CHILDREN OF MOR: I S T A M E K (IC)

[CO]

~Orphanage VII~

Dante studied the face of the twin before him as the twin undoubtibly did the same to him. After a moment he looked over at his sister and nodded before speaking.

"Your aid would be most appreciated." the twin said. "Anyone who fights for our cause is an ally to us." He nodded his head once more, giving a faint smile.

"I'm Leander Arundel, and this is my sister Ellie." he said with a sense of urgency in his voice.

"What shall we call you, Son of Su Seheri?"

Dante also produced a faint smile, happy that he wasnt going to be going on completely alone. He dropped the light shield and extended his hand toward the twins.

"My name is Dante Fontaine. It is a pleasure to meet you."

[Toku]

~Ellie Arundel: Elveda Orphanage~

“I can introduce myself, you know...” Ellie huffed, crossing her arms. She took a look at this guy, waiting for him to answer Leander’s question.

“My name is Dante Fontaine. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Ellie didn’t know what was going through Leander’s head. After what just happened, she thought that her brother of all people would be wary of double-crossers. She didn’t trust Dante completely but seeing as her brother did, she went along with it.

“So if we’re going to be teaming up, I guess we should figure out what we’re going to do next...” Ellie proposed, completely ignoring Dante’s outstretched hand, “What do you guys think? Do we just keep going or do you have any other brighter ideas?”

[Lily]

--Leander Arundel: Orphanage VII--

Like his sister, Leander ignored shaking Dante's hand as well, though, for different reasons. He could tell his sister didn't entirely trust the man, and after all, he did just appear out of no where. Where was he when the battle started? However, Leander put all things aside. He knew that in dire situations such as the one they were in, any helping hand that offered itself should be taken.

“What do you guys think? Do we just keep going or do you have any other brighter ideas?” Ellie asked.

Looking around, Leander surveyed the area eying around the bodies of the now defeated guards. He spotted a set of stairs at the other end of the room an at the top, a door heavily reinforced with a multitude of locks. The terrestrial adept began to walk towards the stair case gesturing to his sister and new found ally to follow. Getting closer, he sprinted up the stairs and did a once-over on the door, running his hands along its massive frame.

"I don't sense any binding magic..." he said before placing his ear upon the iron slab.

He could hear voices on the other side.

"The prisoners are in there." Leander said, knowing full well he was stating the obvious.

Telling Ellie and Dante to stand back, Leander readied his cello and played a powerful melody that shook the ground around the stair case. As he played, large pieces of the flooring rose up in boulders hovering there like some sort of earthen clouds. Reaching the end of his miniature concerto, Leander played one last sharp note beckoning the flying stones forward at breakneck speed and in the process blowing the door of it's gargantuan hinges. The sound of stone ripping through metal was near deafening.

As the airborne debris cleared, the inner prison was revealed.

The cells were made of void-silver; a black metal crafted by something other than magic, found in outer space. It was a dangerous material on its own without its inhibiting side effect to asbsorb magic and life force from living things. Void-silver was the perfect material with which to hold powerful magic wielding enemies of the twins, especially the lonely ones. If in a cage made of void-silver, the captive magic user would eventually die from the constant draining attributes of the pseudo-parasitic metal alloy. The lonelies sat slumped in the corners of their cells devoid of any spark of life. The prison smelled like death. Their despair seemed to physically exude from their limp atrophied bodies.

A child in a nearby cell looked up to Leander, slowly, and painfully. He was completely malnourished. It looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks. The lifeless boy struck Leander's heart with a pain beyond description.

Leander looked to Ellie, feeling like he could cry for these people.

The three of them urgently went about the prison wing dismantling each lock on each door, and helping the captives within in to their feet. Leander noticed that just getting outside the cell's walls seemed to imbue the lonely ones with strength, but more importantly hope. Some desperately clung to their rescuers crying tears of joy while others crept back in fear not knowing what to think. One by one, they were set free.

Their mission was nearly finished. The end was in sight.

It was then that Leander heard footsteps coming from behind. Was it more guards? As Leander prepared to defend the lonely ones under his care, his face lit up upon seeing two familiar people come running through the broken down door. It was none other than Joel and Noel.

