Kara took hold of Ren's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Kind of creepy in here." She whispered, her voice echoing off the walls, accompanied by their footsteps. It made her want to force her voice to echo, but she stifled the urge. Barely. After all, they were here because Conrad and Tessa were missing. Is it bad that I just want to stumble upon them having a quickie so I can tell Shyra I told you so? She wondered, slipping her fingers in between Ren's to get a more solid grip. That was when she felt something tickle the back of her neck, and she giggled. "Ren, stop it." Then froze. Ren was walking in front of her. So what in the gods' names was that feeling? Tessa smiled a little when Conrad said he wouldn't abandon her. Apparently her feelings of belonging to a herd weren't misplaced, but in fact reciprocated. By at least one person, anyway. And while she did agree with him in that strength would give them a better chance, her stomach twisted at the idea of trying to introduce Rayyad to the others in the group. "Conrad...they won't understand him." She said softly, looking at the forest man as she spoke. "They barely understood me, and I don't have spiders following me around." To be fair, she didn't think Kara would mind the man, as long as she didn't have a fear of spiders. But she couldn't speak for Ren, or Alice, or Lumen. And Shyra rubbed her the wrong way. "Maybe, we could compromise. You guys can go take care of the spiders and get the totem, and Rayyad and I can stay here. That way he won't be alone, nothing will happen to me, and we get what we need with the strength you want. Everyone wins." She suggested in her quiet voice. She didn't like the idea of staying behind, but as protective as Conrad was being, she would only serve as a distraction, and if anyone should stay with Rayyad, it should be her or Conrad, but that would leave the group bereft of his strength. Bryce was in a field of soft flowers that were the color blue. He twirled around, surprisingly lightweight in his amour as he danced, throwing petals around in the air and skipping about. Looking down, he realized he was naked. Well, that made it easier. Laughing to himself, he kept frolicking until he reached a river....and upon that river...."DRAGONFRUITS!" Bryce shouted, his voice booming over the landscape as he dove into the water, wading as quickly as he could to the boat. It was a large ship, and when he finally climbed aboard, he found himself rolling in the things. "GLORIOUS DRAGONFRUITS I HAVE FOUND YOU!" He reveled, taking a bite out of one, and then another one as the delicious white flesh of the fruit filled his mouth. Back in the waking world, Bryce's head lolled back in the wheelbarrow, a small amount of drool escaping from his mouth.
"Because I-" She almost told him. She was so close to just trusting him, because he was being so sweet and kind. Because I have to kill people in order to survive. Yeah, that sounded great any way she said it, didn't it? But....but if she was killed by a friend, someone she trusted, was it really being killed? If that was what she wanted, then was it really murder? Or just a form of release? Kala felt herself at the crossroads. She could carry this burden alone. She could protect Galadorn until the weight on her shoulders became too heavy to bear and she departed this world. Or she could trust him. And he would either help her, or release her, and where she was going, she figured she wouldn't care what happened after. She returned the hug, pressing her face against warm skin and taking a deep breath. Courage. Courage and bravery. She took another deep breath, when a quiet, calm voice in the back of her head told her what to do. "Galadorn." She raised her face to look up at him, luminescent eyes glowing in the near sunlight. "In order for my body to exist, to survive, I have to feed off the life energy of another creature." Her voice wavered, but her gaze never faltered. Now, or never. "I'm a succubus. In order for me to live....others have to die. And I won't let you be an other." Tears gathered in her eyes by the time she finished speaking, but she refused to wipe them away, refused to move, barely dared to breath. "Do you hate me now?" She whispered.
