Fantasy Cruelty of Swine | Private

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil Hesta Udral​

The continent of Avrune was one that was now lawless and destroyed; beaten, broken, and battered into a ghost of what had once been a lively, beautiful continent teeming with strange, wondrous wildlife and kingdoms boasting of their wealth and power. It was once a land whose population had thrived wonderfully, but now it was rotting from the inside out. The kingdoms were now slabs of rock, ground into fine powder, the wonderful wildlife that once flourished was now nothing more than monsters that devoured and feasted upon the very few humans who were left. And now, the mana-rich realm was ruled by beings that were previously said to be mere fearful scary stories told to little ones; these beings referred to as the Old Gods. However, their coming into the world was not of their own accord, nor was it one foretold in prophecy of old of their revival. No, it was far different from that.

Such all originated in the black heart of a little girl whom grown into a cruel sow.

This woman was named Sybil Hesta Udral; pampered from birth and living within the ranks of nobility, Sybil had everything she ever could want from childhood; clothes upon her back, a roof over her head, warm food to stuff her belly an parents who tried their best to give her the best education that coin could buy. But, something tainted and twisted resided in her heart. She never played like other children, never was curious or happy, instead her countenance was always blank and unmoved by anything that would occur. It unnerved her family, most finding her creepy, unsettling and eventually they distanced themselves from young Sybil as her broken soul festered and rotted, however it eventually lead her path to one of magic. Magic was once coveted in Avrune; unlike the continent of Erista across the seas where magic was rare and unspoken of, Avrune was bursting with the world's finest magic users and summoners. This art had for once captured Sybil's attention; a devil child granted power was something that would send the continent to their inevitable doom. However her parents being unaware mostly of their daughter's demented nature found joy in that she had found something for once interesting and had eagerly enlisted her into the finest academy of mages within the city. She had flourished, mastering the arts quickly of the more natural magics; using nature to her control, mending, summoning beasts from the Void... But Sybil hungered for more power.

So, upon the night of her nineteenth summer, Sybil had dared to start her life of crime, stealing the forbidden books of dark arts from the kingdom of Moonhaven, she had fled from the academy there and into the dark of night where her location went unheard of for many years following. The many kingdoms rallied their forces in attempts to apprehend her as well as recover the books, fear of them being passed about by Sybil had grown and yet it wasn't until the untimely slaughter of the Udral family had occurred did Sybil show her beautiful face to the world, bathed in the blood of her family with a crazed smile twisting upon her painted lips. Proclaiming herself as the new Lady Udral; it was that day that the continent was cast into a hellish nightmare that decimated the land. With Sybil chanting in the tongue of dark and twisted rites, she brought to life the Old Gods, demons whom immediately sought to devour and destroy and with them Sybil had ran wild across the region, casting down fire, kicking up raging winds and breaking the earth. She enjoyed the destruction, and she enjoyed hearing the cries of people in torment.

However, Sybil was soon apprehended after years of her aiding the Old Gods in their perverse destruction of Avrune, the young woman now twenty-seven was cast into one of the very few towers remaining and owned by the former kingdom, the shining jewel of Moonhaven, reduced now to being the home base of a band of rebels attempting to fight for liberation from the evils within the world. It was here, locked in chains and gazing from the barred window, Sybil spent her days waiting for her inevitable execution, a smile upon her lips as she looked upon the destruction of the world before her. She truly held no love or remorse for anything before her, she merely felt giddy seeing the distant fires still burning years after she had first brought the Old Gods to the continent. However, her heart had not fully settle nor did it ease with wanting more destruction.

An answer to her wish would come soon, as Sybil would spend her days drawing lines within the icy stone of her prison, humming a jolly tune as she could hear the rebels shouting outside, their hurried steps echoing upward into her cell. The deranged woman was trembling despite her hums, her naked body exposed to the winter chill that crept into her prison, having been denied clothing for the turn of the season perhaps to hurry on her demise, she truly was nothing more than a wild animal to the rebels. Her shackles clanked loudly with each movement, shivers causing the metal to ring out with more noise as her eyes shifted upward to the sound of heavy footfall. These footsteps seemed unfamiliar to her ears as she stood, making her way to the cell's barred door and pressed her bare body against the chilly metal, looking outward in attempts to spot who was approaching, however from her position she could not hope to even see who would come to visit her of all people.

There was a distinct grumbling she could hear, reluctance echoing from the indistinct words of a masculine voice. Cracking lips turned down in a frown as she struggled to hear more, though it seemed as if a question was being uttered: "-ou sure, Your Highness?" Her frown deepened as he wracked her brain, mind feeling sluggish due to lack of food being supplied to her and the faint whisperings she was still privy to after so many years of fleeing around the realm. Your Highness... ah-ha! A royal! Sybil's eyes glowed as a smile once more grew on the shivering witch's face, though it almost seemed as if she were baring her teeth like a savage dog than it being a genuine smile, the crazed light to the woman eyes unwavering, unchanging as she awaited the all too exciting individual to finally grace her prison.

 

[Key of Stars]

​

Arthur Kent Laine​

"Am I sure?" Arthur repeated, mulling over the words as they left his mouth. "I've never been less sure of anything in my life." He said after a moment of silence, lowering his voice to ensure the prisoner wouldn't overhear. "But what choice do I have? We've already lost far too many, I can't send more of the troops we have left to the battlefield knowing it is no different than sending them directly to their deaths!" He bit out, agitation dripping from every word. He perfectly understood his confidant's hesitance but he couldn't give in to it, not this time. "I too, wish there was a better way. But we've been at this for eight years and what progress have we made? What have we accomplished? If there was a better way, it would have presented itself by now."

Eight years he'd been doing this now. Eight exhausting years of bloody battle after bloody battle, eight long years of leading a rebellion without the slightest glimmer of victory in sight. And what for? His father had always said that a good king should lead his people even in times of extreme hardship but he didn't even have a palace left, not to speak of an entire kingdom, could he even call himself a king? He hadn't ever officially been crowned, instead, he had simply been thrust into the role of rebel leader with no time to mourn those he had lost on that day eight years ago.

Those eight years hadn't been kind, not to anyone, not to him. His once blemish-free face was adorned by a long horizontal scar running right over the bridge of his nose. His hair was nearly always caked in blood and mud, making the dirty blond color resemble something closer to brown. The shining armor that would have turned everyone's attention towards the former prince at one point was dented and chipped, dried bloodstains staining the leather segments. It wasn't just his appearance that had changed, the kind and somewhat carefree prince had become harsh and apathetic, the gentle smile that used to decorate his face making way for a frown. Only his eyes had remained the same, though they had hardened, they still shone with the same emerald hue as before.

He gave his confidant one final sharp nod before leaving the man behind and climbing the final steps towards the prison, his expression stiffened as he came face to face with the prisoner. She was smiling, a cruel and twisted smile, but a smile nonetheless. She had extinguished the lives of so many on the continent and ruined that of those who survived and yet here she was, smiling. His hand instinctively reached for the hilt of his blade, the once pristine dark blue leather of the grip had faded to a dull gray over the years. He wanted to cut her down right here, run her through or remove her head from her shoulders, that would be one less stain on history to worry about. He'd pulled the sword halfway out of its sheath before he regained his composure, letting go of the hilt and allowing the weapon to slide back into the sheath at his side.

"Step away from the door." He commanded, barely waiting a moment before opening the door and stepping inside, closing the door behind him with a heavy thud. Stepping into the cell, he was once again grimly reminded that this woman, frail as she looked locked up in chains, single-handedly released a disaster upon the continent the likes no one had ever seen before. In his daily life before that fateful day, balls and banquets had hardly ever been his preferred way of spending his time, but constantly fighting exhausting battles until every bone in his body screamed for him to stop and rest, he wondered if anyone could ever truly gain enjoyment from that, if not for the demon disguised as a human in front of him right that moment. He gazed out of the window for a moment, his emerald eyes reflecting the ruined terrain.

His eyes met hers again moments later, reflecting newly steeled resolve. "I'm here to make you an offer." He started, swallowing the last bit of his remaining pride before continuing. Was he really about to ask the very criminal that plunged the continent into chaos for help in resolving it? He couldn't sink much lower. "I am willing to offer you your freedom, temporarily. On a few conditions. First, you'll assist in disposing of the monsters plaguing the continent as well as the Old Gods, how you do it doesn't matter to me, I just want them gone. Second, you'll be under my supervision at all times, I don't care what happens, you are not to leave my sight." He stated, glaring at her like one would at an annoying bug all the while. "Naturally, once your job is done you will be executed for your crimes, I'm simply offering you a chance to get out of here one last time."

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil's eyebrows raised in mock surprise as she gazed upon the prince of the now fallen Moonhaven. Maddened golden eyes scanned over his dirtied plate and ragged appearance, a sheer contrast to how she had seen him so many years ago... or was it truly that long? She never had paid much attention to the royal family or really anyone around her before, had she? Of course, she didn't have much time to reminisce due to the prince all too rudely opening the door, causing the woman to awkwardly backpedal, her trembling body causing her to nearly fall back on her behind, granted she did catch herself before she could do such a thing, her smile hardly disappearing as she cocked her head at the man, curiosity burning in the depths of her eyes.

"Hmm?" The exaggerated response left her lips before she could stop it. An offer? An offer for someone like she? As the prince began to lay out his demands, Sybil's smile twitched as she lowered her gaze to her cuffed hands, thin fingers tapping together as she could feel a familiar chill go down her spine, a cooing of her all too lovely Old Gods whispering in her ears again... Oh how she wished they would be quiet. Their chattering, even from miles away was quite annoying, never ceasing to intrude upon her mind, whisper in her thoughts, attempt to make their will known. She knew them quite intimately enough already, knew their desires for war, for conquest! They were beings of wickedness, of chaos and she was to be the one to slaughter them?! Did this man think she was a miracle worker? Did he really think she would agree to slaughter her beloved Old Gods?

Her grin widened as she threw back her head, a guttural laugh ripping from her cracked lips as her body shook with mirth. Nothing about what the little princeling before her had said was funny, but to Sybil this situation was far too amusing for her not to laugh! "O-oh my, so you're asking for my help! Am I to be a little dog that follows you around then, little prince?" The soft tone of her voice now was harsh, wheezing laughter bubbling up past her lips as her bound hands clenched tightly together, snickering as the madwoman had allowed the strength in her legs to falter, in mockery of bowing before the man, the icy chill of her prison sinking into her knees as she lifted her head to bare her teeth at him in another unnerving grin, "I'm to be slaughtered after I finish!? Is this what they call mercy, prince of nothing!" She chuckled, her bony shoulders hunching forward as giggles made her throat tickle, golden eyes crinkling with more laughter.

"H-how wonderful, wonderful!" The woman suddenly surged to her feet, crossing the distance betwixt the two, her short, unkempt locks falling in front of her eyes as she giggled before him, "I only have one single request," She lifted her cuffs, her naked body trembling as the winter chill truly was making it unbearable for her to stay still, a thin, bony finger raising up as she whispered, "Make my death be absolutely entertaining, no?" She peered behind the prince toward the guards accompanying the man, noticing their faces seemed very much confused by her sudden laughter as well as her all too convenient request as she turned her attention back to the prince who now was the center of her attention, her smile never fading as she chuckled, "I'm sure that wouldn't be too difficult for you, no? You hate me after all, so I do not mind how you kill me. Just make my execution a grand one, that is all I ask!" Her willingness to die was... disturbing, but there was no sign of a lie in her words, nor did she seem outraged by the sheer unfairness toward her with such a cruel deal, for nothing was in her favor.

Leaning away from the man, Sybil shivered once more, "T-though, one more thing! May I also receive some clothes? Or would it please you if I keep being paraded around like this? I wouldn't think you would treat a woman so coldly, would you?" Of course, Sybil found that requesting tiny things shouldn't be too out of line, after all considering she more or less agreed in her own way to the prince's rather cold request, the woman was finding the winter cold to be particularly biting, the iciness settling into her skin and within her bones. Her thin, bony frame truly did look rather pitiful, it was difficult to even so much as see this woman as a threat considering how much weight she had lost over the years, reduced to nothing more than a malnourished shell of herself.

 

[Key of Stars]

Arthur did not verbally respond to her first burst of laughter, a flicker of hatred and disdain dancing in his eyes as he gazed right into hers. "Mercy?" He clenched his jaw, wanting nothing more than to reach for his blade and run the woman through for the second time that day. "You dare speak of mercy? After all you've done, after all the innocent lives you took without the slightest hint of remorse? Did you expect to be forgiven, pardoned for everything you've done? Even a lifetime of atonement wouldn't make up for the crimes you've committed." His own hands were far from clean, he'd killed, both monsters and humans, but if his hands were dirty, hers were stained the deepest red imaginable.

He instinctively took a step back as she stepped towards him, unable to hide his confusion at her sudden outburst. Wonderful? She truly was crazy, she probably never expected to be pardoned in the first place. "Entertaining..." He slowly repeated the word, unable to hide the disgust in his voice as he did. No sane person would ever consider a death entertaining, vindicating perhaps, if the one dying had wronged them, but entertaining? That was mad. Still, if there was ever a death that one could describe as entertaining, surely it would be hers. He nodded at her request, he'd never intended for her execution to be a public one, nor a grand one, simply severing her head from her shoulders in this very cell when she had fulfilled her role would have sufficed, but if such was the condition to receive her help, he would oblige. "Suit yourself, if you fulfill your role I'll give you your grand execution, the day of your death will become a national holiday."