"We've successfully blocked off the remaining guards from getting into the prison wing" stated Joel. He and Noel showed signs of fatigue, but it was nothing for them. Nothing at all. They had quite the reputation for themselves in the fighting world. Though Noel was bending over trying to catch his breath, Leander could tell that he still wasn't to bad off. After conversing with Leander and Ellie, and meeting Dante, Joel issued several orders trying to get everyone on the same page.

It was then that he reached into his pocked and revealed a phone-like device. Raising it to his mouth, he pressed a button, and cleared his throat in preparation to issue a command:

"Cross, Amisi, can you hear me?." Joel inquired in a demanding voice.

A moment went by in silence when suddenly static was heard followed by a voice.

"Yes, sir?" said Cross from a small speaker on the side of the object Joel was holding.
"Prepare detonation, objective achieved! Get us the hell out of here!"
"Sir!"

Joel herded everyone back far from the eastern wall of the prison wing. Raising his arms up as if to protect everyone with his own body, silence filled the room. The anticipation was almost tangible. It was then in one great roaring explosion that the easter wall of the orphanage turned from stone into a fiery blaze of freedom.

Making their run to freedom, the lonely ones and rescuers alike gathered up all the strength they had and helped each other through the rubble and into the fields outside. Meeting up with Cross and Amisi, the group divided into three once more:

Cross and Amisi took one third of the prisoners and went to the east. Noel and Joel took another third and went to the west. When it came to Leander and Ellie, they and Dante ran to the north with the rest of the prisoners behind them. From behind though they wouldn't dare look back, they could hear the sounds of the orphanage crumbling. The blast from the explosive was so fierce that it more than took out a wall, it ruined the structural integrity of the whole building.

Leander held the boy he had seen in his arms while he ran next to his sister. Looking down at him, Leander smiled. Today was the first day of the rest of this young child's life. It was Leander's gift to him. The boy, and all the others behind them would now have a chance at getting their lives back. They would be given the chance to live again. they would be given the chance to love and be loved once more. From this day forward, they were prisoners to no one.

[Del]

Parisa :: Escaping The Orphanage

It was like a stampede.

One moment, the woman had been asleep. The next, she was on her feet, unable to direct her own body in the surge of people moving towards the exit of the prison quarters. Slowly, they gathered in a massive clump located at the the back of the ward, and it seemed as if everyone was waiting for something, though for what they were waiting Parisa was unsure. No one was breathing. No one at all.

And then it came. It began as a faint spot of orange on the dark metal of the prison wall. Yes. It had begun as that simple orange spot, and little did she know that this simple orange glow would dramatically alter her life forever. In the short and yet never ending seconds that followed, everything about her future was changed: the people she would meet, the family she would have, the one she would love, the life she was going to live, the death that was now much, much farther away...

In the moment that that orange spot blossomed into a glorious flower of fire and molten metal, her entire destiny shifted.

And she didn't even know it.

Immediately following the blast, everyone around her surged forward like a river, yet Parisa remained where she stood. Everything that she had known for the last decade of her life told her to stay, to not remove herself from the patterns and habits she had become accustomed to. She wished to remain here forever, terrorizing the lonely and taking out the subconscious anger she felt for herself on them.

And yet that was no longer her destiny.

Someone grabbed her arm; a pale hand was now placed in hers. She looked up; it was a young man. He had red eyes and dark hair; a twin. He began to pull her forward, and she felt her legs start to move in unison with his.

It was as if something greater was pulling her forward. Not just him, but something stronger, something deeper; it was her heart. Swiftly, Parisa came into contact with the night air. It slammed into her like a brick wall; it engulfed her, entangled her, and surrounded her. Now, suddenly, she felt strange, or at least stranger than before. There was something there, something in her chest: it ached slightly. She felt her free hand move up to a place just above her breast. There was a wetness on her face. Tears? Why was she crying? What was crying?

And then, looking back, Parisa saw the Orphanage crumble and break. The image snapped something inside her, and she was instantly thrown back into the cold and robotic depths of her mind. She screamed and ripped her hand from the young man who had taken hers. She began to bang her fists into the sides of her head with rapid succession. Why had she left? What would she do now? What pattern could she possibly follow? She needed her patterns, her commands, in order to survive, and yet now those commands were null and void.

She did not want this new future. She did not want this new life. These people had taken it away from her, and now there was no reason for her to live. But something in her made her continue on. Her mind gave her a command in order to keep her mind from dissolving: Run --- Run away from everything. Nothing else matters. Just run.