"That's not quite the issue." Kala fiddled with her hood, unsure of whether or not to tell Galadorn. She hadn't even told Flame, the only other person closest to her, so how could she tell him? Maybe there was middle ground here. She smiled to herself as she watched him try to get comfortable, and stood, grabbing an armful of the quilt underneath her. Preoccupied as she was with her internal struggle of trust and guilt, she didn't gather the entire blanket, leaving enough on the ground that when she moved to deposit it on the bed, her foot stepped on the edge and she slipped, tumbling onto the mattress. Her hands flew out to catch herself, landing on the edges of her cloak, and tearing it off, leaving her head bare. She stared at the ragged red cloth; for so long it had been her cover, her barrier against the world. And a stupid mistake had just ripped the thing almost entirely in half. She sat on her knees, wrapping her arms around herself as she tried to figure out whether she was upset, or uncaring. Movement on the bed reminded her that she wasn't alone, and her eyes widened as she looked up at Galadorn. "I...." She faltered, knowing he would see what she saw in the mirror every morning and evening. What she had kept hidden underneath that hood wasn't just her appearance, it was the appearance her magic gave her. Kala had discovered years ago that the more sated she became with the life force she took, the more her eyes glowed. Right now, with the fairy king's life coursing in her veins, they would be as bright as blue stars. "I'm so sorry." She scrambled off the bed, falling off backwards and smacking her head on floor. Grabbing the sore spot with her hands, she gritted her teeth against the pain. "I'm uh...I"m sorry. That doesn't usually happen." She kept her eyes squeezed shut. "It's my magic. I can't control all of it and if I'm not careful people get hurt and I just...I'm trying, really hard, to be careful. And I don't know what happens to it if I fall asleep around other people. I'm sorry. So sorry." She let go of her head and pressed her forehead against the ground, her palms placed next to her head in a position of supplication. "Please don't hate me."
"I won't let you!" Tessa promised. "I won't let-!" She shuddered awake, blinking. Above her were two familiar faces, one of whom was talking. She blinked again before being able to finally focus. "You're you..." She sighed with relief, passing a hand over her eyes. Part of her had been worried that it hadn't been a dream, or nightmare, as it was. But Rayyad was still himself; anxious and caring and awkward. She opened her eyes and looked up at the man holding her. He had been in her dream too. She flushed, and moved to sit up, running a hand through her hair. "Thanks." She muttered, staring at the ground. "For saving me." But I shouldn't need to be saved. She got to her feet, before looking at the spider bite on her hand. There was little left to show, other then the actual bite marks. "I'm ready to go, if you are." she directed this at Conrad before turning in the direction of the cave. "I've no desire to harm anything in there." As she spoke, her thoughts went once more to the Webber King. Even you. I won't let you take Rayyad or Conrad, but I won't let you be forgotten either. If she was a creature of the forest, then these people were slowly becoming her herd. And no one in her herd would get left behind.
Big Game Hunting Bryce sighed, and turned to walk away. Whenever he passed out, it helped him if someone tossed water on his face. As he went to go find some, he heard the man start screaming about being beaten. Oh good, I don't need water. Now we can go find my dragon fruit! As Bryce turned, ready to present the man with his Hug of Victory before they went off to find the magical fruit, he was smacked across the face with something very hard. But....but my dragon fruit. Bryce fell to his knees, his vision blurring. He tried to rouse himself, but it was too much. Coupled with the sorrow that he had now lost, Bryce was unable to rise, and passed into unconsciousness. Tessa slid across the ground, her hands scrabbling as she tried to make herself stop. When she finally did, she was pulled down by cobwebs, and unable to rise. She could only lift her head as Sad-not-Rayyad called spiders, surrounding her. A puppet...She looked at Not-Rayyad sadly, ignoring the spiders, ignoring the way the webbing pulled at her skin or that she couldn't breathe. Ignoring it all, she looked at the Webber King. "I'm sorry." She whispered softly, her muscles straining against the strength of the web. "I'm sorry so many people failed to love you. To accept you. I know." No one has loved me either. "Humans fear what they don't understand." She gasped as her muscles cramped, momentarily forcing her head to touch the dirt. "But if we make them fear us, we're just letting them define us. I don't want some human to define me. I want to define me." She was able to send one last smile towards Not-Rayyad-but-Sad-Rayyad before her neck gave out and she was forced to lean her cheek against the dirt, staring up into the mandibles of one of the spiders that peered over her. "I won't ever fear you." Shutting her eyes, it felt as if she traveled through a whirlwind of pictures, emotions, voices. She was screaming at a man, before the room exploded. Tessa gasped and opened her eyes, once again met with the hairy mandibles of the spiders. What was that?
Kala flushed at the praise, and felt her shoulders droop with relief. "Oh, yeah. Sleep is kind of important." She laughed a little, before pointing at the bed. Since most of these homes were built with families in mind, most of the beds also followed suit. This one was no different, a queen sized mattress laid flat on the wooden floor with a sheet and a quilt covering it. "You can have the bed. I can get another one, maybe in a couple of days." The whole town was in shock about the king's death, the thought of which prickled her with guilt, and no one would be in the mood to help her get another bed. She crossed the room to the chest that was placed in front of the bed, and grabbed a spare quilt from inside of it. "I'll sleep here." She deposited the blanket on the rug next to one side of the bed, and then promptly sat down in the pile of tangled blanket. "I've never trusted someone this much before." She confessed to Galadorn, running her fingers through her darkened hair. "I hope I'm doing it right."
