Fantasy Descension (C.DEX x Notorious)

[Notorious]

Descension

(A fantasy RP by C.DEX and Notorious)​

"For crimes against...you are... sentenced to descension..." A voice said, muffled by the sharp ringing in the man's ears as the one who was talking to him faded in and out. He laid on his knees, broken, beaten. "...for violating the laws of the..." The ringing in his ears made it hard to hear what was happening to him, the blood dripping down his forehead and caking his face more than enough to blind him as the lone man swayed slowly as he tried to regain his senses. What had happened? Why was he so badly hurt? Was he in trouble? He had to be, he was beaten an inch away from death. He could hardly remember what had happened, then, that same voice that got him into trouble whispered back to him, answering his thoughts as if they had been a question.


"You're being sentenced to death..." The voice whispered to him, his voice inside the man's head as if they were his own thoughts. His voice was cold, unforgiving, yet, he spoke only in a whisper. "You better pay attention. They may be the last words you ever hear."


Suddenly as if on cue, the broken and bleeding man snapped back to reality as the ringing in his ears ceased and his temporary blindness seemed to no longer be an issue as he opened his eyes wide. The people in front of him were not his own, they were strangers to him. None of them were the dreadlocked, war painted brothers and sisters that was normally near him. Nor were many of them even human as he looked out into a crowd that had gathered before him. An avian man, his race officially known as the Avar, stood next to him, reading what was essentially his sentence for his wrong doings.


"Gunnar of Veldard, do you have any last words before you are sent to the abyss below?" The Avarian spoke in an authoritative tone. This man held Gunnar's life in his hand's, he thought to himself that perhaps he could reason with him. He was all out of fight even for being a viking of Veldard, perhaps diplomacy would get him out of this.


"You're wrong..." The whisper came back. "You are already as good as dead to these people... Ask him to read your sentence once more. Listen."


"What... Am I being sentenced for?" Gunnar managed to speak, blood dripping out of his mouth as he finally was able to force words out after the phantom voice in his head stopped talking. The Avarian groaned, losing patience with what was supposed to be a simple execution but officially he had to speak or risk losing his position.


"Gunnar of Veldard. For your crimes against the Avarian people, for taking willingly part in raids against our people. For murdering on our land. For pillaging our buildings, razing our crops and-..." The Avar seemed to smirk at Gunnar, taunting him. "For being born under the sign of Necras. We, the Kingdom of Avaria on the Isles of Arcadia... Sentence you to Descension." The Avarian paused. "Or, if your slow viking brain does not know what that means... We will be dropping you from this island and into the abyss below where you will meet a certain and painful death." He sighed, "Do you have any last words?"


"The Sign of Necras? I am no necromancer! I can not use magic! I am just a warrior, a husband... a proud viking of Veldard!" Gunnar shouted back at the Avarian. "My people fight for our lives being unclaimed in an unforgiving sky. We are not blessed by Arcadia like you... I only do what I have done for my people. Do not kill me... I am innocent!" He shouted, growing angry as his pain disappeared from what had to have been a brutal beating. Blood poured from his mouth as he roared, "I AM NOT GUILTY!" He shouted to the heavens, hoping one of the gods would here his plea.


"No one is going to save you. Only one god is listening now, you are wasting your breath." The voice said to Gunnar, almost bitterly as it watched the man shouted at the crowd of Avarians and other mixed races who watched the viking get sentenced to death.


"We have a Starseer, Gunnar of Veldard. She has confirmed that you are indeed, born under the Sign of Necras. It is a forbidden sign, one that you should have been caught for at birth. With that and your crimes against our people, your sentence is indisputable. You are guilty." Gunnar began shouting back at the Avarian as two guards picked him up, he had been shackled on top of being beaten so he collapsed once they had begun to move him. Their talon fingers dug into his shoulders and sides as they drug him to the side of the platform, there, Gunnar seen where he really was.


Below him he seen nothing but a sea of clouds and darkness below that. The two stars that lit the sky were casting two shadows below the floating island they were standing upon. The two Avarian guards turned Gunnar to face the crowd one last time, his eyes catching the woman who had exposed him. She was wearing dark red robes, her face concealed by a thin veil in which he seen her smirk underneath it. He spat at her and began to shout belligerently, a Veldard warrior never dying quietly.


As ceremonious as his sentence had been, his fall was much less ceremonial as both guards then pushed Gunnar off the side of the island. He began to plummet into the abyss incredibly fast, he watched with his own eyes as the floating islands he called home began to fade from view like he had never seen before. He had lost brothers this very same way, them being kicked off their boats and sent down into the unforgiving abyss. He had thought he would die to the blade or a spell of some sort, not like this.


The mysterious passenger of Gunnar's was uncharacteristically quiet as the viking fell faster and faster down, passing through clouds and his vision fading the further he fell as he became disoriented. Suddenly, he broke through the layer of clouds and could not believe his eyes when he seen what was beneath him. What he thought the abyss was and what it actually was had been completely different. He had fallen so far only to seen an awe inspiring huge body of water beneath him, nothing like he had ever seen before. Gunnar was blacking out from falling from such an incredible height that he barely got time to comprehend the land masses in the distance or just how ridiculously vast everything was. He blacked out before he hit the water, a loud crash signaling that the viking had finished his descension.


His body was broken and his spirit fleeting, the Viking was gone. When he had hit the water like any normal person he had to have died... right?