And she did.

She ran as far as she could, as fast as she could, and she did not stop. She did not think of time, of temperature, or of fatigue. And then her body stopped. Her legs ceased to work. Her vision clouded and blurred, and she felt her body sway dangerously.

She fell to the ground.

She saw the bright sun and the blue sky. She felt how the heat beat down upon her. She could feel each drop of sweat carving a path down her dirt and dust covered face. She could feel every scratch, cut, and bruise. She could feel every drop of blood that bled from her feet. She had run as far as she could. She had no more commands to sustain her. She would die here; she had decided on it. Slowly, between the quick and heavy breaths, Parisa lost consciousness, fully ready to embrace the death which was long overdue.

[IceCoffin]

~Orphanage VII: Outside, Elveda Outskirts~

The explosion was humongous. Dust and debris flew everywhere, clogging and choking the battlefield of Sam and his allies. The flames lashed upon the ground in almost every conceivable direction, unable to be consumed by the sudden gust created by the bomb. It was as if a sandstorm and the flames of Hell had joined forces with one another, creating a catastrophe.

And, in the midst of it all, a gangly, burnt, and charred Lonely stood alone. He and he alone, stood near the entrance, ready to barge into the dreaded structure. He had bent forward with the experience of a professional sprinter, and wore a crazed grin on his face, his eyes red with bloodlust and insanity. But, he was in no condition to run, think, scream, or even move. And so he crouched in place, still as a statue, his drool dripping from between his clenched teeth.

Then, the bomb detonated and the entire building burst into a furious fireball of heat, sand, and the smell of charred flesh and death’s embrace. Sam flew backwards like a ragdoll in the mess, unable to think, and barely conscious enough to close his eyes as dirt and dust flew all around him. He spun in a vortex of debris away from the Orphanage, and then landed rather ungracefully into the ground. The landing was rather rough, and it caused him to carve a long, dirty trail of blood and ripped bandages through the sand.

Finally, Sam’s body finally stopped, his head now buried under a mound of sand. Where was he now? Certainly, he must have been farther from the Orphanage than he was before, naturally…

But that was a question Sam couldn’t ask or even ponder. His head was buried in a mound of sand! Even if Sam was conscious, and perhaps he indeed was, he being too nitpicky to ask about his proximity to the Orphanage, would rather instead panic about the dirt more than his whereabouts.

And as it turned out, he was conscious. There was so much sand in his mouth that he could hardly speak. But, miraculously, he could breathe… sort of. That is, if grains of sand flying up one’s nostrils could be called “breathing”. Sam’s arms flew up from the ground, and began paddling furiously, as if he was swimming. Sand flew everywhere as he tried to “swim” his way out, but he was in too deep for him to be able to make any movement whatsoever.

Aside from this setback in his effort to escape, any person who was likely in the same area as Sam would have raised a curious eyebrow (or at least sought medical help) in response to his puzzling actions.

[danime91]

<[Sidri Kalidsri- Elveda: Outside Orphanage VII]>

Sidri was just about to launch himself at another guard when a sudden explosion tore through the night. The force of the explosion sent a tremor through the ground, knocking Sidri off his feet, along with a number of the guards. Lying on the sand, Sidri felt a stabbing headache as sanity struggled to return. He lifted his head and slammed it back into the sand repeatedly, trying to obliterate the pain through sheer force.

Sanity returned in a rush. Sidri lay there silently for a moment. "Damn! Again!" He cursed and pounded the sand with a gloved fist. He sat up and shook his head, disgusted with himself. It was not often that he lost control of himself like that, but he took it as a sign of weakness nonetheless. He got up and took a quick look around. During the battle they seemed to have drawn closer to the orphanage, explaining why the explosion had such an effect on them.

A sound from nearby caused him to swing around. He saw the decidedly unique Lonely buried headfirst in the sand, making what seemed oddly like swimming strokes as he struggled to get free. Sidri stood there for a bit, watching the entertaining spectacle before him. "Heh, sandfish indeed." He then decided to be uncharacteristically charitable and help the Lonely get free when it began to get boring.

