Heirot

Thread started by Mizuki on May 12th, 2005

Mizuki:

The black wind finally stopped and landed the three captives with no control over themselves in front of a shabby hut, that was more than what the eye beheld. The three walked in and were welcomed by a skeleton of a woman, so skinny you could break her with your fist.

She lead them, after taking Blade from Mizuki, into the cellar, which was a vast labortory with many rooms of stone. They entered the room where Kujo sat waiting, beside the corpse peiced together from female parts... it would be Mizuki's new body once the ritual was complete. And Rai's young maiden soul would nurture it into everlasting youth.

Emora:


Rai was scared. She was very scared, but her feet wouldn't stop moving. Come on feet... stop moving... come on... please? But, they wouldn't. She wanted to be sick when she saw the pieced together body. It was so scary looking... She wanted Soran... Mizuki was acting so funny.

When would she be able to act on her own? She wanted to be able to fight something off as best she could. This was so unfair...

Siren:

Siren had begun the journey flying circles around the group, watching for enemies, but she didn't expect to find anything till they got closer.

She looked down at Taki skeptically as she flew over her. Intuition was one thing, but to claim to know the future was absurd. Gwendolyn had been close on a few guesses, but based on the fact that even she could have guessed that Mizuki would have her life in danger soon based on her track history, she hadn't put much trust in her predicitons either.

She turned her focus to Soran, marching along at a small distance from the others, and left the sky to walk beside him.

"You've been looking nervous since this morning. Is everything alright?" She asked him once she was walking beside him.

Soran:

Soran walked in grim silence, finding to his annoyance that he couldn't get his mind off Mizuki's kiss.
He came back to the moment as Siren landed beside him. "You've been looking nervous since this morning. Is everything alright?" she asked him.

Soran looked at her strangely at the unexpected question, his expression guarded and emotionless. "Yeah," he answered incomprehensibly, "I'm fine."

Siren:

Siren looked to Soran worriedly.

"It's worse than I thought then." Siren sighed emphatically.

"Everything was fine with her then suddenly it wasn't her anymore. If you tell us what's disturbing you maybe we can figure out why, anyway."

Siren crossed her arms behind her head, trying to act as non-chalant as possible.

Soran:

Soran's eyes narrowed in concern as Siren's words brought an unsettling thought to his mind. She had changed immediately after he left the room. Had he been the reason she'd lost control of herself? She had been under a curse, to be sure, but maybe she could have fought it. Could he have disappointed her and caused her to lose her dominance over the spell? For that matter, had she even really kissed him? He had no way of knowing whether she was in control of herself at that time, although it had certainly felt real...he frowned.

He looked back at Siren, slightly pale. "I told you..." He started sternly, but dropped off as his expression became too distraught to deny itself. "She might have left because of me," he said.

Siren:

Siren was rather surprised by Soran's response.

"Left because... of you? But why?" She thought for a moment.

"Soran... I'm sure she really loves you. It's obvious by the way she acts. And I don't think she'd leave and risk losing you like that. But maybe something you did, or she did, triggered a reaction... She wasn't acting funny at all before you left her room? No strange behavior?"

Soran:

Soran arched his neck back as though something unpleasant had just been held in front of his face. "No strange behavior," he said seriously, looking away and then down. "From her, I guess it's pretty normal, but I wasn't expecting it." He frowned, embarrassed.

Siren:

"Ara? And what exactly might this behaviour have been?"

Siren was now taunting him more than anything, guessing well enough that she had said or done something to get the elf riled up. She tried to keep the taunt out of her voice as much as she could, though.

Mizuki:

Kujo walked casually over to his captives. "I've waited a long time for this, ALexial." he said and his eyes flickered over to Rai. He smiled sadisticly and leaned to her level. "You're a special little girl, yes? And you'll serve a speical purpose." he looked back to Mizuki and decided to slacken the power he had over them a bit. He gave them back their free speech just so he could hear them scream out their futile threats.

"Your young maiden soul will nurious[sp?] the the new body I have waiting for her soul," he indicated to Mizuki, "Isn't that an honor?"

Mizuki, in her mind, glared at Kujo. 'This was the Dark Angel who has cursed us... Wait...MY NEW BODY?! Rai's soul!!'

"Don't...you touch her!!" Mizuki managed to say throwing all her malice into her words.

Soran:

The rogue was looking really uncomfortable now. His ears felt hot, making him wish he hadn't mentioned it. "I think I hurt her," he said, not meeting Siren's eyes. "When I left the room...probably, I hurt her." That was the best he could do; his memory of the moment was so vivid he could almost feel her against his lips, and clearly see the confused pain in her eyes when he turned away. If it happened again, would he do the same thing?

Emora:


Rai looked at him and swallowed hard. She wanted to back away or hug Mizuki... But, all she had control over was her facial expressions and her voice. "No," she said shakily and tried to look brave. But, he was just too creepy. She looked at the gross body and winced. That was Mizuki's new body? What was wrong with the body Mizuki had now? "Your going to fail... Soran always saves us. He won't lose, not to someone like you..."

Healing... Wasn't that his problem? Rai looked at Kujo and a smirked. She said nothing but stared at him. Try... She said and her eyes narrowed as she thought and tried as hard as she could. Heal... come on... Her face turned red from the strain, but she didn't give up. She didn't want to... She wanted to heal him. She didn't know what it would do... but thought it would help. Taki and the others seemed to think it would.

Rai trembled and a soft glow came from Kujo's skeleton hand. But, then the glow faded, and nothing happened. The only thing Rai had to show for her effort was a nose bleed. She let out a shaky breath. "You'll still lose..."

Taki:

Taki was rigid as she walked next to Grye. She let out a long sigh every now and then, wanting to save Mizuki quick as possible. Of course, why hadn't she seen the dawning of these powers before? That night she had the weird dream..The fairy looked grimly at the group. Her vision didn't say.. it only showed some crucial points referring to herself and Grye.. but she was sure there were injuries to come. The only hope she had was that she saw Kujo's soul being binded to a piece of paper and then burned, essentially destroying his every last trace. So long as Mizuki was safe.

Siren:

Siren almost felt bad for asking when she saw how depressed Soran looked.

"Well, it'll be ok. And if you know what you did to hurt her, maybe you can undo it. Look... you may not know how to feel about her yet, but as long as you know you don't want to lose her you have to show her that, or it'll be too late. She was crying when she left..."

Siren looked down, trying to recreate the pain Mizuki must have felt within herself.

"I'm sure she still has faith in you."

Mizuki:

Kujo felt a little tingling and burning sensation, but it quickly died as it came and he looked at Rai. "Good try." he said smirking. He stood up and made a hand motion to the woman who held Blade.

"Give me my s---" Mizuki was cut off because Kujo silenced her.

"Put her in the clothing I told you about and put her on the sacrific table when the moon is at it's highest." Kujo said motioning for Mizuki to be redressed and Rai to be, in the future time, to be straped to a table. But for now she would be held in a dungeon room.

Emora:


"Mizuki!" Rai yelled as they went to take her away and take Rai herself to a dungeon. The women took her away to a dungeon room and she felt the power go from her to where she could move on her own. Maybe it was the room. Maybe if she stepped out she wouldn't have control over her body.

Before they left Rai the chained her ancle to the floor so she couldn't get away even if she wanted to. She sat with her back against the wall, wiping her bloody nose on her nightgown. How come ever time something bad happened she was in her nightgown?

"Soran... please hurry..."

Soran:

Soran looked at Siren, realizing that she was trying to comfort him. "Yeah. Probably." He looked absently at the shallow cuts Mizuki had made in his shoulder, then remembered his bracelets. "I forgot the word for these things again," he said, holding one out in front of him and analyzing it critically.

Siren:

Siren smiled at Soran comfortingly.

"The word is 'Shourai'. Pair that with command 'return' and they'll disperse. This could be a problem if I picked a word that's hard to remember. Think of it as their name, even though they're not sentient or anything. Maybe that'll help."

Mizuki:

Mizuki was redressed in a white long skirt with a slit going all the way up her right thigh and brassier-like top. (-snort-) She was still under Kujo's command and when she re-entered the room Kujo was in he smiled at her.

"I'm not stupid like some wo will let you out of their sights." he sneered and commanded her to stand at his side near a window. Mizuki didn't want to be near him, and she eyed his left arm warily feeling something strange about it. "My soon-to-be-bride." Kujo chuckled. Mizuki wanted to spit in his face, but she couldn't. All she had was her mind to use freely.

Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her face and collided with the stone floor. In her mind she desparatly called out to Soran. 'Soran! Please help us! I can't fight him... aaahhh!! His arm!' she screamed in her head has Kujo brought out his skeleton hand and placed it on her cheek. Mizuki would move away if she could.

"Hehe... go ahead and call out to them... it'll be futile.." he smiled and kissed her roughly making Mizuki want to retch. She cried out again to Soran.

Emora:


Rai hummed lightly to try and keep herself from being so scared. The tune she hummed didn't even have a name. She was making it up as she went along. Mommy once said that elves could talk to each other through tel...tell... telopy.. telophy.... telupy... well something about voices in the mind... Maybe I could talk to Soran. But, I'm only half... maybe I could talk to Mizuki... But, at the moment her head was hurting to much to really try anything of that nature.

So Rai continued to hum her tune over and over, trying to pass the time away...

Soran:

Soran abruptly stopped dead in his tracks with a haunted expression as Mizuki's terrified voice suddenly burst into his thoughts. 'Soran! Please help us! I can't fight him... aaahhh!! His arm!'

"Mizuki?" the rogue said out loud, confusion and alarm in his voice.

'SORAN!' her pleading voice echoed again in his mind, brimming with desperation.

The rogue turned to Siren and Taki with a grim frown. "We need to move faster. Something's happening to her," he said, bursting into a run.

"We're coming, Mizuki. Hold on a little while longer," he tried to 'think at' her as calmingly as he could, though his own blood was racing.

Mizuki:

"We're coming, Mizuki. Hold on a little while longer," Soran's words came into her head and she wanted to answer him but Kujo thrusted her down hard onto the table next to the lifeless, pieced together corpse.

"I hope you like your new body." Kujo said, eeirly calm. He hovered around her and smiled his twisted smile. "Once your soul is replaced in it the young one's own soul shall nourish it to stay good forever..."


Some odd hours, maybe not even, Grye couldn't keep track in his bird form, they finally had come to the Forest surrounding the Dark Angel fortress. He cried out to the other's below and landed in front of them.

"I know you want to hurry, but if we don't figure out how to get into the fortress and to that hut unseen by the other Dark Angels, then we have no perfect plan on successfully saving her." Grye told them after he shifted back into his human form.

"Wait, Siren!" Naoki said and looked to the Dark Angel. "You were part of the guard, right? Couldn't you get them to help us?" Naoki looked at her, hoping and Grye's eyes flickered over to Siren.

Siren:

"Err, well you see.. that's kind of a little.. uh.. no." Siren said. "You see, those aren't the same people I worked with to begin with, all of them returned to the city after Gabriel was slain. I doubt they would take kindly to us if they are following Kujo." She shivered involuntarily.

"But! There's another way. On the East side of the fortress there's an area overshadowed with trees so that the sentries couldn't see us that goes right up to the fortress wall. There is an emergency exit located there that opperates through secret tunnels throughout the fortress. If we can get in there we'll have access to Gaberial's bath chamber, the dining hall, and the festival hall in the center of the grounds. I doubt these angels have located the tunnels yet, so we should be safe. Let's get to the entrance for a start, then figure out where to go."

OOC: hey, is this a city-ish area now or something with a castle main feature? logistically, where will Kujo's luv shack be located so we have a point to shoot for?

Mizuki:

OOC: Just posting to tell you. The DarkAngel fortress is like... one big ass castle, then a few smaller buildings. Kujo's hut is located on its outskirts so umm... lets make it the east side lol.

Siren:

The group moved to the East wall under the canopy of trees, watchign carefully for sentrys as they went but seeing none. The fortress wall looked solid and inpassable, but Siren walked up to it, used her wings to push her up about eight feet into the air, and started feeling along the side of the wall.

"I know it's here somewhere..." shewas saying to herself, then, "Ah! here it is!"

She located a small indent in the surface of the wall, an abboration that would look like a small dent to most people, and held her braceleted wrist up to the dent so that a key-shaped charm pressed into it.

"Admit and shelter." With those words spoken, the wall began to groan as magic cut throught the stone and caused it to swing out like a door. Siren dodged backwards, just barely getting otu of harm's way. The opening started four feet above the ground, wide enough to admit one person at a time and almost five feet in height, so that most people would end up crawling anyway.

"Guard captains have their perks," Siren said in explanation and beckoned for the others to enter with her arms, then climbing inside herself to lead the way. She hoped Taki wouldn't have too much trouble getting in, since she had the shortest stature of them all.

Inside, while she waited for the others, she stood up and glanced around the dark tunnel. Magical blue fire lit the way as she walked foreward, casting eerie shadows across the ground. But the tunnel was wide enough for comfort and tall enough that no one would have to duck. The only problem now was that she hadn't been in the tunnels in years...

Mizuki:

In the confins of Kujo's unground dungeon, he could sense that the group actually made it. He gave a twisted smile. "It seems I'm underestimating them, if they got this far to the fortress and haven't been caught yet by the guards... hehehe... why don't you go greet them?"

Mizuki's body sat up on the table. She was still there in her old one, the transfer hasn't happened yet but it would soon. Mizuki's once brown eyes were now glazed over with an evil red. Her nails, extended out like long talons and were using magic to burn the flesh once it was in contact with it.

"Go."

Mizuki's body glided on the floor as if she weren't walking. She went out of the dungeon's and to the tunnels to meet her rescuing party.

Kujo knew full well that they would probably try not to harm their beloved friend, which why it made it so amusing to watch them only defend and not fight back. In a black mirror he watched Mizuki go out to find the group in the tunnels and from their lead them out like they could trust her, then slaughter them like animals... or not. Actually Kujo didn't know what he would do to them. Maybe kill them but leave them intact so he could use their body parts... or, lead them to his dungeon, lock them up and let them know in their agony that they failed to save the ones they loved.

"Hehehe..." Kujo laughed. He's never been so indescive before about how to kill his enemys.


Once They were all in the tunnels Grye felt as if they were being followed... or watched.

"I think we're being watched." Grye whispered to Naoki who was in front of him. She looked back to him and nodded and passed the information up to everyone else. A shiver went down Naoki's spine at the meer thought of it all.

Emora:


Rai's stomach growled in protest to the fact she hadn't had any breakfast. She sighed and looked around her cell, shivering. It was damp and cold... Why were cells always damp and cold? What was going? What was happening to Mizuki, or Soran... or anyone else?

I wish you were here Soran... Rai thought and looked around the room.

She was getting tired of just sitting still. Maybe she could be annoying? Yea... So Rai began to scream as loud as she could in the most annoying way she thought possible. She hoped to annoy someone into letting her out of the cell and maybe taking her to where she could see Mizuki or someone. As long as she wasn't in the cell anymore. "Hey!!!!! Did you forget about me down here?!" she screamed.

Soran:

Soran followed behind Siren at the head of the group, watching the sides of the tunnel suspiciously for traps or guards, but none appeared. He kept listening carefully for any more communication from Mizuki, but none came, and he had lost his ability to communicate with her when their connection had broken earlier. He avoided dwelling on it, putting his focus on the physical task at hand. It would do him no good to let emotions in at a time like this.

"Someone seems to be watching us," he heard a whisper from behind him, and frowned, looking around. He didn't sense anything strange, but wasn't about to let his guard down. They soon reached an area where the darkened tunnel split three ways. A small amount of ambient light seemed to be filtering down from above, far, far down the leftmost corridor, but it was difficult to tell. The elf's eyes picked up on light levels that would normally be unnoticable to the others, and it might just have been fluorescence of some sort. He kept silent and watched Siren to see what her next move would be.

Mizuki:

Naoki and Grye stopped before they ran into their companions.

"We stopped?" Naoki asked. Grye nodded.

"There's been a split-way.." Grye told her. "Which way do we go?" He called up to Siren, as quietly as he could.


Mizuki blindly walked in the tunnels like she knew exactly where she was going. Her mind was numb of any thought that was her own. Everything she did and thought, was controlled by Kujo.

When Kujo put his hand up, as if to scrap the stone walls with his nails, so did she. The scratching of nails echoed through the dark tunnels causing Naoki to jump.

"What was that?" she asked in a panic. Grye swallowed.

Soran:

Soran and Siren looked warily down the leftmost path, where an eerie scraping sound etched down the corridor. The Dark Angel exchanged a glance with the rest of the group.

"The leftmost path is the only route that brings us close to the area where Kujo supposedly is-"

They all fell silent for a moment as soft thuds in the ceiling told them that dark angel sentries were marching above the tunnel.

"Whatever's down there, we'll have more trouble to deal with if we leave the tunnels. Just follow the original route," he said when the footsteps had passed. They turned left and continued in the direction from which the scraping sound had come. After a few yards, the corridor widened slightly so that two of them could now walk abreast, but there still wasn't much room to fight in if an enemy did appear. The only person well-versed in close combat was Soran, and even his blades would be somewhat unmanageable in this close space. They proceeded down the tunnel with Siren in the lead.

Mizuki:

"Wait, we're going TOWARDS the scratching sound?" Naoki asked, panicking. Grye put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and pressed her forward.


Mizuki was still walking down the tunnels, obviously getting closer for the opposing footsteps could be heard. This was where Kujo let her slightly free from him.

Mizuki stopped, and blinked a few times, her eyes changing back to their usual soft brown color. She gasped loudly, it echoing down the halls at finding where she was. Her eyes darted wildly and she panicked, knowing exactly what Kujo was doing.

"Don't come closer!!" She screamed down the tunnel.

Soran:

Soran halted and seemed startled as a voice that was unmistakably Mizuki's screamed at them to stop. Siren stopped also, looking over at Soran questioningly. On the one hand, if Mizuki was telling them to stop, she probably had a good reason. On the other hand, however, backing out of the tunnel was not an option: not only would it mean abandoning Mizuki, but if Kujo had managed to discover the tunnels, the exit would already be blocked.

"I don't understand...how can he have known where we were?" Siren said in irritation, then lifted one foot as something small and furry scampered past her legs. A regular sewer rat skittered into a small hole in the wall, but she caught sight of it long enough to notice the reddish glint of necromantic magic in its eyes before it disappeared. "So that's how he found us," she muttered scornfully.

Soran knew little about magic, but thought he had a general idea of what Siren was saying. In other words, their cover was already blown. "Mizuki, are you hurt?" he called down the passage. Exchanging a glance with the others, they proceeded cautiously along the passage.

Mizuki:

Mizuki's eyes were watering but, but she tried to hold it back.

"Don't come closer! It's what he wants!! AUGH!" she cried out as a rat ran by her.

"DAmnit Mizuki!" Grye cried out to her. "We wont abandon you or your son and Rai!"

"Please Mizuki, if it means we get to you then let us!" Naoki tried to reason with her friend down the tunnel. Mizuki shook her head but, against what she wanted, her legs began at a run for them.

"NOO! He's controlling me!" She cried out as her bare feet lead her down the tunnel towards her friends. Her skirt billowed out around her as she was forced into the run. 'PLease no!! Stop controling me!!' she screamed in her head, welcomed with silence.

Soran:

"NOO! He's controlling me!" Mizuki's voice cried, and her footsteps became more rapid.

Soran frowned as the full extent of the situation became clear. Mizuki came into view some distance down the tunnel, running toward them. The group continued walking determinedly forward. Siren moved to summon her whip just in case, but stopped. There would be no room to use it, and they were here to save Mizuki...not attack her. Still, she took mental inventory of the components she had on hand, in case a spell became necessary.

Mizuki:

As mizuki came running towards them, her legs suddenly stopped and she slipped on a puddle and fell. She sat on her bottom a few moments taking in what just happened.

"Ah..." she gasped and stared dumbfounded at the ground. She suddenly couldn't bring herself to look in Soran's face as he stood above her.

Soran:

Soran and Siren tensed as it seemed that Mizuki would bowl straight into them, but instead she seemed to trip and slid across the ground so that she sat between the rogue and the dark angel.

The rogue furrowed his brow in confusion, but crouched next to Mizuki and examined her for any injuries. "How did you get loose?" he asked her, leaning down so that their eyes met. He felt surprisingly relieved, subconsciously letting his guard down. Now that she was there with them, it seemed like things would be much easier. "Do you know what they've done with Rai and Blade?" he asked, hiding his relief.

Siren, however, seemed much less comfortable with the situation. She understood very well what the half elf's warning before meant, and now she stood watching her warily, not wanting to interrupt the reunion but knowing that unfortunately it was too good to be trusted.

Mizuki:

Mizuki's shoulder's shook. "P-please..... Soran.... Get away from me.. I know he's still there, inside me. He can come back at any moment...please.."

Grye, not caring for any danger at the moment, stepped forward and swepped Mizuki into his embrace.

"The Fates," he breathed, holding her close. "as long as you're all alive.." Miuki's arms involentarily enclosed around him and her hands gripped his shoulders.

"Grye...." Mizuki sobbed but she was cut short when agonizing cries of pain ripped through the silence. Mizuki was once again taken by Kujo's power. Her nail's had extended into Grye's shoulder's causing them to rip through his flesh.

When Mizuki let go of him Grye fell to the floor and his blood stained her fingertips. Naoki screamed and held up her arrows, but didn't intend to actually shoot her.

"Get...........away........" Mizuki managed to choke out.

Soran:

Soran felt a sting of anger as Grye pushed past him and embraced Mizuki, not so much because he was touching her, but because she touched him back. The feeling was made more bitter by his recollection of what had happened that morning, but he pushed it from his mind. His eyes narrowed suddenly as her nails spiked out dangerously, but they dove into Grye's flesh before anyone could say a word.

Still not quite grasping what was going on, the rogue grabbed her roughly from behind by her shoulders, pulling her up and away from the wounded Grye and restraining her firmly in case she tried to attack him again. "What the hell are you doing?" he snapped in disbelief.

