#fenixtj

"Well I hope you feel pleased with yourself," The Boggan says to Zara, "This was not the place for such"

"You know not who we are to each other."

"Father...fear of god is the first wisdom, but at one time we sluagh acted as his angels to deliver it.." Her kith sister says "And bring it back. This is natural, part of HIS plan"

Zara crouches by the fallen kinain and touches her forehead. "In fear there is truth."

With her pallid fingertips, she traces out a series of runes... glamour gathering once more.

Jessica rubs her horns with a sigh.

The magic gathers like a cold mist, glowing silver-green.

a beast, less than a beast...scared, scurrying, running, this is the kind of beast that Paler would feed to his dogs... and yet, another hand...as she broke free and ran, did put upon her a mark... not the 'splotch' of skin..nay, she has had that almost all her days. This is...a third eye... not hers, but on her.. where she goes.. soemone else sees.

"Ah, poor pawn..." She kens, looking for the magic that might tie.

"What did you see?" the Father says perhaps sensing...some interaction has changed between the two

"She is not, was not, Paler's creature or tool. And this is a good thing, for you would find a viper at your breast if she were..."

"But... she bears his blood, aye, and strongly. She is weak of will. And others would use her as a trojan horse, though she is innocent of intent."

"I had already determined there was no malice in her heart" the boggan says "I have soothsay as well"

At the rest he raises a brow... "You mean there is a mark upon her?"

"Then look, and see the mark upon her. Another watches."

"A moment.." He takes a breath "Sister, get me some of the dross."

Sister Maura bows ...and retreats

"Balor have injured pride over Fenix, nu?"

"Jessica can tell you moree of that than I can, but yes." The Father looks to Jessica "And Jessica you need not apologize. Your friends methods clearly were not what you expected."

The troll sighs.

"Yes, I suppose they do." In reference to Balor pride.

Sister Maura returns..."Here it is, father..." and offers up the dross.

"I would not harm my kin, lest they harmed me first..." A sigh. "A'times, not even then."

"What you say is not a weakness, child," Father V says to Zara then takes the dross. "Ah, a first print."

The Pope Francis Baseball card, first printing... it gleams with power

it also has Phillies on it... making Zara glad she is one of the Chosen Mets fans

The glamour flies from the card as it fuels the dictum! "Mark show thyself, show thy self so I may cast thee off and out!"

"A boggan with Dictum?" A voice says "OFFENSIVE!" and the mark does show itself, as the glamour drawn to the surface reforms, and turns into a serpent...striking out at the Boggan!

Zara hisses. "Earthworm, toothless!"

Jessica snaps around to see who speaks, and when she sees (if she sees?) the attack she moves forward to intercept.

The nickname only lasts for a moment.. it's fangs retracting as Jessica steps before! But they soon regrow after it bounces against her once.

Dil draws her blade... to slash at the snake!

Jessica swings at the head.

Dil's stroke aims towards the snake's body, which weaves out of the way, but even as it focuses on that.. Jessica's Maul strikes it and for a moment, something a kind to a flaming bird of righteous cleansing the sinful serpentine creation! The eagle devours the snake in Mexico.. always. The Phoenix beats the Balor Serpent... and burns it to the last scale.

She blinks.

It is destroyed. utterly... and the maul glows with just satisfaction

The father crosses himself, "There's a lesson in hubris for me...I should have cast it out in a name not my own"

She gives the maul head a look. "I need to take you out more often."

Zara strokes Phoebe's hair, kenning once more.

The kinian seems clean of the magic. The maul destroyed an embedded cantrip? Zara is not one for weapons, but.. tonight is full of surprises and that is not the least of it.

"Well. Something to be said for the direct approach."

"We're trolls" Dame Dill says without any sign she's meaning humor.

"I'll ask the rest of you to keep my use of soveriegn as quiet as possible" He sighs "THough that maybe too late given that whoever did that saw and responded"

Jessica rests the maul on her shoulder. "I can do that, Father... but I will remember it." With wry amusement.

"So.... in your collective opinions, is this girl safe for us?"

"I believe she is, now."

"Her heart is benevolent, kindly even. She is fragile in some ways, but one should not turn away the weak and expect them to grow strong." Father V says "And with the mark gone" He nods to Zara

Phoebe gasps, starts..a nd wakes

"I dreamed of the weapon.. here.. it was horrible.. she was .."