He sauntered over to the Lonely and examined the situation for a bit, contemplating how best to help the man free with minimal effort from himself. He nodded, having reached a decision, and stepped around behind the man. He watched, waiting for a bit as he timed the flailing legs, then delivered a thundering kick to the Lonely's backside which not only freed him from the sand dune, but briefly endowed him with the power of flight as well.

Sidri followed the man's trajectory through the air to where it ended, a few meters away from the launch point. He nodded in satisfaction once it was clear that the Lonely was free of sand and his good deed was done, then turned to ensure the remaining guards were not trying to sneak up on him.

[turkoizdog]

~ Lana Vienne => Elveda: streets near orphanage ~

The explosion shook the very ground Lana stood on, and had she not fallen against a wall, she would have been knocked off of her feet. It seemed the only ones who remained standing were herself, and the guards, who were still dancing their little jig, full of hops and steps.

The guards stopped mid-dance. Her fun would have to wait, she thought to herself, for she had to actually help in doing something now. She noticed Sam being tossed around in the sand and winced. She really felt bad for the poor guy. Sand on his face, in his mouth... blood... she was never a big fan of blood, and she imagined Sam wasn't either.

Before she could react to Sam with his head in the sand, Sidri walked over and kicked him, sending the poor Lonely flying through the air. Well at least now he didn't have his head in the sand. She ran over to where he had landed. She then reached down and slowly helped him stand up. "Are you alright?" she asked, even though she knew the answer to that question would be a 'no'. If Sam could talk, for she noticed he had a mouth (and nose) full of sand.

Lana made the water tentacle wash out his mouth so he could speak. She knew it must be awkward, having an arm of water suddenly stuff itself into your mouth, then pull itself back out carrying with it the sand that had filled it only moments earlier... but in a few moments, his saliva should return and he should regain speech.

As she held him up, she noticed his condition. He was rather lightweight considering he was so tall. She sighed mentally. After this was over, she'd have to bring him back to her place (did he have a place of his own?) and stuff him up with good food. He looked like he needed it. She wondered if he liked brownies, then shook the thought from her mind. She used the water tentacle to wash water from his face, then the rest of his body. The tentacle shook all the sand off and onto the ground, then returned to her pouch. The water would leave his clothes and any remaining bandages a bit damp, but not soaked.

There was a slight silence and she waited for him to speak. She wasn't sure what to say. She'd certainly helped him a lot more than the single Twin guy had. The guards were still under the grip of her water tentacles, so although she wasn't controlling their actions, she made sure that they could not move. The tentacles squeezed tighter and tighter until they just... fell. They fell to the ground in a splash, then weaved their way back to Lana like a river running backwards, then up into her water pouch. She had overdone herself and needed a rest, it seemed. The guards fell to the ground like ragdolls when the water tentacles let go, and she wasn't sure they'd be able to stand immediately, but figured they'd eventually try something.

She sighed. They needed to get out of there. But to where? She bit her lip. Then, she asked Sam a question without thinking. "Do you like brownies?"

[Gabby]

[ Kallias – Yasil Desert ]

The day had proven to be unbearably hot. Summer, Kallias realized, was indeed upon them. It was luck – or perhaps just habit – that had him up early in the morning, allowing him to travel a good distance before even the extreme heat got to his head. He almost regretted having skipped out on Elveda until, after a few good miles, Kallias watched as Rassus ran off before him. They’d gone farther than he expected. A silhouette in the distance curved his lips into a grin. Rassus impatiently paced at the gnarled, swollen roots of a barren, single tree. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the middle of the desert. Although it was a rather large tree, it was indeed dead; and any other life that may have accompanied it was gone completely. It remained only as a sturdy skeleton.

And while that seemed to be the only thing out of place, just beyond the tree a sudden cavity appeared. The earth dipped into darkness, a rugged and semi-steep fall. As Kallias drew nearer, Rassus began to dig furiously at the sand, uncovering a long coil of rope between two roots. Grabbing the end, Rassus tried to drag it himself, getting only so far before Kallias stepped in. Only about twenty-five feet away, the cave wasn’t so deep; the rope that Kallias threw in easily made it to the bottom. Wasting no time, the desert wanderer straddled the rope, Rassus hopping on his shoulder, and made his way down carefully.