Siren quickly knelt beside Grye and began inspecting the stab wounds Mizuki's nails had created. She cringed as she plucked out a few of her own smaller feathers and one by one held them to Grye's wounds, using the same spell she had used to close Soran's long ago to seal the wound shut. She looked at his limp body worriedly. The featers would bind the wound shut, but she could do nothing for internal bleeding.

"Hey, are you ok?" She said, attempting to elicit a response.

Mizuki:

"NO! DON"T TOUCH ME!" Mizuki cried out and wanted to get away but her body didn't respond. Tears spilled from her glazed over eyes.

Grye coughed but managed to sit up. "Yeah...nng...I'm fine for now." He managed a weak smile and got to his feet. "Mizuki...." He tried to reach out to the distressed half elf but his arm fell back limp-like to his side. It still hurt to move it.

"I don't want---"

SLICE!

Mizuki had quickly spun around in Soran's hold and tried too slice him in half. All she had gotten was his cloths.

Soran:

Soran felt Mizuki twist in his grip with strength that wasn't her own, and jumped back just in time to miss the brunt of her attack. He landed in a ready stance, mouth standing partly open before he sealed it into a grave frown. He understood that Mizuki wasn't in control of her own actions at the moment, but it was still odd to try to perceive her as a threat.

"We'll get you back to normal soon," he said, noting the tears in her eyes, "But we need to know where Kujo is." He looked at her confidently, but expectantly. If she could just tell them his location...

Mizuki:

"But we need to know where Kujo is." Soran said. Mizuki understood and was working to move her lips in reply.

"I can't......really say. I----" Mizuki tried to respond before she lunged for him again just barely missing... something was distracting Kujo.

Back at the dungeon Kujo gritted his teeth in annoyance as Rai's screams echoed into his room. "SOMEONE TAKE CARE OF HER!" His voice roared and he momentarily lost his control over Mizuki, giving her time time she needed to tell Soran where he was without his knowing.

Mizuki stummbled quickly on her words. She told them exactly where he was and what it looked like. She spoke quickly and when she finished she backed away from them.

"I will not risk your deaths by staying near too long.. remember he has undead looks-outs everywhere! Even when you don't realize it." she said and backed away from them all.

"Wait Mizuki!" Naoki reached out for her friend but Mizuki already dissapeared down the tunnels fast before Kujo regained his control on her.

Siren:

Siren stood up and released a pent up breath through her nostrils.

"We have to hurry," she said, moving to continue down the tunnel. She stopped though, looking back at Grye questioningly.

"Will you be ok to walk?" She shuddered again, looking at the wound areas. "I hate necromancers..."

Soran:

Grye held up a hand to assure them that he wanteed to proceed. Soran took a step toward Siren, but his attention was focused behind them where Mizuki had taken off. He watched as she shrank into blackness, clearly hesitating. However, the slashes in his clothing and Grye's back told him that Mizuki's tactic was indeed their greatest chance of success. He turned back toward Siren and began walking swiftly down the corridor, his controlled movements concealing his anger and frustration.

* * *

Meanwhile, a tall and large-boned assistant to Kujo rushed out of the room and down a stone stairwell to the cell where Rai was screaming her head off. The angel snarled at the child and thrust his hand between the bars, grasping his huge hand around her small neck harshly and tilting it up so that her eyes were forced to meet his.

"You will control that throat of yours, or I will rip it out," he snarled fiercely, his ebon wings fanning out and arching into a menacing curl around his shoulders.

Emora:


Rai gasped when the dark angel grabbed her up and threatened her. A look of surprise was on her face and clearly written in her eyes and for a long moment she looked to afraid to utter another word.

However, she wasn't. In fact, instead of screaming at him... she laughed. It was a giggle that sounded as if the man had said the funniest thing in the world to her. "You idiot... you can't hurt me!" she laughed, gasping. "Your master would be mad and you wouldn't want that!" She giggled and held her stomach as the dark angel held her by the neck. It was all very strained, but she did manage her best. She thought it would help annoy him more.

Soran:

The angel's fingers tightened painfully around Rai's neck. "Such good cheer from one whose fate is so hopeless - poor little girl, you seem to think someone's on their way to save you," he sneered, pulling her face up to the bars and within inches of his. There was true malice in his eyes, and also a certain glaze of exhaustion. If not for those things, he would have been a rather pleasant-looking man, but something had hardened his features as well as his soul.

Emora:


Rai stopped her giggling and gasped, well... tried to gasp. She clawed at his hand as he pulled her closer to the bars, the shackle around her ankle pulling at her tiny bare foot.

She glared at him, though, her child eyes defiant. "Some one.... is..." she said hoarsly and glared even more.

Rai stared into his eyes, having stared into eyes of people far more frightening than he.

Soran:

"Oh, did someone forget to tell you?" His sneer had retained its hate, but fallen dead-sober. His bitter eyes ground into hers. "Alexial paid the others a little visit. It seems they were unable to bring themselves to harm her. I watched myself as she slashed them down without hesitation. Kujo's magic must have been too much for her." His voice rose as he grinned at the thought. "The poor pathetic things went down in a matter of minutes. It was especially entertaining to watch her kill the tall one - Soran, was it? She went all-out on that one; there wasn't much of him left when she was finished, and all she could do was cry, strangling out his name over and over." The angel released the child's throat roughly and sent her stumbling backward into the wall.

Emora:


Rai cracked the back of her head against the wall. She was always hitting the back of her head on things. She stared at the dark angel, her eyes wide. She swallowed hard. No... Mizuki could never kill Soran... Nuh-uh... But, Mizuki was under a spell... She looked up at the dark angel and narrowed her eyes, which glistened more than usual. "You're lying!" she said stepping back against the wall. "No!" She turned her back to him and covered her ears in a symbol she didn't want to hear any more. But... what if it was true. Soran was dead. He promised he wouldn't let anything happen to her. He promised he'd be with her. He said he was her new daddy!

Spran

"I'm pleased to see that you understand," the angel said sternly. "Now, all that remains to be determined is, how shall we deal with you? We really have no motive to keep you alive, so I recommend that you behave more discreetly, if you value your life." He said this with absolute indifference, clearly not caring whether Kujo spared her or not. He took a seat on a stone bench beside the cell and sat there with his back to the child, wings folded, clearly not enjoying her presence any more than she was his.

Emora:


Rai growled, a tear rolling down her cheek. She swallowed hard, but growled louder and spun around. She reached as far as she could and grabbed his wings through the bars of the cell and pulled a handful of his feathers out, throwing them out of the cell into the room he was in.

She turned around and sat down on the floor with her head in her leg and her arms over her head. If it were all a lie and they got out of this Rai didn't want to stay at the Border... It was cursed... She wanted to go some where else. But, there wasn't a Soran any more to be her daddy... And Mizuki was under a spell and she was going to be Kujo's... She had no one again. She was all alone. Rai began to cry softly.

Soran:

The angel cringed and arched his wings defensively away from the cell as a fistful of feathers ripped out. He jumped to his feet and spun around angrily toward Rai.

"Why you little brat," he growled, and lifted a hand in front of him, palm facing the floor. As a group, his scattered feathers floated up beneath his hand and rotated quill-first toward the hostage. He clenched his fist and the feathers all shot towards Rai, bouncing off her back and sticking into her hair. "Awfully cocky, aren't--" He broke off ambiguously as her stifled sobs sounded in the cell. Without a word, he turned and sat down again in the same position as before.

Emora:


Rai turned around and reached out again and began to pull on his feathers one by one, her cheeks glistening with tears. Her movement was hurried, trying to get as many feathers as she could before he turned around.

"Go away! Go away!" She screamed and pulled on his feathers, now taking two or three at a time. If he didn't move he would wind up looking like a plucked chicken.

Soran:

The angel's breath caught painfully in surprise as the child did the same thing again, much to his astonishment. He whirled around on her again and both his arms flung out at his sides. At once, the feathers on the ground floated up and dispersed into a screenlike 2-dimensional surface made of magical plasma. Instead of the dark angel, what now stood directly in front of Rai's eyes was an extremely realistic projection of Soran's bloody corpse, mutilated almost beyond recognition. Surrounding him were the bodies of the others, similarly shredded and gored. It was all staggeringly realistic.

Emora:


Rai screamed ear peircingly in fear and horror and ran back until the chain caught around her ankle pulled her foot and snatched her leg out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground. She stared at Soran and started crying. She screamed again and covered her face with her hands and cried into them.

She played her head in her lap and covered her head up with her arms, not wanting to look again. She felt very sick. She didn't feel good at all any more. Her empty tummy didn't help at all.

Soran:

The child's scream of absolute terror and misery made the angel suddenly realize he'd gone further than he had intended in his moment of anger. He let his hands fall to his sides and the illusion spell vanished. He hauled the bench several feet further away from the bars and sat again quietly, facing the cell this time, though his gaze was shifted off toward the wall to his left. His wings still stung, but he opted not to push the child any further. Awkward silence filled the dungeon, broken only by the sound of Rai's crying.

Mizuki:

Mizuki numbly made it back into the dungeon and was walking down the hall of cells. There were so many ways to enter back into Kujo's domain that she had gotten slightly lost and as much as she didn't want to go back, she had to find Rai and her son.

She saw one angel sitting on a stone bench near a cell holding a crying child, someone shhe immediantly realized was Rai but, not wanting to give away the fact that Kujo had set her temporarily free...

"Solider." She spoke in a low flat tone. She walked up to him, fists clenched at her sides. 'What was he doing to Rai? Did he hurt her?' she thought angrily. She thought quickly that if these people believe she was Alexial, they'd obey her.... right?

''The child within that cell... I will see her." she tried to make her tone of voice demanding and flat. A tone of voice that people knew immediantly that they shouldn't disobey that type of person.

Soran:

Ronal, the guard, rose to his feet when Alexial addressed him, eyeing her skeptically. He noted that the glow of necromantic power was lacking in her eyes, meaning one of two things: either the woman had had a sudden change of heart, or she was incredibly daring.

"You can see her just fine from where you are. I have orders to keep this child confined. If you wish to see it otherwise, go speak to Kujo," he said flatly, gesturing up the stairs.


Mizuki:

"You can see her just fine from where you are. I have orders to keep this child confined. If you wish to see it otherwise, go speak to Kujo," he said flatly, gesturing up the stairs.

Mizuki groaned inwardly. The last...thing she wanted to see was Kujo so soon. Mizuki glared at him but walked forward and looked into Rai's cell. Immediantly her heart leapt out to the child seeing her curled up crying on the floor. She wanted to desparatly jumped in there and hold her tightly so no one could get to her.

"What did you do to her!?" Mizuki yelled forgetting about the posture she was trying to keep to fool the man. "Why is she locked up!? Let her go! It's me Kujo wants! Let her and my son go! Where is my son!?" She blurted out everything to him before she could think. She wanted to leap onto the man and cawl at his face, but she knew it would do no good. She glared daggers at him instead.

Emora:


Rai was curled up in the middle of her cell close to the hook that held the chain that was shackled to her tiny ankle. She had her hands over her head, sobbing lightly and not paying any attention to the world around her. She was so far in another world that she didn't even hear anything around her any more. She wanted to sink into darkness and never wake up. She was tired of feeling so much sadness and pain. She was tired of living. Living was to painful.

Soran:

Ronal's gaze sharpened as Mizuki incriminated herself by losing her composure. "Up the stairs. Now," he ordered, stepping around her so that she could not try to escape back down the corridor.

Mizuki:

Mizuki panicked. She was not going to Kujo!

"RAI, THEY'RE COMING AND THEY WILL GET US OUT OF HERE!" Mizuki yelled into the cell that held the despairing child and ran up the steps before the man could move to reach for her. But instead of going straight, she went left. She was going to find her son and she'd be damned before she let Kujo harm the baby boy, her son.

As she ran she could also heard her pursurs footsteps....

Emora:


Poor Rai covered her ears. There not coming. She just saw Soran dead and everyone else with him. Mizuki was only saying that because she was under his spell. That wasn't even Mizuki... that was... Something else. Yes...

Rai gasped and sobbed again. "No..." She tightened up in her little ball, pulling her night gown over her legs and covering her head up again. "Mommy... Daddy..." she whispered. Soran.

Soran:

Ronal cursed under his breath as the woman ran to escape. He considered calling out to Kujo, but though better of it. He wanted to see "his" face again... there was no telling whether Kujo would change his mind about helping him because of a mistake like this.

He burst into motion and took off after Alexial, pulling a feather out of his wing as he ran. His hand shot out in front of him and the feather raced through the air, stopping several yards in front of Alexial and bursting into blinding light that would have disoriented even him if he hadn't averted his eyes.

Mizuki:

When the burst of blinding light erupted in front of Mizuki, she cried out and collasped to the ground holding her eyes. When the light faded finally she still couldn't see, but she still made the attempt to get away.

"I want my son...." she cried into her hand as she crawled blindly on the ground getting obviously nowhere since the guard had finally gained on her.

---

"Siren, you're following her directions right.... right?" Naoki whispered to the Dark Angel praying that they were in the right direction. After Mizuki had told them where to go and how to get there unseen, Naoki got a bit confident that they'd save them.... but now spending the time in these tunnels seemingly lost... she didn't truly know what to think.

Soran:

Ronal quickly caught up to Mizuki and approached her with caution. Detaching a pair of cuffs from his belt, he took hold of her shoulders with a strong, but surprisingly gentle grip and pulled her upright, then moved her hands away from her face and bound them behind her back. The sound of her voice crying out for her son echoed guiltily in his mind, but there was no other way... He lifted her back to her feet and tried to lead her back toward the stairs.

Mizuki:

Mizuki felt her hands being cuffed behind her back and she almost despaired. Her eyes were still closed tightly against the remaining pain of being blinded and she stummbled sometimes as they walked. Back to Kujo no less.

"Don't take me to him...." she pleaded softly to the ground.

Siren:

Siren looked back over her shoulder and smiled reassuringly at Naoki.

"We're going the right direction, I'm fairly sure. Besides, I'd be more concerned at what we'll find when we do get out right now."

The tunnels were maze-like, with side-tunnels all over the place. She hoped that her memory would serve her propperly, but in the end it was true that she had seen the maps, but never been through this place. The eerie necromantic rats scurried by occasionally, which was truely unnerving for Siren. When they did get out it was possible that he would know they were there immediately.

Siren sighed and ran her fingers along the whip circling her waist for comfort. If she was right about the directions, they would be emerging from the tunnels very soon.

OOC: Mizuki, care to use Naoki or Grye to place us in a location by or within the hut?

Soran:

Ronal's stern expression hid his inner guilt as they neared the stairs. The young child was still crying in the cell to their right. "I have to take you," he said somewhat regretfully.

* * *

Soran followed with the others down the tunnel when another possessed rat scurried past them and out into a hole in the wall to their right. This hole, however, was particularly interesting because sunlight was emerging from it. Just past where they stood, a corridor intersected to their right that appeared to end in a dead end. "I have a feeling that's our exit," the rogue said, looking into the dead end. "The rat went this way, and there's definitely light on the other side of this wall."

Mizuki:

"I have a feeling that's our exit," the rogue said, looking into the dead end. "The rat went this way, and there's definitely light on the other side of this wall."

Grye looked to where Soran was pointing and walked up to the wall. Ignoring the pain in his shoulders he felt the wall before him. He tapped it.

It was hollow.

He stepped back and examined it more. "Now, how do we go about getting through it without drawing attention?" he asked Soran.


Soran:

Soran looked to Siren, unsure of that answer himself.

Mizuki:

Some of Mizuki vision was coming back to her nd when she opened her eyes, it still hurt and her vision was blurred slightly still. She had to squint to actually see somewhat well. She kept silent the whole way as they made their way to where Kujo waited.

All Mizuki could think about was her son and Rai being held up in a dirty cell. Where they eating taking care of her baby? "What did you do to Rai?" she asked in a flat, emotionless tone. But the guard didn't answer because they had already reached the room and Kujo burst open the doors.

"Curse you!" he yelled in a deadly voice making the guard flinch. He yanked Mizuki out of the guards hands. "Get back to your post!" he snapped and slammed the doors. He jerked Mizuki across the room and towards the table that Mizuki could now clearly see.

"NO!" she cried.

"Yes. Apparently I can't trust you on your own," Kujo sneered.

"HOw can I be alone when you're in my head!?"

"You got quite a mouth on you Alexial. Shut it or I'll rip out your vocal cords." he grinned sardonically and pushed her down on the table. He uncuffed her hands then strapped them back down along with her feet to the table. "The time is getting close, I wont lose track of you again and frankly keeping you in my hold is tiring." He finished strapping her then walked away and to the body that would soon house her soul.

"Your sick. Where is my son?!"

"You'll see him soon...." Kujo grinned and said no more. Silencing Mizuki's tounge.

Siren:

"To be quite honest, these tunnels were made for safe exiting, not entering..."

She walked up to the hollow wall and examined it with her fingers lightly untill she founda gooey patch on the wall that was roughly the shape of her key pendant.

"you can get out of the tunnels through these main area exits only if you know the propper spells and have a key... now let's see..."

She reached over to the wall where there was moisture from rain getting in and got her fingers wet, then held her hand out to the lock space and began mumbling a spell. The moisture sprayed off from her fingers, swirling around the lock area. When the moisture dissipated the lock looked more like wet clay, cleansed from the gooey substance.

She then summoned a seed from her bag, belonging to a red pepper at one point, and cast another spell, sending small fire waves in a circular swirl over the surface again. The flames went out quickly, leaving a hardened surface under them.

"Ok, it should work now. All I have to do is put the key in and we can open it..." She held the key to the hole again and the door made a creaking noise and opened slightly.

Siren hesitated, not quite sure she wanted to push the door open fully and go first.

Soran:

Ronal stood very straight as the doors slammed in front of him, catching a last glance of his startled prisoner before his view was blocked. Kujo's angry threats sounded dimly through the other side of the door. Ronal turned and descended the steps stiffly and sat back down in front of the child's cell, feeling somewhat numb.

* * * *

Soran exchanged a glance with Siren and stepped forward next to her, cracking the door further open and glancing outside. The door opened onto a barren alley that didn't appear to be guarded. The rogue gestured to Siren to wait there, and stepped carefully out the door, closing it almost completely behind him. Keeping a sharp watch for signs of angels, he scouted both ends of the alley. At the left end, it opened into what seemed to be a complex of private homes made of thatched clay and straw. A few civilian angels were present on the streets, but did not appear to be suspicious. At the right end, the area seemed slightly more run-down. Though everything was in its place in accordance with the dark angels' value for tidyness, the buildings were more spaced out and run-down, and several appeared to be abandoned. The rogue guessed that what they were looking for lay in that direction. The suspicion was confirmed when another rat scampered through a hole in the alley wall - probably the hole they had passed earlier, looked at him with ruby eyes, and then raced away and into the foundation of a shack several hundred feet from the mouth of the alley. Soran turned back to the door and pulled it open. "All clear. I know where he is." He gestured for them to stay silent and follow him, then warily led the group out into the daylight and toward Kujo's hut.

Siren:

Siren breathed a sigh of relief when they were safely out of the tunnels, back into the more open areas. She glanced around her curiously as they walked. Being an upper-level personal guard, she had never ventured into the more run-down areas of the fortress. She was somewhat relieved thinking that if she ran into any other angels in this area they weren't likely to recognize her.

She couldn't help but wonder at the amount of angels that had decided to stay behind after Gabriel's death.

Mizuki:

Naoki followed closely behind Grye who seemed to walk blankly behind Siren and Soran. Grye was really feeling like he was about to run into the hut and burn it down to ashes. But he had to stay calm and collected, which was the hardest part. His eyes danced in fury towards the hut they were nearing...

---

The woman who had taken Blade out of Mizuki's hands from before was now feeding the babe herself in an actually nice room that had a more comfy feeling to it than the other rooms. Though there wasn't much to it it was still more. There was a bed on the far right wall and a bearu on the left wall. There were no windows so the only light was a few lit candles scattered around the room, but it was enough.

The woman sat in the chair in the middle of the room cradling Blade and he seemed to suckle without a care. Since the woman was stripped down to her waist one could see scars on her back where the Dark Angel wings used to be.

It's what happens to one when you step out of line with Kujo. He servers the wings from your body until you feel like you would die from the pain if it didn't stop. The woman's slate eyes stared down at the baby in her arms with a distant love. Her eyes showed she carried such a burden within her that it was even painfuly heart aching to even look in her eyes.

"I can feel much love around you little one.." the woman said as she cradled Blade. Bade's green eyes looked up at her, then he closed them to sleep dreamlessly. "I can feel that little girl loves you too...." Without another word she got up, after putting back on her shirt, and walked out of the room with Blade to the cell hall.

"Ronal." She whispered slightly down the hall as they neared. When the guard jumped to his feet as though an attacker came for him she held up her hand. "It is I, Karin you big lummux." she joked.

Soran:

Ronal jumped to his feet as yet another voice called out to him, but this time his expression softened slightly as he recognized Karin's words. His frown returned, however, as he recognized what the woman was carrying. "Why did you bring the child here?" he demanded disapprovingly.

Mizuki:

Karin looked at the baby in her arms and sighed. "When I was feeding him I felt a lot of love around him." she said smiling and closed her eyes. "It was so strong... I haven't felt anything like that in a long time." She opened her eyes again and turned to Rai's cell.

"I felt love of this girl coming from the baby." She pointed out, and noticed Rai was curled up on the floor with the familiar sense of despair hanging around her. "She's despairing... what did you do?"

Soran:

"I told her her companions were killed," Ronal said distantly. "I told her the outcome of Kujo's plan, to sober her out. Kujo was on the verge of killing both of us if she didn't pipe down." The guard turned his attention back to Karin, feeling a slight phantom pain in his own back as he always did when he noticed the conspicuous absence of her wings. "But something doesn't sit right..."

He looked up at the closed doors to Kujo's lab. When Alexial had returned, she hadn't been under his control... did that mean the plan had failed? He kept his doubts to himself, not about to get his ward's hopes up until he could be sure.

Mizuki:

"You told her what?!" Karin said in a sudden outburst. Blade slightly whimpered in his sleep and shuffled in her arms before settling back down. Karin spoke again but made her voice quieter.