"Gunnar of Veldard." The phantom spoke, breaking the darkness Gunnar was encased in. He had no idea how much time had passed, if he was living or dead. All he felt was a floating sensation, he couldn't even feel himself breathe. "You are too important to be cast into the sea forever. You were chosen. Sleep." The Wraith instructed. "In a moment you will be awakened by two strange... people. You will see them as demons but do not harm them. I will not allow you to. Sleep... You will understand more when you awake from this abyss."


And so, Gunnar slept.

 

[C.DEX]

A pounding sounded at the door. It was a frail thing, barely even a door at all; the knob had come loose ages ago, and the only metal part of the slab of wood had been fitted into a small divet carved into the cold stone floor and ceiling. In fact, the lavender-skinned, white-eyed Lamian man had accidentally dislodged it, causing him to take a particularly annoyed visage. He fussed with it, wanting no more than to leave the drearily small entryway and straighten his back out again. As he grabbed it, however, it had opened inward.


The Lamia made his way in, regaining his composure by knitting his hands behind his back. The resident stepped out of the way to let him in, brow quirked in curiosity. "What do you want, Bal?" she asked, regarding the particularly distraught look on his face. His expression was a mixture between worry and nausea, and it had grown more distraught as he'd glanced around the room.


"Where is Orin?" he immediately snapped, causing the other to recoil a bit. She was smaller than him, with wild, untamed hair that she was quickly working to pull back on account of his presence. A singular horn had sprouted from her right forehead, with the other covered by a bang. Most definingly however was her red skin, complimented by slitted eyes.


"He said he was going for a walk. He knows the route, and he doesn't need me to be there every time." She replied, almost defensively. "And we don't have service today. What's up?"


"Well, I could just be checking up on your wellbeing, but - look. Just go find him, alright? You need to stay here. You're going to be vaulting for a few days." He said, drawing a book from his side, as well as a vial. "I've gotten him some reading material and some ink congealer -"


"He's not not reading because he can't feel the words; he's not reading because it's boring to him. And it's boring to me, too. That isn't to say we don't appreciate what you're doing, it's just - is this a real alert, this time?" She asked, sighing. "Last time we were holed up here, I heard that the Seer didn't even come within a mile of here."


"I'm not sure, to be completely honest, but it doesn't matter. All it takes is one Seer, Sinna. And then everything goes down in shambles. Don't forget your roots; why you're here in the first place. Neither of you will survive another ordeal. Now go." He said, pushing Sinna toward the door. He glanced sideways, grabbing a pristinely pastel-colored robe that sat on the dresser to his left. The room was pitifully cramped, with only a small curtained sideroom, two worn bedrolls, and a mess of homely trinkets, stacks of well-loved books, and loose-leaf reams of golden paper with countless etchings of varying skill and finesse. With a last look, they both left, ascending out of the small cave.


It lead to a wooden panel; a trick door that, when unopened, lied seamlessly within the floorboardings of the brilliant white-bricked church. The inside of the church was a stark contrast to the dank cave that they had emerged from; it seemed as if light illuminated every notch and brick. Figures of a beautiful, pink-frocked and white-haired goddess lined the walls, complimented by divine golds. It was almost too bright for the eyes, though the denizens of the church would have politely disagreed. Bal tossed the robes in his hand to Sinna, who caught them to her body gracelessly. She threw them on over her own clothes, bringing the hood up over her hair. It was almost an amusing sight; the infernal-esque girl having looked quite like she wasn't meant for the light clothing.


"I know where he is. You can go do what you do, Bal." She said.


"Be back with haste." He said, tone serious, though it was evident that she hadn't taken him quite as seriously as he would have liked.


...


Amongst the vegetation, a cloudy-eyed Ifrit cut through the woods. He walked with hands in front of him, guiding him to his location. A location that, despite his blindness, he seemed to see regardless. He was hooded in brown and black robes, the ones someone wore when they didn't want to be noticed. Two horns jutted from his head, pulling the hood up to reveal the eerie, blackened eye that sat wide open in the middle of his forehead.


He cut through the vegetation, walking slow, as not to trip and fall. Then, the treeline broke, opening way to a muddied black-and-brown sanded beach. The waterline stretched far on the horizon, a facet that he in particular was ignorant of. He was not, however, ignorant of the freshness of the air. With a dumb grin plastered onto his face, he took a step forward.


And then he fell.


"Ori?!" A voice came, shrill. Then, a significantly rougher-looking Sinna came blasting out of the treeline after him. The small dropoff that her brother had fallen forward on was an ease for her to conquer, as sandled feet dropped next to him, and hands wrapped around his arms, pulling him to his feet. "Hey, dumbass. Bal says that there's Seers coming to town, and I just about lost my shit when I didn't find you on the path after he told me." She said, out of breath. He batted her off, standing up just fine on his own. "Tell me if you're gonna be wandering, or next time I'm not going to find you."


"I wouldn't have needed you to. I was fine." He replied, curt but not mean. "I don't think the Seers are going to be at the beach, unless those pasty Harpies finally realized that so much moonlight isn't good for anyone. But between you and me, I doubt it." He said, dusting off his robes. Orin made his way toward the shoreline, forcing his sister to follow or be left behind. "And ... I had a vision. One to come here."


"And you decided that following your doom-vision was a good thing ... when? Last time, when it had nearly run us into a Seer coven?" She quipped, suddenly alarmed.