Tessa refused to back away, and stood her ground as Rayyad-so-not-Rayyad approached her. "But I'm not afraid of you." She stated. She tried to reach up to touch him, but something seemed to hinder her. Tessa furrowed her brow, and pushed back against the force. Slowly but surely, her hand slipped through whatever barrier tried to keep her away, and she laid a hand against Rayyad-totally-not-Rayyad's cheek. "And maybe, Rayyad's just afraid because he couldn't choose to have you inside of him." She smiled a little sadly. "It must be so painful, to be at war with the other half of yourself. Maybe if you both tried to understand the other..."
Ana bristled at Carson's words. Who does he think he is? It's my life, if I want to risk it with magic then let's risk it! Not like he would care if I died! Or should. But her thoughts promptly quieted down as he revealed his runes. Her fingers itched to touch them. Are they warm? How do they hurt? Where did you get them? The markings spoke to her in a familiar way, and it unnerved and delighted her. "....Yes." She finally replied, tearing her eyes away to scan the forest. "Let's go find the monsters and darkness, and eradicate them." It was at least a start, and hopefully it would keep this world too, from being destroyed. "Why, I'm a curious woman." Kala didn't care for the young man's wariness, but she supposed if she attacked him, it would only make things worse. Ugh, gaining people's trust was so boring. Ana had always been better at it. But Ana's not here now. And you know why.She sighed, and returned her gaze to Lumen. "So, what do you do here? Just nap all day, hoping strange women fall from the sky and grant you three wishes?" She brushed her cloak off a little, peering at him from underneath her hood. "Because I'm not really in the granting mood."
Kala smiled, albeit a little nervously, her eyes following the bird with the ease of practice before it fluttered away. She knew she had just made her life harder, in so many ways. Kill Target A. Kill Target B. Disappear. But she hadn't. And now she was inviting someone who had been a stranger only a day ago to share her home with her. One of the last people whom she wanted to know of her secret. Secrets don't stay buried forever. She fought down the urge to shiver. I will keep this from Flame and Galadorn. I won't let them define me. I can do this. Squaring her shoulders, she offered another smile, this one a little more true to Galadorn. "It's this way." She led him towards one of the houses that was a little farther away from the others. She had asked for it upon arrival, trying to get as much privacy as she could for her meals. She opened the door, and a sudden feeling of relief, the feeling of coming home, swept over her as she stepped inside. She hadn't felt that way in years. "So, this is it." she said, somewhat nervous again. What if he didn't like it? What if he went back on his word? Well, then I'm going to follow him. And....somehow guard both him and Flame. Yes, she could do it. She had to do it.
Darklight DisturbanceThe dream was terrifying. She wanted to scream, but couldn't. She tried to grab onto something to keep herself from falling, but couldn't. She tried to wake herself up, but just like the former two, she couldn't. Now, having landed on her knees, she looked up as the Rayyad-yet-not-Rayyad form approached her. "Can you handle the secrets that lie in the shadows?" he asked her, his voice different. Just like his form, just like his aura....it was not her Rayyad, but it looked like him. "The future is a fickle thing, like the darkness, it shies away when we try to shine a light on it." "But I don't need a light." She responded, getting to her feet slowly. "I'm not afraid of the dark, or the shadows. I'm not afraid of what I don't understand." Because really, that was the human way. And as she was slowly discovering, she seemed to be anything but human. When she had walked in the darkness of the forest, those many nights, she had become one of those shadows; one of those wavering forms that so many people feared, and built fires to keep away. "I'll persist, even if it kills me." She decided, stepping towards the Rayyad-but-not-Rayyad person. "I'll help Rayyad, and Conrad, and anyone else who needs it, because no creature deserves to be caged." She had already lived freely for most of her life, and if her life was the price of another's freedom, then she would gladly pay it. Darklight Disturbance Kara's mind froze for a second as Laurentinus helped her off the horse. For a brief moment, their faces were level, and their eyes met. Then he set her on the ground, and the second was over. She blinked at the ground, staring at her shoes for a moment as she tried to connect her disjointed thoughts, before putting a smile on her face and nodding. "I've never been in a cave before." She said as they started towards the big as a..horse opening. "Well, a smuggler's cave, but I think that's going to be very different then this. And hopefully less wet. She winked at Ren before stepping inside, her hands warily stretched out in front of her to see. "I don't suppose you have a light?" She asked, her eyes trying to probe the darkness. Doe Eyes was probably right at home with this kind of place, with all of her talk of animals and plants and peace and whatever. But Wolfie was probably not quite as happy, and she hoped he wouldn't get into too much trouble before they got there. Because, of course, that was her job. Big Game Hunting Bryce blinked, watching with slightly widened eyes as the Night Knight charged him. "You don't know what a dragonfruit is?" He asked, genuine sadness in his voice. "Why is everyone in this country so uncultured?" It was then he struck, attacking the Night Knight with his warhammer. "Let me win so I can educate you!"
