EVENT ✨ Sugar and Siege

[avalonmods]

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The fairy queen is less than pleased, but not angry, with how her quest went. She has Princess Bluebell of the Guinea Pig Nation speak, and Princess Bluebell also has a favor to ask... which seems to be the calm before the storm, as an unknown third party who made off with the Fisher King earlier this month have performed a ritual to resurrect him and left the veil open, letting in untold forces that have engaged in a Wild Hunt... and the prey is Camelot.

CONTENT WARNINGS:

• 1st Prompt: --
• 2nd Prompt: Active: Battle, disease, famine, living death, rage; Historical/Not active in prompt: mentions of serial killers, murder, biological warfare, god/human love affair
  
• 3rd Prompt: --

This prompt is backdated slightly and takes place on February 18th.

A live broadcast comes to everyone's devices, featuring a rather peculiar speaker. "Attenchun, kindly o-otherwowders! Tis I, Pwincess Guacachia Bluebell of the Guinea Pig Nation of Nowth Elphame. Though our home is too small to be noted on the Laage Neighbow's maps, I asschuwe you I am caulified as Ambassadow for Chween Elphame. Though you had failed her chwuest, many of you have shown the twust she asked fow even if not the bwains. Those who have will be shown gweat gwatichude, but she does feel [squeaking sound of dismay that cannot be translated out of guinea pig adequately] as the Fishaa King's body was pawt of hew pwans to dishmanchle the Cawamidy and didn' want to speach chuday because of it. Evewyone send good wibes and wikes, she won't speak when she's not
[again: squeaking sound of dismay that cannot be translated out of guinea pig adequately]... the Cawamichy won't be ended if you all don't wowk with the Chween, King Awfur's gwaces or notch, you know! But that's none of myyy busy-ness! Elphame offews a rewawd fow the Fishaa King's body now, much to keep you "fat and happy" for many yeaws!    I also have a favew to ask on behaaf of my people. Our Festiva of Life is next week and the usuaw souwce of one of the chey ingwediench of our festiva cakes was a Leschawian, bwessings to them!" As it turns out, the Guinea Pig Nation (all talking guinea pigs who like to dress up in various outfits- in style now in particular is old western themed outfits, but the Princess must always wear her crown) are in a pinch because their Lestari hook-up for the feathers died in the fall of Lestari. They need help to pluck feathers from a bird called the Prism Tweeter! Their people love to decorate the outside of their Festival of Life cakes with their feathers, which are made of finely spun sugar in a variety of colors. These birds are typically found in the first Ash Mountain, but upon its fall, migrated to live in the Forest of the Felled as one of its new, more colorful residents. It only takes one feather to cover a cake, so pluck no more than one feather per bird and the whole flock will go unharmed... the only trick is catching these delectably sweet aviators: The birds can magically phase through physical, non-enchanted objects, so you have to surprise them to grab them. The plus side is, they really love vanilla beans, so they're easy to lure out of the trees.. you don't have to be George of the Jungle to help out the pigs.   More of a stay-at-home kind of helper? That's fine too. They need bakers to make as many tiny cakes as they need for the festival since it's so last minute this year! Hurry up and grab a friend to get to baking 3-layer 1 inch cakes wrapped in rainbow feathers to help these little guys out. The Elphame Traders will make a special trip to Camelot to pick up all of these cakes as a favor to the Guinea Pig Nation, so you can stay at home and bake with your friends no matter where you live. This prompt takes place on February 22nd and February 23rd.
	A few days after the fun and fancy-free stylings of the Guinea Pig Nation ahead of their Festival of Life (you weren't invited, sorry, too big you would destroy their homes- but they appreciate the help!) things are going pretty mundanely. That is, until what sounds like a battle cry is heard approaching New Camelot. On the horizon, what appears to be a massive cavalcade of demon horse-riding wraiths lead by four knights in what appears to be ancient armor rush toward the city. A few of the locals who hear the sound and come out to see what all the fuss is about immediately seem to spook, shouting something about the Wild Hunt. Usually it's something preserved for earth and those who find it will be taken along and dumped either in Avalon itself or taken straight to the underworld, but their presence here in Avalon.. well, that can't be good. The shouting seems to alert the castle, which seems to alert more people, and within a matter of minutes people are being rushed to take cover within the castle walls for siege.
