The First Night

[Trillian]

Wren was struggling with the temperature of his shower - minutely turning the cold tap to receive icy water but then being blasted by fiery temperatures if he turned it point one of a degree the other way - when he sensed the unnatural event. Somebody was changing What Should Be and twisting it for their own desires.

And this was his first night in this city.

He shut off the icy shower and towelled himself dry as quickly as possible, stomach churning and senses flaring as nature screamed her torment. He was sensitive to her, and her 'voice' was loud in this city with its overlapping leylines and trees that spanned milennia, roots connecting with the earth and spreading time underground. It brought with it the sensation of death. Nausea threatened to overwhelm him; whatever was happening was close by. Stumbling, Wren grabbed the topmost pair of pants from his drawers - they happened to be white linen - and pulled them on. The material clung to his legs wherever he didn't properly dry them and after slipping his feet into sandals and hurriedly placing his protective beads around his neck, he opened the door to a terrible sight.

He should've prepared himself by peeking out the window first.

He was on the ground floor so he saw the walking dead from quite close. One figure of skeletal remains was trying to push over a garbage can but didn't have the bodyweight to manage until joined by a meatier friend. It crashed to the ground and those who still had voice-boxes groaned their pleasure. Another grotesque was throwing rocks towards the windows of the Detour but hadn't managed to make the distance just yet - muscles having decayed along with the rest of their form. The crashing can had brought out some hotel guests though, and instead of staring like Wren, they glanced out, saw one of the zombies, shrieked and slammed the door.

He'd have to fix this, and find out who was responsible.

Wren went back inside his room to get his staff - a long measure of wood from a holy cedar tree. If his incantations didn't work, he would have to use it to club them into submission. He hoped he wouldn't have to - some of those undead looked squelchy.

The closest creature was the bony one who'd needed help with the garbage can; it was less zombie and more skeleton. Clutching his staff in one hand, he raised his palm towards the creature who turned towards him.

"Codlata leis an talamh"

Wren was relieved when it fell into a pile of bones and dust. He moved onto the next, going from one to the other and ordering them to go back to sleep with the earth, before he realised that he wasn't alone.

[Black Philip]

Continued from The Witch And The Goat

Tess danced throughout the streets as her playthings tore the city apart.It was a beautiful chaos, and she could feel the pleasure of her master fueling her as she walked. Maybe she'd go to Sticks and Stakes and get wasted. She could win a few pool games easy enough. She wasn't dressed right of course, but that could be remedied. On the other hand, her minions were putting on a nice show, so why not watch? The humans cops showed up, and began shooting them. Morons. They'e all ready dead.

Her night was going well, and she laughed as she strolled down an alleyway. Then it hit her. A pain shot into her chest, and Tess fell to her knees. Something - alive - had just touched her. Then again! Another pain near her heart. Someone was silencing her will. She wasn't close enough to find this being yet, but she began to move towards the feeling. In the distance was a sign that said Detour Motel. The feeling was coming from there.

Well, let's go see what's ruining my fun.
Detective-Sergeant Lacy Velez was ordering officers to stop shooting, and switch to their billy clubs. She had brought a large bat, and smashed the head of one of the dead things. She'd asked for backup, but dispatch was confused what they were sending help for. She couldn't say zombie attack on the dispatch. That was career suicide. Her squad car had been totaled when she swerved to avoid hitting these things. This was back when she thought they were just normal people mind you. When she'd gone over to a person she'd collided with, the detective thought she'd caused that gore, but when the man attacked her upon approach, Lacy knew this was another Code: Training Exercise.

She had to abandon her radio as two more shamblers approached the car. She and her fellow officers managed to bash their skulls in. That seemed to take these things down. As she wiped the blood off her bat, she saw a man with a staff. He said some funny words and then the zombies fell. First zombies, now this! She moved to intercept, leaving her fellow officers to defend the car.

"You need some help with these things," she called out, clearly not minding taking a bat to their faces.

[Trillian]

Wren moved against the tide of the dead, heading for their origin point. Perhaps whoever had awoken them were still there, or run away somewhere else to watch. He didn't know who he could call for help; local police were the furthest possibility from his mind, and he didn't know about the existence of the supernatural police - the Ward, for he was too new.

He heard the gunfire but didn't follow it, knowing it would do him more harm than the creatures he fought and while running in their midst didn't fancy any stray bullets finding his chest. They might think this uprising had to do with him. Still, the decision was taken out of his hands when two police cars screeched to a halt nearby and three uniforms and a woman in plain clothes jumped out of it, with her yelling orders to bash instead of shoot.