"Why?! Can we even confirm that?...... you're hiding something." she said finally sensing the doubts that Ronal was having. "You know I can sense feelings and such so out with it now." she said sternly, like a mother to her child.


Soran:

Ronal frowned proudly at Karin. "There's nothing more to say. There's no way that woman could have overridden Kujo's power, and he would not play games with something like this. He forced her to kill them, without a doubt." He looked away grimly. "It's just that something Alexial said just before Kujo took her didn't sit right. "They're coming and they will get us out of here." I suspect it was just delirium induced by a blinding spell I cast on her." He sat down again on the bench, looking strung out, and tried to tune out the sound of his ward's sobs.

Mizuki:

Karin listened intently then went to Ronal's side putting a hand on his shoulder.

"One thing though... Alexial died, remember? This is her rencarnation. And if I learned one thing it's that soul's can change. Maybe she did override him... somehow?" Karin stated, but she wasn't too sure herself. "Gaberial's dead too I heard. There may be a fight for power now unless..." She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. "Gaberial's blood run's through this child's veins, if the second-in-commands find him, they may take him and train him to be the new ruler."

Karin listened to the child in the cell's sobs, she couldn't bear to hear it any longer. She sighed and started singing a lullaby. It was a incantation lullaby for children who didn't sleep. It sent them into peacefull sleeps where they dreamed happily. Karin's sweet yet sad voice sang the lullaby until she heard the sobs quieten and stop.

Soran:

Soran tried to keep his thoughts clear as they approached the hut, without much success. He was far from having the ability of premonition, but something just felt very, very wrong. Had Mizuki made it out of the fortress safely? It hadn't occurred to him that she might have gone back in instead, or been captured, or worse. His greater concern, however, was for Rai. They had reason to believe Kujo had a use for Mizuki, but the child...

He spotted a rat sneaking around the edge of the house to a storm door that was doubly padlocked. The rogue gestured for the others to stay against the wall out of sight, and removed a thin metal pick from his coat. A few moments later, the padlock unlatched with a soft click, and within a minute both were removed. The rogue turned the knob slowly, and the metal made a dangerously loud squeak, before the door groaned softly open into a small storeroom. Soran and the others entered the room as silently as possible, and the rogue placed his ear carefully against the door on the opposite wall to hear what was going on on the other side.

Mizuki:

OOC: Taki says..er...we can control her characters now. ^-^; so uhh, we can all control Taki the fairy now! -sighs-


IC: Naoki's chest tightened in anticipation. When the padlock opened with the soft click she gasped and almost squeaked when the doorknob grated against metal and the door moaned.

"Calm down." Taki said to her giving her a stern but warm look. Naoki nodded and tried to recollect herself.

Grye was ready for anything, he was about ready to jump at the first person he saw on the other side of that door. He'd go in a bloodlust rage against those who stood in their way. Grye's only concern was getting the two children out safely and Mizuki. 'Mizuki.' he thought remembering back in the tunnels when she had come across them, and warned them. He had been so reveiled at seeing her he had paid no attention to her warnings. He only wanted to scoop her in his arms and hold her forever. Keep her safe from all the worlds evils.

Soran:

Soran glanced back and noticed Grye almost shaking with determination. The rogue gave him a brief look as if to warn him, "I understand, but don't do anything crazy." He turned back to the door and pressed down the handle, then pushed it silently open enough to peek out into the room. All he could make out was some strange tables and lab equipment, but the center of the room was out of his view. He listened carefully for any sounds that would indicated someone's presence in the room, wary of swinging the door open without knowing what was on the other side.

Mizuki:

MIzuki's mind was blank, and her wrists were sore and starting to bleed slightly from pulling against her restraints so much. Her wrists were red and burning, she couldn't stand laying there trapped, her son somewhere in a cell possibly being mistreated or ignored, and Rai was huddle in a cell chained and crying out in despair! It was slicing her heart to know that the two innocent children became involved.

'It's all my fault.' she cried in her mind. 'If I had been awake... if I didn't run out during that fire!! If I only listened to my mother... damn!' Mizuki's eyes watered as she thought those horrible thoughts. Blaming herself with about everything. 'Please, leave the children alone.....' she cried desparatly...... and silently.

Soran:

Soran's eyes flared as he heard Mizuki's small, quiet voice cry out "Please, leave the children alone!" But why was she here? What was happening? Without thinking prudently about who or what else was on the other side of the door, he burst outward and toward the sound of the voice, with the others close behind him. He took in the appearance of the room quickly, his attention zooming in on a thin figure strapped onto a medical table in the center of the room.

Somehow managing not to call out to her and reveal their position to whoever might be listening, he rushed across the room to her side, inspecting her bleeding wrists in silent horror. "Mizuki," he whispered urgently, standing over her.


Mizuki:

Mizuki look up to see Soran standing over her, then she frantically looked over to Kujo's turned back. He was diligantly working on something. With her eyes, since she couldn't speak, she tried to tell them all to hide. Frantically she moved her head and pleaded with her eyes begging him and the other's to hide.

Naoki's gasp brought her back from Soran's face and she turned her head to see the other's restrianed by Dark Angel guards. No one could do anything. Kujo's laughing voice came from the front of the room and he turned around.

"Really, that was impresive that you got in here without me hearing, truely, I am impressed." Kujo said mocking them. "But Alexial's thoughts gave you away, apparently the little damsel forgot that I'm still linked to her... barely and I can hear thoughts." He sneered, enjoying his triumph.

Mizuki cried out in despair in her mind and closed her eyes trying to hold her tears. She had forgotten that.

Soran:

Soran spun to look behind him as Kujo's voice sounded from the back of the room. He'd been in such a rush to get to Mizuki that he hadn't even noticed the angel there. When he looked to the other side of the room, he was honestly shocked to find the others already held firmly by angelic guards. Damn, where did they come from? he thought, his adrenaline rising, I let my guard down by rushing in. He looked back at Kujo with a level, icy glare, plotting in his head how he could deal with the situation - attack Kujo, or attempt to free his companions so they'd have more strength.

"Shourai," he said darkly, blades of rippling energy sprouting out and materializing along his arms.

Siren:

Siren gasped in shock as a pair of arms came from behind and ensnared her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the dark angel and snarled at him. She lifted her foot up and ground her heel into his instep angrily.

Mizuki:

The guard that held Siren yelped and loosened his grip on her. Meanwhile, Kujo stared at Soran's blades... he could feel the slight energy of holiness in them... he shuddered but his eyes stayed cold and dark. 'It's only a little.' he thought then changed back to his sardonic behavior.

"Go ahead..." he taunted and several corpses came forward from dark corners. They lunged for Soran, and they would hold up quite a fight.

---
"Did you hear that?" Karin said as she heard muffled sounds of battling.

Soran:

Soran focused on the small group of corpses attacking him for the moment, though they didn't seem terribly threatening with their stiff movement and the fact that they were unarmed. He reconsidered as one of them off to his right swung at him. The rogue brought his arm up to block safely, but the impact was greater than he'd expected - stronger than a normal person's. Furthermore, the arm the zombie had attacked with had been sliced by its blade, but the wound didn't bleed, and it seemed unaffected by any sort of pain.

Undaunted, Soran dove into the first and sliced it apart until it was rendered immobile while the remaining zombies acquired weapons from the righthand wall of the room. When he turned around, he found himself faced with a group of 6 armed corpses. He had easily dealt with this many men before, though it took concentration. Ardently, he lunged at the enemy closest to him and began fighting with the precision of experience.

Emora:


Rai was sleeping softly and the tears on her cheeks were slowly drying. Her eyes were red from crying so much. But, peacefully she slept as if she had never cried or been upset. She didn't have horrible dreams about the images she had just wittnessed or anything. She just slept, not knowing anything about a fight.

Mizuki:

Mizuki watched in horror as Soran's opponets began picking up weapons and turning to attack him. She wished Kujo hadn't taken her speech from her... Thinking of that brought her attention to their menace who was smiling cruely at the battle taking place before him. His eyes looked like they were concentrating and she knew that if he was only distracted...!!

But she had no voice. No way to move around to distract him. She was helplessly tied to this table, next to the peiced togeteher body that may house her soul if they failed. She shuddered at the thought. She didn't want to be helpless in this fight, even if she had no voice. She began tugging on her chains again in vain, cutting at her wrists more but she ignored it all.

Emora:


Rai coughed and curled into a tighter ball, getting a chill from the small damp cell she was in. She shivered slightly as she slept, rolling over on her side and curling back up, her body subconsciously trying to get warm. Her arms folded across her chest and her hands clasped under her chin to keep them warm. Her cheeks were dried and the redness around her eyes was fading.

Siren:

Siren twisted away from the guard who had slackened his grip, bumping into the one holding Grye and knocking him off balance, but doing little to help her own situation. She was free, but the close quarters made it difficult to retaliate. She gripped at her whip nontheless and released it from her hip.

She was in too close to crack it at the guard, who had recovered and was coming back at her, but she lept foreward towards him instead, dodging past his side and tossing the end of the whip around his neck as he went, mentally tightening it around him and using her momentum to pull him back with her.

She could feel him trying to pry the whip off behind her as it suffocated him, but he could do nothing, and soon enough his movements stopped as he fell uncontious from lack of air.

Mizuki:

Grye was realeased when the guard holding him stumbled. Quickly, he knocked the guard out of commission then retailated by freeing the others by stunning the guards with a fast trick of magic. Once Taki was free, she in turn started attacking guards who recovered and came after them. Naoki strung an arrow and shot it at a zombie's head. Killing it instantly.

Kujo watched their retailation in stunned surprised and accidentaly slackened his grip on the zombie's who momentarily stopped and dropped their weapons. Gving the one's fighting them, the addvantage they needed.

Soran:

Soran was mainting the upper hand with the zombies, but without room to maneuver it was a challenge to deal with them all at once. He jumped forward with his hands on one zombie's shoulders, flipped forward over its head, and clutched its neck as he descended behind it, cracking its neck and sending it limply to the ground. At that moment, Grye and Siren's efforts caused all the zombies to drop their weapons. Soran wasted no time taking advantage of the situation, and began slicing through them rapidly one by one, thoroughly detaching the head and all four limbs from each body. He had no intention of letting them attack him again when Kujo's concentration returned.

* * *

Ronal watched attentively toward the stairwell for several minutes, indeed hearing sounds of battle from above, but made no attempt to move. "It seems the girl's friends weren't killed after all. I don't know what's going on up there, but I was told to guard my post. Even if they've lived to this point, they won't outmaneuver Kujo. I have no intention of throwing myself into it." He spoke sternly, but when he glanced down at the child curled on the floor his gaze softened for a brief instant.

Siren:

When the trouble of the current group of guards was over, Siren looked to Soran, who had just destroyed the zombie horde, and ran over to the table where Mizuki was bound. She immediately scanned her body to make sure no horrible damage had been done, then tried to pry her bindings off with her bare hands, to no avail.

"Release her!" she yelled to Kujo angrily.

Mizuki:

"Release her!" Siren cried making Kujo laugh as he dropped his magic from the corpses who lay in peices on the floor.

"You really think I'm going to do it?" He sneered. Taki, took his moment of distraction and tried to throw a fire spell at him. When it hit him she smiled as if they had won but the flames went out around his body, and he stood unscathed. He smiled wickedly. "That was stupid." Taki's face fell to horror.

"Damn you!" Grye yelled clenching his fists. "What do you want with them? The children!?"

"Wizard, hold your tounge or I'll hold it for you." Kujo snapped but stilled Grye's vocal cords anyway. Grye gripped his throat as he found no sound coming from him, causing Kujo to laugh more. He turned his attnetion back to Soran and eyed his blades. 'Those should go...' he thought and stilled everyone but himself and Mizuki in the room. Though, holding so many at once like this was giving him a headache.

"Ug..... guards get off the floor and dissarm and lock them in the cells." Kujo said trying to ignore his throbbing head. The Guards, bruised and some bleeding and the one's that remained, got up and began dissarming everyone of their weapons. "Though the magic users will be a problem.... ah, I can't deal with that now..." his hand went to his head. "Just get them in cells and chained! RONAL!!" he bellowed.

---

Karin heard Kujo's voice bellow from the stairs. She twitched slightly and held Blade closer. "Better get going, I'll watch the small one. She's asleep anyway." she said grimly.

Soran:

Ronal frowned unpleasantly and turned to obey his master's command, walking up the stairs to Kujo's lab and opening the door. He was surprised by the huge mess on the floor, looking over the incapacitated prisoners in confusion until he saw an elven man with glowing metallic blades on his arms. Two guards were struggling with the man's blades, but found that they would not detach from the man's body. Ronal quickly recognized this person both as the one who had done the damage to the corpses littering the floor and as the one called "Soran" whose death he had projected in front of his ward.

Soran's muscles shook with the effort of trying to break through Kujo's hold that was arresting his movement, but it did nothing. He wanted to turn around and see what was happening to Mizuki. He wanted to rip the guards at his sides into shreds. The veins in his arm pulsed uncomfortably in retaliation against the guards' attempt to detach the blades from his wrists. The magic was synchronized with his heartbeat, and as far as the rogue knew, nothing but his word could make them disperse.

He looked up warily as a figure he hadn't seen before, a tall, brown-haired man who seemed a rank above the other guards, stepped directly in front of him. "Your friends have all been captured. If you have even the slightest hope to see them live, disarm yourself," Ronal said to him flatly.

Soran glared into the guard's eyes, but could tell this was not a situation he could fight his way out of - especially when he wasn't able to move. "Shourai," he spoke evenly and the blades dispersed, returning to the form of gold bangles. The rogue smirked slightly as the rapid recession of the blades cut gashes in the palms of the unsuspected guards who had been clutching them. They cursed and held their hands in shock.

"Remove those," Ronal ordered, ignoring the guards' excitement.

Soran frowned. "They can't be removed."

Ronal gripped one of Soran's hands, which, to the rogue's dismay, the head guard easily lifted up in the air to inspect the bangle, though to Soran the arm had felt heavier than boulders. "So be it," Ronal said after he was satisfied that he could see no way to remove them. Frankly, he didn't care. He knew other methods of restraint.

"Take those to cells 4 through 7," he ordered the guards holding Naoki, Grye, Siren, and Taki. "I'll escort this one to 10." Besides something about the way Ronal had said it, something about the way it inspired glints of mirth in the other guards' eyes told the rogue something was wrong with cell 10. The rogue groaned inwardly - he had been through many, many things, but never taken prisoner. The inability to move was infuriating as Ronal shoved him forward and forced him to walk toward the stairs with his lead-heavy legs.

Mizuki:

Kujo was glad to see them gone to the dungeons, but did not release his hold until he knew they were in the cells. "Ronal, when they are secruly locked up report back here." he said and made his way to Mizuki who lie distressed on the table. Her wrists were bleeding. "Oh come now, you'd rather severe off your own hands than be with me?"He chuckled wickedly then it stopped abruptly when his head throbbed from the strain of holding his prisoners.

Mizuki glared daggers at him, nothing else she could do. Her hands and wrists burned from the cuts she was recieving from straining against her chains. 'Damn.' she thought as Kujo brought his hand around her throat. Mixed with the pain from his headache, his eyes showed a dangerous and dark emotion that Mizuki wished she never saw. So she closed her eyes from him.

"Ready the ritual." Kujo said to someone above her and she heard a creaking of tables being moved away and the striking of matches. She felt a heat all around her and when she peeked a look, she found herself surrounded by flaming candles so close to her, that one wrong move might send them falling on her cloths and setting her on fire. So she lay still and gave a fearfull glance to her side, finding the corpse of a peiced together female laying beside her... naked. Mizuki was repulsed and almost gagged and she turned away fearfully.

She was about to lose her soul into this, this thing! And what would he do with her body after her soul was transmitted? Mizuki gulped at the fleeting thoughts of it being destroyed.

Soran:

Soran was led down a flight of stairs into a stone dungeon lined on either side with small cells. The first cell, which faced the stairwell, held a small, sleeping form in the corner that Soran immediately recognized as Rai. Sitting outside the cell on a bench was a wingless woman holding Blade. Soran tried to stop and face them, but was forced to move forward all the way to the end of the row and into a large cell at the very end that faced out perpendicular to the others. The rogue was turned around with his back to the wall, and Ronal lifted his arms again to snap them firmly into large, steel shackles that closed firmly over his entire lower arms and held them at his sides against the wall. Soran repressed a wince as they pinched his arms tightly, looking out past Ronal to see that the others were being placed in cells on both sides of the corridor with about the same rough treatment. After everyone had been secured and Ronal gave Soran as particularly warning glance, the head guard went back upstairs to where Kujo had ordered him to return.

Emora:


All the noise of people being moved into cells woke Rai from her peaceful sleep, but she didn't return to the hysteria she had been in. Instead she sat up slowly, rubbing her sore eyes. She had cried until her eyes were sore. Her stomach growled loudly as she sat up with her back to the cells. She hugged her knees to her chest. She didn't want to turn around because she was afraid to see something she didn't want to see.

She didn't want to see Soran dead or any of the others... But, they were dead and she was all alone again. Even Toby wasn't here... What was wrong with Toby lately? He never followed her around or anything any more... He always left her alone. She missed him sleeping with her and playing with her. But, she guessed he too had disserted her.... Others had died... but he left her.

"I'm hungry..." she muttered, rubbing her belly slightly. Who cares... Rai coughed once and shivered again.

Mizuki:

Karin watched the guards take their prisoners to their cells, her eyes especially locked with the rouge elf. Unconciously, her eyes followed them to the cell he was placed in. She frowned, there was so much pain and agony coming from them all. It made her want to cry. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and approached Ronal with a stern gaze.

"What happened up there?" she asked him. "I feel so much agony from these people." Karin herd Rai's cough and turned back to Rai's cell without letting Ronal answer her. She kneeled down to the floor, clutching Blade to her breast. "Little girl?" She softly said through the cell bars.

--

Kujo held the book in his hand tightly, it would begin soon once Ronal came back to release Kujo from holding the prisoners. He looked down at Mizuki and smiled.

"We'll be together Alexial. Once you're rid of this body and the little girl's soul nourishes your new body..." he said and kisses her hard. All Mizuki could think of was Rai...

Siren:

Siren released a tirade of curses and angry phrases as the guards left the cell they had put her in, quite aware that they had purposely pounded her back against the wall to cause her wings as much pain as possible without breaking them. Her bracelets roughly pushed into her wrists under the shackles, indenting into her skin.

"Don't you know how to treat a lady?! Bastards!" She spat at them as they dissapeared from sight. She then quieted down, knowing that further protests would draw quite unwanted attention. Besides, it was tiring to shout indecensies while you couldn't move your body.

Her whip had been taken from her up in Kujo's main room, her mental powers blocked by his enough that she couldn't keep it latched around her tightly enough to prevent the guards from confiscating it, and she felt naked and prone without it. The dagger she kept at her ankle had similarly been confiscated, even though she didn't know how to use it propperly in the first place.

Taki had been put into the cell next to her she knew, but she didn't know where the others were. She wanted to look at the clamps on her wrists, but had to wait in agitation till Kujo's hold was released.

Soran:

When everyone was firmly locked into their cells and Ronal returned upstairs, Kujo's mind-control finally released everyone's movement, though Grye's vocal cords were still sealed off. Soran and Siren, who appeared to be the only potential physical risks, had been shackled in their cells, but the others had the freedom to move about within the iron bars. Siren and Taki were on one side, and across from them were Naoki and Grye.

As soon as Ronal was gone, Soran held his breath and pulled forward hard against the shackles, but they wouldn't budge. His bracelets were trapped firmly inside, and he sensed he would probably end up slicing his own arms in half if he attempted the codeword now. Fighting Kujo's spell had worn out his muscles, so instead of following his instinct to jerk against the chains until he escaped or his arms fell off, he fell still between the shackles and glared thoughtfully out into the hallway where only the woman holding Blade remained. "Rai! Are you hurt?" he called out to the end of the hallway.

Emora:


Rai covered her ears for a moment and ducked her head. No, that wasn't Soran... Soran was dead. He couldn't be talking to her. "Leave me alone!" she screamed and huddled closer tothe floor. "Leave me alone! Soran's dead... He's dead... Everyones dead...."

Rai started crying again, holding her arms over her head. "Your trying to trick me.... I was being good... Why do you want to hurt me... I was being good!!" She sobbed.

Soran:

Soran's stomach turned cold as Rai's hopeless words struck him completely by surprise. He stared down the row of cells in shock. He could barely see into Rai's cell, and the child was toward the back and out of view. Dead? Why does she think I'm dead? "Rai? I'm not dead...we're all fine," he said more carefully, involuntarily leaning full-force against his bindings. Suddenly angry with them, he jerked his left arm roughly, but only achieved a chafing bruise that made him hiss.

Emora:


"No I saw you! I saw you!" Rai cried. "You were dead... You were bloody and broken and dead! Your not Soran..." She cried harder, hiccuping slightly. "Please, please, oh please leave me alone... I'm tired... so tired of crying. Please, whatever you are... leave me alone..."

The only way she was going to believe it was Soran was if she saw him and when she touched him she would truely believe. Rai curled back into her ball, facing away from the front of the cell. "I loved Soran... Why did you kill him... all them"

Siren:

Siren frowned, chained in her cell, listening to the conversation.

"Rai, I don't know what they 'showed' you, but it wasn't true. We're all here. We'll get out of this somehow! So just hold on a little longer!" she said in as comforting of a voice as she could.

Soran:

Soran blinked at Rai's cell, baffled. After a moment, his look of confusion transformed into rage, which he aimed at the woman sitting outside Rai's cell.

"What the hell have you done to her?" he demanded, half growling.

Emora:


Rai stayed curled on the floor listening... Well trying not to listen. "Rai, I don't know what they 'showed' you, but it wasn't true. We're all here. We'll get out of this somehow! So just hold on a little longer!" Rai stopped, hearing Siren's voice. She froze for a moment in mid sob...

"What the hell have you done to her?"