All of Camelot's gates are closed and people are directed to a couple of different places: knights and those who wish to fight are to prepare for battle at each of the gates. Healers who wish to stay and help the wounded are to gather in the citadel, where the injured will be taken. Those who wish to battle and heal will act as field medics to get people into a state enough fit to be taken to the citadel. Those who wish to offer other support may be asked to hand out food and water within the citadel or fetch supplies around the city, or to rush to the library to try to figure out what the hell is leading this hunting party toward them. King Arthur will lead the knights into battle. Merlin will also be assisting in battle, using a variety of magic from atop the castle. If your character gets into a pinch and you aren't sure how to get them out, feel free to have him send a magic spell to block an enemy. Knights given the authority to direct other fighting characters as they see fit (though your non-knight fighter's compliance is, as always, depending on your choice as a player).  Those who wish to opt out of this event entirely will be whisked away by some of the Fairy Queen's spies to Nicnevin for safekeeping. If you do not want your character to remember or acknowledge any portion of this event, we can handwave that the Fairy Queen arbitrarily found your character annoying and put them under a sleeping spell for the duration of their stay. This will be done before the outer city gates are broken through, so your character can be safe the whole time and just chill in a hotel room in Nicnevin. Those who stay will be fighting wraiths (unkillable enemies) lead by four beings called the Knights of the Veil. Those who have rushed to the library to find answers will be able to spread the following information regarding the enemies, though first-hand experience may also be how your character finds out some of it: The Knights of the Veil live in the void between the world of the living and the dead and escaped when the veil was not closed during a ritual to raise a heavily cursed and protected corpse back to life. Though there's no way to know which corpse, recent news of the Fisher King's body going missing leaves some speculation and fear about who it was that was raised, but no one has any idea who did it. The Knights of the Veil have touch-based magic in addition to weaponry which you may have your character afflicted by at your behest. The four knights are as follows: Carlea: Once a proud Queen, she sold her soul to the darkness after her husband was killed by enemies and the prince of the enemy nation forced her to marry him. She used this ability to brutally murder every last citizen of her enemy's kingdom over time in secret and feed them to a pet bear she was gifted by her new husband, saving him for last. Carlea's touch will invoke a curse of famine, causing all food and drink to turn to ash in the touched individual's mouth. Rubion: Rubion was a serial killer in his world known for killing over a hundred people, though the exact number is not known. Who he was before that isn't particularly known, but as a killer, he was known for brutally killing anyone who crossed him in a fit of rage. He was from a time before forensics and tended to kill witnesses, so he was never caught. That is, until he missed seeing a small child hiding under his bed during one of his rampages. The child's grandfather took him in and killed Rubion himself after he found out why the child would not speak for a month straight. It is thought that his own god cursed Rubion to stay in the void where he could not torment his victims in the afterlife too. Rubion's touch will invoke uncontrollable, violent rage and turn even the smallest slight into a mountainous anger. Augusto: Augusto was the general of an army who used the blood of his people's sickly to spread disease in conquering nations. He did not choose to become one of the Knights, instead being cursed to eternal damnation by a priestess in one of the villages he wrought destruction upon. Augusto's touch will inflict a disease of the player's choosing upon their character, at full height of symptoms within 30 minutes of touch.  Pien: Pien is a god of an older religion who was banished from the heavenly kingdoms for loving a human so much she attempted to give her eternal life despite that it was forbidden to grant eternity to mortals. She has a high-and-mighty attitude, and if disrespected will disrespect you right back with dignity-obliterating consequences. Her followers tended to be on the M side of things. Her touch will invoke conscious zombieism, meaning that your body will die and begin to rot despite still being able to move, and you will be aware and able to communicate and feel during this experience.    The Knights and Wraiths cannot be killed by any means as long as the ritual remains in effect and their tie to the underworld is stable, so for the time being this is a heavily unwinnable battle. Thankfully, wraiths are not very coordinated even if they are aggressive in battle so it's easy to dodge, flee, or take cover.