"We'll see, because-"


Suddenly, the gross sound of a weak, coughing gargle had interrupted their thoughts. Sinna shot a hand out, stopping her particularly impulsive brother from following the sound. She approached it cautiously, eyes narrowed. Just over the hill of sand, a body had lied, drenched to the waist by the encroaching waves. Another had rushed in, threatening to take the bloodied, badly-injured man out to sea once again. Before it could, Sinna rushed forward, pulling Orin with her. Then, they pulled him out.

 

[Notorious]

The lone viking from Veldard floated through the abyss for so long he quickly lost track of how long he had been there. At some moments he felt as if he was actually asleep while others felt like a fleeting nightmare, one where he couldn't see, move or feel anything at all. It was a special kind of hell, the torment the specter was putting Gunnar through as he waited patiently to finally wake. How was anyone going to wake him anyways? When he was falling all he seen was water, so much water that it boggled the viking's mind. No one ever seen that amount of water in the lands he haled from, his people never spoke of a land below their own. It seemed to be common knowledge to them that the floating isles of Arcadia were the only lands there as. Now he was forced to wait in oblivion with this new found knowledge.


It was maddening.


Soon though, Gunnar's torment game to an end when he began to feel a strange sensation. He could feel his body once more and the rushing of waves over him until finally he felt land once more. The feeling in his body returned but his celebration was cut short as he couldn't move just yet, his body stiff and sore as water flooded his mouth now to wake him. He began to spit the water out causing a weak and gross gurgle to fill his throat as he struggled to move at all whilst fighting the waves that threatened to drown him. He thought for a moment that he wouldn't die by the blade or saving his loved ones or even from that death defying fall, but from a small puddle of salty water.


Luckily for him he was being pulled out and soon had a face full of sand rather than water. He remembered the wraith's words from before, that he would not allow Gunnar to hurt the ones who rescued him. Why would he do that? It didn't make sense. Then, that's when he seen them. Weakly raising his face he seen two demons that stood before him. One with milky white eyes but one lone black one on his forehead, baring into Gunnar's soul while the other looked much less amused at the viking, she was stressed for whatever reason but Gunnar wasn't able to comprehend any of that as all he seen were demons.


"De....demons? Demons!" He sputtered, water pouring out of his mouth in a gross fashion. He began to kick away from them, falling in the sand as his legs gave out from under him as he scrambled away from the two. In reality he was much taller and physically stronger than the two but he had heard tales of demons from the abyss, that they would arrive to take a man's soul without the man even know. "Back away..." He commanded, the look of fight unmistakable on his face. To them, he looked like he had been through hell. To him, they looked literally like hell. He reached to his belt for an axe, a blade, anything he usually kept on him but they were long absent. He was unarmed and felt as if the two creatures before him were about to attack.


"Calm, you idiot." The whisper returned. "They just saved your life. To think you were carried by the ocean's currents only to be drowned in a puddle. That would have been ironic."


"Who.... are you?" Gunnar asked, wide eyed and on edge looking at the two of them. The more he calmed down the more he realized just how young the demons looked, how they didn't even have a threatening demeanor. In fact, these two looked much nicer than the people who executed him. A genuine curiosity on their faces about the strange man, so, Gunnar finally calmed down. "I mean you no harm if you mean me no harm." The viking said, lowering his voice. "Where am I? What is this place? Who are you?" He repeated, his frantic curiosity getting the better of him.

 

[C.DEX]

"I am Orin from the Congregation of Prisma up the coast from here." the boy replied, almost as if rehearsed. With the Viking out of his grasp, he gave a small bow, not entirely sure where to go if he had even wanted to attack him. Sinna brought her hand out again defensively, signalling her brother not to approach the wounded man. But then, Orin opened his mouth again. "This is my sister, Sinna. And that is a harmful stereotype. I'm going to push him back into the water."


Seeing the panic creep back up on Gunnar's face, Sinna shushed her brother and spoke out before the wounded Viking could push himself any further to scramble away from them. "He's not going to hurt you. He's just an asshole. Now - calm down. We aren't demons. Haven't you ever seen Ifrit before? This is the mainland; the eye of Mana. We're on the Southeastern coast. The Bridge of Fire is East of here. And - you look hurt. Did your ship go down somewhere near here?" she asked, eyes glancing around the beach for any sign of debris. "It isn't too often that we see any ships pass through our waters this way; the Lamia of Blazing Isles control that path. Maybe that's why you're here in the first place..."


"No." Orin said. "He fell from the sky. The better question is this: who are you?"


"We can talk to him once we get out of here, Ori, but Bal said we need to go back to the temple-"


"That's actually a great idea! We can bring him back to the temple. How hurt does he look?" he asked, quirking a brow. "Bal can heal him, anyways."


"Bal isn't going to want to spend the time he's preparing for the Seers healing some pirate that washed up on the coast. He's got more important stuff to do." Sinna replied, eyes shifting back to Gunnar. She still didn't approach, weary to even let her brother do so. Hurt or not, victim or not, the man was still formidable, and threatening. An aspect which she wished her brother would take into account. She hushed her voice, speaking only for a moment to Orin. "Are you crazy? Yeah, let's go off the path, follow the vision to impending doom, and then take it home with us. He'll be fine on his own, as long as he doesn't stumble back into the water. And he's human."


"Your point is? Maybe it was doom if we don't help him. You don't know. They're interpretive that way. And ... he's not going to be okay, if there are Starseers around." he said, voice not entirely hushed enough for Gunnar not to hear their bickering. "The church helps people like us-"


"Shut. Up." Sinna hissed. "What is he?"


