lameframe

Bellis left the tavern through the back entrance, she moved swiftly through the kitchen, her cowl wrapped around her head. Serving maids raised their eyebrows at her passing, the cook noticed as the rear exit swung open and a barrage of course language followed her into the night. A chill wind pulled at her cloak as she stepped into the tight alley. She marched into the town, avoiding the piles of questionable refuse. Her face was flushed red, icy fingers probed her hood and cooled the warmth of her cheeks. The fury rising in her mind bubbled at the edges of her thoughts. She fought her emotions back to keep her steps light and quiet on the c

Bellis clutched her worn green coat tight around her shoulders and moved swiftly through the tavern, a large hood obscuring her face. She turned her nose up as the smell of stale alcohol saturated her senses. The din of drunken conversation filled the room and raucous laughter erupted from the large fireplace. Serving staff weaved through the tables and standing patrons, skillfully wielding trays of drinks and food from the kitchen behind the long bar. She spotted the lone figure quartered away in an alcove against the far wall. “You’re late,”- he sighed, “as usual.” The man’s clothes were tight fitting,

Bellis’ skin bristled, the electricity in the air danced over the hairs of her arms and sent shivers through her body. Her fingernails beamed with golden power, eyes alight with iridescent flame. Golden light rippled across the foliage like oil on water, layers flaked away from each leaf, disintegrating into fine tendrils of swirling mist, a pulse of renewed growth bursting forth with each discarded layer. She threw open her arms, embracing the vortex, allowing the power to twist around her arms like coiled serpents. Exhilaration erupted in her heart, she felt the sensation of needles brushing across her skin as she reached out to the g

Dawn was still hours away, Lithia could hear the birds stirring outside her quarters as she stretched in her bunk. She rose at the sound of approaching footsteps, her black hair hung down to her elbows. She bunched it tightly as she crossed to the window and tied it in a neat ponytail. Loose strands hung at the edges of her face, framing her sharp features. She flicked a switch and the armoured shutters slid open. The artificial light of the compound stabbed at the surrounding forest, illuminating the clearing around the perimeter. Her dark eyes scanned the treeline for movement, before settling on the soldiers in the watchtowers. The Rangers

Lithia entered the gymnasium, the vast white room towered high above, dwarfing the people inside. The room was dotted with a number of weapons racks and benches, a series of dark grey mats were spread around the floor. The walls were bare with and had a small degree of flexibility if you pressed hard enough. The potential recruits gathered around the gymnasium in small groups, testing the equipment on display and indulging in tentative conversation. Becket turned to salute Lithia as she took up a position beside him to watch the new recruits. They all wore the standard grey skirmish suits with black sections around the joints. Accenting each

Fury splintered across her mind. Their eyes locked across the auditorium. She moved across the room with terrible purpose, summoning the emotion and storing it at the periphery of her mind. Her stare drilled mercilessly into the man who stood in the walkway, his head darting momentarily to the exit 20 paces behind. Dark eyes rippled with emotion that was starkly absent from her face, they were almost devoid of colour except for a scattering of metallic coloured flecks that glinted when they caught the light just right. Minutes passed as she stared at the man, relentlessly pouring her venom into him without saying a word. Finally she spoke, he

Mateo watched as the pack closed around Zara and her three companions, his breath caught as the monitor flickered with static. “Don’t make a sound, wait for my signal,” he whispered into the radio. He cast a quick glance around his squad, his three companions stood poised and ready. With a heavy breath he flicked the switch in his hand and shouted into the radio. “GO!” His comrades bolted through the trees as a wave of fire and dirt consumed the forest behind them. Twisted branches lashed against his arms as he sprinted through the trees. The layer of dead foliage scattered in his wake. Condensation threatened t