On the second day of the Siege, devices will flicker with a face we haven't seen in some time. She is this world's mother goddess, after all, so if threatened she will come to offer reprieve. Morganna looks almost amused at how much destruction had been wrought by the actions of, truly, one man and those he had strung along. Morganna will not punish nor reveal them, but she will speak on the matter: "Those wishing for this to end, rejoice. I have birthed verbena upon your doorsteps. Take another's hand, light a candle and burn the flowers. Whisper 'lights out' three times together, and pray to send some of your magic to me. I need as many of you to do it as possible, or else I will not be able to freeze time fast enough to stop the calamity from engulfing this place afterward when I complete the ritual shutter."
That is all she says. The ritual won't do much if only one person does it outside of today as Morganna is keeping secret what she does on her end to complete it. If your character's name is possessed by the fairy queen, they will be forced to participate in this ritual so they may notice something odd if they weren't intending to do it. After the ritual is complete, all personal rituals will be voided and need to be recast. (This includes things like brownie summoning spells or the banishing of lesser frost fairies if your character was doing that from last year to keep their house warm.) This will also cause both the sun and moon to black out for about a day afterward, so you may want to get on board with artificial lighting or spells until a party heading to Celliwig to repair that ritual can get out there in about a day's time. The most dangerous ritual that has been broken will be the time freeze. Morganna uses everyone's magic to give herself superspeed to recomplete the ritual to recast it, along with a significant portion of the Isle of Avalon's itself that had been built up in surplus having everyone here for so long. However, there are still 2 seconds in which the massive event that threatens the multiverse can move forward. It is now visible in the sky to the north during the night even without being at the End of the World, and will stay that way for the duration of isleofavalon until the multiverse is saved. It is outright terrifying if you travel to the End of the World now, taking up the majority of the sky. For a month afterward, those who participated may find themselves fatigued without clear cause... but in general, magic will be misbehaving and causing accidents for everyone for about the next month.

Comments

Somnus Lucis Caelum | Final Fantasy XV | OTA

[luciing]

[ OOC: CW for all prompts for blood, disease, fighting. ]

The Wild Hunt: Curses: A: Augusto/Disease:

[ The world is more important than any one individual, any one kingdom, any one dynasty. Disease is a great equalizer, as it may take any of them at any notice.

Somnus stumbles from a battle against one of the Knights of the Veil, afflicted with the curse of an unknown disease. The question now remains: is it contagious? With the possibility in mind, should your character notice him and attempt to give aid, he brushes yours aside, even as he seems to stagger. His voice cuts through the cacophony of battle, and while his visage is ashen, his breath raspy, his gaze remains sharp. ] Leave.

The Wild Hunt: Curses: B: Rubion/Aggro:

[ It becomes increasingly obvious that the mounted wraiths the Knights of the Veil lead cannot be defeated by anyone, and what a revelation it is that all otherworlders are powerless despite being granted the realm's unique magic. The news of their origins, from the library-goers-- that the veil was not closed properly during some ritual to resurrect a cursed corpse and the speculative, but ultimately unreliable, information that the Fisher King's body has gone missing-- do nothing to help the present problem of protecting the city and fending off the vermin. It seems to be a growing pattern, that Camelot is woefully defenseless time and time again. That does not stop him from doing what he can, and those on the battlefield with him will see how ruthlessly he engages each opponent. Unfortunately, being mortal once more, exhaustion eventually takes hold and small injuries accumulate. Then, all at once, his luck runs out when he engages Rubion, one of the Knights of the Veil, and is struck by its malevolent magic.

The wrathful curse takes hold, and almost immediately he feels it set in place, a frustration and anger beginning to boil through his veins. Knowing that rage does not help with combat, or worse, may injure allies, his faculties remain intact just long enough for him to decide to retreat-- not to shelter, for he knows the curse would not be safe to others.

Encounter Somnus near a small, makeshift garden, where the soil is freshly turned over as if seeds had been recently planted. He sits, slightly slumped, next to the shed, taking a bandage and wrapping it over a wound upon his forearm. The band snaps with the force he uses, and uncharacteristically, he tosses it to the ground and instead simply places a hand to his forehead, fingers massaging against his brow. It seems he's attempting to calm himself-- a futile effort, against the curse, and it twists like a painful knife in his chest. It was a good idea to isolate, being so afflicted, but slowly and surely, the reason for isolating becomes forgotten as anger overcomes his mind.

When you approach, his head snaps up, and his gaze is anything but kind to you. ]

The Wild Hunt: C: Rescuing You:

[ If you're caught in the midst of battle and injured, having someone pull you from the ground and onto the back of a horse. Now you're riding behind a grim, pale man, and he's bringing you back to the city proper. ]

There are healers within the city. Let us find one.