Wren ducked the grasping reach of a walking dead as it attacked him, albeit slowly and without skill.

"Codlata leis an talamh." He faced another, nearby, and held out his hand to them. "Codlata leis an talamh."

They fell, one at a time, and his frustration grew with the amount of creatures still shambling deeper into the city. He needed a larger radius, but he couldn't do it without a coven. He needed someone, anyone, who understood magic and who could enhance their reach so they could put all the dead to sleep with a single chant.

The statement caught his attention and he gave the woman a wary look. She was all that he had right now.

"Do you know magic of any kind? Crystals, tarot... have you had your palm read?" He needed to know if she had an open mind towards the spiritual plane. She didn't even have to be attuned with nature - she just had to be connected to her zen.

[Black Philip]

Considering what was going on the man's question wasn't a stupid one. Lacy was a devoted Roman Catholic, but like most Latina women had a candle or two, and had some sage in the house. Her Aunt Daphne was  the real witch. The community said the dead spoke through her. People would come to see her to talk to their loved ones. The inquisitive detective had always wondered if she got any of these gifts, or if old Aunt Daphne was pulling everyone's leg. Now that the information was sorted she decided the best course of action was to cooperate with the staff man. He seemed to at least be able to kill these things, and those junior rookies - goddamn fresh meat - were totally useless.  She moved towards the man, holding the bloody bat in one hand, and stuck out her other one to him.

"Aunt has the gift. She can speak to dead people. I don't know if I got it or not." She hoped he might be able to tell her. She wore a heavy leather jacket, and her black hair was combed down and across her shoulders. It really should've been up, but tonight was just supposed to be paperwork. When the first reports came in about walking corpses - which the room laughed at - she realized she'd be hitting the beat. A white dress shirt, jeans, a gun belt and boots completed the look. Whatever this guy was planning, she hoped she could help.

[Idrial]

Kopé Tiatie Cac was furious, his voice howling in her mind. Waking Maria with a blazing headache from a dead sleep. Shooting upwards from her bed, her right hand cradling her head. Disapproving throwing her blankets off herself, she had only a few hours of sleep. Coming to see her friend Sam with the latest news, she was done school and moving back to the city. Deciding to stay at Detour Motel, for the time being, it was quiet and discreet.

So much for quiet, Kopé breathing heavy in her mind. The flow between life and death had been disrupted, feeling the disturbance beyond the headache now. This was not natural it was pure blasphemy, the dead should stay dead. Maria's lips become a scowl, looking out the window in surprise. What unholy creature summoned some such monsters? Grabbing a pair of slacks and a T-shirt out of her luggage, along with a small bag of bones.

The Pangool would be summoned to help these poor creatures lay to rest. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, tossing her bones with care. Chanting in the tongue of old, her words rolled into soft praise. Her eyes turning amber as she connected with Kopé, calling for a champion in the realm of death.

Mother, Father hear my faithful cries
Send me your champion to aid the dead tonight
Unholy souls cannot stay in this earthly domain
Guide these tainted souls to your gates tonight
To your rightful domain, they will sleep and stay.

An ethereal being of shadow formed around the bones, a slim creature appeared, his aura one of a guide; no warrior was needed for protection tonight. Maria grinned approvingly bowing at the Pangool spirit summoned for this task. These souls needed a caring hand, opening the door to see a ghastly sight sending out her Pangool spirit. Awaiting in her doorway as she watched the conjured spirit work his magic; a swell of pride rose as a vessel to such gods was a great gift.

Almost greeting each abomination before extending a hand, the zombies happy to cross over to the next world. This would take some time and she wished for help. Returning to earth as ash and dust, but Maria finally sensed she was not alone. This was not a menacing vibe at all and she decided to expose herself. A man came into her view, he has magical abilities. Putting Maria at ease, Wren could clearly see her Pangool spirit guiding the dead back home. The mortal woman, however, she was not sure, something felt magical about her. Only those a tune with magic would see her spirit, no ignorant mortals could see. Gracefully striding over to the man getting close enough to speak in a whisper.

"I did not think to meet others here fighting. This is an abomination, " shaking her head. The sight of skeletons and zombies was utterly revolting to Maria. Kopé was even more enraged but was now slowly being appeased each time the Pangool spirit guided each soul home.