Arthur turned around to leave, intending to give some final instructions to the guards when she made her second request. He scoffed, not even taking the time to face her. "Don't flatter yourself, you aren't a woman, one would struggle to even call you a human." Still, despite his harsh words he turned to the guards without sparing her so much as another glance. "Get her something to wear and some leftovers from the kitchen we can miss, lead her outside after, we'll leave immediately." The journey was hardly something he looked forward to, he'd much rather push it off a while or cancel it altogether, but he didn't want her around his people for even a second longer. If it wasn't for the fact that they were going after the Old Gods themselves it would only be a matter of time before they came for her.

He made his way through the hallways of the tower, though the structure of the building was every bit as impressive as it had been when its construction was finished, years of maintenance that could be called amateurish at best as well as the necessity to use a large part of the more luxurious furniture as fuel to survive through the first winter of using it as a base had really taken a toll on the grandeur of the building. He avoided eye contact with those he passed on his way down, he knew exactly what emotion he would observe if his eyes did meet theirs, he'd seen enough of it when he had announced his intention to them earlier, and while he shared their worry and apprehension, he couldn't give into it. He stopped in front of the door leading to the outside, taking a deep breath before pushing it open and stepping out in to the cold winter air.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil heaved an exaggerated sigh, "Oh yes, the poor, poor innocent people... do you honestly think I care?" They didn't deserve my sympathy, much less even my pity. The venomous thought rang in her mind, a rare bit of clarity within the irritating clamoring in her own head. But, the woman didn't even know what she truly felt anymore. Did she even have thoughts of her own? Feelings? She didn't know, but they didn't know either, so the woman was content that a new path had opened up in front of her, leading to her own inevitable destruction: at least she certainly hoped so. However, when the prince had given his approval to her rather uncomfortable request, the woman almost jumped with glee, a giggle flying free from her lips as she cackled, "Oh yes, please! Make it something to remember!" After all, the death of the world's cruelest woman was something to definitely be remembered across the continent, hell, even to the seas that separated distant Erista from Avrune. It was a pity though that she hadn't crossed the seas in all the years she had been allowed to her own devices; but she supposed the people there wouldn't have been as fun to deal with.

The prince's scathing words had made Sybil snicker, raising her voice into that of a mocking jeer, "Boo! Boo, I say! So much to expect the little prince to show a bit of chivalry." Though, it was obviously a joke. Sybil didn't expect different treatment, even if her mind was seemingly far gone at this point as the woman began humming, beaming from ear to ear as her chilled hands clapped together as best as they could, the clinking of her chains ringing in her ears as the guardsmen that had accompanied the prince had all too reluctantly approached the bound woman, the magic tethering the two heavy chains firmly together being loosened and allowing her to finally move her hands out of the awkward position they had been in for so very long. Experimentally, she swung her arms at her sides, rolling her shoulders with glee at the newfound movement, although she turned to the guards and held out her cuffed wrists, "Ah-hem~! Am I to still have these terrible things on my wrists?" Receiving frigid silence from both of them, Sybil groaned as she leaned her head back, "Fine, fine!"

The anti-magic cuffs felt suffocating, if only for the fact that the woman was incapable of using even the smallest fire spell with the restricting cuffs on. It felt as if part of herself had been stripped away, leaving her vulnerable and weak. The only magic that seemed to grace the woman was the incessant whispering in the back of her mind, of which had quieted to a distant rumbling as she then was escorted - rather roughly, by the two guards, nearly stumbling and tripping over her own feet a few times as the woman was forced to wait near the gaoler's room, and promptly given rather ill-fitting garments, granted it was the only thing on hand. The clothes themselves were what a commoner would wear; or even less than a commoner? The brown, scratchy fabric was irritating against the woman's skin, barely thick enough to cause the cold to not bite into her flesh, and that was the tunic alone; the long baggy pants did little to help either, and the only thing that was reasonable enough was the thin cloak she had been provided, although it too seem worse for wear, obviously being reused due to the bit of blood splatter that was still clinging to the very end of the cloak, and being singed in other places as well. Over all, Sybil was practically drowning in the clothes that she was wearing as they were more suited to a man physique, and certainly not her now far too skinny build... but did she complain? No, of course she didn't.

The woman instead had spun in a circle, giggling to herself as the guards were watching her as if she had grown a second head, "Wonderful! Wonderful!" Of course, as per the prince's orders, a rather cold lump of what could barely pass as bread had been dumped in the woman's thin hands, causing her eyes to grow wide like an owl's for a few seconds only to promptly shove the cold bread into her mouth, ravenously ripping at the poor excuse for food. It was stale, tasted horrible... and yet it was the first bit of food she had for quite a long time. Unfortunately, she had to inhale her food rather quickly due to the guards beginning to hurry her through the tower, perhaps to try to get rid of her as quick as possible or to not keep the prince waiting; either or the woman was struggling to get a good look at her surroundings as she passed, mouth full of cold bread which stopped her from talking for once as she spotted unfamiliar faces; although all these faces were burning with hatred.

A cold feeling had settled within her heart at the faces staring back at her, some looking away, others she could have sworn she heard curses. Others still looked anguished, like she had perhaps killed a loved one in front of their very eyes in that moment. It was all so... unpleasant. Her eyes turned away then, not desiring to look back at the gazes that seared her skin and the questions that were upon their tongues that she knew they held. Why did she do it? How could she be so heartless? The whispers in her mind strengthened, prompting the woman to tightly close her eyes in response, shaking her head as she forced herself to keep eating at the stale bread clutched within her hands, the cold feeling washing over her being enough to extinguish her previous mirth. She could not answer, she refused to answer.

Of course, soon the rather unbearable escort would come to an end as Sybil was soon pushed roughly through the old wooden doors that lead to the outside, the chill of the cold earth underneath her bare feet causing her to skid a bit as she struggled to regain her balance. Her expression seemed stunned for a few seconds as she stared around her, as if in a daze. The capital of Moonhaven was no longer the one that she recognized, where there once stood brilliant architecture flowing with mana was now charred rubble. Even in the cold winter, there were still mana-fueled flames from an Old God's breath still lingering, flaring from deep rends within the earth. Further out, she could barely see tents among the rubble, though she knew not where they came, nor did she much care.

Taking in a deep breath, she struggled not to cough at the cold air sinking into her lungs as she stepped quickly over to the prince, "Outside! Outside!" She giggled, quickly masking over the almost dumbfounded expression upon her face as she looked about the destruction before her calmly as if this was the most natural sight in the world now, "Hm... hmm..." Pausing then, she looked to the prince and spoke brightly, "Which one do you want to kill first? Should we focus on those closest to us right now?" She pointed eastward then, her tone unnaturally bubbly and almost... excited, which was bizarre on its own, "Ygdis is closest right now!" The way she casually spoke the name of the Old God in of itself was chilling, the ambers of her eyes sparkling, "But, he seems to be in a pretty bad mood! I wonder if grand.. ah." She trailed off, her gaze lowering suspiciously away, shaking her head, "O-or should we try to liberate the local cities? That's always an option too if you desire it."

 

[Key of Stars]

Arthur took a seat on one of the many piles of rubble surrounding the tower the rebellion called their base. Their base, not their home, though for many of the rebels, much like himself, these ruins had once been the place they called home. Maybe one day, far into the future, they could do so again. He heaved a sigh, pulling his weapon out of its sheath in a single fluid practiced movement, holding it up to his face, his own sharp emerald eyes staring back at him as he inspected the silver blade. He lowered the weapon towards his lap moments later accompanied by another deep sigh, shifting his eyes to the tents in the distance.

If he closed his eyes he could still picture what the capital had been like, bustling streets filled with people going about their day, merchants bartering, children laughing. The quaint little bakery he used to frequent because their pastries tasted even better than those at the palace, a fact that he'd always kept secret from anyone except the owner of the bakery. The secluded spots he used to go to to hang out with his friends after slipping out of the palace when he was in his rebellious phase. The various inn's they hung out at once they got older. Yet, when he opened his eyes, all that greeted him was rubble strewn across burned ground.

And now, he was about to embark on a journey with the very woman who had caused it all. Just the thought of it made him feel like he had gone just as mad as his travelling companion. It had become clear from the conversation he'd had with her that Sybil felt not a speck of remorse, even after all these years. But her laughing, her mocking, her excitement throughout that grim conversation, all tell-tale signs of insanity, worried him. What if she wasn't crazy? What if her every move and word in captivity had been a calculated act, waiting for a chance to escape and return to the Old Gods, a chance much like the one he was currently handing her. The chance of that being the case was slim, but what if it was, would he be the one responsible for sealing the fate of what remained of his country, no, what remained of the entire continent? Perhaps eventually even the continent of Erista across the seas?

Perhaps he should reconsider this journey after all. Maybe he...

His train of thought was cut short as Sybil stumbled out through the door, looking around for a moment before making her way over towards him. His expression hardened as she giggled and glanced around the ruins of the capital. "So that's all you have to say huh," He pushed himself off the rock he had been seated on, still holding the grip of his weapon loosely. "Then again, of course it is, I don't know what I expected." He reacted to her unfinished sentence and slight stutter instantly, tightening his grip on his weapon and raising it to within a hair's breadth of her throat in a matter of seconds. "Finish that thought," He bit out roughly. "I'm not in the mood for secrets, nor am I interested in liberating the remains of cities devoid of human life."

"Are you having second thoughts about helping me?" He held his blade steady, not moving it the slightest bit towards or away from her throat. "I told you what it is I seek to do, what you are to help me do, rid this world of all monsters and the Old Gods. I'm not interested in playing war games, trading territory back and forth, I've been doing that for eight long years now." His emerald eyes glowed with fury and sorrow as he recalled eight bloody years worth of battle.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil quirked an eyebrow at the prince's rather prickly response to her initial outburst, though this was stopped as the man had suddenly unsheathed his blade, the cold kiss of steel hovering right near her throat. For a second, the woman held her breath, amber eyes wide as small moons, though no fear settled within her. It was anticipation. The atmosphere between them lingered all upon the blade that was taunting her, causing her expression to twist as the whispers began again within her mind. Why would he not press the blade closer, dare to drain her life now? She wished intensely for the whispers to end, so why..?

Closing her eyes, she realized her facial expression was beginning to turn frustrated, from the downturn of her lips and the surprise fading from her expression. "...Secrets, huh?" Her voice took on a far colder tone, lacking the whimsical cheerfulness she had been displaying so naturally earlier. It was almost as if his display of aggression had flipped a switch within her, causing her rather erratic displays to fade, her thin face turning to look directly at him, the skin around her eyes narrowing in displeasure. How vexing this little princeling was. Couldn't he merely play along and let this cursed knowledge within her remain buried? Granted, so far all she received from the man was disgust and rude behavior, but she couldn't truly fault him for feeling such a way. It was deserved, but she cared not, nor could she afford to allow herself to give a single ounce of care.

She stared blankly back into the emeralds that held equal fury and sorrow, a pain that displayed so obviously within his eyes that she felt... envy. How easy it was for this prince to display his emotions, to allow himself to express his own pain without words. A heavy sigh had left her lips as she stepped back, away from the blade angled at her throat, "You really have no delicacy do you? Oh what a horrible shame it is!" She fanned a hand dismissively at him, her amber eyes surveying instead their surroundings, "No, I'm not having seconds thoughts, little fool. I couldn't even flee if I wanted to." Sybil was quick to slip into her previous cheer, waving her cuffed wrists before the prince to add emphasis to her point, "I. Cannot. Use. Magic." Each word was punctuated with a bit of frustration, even if her face truly didn't seem to match the anger in her words, the anti-magic cuffs were annoying, and if she decided to flee, she wouldn't get too far. Her body was weak, nor could she run very fast due to being starved for so long.

Dropping her arms to her side, the woman stepped past him, kicking at a loose pebble before her, the sound of the pebble echoing in the silence as she debated on spilling everything. There was no point to keeping anything from him, anyways if she were to die at the end of their little quest. "Grandmother." The word was spoken like a curse from her lips, punctuated with so much venom that it was surprising that the woman could even so much as muster any rage within her madness... or what seemed like madness, though one couldn't be too sure. Considering there was little moments of clarity she displayed, where the insanity seemed to ebb, there was truly no telling what was really her genuine self. "Ygdis hates Grandmother." She kicked the pebble again as she approached it, staring at the ground as if the sentence made sense, the whispers within her mind making the woman place a hand to her head out of habit, considering now she could have free reign of moving her limbs.

"...I hate Grandmother too." That sentence was spoken far quietly than the others, the lack of cheer in her tone being evident as she finally turned to look back at the prince with a tense smile on her face, "But, Grandmother is too strong right now for us to kill. Too strong. Too strong! She would... she would.." She lowered her gaze to the rubble as her amber eyes grew distant. Remembering the Old God that loomed over her shoulder for her whole life, her dearest grandmother... she shivered, her face becoming as pale as a sheet as she shook her head, "Ygdis first." Firmly speaking the small sentence, Sybil turned on her heel as she called cheerfully over her shoulder, "Come now, little princeling! We're wasting time talking! Do you want to waste all day chattering? Not I!"

With a hum, Sybil had paused, settling her gaze eastward, although hearing Ygdis's incomprehensible words from so far away was easy enough, it still made the woman's nerve set on edge as agitation caused her jaw to clench. Be quiet! She shook her head, turning her gaze to the prince once more as if checking to see if he was actually following her, though this caused a spark to settle in her eyes as she raised her cuffs to him once more, as if to try to draw his attention to it, "You know... the journey could be a lot easier if you get rid of these! I can teleport us!" Her bright, wide grin then seemed a bit unsettling though as she stared expectantly at him. But, perhaps freeing her at this moment in time wouldn't be a good move, especially with how erratic her behavior was just moments before.

