Deadlands

"I don't- ha!  Know!  I was just saying a prayer when- ah! she swooped down and started attacking me!" Red-white speaks between dodges.  The Black-white fires a stream of flames and she ducks behind a grave.


Tai walks up behind the black-white, on the ground about 20ft beneath her.  Now that he gets a better look at her, she looks kind of familiar.  Blonde hair, kind of tan, lithe and muscular...  But the costume's making it kind of hard to be sure.

He can still sense the presence, but it doesn't feel overtly malicious.  More... curious.

Black-white whips around to face Tai.  She raises her palm towards him.

While she's distracted, Kai talks to Natsumi.  "Retreat?  I can't just...  Well...  I guess there's no reason to keep this up..."  She starts to run away.  The witch looks away from Tai and kicks her broom into a charge to chase her.

Tai blows a bunch of wind at the witch.  She grabs her hat with one hand, and turns to face him.  She holds her hands wide, then slams them together and fires a swarm of stars at him.

Natsumi stops in her tracks and turns to Tai.  "Do you want me to stay or go!?"

Kai

Kai pulls Natsumi along.  "Hey, no need to... be so..."  Her complaint stops mid-sentence as his influence takes hold.  They reach the doors to the cathedral and push them open.  The entrance is lit by flickering candles.  It's kinda creepy.

Tai tries to weave through the stars, several grazing him but none scoring direct hits.  He fires back, and the witch summons a ward.  Most of the bullets bounce off, but a few pass through and shoot into her.  She grimaces, then throws a bunch of vials on the ground all around Tai.  She shoots him a wink, then starts to fly off towards the church.

Kai

Tai attempts to run after them, jumping over one of the vials.  They start to shine, then explode into pillars of light.  He gets knocked onto his butt as the witch zips away.  She pauses at the cathedral doors and blows Tai a kiss, then zooms in.

He hears someone snickering behind him.  When he looks, no one's there.

Kai pulls Natsumi along and down a set of stairs, looking for an alternate entrance to the cellar.  As he goes through the door into the chapel, a flash of lightning strikes.  The dim, candlelit room briefly flickers to clearly illuminated.  A man hidden behind the door addresses them as they run past.

He's dressed in a typical black priest outfit with a white collar.  He's older, white-haired and balding.  And he speaks with a weak rasp.  "Hello, children.  What do you seek?"

Natsumi shrieks in surprise.

Kai

The man gives Kai a look that makes him realize he has very much been found out and that this guy has the ability to resist him.  Effortlessly.  "This is a house of the Lord.  We offer sanctuary to all who seek it.  You need only ask."  You still aren't in the coffin room.  "If you seek the shelter of the cellar, there's a hatch in the next room."

The witch flies through the doors.

The priest steps forward.  "O, lost lamb who hath fallen to the shadow.  I ask you lay down your arms, lay down your hate in this holy place."

The witch raises her hand.  The priest raises a crucifix.

"Should we help them?  Or run?" Natsumi asks.


Tai is on the way.

"Fighting in a church sounds kind of wrong doesn't it? Unless the father says otherwise, that is."

Kai goes towards the hatch to open it and lead Natsumi inside.


Tai rushes towards and into the cathedral, desperate for a rematch.