Before he’d even set foot in the cave, he could feel the cool, continuous breeze spewing forth from it. But even against the sun that shined into the hole, the breath of the cavern prevailed against the heat: an immediate relief to both Kallias and the scrunt. Rassus jumped from Kallias before his feet touched the ground again, running forward and into the darkness. By the time he’d dusted himself off, a faint flame pierced the shade. Walking towards it, Kallias watched a second one spring up even further on. Though the distance was not that far, the dark was so thick, multiple flames were necessary. The scrunt awaited Kallias at what seemed to be a wall with a deep hole in the center. Sliding some water vials from his belt, he snapped them into his arm and reached onto his back for the drill, attaching it, twisting to secure it. Rassus’ fur spiked as Kallias revved the drill, steam rising from the contraption. Without further ado, Kallias thrust the drill into the hole. Within moments, the spinning set off a reaction within the wall, the sounds of gears clicking in and out of place. The dirt and sand began to dislodge and cascade, mechanisms now visible as they reacted to the drill-key.

The surrounding walls of the cave began to tremble slightly as the door revealed itself. Before long, light outshined Kallias’ figure as what it hid came into view. A large cavern rose to incredible heights, stalactites and tree roots hanging from the tall ceiling that continuously leaked with small streams of sand. But along with the organic decorations, other more manufactured decorations littered the cave as well. Strings of amber desert glass hung from the ceiling, refracting the light into millions of little dots on the floor and walls. Bronze instruments – some constructed and others in shambles – weaved in and out of the earthen boundaries, one in particular standing out most of all. Long and tubular, it stabbed into the dirt, its far end disappearing. The near end contained what seemed to be rotary gears alongside an eyepiece. The place even seemed to be divided into sections; further in, a room housed various pillows and blankets – a bedroom of sorts. Further than that, another room contained shelf upon shelf of random artifacts, otherwise known as Kallias’ grand collection.

Pulling down his gasmask, Kallias displayed a contented smile. “Home sweet home, eh, Rassus?” he asked warmly to the scrunt that trudged its way inside, finding a dark corner and immediately curling into sleep. The upturned dust in the cavern home, however, easily irritated Kallias’ sensitive lungs, and he immediately began to cough. He slipped the mask back over his face. Each step he took inside, he also disassembled bits of pieces of his equipment until it lay on the floor. He stretched his arms and back, hand reaching out to the huge, half-concealed telescope. He stroked it admiringly, then patted it. His path led him to the bedroom, and a great cloud of dust puffed into the air as he flopped into the cushions.

—————

Not more than three hours later, Kallias was up and about, tinkering with random objects, but ultimately making his way over to the telescope. His fondness of it was obvious in his movements. Setting his goggles atop his forehead, he peered into the eyepiece and began to turn the main crank. If one were to observe above the surface, one would see a mound of sand rise amidst the low hills, a lens breaking the surface. Even though it was still bright outside, Kallias eagerly awaited the dusk to observe the stars. He hoped he might be able to spot some birds at least, but a nudge at his foot redirected his attention.

Kallias was puzzled by the fact that Rassus was even conscious at that hour, let alone trying to get his attention. Squatting down, he examined what the scrunt carried in its mouth. He took it into his own hands, holding it up into one of the several beams of light filtering through the cavern. It was a shoe. Reaching into his pocket, Kallias pulled out what appeared to be a jewel of some sort, waving it in Rassus’ face before gesturing to the shoe and then to the exit. Getting the message, Rassus darted away, Kallias following.

Scaling the rope with ease, Kallias vied to keep up with the scurrying scrunt, all the while wondering what he might find. He initially suspected a corpse; where else would a shoe come from that far out in the desert? All of his expectations were shattered, however, when Rassus dutifully stood atop his find. A fully-fleshed figure lay motionless in the sand, its right food missing a shoe.

It was a girl. Her form gave that away. And the sweat glistening on her skin either meant she had just recently died or was still alive. Turning her over, Kallias put his ear to her mouth to hear faint breathing. Patting his chest, he reached for a vial of water that wasn’t there. His brow furrowed, and just then really noticing her thin, weathered countenance, he scooped her into his arms and turned back towards the barren tree, still visible in the distance. Before he could leave, though, claws dug into his calf, an expectant Rassus clinging to his leg. Kallias dropped the jewel into the sand and headed back, Rassus’ eyes alighting with delight.

[Del]

Parisa :: Kallias' Home

It was cold. No. It was cool. And it was now darker than it had been before. Where exactly was she? The desert could not have changed so much.