[Trillian]

Her words about her aunt pleased him - she was Knowing. He would be able to use her to enhance his words. His smile was grateful yet tight due to the stress of their battle as he took her hand and clasped it in his. He kicked off his sandals to connect himself better with the Earth, and pointed his staff at the creatures instead - aiming for a group instead of an individual.

This time he felt the energy thrumming into him; coming up his legs from the earth itself which had been abused and now wished to fight back, and also from the woman, his hand and arm tingling with her energy. He combined them and put them into his staff before speaking the old tongue.

"Codlata leis an talamh!"

As a half-dozen of the dead fell to the ground, lifeless and listless, he wished them rest. Sleep with the earth, go back to where you belong, your souls have already left this plane, be still.

Wren turned to face the policewoman, wanting to thank her and suggest a better way to hold these things back before they moved too far into the city... but his eyes widened and he stiffened instead, his hand clutching hers a little too tightly from the shock of what he saw. A second woman, this one crackling with something Wren didn't understand and had never dealt with. She spoke, her voice soft yet loud, full of life and death, silence and noise combined. He didn't just hear her, he heard her. He was momentarily stunned before looking at the policewoman when he started talking but finishing with the new woman.

"We have to find where they're coming from. We should travel there and stop more from joining this horde. I can feel they are from the earth - is there a cemetery around here?"

He could smell the earth on them as well, for they'd dug their way out, or lifted heavy tombs. Those walking dead from watery graves looked and behaved differently. Spirits were even more difficult to deal with; fast moving and powerful. It could've been so much worse.

[Seragil]

Naoise awoke with a start, he could have sworn he had heard Gaelic and more, the power of a druid. It had been years, centuries infact since he had felt such a call. Too long; figuring what he had felt was but the last remnants of a dream he ignored it but still feeling unsettled by it he carefully uncurled himself and jumped off the bed, making sure as to not disturb the sleeping man he had been laying beside. As he padded across the room he felt it then, the taint, the evil, followed by the screech of tires and the sound of flying bullets. No way Arutha could sleep through that. *Quick get on the ground* he sent him as he ran towards the door. *Lock the door behind me and stay low* he sent urgently as he used his telekenisis to open the door just enough to slip through and shut it behind him.
His eyes opened wide in horror as he the shambling undead army stumbled by, attacking and destroying whatever they could as they made there way up the street.

“Codlata leis an talamh”

At hearing the words his head turned in disbelief. He had heard it, it was real! His eyes locked onto the half-dressed druid talking to the police officer and his green eyes gleamed as he recognized one of his own. Druidic power glowed around this guy, green, thick, vibrant and full of life. Yet even with his level of power Naoise doubted he could handle such a horde of undead like this on his own and so streaked towards him.

There wasn’t much he could do as the damned cursed collar around his neck prevented him from being able to access or even use most of his abilities but the power was still there if the druid could tap into him and use it.

*I am here, use me if thoust can* he sent mentally towards the mind of the druid, yowling the same message aloud in the hopes that the druid would understand one way or the other as he weaved his way towards the group,

Only to stop in his tracks as a woman and a shadow spirit suddenly walked infront of him. *Daghdha’s Fiery Balls!* he swore in utter starlement *What the fuck are you?*

                                                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~

Shiobhan followed the police cars as fast as she could on her vesper, but it was a lost cause. She wasn’t worried though as she had a feeling they were both heading to the same destination anyway. She had been scrying again, trying to clarify or get more information about the portents she had been shown earlier that week, but naturally all she got was a headache. She seriously didn’t know why she bothered with that shit anyway, everything was always vague and confusing, usually she just rang her aunts and let them do the scrying rubbish but ever since she had met Flick she had started practicing more, with everything. It was making her more of a freak than ever before.

However, she couldn’t ignore when the voice and power of Gaea screamed at her and so had grabbed her satchel of herbs, crystals and other witch paraphernalia, jumped onto her moped and raced towards where the source of the disturbance pulled her still wearing the clothes she was going to go to bed in, a pair of striped light-blue and white pajama bottoms and a loose pale blue t shirt that proudly proclaimed that Witches Did It in Circles.

She practically jumped off the vesper to avoid colliding with a zombie and allowed it to plough it down as she used her connection to the earth to summon vines and roots to pin it still as she pulled out a jar of spelled herbs from her bag. The herbs were to banish evil and negate negative magic. As she sprinkled it over the trapped writhing zombie, it stilled then slowly fell apart. She then used her vines and roots to pull the remains back beneath the ground, leaving nothing but a pile of torn up asphalt and dirt in its wake.