Rai sat up slowly, wiping her sore eyes. She wanted to turn around, but she was afraid of seeing such horrible images again. "Soran... Siren..." she whispered and slowly turned her head around. There was nothing there except the woman sitting on the bench in front of the cell. Rai stared there for a moment and then ran to the cell bars... slightly. The chain on her ankle snatched her and she fell down. She got up and grabbed the bars and pulled herself to the cell. "Soran!" she said, crying with joy. She was jerking on the bars and screaming again at the top of her lungs. She wanted to be close to Soran or Siren... anyone besides being alone. "I'm scared! He told me you were dead and then I saw you and you were.... I thought I was alone again... I thought you were all dead and I was alone! Please don't leave me alone, I'm scared!"

Soran:

Soran felt a repressed wall of anxiety topple off his chest as Rai spoke his name and her face appeared at the edge of her cell. He could barely see her, but it was enough to know she was okay. "We can't come over there right now, but we'll get out of this soon. Just rest there and bear with this for a bit longer," he said, surprising himself with the soothing tone he had slipped into, though it was still laced with sternness. He pulled again at his restraints, this time propping both his boots against the wall and pushing away with all his strength. His muscles strained at the effort, and his forearms ached, but the steel would not budge from the stone wall. He let his weight back to the ground, arms throbbing.

"Siren," he asked in a very low voice so the guard couldn't hear, "what happens if I release the blades now?"

Siren:

An unsure grimmace crossed Siren's face as she considered his question.

"It's hard to say... but i don't think the end result would be good if you're chained up like me here. These restraints are probably fortified somewhat, so brute force shouldn't work so well. Probably... the blades would either not be able to materialize or break the bracelets or... be misshapen..."

She left it like that, the heavy implied warning serving without getting into the gory possibilities. She could only think about the implications if they adapted to the surroundings by using his pulse to send the blades streight through the blood stream in his arms or something.

Emora:

OOC: When boredom sets in I tend to post out of turn....

Rai was still pulling futily on the bars of her cell and making noises. Maybe it was the fact she was angry at being trapped in a cage or maybe it was the fact she was mad she couldn't be in a cell with one of her freinds... But, the madder she got the more she forgot she was scared.

"Let me out!" she screamed and jerked on the bars. Why did people have to be so mean to them? Was it just them they picked on? Or did everyone in Heirot have to go through such trouble?

Rai growled and picked up a piece of stone that had broken off a brick and through it across the room. She stomped her way to the corner of her cell, the chain around her ankle clanking against the stone flooring of her cell. She sat in her corner with her knees drawn up and her arms wrapped around them. Curly strands of dark brownish blond hair was thrown in front of her face, giving the impression that she was a wild cave man child or something. She would probably turly attack anyone besides one of her friends that came into the cell with her...

Mizuki:

Karin closed her eyes feeling their agony. Tears slip down her face and she clutched Blade tighter. "Damn Ronal," she said quietly. Blade was opening his green eyes and looked around, immediantly he started fussing seeing that the woman was not his mother and they were not in familiar surroundings. "NO! Child don't cry... please don't cry..." she sob, trying to shush the baby. For a moment she started at Blade then looked up towards Soran's cell. Absentmindedly, she got up and walked to his cell facing him in wonder.

She cringed at his look of rage. "PLease, you'll hurt yourself if you keep that up...." she trailed off and looked at Blade again. "He looks so much like you..." she whispered to herself and the baby,. "How could you be Gaberial's son...?" she blinked and looked up again, angry. "You're the baby's REAL father aren't you?"

--

Upstairs Kujo thankfully released his hold on on the prisioners and told Ronal he could return to his post. He looked greedily back to the book he held and began chanting incohorrent words. Mizuki cried but could not cry out. Her body felt like something was trying to rip it in two right now and she couldn't take it. Her mouth opened in a vain attempt to scream but no sound came out.

Kujo chanted faster and the faster he chanted, the more pain she felt until finally she heard her own voice in an agonizing howl of pain that echoed throughout the room and beyond... then she felt nothing and blacked out.

Soran:

Soran's hateful glare held steady as the woman stood and walked over to him with Blade. His cold green eyes froze into her when she stood in front of him. Blade's more gentle eyes peered at him tearfully as he cried against the woman's chest. The rogue had an urge to dart over to the bars and take the child out of her arms. Now that his body was heated up from struggling, however, his arms were stuck more tightly than ever in their bindings.

"Please, you'll hurt yourself if you keep that up..." she said, inspiring no reaction from the rogue. He heard her whisper to herself, and then look up at him angrily, "You're the baby's REAL father aren't you?"

That was when Soran felt his last strand of composure snap. "Use your head, damned wench!" he snapped in a low, angry voice, "If I were the father, how do you suppose the child has wings?"

A howl of pain descended into the room from above, making the rogue suddenly fall silent. He stared at the stairwell as though Karin had ceased to exist, all of his attention on the end of the corridor as he gazed numbly toward the path that led toward Mizuki. He pulled at his arms subconsciously as the color drained from his face. "Mizuki!" he shouted, raw fear exposed in his voice, but he had the sickening feeling she couldn't hear him.

"Understood, Sir," Ronal said dryly, and turned to return to the dungeon.

Mizuki:

KArin jerked from Soran's anger. He was right... why would she say that when it was clear he wasn't? Karin blinked in confusion looking from the baby to him again, then the howl of pain came and she fell to her knees. So much pain and anger in this room, it was all falling down on her, crushing her own sanity... she had to get out. Without a second glance she got back to her feet and darted from the cells brushing past Ronal near tears.

--

Mizuki woke some time later and moaned from the headache she had. She didn't remember anything that took place but her head felt like it was split in two. She sat up, unbound, and put a hand to her head but stopped short. She gasped at her hand, it wasn't her's. This hand had some stiches on it where a few fingers met the palm. From her hand she looked down at herself, naked, and stiches meeting parts of the body everywhere.

She screamed in terror and remembered everything. Kujo's chanting and how she had felt like something was trying to rip her whole being in two... then nothing.

"OH FATES!" she sobbed loudly and put her face in her hands. She made no effort to cover her naked frame.

"Don't cry Alexial..." Kujo's strained voice came. He had used much of his energy chanting the spell. His still human hand came up to stroke her face. He took off his cloak and put it around her shoulders to cover her. "I'll get Karin to get you cloths.... but for now... rest.''

Why was he acting like this? Comforting her? She didn't know... and yet...

"Stay away from me!!!" She shouted and pushed him away, falling off the table and stumbling on her... no, this body's feet. She wanted to get away and as she ran she ran into the fleeing Karin. Only Mizuki fell to the ground.

"There's Karin now..." Kujo said from behind, he obviously hadn't tried chasing her. "Karin, get hre some cloths... and put the damn child down!!"

Karin, nodded in both fear and surprise, ran off without looking at Mizuki.

Soran:

Soran was still staring at the stairwell when Karin ran away from him and up the stairs. In her place, the guard who had restrained him earlier appeared in the prison row and walked straight toward him.

Always so emotional...what set her off this time? he thought to himself as he walked toward the prisoners. His mood was growing fowler as the day went on, and the sympathy he'd felt for the child made no attempt to extend to her adult friends. In fact, he had a rather keen dislike already for the two men, both of whom were glaring at him keenly from their cells. He glanced between them, certain that one of them was Alexial's lover. He decided on the mage, since the elf's face looked so cold that he'd probably never loved anything in his life.

"Angry, mage?" he said in irritation, leaning in close to Grye's cell. "Worried about your woman? You might as well forget her. The woman you knew no longer exists. Kujo's spell is complete." The guard's voice was never cruel nor regretful.

"What are you saying happened to her?" a low voice said from the end of the row. Ronal looked over critically; it was the rogue. Had he miscalculated? No, there was nothing but ice in the elf's eyes.

"I'm saying that woman is dead. Kujo has restored Alexial. Keep yourselves quiet, and maybe he'll decide to spare the children," Ronal said, unable to keep a slight tinge of triumph out of his voice. If Kujo has resurrected Alexial, then he really could ressurect his brother...

Soran blinked at the guard as his darkest suspicion was confirmed by the guard. Something about that scream he heard...it was the scream of life departing. He'd heard it too many times not to know it. "You're lying," he said coldly.

Ronal just frowned and turned to walk back to his bench.

"If you expect me to believe that, show me proof," the rogue pressed angrily."

Ronal stopped and looked around at the prisoners uncomfortably. He removed a feather from his wing, then used it to summon an image of the other guards carrying Mizuki's limp body away from the lab table, careful to make sure his body was blocking the young girl's view.

Mizuki:

Grye growled in his contempt at the Dark Angel. He could not believe that that was Mizuki being carried away limp...

"YOU'RE A LIAR AND I'LL BE DAMNED BEFORE I BELIEVE YOU!" He screamed in his hatred. He tried to move his arms but couldn't get free.

Naoki held her mouth trying hard not to scream and Taki glared. No one could believe it was true.

Upstairs Karin returned with cloths after setting Blade in a crib. "Here..." she said and handed Mizuki the cloths. "Alexial, it's good to have you back." she said hurriedly and ran back to Blade. Mizuki sat, still on the floor, she had numbly taken the cloths from Karin.

"I'm not...." she whispered. "I'm not Alexial."

"Get those on Alexial.... the guards will show you to the room.. I must rest." he said and two guards came forward and took her roughly by her arms, steering her down the corridor and to a room. They left her there, bolting the door behind them on the otherside. The room was richly furinished. A bed with velets and sheets and blankets of dark colors and fancy wood carving breau's with a large mirror. The carpet was sloft under her feet but Mizuki had no appreciation for it all.

She threw Kujo's cloak to the floor and donned the cloths she was given... if it could be call cloths. Her top was strapless and fit snuggly, and small, over her chest, pushing her breasts up and the skirt was long, beyond her feets with a slit from her waist all the way down. It was also black. Though the fabrics of her cloths were soft and lush against the body's skin, she felt no comfort from them. She stared into the large mirror and saw herself.

"This body..." she trailed off examining her black hair that was exteremly long and her perfect face with two different color eyes. One green and the other gray. She ignored the stiches that joined her joints and found that this body was shapely. Full hips, large bosom, long legs, small waist... everything a normal woman would be proud of, but this body wasn't normal! She fought back her tears and slamed her fist into the mirror, breaking it. She didn't cut her hand though... somehow.

"Fates, give us back our lives..." she weeped and sat on the bed.

Emora:


"I'm saying that woman is dead. Kujo has restored Alexial. Keep yourselves quiet, and maybe he'll decide to spare the children," Ronal said, unable to keep a slight tinge of triumph out of his voice.

Rai sat on the floor and looked up. That was the same man that told her Soran was dead... "Don't believe him Soran!" Rai said, not able to see what the man was showing Soran. "He's the one that told me you were dead! He lies!"

Rai started pulling on the shackle around her ankle. She wanted free. She was pulling on it until her ankle was all red and cut and she stopped and leaned against the wall again. "I want to see Mizuki for myself!"

Soran:

Soran stared at the image of Mizuki's body without blinking, unable to look away. The others' expressions of disbelief did little to abate the dreading feeling he had.

"Believe what you want," Ronal said sternly, dissolving the image and turning to sit on the bench. When had he become this cruel? he thought to himself as he glanced over the prisoners indifferently. No, he thought, he couldn't doubt himself. If he gave up, no one could bring his brother back. The only way to stay sane in a job like his was to convince himself he was somehow doing the right thing. He rose again and walked up the stairs and down a hall that led to a small kitchen. Kujo was resting, and he'd probably kill the others soon after he woke, so the guard saw no point in starving them as well. He took some loaves of bread from the cupboard normally used for servants and looked them over. A few spots of mold, and rather stale, but edible. He began scraping one of them off, then thought better of it. There was no point in pampering them; they could scrape it themselves.

He headed back down the stairs and ripped off hunks of the bread for each of the prisoners, then threw them into the cells. He gave Rai hers somewhat more kindly, setting the part he had successfully scraped into the cell instead of throwing it. Even if the child tried to attack his arm, he thought, she couldn't do anything terrible.

Soran didn't look at the bread. He seemed to be staring into space, a strange, vacant look in his green eyes. She's dead, his sensibility told him over and over, but he wouldn't accept it.

Mizuki:

'I need to get up and start facing my fate.' she thought over and over to herself. She couldn't sit here and cry the whole time, the people she loved were in cells suffering trying to save her hide along with the children. The least she could do was try at her end of the battle!

Sternly, she stood and crossed the room to the door, pausing to stare at her broken reflextion in the broken mirror. Sighing, she pounded on the door. "Let me out now!" The guards, startled from their long moments of silence, unbolted the door and looked her over with leering looks. She sneered and punched them both squarely in their jaws. Shaking her hand from the hard hits and quickly stepping over their hunched frames... and ignoring their moans and curses, she made her way to where Kujo had ripped her soul out of one body and into another. But Kujo wasn't there.

"Damn..." she huffed but looked around. Tables with strun books bordered the the room, resting along the walls. And the two middle tables sat in the middle of the room... and her body was gone. "AH! Where?!..." where she looked, she couldn't find it. She started fearing that they were now in the process of destroying her body and she clenched her fists. "DAMN!" She kicked a table over then heard a jingle and clang of metal fall to the floor. Looking down she saw a set of keys and she stared warily at them.

"They can't be that dumb to leave the keys....?" she said to herself softly but picked them up. They were old, signs of rust on them. They could definatly be cells keys. But there was that guard who watched the prisoners... she would have to distract him... and keep Kujo busy. She looked around the room in haste, trying to find something that would call the guard up from his post. "Maybe if I... no, they'd catch me instantly.."

"My lady," a guard said frm behind and caused her to jump. She slipped the keys in her bodice before she turned around. "Kujo requests you..."

Yes! Kujo... that could be the distraction she needed. She'd be playing with a dangerous fire.. but she's been through a lot more situations than this. She'd find the way.

Emora:


Rai stood up and walked towards the man as he set her bread down on the floor. Her chain made scratching sounds as she walked across the stone flooring slowly. She didn't like him. He was mean. He played tricks and liked to scare little girls. She didn't want to make him mad. Though, she would gladly do it.

She took the bread quickly and ran back to her corner, examining it as if it were poison. She wouldn't put it past them. So she sat it down and didn't eat it. She fed it to a mouse that crawled out of a whole. It was such a cute little mouse with light tan fure and big beedy eyes. She smiled at it. It was a baby mouse! So cute....

Soran:

Ronal Sat on the bench and watched unhappily as the child fed her food to the mouse. He wanted to reprimand her for not eating - she had to be hungry by now - but at the same time he was aware that it was his fault she didn't trust him. She reminded him a lot of his kid brother. "You should take better care of yourself," he said dully, watching her.

Emora:


Rai looked up with her bright eyes and tilted her head as the man spoke dully to her. "Why?" she asked and stared at him with a strange curiosity. "I'm going to die soon..." she said softly, returning her attention to the poor hungry little mouse next to her foot. She smiled at it and patted its head, not even minding that it could bite her at any time. She fed it another crum of bread, which it ate quickly and started sniffing around for more.

Soran:

Ronal hadn't been ready for that response, and it took him a moment to regain himself and respond. "You sound like you already gave up...you can never be sure..." he attempted before drifting off. She was right, and he was the one holding her here. A guard had no place comforting his ward. He knew firsthand that Kujo always got what he wanted.

Emora:


Rai looked up at him again, after feeding the mouse something. "You're an idiot," she said and stood up, the mouse followed her as she walked across the room towards the end of her cell. She picked up her chain and raddled it as if to show him she couldn't get away. He was really stupid if he was saying she shouldn't have given up when the hope had died already. Soran was chained up, Mizuki was either dead or somewhere locked up... They were all going to die and here he sat, the one who had put her here and he thought she shouldn't loose hope?!

She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes almost turning peircing.... But, she turned away and walked back to her corner. The mouse followed, sitting up once she sat down. She handed the mouse a piece of food without looking at it. She stared at the man. "Idiot."

Soran:

Ronal blinked at the small girl, surprised, but made no attempt to redeem himself. He looked away toward the prisoner at the end of the row, who had apparently stopped struggling against his bonds. The guard sighed and stared at his feet.

Soran tried to think about nothing but the task at hand, though unsuccessfully. He waited for Ronal to turn away and then used his leg to try to reach the waist pocket of his coat over to where his hand could reach it. The pocket was too high, and kept slipping off his leg, unable to reach to the end of his arm. He tried another approach, resting the base of his coat on his knee. Placing all his weight on his shackled arms, he lifted his knee up to his mouth and bit onto the coat, then managed to pull the pocket over to where his teeth could reach it. As silently as possible, he tilted the fabric so that his lock pick slipped out and caught it in his teeth. As he lowered again, however, the twisting of the bindings on his arms pinched and he winced, losing his grip on the pick. It caught on his collar and slid to his knee, then bounced off. Soran managed to catch it on top of his shoe, but Ronal had turned at just the wrong moment and seen what was going on.

The guard rose from the bench and strode impatiently to Soran. "What have you got there?" he demanded.

Soran frowned as he saw that the guard had already identified the pick resting on his shoe. He flicked his foot rapidly and sent the small metal tool flying sharply into the center of Ronal's forehead, and cast him a feral glare.

Ronal growled as it stung his forehead and opened the cell door sternly, walked straight in front of Soran, and punched him across the face. "I didn't want to use this, but it seems you don't leave me much choice" he snarled, pressing a stone block into the wall. Soran felt the sections of the wall that his arms were bound to slide half a foot back from the rest of the wall, forcing his arms backwards against the joint. He had to extend his chest and strain his shoulders back to prevent his elbows from bending inside out. "Try that stunt again, and you'll end up with a pair of broken arms," Ronal said into the rogue's face, then relocked the cell and sat down again, confiscating Soran's pick.

Emora:


Rai walked back to the edge of her cell with the mouse in her hand. She looked through the bars, her small head able to fit inbetween them easily. She looked down the hall and watched what the man did to Soran. She looked down at her mouse in her head, which surprisingly hadn't bit her yet. Maybe it was the fact elves had some strange relation to animals and she was half elf... Or that it was just a sweet little mouse.

She waited for him to leave Soran's cell and sit back down. "Mr. Idiot...." Well... she didn't know his name so she had to name him something. "Since I'm going to die and all... Can I be with my daddy?" Rai asked softly.

Her bright innocent child eyes looked at him for a long time, staring at him. "Please?" The mouse scurried down her nightgown and hopped to the floor and ran away back to his home, having ate all her bread.

Soran:

Ronal frowned at the child, again strangely tolerant of her name-calling.

"Since I'm going to die and all... Can I be with my daddy?" she asked him.

Ronal's eyes widened and glanced from the rogue to her. She was his daughter? He could hardly believe it. Still, her request was reasonable, and he didn't see how it could hurt, provided that Kujo didn't decide to come check on te prisoners.

The guard unlocked her cell and entered. "Hold out your hands," he said, but then looked at the shackles he intended to put on her and saw they would be too heavy for her tiny arms. He unlocked the brace around her ankle, looking closely at the chafed skin where she had struggled against it. It looked incredibly sore. "You will behave yourself," he said almost gently and took her by the hand firmly, leading her out of her cell and down to where Soran was. Siren gave her a comforting wink as she passed. "Just keep it quiet," he said to her, letting her free in Soran's cell and locking it. He walked back to his bench and sat down to watch them, already regretting his softness.

Emora:


Rai ran to Soran, limping slight, but not that much and flung her arms around his legs. "Soran!" she said hugged him tightly, looking up at how strangly his arms were positioned. She tilted her head, what little light was in the room caught her eyes which sparkled with more water than usually held in them. "Soran... does it hurt?" she asked, meaning the odd shape his arms were in.

Her small hand reached up and touched his arm lightly, not enough to press on it, just to touch it. She wondered if she could fix it for him so he wasn't hanging like that... but she was scared she would hurt him. But... she could always heal him... but, she didn't want to hurt him.

Soran:

Soran watched Rai come into the cell and grab onto his legs tightly. Knowing she was safe where he could see her was a weight off his mind, though he couldn't stop thinking about Mizuki...dead...

"Soran...does it hurt?" she asked, looking at his arms.

"They're numb, so I can't feel them," he lied in a strained voice. "Your ankles are hurt," he noticed, looking at her feet. Thoughts of Mizuki kept flashing in his mind. She was dead...really dead. Maybe this was what his instincts were warning him about all this time, though he sensed there was more to it. "There's first aid cream in my front pocket, if you can climb to it," he managed to say, incredibly glad for the child's presence. The need to protect her was holding him together at the moment.

Emora:


Rai reached up high to get to his pocket, bending her hand to go into the pocket. She stood up on her tip toes to get into the pocket. She pulled out the cream, smiling softly at Soran and sitting on the floor in front of him. She opened the top and sloppily put some of the cream on her hurt ankle which was raw from the heave iron shackle around it. She looked up at Soran, putting the top back on and standing up again, reaching up to put it back into his pocket.

She stayed close to him, about a centimeter away, her hand holding his pants as if it were his hand or something. She was happier now that she was close to Soran and she felt more protected by him now. She looked up at him and smiled softly. "Hey, Soran... If anyone I don't like ever comes to marry me will you make them go away for me," she said with a smile trying to make him feel better. He seemed to be really sad. She was really sad to... but she didn't want him to be as sad as she was. She wanted him to be happy. So she smiled one of her fake smiles.

Soran:

Soran looked down at her protectively. Part of him sensed he was being humored, but the rest of him didn't really care at the moment. "Of course," he said firmly. "But," he winced slightly, "You have a long time before you have to think about that." Her cheerful smile had a calming effect on him, and if he could have reached her hair to mess it up, he would have.

Ronal watched them guiltily from his end of the row, trying to think of any feasible way to let some of them out without incriminating himself. No, there was no chance. Kujo would never help him if he messed this up. He continued thinking in circles uselessly.

Emora:

Rai looked up at him and smiled. "I'm glad!" she said and held onto his pants leg with both hands. "It all seems very weird..." She shivered. It was chilly and damp and her ankle hurt. Her bare feet felt so dirty and she felt so dirty and uncomfortable.

"Do you think I could take him?" she asked with a smile. She was doing her absolute best to make him a bit happier. She was so tired of being sad and being in pain and all the hurt. She wanted to go far away from this place. She wanted to move so they wouldn't have to worry about these people. They would rescue Mizuki and move far away and live happily.

