It indeed took moment for the chaos to start. It started with a literal bang as part of the Tower wall that had always kept the Psychics out exploded. Ophelia was just at the right side of the Tower, it was a few ways away from the primary target.
Dust was everywhere, the wind spread it all around from the site of destruction. Ophelia held her thin scarf over her mouth as to not inhale the dust and waited, bow strung and ready. She peeked around the corner and saw that Brutus was already running toward the spot.
She watched him run along the tower, run, run… and then no more… Brutus fell to his knees and revealed a woman with a Gastly behind her. Ophelia quickly retreated behind her corner, gripped her crossbow firmly, and peeked again. The woman had her back toward her now and was walking back to her comrades. Ophelia raised her bow, aimed, and fired an arrow, straight in the woman's heart. She fell down on the ground, and the Gastly cried out in pain.
"Kaliope," Ophelia whispered to her Pokémon after pressing herself against the wall once more so the Gastly might not see her. "That Pokémon is going to come at us, you understand? If it does, I want you to great him with some nice warm fire." Kalliope nodded, and Ophelia started to walk toward the other corner. She threw her crossbow on the ground, it took too long to load, and retrieved her normal bow instead, stringing an arrow in a second.
She glanced around the corner and saw no one, so instead she looked down. Below her, half-way down the tower on another guard platform were dozens of people fighting. Ophelia aimed an arrow and shot it at a man who was about to impale a Knight with his own sword. The arrow hit home in the back of the neck, and the man fell down. The Knight glanced up, saw Ophelia, and nodded a thanks which she returned.
Behind her she heard the growling of Kalliope as she was no doubt battling the Gastly, but she couldn't get distracted. She strung another arrow and pointed, this time at a woman who had her own dagger at one of the Knight's throat. The girl in question had a fearful look in her eyes. Just as the Psychic was about to lash out an arrow dug itself deep in her arm, and before she could look up to see who had fired it, Ophelia released another arrow, this time it buried itself in the woman's head and she fell down too.
No one noticed the sniper with the bow above them as the battle raged on. Most Psychic used their own power or their Pokémon's to attack their enemies. Some, with a rather morbid sense of humor used telekinesis to use the knight's own sword against them. The sword suddenly leaped out of the Knight's hand and started attacking its previous master, who was now defenseless.
No need to explain how the battle was over quickly. Ophelia did her part, remaining unnoticed as she took down Psychic after Psychic from her high ground. Minutes later Kalliope joined her. She was panting and tired, but seemed in good enough shape. Just at that moment, when Ophelia had averted her attention to Kalliope, she heard a shout from below.
A psychic was pointing at her, expression wild with rage. Within seconds she had an enraged woman walk the stairs, Misdreavous behind her, up to the platform where Ophelia had been standing. With panic the girl realized that those stairs were the only way she could go. There was up, but that would be even more of a trap. Her only chance was the platform, with enough chance for movement.
The woman looked completely mad, mad with rage and perhaps bloodlust. All Ophelia knew was that she was afraid, very afraid. She raised her bow and shot an arrow, but the woman simply swatted it aside with her power, the thing that had gotten her locked up in the Tower in the first place.
"Hello little duckie," she crowed while Ophelia raised her bow again and shot an arrow straight for her forehead, but the woman reached out and caught it, she was quicker than Ophelia would have ever guessed. Kaliope growled at Misdreavous, who, in turn, just floated in place. "I see, you are the one they call Artemis?" The woman posed it as a question, but it was visible that she knew the answer long before.
"I am," Ophelia told her proudly, keeping her chin up and not showing fear. Yes, it was a mask, but she couldn't give the woman the satisfaction of knowing her fear.
"I have to admit, you have good aim," the woman praised her, but in a mocking manner. "There are at least a dozen of us sprawled there with arrows in their brains just like this one." She stroked the arrow she had caught, stroked the fletching's fragile feathers. Ophelia's arrows had a fletching that was thicker than usual and all of her arrow-heads were made of bronze. Personal preference, and one that had betrayed her to be the sole one to shoot.
"Thank you, they do not call me Artemis for nothing," still keeping her chin high, keeping a seemingly calm about her. In a flash she had drawn another arrow, strung it and fired it, this time it settled itself in the woman's shoulder. Speed didn't come with aim.
The woman grimaced, then reached behind her, snapped the arrowhead and pulled the arrow out of her flesh with a wince. "I guess that's what I get for underestimating you, Artemis. I shall do this no more."
Ophelia barely had any time to register what she meant before she pulled out a dagger and threw it. It found its home in Ophelia's left arm, missing the bone but she had a feeling her muscle had not been so lucky. Her knees almost buckled when the painpoints had sent the feeling up to her brain. Pure pain. Ophelia wasn't used to pain, she was a shot, a sniper, she didn't get directly into the battle.
With trembling hands Ophelia found the handle of the knife and pulled it out of her arm, gasping as more pain came and blood bubbled up through her sleeve. She teared the whole sleeve off from the seam, folded it flat and with a lot of trouble managed to secure it tight on her arm, using her teeth to pull it tight. All the while the woman was watching her with amusement.