"Necras." Orin replied, setting off an alarm into Gunnar, whose last memories were having been nearly executed for the matter.

 

[Notorious]

Gunnar watched in silence as the two bickered back and forth, being able to hear them fine as the beach was completely quiet other than the gentle sounds of the waves crashing in. He didn't pay too close attention to their private discussion, looking around them wild eyed as he took everything in. The Eye of Mana? The Blazing Isles? All of these terms were foreign to him. The ground was foreign to him as he firmly placed his water logged boots in the sand. He took in a deep breath and was nearly buzzing from the quality of oxygen, the air much easier to breath than up in the heavens. It was a sensory overload, so much so that as he frantically looked around he barely could hear what the two were saying to eachother.


Then, he heard the word Necras again.


"No... Not you too..." He said, clutching his side as he backed away from them some more. Blood was dripping down his side which he clutched, his wounds still freshly bleeding even after all that time he had been unconscious. "Necras has gotten me into too much trouble and I don't even know why everyone keeps telling me that I'm some sort of necromancer-"


"You aren't. But you are chosen by him." The ghost whispered to Gunnar, his voice filling his mind as he did so. Gunnar kept his composure on the outside but was absolutely confused on the inside. "You were born under the sign of Necras, an omen to most but for you Gunnar of Veldard... The dead require you to live. To do what must be done when the time comes."


"Get out of my head!" He shouted, clutching his head and startling both the twins. The woman seemed to defend her blind brother with such intensity and passion it reminded Gunnar of himself when it came to his family. "Sorry." He said after his outburst, not offering them an explanation. "You're... right. I was born under the sign of Necras. My people never concerned themselves with the dealings of the gods and many unclaimed never even receive the god's blessings under their signs but... I guess I'm one of the few who we're...." He sighed, bitterly. "Blessed." He finished sarcastically. "I've never shown any signs of such a curse. This... Necras... Got me nearly killed."


"He saved you. From both the starseer's execution AND a life of a savage." The phantom speaking to Gunnar said, "And it's rude to not introduce yourself, especially to your other saviors."


"I am Gunnar. Gunnar of Veldard. I hale from a land VERY different than this one. Are we on a different floating land? Where I come from there is no vast body of water like this and there are clouds as far as you can see. Wow..." Even injured the curious viking looked up to see the cloud layer above them, he had never seen them so high before that it was mind boggling he was below everything he ever knew in the abyss. He didn't realize the urgency the twins shared in returning home, in fact he was just happy to be alive. "Orin... And Sinna." He said, memorizing their names as he looked at the two of them. "Now that my eyes have cleared you two don't look like demons... Too young, your faces too smooth. No hair on your faces or gnarled teeth or fangs. No cloven hooves or fire coming off of yous. Besides, you're both a little short for being demons." He said with a hearty chuckle, "Thank you for rescuing me from that puddle. I've had a long... looooong day."

 

[C.DEX]

"I take that to mean that most humans don't have a ... whatever's inside of your body." Orin said, cryptically. The black eye on his forehead was wide open, and even though it was pupilless, it seemed almost as if it was eerily staring the wounded man down. In reality, it was looking straight through him. It spurred the Ifrit male on; he was curious, to say the least, and after weeks upon years of monotony and hiding, any change was a welcome change. "You say you're from the skylands? The floating islands, where the Avars are from?" he asked, genuinely curious.


Sinna looked to Orin, seeing trouble. He was far too curious and invested already, and the idea of someone coming from the skylands nearly had him bursting with interest. She'd wanted nothing more than to do away with the conversation, but it was already happening, and shy from bodily pulling her brother away - something she wasn't sure she could even do - they were going to be stuck together. Not wanting to inspire resentment in him, she approached Gunnar. Slowly, with hands raised in a 'don't-shoot-me'-esque manner.


"Ask questions on the way, but we've got to go. We're going to take you to the Church of Prisma. There's a man there; his name is Alchemist Balor. He can heal you." she said, slowly proffering to help him walk. She'd been wordlessly looped into the whole situation, unable to protest. At the sound of his sister helping, Orin walked forward just as well. He found himself to the other side, to the detriment of Sinna, wanting nothing more than to have the mysterious tale of how Gunnar had gotten there woven out for him.


"We're not on a floating island. We're on land. I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but that's not interesting, really. What's interesting is you. You said you were from Veldard? What portion of the Isles is that? How did you survive being in the water? I was unaware that humans could breathe underwater. Unless ... you're dead." he said, beginning to ramble.


"He's not dead, Orin. Come on. And Gunnar - it'd be wise not to share your designation to those we come to. If anyone asks, you're ... under Dowse. Alright?" Sinna said, looking with concern to Orin.


"Well, you never know. He has a spirit." he replied. They had made their way off of the beach, into the patchy woods that the both of them had emerged from. Gunnar had a fairly hard time walking through the woods, of course, but they hadn't really had a choice otherwise. "Not like you've met anyone from ... him before, have you?"


"No, and I didn't want to." Sinna said, frowning. "We're already in enough trouble. And you're welcome, Gunnar, but I can't promise that you're not going to be shoved out the door as soon as you're healed. Alright?"