Please let me be dead...

She opened her eyes; staring back at her was the beady black eyes of a scrunt. Upon opening her eyes, the scrunt's face, if that could truly be considered a face, lit up. Suddenly, the small creature released a sequel of delight and lunged for her face; Parisa was almost too shocked to respond. Almost. Just before the scrunt was able to dig its hand-like paws into her eye sockets, Parisa managed to grab the scrunt by the scruff of its neck. The creature now hung in midair, dangling from her hand and furiously attempting to elongate its arms in order to steal her now out of reach eyes.

It was apparent that this was no after life.

She tossed the creature aside, and it landed among a large pile of pillows. It quickly recovered and scurried from the pile, only to turn and face Parisa once more. The scrunt made its signature 'scrunting' growl, of which its name was derived, to show its displeasure. It then promptly took of down a small path leading to a larger area of the cave.

Now looking around, Parisa took in her surroundings. Currently, she was located in what appeared to be a makeshift bed of sorts: there was a mass of blankets and pillows, all located in their own private area of the cavern. Despite, its messy and simple appearance, she found the 'bed' to be quite comfortable. It had been a long time since she had slept in a comfortable bed. Subconscious curiosity now getting the better of her, Parisa left the bedroom and followed the path that the scrunt had taken. With its amber colored rock and the fragments of light, the cavern she had woken in was indeed beautiful, though Parisa did not realize this (nor did she care to for that matter).

Soon, she came to rest next to a large metallic object that was used for digging and mining; she had often seen machines similar to this at the orphanage. It was worse for ware, possibly even inoperable at this point, but it was more or less intact. She was examining the object intently (though, in reality, with much indifference) when she heard the scrunt once more. Her vision made its way to her left, and she saw the scrunt swiftly jump upwards onto something. It climbed up the perch and began wildly and angrily chatting at her while pointing its small fingers in her direction. Slowly, she realized it that this perch was indeed a human being: it was the first time she saw him.

This man would eventually change her; he could change her for the better.

[Gabby]

[ Kallias – Underground Observatory ]

The sun had just begun to set, so the light refracting in the already yellow glass was an orange hue, staining the earthen walls beautiful shades of ginger. Kallias reached up, a single finger tapping a piece of glass, the string swaying into the ones nearby it. The clanks of the glass tinkled lightly like tiny, muted bells. Sauntering over to the oversized telescope, Kallias urged the sun to return to its horizon home and let the stars have their turn in the sky. He spun one of the cranks out of mild impatience before turning on his heel towards a rather large stalactite, its tip leaking with constant drips of water. Beneath it stood an hourglass-shaped contraption, though the top and bottom were more like orbs in shape.

Though it could not be told from looking at it, within it was a rather simple but effective filter, layers of sand, gravel, and cloth cleaning the water that somehow made its way from above. The bottom half – made of thick glass – showed the moderate level of cleaned water, a nozzle at the ready for extraction. Kallias checked to make sure the stool upon which it stood – made from some branches of the above tree – were still sturdy. It was just as he straightened his legs that Kallias felt the familiar climb of Rassus’ claws up his arm.

The scrunt deliberately dug his nails into Kallias’ ear and directed his attention towards the northern part of the cavern. Frenzied, the scrunt snarled and chattered, as if spitting accusations at the figure that stood before them. Kallias drew back slightly in alarm. The girl whom he’d found outside before stared at him, squatting resiliently on the legs and feet that ultimately failed her in the desert. She seemed faintly interested in his drill. Rassus grew increasingly irritated, and soon his noises got to the point where Kallias reached once more into his pocket to produce what looked like a lady’s ring. He tossed it nonchalantly over his shoulder, whereupon it rolled to who-knows-where. Rassus reacted immediately, disappearing to find his treasure.

It was certainly a battle in his mind whether or not to take off his facial wear; he undoubtedly looked a bit startling to the tired, worn girl. But she sent out an aura of that of a caged animal: ready to jump at any sudden movement. So he refrained. He merely lifted a calloused hand, his fingers slowly bending in succession to produce a cautious wave.

[Del]

Parisa :: Underground Observatory

The man had no face. Instead of eyes were large, reflective goggles. They had no soul, and yet they seemed to bare down on her, taking her apart piece by piece. He had no mouth. A bronze colored mask covered the area where his mouth would be, but Parisa was sure he had no mouth to begin with.