Veera felt warm arms around her, and the smell of leather, and in an instant she was once again a little girl, wrapped in the strange embrace of the witcher who became her father. "I shouldn't have let you go..." But where did I go?! She wanted to scream and cry and fight and curl up into a ball. She wanted to know and not know and why would she do this? Why? She lifted her head out of her hands to stare at her palms. How many people had she killed? How much blood was on her hands? Her head ached as she looked up into the yellow eyes of her mentor. "How could I do this?" Her voice made barely any sound as she spoke. "How could I have let this happen?" She slowly got to her feet, taking her sword from Veceslav. "Veceslav, it's my fault he's here." She said, her voice broken. "It's my fault and I don't know wh- no." She turned to the mage, ignoring the dead as much as she could as she approached him. "Ser mage." She bowed her head, letting her sword lower to the ground as well. "I am sorry, truly sorry, for whatever I said that brought you here, brought you to this. I....." she glanced back at her comrades. "I will pay the price for my actions, since they have caused more suffering then I can possibly understand. But please..." She turned back, her eyes haunted. "Please let their souls go. Please tell me what I can do to make amends." Tessa didn't order anything, and instead rested her arms on the table, and her head on her arms, shutting her eyes and trying to shut out the din of the bar. She ignored the words of those around her until finally, the man called Sigmund arrived. He mentioned punishment and Tessa felt cold fear twist in her gut. No no no, they would not take Seth away. He was all she had left, all she could hold onto. She wearily pushed herself up, getting off her chair to stand. It didn't make her taller, but it helped her feel a little braver. "Any punishment that must be paid will be paid by me." She said, with what little authority she could come up with. "The acts he committed were committed for my sake." Because if he hadn't, he would never have come into her life. "I promise you, we will do no harm while we are here. Please, I need hi- I need to hide. We need to hide. The man who hurt me..." her hands went to her injury subconsciously, "he might still find me." Bryce chuckled. "Such bravado. You don't know me. How do you think I came by this?" He raised his silver sword, and then lowered it. "Paid for it? Found it? Stole it?" The last two words were said in a whisper as he smiled again. "No, silly witcher. No, I took this from the body of the witcher I killed. Can't even remember his name, come to think of it. Ah, but it doesn't matter. Not like you lot bury your kind, right?" Ah, a shame the old man has decided to die. Bryce sighed, and motioned with his two fingers, before Bryce turned his attention back to Aaron. "So...I've heard you've got family running around the city. Shame that her companions let her get away so easily." He sighed. "And she was so pretty too." While Aaron was distracted with Bryce, Fiel nocked an arrow, drew it back, and shot. Her aim was true, and the shaft sprouted from Raymond's chest. She drew another, this one pointed at Aaron. "So, ready to play now?" Bryce asked softly. Zack worked his way through the streets. He had found an iron sword, and, tearing his shirt, had wrapped the cloth around the handle to keep it from creating blisters. As he stole from shadow to shadow, he heard the sounds of screams, of death, of the dying. Not like this. It should never have been like this. But there was nothing to be done now, and as he slipped through the entrance into Sanctuary, he knew those screams would haunt him for a long time to come. The place he had come to know as a haven was deserted, almost completely. Right, first order of business. He headed for the herbalist's shop. Hopefully she had some health potions left. Along the way, he came across a teenage girl and her sister, clinging to each other on a doorstep. Zack paused, and knelt before them. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly, reaching a hand out. The little girl hesitantly took it, and her sister stood with her. "Our parents....they left us. Our brother too." Zack's gut tightened, but he didn't let it show on his face. "Are there any others out there? Others that didn't follow Bryce?" he asked. The girls looked at each other, and then nodded. "Alright. Well you two go find them, and bring them here. I'm going to get supplies, and then we can all leave together. Okay?" Just how he would protect more, well...he should have perhaps let Teliana come with after all. But no, he had to get these people out first, and then he would go back for her. She and Zephyr would just have to hold tight for now.