 

[Notorious]

"Beats being shoved off one of the floating isles." He said without missing a beat, causing Orin to laugh. Gunnar felt a warmness from Orin that his sister lacked, she looked at Gunnar as a nuisance while the boy had genuine curiosity in him. Gunnar of course also had a genuine curiosity in the both of them as well as the land and what was going on. "You are in trouble? Do you need help? You have already helped me today... If you need anything I am happy to help." He was avoiding the obvious topic of the spirit, trying his best so that Orin's attention would leave it but it was as if he could actually see what was residing within Gunnar. He hardly even knew what it was himself.


"So you are a spirit..." Gunnar said internally, focusing his thoughts to try and speak with the spirit. "Why did you possess me? Without you I wouldn't have been thrown off the side of my homeland like a piece of trash!"


"Without me... you wouldn't be alive right now. I have watched you for some time now, Gunnar of Veldard. Necras has taken an interest in you. For what reasons I can not say as I am no god... but I can say you will thank me one day for saving your life. That starseer would have spotted you regardless of whether or not I was there. I saved you."


"What is your name?" Gunnar asked back, to which he received no reply. With a sigh, he added, "We'll... speak more later. I can hardly concentrate on what they are saying when you speak." Gunnar replied back, then snapped back to the conversation at hand as the two helped him through the woods. Soon he gently let go of them and began to walk on his own. The blood flowing from him was down to just a trickle and while he was exhausted, the specter inside of him had been hard at work keeping him alive. He would need medical attention but he would live thankfully. "You can see the specter?" He asked out loud to Orin. "Your eyes... they are blinded. Yet you can see it?" The specter had no shape currently, just a wisp of a creature residing inside the bloodied Gunnar who also looked off himself. He was caked in blood and his facial features clouded by it, his dripping clothing smelling and looking rather vile.


As they continued through the woods, Gunnar seemed to be familiar with lands such as this and trees. They were much taller than what he was use to however and he was looking at everything with child-like enthusiasm while he and the twins talked. He had no idea where they were taking him but if this Alchemist Bal could heal him then he would be forever grateful.


"Why must I say I'm under Dowse? Usually I claim to be unclaimed as that is what most humans are but... What is so wrong with Necras? I know he is the god of the dead and most who are born under him are necromancers or those who navigate the realms of the living and the dead yet I've never met one either. I'm just Gunnar. What sign I was born under should not be a problem. I am a good person." He paused, "Who was thrown off an island for being under Necras and this damned phantom... But still! Ever since that damn woman gazed at me I had been hunted for days... All because of something I couldn't control." He turned to them as they walked, "I am glad you two did not treat me as they did. The Avarians are... unforgiving "

 

[C.DEX]

"Unclaimed or not, you were born under a sign. The Seers will see it. The rules aren't so lenient here. And they will certainly see it, now. As far as claiming Dowse ... you'll look less suspicious. Not that you don't look suspicious now. And it will be a problem, good person or not, which ... I am suspicious of." Sinna said, teeth gritted. "Listen to me. I'm not entirely sure I should be telling you this, but..."


"We're experts at hiding." Orin said, with a grin. Sinna reached over, slapping him in the chest. She couldn't speak on the subject however, as she hadn't exactly intended on keeping them a secret, either. "What? Oh, come on. He's Necras. It's much worse than is. If he tries to say anything, we can just-"


"Not speak like he's not right there?" Sinna said, unamused. "What I'm saying is - while that's very sentimental, Gunnar... it doesn't matter. Not in this world. Not in the ones above, either, apparently. Take my advice, as you'll probably be leaving after this: take the side-streets and the woods. Don't venture through cities in the night; the Starseers' scope - whom of which it seems you've had experience with - broadens when the sun goes down. Claim a different sign; human or not, claiming a sign will lessen any questions others have about you. It's easy to say you're unclaimed. And ... don't look to the stars. She can see you as much as you can see her." Sinna said, cryptically. "The woman who spotted you ... it seems as if she's a Starseer. It might not matter amongst the humans, but in civilized society, you're spelling your own death by remaining out here. Don't fight them, either."


She huffed.


"And if you see anyone else like Orin ... run." She said. "The Changed under her, once they see you once ... you must run."


"It sounds grim. And it is! You say they pushed you off of an island? Well, it's ... much worse down here. You should venture away from the mainlands for safety. Whispers in our community say that the Rorsch islands are safer, if not ... guarded. Though I'm not sure how willing anyone will be to take your kind." Orin said, trailing behind the two of them by the hood of Sinna's robe. His eye remained open, staring through the back of Gunnar and sending a shiver up his spine. "...Though, if you would like to stay-"


"We can't offer that." Sinna said.


They had gotten to the trail, with the towering Church of Prisma reaching far up over the treeline. From the outside, it was a majestic, beautiful tower. A mass of architecture entertwined within itself, lined by white brick. At the very top, almost like an ornament, a beautiful spire gave way to what looked like a silver star; a glimmer of light, sitting atop a horseshoe. The symbol of Prisma. It shined amongst the dreary day, illuminating the sky around it.

 

[Notorious]

"That is... beautiful." Gunnar said, ignoring their warnings and starring at the Church of Prisma. "You have the same gods as us? My clan once did battle with a tribe of Molts that didn't worship the gods or their signs, but technology itself. I am surprised to see you have the same ones, right down to the very name." He was slowly putting the pieces together that his people were a lot more connected to the outside world than he had originally thought. This strange new world was beginning to feel familiar in ways while being completely foreign in others, it was a comfort among all the new discoveries. "I could not ask to stay with you all... However." He paused, "I do not run. I do not hide. That is the life I do not wish to lead."