One thing was apparent, however: this man was a lonely.

Without the presence of a twin, the man could be nothing but a lonely. His horns were not visible under his hat, yet there were a multitude of lonely who donned a smaller set of horns than she. Still, the size of his horns did not matter; all lonely were the same in her cold eyes:

She hated the lonely. She hated herself. She hated this man.

And then he raised his arm to attack. Wincing instinctively, Parisa raised her arms in front of her face in an attempt to shield herself from harm. In her frantic state, Parisa ended up falling over. Looking up, the man had begun to walk towards her, and this set off an alarm in Parisa mind.

This man is going to hurt you. You must get away.

How!?

Fly...

And then it happened: A familiar, yet forgotten, sensation spread across her body, and she was suddenly bathed in light. It ran over her skin in ripples, lines, and rivers; it swirled around her like ribbon and silk; it lifted her off the ground and into the heavens...

Well, it had once lifted her up into the heavens - now it could only take her a few feet from the ground.

Almost as quickly as it had come was it gone. The light was sharply cut off, and Parisa was sent falling back to the ground. Upon hitting the earth, every inch of breath and air that had been inside the girl was forcefully pushed out. Now sore and wheezing, Parisa realized she was drenched in sweat, her body plagued by an unimaginable fatigue.

What had that light been? She knew she knew, and yet she could not remember; it was like having a word stuck on the tip of one's tongue.

Regardless of what this light was, it seemed that the woman would not be getting away after all. What would become of her now that her last ounce of strength had been used?

[Gabby]

[ Kallias – Underground Observatory ]

Despite his best efforts to come off as harmless, Kallias knew it wasn’t going to be that simple. The girl reacted in a way with which he was familiar: she cringed at the slightest movement, entire body tensing to prepare for some horrible affliction. Even though he did not deliver, Kallias watched as his attempts brought forth a sort of defense mechanism. A light – pure, clean, and scathing – seeped from her pores, dancing in the air like smoke. It cradled her into the air but quickly fizzled and faded, leaving her to plummet back down. The crash sent up another puff of dust and sand. The goggles protecting his eyes, he could make out her fatigue; her body, strained enough as it was, reserved all remaining for basic functions.

In the cover of the dust screen, Kallias fetched a vial from his belt which lay near the filter machine. Only loosening the cork, he turned to see the girl again, knowing his approach would do no good for her nerves. So, with movements as cautious as a tightrope walker, Kallias got close enough to keep a safe, secure distance; but he also got close enough to put the vial onto the ground, give it a light tap, and watch it roll over and bump into her thigh. With her harried and sunken expression as well as her heavy, leaden limbs, it might be difficult for her to even manage taking a sip. But hopefully this might establish some boundaries, and maybe a bit of trust. He wasn’t getting too ahead of himself. He looked into her thin face and saw swirling within her eyes the pains and torments of those he once knew years before. He would not and could not take her suffering for granted. Thus, baby steps were in order.

He even considered taking off his mask and goggles once more. At first it seemed like the common sense thing to do; it was probably those things that sent her off in the first place. But, being a Lonely, the girl probably harbored a powerful and deep hatred for his kind. He could stand not being trusted for a while. But being hated was something entirely different. So, anonymity became a priority. Besides, with all of the upturned dirt in the air, taking off his mask and coughing in her face probably wouldn’t be that appealing either. Therefore he hoped gentle gestures would suffice.

Rassus soon came scuttling back, the ring trapped in his jaws. He headed towards the back to stow his new treasure away, but a leg abruptly and harshly stomped in his way. Startled, petrified, Rassus’ body gradually calmed, glaring up at Kallias disdainfully. But the scrunt followed Kallias’ attention to the girl, her eyes barely open as a result of her fatigue. But Rassus could still see the silvery glints of treasure beneath those thing films of flesh. Tapping his claws together in mischievous contemplation, Rassus held his ground and bided his time, like his “brother,” but for entirely different reasons.

[IceCoffin]

~ Elveda Outskirts~

After his rough landing, Sam had, amazingly, remained conscious. However, this condition was not to last long when one of his allies, the insane man named Sidri, rushed over to Sam, and proceeded to help the struggling Lonely. After some careful timing, Sidri slammed his foot into Sam’s back, his old burns and other wounds re-opening, and propelled him up into the air. Sam’s flying lessons took him a few meters up into the air, and then he landed to the ground in mid spin, and onto his backside. He then uselessly flopped onto the ground, unconscious.