Veera glanced over her shoulder as a newcomer joined the battle. She hardly minded the extra help, and if she could really be trusted, well....they would have to figure it out later. She turned back around and slashed at another shadow, adding it to her body count. Then, a Dark Ball appeared in the air above her. She eyed it nervously, before jumping out of the way of its attack. Springing backwards into the air, she used her instincts as her guide, and threw her keyblade at the Dark Ball, slicing it in half. The keyblade flew off into the darkness, and with a twitch of her fingers, she called it back into her palm before landing back on the ground, a short distance from the stranger. "Veera, and that's Xara!" She pointed to the girl who was fighting her own battles. The other newcomer, she wasn't sure of. She kept her back to the stranger, allowing her that much trust for the moment as she adjusted her grip on her keyblade into a defensive one, pushing away a heartless that tried to jump at her. BP Heartless kill count: Shadows: 15 Dark Balls: 2 Shadows injured: Shadow 1: 1 BP left Shadow 2: 1 BP left Total Experience Gained Veera: 115 EXP (7 Shadows, 1 Dark Ball) Xara: 60 EXP (6 Shadows) Aislinn: 65 EXP (1 Dark Ball, 2 Shadows)
Veera disappeared as soon as they made it back to town. She made it to her room without attracting any attention or saying a word to anyone. Once she was within those familiar four walls once more, she collapsed onto the bed, resting one arm over her eyes. The crinkle of paper alerted her to the picture that she had carried back being crushed, and she shifted slightly in order to remove it. Holding it up over her face, she stared at it until her vision went blurry before setting it on her night stand, and replacing her arm back over her eyes. No one left behind, and no one to come back to. Well, at least she had brought one thing back. Tessa didn't speak until they returned to the city, and only then did she go looking for Zack. For comfort, to let him know she was okay, she wasn't really sure. Maybe just to have something stable. But no one seemed to have seen him for some time, at least a night. Oh right, his date. She smiled to herself, happy that it went well, and went back to her own room. He would know where to find her when he was ready. Instead of entering, she stayed outside the door, staring at it as she debated the events that had just come about. Flame was to be queen, the king was dead, she had fought her first titans, Zack had a girlfriend....It's too much. She let her head rest against the door, and shut her eyes. Suddenly she felt so tired. Zack instinctively pulled Adelina tighter as he woke, rubbing his face with one hand. His head didn't hurt nearly as much as he had expected, but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. "Right." He muttered, getting to his feet and carefully peering over the edge. His brow furrowed. Had I dreamed last night? He hoped not. Looking at Adelina, he felt a swell of feelings. No, not all of it could have been real. "Right, let's go." He wrapped an arm around her waist, taking one last look at the empty ground below before swinging back towards town. Kala's heart had swelled as Flame had disappeared. She had a feeling she knew where the girl had gone, but her conscious stabbed at her for even thinking of going to comfort the girl. What right do I have? She swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that came with the guilt, before turning to Galadorn as everyone else dispersed to their own business in town. "Um....do you have a place to stay?" she asked, awkwardly shifting from one foot to another. "Because, if you don't, you could stay with me. Just because, I thought you might like to attend the ceremony for the king tomorrow, and because I don't think you should sleep outside by yourself, especially because we don't know who killed the king and they might still be out there..." she was rambling, and she knew it. But behind the guilt was fear, fear that they would find out, and they would come looking for her. For Flame. And possibly for any other person they didn't want around. "So...you can stay with me if you want." She reiterated, looking at the ground. Because as afraid as I am of what they'll do to me, I can't even imagine what they might do with you.
Her faith wasn't rewarded, and the spider sank its fangs into her hand. She cried out and backed up, the wound already darkening with the effects of the poison. Behind her, she heard Rayyad speaking, but his voice sounded...strange. He shouted at them in his scary voice, and they backed up. She took another step back, her hands shaking as she looked down, the two fang marks blurring in her vision. Was she crying? She touched her face, but there wasn't any wetness. "Rayyad, I...." she stumbled, dropping to her knees as her legs gave out. "I tried." She put a hand to her head, shaking it to try and clear her vision. "I don't care if you or Conrad lied, I just want you both to be free." She stared at her palm, then up at Rayyad. "I made a mistake." She whispered, before collapsing to the ground, unconscious. Bryce blinked. "Aren't you wearing a helmet?" He asked, mistaking the man's long hair for metal. "Ah, well if you need another one, then I suppose that's fair....it gives me really bad tunnel vision anyway." Bryce readied his sword, and then waited. Never attack first. It was a lesson that had literally been beaten into him. Probably why it stuck so well. "Also, if I win, I want you to help me find a dragon fruit."