 

[Key of Stars]

The sudden shift in the crazy woman's tone caught Arthur by surprise, so much so that he didn't readjust his blade as she stepped back, somewhat awkwardly lowering it to his side instead. Perhaps those were her true feelings shining through, or perhaps the specific topic had annoyed her. He didn't know, and truthfully, he didn't care to find out. "My etiquette instructor used to say the same thing." He bit back as she insulted him, though the genuine annoyance in his voice was clear. He sharply nodded as she expressed her inability to use magic. "It should have always been like that. The world would have been spared a lot of sorrow if you had been born utterly talentless."

He slightly adjusted his blade as she stepped past him but ultimately didn't raise it back up. "Grandmother? What the hell are-" She had said the word with more emotion than any of her earlier words that day, for the first time Arthur felt actual anger from her voice, he'd heard annoyance and frustration in it before but those paled in comparison to the way she had uttered her last word. He fell silent without finishing his sentence as she continued talking, slowly following after her as she kicked a loose pebble away from herself. Surely the woman wasn't talking about her actual grandmother? He would have heard of such a person if they existed, hadn't the crazy woman in front of him killed her entire family? Then again, what did he truly know about her family? She'd been a noble, her family name wasn't new to him, but he had been the crown prince, he'd only dabbled in the politics surrounding the noble houses. He certainly didn't know every noble in the kingdom by heart and any document that could have given him a straight answer would have long since been burned to a crisp.

Still, the way she spoke of this 'Grandmother' he couldn't imagine it was a human she was talking about. They almost had to be an Old God, but if so, why a name like Grandmother, an as far as he knew strictly human concept, did the Old Gods even have parents? Her explanation raised far more questions than it answered for the prince. He considered raising his blade again and forcing her to spit out what it was this 'Grandmother' would do to them but ultimately decided against pushing the subject for now. The topic had had a much bigger effect on the woman than anything before, the expression of the very woman who hadn't so much as flinched back when he put a sword at her throat seemed actually fearful for the first time as she spoke of Grandmother's strength.

The shift back to her weirdly cheerful tone still caught him of guard but it didn't surprise him nearly as much anymore. "Stop calling me that." He trailed after her slowly, wondering if she assumed he had planned on making the entire journey on foot. He shook his head at her expectant stare, he obviously wasn't going to take off the cuffs, and he doubted she had actually expected him to. She might have looked frail and harmless in her current state but the moment those cuffs came off she would once again be able to wield the magic she used to raze the continent together with the Old Gods freely. Arthur wasn't a novice with the sword, a combination of the lessons he had received from various instructors and the eight years of near constant life or death battles had made him a more than formidable swordsman. But, against her magic, his skill with the sword would do him little good.

"No, I have already arranged for a different mode of transportation." He raised two fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp loud whistle without prior warning. Just a moment later one of the rebels came to a halt next to the prince. Sliding off the horse he'd brought and handing the prince the reigns with a small nod before turning around and walking back towards the tower without sparing the woman as much as a glance. Arthur swung himself into the saddle with ease, staring down at the woman he'd be travelling with from his newly gained vantage point. "Get on." He reluctantly extended his hand towards her, not expecting her to be able to climb on herself, given the state her body was in. He would have much rather given her her own horse than have her behind him but the rebellion only had a very limited amount of horses left, much as he hated it, it was better to share.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

As Sybil peered expectantly at the man, her smile had quirked up a bit wider at him not liking her "affectionate" nickname for him. "What? Is it not true? Does it not fit you?" She lowered her arms to hang limply at her sides, "I'm afraid I won't obey that command, little princeling. It's an endearing name for you! Besides, it's been far too many years since I've last been in the court... I'm afraid I've forgotten my manners. Oops." The last word came out as a slight hiss, a biting tone perhaps still a bit agitated due to his all too pushy question earlier for her to elaborate. Sybil didn't want to remember much more, and quite frankly her mood had been turning quite foul and would have perhaps worsened if she'd not adjusted accordingly and forced the topic elsewhere.

Nonetheless, her cheery attitude had returned slightly as Arthur had refused her attempt to remove the cuffs, causing the woman to sigh in exasperation, "Aww, you're no fun!" Magic had been exhilarating when she had discovered it, the only thing that she had performed wonderfully at. The only thing that drawn admiration to her aside from physical appearance, it made her feel at first wanted, and the praise had been all that she strove for... but it also proved to be as much as a curse as it was a blessing. The prince's rather barbed words earlier when he stated the world would've been better off if she had been born talentless had came to her mind, causing her smile to falter. And she wholeheartedly agreed with the statement. If only she hadn't awakened to this forsaken magic, or even was birthed across the seas then maybe she wouldn't be beholden to these creature's whispers in her mind, a mind that had suffered since birth because of it. She resented this power now, and even if she felt powerless because of the anti-magic cuffs, perhaps that was for the best?

Even if she could hear their whispers in her mind, her Grandmother's voice was finally silent, too weak to speak over the crescendo of voices within her own mind. The anti-magic cuffs had seemed to at least dull the sensation, which was a much needed relief. Though, Sybil certainly wished the other Old Gods' voices would quiet, it was better than hearing her voice in her head. The thought process had made Sybil become unusually quiet, her smile fading as she'd barely noticed the sound of hooves against the uneven ground, only being prompted to look up as the beast had came to a halt before her, causing her to tilt her head at it and the rebel that came with it... only for the other male to completely ignore her as if she wasn't there. That caused an amused snort to leave her, her amber eyes becoming disinterested just as quickly. It was fine, perhaps it was even better this way if she was ignored in others presence? She didn't want to have to deal with all of the screaming, or tears, maybe even anger, though she knew it was justified.

Regardless, the woman turned her head left and right as the prince had approached the horse, almost as if looking curiously for one of her own. It was only when the man had settled upon the beast's back and extended his hand to her had the woman finally stared at him as if he had grown a second head, cocking to head to one side and staring at his outstretched hand and back to him. "...There's no other horse?" The words were spoken suspiciously, as if her mind was trying to actually process what she was seeing before her eyes. This was very strange. Considering the man's interactions with her prior, she would have expected to at the very least be tied to the animal or dragged behind like baggage if there was indeed no other horse... or perhaps was her mind painting the prince to be far crueler than reality? She stared suspiciously at his outheld hand again, eyebrows knitting together as confusion was still as clear as day on her face, an actual emotion other than the crazed expressions she had insisted on displaying earlier.

However, this was soon to fade as she shook her head at him, forcing a crazed grin on her face as she approached him, "How surprisingly kind of you!" Sybil then, for the first time in perhaps years had finally gripped another's hand, a human hand. Her skin was cold to the touch, unsurprising due to the chill of the winter air and being stuck in the tower for so long, her bony, thin fingers held an icy chill. Though, perhaps if the woman dared to even eat healthily again, she would perhaps regain warmth to the thin digits as she struggled at first to get atop the horse, her strength being very much weak. What consisted of her trying to pull herself up with all she had was perhaps little more than a very light tug upon the prince's hand as she huffed, struggling to scramble her way upon the saddle, eventually with much effort, Sybil was victoriously sitting behind the man, even if she looked rather haggard from all the effort she had to give to do something so simple. "Hah... hah... that... hah... was... more difficult... than.. I... remember.." Being out of breath from the slightest exertion was concerning, especially considering they were to set out to kill an Old God right away, was she even physically able to do anything?

Sybil's eyes screwed shut as she could feel the horse beneath them shift its weight, prompting the woman to feel unnerved. Even before, Sybil never truly liked riding upon horseback, preferring to either ride by carriage or use magic to transport herself anywhere she wished. There was never an emphasis on Sybil learning to properly ride a horse either, as magic was quite prominent in the years she had went to the academy, and she never desired to go near the creatures due to how unpredictable to her they were. It was yet another flash of humanity in the far-gone woman as she dared to open her eyes and stare down at the ground beneath them, her already pale face paling further. She didn't like this, not one bit. Why was it swaying? Did it really have to be breathing so loud? Nervously, the woman had unapologetically wrapped her thin arms around the prince's middle, her arms trembling a bit to try to secure herself and make sure she wouldn't fall. Didn't horses also buck people off? She had heard that was a possibility before... ugh, this was why she didn't like the big creatures! ..Even if this horse hadn't done a single thing yet.

"H-hurry up! W-we need to cover ground! J-just..." She closed her eyes tight again, squeezing them as tightly as she could to prevent herself from looking down at the ground again, "E-east. East!" Repeating the direction that they needed to go in with a very much shaky voice as she clearly wasn't going to be looking where they were going until they started moving.

 

[Key of Stars]

"What? Did you expect me to have you run behind the horse? You wouldn't even make it past that pile of rubble before passing out." Arthur raised an eyebrow at her comment as she grabbed his hand, surprised to feel how cold her hand was to the touch, even through the thin fabric of the armored glove he wore. It wasn't all too unnatural, she had been locked up in the tower's prison without clothes or any other way of keeping warm after all. Still, he hadn't been prepared for just how cold it felt. But it was fitting for a cold-blooded murderer like her, he decided with a small, almost unnoticeable, shrug.

Still, he thought, when she had finally managed to raise herself into the saddle behind him, her condition was worrying. The fact that she was this out of breath from something as trivial as climbing onto a horse was a bad sign. How fast would she be out of breath during a fight? Would she even be able to cast her magic, was casting magic physically draining? He'd never tried. Either way, he decided he would make sure she got enough to eat whenever they would stop to rest for a moment. Having to spend more rations on her than strictly necessary to keep her alive annoyed him, but if she wasn't even physically able to cast her magic she would be nothing more than deadweight and he'd be marching, or well, riding, straight to his death by challenging an Old God.

He stiffened as she wrapped her arms around his middle, debating whether or not to tell her to cut it out but ultimately deciding against it, with the state her body was in, falling off the horse might actually be fatal. Besides, while it wasn't pleasant for him, he didn't imagine it was any nicer for her, his body might be warm but the same couldn't be said for the metal armor he was clad in. He wondered if that was the reason her arms were trembling or if... surely not, the biggest criminal in known history, the one who terrorized the continent for years nearly unopposed, was afraid of riding a horse. If it had been anyone other than her behind him he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from laughing out loud for the first time in a long while at the thought. Even with the situation as it was he couldn't stop his shoulders from silently shaking a little in amusement, glad she couldn't see his face from behind his back.

Her shaking voice and panicked tone only served to confirm his suspiscion, almost sending him over the edge of laughter. For the prince, travelling by horse was almost as natural as walking. Having been taught the skill at the young age of eight and having never stopped practicing since, he enjoyed the activity a lot. Going as far as to insist on travelling by horseback when those around him tried to force him into a carriage. Whenever he'd needed to clear his head Arthur would leave the bustling palace and capital behind and go for a ride in the forest just outside the walls. The ghost of a smile played around his lips at the memories as he stroked the horse's head a few times gently before digging his heels into the side of the animal, signalling the start of their journey east.

"So," Arthur finally spoke up after they had travelled in silence for a while. "Ygdis, was it? Give me some more information on him." The prince didn't know much about the Old Gods except for their strength, which he had experienced first-hand at one time. He hadn't been alone when he faced the Old God, the only one he'd ever faced in eight years, but he had been alone and with the wound that time transformed into the scar decorating his face when he was forced to flee. "Only information that is relevant to me, I'm not interested in facts that won't prove useful down the line." He wasn't sure how much she'd been willing and planning to share but he figured he'd add the additional instruction anyway, lest he'd be forced to listen to her rambling about the Old God.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil's eyes slowly flickered open for a brief moment as she felt slight movement from the man in front of her, prompting the woman's gaze to settle upon the slight shaking of the man's shoulders. Was he... was he laughing at her? A feeling of indignance had settled in the woman, eyebrows furrowing in a tinge of frustration that her fear could be seen as a source of amusement, then again she couldn't be too sure. She could not see the prince's face from her position, but the woman was embarrassed to say the least, a huff of annoyance finally leaving past cracked lips, only for her to panic as soon as the man had dug his heels into the sides of the horse, prompting the animal to begin moving much to Sybil's horror.

A soft, fearful whimper left her lips immediately as her grip on the man's middle had strengthened, her cracked fingernails scrapping against the metal plate of his armor, although being too dull to actually leave any damage against the surface. Her body hunched over, cheek pressing tightly against the wide back in front of her as her eyes squeezed shut, the rocking feeling of the animal underneath her doing little to calm her nerves. Of course, Sybil normally wouldn't dare to cling to the man in front of her for any reason, but she would make an exception this time. The icy chill of the plate against her cheek sent shivers down her spine, doing little to keep her truly comfortable with the winter wind being as unforgiving as ever, sinking into her thin body and chilling her to her bones.

She didn't dare open her eyes for the longest time, allowing the silence to stretch between them as she stubbornly kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut until they began to ache, the discomfort finally managing to force the woman's eyes to peek at their surroundings. Considering they'd been traveling for quite a while, she could barely recall where they were, causing the woman to hesitantly look over her shoulder to see the tower in the distance behind them, standing eerily amidst the rubble of Moonhaven like a sore thumb. The rocking of the horse made the woman uneasy however, as the terrain of what used to be rolling fields of grass was now churned dirt and blackened, burned grass. The woman's head craned back as they had passed the remnants of a statue, though that perhaps was destroyed in her rampage so many years ago. The thought made her turn her head away immediately, expression remaining uncomfortable as her eyes shifted down to the ground underneath them passing by. She perhaps would have continued to do so if the prince's voice hadn't interrupted her, causing the woman to jerk her head up and loosen her grip on him slightly, curiosity sparking in her eyes at what he was to say... only for it to vanish immediately at the bluntness of his request, causing the woman to shake her head as she grumbled, "You really are no fun. Mean."