"Then what do you want?" The wraith whispered, "What is it that you require? The dead can be quite... forthcoming with our gifts for our chosen. If it falls in line with what is required of you."


"I want to return home, once I have healed." He stated as they drew closer and closer to the church. "I will be on my way as soon as I can. I do not wish to bring trouble your way, little demons. As fascinating as these new lands are to me, if they are the same as they are up in my world then I must return at once. My clan needs me and trouble is brewing between the Avars and the Molts. I can not leave my home and my beloved unattended for long." Gunnar let out a sigh and kept looking up, longing for home. He hadn't even questioned why he was sparred to the specter, why he kept saying he was chosen over and over. All he wanted to do was heal then head home.


The closer they drew to the church the more anxious Gunnar was growing. He wanted anything to just be healed and be back to the skies. He felt naked without his weapons. He missed his family and wife dearly. He was usually at his clans' side as most of them were, those who ventured out rarely returned as they relied on the strength of eachother to persevere against their enemies in the sky. Above all, he wanted to get revenge on that damned starseer that caused this all to happen in the first place.


They had reached the steps and as Sinna and Orin hurried him along Gunnar tripped up the stairs and barely caught himself, his strength waning as they arrived. He tried his best to stand on his own but soon the two Ifrits had to pick him up to his feet and they stumbled inside the church He was immediately hit with a wonderful sight of the almost too bright scenery. Ironically it reminded him of the clouds he use to be nestled in with the suns reflecting their light on the normally white clouds, causing the Arcadia isles to be much brighter than it was down here on the planet.


"This is magnificent..." He mumbled, almost at a loss for words at what he was seeing. "I have never seen a church as grand as this. You said this was Church of Prisma? She is not worshiped much where I come from. A small shrine or a marker of her for those born under her sign but that is it..." Gunnar looked around for this Alchemist they had spoke of. "You both hide here?" He whispered. "My people have found the most valuable things in churches such as these. If I was looking for someone, this is the first place I'd check." It was a bit of strange wisdom coming from the Viking, albeit a bit frightening as he admitted to his rather vicious past. He said it all as if it was just what normal people said and did. "It is pretty funny though-" He grimaced, placing a dirty hand on one of the white walls for support. "Two demons bringing a viking to church. They will write stories of this day."

 

[C.DEX]

"Who in the infernal realm is that?! You're bleeding on the - oh please, get him to my lab, just ... Every time you venture out, Orin, it's always trouble." Balor hissed, approaching them all. His eyes settled on the Viking with slight viciousness, peering both toward him and his charges. It was an insane sight, seeing the two of them stagger in. Luckily, he was the only one who had seen it. Brave, the lavender-skinned Lamia came forward, peeling Orin and Sinna back from him, seeing very well the danger that she and her brother hadn't quite considered. There he stood, alone for the time being, as the Lamian man took Sinna and Orin aside to berate them.


"What were you thinking?! Are you aware how long you've been out? Venturing on the path, my arse. I thought you'd been captured." he said, keeping his voice low enough toward where the strange man couldn't hear him. "Not to mention, you could have been hurt, Orin. You as well, Sinna. You two should know better than this."


"His name is Gunnar. Of Veldard. He fell from the sky. And I was supposed to go there." Orin replied.


"Don't start on about this predestination stuff; you wanted to leave. And I understand, but you must understand that this is all for your protection. Both of you. You not only put yourselves in danger by leaving, but everyone here." Balor said, teeth gritted. Orin seemed to look a bit guilty for a moment, before an emanation of pain left Gunnar's mouth once again. They all seemed to snap back to him, continuing their guidance into Balor's lab.


The space almost seemed claustrophobic by the shelves lined with dusty books and the center a small laboratory lined with bottles etched with various symbols. It was almost scientific, the way it had been set up, with the focal point of the room having been the desk that sat in the center. The home to Balor. Not only an alchemist's lair but a place of healing, designated by the Church's patron God, a stove and bed sat in the back. It was cozy, but not much in comparison to the haven rooms that sat nestled inside of the church; not meant for people such as the twins themselves, but a bastion of hope to those in the community.


"They probably won't write stories about us. And we're not demons. We're Ifrit." Orin said. "Unless you have had stories written about you?" he asked, with a deadly curiosity. "Bal, have you actually seen the Seers?" Orin asked.


"Sit down here, Gunnar... Of Veldard. You two - go ..." he'd wanted to say, to their rooms, but unwanting to reveal them and unknowing that they already had, he stopped. "Ruminate on what you've done. Over there." he said, grabbing his spectacles from the desk and pointing them across the room. Wanting to draw as much distance between the three of them as possible, still unsure if the man in front of him was a threat, and thankfully unaware of the comment he'd made about ransacking churches. "And - yes. Well, Sister Fera had passed message that they are in town, but it seems that they're attending to official matters, thankfully."


As he started work on him, the Alchemist peered cautiously toward Gunnar; a look full of mistrust. He hushed his voice as the twins chattered amongst themselves, speaking only to the human. "If Orin is correct - I'm not sure of where you come from, but do not bring trouble with you. He is curious; too much for his own good, due to his circumstance. If you have any goodwill, you will leave after this without a word. I can pass a message along, if you'd like, however." he said, aware of humans' places in the world, but unwanting to simply push someone away due to their species.