Soran:

"Heh, with a knife you just might," the rogue tried to joke, but talking made his chest move and add pressure to his arms, which already felt like they were forcibly bent to the snapping point. He drew in a sharp breath and stopped talking for a moment to compose himself. He glanced up again as a pair of Kujo's servants came down the stairs carrying a large form covered with a blanket.

"What's that?" Ronal asked as they crossed through the room and opened another door that led between cells down another level of stairs.

"Alexial's body. It's to be kept cool in the basement. Kujo might find a use for it later," the first guard said, while the other just saluted Ronal before they disappeared through the door. A minute later they re-emerged emptyhanded and saluted Ronal again before returning back upstairs.

Soran narrowed his eyes as though confused and stared at the door to the basement. He glanced down at Rai, hoping she hadn't seen. His pulse ran faster as the full weight of the situation sank in.

Mizuki:

"What do you want of me?" Mizuki demanded.

"I really hoped you'd be past this Alexial." Kujo smirked. He knew she'd be fighting him until he did something... like killing the people that were here to 'save' her. It would break her resolve. Mizuki had been formulating her plan as she had walked the corridor to Kujo's room. It was sketchyy, but it was what she could do. Mizuki sneered at him, not letting him see her plan behind her eyes but he surprised her by moving toward her. He gripped her shoulders hard... she had no idea he would play right into her plan!

"Alexial.." he breathed then forced his mouth down on her. Mizuki pretended to let him, when she was really working on how she'd get him on the ground. His bony hand roamed her chest but in this body, she didn't care. She concentrated on tripping him and with a quick kick with her foot, she kicked out his leg from under him and he fell to the floor. Before he could react she grabbed a vase, by now he was making his way angrily to his feet. "ALEXI----AAAH!" She threw the vase into his head, to her own surprised, and he fell flat on his back. Unconcious.

On cue from his cry, the guard came rushing in. She waited by the door and when the guard came in fully, gasping and going to his masters side. She slipped out the door and sammed it shut. Quickly she brought a chair from the hall and placed it under the door handle. Locking those two in.

"Now for the one downstairs." she said and ran to the dungeons. She desended the stairs, alerting Ronal. "My Lord needs help!" she cried in fake despair. "He was attacked! Apparently the intruders still have someone outside and he got in!! PLease, help him!"

Emora:


Rai sat down on the cold stone floor at Soran's feet and held his pants leg. She didn't notice the body being carried in. She started humming, not even realizing she was doing so. She figured it was only a matter of time before Kujo or one of his goons came down and took them to there deaths. She really didn't want to die now that she found out Soran was alive. She hoped Mizuki was alright. Poor Mizuki... she was always in trouble. She loved Mizuki, even though she had really bad luck.

"Mr. Mouse... has a house.... in the wall," she sang softly, clutching onto Soran's pants as a lot of noise could be heard coming from above. She stood up and backed up against the wall, hugging Soran's right leg to her. She looked up at him and gave him a brave smile.

Soran:

Ronal spun toward Alexial's voice and eyed her suspiciously. Kujo was not one to let his guard down. Rat spies crawled the entire city. "Is that so. Then I trust you will lead me to his whereabouts," he said sternly, herding her up the stairs in front of him and locking the door to the dungeon behind them.

Soran had had become very quiet and pale. He looked over at the button on the wall that had moved his bindings, thinking that Rai might be able to reach it if she climbed up the bars, but there was only one button and no way to tell if it would return the wall to normal or slide it farther back. He thought about trying it anyway, not particularly caring which way it went at the moment, but kept the thought to himself. There might still be a way to get some of them out, he kept telling himself. He looked around for anything he might use as a lock pick.

Mizuki:

Mizuki tensed. Not what she wanted. If she was going to stay down here to deliver the keys to Soran... she had to be the only person here! Mizuki thought fast. She needed to get back down there!

"No! I mean, W-who will watch the prisoners?..If no one's here?" she lied. "Please, go to my Lord Husband now and I'll watch them! I'll make sure no one come's to rescue them!" She had to think of more to say for him to believe her and let her be here. What she wanted came instanly. A loud thunk and scream from above. "THAT'S THEM! My husband is being attack!!" she cried out, faking her desparation.

When really, Kujo had woken up and lashed out at the guard. Killing him out of his anger by making his body decompose, painfully.

Soran:

Ronal frowned at Alexial, judging the intensity in her eyes. "Alexial, you have the opportunity to be treated very well here. Do not do something stupid," he ordered her, and left her there alone, running up the stairs to Kujo's quarters. He removed the chair from the door and thrust it open to reveal a livid Kujo and a the putrid smell of rotten flesh. "My lord," he addressed the necromancer questioningly, taking a step back and awaiting orders.

Mizuki:

Mizuki didn't even hear him. The moment he retreated down the hall she ran back to the dungeon door and pulled the ring of keys out from her bosom. There was five keys but she picked the biggest key of them all, and it worked. She entered and closed and locked the door behinde her and ran down the steps calling out Soran's name. Not even thinking that he wouldn't recongize her the the body of peiced parts.

She ran to his cell, briefing the curious glances of the others. "OH SORAN!" she cried when she saw him chained to the wall uncomfortably. She fumbled with the keys through her anixety but finally found the one she wanted and rushed in. She panicked at his ashen face. "Fates! What have they done to you!?" She went immediantly to his shackles and fitted about four of the keys into it before she found the right one. She unshackled him and caught him before he fell to the floor. She gently laid him down.

The eyes of the body teared, she didn't consider them hers. "My love..." she sobbed.

Above them Kujo glared angrily at Ronal. "Damn her!" he cursed then his eyes widened. "You didn't leave her down there, DID YOU?!"

Emora:


Rai hugged Soran's leg tighter as the woman came into the cell with them. She was pieced together and all nasty looking to Rai. She didn't like it... it wasn't right looking. When the woman unchained Soran and started huddling over him Rai went ballistic.

"No! Leave him alone you thingy!" Rai said and started pulling on her arm and her dress and her hair. "Leave him alone! He's fine!" Rai pulled on the woman. "Leave him alone!"

Mizuki:

Mizuki screamed for Rai to let go. "NO RAI! It's me!!" she pleaded with the child and managed to grabed Rai's wrists gently but firmly. "I know it doesn't look like me, but it's me! I'm Mizuki sweetheart! And if you don't calm down and let me see to him you may be stuck here forever.. or worse. Please," she sobbed. A lump in her throat was forming and it was unbearable.

"Let me free them... I wont hurt anyone.."

Emora:


Rai looked at Mizuki and stepped struggling with her. She stood there looking at Mizuki for a long moment and her mouth opened but nothing came out. She was too amazed by what she had become. Seh didn't know what to say about it so she just changed the subject completely. "I'll go make sure no ones coming!"

Rai ran out the cell door and down the other end of the hall to watch up the steps to see if anyone was going to come down them.

Mizuki:

"Thank you..." Mizuki breathed then turned back to a bewildered rouge. "Wait Rai!" Mizuki handed the child the keys. "Get the other's out."

Upstairs Kujo was infuriated that Ronal had left her alone and marched out the door. They were losing time. Grye and the other's watched curiously, and in disbeilf at what they were hearing and witnessing.

Soran:

Soran stared warily as an unfamiliar woman appeared at the base of the stairs and ran to him, unlocking his cell and crying out his name. "Fates! What have they done to you?!" she cried, unlocking his arms. A dull flicker of familiarity was in her words, but the rogue didn't notice.

Soran groaned under his breath as the braces came off and his arms dropped to his sides. Moving his arms again hurt worse than when they were put there in the first place. He swooned momentarily, dizzy with the pain and lacking the determination to stay on his feet.

Rai's alarmed voice brought him back to his bearings a moment later. His vision cleared to find the stranger holding him and crying while Rai ordered her to let go of him. Soran didn't know who this person was, but if she was going to help them, he wasn't about to complain. He was confused by her tears, however.

"I'm fine, he told them both, pushing himself up to a sitting position. The fire in his arms was slowly dying down, but the emptiness in his expression remained. "We need to get the others out before the guard comes back," he said as realized they might have a chance to escape. He looked again at the girl who was helping them, noticing for the first time how oddly she was stitched together. "Who are you?" he asked her, for the first time considering that this might be some kind of trick.

***

Ronal blanched as his master roared at him and he realized the huge error he'd just made. "She's in the dungeon..." he murmured in alarm before wheeling around to run after her. That rogue should be in no condition to fight, at least not very well, but if the others were out as well they would be tough to manage.

Emora:


Rai stood in front of the steps looking up and watching to see who was going to come down. She was holding onto the wall and peering around it. "I hope no one comes down..." she muttered and looked back to Soran and Mizuki. Poor Mizuki... stuck in that body...

She took the keys and ran to the doors and unlocked them and then began setting the prisoners free... Even ones that weren't with there party...

Mizuki:

"Who are you?" Soran asked her. For a moment she was stuned.

"Soran I--" she tried to find her voice but was cut off hearing the pounding of feet oon the ceiling. "DAMN! Soran we don't have much time! I tried to distract them for as long as I could... " she paused and helped him to his feet. Her eyes stung and the other's began crowding around their cell waiting for order's and watching silently.

"Mizuki," it was Taki, "We will fix you." she said it with all her heart. Mizuki looked at the fairy and smiled, the smile coming from her soul.

Soran:

Soran blinked as Taki referred to the woman as Mizuki. Everything seemed to be swimming around him. "Mi...zuki..." he repeated absently, staring at her in confusion. His gaze hardened and distrust filled his eyes. "I don't know why you're doing this, but it's not amusing," he said angrily, loss glinting in his eyes. He pushed to his feet.

Emora:


Rai stood in front of the stairway again and watched up it, thinking she heard footsteps. "Someones coming I think..." she said quickly and turned around looking at all the people she had set free. What should they do? There was only one way out and it was going to be blocked soon... Rai thought about it and decided that she might as well get used to the idea of being locked in a cell...

Mizuki:

It hurt. It stung. The eyes of this body showed it. She bit her bottom lip, fighting back tears but she turned abruptly and stalked out of the cell. Grye blinked in disbeilf. 'That was Mizuki?!' he thought.

"You should go... quick." she said in a controled voice, her backed turned to them.

"Mi-Mizuki." Grye said her name with care. "We wont leave without you or the children."

"You fool, it's done, you've already lost me." her voice was even and cold. "Now get out before they find out!"

"Mizuki don't be stupid, we can fix this!" Naoki cried back to her friend.

"Mizuki... I can fix it.. but I'll need time." Taki said soothingly. Trying to calm them down.

"ALEXIAL!!" Kujo's voice yelled from the door, he was pounding on it. "OPEN THE DOOR ALEXIAL!" Mizuki panicked and ran to the door behind them and flung it open. There was a body like sac at the floor but she almost ignored it. She searched the room frantically for a way out.. there was none.

The dungeon door flew open and Kujo stomped down the stepps and glared at all the prisoners freed. But he went right past them and to Mizuki. She tried to flee but he caught her and gripped her wrists hard.

"So, you want them killed Alexial?" Kujo seethed in her ear. "So be it. Guard, attack!" He pulled her against him, turning her around so her back was against his chest. "You get to watch the one's you love die now." He summonded other guards to the dungeon.

Soran:

Ronal rushed down the stairs behind Kujo with a sharpened scimitar in hand, and as soon as he had Kujo's word, he eagerly attacked the prisoners. Several of them were former guards or captives Kujo had hoped to use for experiments, but they were in the way, so Ronal cut all but one of them down. Then he rushed toward Grye, who he considered the greatest threat because of his magical abilities. He sent an illusion of himself attacking to the mage's left to distract him. His own body fell under invisibility and lunged to the right of the mage, slashing him across the back, though not fatally. His invisible form wheeled quickly around and prepared to strike a deadly blow from behind.

Soran's eyes widened as he heard Kujo call the woman Alexial while she struggled against him. Was it really her? "Help Grye," he asked Siren hurriedly as he rushed from the unlocked cell toward Kujo. He still wasn't totally convinced, but if there was even the slightest chance that that woman was Mizuki, he couldn't let anything happen to her. "Shourai," he commanded. Needles of pain shot up his arms as the magic synchronized with his bloodstream, but the blades formed successfully on his arms.

"Kujo!" he yelled to the necromancer as he reached the foot of the steps and stood a yard away from him and...whoever she was.

Emora:


Rai screamed when a gaurd came at her and she turned to run up the steps away from him. She tripped over her nightgown and when she turned around the guard was baring down on her. She kicked with her feet and hit him in the nose, breaking it. She scurried up the steps on her hands. The guard grabbed her ankle and drug her to him. She screamed as she was flipped over. In an attempt to get away again the blade coming down on her managed to miss any vital organs she had and plung into her side. It wasn't enough to kill her at all, though it did look quite like it could. She stopped her squirming and let go of the guard, a bit shocked by the pain. The guard, thinking he had managed to do his job, pulled his blade away and ran to kill someone else like his master had ordered.

Mizuki:

Kujo grinned malicously and held her closer. "She's lost to you rouge..." he said. "And never coming back!" He controled a guard to back behind Soran and slash at him.

Grye held his back in pain, but momentarily. "Taki, Naoki, protect Rai!" he said and they nodded and ran to the child. Taki kneeled over her and sealed the wound.

"There child." she said soothingly.

Grye blast his magic spells at Ronal but kept missing. "Come out coward!!"

Taki fired her own spells to try and help Grye, but also missed and she cursed. Naoki aimed her bow and arrows at Kujo, maybe she could hit him? She fired one and it flew straight for him. Kujo lost conncentration on his puppet in order to deflect the arrow.

"Damn wench!" he cursed and blasted magic at Naoki who was saved by Taki. Mizuki, taking the moment to be free off him, jammed her elbow into his stomach and he lost his grip on her. She ran from him but stummble over the body bag. It slipped over the body and Mizuki's old body shown before her, stunning her. She gasped. "Heh," Kujo laughed over her. "Figured I could use it for more experiments."

"DAMN YOU! PUt me back!!" she cried and hurdle herself at his feet knocking him down. They grapple on the ground. Both sought power over the other.

Soran:

Soran dodged to the side as he heard a blade whistle past his ear, then spun around and slashed the guard attacking him in two. His arms were lacking their normal strength, but it was enough for scum like him. Hope was steadily rising in his chest as he overheard Alexial and Kujo's conversation, and with it came fury. He ran to where the necromancer was overpowering Alexial on the ground and clutched him firmly by the collar with one hand, twisting one of the angel's arms roughly behind his back with the other. Soran hauled Kujo off of his creation and flung him with surprising force into the wall, cold flames in his eyes. Without a word he stepped toward Kujo to attack again.

Ronal continued sneaking around the mage invisibly. He slashed out to make several small cuts and scrapes, but the mage's intuition was surprisingly good, and he kept evading more serious injuries. It was only a matter of time, however, before blood loss and exhaustion did him in.

Emora:


Rai felt very relieved once Taki had healed her. The pain was gone, but a tear still ran down her cheek. She wiped it and sat up on her step, feeling the spot where the guard had stabbed her. Now she knew what that felt like... she didn't want to experience it again.

Rai didn't know what she could do to help her friends. She was so small and the fact she couldn't fight at all was just proven. If it wasn't for the act she could squirm real good she might be dead. Rai felt useless just sitting there while her friends fought... maybe there was something she could do...

Mizuki:

Mizuki sat up, surprised that Soran came to her rescue and watched as he lunged again. "NO!" she screamed. Kujo dodged Soran and threw off his cloak. He flexed his left arm and smiled evily.
"So, you'll try even when it's too late?"

"Taki said she can fix it!" Mizuki blurted.

"Well, well, well, then we should be rid of the fairy. But first," he lifted his left hand up and pointed at Soran. He sent a magic that would twist the rouge insides and concentrated on killing him slowly. But Mizuki came again and attacked him, punching him roughly in the face making him lose his concentration and his power lost. "DAMN YOU ALEXIAL! What are you doing? This is your home! I can give you everything! AN EMPIRE!"

Mizuki glared at him as he held her roughly by the shoulders. "I don't want an empire Kujo, I chose a long time ago what I wanted." she smiled and flicked her gaze to Soran, but was greeting with the back of Kujo's hand as he slapped her down and turned back to Soran. Murderous fire in his eyes.

"Then I'll kill you both."

Emora:


"No!" Rai screamed and ran towards them, pushing past Taki and everyone who tried to stop her. She picked up a rock broken off the stone wall and threw it, hitting Kujo in the forehead. "She has a home and its not with you! And don't you touch her again!" She picked up something else and through it at him. She wasn't tall enough, but when she charged, going to throw a punch like Soran had taught her she hit him right between the legs.

"Your just like the rest of them, a big bully with a big head! Why don't you go find someone else to bother!"

Siren:

Siren summoned the red vine she had collected so long ago from her pouch, along with a vial of water, and held them out in her hands, ready to begin a spell, but looked over to where Rai had just been healed.

"Rai! Go get our weapons!" she called out, seeing that Rai had a streight shot up the stairwell and knowing that it was better to keep her away from the guards. "They're in Kujo's experiment room!"

She then closed her eyes and began concentrating on her spell, splashing the water over the vine and magically inspiring growth and animation in it.

She opened her eyes again, watching Grye's plight to find the guard's location. She finally saw her opening and crouched on the ground, slamming her hand palm down to the floor with the vine in it, sending it sprawling towards Ronal with haste. The vines reached his foot and shot up his legs, entangling him so that Grye could keep track of him, for now at least.

Emora:


Rai turned at hearing Siren and ran towards the starewell again. None of the guards seemed to be paying attention to her any more. Maybe it was because she was so small. She ran up the steps and into the room... But, had no clue where she was going. She ran to a strang room with many different viles and such.... Guessing it was the experiement room she ran around inside as quick as she could to try and find there weapons... But, could she carry all of them back?

Mizuki:

Kujo would've lunged towards the child, but she dissapeared to fast. "GUARDS--" he hollered but Mizuki covered his mouth with her hand.

"NO!" she cried and held him, holding his arms now behind his back. "Soran! Strike him now!"

Emora:


Rai found all of there weapons and piled them onto a sheet that she dragged behind her. Some of them weren't even there weapons. She ran down the steps, and you could hear her coming a mile away with all the noise she was making. She heard footsteps behind her. The sound of more guards she supposed. She knew she needed to hury. When she ran down the steps she left the weapons close to them and began throwing more rocks at Kujo, waiting to see what Soran would do.

Soran:

Soran followed Mizuki's cue without hesitation, bringing his blade up and driving it down to slice off his skeletal arm. The impact hurt the rogue's arm, but he had no intention of stopping until Kujo's life was gone. He raised his other blade to strike, this time at his neck. In the back of his mind, the realization that Mizuki was alive was strengthening and distracting him at the same time.

Mizuki:

Kujo screamed in agony as his arm was sliced from him. He fell to the floor before Soran could strike him giving Mizuki barely enough time to dodge Soran's blade. On the floor he tried roll away and hold the stump of his arm. It was bleeding and he was losing conciousness rapidly. He was capable of healing, but the wound was so severe it would take some time... and it angered him that he lost his prized creation.

Grye took the moment the Ronal was restrained and struck him hard, square in the chest with his magic. It left his chest signed. "HA!" Grye grinned. He got ready to attack again. Naoki and Taki had their hands full making a clear path for Rai. (OOC: omg, I just forgot that Naoki shouldn't of had her weapon.^-^;)

Mizuki dove again for Kujo trying to immobilize him, but he was struggling. He punched her, catching her off guard and she fell off him holding her bruised cheek.

Emora:


Rai stood there watching. She had stopped her throwing rocks, thinking Soran had got him... but then he punched Mizuki. Rai didn't know what to do. Maybe she could help distract him to get him from hitting Mizuki or Soran so they could kill him. She looked around for Siren and the others to see how they were doing. What about the guards she heard coming? Or had that been her imagination. Maybe it had been all the noise they were making down here... What if the noise brought them?

Rai picked up a large stone and reared back with it then through it at Kujo, hitting him on the chest. Rocks were her weapons... She didn't like to use knives any more... Ever since she killed Gabriel. She didn't want to kill people...

Soran:

Ronal cried out as magic slammed him back and burned into his chest. He fell roughly back into the bars of a cell wall. Regaining his balance, he glared at Grye angrily. The dark angel helping him was a nuisance as well. He would need to find a way to get rid of her. But first, the mage. Ronal pulled a feather out of his wing and his image suddenly turned into Mizuki's. "Darling," she said tearfully, walking toward her as though to embrace him. Ronal hoped he was right in his guess that those two were lovers.

Soran caught Mizuki by the shoulders as Kujo threw her off. In the same instant, he lunged onto him and grabbed his collar, throwing a solid hook into the angel's jaw. The rogue's eyes contained a murderous, frozen glare as he raised his arm again, this time to strike with the blade into Kujo's heart.

Mizuki:

Grye stepped back, away from the image of Mizuki this man was trying to preform. "I think not." he said in a low, angry voice and blasted him again with his magic. Taki tried her hand at firing magic at the Dark Angel but she missed when another guard rammed himself into her. Naoki was shooting everyone that came after them with her arrows and kicked the guard off of Taki.

"Thanks." Taki said and Naoki just nodded concentrating.

Kujo caught Soran's arm, his own eyes glaring murderously. He gripped Soran's wrist painfully, using all his power and muscle to try and break it. "I'll take you with me to the grave if it must be so!" A black, painfull net, The Blight of the Dead, appeared on Soran's arm. Threatening to destroy his arm. Mizuki cried out but couldn't move as a guard came up behind her and held her in place. She thrashed in his grip trying to get away. She was unsightly rewarder with a rip and tear of her arms stitches, the arm pulling off of her in his grip and her resistance. Mizuki jerked forward as she let free and fell to the ground, clutching at the stump of her arm. Thankfully, she wasn't bleeding but was becoming painfully aware that the body was dying on her.

"Oh no.." she gasped and tried to hide it. The guard was equally surprised as he held the arm in his hands then dropped it and lunged for her again.