The sentence was spoken childishly as the woman looked uneasily again to the ground below them, swallowing nervously as she tightened her grip again, the little movements of the horse making her feel uneasy as she struggled to keep herself from slouching too much, trying to turn over information in her mind to try and recall whatever she possibly could from her interactions with the Old Gods over the years. A sickening feeling settled in her stomach as her eyes turned downcast, silence greeting the prince's words for the longest time as her reluctance seemed to ooze from the woman, growing stronger with each passing second. It was odd with her changing behavior in regards to information about the Old Gods themselves, although the woman could freely talk about their destructive might all day: but that wasn't useful or important. It was obvious from the amount of destruction the five physical Old Gods had wrought, with her Grandmother being the only one that wasn't wholly physical in their reality, though that would be a topic for another time if Sybil felt like speaking on her.

"Ygdis is very strong, though that's obvious enough. All of the Old Gods are currently fighting over territory, though their physical forms aren't... complete." Sybil finally began, her tone for once being serious and lacking her previous spirit, "Their forms had been growing massive with each passing day as they suck mana from the land, as well as slowly draw upon their physical bodies from their prison. They desire to fully reform themselves in this world, as well as devour each other; for only an Old God can slay another permanently. Even their children, the gods that mortals revere like Phildia or Azeya for example couldn't do much against them. To say the least, all of them hate each other, and all of them desire total domination over this world."

"Ygdis is currently one of the weakest ones right now, his reformation is very slow so he is nowhere near his full power, and he specializes in earth affinity... though that goes into magic theory that I'm sure you don't want to concern yourself with, little princeling." She paused, her expression twisting with annoyance as another whisper echoed in her mind from Ygdis's direction causing the woman to desire to clam her hands over her ears as if that would help, though she stubbornly pressed on, "They also have a core within their bodies, responsible for drawing their mana into them as well as their trapped essence within the other realm. Though I'm sure Ygdis's is located in his stomach... I think. It's... been awhile." She mumbled that last sentence, an odd silence settling over her.

"Mmm... but that's all I can tell you for now that you'll deem 'useful'. We'll be able to kill him no problem as long as you make sure to get these cuffs off of me when the time comes." Sybil's tone had returned back to the giddiness she had before, though from what she had said, specifically about only an Old God could slay another permanently left reason for one to be either concerned or confused, followed by her reassurance and confidence that they would be able to kill Ygdis easily. Obviously, the woman wasn't telling the prince everything, holding back important information from him once again, but could one truly blame her? She had no reason to put any faith in the prince before her, and he had no reason to put any faith in her even if there was no deceit in her words.

 

[Key of Stars]

"I'm not trying to be fun." Arthur received nothing but silence in response to his earlier question for the longest time. He might've actually started to worry if the woman had fallen off the horse if it wasn't for the lack of screaming and the thin arms still tightly wrapped around his middle. Maybe she simply did not want to talk about it at all, or maybe not to him specifically, either way he did not feel like pushing her for information after last time so he returned his focus to the terrain in front of him, emerald eyes reflecting the traces of destruction of the kingdom he once called his own. Eventually though, against his expectations, she did start talking. He raised his eyes from the burned terrain and focused back on her voice, shifting his grip on the reigns to a more comfortable position.

"So we never even stood a chance, huh." He muttered, more so to himself than anything, not wanting to interrupt her story. The revelation that only an Old God could kill another Old God left him feeling conflicted. On the one hand, he was glad he'd never attempted to fight an Old God directly again after the first catastrophic attempt. But on the other, the deaths of those who were with him when they fought the Old God had always weighed on him, and now, knowing they never even had a chance, weighed on him that much more. Not only that, the revelation also left him with a single burning question, still, he'd wait, if he interrupted her now she might just stop her story altogether.

"I told you to stop calling me that, and you're right, I'm not interested in magic theory unless it will somehow help us kill that demon." From where he was seated he was unable to see her expression, even if he turned his head. That being the case he had taken her silence to mean she was waiting for a response from him. Though maybe that hadn't been it, seeing as she continued her story without ever acknowledging his response. "Reassuring." He wasn't all too sure what would happen if she was wrong about the location of this so called core, but he couldn't imagine it being anything positive.

He nodded somewhat absent-mindedly. "I'll remove the cuffs when I need to, you don't need to remind me." The whole conversation left him both confused and with a lot to think about. Why was she so confident they would be able to kill Ygdis when she'd just said that only an Old God could kill another Old God? Maybe she was a special case, he didn't know much, or rather anything, about this sort of thing but it didn't seem too farfetched. She was the one who summoned the Old Gods into this world after all, it wouldn't be too strange if she had a connection to them unlike any other. But if that was the case, why hadn't she just explained it like that? Either way, speculating wasn't going to get him anywhere, he would just have to ask her about it, and he was going to, later. Right now, he had things to ponder on, he'd gained far more information than he had expected Sybil would be willing to share with him and he had to think about what it all meant, both for him and the rebellion.

They continued riding until the sun started to dip behind the horizon, wrapping the broken land around them in dark shadows. "Let's stop here for today, I don't know how much further we have to go but I'd rather not arrive in the middle of the night." She hadn't told him where exactly they were going nor had she given any indication of how long the journey would be, she had simply told him to go east and that's exactly what he had done so far. He signaled for the horse to stop near the burned ruins of a large building surrounded by dead trees, Arthur quickly slung his leg over the side of the horse, his armored boots hitting the ground with a slight thud. He approached the remains of the building carefully, quickly making sure there were no creatures in the area, he judged the building itself wouldn't give much shelter with the state it was in, but with the floor still largely intact it would beat sleeping on the cold winter ground instead.

Walking around the ruins, he was nearly certain he'd been here before. He wasn't sure anymore of what the building had been, it had been too long ago and far too much had happened since then. Still, he was confident he would remember if he thought about a bit longer, then again, maybe he shouldn't want to remember. Perhaps it was better to just let the past stay in the past and turn his attention towards the future. Though, as long as even just one Old God roamed these lands freely he couldn't allow himself to be optimistic.

He returned to the horse, rummaging around in the bags hanging off the saddle and pulling out a loaf of somewhat fresh bread and a piece of dried meat. "Eat." He impatiently held the food out for Sybil to take, turning back to the bag when she had done so and pulling out a sharpening stone. Only when he'd sat down with his back against a largely intact support pillar of the building and pulled out his weapon to sharpen did he finally breach the subject he'd been pushing off for a while. "Say, you are human, are you not?"

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil had released a faint sigh in response to his words, allowing him the necessary silence to absorb the information she'd given him. It wasn't completely out of courtesy that she had went silent, more that she felt a tingle of discomfort again as another stray whisper had echoed into the back of her mind, sending shivers of unease down her spine. "...me... to... Come... to..." The whisper was too faint, too weak than it had been in her earlier years, but she knew the sinister whisper too intimately by now to be at ease. Another whimper left her lips as the woman pressed closer to the prince, squeezing her eyes shut. Did that mean she was getting stronger again? That wasn't a possibility right? N-no, it can't be. Ignore her. The woman instead had cast her mind to focus on the all too rumbling groaning of Ygdis, his words still very much incomprehensible in her mind than the other, weaker voice, but she dared not fixate on it.

Her herculean efforts to ignore the sinister voice lasted far into the evening hours, though by that point her expression seemed surprisingly exhausted, her breathing slight with fear as her grip on the prince had slackened when he finally urged the horse to a stop. The prince's voice had snapped her out of the exhausted stupor she'd been in, prompting the woman's head to whip around in confusion as she had not been paying much attention to the journey till that point, the mental strain she had been assaulted by having taken most of her attention, and by extention her chattering. Her amber eyes settled upon the burned ruined building before them, surrounded by the dead trees. Even to her, it seemed like this area had been drained of mana, probably from very long ago when she had first started her rampage. The woman didn't recognize it, but she wasn't about to put much thought to it.

The aching of her calves and thighs made her wince as her mind was becoming more aware of where she was and the sensations going through her body, a thin hand coming to gingerly rub at her face due to the icy kiss of metal against her already frigid skin, her hips protesting due to straddling the saddle for quite a long amount of time as her gaze followed the prince as envy burned in her heart for how easy it seemed for him to get down from the horse... wait, how would she be able to get down herself? Now that the saddle had a now large vacant spot before her, Sybil's hands nervously gripped the saddle horn as she awkwardly shifted her weight forward, staring with wide eyes at the ground below her, deeming in her mind that it would indeed hurt if she were to throw herself down from the saddle itself. She already had a hard enough time climbing on and that was with the prince's help.

Swallowing nervously, her eyes darted over to the prince, "U-um.." Her tone was meek, shaky with both mental strain and embarrassment, though it was quick to die on her tongue considering he seemed far too interested in wandering around the ruins of the building itself, causing her to stare at the ground again with uneasiness. Considering the light was dying within the skies above slowly but surely, it was getting more difficult for her to judge the distance between herself and the cold earth below, and her legs were beginning to shake out of the pain lancing through them the longer she hesitated. Just as she was about to commit to the rather rash idea of flinging herself off from the horse, Sybil's attention settled on the man approaching her, only for him to rummage through the saddlebags... much to Sybil's dismay.

I want to strangle him. The venomous thought echoed in her mind as her thin fingers tightened around the saddle horn before her, expression twitching with irritation as she was just about to open her mouth to make her need known when she was halted by suddenly the aroma of bread and meat, her eyes widening in surprise at the single command as she hesitated and promptly snatched the bread and meat from his fingers, the aching pain of her legs being temporarily forgotten as her stomach growled loudly. Considering all she had been fed that day was a cold and barely edible piece of bread, the prospect of having fresh food was enough to nearly make Sybil cry for joy... if she still wasn't stuck in her current predicament of being trapped.

Taking in a breath, she shifted about on the saddle again as he had moved away from her, her expression turned into a grimace as she finally slipped from the saddle although in a crumpled heap of awkward limbs and a rather clumsy landing considering her legs felt far too weak to support her, causing the woman to let out a quiet grunt of pain only to crumble in between breaths as she scrambled to retrieve the precious food that had fallen on the icy ground, "...Stupid horse..."

Brushing off the food of dirt, the woman was quick to begin to ravenously tear into the bread and dried meat, although the flavors were tainted, she didn't very much care. If she could fill her empty stomach, she was more than happy with the very simple meal that had been given to her. The woman barely had reached to the sound of the prince sharpening his weapon, too engrossed in her feast until she froze as he spoken up.

Swallowing down the piece of bread, Sybil's gaze settled on the prince then as her eyes narrowed at him in displeasure, "You really do have a knack for asking annoying questions. Are you trying to make me angry on purpose?" Sybil shook his head at him, forcing her irritating cheer in her tone, "What? Would it make you feel better if I said I was a demon? It would fit, would it not? That the criminal that everyone is so afraid of is actually a monster wearing human skin!" The sarcasm dripping in her tone was evident as she turned her back to him so that he couldn't see her expression, taking another bite of the dried meat remaining in her hands, though the taste was now foul on her tongue.

"...You really are unpleasant." Resentment finally seeped through her tone, though she didn't seem to want to elaborate further, having seemingly refused to give him a straight answer and settle instead on barbed and sarcastic responses. However, it seemed like he really had struck a nerve in her. She shakily stood to her feet, cramming the last bit of bread into her mouth as she still didn't face the man and awkwardly limped over to the building, settling herself on the wooden floorboards and laying down on her back, wincing at the throbbed pain within her legs and thighs as she groaned, "Ugh... how can you walk around normally after riding on that thing!" She jabbed a finger in the horse's direction, her other arm having draped over her own face to prevent him from looking at it, "I don't think I can walk... it hurts too much."

 

[Key of Stars]

"You know." Arthur called out, looking up from his weapon for a moment. "You could have asked for help. Throwing the food on the ground is a bit wasteful don't you think? Especially considering I gave you my share as well." He didn't wait for an answer before turning his attention back to the flawless edge of his weapon, running the sharpening stone over the silver in an almost rhythmic fashion.

"That," He put the weapon down next to him, carefully placing the sharpening stone down on top of it to make sure he wouldn't lose it. "Is not at all why I asked. Though, you know, it would be a lot less exhausting for me if you could stop trying to sound so cheerful about everything when there is absolutely nothing to be the slightest bit happy about." The vexation in his voice was clear as his tone became harsher with every word he spoke. "I asked because you seem to think it makes perfect sense to mention that only an Old God can kill another Old God only to then immediately tell me that the two of us will be able to kill Ygdis easily. There is obviously a lot you are not telling me and if I have to make you angry to get you to spill it, so be it!" He bit out, talking to her back.

The greatest criminal on the entire continent, and the moment she got a little angry she turned around to sulk like a little kid, great. He was properly pissed off now and his mood only worsened when she told him he was unpleasant for what felt like the tenth time that day, though she had finally dropped her annoying mock cheer. "You've told me that already, plenty of times. I do not care what you think of me, I need you to tell me everything you know! My life is riding on this just as much as yours." He stood up, firmly grasping the sharpening stone in one hand while sheathing his blade with a loud but fluid movement with the other. "You might not care about your life anymore, but unlike you, I," He put a hand on his chest, though she wouldn't be able to see from where she was seated. "Actually have people waiting for me to come back, people who are depending on me."