 

[Notorious]

"They have not been written, but told, to my people." Gunnar said as he limped over to where Balor required him to sit while giving him medical care. "Most of them are tales of combat and glory, not too appropriate for a church. Maybe you'll hear them one day Orin." He said as he took a seat and groaned as he did so, his wounds finally getting the better of them. Miraculously he made it to the church after falling a fatal amount and being swept up by the sea for who knows how long. Now he felt somewhat at ease, then he listened to Balor speak as the twins moved to the other corner of the room out of ear shot.


"That's... disappointing." He said, wishing to tell Orin the tales he obviously was interested in. He understood however knowing that him being there could mean trouble for them. "They saved me and I simply ask to be healed than leave? I was hoping to make it up to the both of them in anyway I could but... Are you their father? You lack the horns but you have strange colored skin like them... Do the young demons lose their horns as they grow older? Excuse me, Ifrit Demons." He asked, his curiosity much like Orin's getting the best of him.


"They are called Ifrit. Demons is a slur to them..." The wraith whispered, trying to get through to the thick skulled viking. "You are insulting them each time you say that. It's ignorant."


"You're insulting me by butting into every conversation I have." Gunnar retorted, "The hell are you anyways? If we were somewhere quieter I'd be asking more questions but I'm a little busy here. Why did you save me? Why did you show up? What is your name?"


"Because of Necras... And... I have long since forgotten my name." There was disappointment in the Wraith's voice, a piece missing to the otherwise knowledgeable specter.


Ignoring the Wraith's answer, Gunnar continued his conversation with Balor. His conversation with the Wraith had been instantaneous, as if he was simply just thinking and having someone answer back. It was an odd phenomenon and he wasn't sure why he felt okay with the passenger inside his mind but his first focus was to heal up first.


"I will... Leave as soon as I am healed. I am sorry to a burden Alchemist, without your help I would surely die so... When we are done here I'll leave out the back without another word. That is if you don't require anything from me. I'm more than happy to help in any way I can, I owe the three of you a lot." He was a bit slow, but when it came to people he picked up on the tension coming off of the Lamia before him. He knew he was truly unwelcomed and that both Sinna and Balor were apprehensive with him there. On guard even, as if he was dangerous to them. He added, "I mean you no harm." Gunnar smiled at Balor but winced as he did so, "They saved my life and you are finishing the job... I do not wish for you to be on-edge, friend. I will do as you ask and leave but please, do not worry so much. They are good kids and you must be a proud father of them."

 

[C.DEX]

"I'm not an Ifrit, and they are not demons." Balor replied, suddenly arching his shoulders back. It was his heritage creeping in; he was proud, and slightly offended. But he remembered, stifling his inherent pompousness, that the two of them had been just as valuable as any other Lamia. "I am of the Lamia people and Prisma herself. As far as the Ifrit, they don't lose their horns. In fact, they grow longer. The length of an Ifrit's horns is indicative of their age, and the dullness of their skin. That said ... no, I am not their father." he said, voice quieting slightly as he turned his head to look toward them. "Though it feels like it."


He saw the visage of the two, Sinna looking to the two of them with concern as she tuned out the excited ramblings of her brother.


"It's destiny, Sin! How often do we see humans, let alone them falling from the sky into the ocean and surviving?! How often does anyone see that? How long are we going to stay cooped up in this God-forsaken church, hiding in a hole for years on end, afraid every other day that we're going to be found again? What are they going to do if they find us? Blind me again?" He asked, far too excited for his own good.


"Kill us." Sinna said, serious. "The world isn't as full of adventure as you think it is. Even if we got out of here, it's just ... the same, everywhere you go."


"That's what Bal says, but Bal doesn't even leave the confines of this stupid lab for days at a time. I've seen him synthesize his own food so he could keep going. He doesn't know anything. But you know who might? Him!" He said, gesturing toward where Gunnar sat. "And you want to kick him out? Make him leave? That doesn't make any sense. Neither of you do. Knowledge is her pursuit, my ass."


"This is for you!" Sinna snapped, becoming so angry that her fists balled at her sides. "Every time something even relatively different comes along you try to run. You don't see it because you're blind, figuratively and literally, you dumbass." She said, temper getting the better of her. The scathing comment sent Orin's expression into dullness, as he'd quickly taken it to heart. In reality, the girl was tired. Tired of having to usher and lead, and tired of taking the blame for it when they had gone too far. So, she continued, not taking into mind just how cruel her comment had been. "Don't you realize just how serious this is? You've got to grow up. Stop being stupid and think. You've got enough time for it."


Orin stepped back, a layer of thinly veiled anger on his face. Gunnar and Balor watched as they feuded, a seemingly normal occurrence for the two. Then, he took out the door, causing Balor to once again give a hefty sigh, and Sinna to give a gesture of exasperation. "Go find him." The Lamia requested, turning his eyes back to Gunnar. "Let's make this quick, before they kill each other."


"He can find his own way back!" Sinna replied, just as heated. Retreating to the corner with arms crossed, she lifted the hatch to their area, looking back to Balor once more. "He told him about us, by the way!" She called, frustrated.

 

[Notorious]

"You are frustrated. Do not take it out on him." Gunnar said, his expression hardening after seeing what the siblings were like when they reached a disagreement. It reminded him of his own brother and sister, the thought occurred to him that he may never see them again if he didn't make it home. He needed to return fast at any means necessary. "You are his eyes now, Sinna. He said that you were caught and he was blinded? That must have been terrible. For both of you. I'm the eldest of three and I know what it's like to take care of my family. Of my clan. You may be upset with him now but just wait..." A surprising amount of wisdom came from Gunnar, the last person they had expected to hear it from. "And, if he don't listen, bash him in the head a few times!" He exclaimed, "Whenever my brother or sister wouldn't listen I smacked some sense into them. It works for everybody!" He let out a hearty chuckle, "And, while he did tell me about you and what is going on here, you both saved my life. I owe that to you. No amount of money or rewards in the world could break my loyalty. I think your brother sensed that, otherwise he wouldn't have said anything."