She slowly made her way to the abandoned police cars trapping and pinning the undead in front of her, then sprinkling them her herbs. Not noticing the group in front of the motel yet, she scrounged in her bag for more herbs with a worried frown; there wasn’t much left.

[Black Philip]

Lacy was unprepared for the blast of power and jumped as Wren used her innate potential. This was not the night she'd planned, and the CPD officer was just winging it at this point. The worst part was knowing none of this could go in her report, but she knew Aunt Daphne would want to know. The man who was with her seemed how to take charge. Lacy respected that trait in people.  Then a new person joined them. This one looked like a witch, and was beautiful. Lacy stared at her, unsure how to answer her question. For a moment she swore she saw something hovering over her, but after a hard blink it was gone. She shook her head and hissed, "fuck."

Wren's question was welcome as it allowed Lacy to return to a realm she knew well. She went through her internal map of the city, knowing instantly where they had to go.

"Wyatt Hill Cemetery. Half a mile to the south east. We need to take Pine and then hook over to Jasper Ave and go past the meatpacking factory. We can walk or take my car."

Her tone was all business, and she looked ready to move. A few of the zombies got close and Wren was busy blasting two in front of him. Lacy took her bat and cracked them both right in the head. They fell to the ground and she gave them both a few more bashes just to be sure. She may not have been a witch, but Lacy knew the city perfectly, could keep the streets clear and create choke points for the zombies as needed. She got on the radio and created a perimeter for ten blocks long. They wouldn't be disturbed.
Tess strolled up to the Detour Motel, body now used to the pesky's druid's little words. She was far enough away that the assembled group wouldn't see her yet, and she observed the rag-tag group that had come to meet her soldiers. The druid was handsome, and his deep connection to the earth could be felt by the Necromancer. He was what caused her pain. She thought of sucking his life force out just like she'd done to that ugly tree.

Then there was the other witch. Tess's eyes turned black and the Pangool came into view. This one was not so different than Tess, and yet the stink of the light still hung combined with the powers of death. She was no Necromancer. She favored balance. What a coward. It couldn't see that she saw it, and Tess guessed her soul's own blackness hid her from it's view. 

The other woman was of no consequence. She was a mortal with limited potential and she'd never trained. What was she doing with this group? Perhaps she'd make a good sacrifice. Tess was so into the idea of scalping Lacy that she almost missed the more important arrival. A flash of fire overtook her eyes, and a force from below turned Tess's head to see the beautiful Siobhán. Her other mark, Saint Sabrina, had failed to show yet. Oh well. One of the two witches Tess had hoped to lure had just arrived, and now the sister to the dark one knew she had to join this pathetic little coven.

How to go about it though? Some of these "witches" might be able to see her dark nature and what fun would that be? She tapped into her power and enchanted her aura to appear bright and like light magic. It would fool all those below a certain skill level, and besides, most witches wanted to see the good in other witches. Only that damn Pangool spirit was a problem. She'd just avoid touching it's owner. She thought about how best to get their attention. How could she win their trust? She smiled as an idea popped into her brain.

She formed a ball of fire in her hand, and threw it at zombie. "Back you creatures of darkness," Tess yelled, voice made to sound girlish and afraid. "I have power to defend myself." That should get their attention. Little sweet Tess needed a hand.

[Idrial]

Maria could see the man's shock on his face, grasping the mortal's hand like a scared child. Maria took no offence from the man, smiling at the woman he grasped so tightly, the Pangool spirit still putting the dead to rest in the background. Moving slightly faster to keep up with horde circling around them, she could sense this one had an infinity with nature. He too spoke the words of old, a different dialect Maria did not recognize. She had heard of Druids but had never met one in person but he felt clean and pure.

Maria stated after the police officer, "If that is the source of evil that place must be blessed at once. If we can get there with your help I can purge the evil that plagues it." Her voice shining with confidence.

Taking note that the woman maybe had seen her Pangool, impossible! Unless she too had a gift that was clearly not developed or she was unaware. Taken aback at the black cat with beautiful emerald eyes, it seemed to be speaking to the Druid. Brushing the cat's mind as she spoke to him, "I am a friend my dear. Do not be afraid of the Pangool." Her voice sweet with honey.

It was up to him to choose to speak to back to her or not, they both had a similar vibe. Walking or driving Maria did not care how they travelled, leaving the decision up to the mortal woman and the man.