Tessa hesitated, her neck prickling, and then she clenched her fists. She could do this. She had lived on her own for years. She had dealt with spiders before. "I'm sorry." She spoke quietly, keeping her stance relaxed, doing everything she could to keep from looking like a threat. "I'm sorry, but I need to get by you. If you want, you can follow me..." She paused, well aware that the spiders couldn't understand her, but hoping the tone of her voice somehow got through. "Please, I'm trying to help someone in my clan. I just need to get by, I swear I won't touch anything or hurt anyone. I just need to help Rayyad." She took a leap of faith, and outstretched her hand towards the spider that was closest, hoping something had gotten though. "Second ri-" Her question was cut off as the horse leaped forward. Kara squealed like a five year old girl, much to her shame, and grabbed at the horse's mane, anything to keep from bouncing off. The rhythm was terrifying, and despite having Ren's arms around her she felt like if she moved too much she would go flying into the dirt. After a few minutes, she wasn't sure when, she discovered there was a method to the terrifying madness that was the galloping speed. It was slightly less comfortable, but more manageable. She slowly let her fingers untangle from the coarse hair it had clung to, until she wasn't using her hands at all to hold on. It was then she laughed, outstretching her arms as they raced off through the trees and along the road. "I'm flying, Ren!" she yelled, feeling the wind with her fingers. Kara didn't think she had ever felt so alive. All too soon, it came to a stop. The horse pranced in front of the cave as Kara took a deep breath, her lungs reminding her they needed air. Her hair was tangled and windswept, and her cheeks felt flushed. Oh if only the others could see them now, the ideas that would pop into their heads. Now the ideas were popping into her head. Focus, girl. She told herself, staring into the dark cavern. It was pretty big, kind of like....the horse. Yeah, the horse. Speaking of which, she peeked at the ground nervously. "So...how do we get down?" She asked Ren, a little uncertain.
Veera grimaced as the creature shrieked, nearly rupturing her ear dreams before the shriek seemed to change. Slowly, the creature wobbled, then fell over, scrabbling as it tried to get back on its feet. Veera stumbled to her own, holding her sword between her as the creature slowly shrank in size, back into the body of the girl. She had black hair, Veera was surprised to notice, draping over her face and cascading down her back. Oh. The girl was stark naked. Veera quickly grabbed the girl's cape from where it had been discarded and laid it over Kala's body. Despite being her enemy, she could still help the girl have a little self respect. "Hey! Stop!" Veera got to her feet once more, ready to intercede in Requiem's fight. She hadn't expected the musical soldier to stick around, and she winced as she saw the damage that had been done to his armor. That would be me. She realized. I have to find a way to make this up to the guy. Or girl. She wasn't really sure. "Your mistress is calm." She tried to reach through to Timothy, tried to get him to stop hurting the other one. Her alpha instincts told her to jump into the fray, but she knew if she did that, she would end up a crushed glob in the sand. Cold. And warm. How can I be two at once? She was...not herself. Things were wrong, everything was heavy, black. Someone's voice was calling to her through the dark. A woman's. Kala giggled and clapped her tiny hands before running towards it on tiny legs, her sundress blowing behind her. The closer she got to the voice, the brighter everything seemed to be, and the heavier she felt.Kala's eyes felt heavy as she opened them, and the sand stuck to her body as she perspired. It was so cold, and she shivered, drawing her cloak around her to try to get warm, but yet, she was so hot she was sweating. Wait...my clothes...her head was pounding, and she tried to rise from the sand, only to have her arms give out. I'm okay just lying here. She decided, closing her eyes.