"It's a horse, not some recently uncovered ancient method of transportation." He approached the horse, stroking its head gently despite his agitation. "The better question is why you can't walk around at all after sitting behind me for half of a day, weren't you a noble? Didn't they teach you anything at all, horse riding is one of the most basic skills for a noble to learn." He walked around the horse, rummaging around in the bag on the other side of the saddle, pulling out a handful of hay. He was glad he'd had the foresight to take some with him on the journey, with the continent being as thoroughly damaged as it was, it wasn't uncommon to not find any edible grass at all while out on a journey. He held the hay in front of the horse and allowed it to eat from his hand as Sybil complained about not being able to walk.

"Well what do you want me to do about it?" He yelled back from behind the horse. "Do you want me to carry you or something?" He asked, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Listen," He walked over to her, wiping a few pieces of hay from his hands. "I do not care if you hate me, I do not care if you curse me out or find me unpleasant. But, I am giving you both my food and my life here. All because, as annoying as it is, I know I need you to accomplish what I want. Hell, if you want a massage because you can't even sit behind me on a horse for a day, I'll give it to you. But you need to tell me what you know, everything you know." It took every last bit of his willpower to not reach for his weapon then and there, every word he said hurting what little was left of his pride after eight depressing bloody years that much more.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil didn't know what she was expecting in response from the prince, but it certainly wasn't the anger filled tirade that made the woman's lips press in a tight line. He... he had given her his share as well? What kind of fool was he to do such a thing? Did he not know how little food they could hunt down, especially considering the mana flow in the earth had been properly ruined over such a long time period? Of course, like any decent human being, she felt guilty... but not as guilty as she would have been if she hadn't properly scavenged and ate every single piece of precious food that had fallen. She was a great many unpleasant things, but wasteful wasn't one of them.

She clicked her tongue at him as he begun to properly scold her over her snapping at him, the unpleasant feeling rising in her chest, "Well, I'm sorry for trying to attempt to lighten up the mood!" It was a rather weak retort, but for now it seemed as if she wasn't mustering up much sarcasm as he continued to explain to her how much he depended on her to succeed, on telling him everything. It was of great importance, he said. What a joke. Sybil snorted as she rolled over on her side to try to avoid even looking at him, but his words continued to meet their mark, much to her annoyance, making her expression twitch more so in agitation as she could hear his footsteps near the horse.

Her teeth gnawed on the inside of her cheek, his sarcasm in response making the woman finally sit upright from her position as she turned to glare at him right as he was standing behind her, though she could not see him too well in the dying light of the sun, she could faintly see the gleam of his emerald eyes in the darkness, the frustration oozing off of him being so honest that it made her visibly deflate, the expression in return on her face fading quickly from the anger and only settled on mild irritation as she seemed to be far more interested in looking away from him, settling on being silent.

"You are a fool." The words were scathing, shaking her head at him as she spoke icily, finally dropping her cheerfulness, "There is no point to spare not only your share on me when I am supposed to die at the end of this. I need to." She punctuated the need with quite a bit of emphasis in her tone, a thin hand coming to her head as she could feel a headache beginning to throb in her skull. This idiot... she supposed she needed to really take this more seriously considering he had made it explicitly clear that he had his life riding on her success, and that made her feel more so unpleasant.

"...Try riding a horse when you're almost starved to death, it's not as if my body is as it once was. It's not that difficult to figure out. I'm all skin and bones!" Sybil was certainly a shadow of her former self, a shell if it were. She was absolutely lovely in her prime, and even now she still could return to it if she had been taken care of properly, and of course with starvation came weakness, and it wasn't as if she had been in the best shape when the rebels had apprehended her either. The memories associated with the experience made her feel bile rise in the back of her throat as she shook her head to dispell the thoughts before they lingered. Now was no time to linger on it, if he needed information. Then fine, she would give it to him.

"As for your earlier questions, I would think it would have been better if you paid more attention to history." The woman's head turned upward to look at him, a bitter smile crossing her face, "It's quite funny, how Moonhaven in all of its wisdom decided to leave out very important information from the general public. Not a very smart move, now was it? But I'm not surprised, the royal family probably was told many years ago to disregard it by the council! They all were fools." She lightly shrugged her shoulders, knowing this wasn't making much sense, "Out of all of the Old Gods... who do you think escaped two times prior? Who is the most wicked and the strongest of them all, who destroyed victims to become her willing, mindless puppets? I'm sure Moonhaven never graced your ears with such knowledge, but it was my dearest... Grandmother. Iulla."

"She had taken a willing human host as her puppet twice before, always human women to seduce the first man she could sink her claws into. Thawyn the Mad should've been one of them," She waved single thin finger to the prince, "Though I'm sure his tale was one that was counted off as mere folklore to you, the one mage who brought disgrace upon Moonhaven, seduced by some unknown woman and was trying to summon more of Iulla's body into this world only to be thwarted and to throw himself to his death upon Iulla being banished."

She raised a second finger then, "Then across the seas in Iulla's second summoning to this world by her lovely cult members, she seduced a foreign king, King Aedrion, made the man's mind break and then he turned on his wife and daughter and slew them in cold blood before turning the blade on himself, while she had escaped," Sybil's body shifted to face him fully, now raising a third finger, "And this one, the most recent one that still was passed on as folklore... though I'm sure you saw the statue of him many times in Moonhaven. Emory May was his name in his homeland, but here he was known as the mercenary Ebras the Flame Demon. His mind was broken underneath Iulla's influence, forced to do unspeakable acts prior to his mind breaking down, and he had been used for the longest time to slaughter the opposing cult in these lands underneath Iulla's influence... but supposedly he was aided by some allies and had avoided a fate worse than death than the other two prior, and by extention threw Iulla back into her prison."

"But, during that time period, Iulla had brought children into this world, underneath a noble family's household across the seas. Who do you think was my great-great-great... great grandsire? His blood tainted by Old God's blood, but had strove to fight against Iulla's influence? Cynhearde Gallovan." Resentment burned in her voice then, lowering her gaze to the cold floor, "..And because of him, because of his decision to settle in Avrune, he had left Iulla, the mother he hated more than anything a gateway back. Who do you think is the fourth unfortunate soul for the Old God to target, after Iulla's rage had strengthened every time she was thwarted? Hmm?"

Sybil shook her head as she turned her gaze up to the prince, "...Me. Iulla chose me." The words were cold, spoken plainly as she was obviously being as serious as possible with him, "Her will is overpowering, and I had tried my best to suppress it as long as I could. But I failed, and this is the situation we're left with. Summoning the Old Gods to this realm? Destroying the land? Iulla wanted to punish the mortals she couldn't control, but she had weakened herself in doing so since she cannot use her full power unless she can possess a willing body. Unfortunately for her, and perhaps fortunately for the rest of you, I am not a willing host."

Sybil's eyes closed as she exhaled sharply, "But, her strength ebbs and flows. As she is still trapped beyond our realm, I'm like a little gateway for her if she can muster the strength to make me submit... and quite frankly I'm very exhausted." Her expression twisted in discomfort, now not looking him in the face, "I know this all sounds like a convenient excuse to shift the blame to someone else, but it's true. All of it. I... do not wish to speak on what she's done to me so far, so let us leave that buried. I'm sure you're not interested, nor do I want your useless pity if that can even still exist." Grunting, the woman had tried her best to get to her feet as she turned away from him, leaning upon one of the nearby pillars for support as she seemed far more interested in putting as much space between the two as she possibly could, though it seemed like she was trying to make her way past the little building, though luckily enough she had stopped and settled within the corner.

Grumbling quietly, she had broken the silence, "That's enough of a history lesson for today. I'm tired, don't ask me anymore questions for now." Clearly her mood wasn't the greatest, it seemed as if her attitude had seemed to worsen a bit more, head leaning against the pillar as her thin fingers gripped the cloak and wrapped it tighter around her thin body, suppressing shivers from going through her. The whispers within her head was slightly subdued, luckily enough, but the woman seemed tense nonetheless, a silence settling over her that made it quite clear she wasn't in the mood for more conversation. Yet, judging alone by how much she had spilled to him, perhaps she felt guilty, a bit of humanity slipping through, though her all too wild story seemed a bit farfetched to believe.

 

[Key of Stars]

"I've heard that one before," The exasperation buried within the words was clear as day. "You think I gave you my share out of kindness or pity? Obviously not, I gave you my share because I need you to improve your condition if we want to stand as much as a chance against our enemy. Whether or not you die after has nothing to do with it, until our job is done I need you alive and in acceptable condition." Her emphasis on the word 'need' did briefly strike him as odd, what did she mean by that? Yes, she was going to get executed after the conclusion of their journey, but the way she had said it, it almost seemed like she herself also thought she should die. Odd, considering she hadn't shown a shed of remorse before, then again, from the very start she had been going on about her grand execution, perhaps it wasn't that weird after all. Either way, Sybil continued her monologue so he was forced to cut his train of thought short to focus on her words once again.

"Then ask for a break! What, did you want me to read your mind? I can't exactly see your expression while I'm sitting in front of you you know, much less when you're clinging to me like your life depends on it." He would have taken a break if she had asked him to, a short one that is, he couldn't let them get held up for too long over a small issue such as this. "You could hardly expect me to be able to tell from your arms either, they were shaking from the moment you got on the horse."

He wanted to refute her next insult but he really couldn't, history classes in the palace had been one of his least favorite ways to spend the time, and that was if he was even present and not asleep in the first place. Still, he was sure he knew a fair bit about history, even if he had tried to avoid it, his personal tutor had been even more persistent than he had been evasive. Though, as she continued, It quickly became clear that she hadn't meant him specifically, but rather the entire royal family. His eyes lit up, first with curiosity though it quickly made way for burning hatred as she insulted not only the council, but also his family. What did she know about his family? All of them had been good people, his father had been a rightful and just king, his mother a strong but gentle queen and his sister had been kind to everyone she'd ever met. 'So you just killed them?' The words were on the tip of his tongue but, in the end, that is also where they stayed, if he interrupted her now she would undoubtedly just stop her story and he would have learned nothing.

He frowned at her question, how the hell was he supposed to know, he'd barely been taught anything about the Old Gods in the first place. Luckily, she didn't seem to intend to make it a guessing game, continuing her story without waiting for an answer. He was a little annoyed that she simply assumed the kingdom had never supplied him with the information but found it hard to blame her for assuming so, after all, she wasn't wrong. Iulla, so that was the grandmother she had been speaking of so bitterly back on the horse, still, he'd never heard of an Old God escaping before, let alone twice, yet he didn't doubt her words, he couldn't, not with the way she spoke them.

Thawyn... He knew Thawyn, who didn't. Thawyn the Mad, the one mage who was as famous as he was infamous. But the story as it had been passed on to him was different, there was not a single mention of the Old Gods in the version he'd been told. In the version he knew, Thawyn had simply gone mad with power and done unspeakable things before eventually killing himself when the knights of Moonhaven cornered him. It wasn't exactly a pleasant story and he'd always assumed it had been embellished a bit, especially the way it described the valiant efforts of the knights of Moonhaven, but for the entire reason for Thawyn's madness to be left out, he wasn't sure how to feel.

He didn't know the next person she mentioned but the name after almost made him gasp. Of course he knew Ebras the Flame Demon, he was even more famous than Thawyn. Though once again, the story he'd been told included no mention of the man's mind being broken by an Old God. He shook his head slowly, had his father known of this? Was he supposed to learn of this some day? Or had the kingdom decided that the truth of these stories should never come to light?

The fourth name she mentioned didn't ring a bell but the burning resentment in her voice and the common theme stringing all of the stories she'd told him together made it easy to guess what came next. He stared straight into her eyes as she said exactly what he had both been expecting and had been afraid to hear. He couldn't help it, the whole situation was so far beyond anything he'd expected, he threw his head back and laughed. A bitter laugh devoid of even the slightest shred of enjoyment, one only produced because he didn't know what else to say or do. "It does sound like a convenient excuse, but I do believe you." He didn't argue as she limped away, unable to think of anything to say after the information he had just learned, instead he simply nodded and let her rest.

He slid down against one of the pillars, placing a hand on his face. Shit, what the hell was he supposed to do and feel now? So all that destruction, all that death, all of it had been orchestrated by an Old God and Sybil, the one the entire continent despised, had been nothing more than a tool. Not just that, if he were to believe the woman, she had actually tried to resist but ultimately failed to keep the influence of the Old God at bay. Still, it wasn't like he could just forgive her, even if she wasn't in control, it had been her who caused this chaos, it had been her who killed his family. Even if he knew she hadn't done so of her own free will, looking at her and remembering the faces of his family made him feel sick to his stomach. He inwardly cursed, punching the support beam next to him with all his strength in an attempt to calm down.

Shit, he needed more time to think, and he needed sleep. Maybe he'd know how to feel in the morning.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil didn't know what to expect of the prince's reaction, but she had been far more prepared for the worst. In fact, she would have sooner expected the man to accuse her of being both a liar and a coward, if only due to the absurdity of the truth that she had to shoulder on her own. She without a doubt would have embraced it without flinching, but what she hadn't expected or perhaps anticipated from the man was for him to say that he believed her. For a single second, the woman's expression twisted in confusion as she dared to look over her shoulder toward the man, disbelief settling in her eyes before she turned her head away from him from her spot. Why did he persist to defy her expectations? It was... vexing to say the least, unable to truly anticipate what he would do. But, maybe it was out of desperation that he was merely saying such a thing?

Of course, the woman couldn't help but feel a tingle of relief when she heard his all too loud punch against the nearby support beam. Finally, an expected reaction. Luckily she was not the recipient, but for now she deemed that speaking any further on the matter would not be smart. Both of them needed their much needed space, and it wasn't as if Sybil would go back on her previous dismissive stance. She needed much needed rest as well, and considering nightfall was beginning to claim the skies, the woman allowed her weakened body to settle upon the remaining creeking floorboards beneath her, curling into a tight ball as if to preserve the little warmth that still clung to her body as she pulled the thin, ragged cloak tighter around her to keep in the heat, eyelids closing eventually as her exhaustion was beginning to catch up with her and drag her under into slumber, even if she truly didn't desire to.