Wildcard

[ Have an idea? PM this account, drinksteapots, or Jade294#6977! ]

The Wild Hunt - B

[tantailizing]

[It's getting worse trying to fight against the wraiths, but he can't just slink off to try having the curse dealt with. The wraiths and their Knights don't care about exhaustion just like they don't care about anything except their rampage. Still, maybe he could afford himself a minute or two to try resting, give his head enough time to stop spinning and refocus, and take care of that stupid self-inflicted nick he got on his arm. Daggers are evidently not a weapon to use while stricken with a high fever.]

[The garden seemed like a good spot to lie low, maybe walk over to a shed, but it takes him another second to realize someone else is there. Oh, and that someone seems pretty mad at him?]

... Somnus? Uh... [Dammit, he tries standing up to his usual posture as best he can.] Hey, lemme help you with that.

[There seems to be a discarded roll of bandages (?), and Somnus does seem wounded at a second glance.]

[luciing]

[ Who encounters him but the tailed youth.

Somnus' hand falls from his face, and he hunches forward, elbows upon his knees where he sits. His hands clasp together, a fist cupped within the palm of his other, causing his knuckles to go white.

His eyes lock to the wound on Zidane's arm, and instead of accepting the bandages in return, he states flatly, ]

You are injured, yourself.

[tantailizing]

[Somnus doesn't take the bandages... whatever. He sits down - or drops down, he tried not to just flop again - next to Somnus and seems to ignore the comment.]

Eh, it's nothing. I'll patch it later.

[So he hadn't been ignoring, but while he's trying to unroll some bandages, he's wondering how much effort it's going to take to stand back up.]

[luciing]

[ As Zidane settles onto the ground, Somnus doesn't move. He also doesn't look in the other's direction... although, that's not so odd for someone as standoffish as he. ]

You seem in good spirits, despite the chaos that has descended.

[tantailizing]

Ehe... trying to be a bright face in hell. Or something like that.

[Shit, unrolling bandages shouldn't be this hard, but he thinks he's gotten enough to wrap up Somnus's injury finally.]

But, y'know, trying. How the hell did this happen now?

[luciing]

[ Once more, Somnus doesn't move. His brow has lowered further, however. ]

Those who went to the library suggest it was a erroneous ritual to resurrect one who was long dead.

[ He makes a noise, something low and derisive, close to a scoff. ]

No one had known such a thing was possible. Avalon will fall for its ignorance, in time.

[tantailizing]

...? Did they post that?

[He hasn't been able to check his phone. Maybe he should do that, but one thing at a time so he actually focuses.]

Maybe at some point, but we can't let that happen until we're finished here. Anyway, let me see your arm so I can wrap it.

[luciing]

[ Somnus is only parroting what information apparently been going around, and says nothing more of the dead end that it is. It doesn't help them in this moment, and at Zidane's second statement, his eyes lock with his. Some dark festers within his gaze. ]

Yourself, first.

[ His hand extends, as if to bidding for the bandage to be dropped into his palm. ]

[tantailizing]

[Zidane looks back... and misses how Somnus's gaze seems searing and dark. Like, there's more to his usual behavior than normal, but his tail does whip up a little.]

What? No, we're bandaging you first.

[He brings the bandages he unrolled to his chest and slightly furrows his brows.]

[luciing]

[ Somnus' hand lowers, and his shoulders slope with a short, low exhale through his nose, as if he had expected nothing different. He says nothing more for the moment. ]

[tantailizing]

...? Somnus?

[... Oh shit, what if Somnus ran into the Knight he did? He hadn't considered that might be the reason he was back here too and struggling with his own wound. Lowering the bandage, Zidane reaches out with a hand to touch Somnus.]

Hey, hold on...! I'll get you to a medic!

[luciing]

[ When Zidane reaches out to him, instead of allowing it, Somnus' hand will swipe out to grip Zidane's arm by the forearm.

Should he succeed, his hold is not kind. His expression is reticence and devoid of any warmth. ] Child.

[ Somnus speaks each word slowly, his voice as sharp as a knife's edge, pointed and poised at the throat. He rises to his feet, whether or not he has Zidane in his grip. ]

Who do you think you are.