"The body's dying out...." Kujo said, having lost instrest in the Blight he was creating on Soran's arm so it ceased growing. "It wasn't nurtured with the young child's soul--ow!" he gasped as a rock hit him in his chest again and again. He was distracted and could be the moment they needed to get him down.

Soran:

Soran gritted his teeth as pain seethed through his arm and lost his grip on the necromancer. The blade reacted to the shift in blood flow inside his partially destroyed arm and became unstable, its liquidy surface rippling. He focused on holding Kujo down against the ground, then felt the pain suddenly stop increasing.

"The body's dying out! It wasn't nurtured with the young child's soul," Kujo said distractedly, seemingly having lost interest in the rogue.

Soran followed his gaze to Mizuki and stared at her sharply. The facial color of her strange new body was pale, almost grey. Her arm was missing, but her body didn't produce any blood. The rogue glared down at the one responsible for this situation, but was now hesitant to kill him. Could Taki really fix this alone? "Mizuki..." he said uncertainly, looking away from Kujo to eye her worriedly.

Mizuki:

Taki thrusted forward thru the battle and towards Soran and Kujo. They were all distracted, but she need Kujo more distracted than this! "Soran!" she cried out trying to get him back to the task at hand of disabling Kujo of any chance to escape and live.

Mizuki looked at both men, praying Soran would take his eyes off her and return to destroying Kujo before he recovered from her actions. Her eyes riveted to Taki was was approaching anxiously.

"Aahh..." she stumbled in her steps as she ran to slam Kujo to the ground. She succeded since he had been intrigued by how the body was reacting but she fell with him and smacked her skull on the stone floor. She fell unconcious and Taki cursed.

"Soran you have to spear him with your remaining blade so I can start!" she cried to him as Kujo struggled around Mizuki's form to get up.

Siren:

Siren dove into a painful roll towards the spot where Rai had dropped the weapons, kicking a guard in the crotch as she passed him. She came up by the weapons, quickly digging down till she found her whip and gripping its pommel tightly.

She came up in a flurry, cracking the whip around herself, stinging the guards where were closing in on her as she moved her arm in circles, flying the whip around her body and snapping across the two guards opposing her, creating large painful gashes.

She summoned forth another vine, this one covered in thorns, and used a quick combining spell while the guards were taken aback, accepting a small gash across her left arm as one of the guards retaliated with a poorly thrown dagger, as she sent the vine wrapping around the whip till it merged, causing thorns to emerge all along the whip. She then resumed her attack, each slash of the whip invoking pained cries from the guards.

She focused on the wings of the stonger looking Angel guard, tearing across them with the whip. He fell to his knees in pain, crimson blood mixing with the black of his feathers.

Soran:

Taki's voice jolted Soran out of his hesitation. He grabbed Kujo's neck with his weakened right arm and held him to the ground, then pulled back his left arm and sent it downward into Kujo's chest.

Ronal choked as another one of Grye's spells hurled him backward into the bars. He hacked, but no air would enter his lungs. Looking down at his chest, he realized this was because his lungs were charred where magical flames had eaten into his chest. Crap...I'm going to die? he thought in disbelief.

At the least, he would take this mage with him. Channeling his energy while he still had the strength left, he camouflaged himself and darted behind Grye, then sliced his blade straight into the man's back and out through his stomach. Ronal clung dizzily to the back of Grye's cloak, hardly able to stand.

Mizuki:

Two screams of agony were heard. One of a dying man, and another of one in pain. The dying man, Grye, clutched at the blade sticking out the front of him. He chocked and coughed on his blood as it seeped from his mouth and he fell to his knee's with the Dark Angel right behind him. Naoki screamed as she saw him fall and went to him. Everything seemed to have stopped. Grye fell on his side and Naoki rushed to him and tried to pry the blade from his body.

"D..on't...just...save..help..others.." Grye chocked out.

"OH Fates No!" Naoki cried. "Taki...or Rai! They'll help you! Don't let go!" Grye managed a smile and closed his eyes wearily. "Damnit Grye don't leave us!" He opened them again slowly and stared up at her through glazed eyes.

"Tell..Mizuki...I..I'm sorry.. She'll...live..happily..I.."

"Grye...?" Naoki chocked through her tears, but he was gone. "You wont die in vain..." Shaking, she stood up and aimed her bow at the Dark Angel who was struggling to stay awake. She brought back the arrow in the quiver, then let go.

Kujo was practically pinned to the ground in his pain and his blood spilled everywhere. He couldn't possibly heal himself now and the fairy moved her hands in signing motions, eyes closed, chanting softly. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. To everyone who was capable to hear it, he laughed throwing them off guard and his guard ceased their attack to hear their Lord's insane laughter.

"That Blight...will scar your arm forever... heheheheahahhahaa!" he said to Soran and closed his eyes, continuing to laugh even as he was lifted off the ground with Taki's magic.

Emora:


Rai stood there looking around at all the blood and death. It was sad... Why did people have to die so needlessly.... Rai bit her bottom lip and spun in a slow circle as wounded guard stumbled close to her and almost crushed her when he fell. She jumped out of the way and looked down at him as he gasped for air. She tilted her head and looked into his frightened eyes. He was afraid now.

Rai knelt next to him and put her hands in her lap, her curly hair falling in front of her face. She held his hand, and he looked at her very shocked. "If I help you..." she said with a gentle smile. "Will you promise not to hurt anyone here?"

The man gasped, blood spilling from his mouth. He couldn't answer, so he nodded numbly as he gripped her hand tightly. Rai placed her tiny hand over his wound and looked into his eyes. Slowly a light came from under her hand and he felt his pain be lifted slowly and the pain was gone in his eyes only to be put into her own. She coughed once she had healed him.

The guard sat up once she was finished and Rai breathed rather raspy. "Why?" he asked and looked at her.

Rai smiled and shrugged. "I.... I don't like death..." she whispered and he nodded numbly.

Rai looked over to see Grye laying on the floor. She tilted her head and ran over to him slowly, feeling the pain of the once injured guard. She nudged Grye. "Grye! Get up silly! Gry?" She leaned over his face and saw his eyes were closed and his face at peace. She knew that look... "Oh Grye...."

She laid her head on his chest for a moment and then stood up again. She saw Kujo laughing like a nut case. She heard him mention something about Soran's arm. Rai ran over to him as quickly as possible and tugged on Soran.

Soran:

As soon as Kujo seemed immobilized, Soran pulled his right arm back as though it had been stung and held it to his chest, kneeling with his knee across Kujo's chest in case he decided to try to move. Soran felt something pulling on his coat and turned to see Rai standing next to him. "Rai," he said, trying to figure out the cause of the expression on her face when her body seemed uninjured. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly, narrowing his eyes. The necromancer's manic cackling was particularly annoying. The rogue's first shot back behind him and cracked across Kujo's jaw loudly, stunning him back into silence. He hoped Taki's spell would complete soon.

Ronal heard more than felt Naoki's arrow slam into his chest as he tumbled backward to the dungeon floor. To die in a place like this...what had he accomplished? How many lives had he ruined, for nothing? His thoughts swam into blackness as he lay staring up at the bloodstained ceiling. "Rin...I'm sorry...I couldn't..." he murmured dizzily before falling unconscious, probably never to awaken again.

Emora:



Rai looked at Soran and coughed. "Rai, what’s wrong?" She didn't answer him. Instead she reached up towards his arm and grabbed it with both of her small hands. If she could she would take away the pain from everyone in the world. Her hands glowed as a tear rolled down her cheek. So much pain. How did these people keep from crying when they were hurt. "There," she said and looked up, smiling softly. "All better..."

Rai backed away slowly moving to get out of the way, not wanting to be a hindrance to them. She was hearing so many voices! Where were they coming from. It didn't seem like many people were talking... To die in a place like this...what had he accomplished? How many lives had he ruined, for nothing? A new voice...

She turned her head towards the angel lying on the floor. She stood up and walked towards him slowly. She was going to help as many people as she could. She was tired of the pain and suffering. She knelt down next to him and tilted her head. "Rin...I'm sorry...I couldn't..."

"I'm sorry for pulling your feathers," she said softly. "I was scared." She placed her hands on his chest. Rai had no idea that this man had killed Grye. All she knew was there was something different about him from all the other guards. There was much more pain in his eyes and it wasn't caused physically. She felt so very tired from doing all this healing. One more wouldn't hurt.... Her chest hurt, her arm hurt now. And she understood that it was about to get a lot worst, but she didn't mind. It was all to help someone. So Rai healed him, not knowing who he had killed or if she was doing the right thing.

When she was finished Rai smiled weakly, pressing down on her tiny chest to get the pain to go away.

Mizuki:

Karin ran down the steps holding Blade and she tired not to scream at the scene before her. Many of the guards that had been attacking fled when Taki's spell started. Karin ran to Ronal's form and kneeled down. "OH RONAL!" she sobbed and hovered over him.

The body Mizuki's soul was trapped in crumbled causing a cry from Naoki. Kujo's form was slowly dissapearing from sight. Fading as he was being place into a demension he'd probably never get out of. Taki's forehead broke out into a sweat and her eyes closed tighter like in pain. From somewhere behind Soran and Rai in the room Mizuki, alive again in her own body, bolted upright gasping and shivering and feeling queasy as blood and life started forcing it's way through her body again. She leaned to the side, and vomited.

Kujo finaly disapeared causing Soran to fall forward slightly and Taki fell to the ground, dead. She gave up her life just to save these people and trap this man, her sacrafic wouldn't be forgotten.

Soran:

Before Soran could protest, he felt Rai absorb the pain in his arm. No sooner had she done so than she disappeared again to help Ronal. He felt Kujo’s body disappear from under him, and at the same instant, saw Mizuki’s new body disintegrating in front of him. “Mizuki,” he breathed, grasping her shoulders in shock. His pupils shrank to pinpoints as she dissolved into dust in his hands and fell to a pile on the floor.

Needing to look away, he raised his eyes to where Taki’s body had just landed with a thunk on the ground. Soran went to her quickly and crouched next to her dangerously still form. He pressed his fingers to her neck for a pulse, but found nothing. “What have you done, you stupid fairy?” he said quietly as he realized she was already dead. Just to get rid of Kujo…she’d hardly even known them. He took a sheet from the corner and draped it over her. With both Taki and Mizuki dead before him, he wanted to go back up to the dungeon and make sure the others weren’t dead as well, but his legs felt strangely as if they wouldn’t move.

A quiet gagging sound drew the rogue’s attention to the corner of the room, where a female form sat with her back to him, apparently being sick. Soran stared at the form dully for several moments, not recalling seeing anyone like that down here earlier. Then, a glint of recognition finally lit his eyes. He jumped to his feet and ran to her, half stumbling in his haste, and knelt down at her side. He leaned down and looked up into her face. She was very pale and appeared ill, but there was no doubt that it really was her, not dead, but alive!

Without a thought and not caring whether she vomited on him or not, Soran put his arms around her shoulders and drew her protectively to his chest, holding her tightly. Her body was cold to the touch and shivering against his. “Mizuki, …” he started and then stopped as the tightness in his throat affected his voice.

Upstairs, Ronal never expected to come out of the blackness, let alone to the sight of Karin and his former ward staring down at him. The pain in his chest was gone, though he was still dizzy from being so close to the edge. "Karin," he mumbled confusedly, staring up into her eyes and realizing as his vision cleared that she was crying. "Why..." he looked at both of them curiously, then saw that the child was pressing her hand against her chest. No...she hadn't...

Mizuki:

OOC: hehe, well ^-^ I do apologize for the anti climaxtic post hehe, today was a day from hell where my school finally found out about a missing boys whereabouts... sadly he killed himself and my friend knew him so she was balling her eyes out. I felt helpless to comfort her. So, I was all blah today...ug... but yea.. slowly healing...


Mizuki felt warm arms around her, a fast beating heart against her face, it was all she could do to not cry. But she did let them out. She chocked on her sob and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then clutched his shirt like she would fall any minute.

"Oh.... ah...I.SORAN!" she sobbed and choked. She clung to him like he was the last thing she had.

Naoki had yet to hear her friend as she walked numbly over to Taki's now covered, dead form. "Fates..." she breathed then began silently praying for the fairies soul to go safely to her final resting place. "Thank you... both you and Grye..." She finaly heard Mizuki cry loudly then she rushed over to the two embracing elfin desendants.

"You fool... you're such a fool!!" Karin sobbed then clutched both him and the baby in her arms. "Wether this girl knows or not any crime you committed, she wasn't about to let you die. I wouldn't have either. Gods, if I only knew what was happening here... but I heard that the royal palace guards are coming down here now. Anyone who was in alliance with Kujo will face charges... we should go..." she warned him. Karin looked around the room. She looked at the Dark Angel that held the whip, and the three huddeled forms in the background, embracing as if it was their last moments together. Then she saw the child, who had committed a selfless act of saving this fool of a man, and she smiled.

"Thank you for giving him a second chance child." she said putting her hand on Rai's head. "I think this little guy belongs to you sweetheart." Karin held out Blade to Rai so she could take him. "Take him to his mother... Ronal and I need to depart... safe journey's home to you all."

"Sor..an.." Mizuki cried out again. "I thought I was dead for a second! I thought I'd never see anyone again! I had no idea Taki's spell was doing two things at the same time! I was so afraid... I feel...sick..." But Mizuki didn't throw up, she just wrapped her arms around his neck tight and never let go.

Emora:

OOC: I meant to put this in when I posted... I'm sorry to hear about that boy who killed himself. I hope everything works out alright...

IC: Rai took her hand from her pain filled chest for a moment, smiling weakly. She didn't know if it was a good idea to take Blade away from a woman more capable of holding him properly. She did anyway and took the baby in her arms, holding him carefully. She stood up and looked at them both of them. Rai felt so tired, having used most of her energy to heal a dying man, Soran’s arm, and a man on Death’s doorstep. But, she felt good for doing, except for the pain she felt.

Rai didn’t say anything to them, she just turned with Blade and headed back towards Mizuki and Soran. When she reached them, she wasn’t surprised to see Soran and Mizuki hugging… and she wasn’t surprised to see Mizuki in her body. Rai had felt inside that it would all work out. She looked down at Blade in her arms and smiled weakling, sliding back against the wall and holding Blade so he wouldn’t fall out of her arms.

She smiled weakly looking at them all. I’ll just close my eyes for a few moments… Rai closed her eyes and leaned her head forward, bring her knees up and making a small safe cradle with her arms for the baby.

Siren:

Siren dashed to the side chamber where Soran had gone when the guards fled. She looked into the room to see Soran holding Mizuki, back in her own body, tightly. She let out a relieved sigh, then recalled the overheard warning the female had given them. She wrapped the whip, dethorned by then, back around her waist.

"Soran, we have to get out of here. Royal guards are coming. They do not take acts that appear treasonous lightly," She said, referring to their break-in to the fortress. "And they have no good use for non-angels either, so all in all I'd say we'll be up to our necks in trouble if they catch us here."

Despite her pride, Siren barely tried to hide the slight gashes and wounds covering her exposed body. There was a tear in her shirt where she had taken a sword's slash, but none of the wounds were too severe. It was all just one more reminder of why she hated close quartered fighting.

Soran:

Soran held Mizuki tighter as she cried, lifting one hand and cupping it around the back of her head. His fingers slid into her soft hair and back down to her shoulderblades. Her body was beginning to return to a normal human temperature. “Don’t ever do that again,” he said softly, touching his cheek to the side of her head. The feeling he’d gotten when she dissolved in his hands – like being punched in the chest - had yet to completely fade. It was somewhat like hugging a ghost.

"Soran, we have to get out of here. Royal guards are coming. They do not take acts that appear treasonous lightly," She said, referring to their break-in to the fortress. "And they have no good use for non-angels either, so all in all I'd say we'll be up to our necks in trouble if they catch us here,” Siren’s voice came from in front of him. Soran looked up at her and nodded, frowning at her wounds. He saw Rai against the wall as well, apparently asleep with Blade in her arms, and Naoki. So that’s the head count, he thought grimly, deciding not to tell Mizuki about Grye and Taki for the time being.

Ronal used Karin’s arm for support as he climbed to his feet, feeling disoriented. He walked into the cell that had been Soran’s and pressed in a series of blocks on the wall, then tugged on the bindings on the wall. The back of the cell pulled inward and revealed a passageway leading into the ground behind it. He turned his attention to the dark angel that was with them and addressed Siren carefully. “I see you’re familiar with the tunnel system. We built this as an emergency exit in case Kujo’s experiments were discovered. It connects with the tunnels just under the West wall. It should be unguarded,” he said, looking at her evenly and wondering if she would trust him.

Siren:

Siren looked deeply into Ronal's eyes, trying to judge his honesty. Then she looked over to where Rai was passed out with Blade, and to where Soran held the weeping MIzuki.

She raised an eyebrow and grinned determinedly. "It seems we have no choice."

Siren went over to where Rai was sitting and picked her up in her arms, careful not to squish the baby. They were a bit heavy, but still within the angel's capacity.

"Let's go," She said, calling to Soran and Naoki, rousing her from her stupor.

Soran:

Soran moved an arm under Mizuki's legs and supported her back with the other, then gathered her in his arms and stood up, not intending to give Mizuki the choice of being carried or not. He nudged Naoki into the tunnel with Siren, then followed with Mizuki behind them.

When they were all inside the tunnel, Ronal heaved the wall back into place and took Karin by the arm, leading her out the back door of the building and off to another part of town where they could try to start over.

Soran held Mizuki closer than he needed to as they followed Siren to the end of the tunnel and into the larger tunnel system. Unless there was some anomaly, they would be back outside the angel fortress within a matter of minutes.

Mizuki:

Mizuki closed her eyes, feeling safe his Soran's arms. Her tears had ceased and they streaked her face. Her nose was red, she sniffled. She had a fleeting reminder of Grye...

"Where's... Grye?..." she asked quietly. She hadn't heard his voice, or Taki's.

"Mizuki..." Naoki looked at her friend in the rouge's arms. Wishing she didn't have to tell her. "They'll be in peace since we're all alive." she simply said, trying to keep her own tears out. She ran ahead leaving Mizuki somewhat confused.

"What...? What does she mean... Soran?" she looked up at him, her eyes shinning with her shed tears. In moments they were out of the tunnel and ended up outside the city itself. Karin ran with Ronal to the part of the city where they used to live before joining Kujo, but before they dissapeared from the group completely Karin called out to them,

"Maybe we'll cross paths again!?" She waved, then ran with Ronal again and they dissappeared behind the buildings.

Soran:

Soran frowned and looked down at Mizuki as they made it safely out of the perimeter of the fortress and into the cover of the woods. "Grye was killed. Taki died as well in order to seal Kujo from this world," he told her, "...and to reaffix your soul to your body before the false one was destroyed." He sent a sharp glance of disapproval at the back of the departing Naoki for communicating the news in such a careless and childish manner.

Mizuki:

OOC: heheh.. wasn't really thinking on that lol ^-^;

IC: Miuki felt like crying again, but she had no more tears left. "As long as... their efforts weren't in vain..." she chocked out and clung tighter. "but Soran..." she snuggled into his chest. "I'm glad she told me..."

Naoki felt a little guilty... ok... a lot guilty for telling her already worn out friend. But she would've found out anyway... and it might've been worse if they waited.

"How are.. my son and Rai?" Mizuki asked him sleepily.

Soran:

"Siren has them," the rogue replied, shaking his head back in a futile attempt to throw off the hair that had fallen into his face earlier, "They both seem fine." He was relieved that she hadn't started crying again.

Mizuki:

Mizuki smiled, half-heartedly, and snuggled even closer. Practically trying to attach herself to him. Her face was buried in his shirt so anything she said was almost inaudiable.

"Soran...I luff..you.." she sighed and rested in his arms and on his chest.

Soran:

Soran blinked down at the woman curled sleepily in against him and pondered what he should make of her last comment. For the first time he thought of how uncharacteristically he had embraced her earlier and how calm he felt now with her resting against him. The distrustful tension that prohibited him from getting close to people was still there, fighting for dominance under layers of other emotions it was meant to protect him from. He frowned and remembered the feeling he'd recognized before Mizuki had been taken from them. Now that he'd named it, there was no way he could forget about it.

"Siren, how are your injuries? We should stop and dress them," he said and looked up at the angel, hoping his ears weren't as red as they felt.

Siren:

Siren looked herself over as best she could while holding Rai, who was holding Blade. She could feel her injuries stinging and blood dripping off of her elbo, but it seemed more important to get out of the tunnels at that moment, or at least as close to the exit as possible. Her left wing was sore from when she had rolled on top of it, but that would have to heal on its own, probably taking a few days to de-swell.

"We'll look at them when we're near the exit. I don't want to risk getting trapped in here." She smiled at Soran and Mizuki. "They aren't so bad it seems. As long as Blade doesn't need a diaper change or something we should press on."

They walked through the tunnels quietly, occasionally hearing voices or footsteps through the walls.They turned right at a cross-section in the path and found themselves back by the door they had entered through, clamped closed still.

"Alright, any major injuries we should take care of now," she said, setting Rai down gently in the dryest spot she could find against a wall. She called out an assortment of medicinal plants and bandages from the bag and sat down herself.

"They couldn't have been a bit more careful about the clothing?!" She whined, playing with her pant legs where she had been cut and a small rip in her shirt over her chest.

Mizuki:

Naoki stopped and sat down near the two children. Carefully, she pryed Balde from Rai's grasp without distrubing her. 'I'll watch the child little one...' she thought not wanting to accidentaly wake up with her voice.

Mizuki came out of her sleepy trance when Soran stopped running. "What?" she said groggily. "We're stopping..?"

Soran:

"We're outside of the fortress now," the rogue said as he looked at Mizuki and knelt down, setting her down carefully with her back resting against a large tree. "Once Siren's wounds are dressed, we'll start moving again."

He walked back to Siren and looked her over critically. He could see several gashes on her arms and legs that were bleeding somewhat heavily, as well as bruises that little could be done for. "Sit down," he told her, pulling a roll of bandages out of his coat and kneeling next to her.