...​

The darkness that greeted her in her unconsciousness made the woman immediately feel an all consuming feeling of dread. Although, in the grip of a dream, the lack of feeling in her limbs accompanied by the heavy silence had made fear begin to bundle and coil in her stomach. She didn't want to be here, she'd not had this particular dream in quite awhile since the anti-magic cuffs had been thrust upon her by the rebels, and part of her had the naive and hopeful thought that perhaps the cuffs would nullify any possibility of her being able to reach out. The emptiness of not having dreams was much preferred over this.

On shaky legs, Sybil forced herself to her feet as she looked about, struggling to find any sign of a shape at all in the darkness, for there was only silence and not even the slightest sound of breath from any living creature, but she knew better. These forced audiences with Iulla were always irritating affairs, but considering her dear Grandmother was so weak, she didn't think that the Old God would even try to expend any further energy other than the fleeting weak whispers within Sybil's own head.

"I know you're here. I don't have all the time in the world to be wasted like this." Sybil had raised her voice, calling out into the darkness as she tried her best to make her tone firm, though it did little to hide her uneasiness as she felt the ground upon which she was standing begin to shake as large eyes peered down at her, blacken ichor dripping slowly from the inky darkness from the creature now settled before her, the blood and familiar rip of injuries on the Old God's broken and almost faded body made Sybil's expression twist into a sneer, relief causing her heart to pound within her chest; though that foolish emotion failed to last long as an ancient voice, soft and lovely was spoken in a tone that cut like a blade.

"If you know why I'm here, then you should know full well how... disappointed I am in you. Running from me is the quickest way you can truly irritate me, and it seems like you're de...de..." Her voice weakened suddenly, becoming so faded that Sybil could barely hear it, the massive body before shedding more blackened blood from her broken flesh, causing Sybil to scramble backward as a large fist slammed down where she had been standing seconds ago, the atmosphere turning heated with rage.

"I will not permit this behavior from the likes of you! Do you think I am unaware of what you're trying to do?! Do you think me a fool!" The large voice roared, making Sybil clamp her hands over her ears as she felt her body sink to the floor, eyes wide as the voice trembled, "I've been here for far too long for you to deny me! It seems to me that you've forgotten your place!" Pain flared then from within Sybil's chest, eyes growing wide as she felt the pain surge upward as slowly it felt like she was being carved from the inside out, a blade perhaps?

Scrambling, her hands came to clutch at her throat, struggling to take breath into her lungs as the sensation became more so painful, the slick warmth of her blood beginning to surge from underneath her skin and stained her fingertips, "S-stop! I-" Her panicked tone was interrupted, stopped by a surge of crimson spewing from her mouth and nose, gasping for air even though part of her was well aware that this wasn't reality. However, these dreams always seemed to end so abruptly, the pain surging within her just as she thought that Iulla's grip upon her was very much tight, that her torture was only just beginning, she felt her body being suddenly ripped away, throwing her back into the waking world.

...​

Sybil's body jolted as she quickly sat up, thin fingers surging to her neck and mouth, her mind trying to confirm whether she truly was beginning to ooze blood.. however considering it was just a dream; she had soon let out a heavy sigh as her eyes settled upon the skies above. The pinkish hue of the morning sun was beginning to break through the darkness of night, signifying that she had perhaps slept for a decent few hours despite the exhaustion and faded sensation of pain within her.

Sour expression immediately coming to her face, the woman didn't feel Iulla's presence which was a relief for once. The whispering from the Old God didn't echo in her mind, which made her wonder if her dear Grandmother had suddenly ran out of mana while she was attempting to torment her. It wouldn't be a surprise, but she certainly was in luck that it hadn't gotten too far or too vivid, not even wanting to consider the possibility of what could happen if her mind by chance turned out to be too weak in its current state.

 

[Key of Stars]

Arthur woke up before sunrise as he always did, he'd always had a lot of work to do as the leader of the rebellion and as a soldier himself so he always started his day early. He yawned into his hand, placing it on his face after. "No good, huh." He'd hoped that he would know how to feel after getting some sleep yet now that he had opened his eyes he could clearly tell he still didn't know. He glanced over to where Sybil had gone to sleep from under his hand, unable to actually spot her through the darkness. Given the state her body was in he sincerely hoped she'd gotten at least a decent amount of rest, in fact, knowing that he was largely responsible for the sorry state her body was in made him feel more than a little guilty now that he knew she wasn't a cold-blooded murderer.

Arthur slowly got to his feet, stifling a second yawn. He intended to get some training in, they might be on a journey but that was no reason to slack off, especially considering the goal of their journey. He figured he might as well start with a small run, who knows, he might actually find something edible while out there, though with the state the area was in, he doubted he would. He returned about an hour later, just before the sun would start climbing over the horizon, unsuccessful at finding anything other than endless depressing landscapes that made him feel all the more determined to see this quest through and eliminate the Old Gods.

He slowly stroked the horse's nose as he caught his breath, glancing past the animal to check if Sybil was still asleep. Rummaging around in the horse's saddle bag he pulled out the dry rations that would serve as their breakfast before walking over to her. He sat down at about two arm's lengths of the sleeping woman, putting a small piece of dried meat in his mouth and biting down. He would still be giving her the bigger part of the rations meant for breakfast but he had to make sure to at least eat something after going without dinner the day before. He slowly chewed on the meat, it didn't taste particularly good, nothing like the food he had enjoyed eight years ago when he lived in the palace. Still, he'd gotten used to the salty taste, it was almost comforting now, in a weird, twisted kind of way.

He barely even flinched as she jolted awake, nightmares were common enough for everyone these past eight years, he supposed that was one thing they all had in common after living through hell. "Bad dream?" He didn't turn to face her, still slowly chewing on his piece of meat. "I know what that's like." For years now he'd been experiencing the same nightmare, sometimes he would sleep well for a time, just long enough to make him hopeful that maybe it was finally over. But in the end, the nightmare always returned. Stuck at the bottom of a lake, he'd struggle and thrash around until he almost reached the light of the surface, only to be pulled back down by the very people he'd pulled down with him when he went to fight the Old God. Perhaps he deserved it, he shouldn't have been the one to live while they all died. He heaved a heavy sigh, pushing the thought to the side.

He extended his hand towards her, holding a piece of bread and meat out to here. It wasn't much but they had to ration, it was somewhat ironic, now that even the former poor could get their hands on enough currency to feed an entire family for years by salvaging it from destroyed mansions and houses, they still couldn't obtain it because everything edible had been rationed. "Eat." He'd said the exact same word yesterday but the way he had said couldn't be more different. There was no longer the slightest hint of impatience in his voice as he held the food out for her, and while it was still spoken as one, it felt less like a command and more like a suggestion.

He occasionally glanced over at her as she ate her food. Still unsure how to feel about her. He knew logically that it wasn't her fault, she hadn't been the one in control, but even so, his heart still carried an amount of disgust and hatred for the woman that wouldn't simply disappear overnight. That said, there was something he knew for sure, there was someone, no, something, he hated far more than the woman in front of him. He swallowed the piece of meat he had been chewing on before opening his mouth. "Let's kill your grandmother." He was well aware the suggestion was probably nothing short of madness, despite that, he seriously put it forward. He held up a hand to postpone the reaction he knew he was going to receive, turning to face her directly. "I'm not talking about right now, I know we stand no chance as we are now. But before this journey is over, we'll kill her." He wasn't sure if they would ever be able to, yet he had phrased it as a declaration, not a question.

Just banishing the Old God wasn't enough, Sybil herself had told him she'd already escaped twice before. They needed to get rid of her once and for all, only then could he, and the entire rest of the continent, face towards the future without living in constant fear of another catastrophe. "As revenge for all those on the continent that died, all those that lost their loved ones, and, just as much, as revenge for you as well." His eyes blazed with resolve. It didn't matter if it would take weeks, months, years or even decades, he was going to kill her.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Flinching, she quickly whipped around, heart feeling as if it had stopped as she truly wasn't fully aware of her surroundings. Luckily enough for the both of them, the woman was unable to use magic as the anti-magic cuffs had given off a loud hum just as she was about to reach for what would be the thrum of mana being stored within her body, only for her to not feel it as she had released a heavy sigh, her thin shoulders slumping over as she shook her head in annoyance at the man, expression pinching in displeasure. The words he'd spoken made her a bit bewildered though, certainly not was she was expecting of him which made her give him a cautious look from the corner of her eyes, keeping a careful space between them as she pulled her legs closer to herself, suppressing a light shudder from going through her as her body was slowly but surely becoming far more aware of her surroundings, the pain that she had experienced beginning to ebb and fade.

The confusing behavior he was displaying proceeded however, with the man now extending to her more bread and dried meat, causing her to drop her gaze toward the food as her stomach gave an audible grumble in response, even if it was pretty much the same things she had been provided prior, it still was appetizing to her eyes. No one could be truly picky in these times, and yet his singular word spoken had made the woman freeze and squint at him in suspicion once again. His tone was very much different, even she could pick up on it. She wasn't dense after all; it seemed to lack the bite that it had previously which made her slowly reach over to the food and snatched it from his hands again, even though she was quick to scoot away from him and begin to ravenously wolf down the food she had in her hands, certainly not befitting of her former status, but considering Sybil had been supposedly running around on her own for years it wasn't much of a surprise.

Each bite was flavorful to the woman, even if she didn't allow herself to very much savor the food, though every time the prince looked over to her had caused a bit of irritation to settle in her chest, eventually making the woman stop entirely as at his ridiculous statement, her lips parting ever so slightly as her eyes grew wide. Before she could utter a verbal response, he had halted the flow of words by raising a hand which made her close her mouth in response, raising an eyebrow at him as he elaborated. A snort left her eventually as she turned her head away from him, resuming her small feast as she chewed upon the remaining dried meat and bread, finishing as he had spoken about claiming revenge which made her cast him another bewildered glance. Where was all of this determination coming from? And his tone was far different too. Gazing into the resolve within his eyes, it made the woman feel sick to her stomach.

"...Keep the heroic sentiments for the rest of the continent, no need to add me into the mix." She waved a hand dismissively at him, clearly feeling uncomfortable with the somewhat kinder declaration on her behalf, even if it wasn't by much. Obviously, she was withdrawing from his somewhat kinder changes, as minimal as they were. It was throwing her off, and quite frankly she wasn't sure how to possibly react to it. Brushing her hands together to rid herself of any crumbs that may cling to her skin, she grunted as she stood to her feet, a wave of dizziness causing her to lean upon the beam closest to her for support as she steadied herself, "That being said, I did say I was going to eliminate all of them. However, I fear we must leave her for last. Grandmother had shown that she was quite upset with my behavior, and considering she is not in our realm at the moment... that just makes things just that much more difficult for us. But, fear not, by the time we reach near the end, I'm certain we'll have a solution."

Sybil lightly brushed over the matter concerning Iulla, not desiring to linger upon it too much longer as she had stepped past the prince, keeping in mind to put as much space between them as possible considering he was acting quite odd as she eyed the horse, displeasure filtering in her eyes as she cautiously approached the animal, her gaze shifting to the saddle upon the beast's back as she suppressed the urge to wince. Her legs still haven't recovered enough from the day before, and as much as she desired to get these cuffs off of her so she could save them the effort, she'd rather not push her luck. From what it seemed, the prince was acting a bit nicer and he wasn't as completely cold as she had been expecting which was a surprise, though she wasn't sure if it was a particularly nice surprise or not.

As soon as Sybil taken another cautious and shaky step forward, the horse had snorted which caused her to flinch immediately in response, though considering the rather tame animal did nothing else and was gazing lazily at the woman now staring at it as if it were about to turn and attack her, she dared not move a single muscle as considering she had been close enough the animal seemed to have turned its head toward her and was curiously sniffing at her making the woman's face twist with discomfort only to hesitantly reach out and laid a thin hand on the horse's snout, the soft fur underneath her hand making her eyes widen slightly in surprise only for her to flinch away as the beast emitted a gentle sound which made her snatch her hand back immediately, stumbling backward over her own feet as she landed rather ungracefully on the floor, a startled squeak having left her lips in response. If she wasn't so nervous regarding the animal before her, the mage probably would have tried to mask her blunder with far more grace, but as of now her mind wasn't processing that yet.

"D-d-do we have to take that thing again?" She pointed at the horse immediately, to punctuate her point although the animal still wasn't doing a single thing in response, only being quite docile like it had been since the start. Clearly, Sybil wasn't trying to mask any emotions right now behind a forced cheerfulness like she had been doing before, having dropped it since the rather tense conversation during the night. Her face was quite pale once more, scooting back a bit more as the horse's ears had flicked forward in her direction at the noise alone.

 

[Key of Stars]

"That's about what I expected you to say." The ghost of a smile played on his lips, he hadn't been expecting her to simply go along with whatever he said in the first place, the fact that he only received a dismissive wave of her hand along with a similarly dismissive comment was already a good thing if you asked him. "Though you seem to have gotten one thing twisted up. I didn't suggest that because I want to be a hero. Actually, my father used to have a saying about those trying to become heroes. 'All those that say they want to become heroes are fools that haven't seen the horrors of war.'" It had been one of his father's random pieces of wisdom that, for no particular reason, had always stuck with him, unlike some of the other lines of 'wisdom' his father used to repeat, though he hadn't understood what it really meant until after the continent was plunged into chaos and his father had already died.

