a gun. "Give me the dagger please." She said as Vex gave her the dagger. Jessie put it in her gun and started finding a good position on the large balcony. Meanwhile down at the coronation, he was being crowned Emperor of this planet.  

[Maha1930]

"C'mon Jessie! Do it now!" Jessie fired her gun and the three of them watched as gun soared towards the Emperors neck just as the crown was being placed onto his head. In a split second, right before the dagger pierced the throat of the emperor, one of the guards jumped behind his Holiness and deflected the dagger. Absorbing it in some blue, sheild-like magic. The soldier was completely different the others. He was obviously one of the elite guards.

Vex gulped as the Elite guard pointed to the groups position atop the balcony. All one hundred guards turned and looked up at them. The Elite guard spoke in a very deep musky voice, his face hidden by his black helmet. "Get the traitors!"

"Oh s**t!" Vex yelped. The three of them were in trouble, a lot of trouble.  

[Ashley_Winston]

"ok I know I thought through the assassination a lot while I had time but I never thought that an elite guard would catch on somehow! Vex, what're supposed to do now?!" Jessie yelled. She looked down at all the soldiers making their way to the balcony. "Aww man. I knew I wasn't ready." Jessie fell to her knees and put her face in he hands. Thinking about how much she trained, all the times she grew more powerful. But through all that, she was still just and ordinary girl.

She thought hard but quickly that this was no time to give in. She got up and looked at Vex for the next plan.  

[Maha1930]

"s**t," Vex stomped his foot on the ground. "s**t, s**t, s**t!" The soldiers were running up from the coronation to trap them on the balcony by coming from both sides. They were definitely out of options. "Jessie, we have to jump, most of the soldiers are going up to corner us so we have no other option to face the rest of the soldiers beneath, dead on."  

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie thought and decided it was the only choice. So with out waiting she climbed onto the railing and dove off. Jessie reached for her sword and releasing it as it formed into a gun and she started shooting the soldiers.

As she was nearing the ground she did a tuck and landed on her feet. She whipped the gun and it was a sword again. As soldiers surrounded her she attacked, slicing off heads, limbs and stabbing through the heart of the soldiers. They cornered her to a wall and one grabbed her arms from behind. Jessie thought quickly and used her hands to grab his and used another soldier's body to help her kick herself into the air and flip over the soldier. She made sure she had a secure grip and thrusted him backwards, crushing him into the wall.

Jessie picked up her sword and called up to Vex to get his a** down here and help.  

[Maha1930]

A smile spread across Vex's face and he dove off the balcony just as the soldiers reached the balcony. He rocketed down, slamming his fist into the ground, causing his glove to react and release a burst of fire energy that spread out hitting the soldiers closest to him, throwing them back. Vex slammed his fists into one soldier after another, melting their armor and crushing their bodies with each thrust. Lucius hopped down from the balcony spinning in mid-air and landing on all fours. Vex punched the guard that was closest to him then spun around, reaching into his overcoat and tossed up Lucius's dagger. The beast caught it in his teeth, whipping it around, slicing the soldiers that were coming his way.

But no matter how many soldiers the three took down, it seemed like their numbers weren't dwindling at all. They just kept coming and coming. They had halted the coronation, that was the good thing. Now all they had to do was get out alive.  

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie fought through the soldiers and made her way over to Vex and Lucius. "This isn't going good, Vex. There's more and more no matter how many we kill. I don't this plan has been your smartest out of a few you've suggested." She glared at Vex.

She turned to keep fighting the soldiers while thinking up a plan to escape.  

[Maha1930]

Vex was just about to reply to Jessie with a very witty remark, despite the circumstances, but when he turned around to face her, he came face to face with the elite guard they had seen earlier. He bashed Vex over the head with his fist encased in his soldier armor. Vex's body clambered to the floor, completely limp. Vex was down for the count. Lucius's spotted his master go unconcious and growled angrily, rushing at the elite guard. The guard saw through the dog's obedience and swung his arm at him. Hitting Lucius in the side, slamming him up against the wall. He struggled to get up, but the guard drew his sword, readying himself to slay the animal.  

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie heard thuds and turned to look at Vex and Lucius, expecting that it was guards who thudded. But nope, it turned out the elite guard knocked out Vex and hurt Lucius. "Oh no." Just as Jessie was about to run over to Vex, a bunch of guards grabbed.

Jessie flailed around trying to break free, but couldn't.She looked around for weak points and spotted one just as her vision went black.  

[Maha1930]

Vex found himself enclosed in a four-walled prison when he came too. He squinted, trying to make out if there was anyone in the room. He oculd make out a distinct body. Fur.

"Lucius!" Vex scrambled over to his dog. He rolled over his limp body shaking him, trying to wake him up. The dog whimpered and blinked, licking Vex's face. "Hey Buddy! You're okay! I thought we were done for back there for sure." Vex felt something warm touch his right hand and he took his hand away from Lucius. It was covered in blood. "Oh no, you're hurt. Hold on, I had something on my belt in case this happened." But when he reached down to retrieve the medicine form his belt, it was gone. Not just the medicine, but all his equipment. Both his equipment and Lucius's equipment were gone.

"This is not good buddy. This is the best I can do." Vex took of his shirt, since they had seemed to take his favorite coat as well. He ripped the right arm of, and lifted Lucius up, wrapping the cloth around his wound, tying it tightly. The dog winced, but Vex patted him on the head. "Sorry buddy, it's the best I can do right now." Vex looked around. "They separated us. Jessie's on her own for now. Poor girl, she was beginning to grow on me a little. Just a little though, she's still a pain. Come to mention it Lu, we don't know that much about her. Maybe she put us in this predicament. Wouldn't be the first time we fell for a trap. But then again, she wasn't that smart." Vex slammed his bare fist into the floor. "They even took my damn gloves! Damn soldiers! Ugh!"  

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie opened her eyes to find herself in a cement made room. She slowly got up and looked around seeing a metal door. Kinda like jail cell doors. She walked over to the door and examined them. "Hmm..The metal isn't too thick. Nothing my blade can't handle," she said as she reached for her sword but felt nothing.
Jessie looked down at her side to see her sword and sheath gone. "AHG! Those bastards!" She yelled. Jessie looked down the halls as far as she could see through the bars and saw many other cells just like hers.

Calling out," Vex? Lucius? Can you hear me? Are you guys alright?" Jessie sits there and waits for any sort of reply.