Satisfied that Roxanne would be alright, Brianne turned back to Nick. "It's not here. It's in Alicante. And we aren't allowed to travel to the City of Glass without sanction." She started down the street at a jog, not waiting for the other two to follow. "I'll connect with one of the Elders when we get back. They should able to tell me." She prayed to the Angel for a swift course back to the Institute, and her prayers were answered. They managed to make it back to the glamoured haven, glamoured as a ruined church. Brianne put her fingers on the barrier, and gently whispered the words of undoing. As the glamour fell, she walked inside, the corners of her eyes tight with anxiety. Nick did have a point, and she hoped he was right. If it was simply a ploy for Downworlders, that was a much less horrific scenario then if a Downworlder had actually taken the Mortal Cup. Because to do that, it meant a Downworlder had to get into Alicante, or else.... She shivered, rubbing her arms as a sudden chill took to her skin. Another step, and she slipped, too focused inward to pay attention to her surroundings. Frowning, her body froze as her eyes identified the liquid that had nearly caused her to fall. "Nick, take Roxanne and go lock yourselves in the library. Do not come out until you hear my voice. I don't care who it is, if it isn't me, don't let them in!" She darted to Hendrick's side, pressing one hand to check for a pulse while the other reached for her stele, already tracing the runes to perform quick healing. She felt a small amount of relief when her fingers found the pulse, but it was short lived as she took in the injuries on his body. "You can't die on me now." She whispered, continuously tracing healing rune after healing rune to help his blood clot and any possible poison stop its path. Because what she hadn't pointed out to Roxanne and Nick, was that Downworlders were forbidden from entering Alicante. They would burn as soon as they passed the barrier. Either a Nephilim, a Shadow Hunter, had lowered the barrier, or had stolen the Cup. "Hendrik, I think we've been betrayed." she said, her voice so soft it barely made any noise. Despite her concern for her comrade, she kept her senses on high alert. There was no telling if Hendrik had been attacked on the street and managed to get himself here, or whether the attacker had waited for him in the Institute. It shouldn't be possible, but she wasn't discounting anything now. Morrigan felt nothing but pain. Endless pain, making her body one long nerve ending that did nothing but hurt. She just wanted it to stop, wanted it to end, wanted to go back to the unconscious nothing that she had been before. Each breath felt like repayment for every sin, and each thought did nothing but remind her of the waves of physical suffering her body was trying to survive. "I just want to die." Whether she said the thought out loud or only in her mind, she wasn't conscious enough to know. Fevers, then chills followed the pain, creating an endless cycle that seemed to have no end. No end except for death. She wasn't in the forest anymore, whatever she was resting on was too harsh to be the earth. Why couldn't I just die where I felt most at peace? She wondered, trying to push herself up, trying to move her head, trying to twitch her fingers, anything. Not even her eyelids would respond to her brain's commands, and so she remained in the dark, unable to react to the intense pain, or heat or chills her body produced, unable to react to what felt like strange hands trying to fix her, or perhaps experiment on her. Maybe it was Masque. Maybe he had gotten bored and was now experimenting on her. Maybe he had killed Ash, when the warlock had mysteriously appeared before her. Maybe Ash had never existed at all, and it had been Masque all along. The thought made her want to scream, but all that passed her lips was a whimper. I just want to die.
Veera kept her back to Derrick and Veceslav, focusing on those enemies in front of her. It was for this reason that she was the last of their group to see Solomon. Her spine stiffened as the eerie tones of his voice stretched across the battlefield, reaching her ears above the din and clamor of metal on metal and flesh. She turned, daring to leave her side open for a moment as her eyes met those of the mage. He must have been a mage, evidenced by the shambling army that came towards them, ignorant of all else in their path. She stepped towards him, ignoring the injuries done to her person as she approached the mage, eyes wide as she searched for a single familiar feature, a way she could identify this man. "I...I don't remember you." she spoke uncertainly, a quaver in her voice. "I didn't start anything, I....I was..." She looked back at Derrick, her face full of an unfamiliar emotion; fear. "Derrick?" She asked, feeling herself beginning to tremble. She felt so lost. "Derrick, what is he talking about?" Her vision flashed to greys and whites and she dropped her sword, the silver clanging against the cobblestones as she clutched her head, crouching towards the ground in the quickest defensive position she could manage, her eyes squeezed shut as the keening in her ears reached an unmanageable pitch. Voices, faces, screaming past her with all the subtlety of a dragon. Amidst it all, a single thought managed to penetrate the pain; Did I do this? "Oh I don't bloody well think so." Bryce stepped into Aaron's view, swinging his sword almost lazily, though his eyes burned with an intense hatred he felt in his core. "Things could have been