His expression turned somber again as he recalled his father's words, if only he could have been here, he would have made a far better leader for the rebellion than Arthur could ever hope to be. "After all that's happened, I'm inclined to agree with my father. That said, I didn't suggest we get rid of your grandmother for the good of my people either, nor did I suggest it for you, though those do both play somewhat of a role in my decision." He shook his head. "I only suggested it to you because I'm selfish. Your grandmother is the one who took my family from me, and I won't rest until she pays for that with the one thing I can take from her, her life. That's all there's to it."

"That's a lot of words for something could have been settled with a simple I'm in." He stood up after her, glad she had agreed to his declaration. Well, maybe not agreed with him per se, but she had reaffirmed her intention to eliminate all the Old Gods and in his eyes, those two things were one and the same right now. He'd already assumed Iulla would have to be left for last from the way Sybil spoke of her strength, no matter how much he wanted to fight the demon right now and put an end to her miserable existence with his own two hands. Though there was one thing in particular in her small monologue that caught his attention and caused him to frown. "What do you mean she's shown she was upset with your behaviour? You mean through your nightmare?"

He stepped up next to her as she stumbled backward over her own feet, a small smile finally breaking through onto his face. "Again, it's a horse, not some weird creature from ancient times. Really, this guy won't harm you, he's as docile as they come. Worst thing he's done is accidentally eat a frog once, he spit it out immediately after, it was fine, though a bit traumatized." The prince illustrated his words by placing a hand on the horse's head, stroking it a few times gently. "And yes, we do. Unless you have a better idea that doesn't involve magic." He trusted her words, as for her actions, he would have to see more before he could comfortably place his trust in those. So until that time, the cuffs would stay on. And even if she could teleport them straight to their destination, then what? She was in no condition to fight as she was now, it was better to go by horse and allow her a little more time to recover some of her strength, no matter how minimal. "Also, it's not like I can just leave this guy behind."

"How about," He started, swinging his leg into the saddle before pulling himself up after it. "You sit in front of me instead?" The thought of having to reach around her to grab the reigns wasn't exactly pleasant, he was trying to be somewhat less cold towards the woman, not become her best friend. On top of that, he still had conflicted feelings every time he looked at her, it might have been her grandmother in control when she committed her atrocities but it had still been her body. Still, sitting in front of him would allow her to lean back instead of having to hold on through her own strength which would be a lot less heavy on her arms and legs, requiring little to no effort from her side.

"The younger and smaller person should ride in the front anyway," He added, extending his hand for her to grab on to again. "Well, not like you're much younger than me but when it comes to riding a horse you certainly are less experienced." He paused, adjusting the reigns with the hand he hadn't extended towards her. "Oh and one more thing, ask me if you need a break this time." He was trying to be nicer to her, sure. But more than anything, he just didn't want to hear her complaining like yesterday anymore.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil took in a breath, her eyes narrowing at Arthur in response, his words ringing within her mind as she struggled to suppress the wave of anxiety in regards to the all too quiet horse. It wasn't lost on her that he had smiled which made a chill go down her spine. Was he laughing at her again? The woman's cheeks puffed up with indignance as she turned her head away from him, a flare of red blossoming upon her cheeks just as quickly as she cleared her throat, standing up as she brushed off dead leaves from off of her, "D-docile? I think not." She never truly liked horses, granted it stemmed only from her childhood and seeing one of her cousins being thrown from one of the animals and accidentally having been stepped on from the spooked animal. To say the least, the event traumatized her and she never wanted to be near the animals unless it was by carriage; though considering she had been a rather emotionless child due to only Iulla's constant presence over her shoulder, her parents had been all too quick to cave to the stubbornness Sybil had rarely managed to display through the haze she always was put under. It was a rare emotional response, one that her parents were quick to react to if only to try to draw out a smile or any other emotion from their daughter's face.

Thinking of her family made her feel ill, her expression tightened in discomfort as she stepped closer to the horse as she cleared her throat, struggling to reclaim some sense of dignity as the prince had settled upon the saddle, her steps leading her to attempt to settle behind him until he had spoken his suggestion, causing her eyebrows to furrow, "Pardon?" A frown had fully claimed her face then as she was now staring at him as if he had gone mad himself. This sort of consideration wasn't what she was expecting anytime soon, especially considering they had yet to even slay one of the Old Gods. Even then, she probably wouldn't have expected any gentler treatment from the likes of him, though despite staring at him she could not sense any deceit behind his words. A shiver went down her spine in response, "..You're honestly creeping me out now. Cut it out."

The response was bewildering, especially considering he was trying his best to be nicer to her, but somehow the woman just couldn't accept that, stepping closer to the horse then, her gaze settled on his outstretched hand and back up to him, her eyebrows pinching in obvious confusion as she shook her head at him again, "You don't need to force yourself to be nice to me, you know." Once again, she was trying to at least be blunt and clear with the prince. She expected nothing but hatred from him, it was something that would be normal to feel. After all, she had seen how his expression had turned somber in regards to speaking on his father, and it wasn't lost on her how he seemed so very angry upon flinging verbal insults about the royal family during the night. He cherished his family, and even if it wasn't out of Sybil's own will, she still had taken them from him. She expected for him to vent at her, lash out in his anger, not these slightly more pleasant gestures for her well being, even if he was using her to slaughter the Old Gods, it wasn't as if she was expecting any special treatment from him.

Regardless from the coldly spoken sentence, she had grabbed hold of his hand and huffed as she struggled to get atop the horse, though it didn't seem she was doing much better than the day before. It was only a day after all, and instead it seemed like the effort was a bit worse on her part due to the pain lancing through her thighs and calves, making a bit of tears spring to her eyes as she finally settled before him, although the position felt... quite odd, although slightly uncomfortable due to the armor he was wearing, the cold surfaces being enough to seep through the thin material of her rather less than adequate borrowed clothes. "...You.. don't.. hah... have to... remind me.." She sucked in a sharp breath of the chilled air, trying to catch her breath as she grimaced looking down from where she was positioned again to the now seemingly far away ground. Swallowing back a wave of fear, the woman's back pressed against the prince's chest, shivers beginning to settle within her body as her muscles began to tense up in response, now eyeing the horse's head before her with all too much suspicion.

"..A-again... you don't need to do such a t-thing... but I'll let you know if it becomes too m-much." Her tone was trembling, the nervousness returning to her tone as she shifted with discomfort before him, though even if she was resting against him, she was far too light to be able to put much pressure, her thin frame almost feeling as if the slightest bit of wind could come and knock her off the saddle alone. Settling her hands upon the saddle horn before her, her expression had tightened as she had fallen silent then, her mind settling eventually on the question that the prince had uttered earlier, the light seeming to fade from her amber eyes as she hunched over slightly, to make it far more difficult for him to even see her expression.

"I did say that Grandmother has been a constant presence in my life... considering she's not in this realm, she can latch onto people's subconsciousness and cause vivid nightmares. If she wills it, or if she's strong enough, any injuries may manifest in this reality." A bitter smile had crossed her face, forcing herself to straighten up as she spoke in a cheerful tone, "I guess I'm lucky she's somewhat weak for now, I fear she was trying to tear me from the inside out this time! Heh.." Her forced laughter was quick to fade as she released a sharp exhale after that, her shoulders falling quickly as she didn't seem too talkative for a few moments, only to say in a subdued tone, "Let's hurry. The longer we linger here, the higher the risk of Ygdis being alerted to our presence." After all, even if Ygdis was the weakest, Sybil had summoned him as well as his fellows into the world. He would know if she was coming, and considering that she had escaped from them when Iulla's power had waned, none of the Old Gods would be too happy with her showing her face again so soon. If they were unlucky, the Old God could send some of his monsters to intercept the two before they even reached him. Ah.. I feel sick.

Her head lifted to gaze upon the pathway ahead, a frown upon her face as she was trying to determine how much longer they had to go, but considering the amount of ground that they had crossed, they still had a little bit longer. "..Hm. We have a little bit of a ways to go, he's on the move." Her eyebrows furrowed in a bit of confusion at that, usually Ygdis was stagnant, refusing to move from the little bit of territory he had settled in to protect himself from the other Old Gods. "..What is he up to..?" She grumbled that under her breath, bewilderment clear in her tone. Was he finally trying to strike out at one of the other Old Gods? If so, then that would be an issue, especially if he was felled which she could easily see such a thing occurring.

 

[Key of Stars]

Arthur heaved a deep sigh, looking down at the woman. "I'm not forcing myself," Okay maybe he was forcing himself a little, holding back the instinctive hatred he felt when looking at her. "I'm making the decisions that give us the best chance of accomplishing my goals, that is all. Now stop being difficult, would you really prefer I go back to how I treated you yesterday?" Even if he was being nicer to her than he had been yesterday, treating her like an actual human being rather than a mere tool he had to take care of because he needed it later. It wasn't like he was being all that kind, he was still selfishly using her to accomplish his own goals. He briefly wondered if the woman had simply never been shown kindness or affection of any kind before, she had mentioned her Grandmother had always been present, he didn't know what her childhood had been like but with an Old God always present in the back of her mind, he could imagine it might not have been pleasant.

"No, I'm pretty sure I do have to." He didn't fail to notice the nervousness in her voice, then again, how could he possibly fail to notice it? She was almost stuttering as she spoke the sentence, clutching the saddle horn with such desperation that one might think it was the very thing keeping her alive. He placed a hand on her shoulder, intending to keep her steady, only to just as quickly pull his hand back again, the small gesture had spontaneously made him feel sick to his stomach. It made him feel somewhat pathetic but perhaps he had underestimated the instinctual feeling of aversion he held for the woman. He heavily swallowed before quickly continuing to talk, glossing over what had just happened. "If we don't take breaks you might actually pass out on me today."

The fact that she had laughed at something as gut-wrenching as the prospect of being brutally killed through a nightmare was disturbing, even if it had sounded quite forced. Especially now that he knew she wasn't actually a crazy murderer, a death like that was something he would only wish upon someone as twisted as Iulla herself. And... Looking at it from a more mission-oriented, though far less humane perspective, it was also worrying. He needed Sybil alive, he needed her to accomplish what he set out to accomplish, without her he wouldn't be able to inflict much more than a scratch on the Old Gods. He would be able to protect her against monsters, but against her dreams? He was powerless in that regard.

"Do you think he'll hide if he realizes we're coming for him?" From what little experience Arthur had with the Old Gods that seemed unlikely, the Old God he'd fought before had been arrogant, arrogant enough to stay where he was, even with an army coming his way. If anything, Arthur figured Ygdis would send monsters their way to try and intercept them, if so, he welcomed the demon to try. "I haven't been sitting idly by for these past eight years, if he sends monsters our way just leave them to me." He reached for the handle of his sword, letting his hand glide over the stained leather for a moment before returning it to the reigns.

He raised a brow at her grumble, shifting his grip on the reigns to a more comfortable position over long periods, making sure that his arms didn't actually touch Sybil, afraid of a repeat of last time. "Is it that weird that he's on the move?" It was weird if he compared it to his own behaviour over the past eight years, the prince had barely ever left the territory he and the rebellion had managed to hold onto throughout the years, choosing to fight defensive battles rather than offensive battles, he simply hadn't had the manpower or strategical advantage required to fight back. But that was human logic, he had no clue if an Old God would think the same way.

"Well, we can talk as we ride." He dug his heels into the side of the horse, signaling for the animal to start moving. "I have a feeling you won't like this but you told me we should hurry." He pressed his heels into the side of the animal once again, causing the horse to speed up to its top speed in no time. He hadn't been riding at top speed all throughout yesterday, though back then it had been more so out of consideration for the horse than for the woman in front of him. "Tell me if I take a wrong turn."

 

[LONELYRAIN]

The touch of the prince's hand on her shoulder had nearly made the woman rip her shoulder away from his hand, an odd glint coming to her eyes as she turned her head to look at him with a blood-chilling glare. Of course, Sybil wouldn't normally react in such a manner if she was the one to come to him out of her own will and allow physical touch, but to be suddenly touched out of the blue even if it was for a rather innocent enough reason was something that she couldn't - no, wouldn't tolerate. The tension to her body wasn't normal by any means, though she swallowed back the scathing words she would've hissed at him as she turned her head away from him, deciding just as soon as he to gloss over the situation. There was no need to add fuel to the fire, and she already had spilled enough as it was in regards to any more personal information.

"Humph, do whatever." Her tone was a bit frigid, tension behind every syllable as she was now stubbornly set on looking ahead of her and not at the man behind her, turning her attention now to what was to come before them. The tingles of discomfort settling within her only strengthened as she glanced below them toward the ground again, a deep frown settling upon her face as she was still trying to cast her mind out to sense where Ygdis was going. Yet, at this point her mind was quite far away, not focusing on the prince's words as she was trying to determine why in the world was Ygdis moving again. It wasn't as if it would be safe for him to do so, the last time she'd seen him, his body was flickering and fading, barely clinging to the physical realm. It was impossible for him to be meeting another Old God since all of them avoided each other and she would have sensed if another one had came into the area, and she certainly would have been able to sense if there was a territorial war on the horizon due to the whispers her mind was subjected to. So why...?

The thought was interrupted as she was suddenly plunged back into awareness due to the pain suddenly lancing through her legs as she sucked in a breath, suppressing a sound of terror from leaving her as the prince had suddenly urged the horse into a gallop. The lurching of the animal below her made her stomach turn in knots as her eyes squeezed shut. His words behind her made her feel even more so sick. Yes, she did say to hurry, but not so suddenly! She hadn't even prepared herself! Forcing her eyes open a bit, her fingers were clenching the saddle horn so very tightly before her that her knuckles were turning a paler shade of white, trying to keep herself aware of their surroundings. It wouldn't do if they got lost, and as terrified as she was at the moment, she refused to be useless.