"Spending years isolated in a Tower from normal human kind does curious things to you," she told Ophelia, who was busy stopped the blood from seeping through her make-shift bandage, applying pressure to the wound so that the platelets might do their job. "Take me for example," the woman continued. "I have this strange fascination with seeing people hurt. Especially the people that put me here."
She motioned for her Misdreavous to come forward, but before the ghost had even come close it had met with a strong stream of fire. Kaliope spewed fire from her mouth at a steady rate, causing the ghost to cry out. The woman got a look that was even more crazy than before. "You filthy dog!"
The dagger that Ophelia had previously torn out of her arm trembled on the ground and suddenly lifted up and shot toward Kalliope, the dog quickly jumped away but not quick enough, the blade made a deep cut on her hind leg and she whined painfully. "Enough!" Ophelia yelled, she lifted up her leg and retrieved the Kriss that was fastened to her boot. The swerving blade glistened in the sun, and she swung it wildly.
"Don't even touch her!" She yelled, left arm hanging limb, any movement of it hurt like hell and the woman wasn't getting any saner. One flick of the woman's hand, while Misdreavous' eyes glowed a dangerous red at the same time, and Ophelia felt a force violently push against her, making her fall backwards. She felt her Kris fall from her hand. Suddenly the wall exploding, making a small hole and throwing dust everywhere.
A shadow came through the wall, revealing to be a pale boy who looked just a little older than Ophelia. He had long dark wavy hair and grey eyes that glared at the woman. "Why did you have to pick her to fight, Artemis?"
It took her a few seconds to realize that he hadn't spoken out loud, the voice had been in her head. As if on cue, the woman spoke. "Adonis, how nice of you to join us. This ***** took out at least a dozen of us, I was just about to pass judgement."
"Let her go Mameha, she's mine to deal with," Adonis said with a steely voice. "I have some personal history with her."
Mameha seemed to consider this for a moment, before nodding. "Fine, I understand. Don't we all have personal business with one Grand Knight or the other. Have her, I've had my fun anyway." With that she walked off. Just like that.
Adonis walked toward Ophelia, and she tensed up. What was he going to do to her? And what did he mean with personal history. She felt around until her hand felt the familiar grip of her Kris. She lifted it up and swung it wildly at Adonis. "Stay there! Don't come any closer!"
He didn't listen to her, but walked right up to her. He flicked his hand and the Kris flew from it and against the wall. Just then did she notice the bright orange Pokémon floating behind him, a Solrock. But instead of attacking, he held out his hand for her to take. She hesitated, but took it.
I told you to get away, didn't I? Look at what happened! He projected in her head. Now we need to take the long route, and I can't stay with you.
"What? What not?!" Ophelia surprised herself with how much she wanted him to stay with her, how afraid she actually felt. Her arm hurt like hell and every time she tried to stand on her right foot sharp shots of pain went through her. She was pretty sure she hurt it when she fell. But before she went anywhere she picked up her Kris, cradling it in her only good hand.
Because I'm supposed to kill you, remember? It won't look good if I come out to be with the enemy. But I found someone to take care of you and take you to safety. You don't have to worry.
To hell she wouldn't worry! But she had no choice. He helped her walk and both of them –and the Solrock- entered the Tower through the hole Adonis had blasted through the wall. His Solrock was levitating Kalliope, who objected at first, but gave in, being in no state to walk on her own.
Staircase after staircase they descended until Ophelia was sure she was in the lowest region. There, in front of a large tunnel through the hole, stood two cloaked people, a man and a woman, clad very fancily to be standing in the messy tower. Solrock set Kalliope down gently.
Don't fret, Artemis, they will help you, the vowed to me that they would. I have to return now, take care. And please don't get yourself killed, I would like to see you again sometime. And with a kiss on her forehead he was gone, leaving Ophelia quite distraught. Too much had simply happened in a short amount of time.
"You are Artemis I presume?" The man asked. He looked big in a deep red robe with a golden clasp. He was completely bald, just his dark brown skin, no hair or beard or anything. What he did have was warm brown eyes.
"Ophelia d'Aphine actually, Artemis is just a name I earned with my bow." Ophelia explained.
"Earning the name of a Goddess is a very honorable thing indeed," the woman told her. She was clad in brighter red robes, her skin was lighter than her companion's, but it was still a caramel colour. Black hair was pulled into a tight bun, a steam of curls escaping underneath. She wore a bronze headdress and a silver clip for the bun, with big golden earrings dangling from her earlobes. She had stunning blue eyes that seemed all-knowing. "I would suggest you keep it. Would you rather be known as the crazy lover of a fool, or as the Lady of the Moon and Night?"
Ophelia nodded, experiencing quite the loss of words. The dark-skinned man motioned toward the tunnel, helping Ophelia walk while the woman lifted Kalliope in her arms, walking toward god knew what.