B(ig mad)

[silvergarden]

[Rinea is not a warrior. She is barely a healer, either, but it takes more than just soldiers to win a war, and with her potions and kinetic ability she has taken up the task of delivery to those more capable. With Adalhard as deterrence and a long cloak to hide in, she has managed thus far to escape any dangerous encounters.

Still, the trek for foraging ingredients gets longer and longer as her usual sources grow thin, and it is on one of these excursions that she stops in her tracks as Somnus's garden-- and Somnus himself-- comes into view.]

...Sir Somnus.

[Never has she seen such cruelty in his eyes; what a difference it is from the kind gaze she'd received mere months ago. It arrests her even where she stands on the other side of the garden plot.

She grips the basket in her hands tightly and her eyes dart all over him, searching for the source of such an expression.]

You are wounded?

[luciing]

[ The garden, if it can even be called as much without a flower to its name, is an area yet untouched by the hoard of wraiths. The sound of their siege upon Camelot is at a muted distance, haunting the space around them by faint echos of battle. All would be at this level of quiet if it were not for her intrusion.

As soon as she enters his field of vision, his jaw tightens. They have not spoken since the enchantment with the egg, the one that had made them fooled to think they were its parents…

Instead of rising to greet her, he remains seated, bringing his hands together in an almost casual manner. His sight remains locked upon her, seemingly scrutinizing how she stands, what she wears— should a weapon be beneath that cloak— and the item she carries. ]

Daughter of Rigel. [ He greets, but doesn’t answer her, his voice as deep and undisturbed as gravesoil. The bandage lies discarded, forgotten atop the turned earth.

Somnus’ head angles slightly. ]

Come closer.

[silvergarden]

[Their shared delusion under a little bear's watch was a tad embarrassing, certainly... but to be honest, Rinea hadn't minded. To see such different facets of Somnus's taciturn personality was a privilege, something to be savored.

This facet, however, she could have done without.]

...Yes.

[She pauses for a moment longer, delayed by some self-preserving instinct, before she obeys. Her steps trace the edge of the garden soil until she is standing before him. She kneels, basket of herbs and linen laid to one side.]

May I attend to you?

[Berkut was never like this. His anger was loud, righteous.

So... why is she reminded of him?]

[luciing]

[ Once she kneels before him, his arm extends. There upon his skin is a small gash from where one of the Knights had struck him.

He watches her, hawkish, and he brings his other hand up to his face, partially covering his jaw and mouth as he does, as if considering something-- words, actions, her as she nears. For now, he says nothing, simply expecting her to do the attending without need for further command. ]

[silvergarden]

[Oh... it's certainly a bit rude, but with the air around Somnus an offered arm may be as close to an invitation as she may get.

Rinea unrolls a clean bandage from her supplies in an equally uneasy silence. She's a little afraid to touch him, but getting up and backing away seems worse. (Why is she so nervous? Somnus has never been cruel; he has hardly even raised his voice. So why, why does this dread feel so familiar?)

The sky does not fall as she cleans the wound, though she feels hemmed in.

She can't stand it.]

What moves you... to take shelter here? [She finally dares to glance upward at his face.] Do you not care to seek proper aid?

[luciing]

[ Whatever unkindness she had been subjected to for an early death, she will know cruelty once more…. soon.

This is the woman who, for a fleeting moment of respite, had made him forget all of his true family and duty to it. (That's incorrect, some buried part of himself counters, but this thought is quickly snuffed by the deluge of cold fury that comes just after it.) How dare she.  His bloodline, his descendants-- all of whom that must be sacrifice with himself for the prophecy, for there is no other way to restore the Dawn-- had left his mind during that time. This cannot happen again.

Somnus’ other hand falls from his jaw, and he places it above hers that’s tending to his forearm. For now, his touch is light. ]

Tell me. [ His voice rumbles dangerously, like fire boiling beneath thin ice. She stands upon this layer, ready to be engulfed. ]  How.

[ His fingers curl over hers, and he watches her expression. ]

How is it that you bring ruin?

[silvergarden]

P-- pardon?

[Rinea's body goes cold, a shudder jolting through her. Is she being accused? And of what? She cannot even answer the question because its origin is inscrutable.

This too-- this delusion-- has happened before, in front of a flaming altar worlds ago. Color drains from her face. Her vision feels as if it has been tilted sideways. She is going to be sick.]