They would need a High Priestess to purge the evil completely, with the help of Takhar. And with the help of the Druid and this cat then perhaps they could find a permanent solution. Maria could hear Takhar calling for vengeance for such an atrocity, that would come in time. Whoever or whatever used such dark magic would pay, but the price was always up to Takhar; Maria had no control over that aspect.

Suddenly she felt a deep crack within her mind, something strange comes. No sooner had the warning hit a fireball whizzing through the air. Another witch?! No this was different she felt unclean underneath that scared little charade. Her cries girlish and scared but Maria knew better, still, she could not act. Not all witches were evil but this one, something was off. Maria did not like it when things felt off. She did not dare reach to more of her deities at this time, not giving away her rightly earned title as Saltigue.

With a single look at her Pangool, she sent it to help this witch. The ethereal shadow turning to help the woman, putting at rest more than a few zombies. Maria was silent and became aloof, something in her gut told her to be quiet. Let the woman talk, giving the people in the group a look of caution.

[Trillian]

The charge in the second woman faded from his eyes, leaving behind an afterglow. His grip on the policewoman's hand released now that he'd been freed from the vision of the newcomer's power. He struck out again with his words, and because of the woman's touch he continued to enjoy a broader range on the passing dead, though he was concerned at the numbers still coming, and growing!

Half a mile away. If the walking dead had gone in all directions, then they would be in a radius from that point. There was a limit to how many of the dead would be able to rise, for many would be too far decayed to burst out, but a large city cemetary would hold tens of thousands of bodies able to attack.

Another helper! Naoise's offer caught Wren's attention even as they thinned the zombies in their radius. The hotel's property was no longer overrun but the street still had bodies moving along it. A little girl, freshly dead and not even starting to decay, walked with them. Somewhere during her walk she'd picked up a knife and was heading for the police car. She would slash the tyres, probably. Havoc. They were doing nothing but causing destruction. Who would want that?

He spoke the words softly in her direction and watched her fall.

"We will all go to this Wyatt Hill Cemetary and make a ring to combine our power. If they are too far I will not be able to make them fall where they stand, but I can summon them back." He didn't mention that summoning them back would bring the walking dead back from all over the city, even those who hadn't walked in the first place. They would deal with that if it came to that.

He turned at Tess' cry, watching a beautiful blonde woman hurl a ball of fire. She was a powerful witch, then. They would need her. He turned to the policewoman and dropped her hand. "Will you take us all in your car?"

With him riding with the policewoman in front, and the woman with the unfamiliar spiritual power, the other transformed man (cat?) and the blonde witch in the back, the five of them could create a ring to stop the dead before too much trouble could be caused.

He had yet to notice Siobhan.

[Seragil]

Shiobhan frowned with confusion as many of her trapped zombies fell apart without any need of the herbs and when the last of the zombies exploded in fire she turned quickly, utterly surprised as she spotted the witch further down the street and then the small group across from her, She had been so focused on what she had been doing and forcing herself to act rather then run away screaming she hadn’t noticed anyone else was here. She leaned against the car and took a breath and allowed herself a moment to process everything she had just seen and done.

This was all too much she though as her breathing started to speed up, First Flick, now zombies? Those had been honest to goddess zombies she just fought with her magic and in public and she could still feel more on the move, their very presence a black stain in her mind. When she left her rooms above the cafe she had expected something but not this, ot in her wildest dreams would she thought zombie apocalypse, it was like stumbling out the door and landing into a "The Walking Dead" meets "Charmed" mash up nightmare. She wanted to go home and pretend this wasn’t real, this was all crazy.

Ever since Flick who turned out to be a vampire of all things, had convinced her that he and the whole bloody supernatural world at large was real, she had started having double vision and migraines as she walked around the city and she could feel one coming on now as she flicked her gaze between the blond witch down the road and the small group of people across from her at the motel, they all seemed to have some kind of glow around them but as she rubbed her eyes and then blinked tiredly at them it faded.

She blinked again as she noticed the guy had a staff, her Aunt had one too and she knew what a potent weapon and energy source it could be, and was that a black cat winding around his ankles? Perfect! this just became "Charmed" meets "Harry Potter" meets "The X-Men" on acid, that or a family gathering in her Aunts back yard.

But this crazy wasn’t over, she could feel the zombies getting further ahead, and this was real and people were in danger so she sucked in a deep breath, pushed off of the car and made her way to the staff wielding half naked guy, figuring her sister witch would make her way over and join them as well. It wasn't until she kicked a rubbish tin lid and stumbled that she realized she was still in her pajamas. She wanted to fall into a hole and die.