The forest was going by in a blur, though her vision wasn't the best at the moment currently due to the tears stinging at her eyes, preventing her from being able to determine shapes too well. However, the further they went, the more the bad feeling had settled within her as she shakily raised a hand to forcibly wipe at her eyes, a bit of bravery managing to return to her as her gut feeling was truly beginning to nag at her, forcing her to begin to speak, "Ygdis probably wouldn't hide i-immediately, in fact I think if he's aware of us coming, he would begin to try to draw on more of the m-mana in the area. B-but that would be problematic." Slowly, the woman had placed her hand back on the saddle horn before her, her eyes scanning over the dead trees and dead grass below them, evidence of Ygdis's path of destruction from years prior, as the Old Gods thrived on mana, them sucking out mana to make their bodies more stable was a given. She couldn't even sense any mana still clinging in the once mana-rich land, meaning the monster had drained this area dry. The thought made a bitter taste settle upon her tongue, forcing herself to push down the wave of guilt beginning to settle within her, now was not the time.

"If he does send any of his minions after us, he wouldn't be sending just one or two, you know. And honestly, I'd rather avoid that. As much as I'm sure you're confident in your skills with a blade, if you tire yourself out I won't be able to support you." Though, Sybil meant it more as a cautionary warning, considering there was little to any mana within the air or even in the surrounding environment due to the Old Gods running rampant, she had to draw upon her own store of mana within her body, and even if she had a decent amount at this moment, she'd much rather not run out of it. If she did, she would be rather useless to both of them, plus it wasn't as if her body was in the best shape either. The spells she would be able to cast was limited on her current state, and even if she was privy to black magic; though not truly of her own will, she'd much rather not rely on those methods to be able to regain mana quickly either. All of their strength must be reserved for the Old God and nothing more.

Just as that thought entered her mind, the woman felt a chill run down her spine as she suddenly went still, "S-stop!" The air felt wrong, even if they were certainly deep into the forest at this point, and considering the path was clear it wasn't as if anything was there or could be seen. And yet, Sybil knew better. The energy humming in the air before their path wasn't something that was normal, in fact it felt familiar. Nausea coiled in her stomach then as her head whipped around to look through the dead, gnarled trees or even spot anything in the dying undergrowth surrounding the pathway, but she couldn't see anything. But, nothing could truly be done about that considering she couldn't rely on her spells at the moment to figure out who or what had casted the trap that she could sense before them.

Before she could bother to explain why she had suddenly prompted for them to stop so suddenly, a voice echoed from the somewhere down the pathway as she could feel eyes probing over her, "How disappointing, I was hoping that you wouldn't be able to pick up on that. Imprisonment hadn't dulled your senses, have they?" The woman's body quivered, jaw clenching as the air on the other side of the path had wavered, revealing a man that had stepped forward from seemingly nothingness. By appearances, the man looked no older than somewhere in his forties, dressed in oddly fine clothing, the glint to his hazel eyes being rather icy as he looked between Sybil and the prince. A cold smile crawled across his face then, "Don't tell me... did you finally come back to your senses? You even brought the crown prince as a sacrifice too! Oh how wonderful! I knew you would finally see reason, Iulla had assured me that you would eventually."

Sybil's body hunched over, disgust coiling in her stomach, feeling the world beginning to spin. She never wanted to see this man again, his voice being grating on her ears as she couldn't bring herself to speak. The silence of course had caused the man's tone to change, mocking almost, "...Is that not why you've come? Ah, I see.. you need more mana, don't you?" Sybil flinched then, her fingers coiling tighter around the saddle horn before her as more disgust settled in her gut, her lips pressing into a thin, tight line as she was now trembling. A mix of rage and fear was igniting within her chest, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. Was it out of habit? Or was she just too terrified to do so? She knew he was trying to incite any sort of reaction from her, and she was ashamed to begin to feel the blood beginning to drain from her face, the pale skin becoming even paler as she refused to look directly at the man before her. The familiar feeling of his mana was making her sick, she wanted to vomit. This was the reason why Ygdis was on the move now, this man. Now that she confirmed it, it made her regret even going after Ygdis first, why had she done such a thing? Was she a fool?

 

[Key of Stars]

"Do you think the battles I've been fighting these past eight years have all been honorable one on one duels?" He responded before pausing and heaving a heavy sigh. "But you're right, I got a little carried away." Knowing that only an Old God could kill another Old God had made it less than clear what his role in the fight against the Old Gods would actually be, a fact that annoyed the prince to no end. Fighting to the death wasn't something he loved or even enjoyed doing by any stretch of the imagination but still, being relegated to the role of distraction or being left out of the fight entirely would be worse. Perhaps he'd gotten a bit carried away when he realized they might be fighting monsters, something he was actually confident he could do.

"That said..." His sentence got cut short by her sudden yell for him to stop, he gave a quick tug on the reins, causing the horse to come to a rather abrupt halt. He didn't ask questions, the path in front of them seemed clear but he hadn't failed to note the urgency in her voice. He instantly felt on edge, wondering why she had urged him to stop, he doubted the woman would have had such a strong response if she simply wanted him to stop to take a break. His hand instinctively reached for the grip of his sword, fingers closing around the worn-out leather as he observed the path in front of them closely.

He was about to ask her for an explanation when an unfamiliar voice echoed across the path. Arthur responded immediately, sliding off the horse in less than a second and pulling his weapon out of its sheath in a single fluid motion. He could tell from the way he carried himself and the way Sybil responded from atop the horse that the man who had suddenly appeared before them was no ordinary man, if the fact that he had appeared from thin air hadn't been indication enough of him being special already.

The prince raised his weapon ever so slightly at the mention of a sacrifice but he held his tongue, not wanting to interfere just yet in case Sybil had a plan of her own. However, from observing her reactions as the man continued talking, it became abundantly clear that the woman didn't have anything of the sort. In fact, she seemed too taken aback to do anything at all, trembling as she held onto the saddle horn with even more of what little strength she had compared to before. The man had mentioned Iulla, it was clear he was familiar with the Old God, and it was similarly clear that he wasn't here just to talk.

Arthur moved fast, dragging Sybil off the saddle down to the ground. "Snap out of it!" He bit out, quickly pulling a small but intricate key out of his pocket and crouching down next to her, quickly undoing her cuffs. He turned back to the man immediately after, raising the sword in his right hand in front of his chest while reaching for the smaller sheath on his other hip with his left hand, pulling out a dagger about half the length of his sword. The royal style of sword fighting only required one hand, focusing on both elegance and efficiency, but Arthur had quickly realized that that way of fighting, while effective in duels, was lacking during war, where one was likely to be surrounded from all sides in a matter of seconds. For that very reason he had picked up the dagger alongside his sword, teaching himself to wield it through real life or death battles, until wielding both a sword and dagger had become as natural as wielding just a sword for the prince.

He stepped in front of Sybil, swinging both weapons around in a cautious circle to loosen up his wrists a bit after having kept them steady on the reins. "And you are?" Arthur took a cautious step forward, his tone rough but steady, not betraying any of the nervousness he felt on the inside. "You seem to know exactly who I am already so I won't go through the trouble of introducing myself." He shifted his weight from his left to his right foot, pulling his sword up a little higher until the tip was pointing directly at the man's face. "You think I'd let myself become a sacrifice? I'd much rather kill myself."

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Sybil's mind felt as if it were beginning to break, the panic surging within her chest being only temporarily tainted by shock as Arthur had suddenly dragged her from the saddle, her tense body providing little to no resistance as she had crumpled to the floor, only for the man to snap at her to come to her senses. Amber eyes stared bewildered at the prince as he had crouched down next to her, only for the clink of her cuffs to suddenly fall to the ground and for her to feel a wave of nausea at the suppressed mana beginning to surge in her body, the woman nearly doubling over as she gagged, struggling to bring breath into her lungs at the familiar surge of mana running through her veins once more. Struggling to swallow the rising bile in her throat, her eyes fixated on the man standing across from them, the expression of contempt upon his features beginning to fan the flame of rage beginning to coil in her stomach. However, her view was blocked from her position on the floor due to the prince stepping before her, providing an all too convenient barrier between herself and their opponent.

The thought of running did occur to her, she had no true reason to stick around here especially considering that man was here. The fear he automatically put into her was making her sick, and considering the prince had unlocked her cuffs, she could easily teleport away and leave him to die. Her expression pinched at the thought as her eyes dropped to the cuffs now laying deactivated upon the forest floor, contemplating if she could potentially betray this man to at least save herself from suffering anymore in that despicable man's presence. He truly did make her feel sick, a weakness settling into her limbs which prevented her from finding the strength to stand, fear draining her of any true physical strength as her mind threatened to surge with memories of her terror, a familiar stinging beginning to come to her eyes despite her face remaining locked in an empty mask. Yes, she should run. She should..

Her gaze turned to the prince then, seeing him ridiculously pointing the sword at the man before her made her jaw clench as she wanted to shout at him to stop, that it was pointless. But, somehow she couldn't bring herself to do so. Here he was, automatically preparing himself for a fight when she was cowering behind him, preparing herself to run away... how pathetic was she? A wretched soul indeed if she was thinking about saving her own hide and leaving someone to die in her place. She couldn't allow herself to do it, as much as her mind was screaming at her to run as fast as possible and not look back, she couldn't do such a thing. A shiver went down her spine as her eyes settled on the man across from them, the look in his eyes making her heart sink in her chest as he didn't seem to be paying the prince any sort of attention, his probing gaze feeling particularly disgusting the longer he looked at Sybil, causing her to forced her facial expression to twitch, terror making her tremble further though she forced herself to her feet. She was not about to be put to shame by the prince, especially considering he had released her from her cuffs.

The man's eyes glinted with excitement in response, a chuckle leaving his lips though his eyes never left the woman still shaking from head to toe like a leaf behind the prince. "Ah, forgive me. It has been quite a long time since I've seen you, Your Highness. I fear my conduct has been quite rude." The man bowed, the movements exaggerated and unnatural, a disturbingly large smile spreading slowly over his face as his hazel eyes finally turned to the prince before him, "Vail Silas Gallovan, though I think a few years ago your father had appointed me to the council, hadn't he? I wouldn't be surprised if you've forgotten; I can't say that I blame you with everything that has happened." Vail Gallovan, a man who had reached appointment as a council member and was the brother of Sybil's deceased mother, Alesea Gallovan. The man was a prominent researcher of ancient magic and pushed Moonhaven to greater heights in terms of magic innovation and improving the conveniences of using magic in everyday life, and truly had been one that was well respected in Moonhaven, enough to have daily lectures in the magic academy that Moonhaven once had been quite proud of. He always had been a mild-mannered and well liked man, never gaining suspicion from his fellows and always being a respected figure. But, from the appearance of the man now, and what he had claimed so boldly... perhaps that all had been a lie.

Sybil had indeed killed her immediate family, but Vail had always been an unwelcome presence in the woman's life and had always been obsessed with Iulla. It was an obsession that he hid well, but more importantly than that, his obsession extended to Sybil considering she was supposed to be Iulla's willing vessel. Such obsession would be unknown to most of the world of course, but the man truly was a loyal pawn of Iulla and relished in the fact that he was to be used as a stepping stool for the Old God he adored so dearly; so naturally he had been spared. Of course, his clothing seemed a bit odd, almost a mockery of the robes the priests in Moonhaven had once wore, and as he straightened out of his bow, a rather sinister grin had crossed his face as he spread out his arms, "Please don't be too rash, Prince Arthur. We all must do our part so our lovely goddess can once again grace this lacking world. Your death, although very much appreciated, would be a waste if you do not give yourself to Iulla." The man took a step forward, causing Sybil to tense as she instinctively stepped closer to the prince, her body quaking in terror the more Vail talked, nearly wanting to clamp her hands over her ears so that she couldn't hear his voice anymore.

"Think, why else would she punish this land of ours unless we had done a great injustice to her? Like bad children, she is merely trying to correct us to make us see the true light. Which is why, I must ask for you to hand over her vessel." Vail's eyes slid automatically to Sybil then, the glint in his eyes certainly was anything but normal as the demented smile twisted upon his face as he now directed his words to her, "Sybil, my dearest blossom! Why do you insist on prolonging your ascension? You were promised to me, were you not? If you merely let go and allow Iulla in your heart, I assure you, you will not be punished further! If not.." His smile dropped then, agitation as clear as day upon his face, a crazed glint coming to his eyes as his eyes seemed to probe at her more, "You will make me quite... displeased. I'm sure you don't want to do that again, do you-"

Before he could finish off his sentence properly, a sudden spike of earth had protruded from the ground, causing the man to jump back automatically as Sybil seemed to finally had reacted, her expression fully twisting with a mix of her terror and rage. The mana she had suddenly expended was wasteful, yes, but she couldn't take it anymore. Her breathing was slight, quick and almost on the verge of the beginnings of a panic attack, but the burning hatred within her eyes was obvious as she struggled to bring more breath into her lungs. The sudden spike of earth magic was quick to vanish as Vail's expression seemed to return back to an all too chilling smile as he cooed, "..Is this your answer? Are you trying to be rebellious again?" Sybil's jaw clenched as she stepped closer to the prince instead, her body feeling fit to fall over, but she forced herself to remain stubbornly standing as Vail had stood, brushing off his clothes as he clicked his tongue, disappointment as clear as day upon his face as his gaze turned to the prince, "And I'm guessing you won't stand aside, Your Highness?"