He looked at the cut on her upper arm that was dripping down onto her elbow. "This should really be stitched closed," he said, frowning, "though it's possible Rai can heal it when she's well enough."

He pulled off a length of bandage and started on a smaller wound on her leg. "You really got yourself torn up," he said disapprovingly, binding her wound with a stern expression on his face. Why had she willingly fought against her own people abd fled her own home like a criminal for them? He couldn't figure her out.

Emora:


Rai groaned and her eyes fluttered as she tried to wake up. Her body felt so tired and weak from using all her energy up healing those people. Her chest still hurt a lot, but she didn't want to sleep. She felt sick. Her body wouldn't move and she couldn't wake up. Her mind was alert, but her body was still dead a sleep. She groaned again as the darkness began to take her when she didn't want it to.

Mizuki:

Mizuki rested against the tree. She was emotionaly drained and she just wanted to sleep now. But the sleep seem inevidable. "Where's.."

"Blade." Naoki came up holding Blade and gave him to her. Mizuki happily took him and smiled at her son. She cuddled him close feeling now longer tired. "I'm sorry about..."

"It's ok. We wont let their death be in vain." Mizuki managed a weak smile, but she wished they were able to have gotten their bodies out of there, give them a proper burial. Naoki smiled weakly at her friend and looked over to Soran and Siren. Heseemed to be handeling her ok so she went over the Rai. She checked the girl for fever and was satisfied when she found none.

"She was healing a lot of people... sleep child..." Naoki whispered hushing the girl back into peacefull dreams.

Siren:

Siren forced a smile at Soran as he bandaged her leg. She felt tired out from loss of blood and carrying the children, but it was still tollerable. She looked over at her arm where she was bleeding badly, cringing at the sight.

"Ahh, this is why I hate close range fighting," she mumbled, flexing her sore wings slightly.

The wound over her left breast was bleeding as well, but not so badly since it was shallow. She knew she wouldn't want Soran messing with that one, so she covered it up lightly herself with some of her medicinal herbs using her left arm, to avoid moving the injured right one.

"We shouldn't stay our in the woods too long," she remarked idly, watching the sun as it began it's decent into night.

Soran:

Soran looked steadily at what he was doing as he finished placing the bandages and fastening them steady. "Don't overdo it," he said, straightening up and looking at her closely. "We'll keep moving." He looked to Rai, who was resting against Naoki and seemed to be asleep.

He turned back to Mizuki, who had Blade curled safely against her chest. Soran knelt next to her and leaned forward so she could hold on to his neck, gathering her in his arms and lifting her up again before she could say anything. Blade cooed and rested comfortably between them.

Mizuki:

Mizuki was generally surprised when Soran lifted her up. She quickly used her free arm to wrap around his neck. Naoki picked up Rai gently and waited for the order to move out.

"I... I think I can walk... Soran." She said blushing and not meeting his steady gaze. She suddenly felt exposed, it was a weird feeling. Feeling exposed... yet safe. Blade cooed and giggled between them and looked up happily at Soran. His identical green eyes dancing. His small baby wings brushed Mizuki's face, they were so soft and almost like satin or velvet.

Soran:

Soran frowned slightly and continued walking. "Pushing yourself is unnecessary. Just let me carry you," he said with finality, looking down at the path awkwardly. It had just occurred to him that part of him simply wanted to carry her, and the odd impracticality of the sentiment was confusing to him. The warning lights in his mind seemed dimmed by something else. He walked on looking lost in thought.

Mizuki:

Mizuki closed her eyes and willed her blushing face to lessen. She was comfortable here, she remember feeling comfortable in a man's arms before but... it was practically a lie. Blade blabbled his incohorrent words and snuggled against his mother and Soran, who could quite possibly passed as his father.

"Dadadadadadaa..." The baby boy babbled. "dadaa--de" Mizuki's eyes opened and she looked at her son. "daa--de." Blade was testing the new word on his lips. Mizuki smiled gleefully. 'His first word.' she thought then her blushed deepend as she glanced at Soran who looked lost in thought. 'Is he calling...?'

"Daa-de! Daa-de!" Blade continued.

Soran:

Soran's thoughts were interrupted by soft babbling from the baby in his arms. He was about to go back to his thoughts when the child's incoherent words started to sound like real speech. "Daa-de!" Blade mumbled cheerfully.

The rogue's pace slowed slightly. He turned toward the child with his eyes narrowed warily, only to find Blade looking straight at him. He's just mumbling, he told himself, staring at Blade.

Emora:


Rai opened her tired eyes slightly, groaning and opening her mouth to yawn. She was so tired and weak feeling. She squirmed slightly, but realized she was in someone’s arms and stopped, groaning again. She felt the pain from everyone she had healed and it made her so very uncomfortable.

She heard this strange sound as she closed her eyes again. She opened her mouth, closed it and licked her lips. Her mouth was dry. "Whats that sound?" she asked tiredly, moving around again to try and get comfortable.

Mizuki:

Naoki looked down at Rai in her arms and smiled.

"Good to see you're awake." she said comfortingly. "The sound? It's probably Blade. He's babbling but I think he just said his first word." Naoki's smile broadened.

Mizuki was also smiling. She was so happy and proud and...embarrassed. Soran noticed the child's words and how could he not? He was holding them both.

"I can't believe he actually said his first word." Mizuki said nervously. She avoided Soran's eyes, if he was even looking at her.. she could feel that he wasn't.

"Daa-de" Blade cooed again. He was obviously proud that he said this word on his own.

Soran:

Soran blinked awkwardly at Blade, who was looking straight at him. If there had been any doubt to what the child was saying, it was gone now.

"I can't believe he actually said his first word," Mizuki said nervously.

"So it seems," Soran said with deceptive indifference, resuming his normal pace. He noticed that Rai seemed to finally be awake in Naoki's arms. "Feeling alright, kid?" he asked calmly as he came up next to them, eager to change the subject from Blade's first word.

Emora:


Rai looked up at Soran and smiled weakly, nodding. "I'm alright..." she said and squirmed more. She was having a bit of trouble breathing because of her chest hurting. She was beginning to squirm a little too much. "Just tired..." She said making a face of discomfort.

Mizuki:

Mizuki shifted in Soran's arms. Instinctivly she held Blade closer to her and the boy laid down on her. She frowned, all her defenses were going up now, suddenly she didn't like feeling exposed like this in his arms.

"Really Soran... I can walk." She insisted more now and she shifted her position in his arms so that he didn't hold her legs anymore. Before Soran could protest, she was on the ground, steady on her feet and she moved away from him. She almost wanted to run back to him but her feet never obeyed. She just moved to walk next to him and slightly behind him and held her son to her. Her heart ached but her head was blank. She didn't really understand it but then again... she did.

Soran:

Soran released Mizuki as she pushed away, confused by her sudden motion. The place where she had been against his stomach was still warm, and for some reason it was an odd feeling to feel it go cold. He looked at her blankly for a moment. Nothing significant had happened, yet he felt like he'd lost something. Suddenly he felt foolish and looked away, quickly resuming his pace and wondering what was wrong with him.

Mizuki:

Naoki watched what just took place and her grip on Rai slackened but she still held her firmly. 'What's wrong with her?' Naoki thought frowning.

'What's wrong with me?' Mizuki thought. Her emotion's were blank, yet they were also going crazy because she was so confused. She had suddenly just felt... uncomfortable in Soran's arms. She had blocked herself up instinctively. She hated herself at the moment...

"I just... don't want to look like I can't do anything..." she said, feeling like she needed to explain her actions.

Soran:

Soran glanced back at Mizuki. She did seem to be walking fine on her own. "Good. We'll get there faster this way," he said evenly, looking back to the path and walking at the front of the group. He was annoyed that he'd behaved so impulsively, but he could be satisfied with this. They were all alive; that was good enough. His thoughts turned to Blade and whether or not there was any meaning behind the child's word, remembering the brilliant green eyes gazing up at him. He stopped himself from turning back again to look at him.

Emora:


Rai sighed and looked at Soran. She looked up at Naoki and smiled softly. "Can I walk too?" she asked, still squirming a bit. "I want to walk, your arms are probably getting tired..." She wanted to hold Soran's hand, because he looked so lonely walking a head of them.

Mizuki:

Naoki smiled at Rai then, agreeing, put her down. She wanted to figure out what was going on with Mizuki anyway in private. When Rai scurried off Naoki made her way over the half elf.

"What's wrong with you?" she demanded. Mizuki panicked under her friends stern gaze.

"i..I don't know!" Mizuki whispered back to her friend then paused when she saw Soran gazing her way. She blushed and Blade babbled more taking in all the surroundings. When Blade spotted Soran's face he cried out happily:

"Daa-dee! Daa-dee!" He cooed and giggled and reached his little hands out to the rouge.

Emora:


Rai walked slowly and sorely up to Soran and reached out with her small hand, grabbing his and holding it. She looked up at him, walking close beside him with a smile on her face. She felt as if something was going wrong... again. She could feel tension and it made her uncomfortable.

"Hello," she said to Soran, her eyes still a bit tired looking. She was tired, but figured keeping Soran company was more important.

Soran:

The rogue stared awkwardly forward as he heard Blade unmistakably call out that word again, but didn't turn. He flinched slightly as small fingers closed over his, not having heard Rai come up. He looked down at her blankly. "Can you walk?" he asked in surprise, noting the exhaustion in her face.

Emora:


Rai looked up at him and tilted her head with a smile. "Sure," she said, though her feet slid across the ground as she walked, kicking up dirt. she was to tired to lift them up to take a normal step. Rai grinned at him. "Can you?" she asked jokingly. She wanted everyone happy again...

Soran:

Soran raised an eyebrow at Rai's strange question, about to retort when he noticed her feet dragging on the path. "I can walk better than that," he said teasingly, holding her hand more securely in case she tripped. "You ought to be resting."

Emora:


Rai grinned. "Don't make fun of me!" she said, reaching over with her other hand to poke him.

"You ought to be resting."

"Yea, but I wanted to walk with you," she said with a smile, looking up at him. She slid her feet across the ground, catching a root and going forward quickly. She reached out and held Soran's hand with both her own, catching herself and standing up again. She giggled softly and looked back up at him. "Oops..."

Soran:

Soran held fast to Rai when she tripped, holding her up until she regained her balance. He took both her arms and lifted her up over his head and sat her on his shoulders securely. "You can walk with me from up there," he said casually, messing up her hair. He was beginning to relax again.

Emora:


Rai giggled and started playing with his hair. She was pulling it and trying to get it to stand up, laughing and bending over his head until her face was in front of his almost. "Don't run me into any trees!" she said with a smile on her face. Her hair spilled over her head and in front of his face as she leaned over, giggling. "Now you can't see!"

Being happy and trying to make Soran happy had made her not feel the pain in her chest any more. It was slowly starting to fade.

Soran:

Soran flinched as something pulled on a clump of his hair and looked up at Rai, only to have her hair fall in a blinding sheet of fluff over his face. "What the hell are you up to up there?" he said flatly, blowing on the hair hanging in front of his eyes. He narrowed his eyes critically as he felt his hair being spiked upwards, which half-worked, leaving his head looking like a fluffy mess. "You little-" he broke off, reaching up with both hands and ruffling Rai's hair into a huge messy blob. after he'd gotten his revenge, he hooked his thumbs in his pockets in satisfaction.

Emora:


Rai laughed and pulled on his hair a little. "Now your going to have to brush all the notts out!" Her laugh was a childish mischievous laugh. She covered his eyes, hugging his head to her and giggling. "Look out Soran! A tree! A tree!" Rai lied and laughed more. "Your going the wrong way, silly!"

Mizuki:

Mizuki and Naoki hung back a little. Naoki looked up to see Siren flying over them then she sighed looking back down. She looked at her friend with tired eyes. Blade stopped cooing and fell silent. He snuggled back into his mother's embrace and just watched his surroundings with interest.

"What happened?" Naoki asked Mizuki. Mizuki stayed silent, collecting her words. She knew what her friend meant though.

"I guess my subconcious is tired of it all..." she said sadly. She couldn't explain what she didn't understand but Naoki nodded, midly agreeing with her friend.

"I guess I would be too but..." she glanced at the boy resting in Mizuki's arms. "You can't close yourself off just because a few bad things happened..." Naoki tried to pick her words carefully so she didn't sound like she was implying anything or pushing her friend into a relationship.

"I know what you want me to do, I want to do it too for both me and Blade... I just suddenly... don't want to be touched by..." she whispered lower, "A man." Naoki almost didn't hear it.

"Well we can't live like brick walls forever." Naoki joked causing Mizuki to smile a little.

"I'll battle whatever's warring inside me." Their talking ceased for a moment until they heard a soft snore come from Blade, he had fallen asleep and Mizuki and Naoki started laughing.

Soran:

The rogue was in the middle of prying Rai's hands off of his face. "Rai!" he snapped in exasperation, finally getting them off to find he'd wandered off the path. He took her arms and put them back on his head, tickling her mercilessly for good measure. "It's your job to fix that," he said, handing her a small worn comb from his pocket.

Soran looked back at the others as he recognized Mizuki's gentle laugh behind him. She was smiling and talking to Naoki, which for some reason raised his mood even more. A slight grin pulled at his lips as he watched her. He turned forward again and continued walking with a light grip on Rai's ankles.

Mizuki:

Mizuki smiled at her son and couldn't keep the giggle surpressed since it was so funny to hear a baby snore.

"Are your arms tired?" Naoki asked her.

"What? Oh...hmm... I don't want to distrub him..." Mizuki's mind slightly wandered and Nakoi nodded and just kept walking side by side with the half-elf. Naoki snickered at seeing Rai on Soran's shoulder's and looking to be giving him trouble.

"Look at that." she pointed out and Mizuki raised her eyes and she almost stopped walking. "Don't let her fall off your shoulders!" Naoki joked at seeing Soran tickle the child mercilessly. Mizuki grinned from ear to ear. It was too cute. But something tugged at her and she averted her eyes to look at the tree's lining the path they were taking. Her face fell slightly as she remembered Grye.

"I've almost forgotten... Grye..."

"It'll be alright, I think he's at peace just knowing you're alive." Naoki spoke softly to Mizuki and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Once we get back, safe and sound I pray, we will bury their memories as a tribute to them." She smiled softly as the light went back into Mizuki's eyes.

Emora:


Rai giggled and laughed as he tickled her, almost falling off backwards with how she was bending and squirming. "Hehehehe...." She was still giggling even after he had given her the comb. Instead of brushing her own hair she went to combing his in unusual directions making it look very odd. She bent forward, giggling and brushed his eyebrows with the comb, her eyes looking into his while she did it. She quickly kissed his forehead and went on to combing his hair again, humming.

Soran:

Soran walked on, patiently tolerating the child's mischief in his hair, though he swatted her away from his eyebrows. Memories of what they'd just gone through kept wanting to come up, but he decided not to think on them. He looked at his arms, which felt normal again, and remembered what Rai had done earlier. "Thanks for fixing my arms," he told her honestly during one of her calmer moments, knowing too well that she was probably still enduring remnants of the pain she'd taken from him.

Emora:


Rai grinned and looked down at the top of Soran's head. "Your welcome!" she said spiking his hair with the comb and tilting her head, examining her handy work. "I couldn't help much, so I figured doing that would be like helping. I got stabbed! It hurt to... Right here..." She poked her blood stained night gown where a small whole was. "But, Taki healed me. Poor Taki... She was a good fairy... "

Rai went about ruffling his hair and then she combed it all to the front. She looked down at her feet. "Soran are my feet stinky?" she asked and grinned. She looked down at Soran's head. "You're stinky... hehe..."

She screamed and ducked, covering Soran's head. "Soran! Spider!" There was one up a head, that was building its web in a cluster of low hanging limbs.

Soran:

Soran looked up in surprise when he learned that Rai had been stabbed. Sure enough, the stain was there on her clothes. It was no wonder she was so exhausted. Taki's name brought back memories of that disturbing moment when he'd realized she and Mizuki were dead. There had to have been a better way to get everyone out... but there was no point in debating it now. The outcome was irreversible.

"Soran are my feet stinky? You're stinky," came Rai's giggling voice, breaking the rogue from his thoughts.

"If I smell, it's because of your feet," he said idly. "You can wash when we get back to Gwendolyn's place, stinky one." He went on walking past the offending arachnid, unimpressed by its presence.

Ahead, the path became more well-trodden, indicating they were growing close to the village.

Mizuki:

Mizuki noted the worn-in path and her heart leapt in joy against her chest. A lump form in her throat, threatening to make her cry but she didn't. Without thinking besides wanting to see her mother, she jogged past Naoki and Soran and Rai.

"Gah! You're holding a baby!" Naoki shouted after her. "Wait you!" Naoki went after her but Mizuki never stopped. She could see the village through the tree's and all she wanted to do was jump into her mother's arms and forget everything.

OOC: I wont be posting tomorrow since I have that wedding to go to! XD Don't do anything important!! Lol

Emora:


"Soran! You could have died! It might bite you. Evil spider. I got bit by one and I looked like a pillow! All puffy and pail and felt so sick! Spiders scare me..."

She laughed then, having gotten over the incredibly evil spider that she just knew was out to get her.

"No! Your going to get a bath too!" Rai said, coming her hair into his by holding it over his head and brushing it down to mix with his strands of hair. "Because, I said so!" Rai giggled, and hugged his head to her small chest. "Just kidding... But, you really should get a bath, because you were all sweaty and stuff and dead people touched you..." She shivered at the memory of the pieced together body.

"And when your through Mizuki can hold you down and I can put bows in your hair!" Rai laughed and watched Mizuki run. "See! Mizuki wants to do that too! She is running to get home so we can. We're going to make you all pretty!"

Rai was only half joking, she did want Soran to bath... The bows sounded funny and she might try them too.

Soran:

Soran tolerated Rai's mischief up on his shoulders indifferently, picking up his pace after Mizuki ran past him. Soon the dense trees opened up and they could see Gwendolyn's village. The rogue looked the village over disinterestedly, not attaching any particular sentimental meaning to the location except that it was a place to rest. The house that had belonged to Rai's friend was being rebuilt, and the echoes of hammers and wooden planks falling together could be heard from the edge of the forest. Soran began heading down the hill to Gwendolyn's home. Seeing Mizuki reach the door excitedly in the distance, the rogue felt a vague sense of misplacement, not quite comfortable in the village, but his blank face expressed none of this as they approached the house.

Just when they were only a few yards from the house, Soran stopped abruptly and turned to look behind them. He'd just noticed that Siren wasn't with them. Remembering that she was wounded, he eyed the lip of the forest warily, thinking something might have picked her off while they weren't looking. He frowned and thought of all the species of demon in the forest that might have been capable of snatching her without his noticing. There were only a few, but it was still a risk. He turned back to the house, planning to leave Rai where it was safe so he could go back and look for Siren.

Siren:

Siren had been lagging behind intentionally, trying to find certain medicinal plants as she went. She was tired and her wings still stung painfully from when she had rolled on them and when the guards had thrust her against the wall to chain her earlier. She looked up at the sky wistfully, knowing it would be a few days at least before the swelling died down and she could fly again.

The sounds of construction up ahain alerted her to their closeness to the village, so she picked up her pace and tried to catch up to the others, though she figured they'd be at the house already before she caught up.

Mizuki:

Gwendolyn was already outside and greeting everyone. She held on to her daughter as if she was life support.

"Good Gods!" Gwendolyn cried. She knew most of what happened, she saw what had happened to her daughter, and she saw the losses they've suffered. "You're all ok, it'll be ok. You're alive and that's all I need." When Naoki came close Gwendolyn took the chance to grab her as well. She held both girl's fast in her arms, along with the baby. Here, Gwendolyn swore to never let anything out of her sights.

"Mother.." Mizuki spoke.

"sshh.." Gwendolyn hushed her then spotted Soran with Rai. "Ahh.. hurry back here rouge! Get Rai in my arms then go hunt down Siren. I don't believe she's too far behind though..." She was still busy cradeling two grown women, one holding a baby in her arms. "Mizuki," she added in a low voice, "We'll still give them a burial, don't worry."

"But what about Grye's father?" Naoki asked.

"That man I have yet to get in contact with..." Gwendolyn frowned for a moment. "I haven't had contact with him since he recently came awhile ago..."

Mizuki looked at her mother confused, her eyes were dry of tears, but they were red. Glistening with her shed tears. She looked back up to Soran as he came up with Rai on his shoulders, finally she notice the non-present Dark Angel.

"Ahhh... we need to find her." She said worredly. "She's hurt badly..."

Soran:

"You stay here," the rogue said, lifting Rai down from his shoulders and setting her on her feet carefully. "Get some rest. I'll find her," he said sternly toward Rai, though it was clear he intended it toward Mizuki as well, despite the fact that he didn't meet her eyes. Soran turned away from the others with a blank frown and slid easily into a steady run back for the forest, calling his blades out as he went.

Mizuki:

Mizuki blinked and went to Rai's side as Soran set her down. She avoided his eyes and face as he turned and left.

"Don't get hurt..." She whispered, barely heard.

"Don't worry, they'll both be fine.." Gwendolyn said encouragingly and gently ushered everyone inside. "Come on now. You all shouldrest and just..." She sighed and had them all sit down and rest and bathe and get dressed in clean clothes. She cleaned Blade and put him in his crib to sleep peacefully and help her daughter into a bathe.

When she left her daughter she was close to more tears. "No memories of this... it should all be washed away." she whispered to herself. She had felt the change in her daughter and was afraid for her and her grandson's future now, since Mizuki may never let another man close to her again.

OOC: Eh...distractions.. curse you Oprah!

Siren:

Siren stumbled on an exposed root as she hurried along, tripping and falling forward.

"Waahh!" she cried out as she fell, bracing her arms in front of her and trying futily to move her wings into a shape that would catch some air and slow her as she decended.

She picked herself up off the ground into a sitting position, looking over her shoulder and scowling at her wings unhappily. The darkness of night was finally setting in and she didn't want to be out and injured for too long after nightfall, so she picked herself up and dusted her shirt and pants off from the clinging dirt.