different, ser." He addressed Raymond with a slightly regretful tone. "I would advise you to leave now. This young man is only going to lead you to death. Witchers don't know any other way." The two dopplers at his side spread out, forming a triangle around the witcher and Raymond. "Come on, then." he taunted Aaron. "Show me what a real witcher is capable of. Either way, one of us is going to go find Veera. Who will it be, do you think?" Teliana lowered her hands to the sheets of the bed, resting them lightly on the covers as she stared after Vyle for a moment before returning to herself. To put pressure on her hands was painful, and she'd rather not push herself. "I'm alive." she answered simply. "And I'm glad they didn't get you." She nodded towards the dimeritium cuffs on Zephyr's wrists. "Let's work on getting those off of you." The task would give her something to focus on, other then being a dead weight and unable to help the people that were screaming below. "We won't be able to stay here for very long." She murmured to the other mage and Zack, lowering her lashes as she stared at her hands. "They'll get in eventually. We should leave the city, us and the others trapped in here." Zack peered out the window before looking back at Teliana and Zephyr. How are you going to get those off? He wondered, though he kept the thought to himself. "You're right." He agreed with Teliana, though he didn't like it. How was he, the only one able to fight, supposed to get one injured and one bound mage out of Oxenfurt, and to safety? Let alone the others who took shelter here. But she was right. Eventually, the mob would surpass the barricades and break in. And then they would truly be trapped. "Wait here." He said, gritting his teeth. "It's probably safer if you don't come with me, and honestly, you'll only slow me down." He said, bobbing his head in Teliana's direction. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise. Bar the door and don't let anyone in until you hear my voice." He sighed. "Actually, don't open the door until I say the word, Peaches. Password, okay?" He blushed as Teliana raised an eyebrow at his choice of word, and shrugged. "I'll be back." "Peaches." Teliana repeated quietly. "Stay safe, young one." She added as Zack headed out the door, before wincing as she dragged herself from the bed. Her legs trembled with weakness, and she was in desperate need of new apparel, but she managed to make it across the room. Whispering the ancient words to herself, she passed her fingers over the iron hinges in the door, which softened under the heat of her skin and began to melt. She molded them, hoping it would be enough to hold back anyone trying to get through, for now. She stumbled, catching herself on the beside dresser as she made her way back to the bed. Taking the opportunity, she rummaged through the drawer, finding exactly what she needed. "Come here. It'll take me a couple minutes, but I can get these off." She murmured to Zephyr, fashioning the hair pin into a lock pick. "You don't stay alive as a mage for more then three dozen years without learning a few tricks."
Veera turned, and looked at Veilen. This guy is one of a kind. She decided, taking her index and middle finger and poking him in the forehead before turning away, clambering over the wool to get out before any of it infiltrated her clothing. "Well, from here, I'm guessing we go...." she shut her eyes and turned in a circle before opening them. "Left." She finished, striding that way. Kara giggled as Runa began to sing to herself, before taking out another man's face with her flames. That left only one, who looked between her and Runa as if trying to decide what the best option was here. Kara smiled and stepped forward, blowing a kiss in the man's direction. As her lips kissed her fingers, a flame grew so that by the time she actually blew it towards him, it was a giant ball of flame that engulfed the man entirely. By the light of his screaming, burning corpse, she could see the way to the exit. "Well, shall we?" She asked Runa, flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking past the man, towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
"Keyblade....armor..." Ana repeated slowly, her eyes on the weapon that Carson had suddenly made appear. Was this the key to why her world had vanished? "I have magic." She held her hand out, a small flame appearing above her palm. She smiled gently as it danced along her wrist, and up her arm, circling her shoulders before sinking into her skin. "Fire magic. I could perhaps create a shield of flames to protect myself from...well from whatever you think I need protecting from." She crossed her arms, biting her lip. "If that's not acceptable, then I'm afraid I don't have a clue. I've heard of keyblades, but never actually seen one..." She reached out a hand to touch the weapon, then stopped herself, letting the outstretched arm drop to her side. "Perhaps if I had one, I could have stopped everything." She sighed. "But then I wouldn't have met you, or had the many glorious adventures I've had." Her voice dripped with cynicism, but she softened it with a smile. "So...perhaps we should see if darkness lingers in these woods." "As...okay. I'm from the darkness. Born and bred." Kala winked at Lumen before stretching her arms. "So what's there to do here? Any darkness? Creatures to be destroyed? Monsters or keyblade wielders?" She was only really interested in the last one. A keyblade wielder had been the death of her world, and a keyblade wielder would be the one to bring it back.