Somnus? [Trying to pull her hand away only closes his grip more. She panics.] You're frightening me!

CW: violence from curse!!! :C

[luciing]

[ If he holds any sympathy for her plea, he doesn't show it. Her feeble attempt to pull her arm back is met with resistance. For whatever reason, he wants to keep her there. The curse has grown, twisting further like parched vines seeking a source of relief, or in his case, a convenient outlet in which to direct this anger; and she? She simply happened to be here. Now his focus is completely upon her, the way in which her wrist struggles against his grip, and the terror that slowly manifests upon her face.

Good. She should be frightened, she should suffer; this darkness reflects like a storm in his eyes. ] You... [ He breathes the word out through a barely-contained sneer. He stands, forcing her to rise as he does. ] made me forget all of my family.

[ His other hand raises, moving to take her jaw into his grip, and he brings her face below the shadow of his. Like this, he inspects her as if she were a enigma, one in which he cannot solve or understand, which only causes his frown to deepen into proper scowl. ]

Do you dare defend yourself?

[silvergarden]

[Being jerked upright hurts, the snap of her joints making Rinea gasp. By the time she can focus again his other hand holds her fast. She yanks futilely at him, her magic forgotten in the panic.]

F-family? [Her heart makes to burst in her chest, burning a hole in her lungs. Still, her mind races trying to make sense of Somnus's words: if she can just understand, if she can give the right answer, maybe whatever afflicts this man will fall away and her fate will stop replaying, over and over,]

I know not of which you speak! Sir Somnus, please! I know so little of your brother, how could I possibly--

:CCCCCCCCCCC

[luciing]

[ This is her fault, all of it. This has to do with her-- her in his home, with a would-be-child, and somehow, somehow making him want to abandon all else, everything of his Star for which he as worked, the Lucian line, his queen, his son, his grandson, in order to protect a new family. As if she could replace them! As if the joy and peace he had felt with her had meaning!

Something painful beats in his chest. Such sentiments would undo all.

(It is not her fault, that desperate, sane part of himself says. It was the enchantment, and he has only been extra-susceptible to it, as it had capitalized on a deep-seated desire, and weakness, for peace and family. He should release her, he should let her go, but this curse's anger robs him of clear thought, turning him to violence, with her being the convenient outlet for it. She is the unfortunate soul to be in his presence during this time.)

It seems that both her panic and her protests do nothing but raise his ire. His expression contorts to fury at her words, his nostrils flaring with an short exhale, then corrects to iron. Somnus' hand raises her by the wrist, and the other releases her jaw... only to move to strike her across the face. ]

Ruinous woman--

RIP somnus

[silvergarden]

[The hand raised to strike is a harsh shadow silhouetted against the sky. Rinea's eyes widen, then squeeze shut, tears trickling down her cheeks, terrified to find herself again so pathetic, so powerless--

But... she's not, is she?]

--Ah! Hah, hah...

[Rinea tumbles to the grass twenty yards distant, having kinetically blinked herself out of harm's way just in time. The skin of her cheek stings like it struck the surface of water just a little too hard-- but that is all.

For a single shocked moment Rinea can do nothing but gape at the man she thought was Somnus. But her already-blurred view is soon obscured by Adalhard as he summons himself into existence, the heavy clattering of his armor and the slam of his lance hitting the earth the only noises able to signal his displeasure.]

How... [Rinea staggers to her feet, tears dripping to the grass. She is miserable, miserably resentful-- but it is barely about Somnus anymore. As Somnus looks past her and sees his own grief, so too does Rinea see the rage of more than one man.] How small must I make myself to satisfy you? How many times will I...

[No, no, no. No more. No more. She has to go. Rinea blinks hard, clearing her view. She takes one last look at the fragment of the man she can see between the shreds of Adalhard's cape.]

...Goodbye, sir Somnus.

[She turns and runs.]

aaah YUP

[luciing]

[ When she teleports out of his reach, the fury in his gaze levels to something far more vicious and dark. There can be no mistake that he intends to harm her further, and as her familiar appears, he takes a few steps forward. Somnus' eyes never leave her as he draws his blade, knuckles white upon the hilt. Her pleas fall on deaf ears.

That's as far as he can go, for the cry of wraiths breaks the tense silence of the garden. Forced to engage them in battle instead, Rinea escapes. ]