Emora:


Rai hugged Mizuki's leg to her, glad that Mizuki was awake and not possessed or what ever. "I missed you," she said and looked up at Mizuki, her wet hair dangling in knotts in front of her face. She had just gotten her bath and was wearing a nice clean yellow dress.

Mizuki:

"I missed you," Rai said hugging her leg. Mizuki looked down at her. She had been looking out the window, still in a white linen bath robe and her hair wet from her own bath. She wasn't sure what she expected to find out there... maybe she was waiting for them to return safely. 'No.. it's something else..' she thought.

Mizuki smiled softly at Rai and put a gently hand on top of her head. "I missed you all too. But we'll be safe now..." she said to Rai. She looked over to Naoki who was sitting down and watching her friend and they both shared the same look and thought.

They hoped they'd be safe from now on...

Soran:

Soran ran back to the edge of the forest and down the path they'd been following. He kept a sharp eye out for Siren, but knew enough not to call out to her. Dusk was falling, and there was more living in the forest than it seemed. He fell back into a brisk walk in order to make less noise.

Emora:


Rai smiled, hugging Mizuki tighter and then jogging towards the couch, jumping up on it and landing in a pile of stacked up pillows. She grabbed a cover off the back and pulled it over her, wrapping in it like a cocoon. She smiled, but the cover hid it and she stared out the window. After a few moments she grew tired.... so she laid down on the couch, taking up most of the room. In less than a few minutes she had passed out on the couch, lying on her stomach.

Soran:

Soran walked more cautiously; he was a fair way back along the trail now, still with no sign of Siren. His thoughts wandered to Mizuki as he pushed a hanging branch out of his way. For a brief instant, his imagination framed her facing away from him indifferently, unwilling to turn. It was a very odd image that dissolved before he could figure out the feeling that went along with it.

Mizuki would want to stay here with her mother and friends, and to mourn the death of her fiance. He knew he would not be able to live here, though he couldn't think of anywhere else that would fit much better. Probably back to Hepian, and that life. And Rai...it would be selfish to bring her with him. Life would be far safer here. Siren might follow him... he stopped that train of thought and went on searching, now in near-total darkness. For the first time since they'd left the fortress, he realized how tired he was. The rogue stopped alertly as he heard a faint sound up ahead. He held his arms ready and proceeded with caution toward it.

Mizuki:

Mizuki watched Rai wrap herself up like a caterpillar and recalled the time when she and Soran were sitting together... and she was wrapped up just like that. It brought a pain to her heart and she absently clutched her hand to her chest. She looked longingly at the couch remembering it. Suddenly, determination formed across her face and without thinking, she hurried across the room and towards the door still in the bathrobe. Naoki got up after her.

"Wait you!" she called. "What are you doing?!"

"Soran might need help.." she said as she gathered up her bow and arrows laying idly against the wall. "And I'm going after him. Stay here if you want.. but tell my mother I'm going to find them." And then she was out the door hurring towards the woods where they had come. Naoki stared helplessly after her and groaned.

"She's going off like that too!" she groaned and turned to Rai. "Stay here with Gwendolyn--"

"No.. don't you go.. They'll be fine but, Mizuki should go alone." Gwendolyn said from the kitchen doorway. Naoki blinked at her then sighed. If Gwendolyn said it was fine... it was fine...

Mizuki moved through the tree's with slight ease, but it was hard in bare feet. Though she didn't complain. It was getting dark and she wasn't sure how much farther she could go before getting hopelessly lost, but she stayed o the trail they had used coming here.

"Soran! Siren!" She whispered as loudly as she dared through the trees.

Siren:

Siren trudged though the underbrush wearily. She had thought she was taking a shortcut when she left the path, but ended up getting so lost that she had to back-track and try to find the path again. She was fairly sure that the path was close now.

Every so often strange noises had been coming out of the forest, causing her feathers to bristle and hair to stand on end. She wasn't too familiar with the forest and usually avoided being on the ground at night, so the noises really had her spooked.

Suddenly she felt a tug at her wing and a small stab of pain. She spun around, reaching for her whip and preparing to attack whatever had caught her, but found that her wing didn't swing around at all with her. She lost her balance and fell to one knee, gasping in protest, then looked over to her wing again.

No creature was latched on to it, just a thorn bush that had snagged in some of her feathers. She sighed and begain carefully extracting her wing, rustling the bush carelessly.

Soran:

Soran was following the rustling of footsteps when the sound was interrupted by a sharp gasp and what sounded like some sort of violent struggle. The rogue ran quickly to the source of the sound, blades raised to attack. His blade shot through the air directly at the creature he saw before him. It stopped short, however, inches short of cutting Siren's throat. Soran stood there staring directly into the dark angel's face, his expression blank. "Siren?" he said in confusion.

Siren:

Siren's eyes were wide with surprise as she looked up just in time to find a blade at her throat, one of Soran's no less. She was woken out of her shock when he murmured her name.

"Ah... Soran," was all she could mumble at first, her expression relaxing a bit. She was glad it had been him and not some wild creature. She moved to stand, but as she did the thorn bush, still tangled up with her wing, pricked her more as she moved.

"Argh!" she said in exasperation, moving back to a crouching position and fiddling with the bush again. "Just a second..."

Soran:

Soran looked down at the angel in confusion, both at her predicament and at her calm reception of his blade at her throat. He looked closely at the thorny branch that was caught in her wing. In her rush, she was pulling the branch against the grain of the thorns, which wasn't helping at all. "Hold still," he said quietly, crouching next to her and carefully lifting the thorns out of her feathers. "Where have you been? Were you attacked?" he interrogated, looking her over for any new wounds.

Siren:

She sat back on her heels in relief, pulling her wing away from the bush with great care.

"Thank you, Soran. I'm fine, I stopped for a bit to collect some herbs to help my wounds heal up. I guess I lagged behind a bit too much." She knew the explanation was lacking, but she didn't want to admit how tired she really was, expecially to someone she respected as strong. She was feeling a bit better now after taking it easy and going at a slower pace, so she thought she could keep the 'all is well' facade up well enough.

"Where are the others?" She looked around questioningly. She had last seen Soran carrying Mizuki and walking with the others.

Emora:


Rai rolled over onto her back. She felt something tickling her nose..... She rubbed it and then it tickled again. She opened her eyes and saw Michael standing over her, grinning down. "Silly! I'm sleeping..." Rai said and wiggled, getting tangled in the covers.

"Not any more," Michael giggled and started tickling Rai. She laughed and giggled covering up so he couldn't get to anything.

"Hey Michael... do you have a girlfriend?" she asked with a soft giggle and he turned ghost white.

"NEVER!" he said and tried to tickle her for even suggesting such a horrid thing.

"Good! 'Cause your my boyfriend!" Rai said, hiding under the covers. "Because... you just are!"

"But I don't want to!"

"Please?! Pretty please?!" Rai asked, under the covers.

"No!!!!"

"PLEASE!!!" Rai said, coming out and making a pouting face. "Pretty, pretty, pretty please?"

Michael looked at her and shrugged. "I guess..." he said and sat down next to her. She hugged him, grinning in triumph.

"Yay!" she said and laughed, bonding out of the room to brag.

Mizuki:

Mizuki ventured through the dark forest every once in awhile tripping. Some throns cut at her legs but she barely paid them any attention. Somwhere along the path she heard some soft voice and assumed it was Siren and Soran, but could barely make a sound to them before she saw a demonic wolf walk steathly past her. She froze for one moment as she heard the beast being to snarl. It was a female... and they had intruded on her sleeping babies.

"Ahh.. no... get away.. we mean you no harm.." Mizuki whispered to the wolf in a futile effort to drive it away. She cocked an arrow in her quiver, just in case she needed it. "Go away." She whispered again but the female didn't listen to her. Desparate to drive the animal away without killing her, Mizuki purposfully snapped a twig with her foot to gain the animals attention. The female's ears perked up and she turned to Mizuki and snarled more. Mizuki was even closer to the wolf's babies than Soran and Siren were. So the female changed her course towards Mizuki and Mizuki started to back away.

"I wont hurt you...'' Mizuki whispered more. The female snarled more loudly and Mizuki fire a warning shot at the wolf. "Stay back and get to your babies! We wont hurt them!" To her dismay the female just got closer to her making Mizuki start walking faster backwards. When the female kept pursuing her, she turned and broke into a run with the female right behinde her.

Soran:

Soran listened to Siren's explanation disapprovingly. "If you needed a rest, you should have said so. This isn't a good place to wander off. I nearly attacked you just because I didn't suspect a creature of the sky could make so much noise," he lectured in a low whisper while the angel checked her wing. "The others are already safe in the village. Can you walk on your own?" he asked more gently, watching the tired-looking dark angel tend to her wing.

Mizuki:

As Mizuki ran she spotted a tree up ahead and quickly thought of climbing it, But she didn't watch her surroundings. But how could she? It was pretty dark! She tripped over a rock and gasped as she fell down and twisted her ankle. The wolf gained towards her and Mizuki's only reaction was lifting up her arm above her head. The female wolf jumped, and latched on to Mizuki's arm fiercly. Ripping her flesh. Mizuki cried out and grasped the ground with her other hand to find something. She found a rock a wasted no time in smashing it into the side of the female wolf's head.

The wolf whimpered and detached itself from Mizuki's arm and she scrambled to her feet, and limped quickly to the tree. Finding a low branch she ignored the pain in her left arm and grabbed it and climbed up. When she was up she balanced herself between the trunk and branch of the tree and rested there breathing heavily. She listened, not daring to look for the wolf, she listened to it walk away back to it's cubs. She could hear it was in some pain too.

"Sorry, but I also have a baby to get home to." Mizuki whispered but didn't move for some time. She grasped her arm trying to lessen the blood flow.

Siren:

Siren cringed at the tone in Soran's voice.

"I'm fine." she whispered, not sounding very convincing. She didn't look into his eyes. She stood up quickly, forcing away the dizziness she got from standing too fast.

She felt anxiety welling up inside her, but couldn't quite place the feeling she was getting. She leaned up against a tree as her head started feeling light again, her teeth gritted as she waited for the darkness to clear away from her eyes.

Soran:

The rogue watched her as she rose unsteadily and almost immediately rested against a tree. "If you don't feel well, you should lean on me for support," he said, making his voice less strict. While she was on the ground, she'd had him fooled with her casual attitude, but standing, she looked like she was barely staying on her feet.

Mizuki:

"I can't go home like this.. ah..where's my bow?" Mizuki panted from her blood loss. She had dropped her bow, possibly when she had fallen. She couldn't look for it now in the dark like this... An she needed to bind her arm, she didn't want anyone worrying if they found her bleeding. Gasping, she leaned slowly towards her feet to rip the hem of her bathrobe with her good hand, but it was an impossible task, she couldn't rip it with one hand. So, balancing herself on the branch, she leaned forward again with both arms and gritted her teeth against the pain in her left arm. In one swift motion she got a long piece ripped off and she hurridedly binded her bleeding wound.

Her mother probably knew already but it was everyone else she'd rather not worry. She hide her binded wound with the long sleeve of her bathrobe and slowly moved off the branch. When her feet met the ground she collasped from her twisted ankle but got up again and leaned on the tree. She was breathing heavily and her vision was getting worse, but she had to get home. She felt the ground for a long, sturdy fallen branch and when she finally found one she leaned on it and made her way slowly back to the path... if she could find it.

She cursed herself for not having Naoki come with her.

Siren:

The black splotches cleared from in front ofher eyes and she stood up streight again, her hand still resting against the tree.

She thought for a moment. "I'm serving under you because I want to, not because I need you to do anything for me. Plus, it would seem you already have your hands full with your own females. I can handle myself." She looked away from him to hide the shine in her eyes, hiding the expression with her furrowed eyebrows.

Soran:

Soran looked at her expressionlessly for a long moment.

"Follow me then," he said evenly, turning to head down the trail. He understood her desire not to be helped, though it was the first time he'd been on the helping end of the situation and not on Siren's. While they began walking, he recalled how others had forced him to see a doctor, forced him to lean on someone's shoulder when he was too weak to stand. It had been infuriating............but necessary.

"You're not doing me any service by pushing yourself to the brink of collapse," he said suddenly and awkwardly, stopping and turning to face Siren. "I order you to be supported by me."

Siren:

Siren looked up at him in stunned silence. She was confused, but did as she had been told, gingerly wrapping her arms around his left arm. She wasn't sure she really wanted his assistance, but she wasn't being left behind...

"Thank you," she murmured softly, holding close to this man that looked so much like the one she had once almost loved.

Soran:

Soran nodded toward the angel approvingly and they began walking at a non-strenuous pace back toward the village. After they'd gone about ten minutes, he paused suspiciously. There were signs of some kind of struggle in the middle of the path. He was almost certain they hadn't been there when he'd passed the area before. He looked around warily for signs of whatever creatures had been fighting, listening closely.

Mizuki:

Naoki watched nervously through the window, she was getting impaitent. Gwendolyn for the past half hour had been monitering Soran and Siren.. and her trouble prone daughter.

"Darn-it! Where is she?! I should've gone with her!" she shouted.

"Well then go now.. I never saw the wolf.." Gwendolyn said distracted. Naoki stared at Gwendolyn incredilously but rushed out the door without a word, cursing her half-elf friend the whole way through the forest. And she found Mizuki quickly, it wasn't hard since while Mizuki ran she was actually running near the edge of the forest and her curses weren't too hard to hear.

"Darn you woman!" Naoki yelled at her as she came up on her. Mizuki looked out of breath and pale in what little light they had.

"Naoki... I.."

"Shut up... Soran and Siren will be ok, Gwendolyn was monitering them.. then she says something about a wolf and you and I took off running! What happened?" Naoki was now supporting her friend with her arm around Mizuki.

"I found them.. and the wolf was there.. protecting her babies.. I had to distract her..." Mizuki said breathlessly. Naoki groaned and moved them out of the forest.

"Come on.. your ankle's twisted... and your mother's worried.."

"I didn't want anyone to worry.."

"That'll be hard with a seer for a mother..." Naoki smiled and so did Mizuki and they made their way slowly towards the house. When they entered Gwendolyn already had herbs and a basin of water ready and clean linen bandages. Gwendolyn's face was somber though has she went to cleaning Mizuki's wound and Naoki binded her ankle.

Soran:

Soran couldn't find any sign of trouble, so they continued down the path until they finally emerged from the forest and into the village. He could feel Siren's weight on his shoulder becoming heavier as the walking tolled her. When they go to Gwendolyn's house, he had to half-lift her to get her up the front steps and open the door. When he walked in, the scene was an unexpected one. Mizuki was sitting on a chair while Naoki and Gwendolyn fussed over her arm and leg. "What's going on?" he asked evenly, worried and confused.

Emora:


Rai jumped on the couch again, and saw Michael sitting on the other side of the couch. Rai yawned, finally the pain from healing all those people had gone away. She was very tired though. "I wonder where Soran and Mizuki and Siren are..." she mumbled, covering up in the covers again.

"Don't know... they went out side," Michael said and poked her.

"Hey!" Rai said and snapped at his finger. "I'm to tired! Be a good boyfriend and erm.... go pick some flowers." Rai giggled, covering her nose up with the blanket.

Michael laughed and poked her again. "I don't want to!"

"But, you have to! Because thats what boyfriends do!" Rai said a bit too loudly with a grin, hiding under the covers. "Hehe... so go do it!"

Michael shrugged. "I hope they make you sneeze!" he said, poking her a few more times for good measure.

Mizuki:

"What's going on?" Soran asked evenly. Naoki and Gwendolyn both looked up but Mizuki kept looking down at her hands.

"Ditz over here went to help out, make sure you two were fine but she went alone, and got attacked by a wolf." Naoki replyed sternly.

"I'm alive aren't I? Beside's it's just a scratch..." Mizuki retorted still looking down.

"Just a scratch!?" Gwendolyn declared outraged at her daughter lack of taking things more seriously. "Sweety that wolf had it's teeth latched deep in your arm! You're lucky you still have an arm!" Mizuki blushed deeply.

"Ah.. anyway.. is Siren ok?" Mizuki asked desparate to change the subject away from her. Meanwhile a certain wolf named Toby ran into the room where Rai and Michael were, barking happily.

Soran:

Soran looked at Mizuki in astonishment. "You-..why? I said to stay here," he scolded unconvincingly, the concern beating out anger in his voice as he looked at the bloodsoaked portion of her shirt that was lying on the floor. He set his jaw firmly, staring her straight in the eyes.

Mizuki:

Mizuki blushed in shame and embarrassment. Finally Gwendolyn was done with her bandages and so was Naoki but she didn't get up or made any move to look at Soran.

"My plan just backfired.." she said in an unconvincing stern voice. "I'd rather not talk about this anymore." She quickly got up and staggered on her feet from her ankle, but she corrected herself quickly. Leaning on the table and slowly limping towards to chair to lean on, Mizuki still avoided Soran's eyes. "I'm going to check on Blade.. sounds like Toby found Rai... please tend to Siren mother..." With Naoki's help, since she refused to let Mizuki walk on her own now, she limped out of the room.

Gwendolyn stared after her daughter then shook her head. "I think... pride is the culprit for that attitude... Now let me see Siren."

Soran:

The rogue's expression returned to ice when Mizuki left the room. He helped Siren lower herself onto the couch where she could rest while they sterilized and rebandaged her wounds. Soran himself sat down heavily in a chair opposite the couch, and leaned into it, exhausted and confused.

Mizuki:

Naoki helped Mizuki into her original clothes, now clean and mended, then sat next to her on the bed while Mizuki just stared at her son blankly. Naoki sighed then shoved Mizuki gently. Mizuki looked at her startled.

"You're being a fool." Naoki said planly.

"No, I'm being smart." Mizuki retorted.

"Oh really? I never knew the cold shoulder to an undeserving man was the smart thing to do!"

"It's not that! I just... rather not get hurt again." Mizuki again look off into the distance. Naoki rolled her eyes and stood up.

"You're both stupid..." she grummbled. Mizuki just stared at her and Naoki sighed. "Come on, Blade's sleeping and you can't lock yourself up like this forever." Picking up her friend to her feet, they walked slowly to the door and out to the kitchen again where Gwendolyn quietly mended Siren's wounds. "Now you sit here," Naoki said plopping Mizuki in a chair next to Soran, "And I'm off to chop and size a large walking stick for you from a branch." Naoki smiled reassuringly and went off, leaving Mizuki staring down at her lap and trying to figure out how Naoki could work now?!

Soran:

Soran watched Gwendolyn treating Siren's wounds with no expression on his face. He didn't even notice Mizuki beside him until he heard Naoki's voice by the door. He looked over at her for a moment before turning forward again, assuming she wasn't in the mood to be spoken to, and not being in any particular mood to speak himself.

Mizuki:

She warred with herself inside her head. 'I'm going to kill her!' Mizuki thought, 'ahh.. he probably hates me..' Mizuki closed her eyes tightly, not sure of what to say. Gwendolyn was the only person making sounds as she fussed over Siren's wounds. Gwednolyn finally finshed though and got up with the supplies she used and went to put them away and wash her own hands. So, all three of them were alone.

"...I'm sorry..." Mizuki said with her eyes closed still.

Soran:

The rogue opened his mouth, intending to follow up her apology with a lecture, but swallowed it back down. He frowned, glancing at her briefly. Maybe this whole situation was a sign that he was letting himself get too attached to her. Since when did he care what others did with their time... Was it his place to be protective of these people? He couldn't understand what was wrong with him, and his tiredness was clouding his thought process. He wanted to ask about her arm, and wanted even more to smack himself for wanting to ask about her arm. He reminded himself that he would have to leave this place, and her. "Just relax and rest," he finally said, his expression cool and unreadable.

Mizuki:

Mizuki's eyes slowly opened. Somehow, she half expected something else like.. a lecture from him but she also expected this too. Maybe, that's what being a rouge is all about?

"Maybe.. you should do the same?" she responded softly and smirked. "we've had a long... day... we should all rest..."

Soran:

Soran looked back up at her, his expression softening for a second. "Yeah," the rogue agreed, rising to his feet. He took a blanket and threw it over Siren, who appeared to have drifted off on the couch.

Emora:

Rai was curled up on the floor next to Toby. She had one of the small blanket pulled over her and warmth of the fire made her warmer. She was sleeping peacefully, but looked a bit uncomfortable on the floor. Her hair still tangled beyond anything. She hadn't brushed it even after she had taken her bath. She sighed in her sleep. Toby raised his head and looked around. He padded over to Soran and tugged on his pants leg.

Mizuki:

Gwendolyn had managed to yanked Naoki away from her work and they went back into the room where everyone was in.

"I don't no how you people can still be moving around!" Gwendolyn said abruptly. "Now I want you all in bed!"

"heeey! But I was working on something for your daughter!" Nakoi protested but Gwendolyn just shook her head and pointed her off to bed, reluctantly Naoki complied and left for her room. Gwendolyn went over to Mizuki and helped her up.

"Come on Rai.. get Michael and go to bed, and by the way his parents went off to an inn. They protested they were intruding on my hospitality so they went to an inn, Michael wanted to be home for you Rai, so he stayed behind. But now we're all here... and we can go to bed!" She started helping Mizuki to her room. "And if I find one person still up I'll have their hides!"

Mizuki started laughing.

Siren:

Siren breathed lightly as she slept. She had somehow managed to doze off while Gwendolyn was still cleaning up her minor wounds, after the most painful ones on her arm and chest had been taken care of. Even in her sleep she could feel the tightness of the swelling in her wings, but it wasn't enough to wake her.

She had the sense that something had changed while she wasn't around or wasn't paying attention. Something big about the dynamics of the group. Mizuki was acting very strangely, but she hadn't stayed awake to find out what was happening.

In her sleep, she uncontiously wrapped her fingers around the edges of the soft blanket that had mysteriously found its way onto her.

Soran:

The sound of Mizuki laughing somehow calmed the rogue's nerves very slightly, though he wasn't certain exactly what was wrong with them. He looked down as Rai's wolf, whom he hadn't seen in quite a while, suddenly clasped onto his pant leg and began hauling him sideways. Before he could protest, he was dragged, half-jumping on one leg, across the room to wherever the wolf was going.

moving to new thread on the Border "Finding home"