Then as soon as Sidri left, Lana, the single Twin girl and Diluvial mage, rushed to Sam’s aid. She cleaned him off rather efficiently with her water magic, and flushed the sand from his mouth and nostrils. She made an effort to help Sam breathe again, and succeeded upon hearing him cough up some sand. However, the deranged Lonely was still unconscious, and therefore unable to make any movement outside of involuntary actions such as breathing.
Then, as if she wasn’t fully unaware of whether he was conscious or not, Lana opened her mouth and asked Sam, “Do you like brownies?”

Sam did not respond. Five or so minutes passed, and the remaining Guards did not move any further. It was likely that, while under the grip of Lana’s water tentacles, that the force of the explosion knocked Them unconscious, since They were unable to escape. Regardless, Lana’s exhaustion released the weakened Twins from Their watery bonds, and They fell to the ground.

Now unable to attack, the Guards probably provided nothing more than an amusing diversion for someone of particularly sadistic tastes. They appeared to be ripe for kicking, stabbing, throwing, and if one was so inclined, drawing silly things upon Their faces.

It was at this time that Sam’s unconscious mind began to sway in and out of various semiconscious states. And despite being aware or able to act, Sam did speak:

“Oh, I was assigned to Level 9-B…. there’s nothing there but… dirty, rotten freaks down in 9-B…”

[Del]

Parisa :: Underground Observatory

Chiming like a bell, the vial of water rolled its way towards her over the rock and dirt. The water hit her thigh as she lay immobile on the ground, and if she had been able to move she would have winced. For a long time she stayed where she was, long after she had regained her ability to move even.

The clear water look highly appealing, and yet the fear that it was poisoned was just barely greater; her mind and her instincts were locked in a fierce battle. It had been a long time since she had felt anything. So long, in fact, that Parisa did not know what she was feeling or that she was even feeling anything to begin with.

It took her two full hours to make up her mind.

Weakly, her arm lifted a centimeter off the ground. Picking up her heavy limb was nearly impossible for her, yet the need for water was greater than her exhaustion. Somehow, she managed to get a hold of the impossibly far vial, bringing it to her lips and greedily gulping the precious liquid down.

And then her body began to shake. She was sobbing. She was confused. She was afraid, sad, and, most of all, lonely... And yet she could not feel these things with much clarity. If she was aware that she was experiencing emotion at all, it was on an incredibly small scale.

The water had not killed her, and the man could have destroyed her anytime he had pleased. What would be the point of tricking her? For now, she would trust this man.

Trust, not trust... it is all so complicated, she thought to herself. More than anything, she wished to return to the comfortable and safe life of her commands, yet it was the one thing she would never have again. Now, Parisa was forced to make her own decisions.

She would eventually thank him for that.

[Gabby]

[ Kallias – Underground Observatory ]

For the first half hour or so, Kallias sat patiently across the way from the motionless Lonely. After Rassus went off to hunt, he got up and wandered around as well, fiddling some more with random objects and gazing through the telescope, waiting for the sky to further darken. He would check up on her once in a while only to see no progress had been made. Midway through her daze, Kallias washed his face and hands, afterwards getting together a small plate of dried foods. The cave was perfect for storing such things, seeing as the temperature was constantly cool. He lit lanterns and chewed jerky simultaneously, eating quickly to avoid coughing as much as possible. He thought about making her a plate, but she seemed to be having enough trouble with the water.

He peeked in almost comically when he heard her crying. Brow furrowing in concern, Kallias watched her clasp the empty vial at her chest, trails of residual water streaking from the sides of her mouth, mirroring the streaks coming down from her eyes. He didn’t want to disturb her. The breakdown was obviously long overdue. But he found himself inching closer and closer as her breathing gradually leveled out, though never completely. Squatting beside her soundlessly, he pulled down his mask only to briefly reassure her.

“Please,” he asked, voice just shy of a whisper, “may I take you to the bed? It is far more comfortable than stone.” As soon as he stopped speaking, his mask shielded his face once more. He awaited her response, hoping she would permit him to do so.