                                                                                                           ~~~

Naoise sank bank onto his haunches as the woman spoke to him, she felt strange, almost other worldly. An angel maybe and that shadow creature must be this Pangool?.

He felt superfluous and less then useless as the small group effectively fought off and cleared the zombie infestation in the street without any help for him. As the two witches came into sight and he knew they were witches just by the feel of their power, he made his way to the druid and sat at his feet where he watched their approach warily. They seemed alright but witches could be tricksy.

[Black Philip]

As if only waiting for the question, Lacy jogged over to the squad cars. She turned around and counted and found the group too large to fit in a standard. Luckily, she saw the paddy wagon sitting about half a block down. They'd all fit in there. "Getting bigger wheels, two minutes."

Without another word at the Druid, or any of the other magic users, Lacy broke into a swift sprint. She was athletic and strong and easily took down a few zombies along the way. She was feeling confident but suddenly felt herself pulled to the floor. One of the corpses that was on the ground tripped her, and Lacy hit the pavement with a bang. It tried to crawl on her and actually got a hold of her leg before a ball of fire struck it. It was enough to get her leg free and she sprung up like a gymnast onto her feet. The bat finished what the fire ball didn't and then she resumed her acquisition of wheels. An officer was standing guard, looking like he might pee himself.

"Give me the keys. You're relieved. Contact Captain Kiss, and tell him Lacy said 'operation coming out part two.' He'll know what to do. Keep your mouth shut. You didn't see shit. Got it?"

Her tone was harsh and unforgiving of his fear, and the rookie shook his head back and forth and tossed her the keys. He'd take her squad car back on the way in. She checked the back was empty and jumped into the driver's seat. Seat belt on she pumped the gas, gaining her desired speed right as she needed to break. The large van used to carry criminals was white with blue stripes and the City Police Department logo on the side. She skidded to a hard stop. She saw Wren first, and his pet cat? What was going on with these people?

"Get in," she commanded. "Siegfried rides with me but Roy goes in the back and better not make a mess." True Roy was not actually the cat, but she was sure Wren would get the metaphor. She may not have had magic, but she was really looking forward to the road rage revenge fantasy of mowing down zombies as they drove.
So that Pangool came to take those wretched souls home. It was almost touching, if not the opposite of what Tess wanted. Still, this high priestess was the only one who jumped to her aid. Perhaps she wasn't as smart as she looked. No need to take chances though.

"Oh my god a dangerous ghost," she cried, looking fearful of the helpful spirit. "Are you a Necromancer?" She made her face seem like she was in fear of Maria, taking several steps towards the weaker Siobhán, still in her pajamas. She reached out a hand. "Come sister, let us join the others and defeat this darkness." She smiled a lovely smile and her face begged for sisterhood and friendship. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the policewoman go down. If she died perhaps they wouldn't reach the graveyard. That ugly spirit flew by and seemed to be watching her and it saw that she saw Lacy in trouble. She summoned a fresh fireball and tossed it at the zombie, freeing the lady cop and defending her image once more.

She stayed with Siobhán, while Lacy drove down, keeping an eye on Maria to keep her from getting too close. When the van arrived, she would let the others get in first, using the shaky little PJ witch as her excuse for being slow. As long as they made it to the graveyard with her undiscovered she'd get to see how powerful the Druid really was. Once everyone else was in, she'd position herself as far away from Maria as possible.

[Harlequin]

By the time one of her orphans came to warn her of the undead horde, Saint Sabrina was already lacing on her boots. Not even her wards could keep out the stink of death permeating the city tonight.

Great strides took the giantess to the disaster's epicenter, felling any dead she came across with a touch. She sent them back to the earth without violence; these people had been loved, once. Most of the shamblers left at the cemetery when she arrived were those too decrepit to move far under their own power; half out of their graves or dragging their broken selves through the grass with their arms.

There also was the circle, and the raw, animal scent of Black Phillip. A ring of leaves on the ground under the great, dead tree, bare branches raking the sky. One palm placed flat on its gnarled bark showed Sabrina's the tree's last moments, though she didn't need to see the caster's face to know her. The bland, flat-black scent of her lingered here. And drew closer on the breeze, Sabrina realized now, and other power beside.

Her imposing figure, clad simply in black slacks and a loose linen blouse, long hair pulled up into a bun and secured with ebonywood chopsticks, would greet the group as they arrived at the cemetery gates. Her power was first impression enough, she didn't need her clothes to talk for her. Sabrina was here to right wrongs and do work.

[Trillian]

This thread continued at Damage Control