Soon Balor began to treat Gunnar, ordering him to take his disgusting clothing off. The Viking complied, taking off his tunic and other leather trinkets that he tossed to the ground. The clothing landed in a heap, squishing as it hit the corner. It was a miracle he was walking at all when they seen the deep cuts all over the front of his body. Many of them had sealed on their own thanks to the specter but the worst ones were still trickling blood down and pooling around his belt. He turned to the alchemist's horror to sit back down and revealed his back had been in a similar condition. It looked like he had been mauled by a massive animal but no, it was the punishment for being born under the Necra's sign. A punishment that Sinna and Orin could also face if they were ever to be caught.


"This is my first time seeing it too... Not too shabby for a man who survived such a fall. The gods were with me today..." He said to the both of them, seeing as both the alchemist and the girl were in total shock at how rough of shape he was in. "They kept me there in their prison for days once the seer spotted me. I was cut off from my boat and my people thought I was dead..." He glazed over a few details, they didn't need the full story. "Ended up being whipped, lashed, burnt, cut... You name it, they did it. Avarians are notorious for their treatment of prisoners ever since that damn war with the Molts started." His eyes went hazy as he thought about it all, he was absent for what would be a brutal war and there was nothing he could do to protect his people. "If you couldn't guess I was born under the sign of Necras." He said to Balor, letting him in on the secret as well. If he knew their's he figured they would trust him more if he was open about his. "Don't think a lot of people are ever born under it, especially with the way those bastards beat me."


He winced as Balor began to stitch him up, his skilled hands making quick work of the open and more severe wounds that needed attending to. Gunnar was littered with scars as it was, but seeing that many on a single man was rather bizarre. He was obviously a warrior and a trained one at that, at the very least one that had been able to avoid death for a long time.


"When can I fight again?" He asked Balor after the conversation had settled down. "Chances are I will have to fight my way back to the Isles. Find an air transport of some type that will get me back up there. Most likely that will come at a cost... The only means I have to gain coin is my skills with the blade and axe. Whether that be killing monsters or people." He frowned, they were a lot less receptive to him being a foreign warrior than Orin was. "Do you have any suggestions on where I go?" He paused, "I am a stranger to these lands. I can take care of myself fine if I know where to go."

 

[C.DEX]

"If you are born under Necras... you aren't welcome here." Balor said, voice hushed and somewhat panicked. He'd broken a sweat, wanting nothing more than to push the man out of the door, acting like he'd heard nothing, but... they were a sanctum. The very least he could do was finish his work. "And of course you'd come now. Prisma, despite her grace ... well, everyone here is fallible. Sombras is one thing, but Necras is another in its entirety. We ... don't have a duty to you. After this, you should leave through the back. Where you came from." He said. "That's what you can do."


The clouded eyes of Sinna fell on Balor. He was being particularly cruel. It was for their and the church's protection, but it was mean nonetheless. Not that she had room to speak. He had seen her look. She didn't really hate Gunnar, just what he had inspired in her brother. A slight film of guilt washed over Balor.


"Fighting isn't going to get you anywhere. There are authorities in the main cities; they are teeming with them. They'll shoot you down before you can do anything, and some of them can do so without lifting a finger. I'm not sure if you're simply used to being amongst humans, but that is how it goes, around here. If you were to acquire money, you may be able to buy a ship from Central, but the airships ... don't really come around these parts, unless they're wreckage. I'll give you a salve to put on your wounds, but happen you're captured again ... it didn't come from me, and you fell to Xora's shores, not ours." The Lamia said.


"How can you even move, let alone expect to fight?" Sinna asked, suddenly a little curious herself after seeing the extent of Gunnar's injuries.


"You really should go find your brother, Sinna. The fellow is right. Frustrating and hard-headed as he is ... you are his eyes. We can't ensure that he'll be safe on his own. I'll finish this up and then join you. He may be more receptive if I talk to him." Balor said, brows knitted with a worry he chose not to express in words.


"Fine." She said, guilt creeping up on her just as well. She frowned, and then left them both. "But he's probably just as mad at you for keeping us in."


"Not my fault." Bal replied. She huffed, and then left to find him. "He couldn't have gone far. Before nightfall, Sinna!" He called, then looked back to Gunnar. The Lamian stood, walking to his desk to find his supplies. In perfect order they had been, so it only took him a moment before he returned with a bottle. "Here we are."

 

[Notorious]

"Thank you." Gunnar replied, taking the salve in his hands and quickly beginning to rub the ointment onto his wounds. It would take him some time and the sudden increase in pain from it was evident but pain didn't seem to be a factor to the viking as he began to dig the medicine deep into his wounds. "I didn't know being born under a certain sign could bring this amount of trouble." He grunted, he had never ran into this amount of trouble before due to just being born. Usually he had been the one to ask for it. "Shame about Orin's eyes... Being born under the wrong sign I guess effects a lot of people." He had no idea why the boy had been blinded but he took a wild assumption, being that they were in hiding because of it. "Your... church won't be in any danger because of me, I can assure you. Once I am done applying this I'll throw on my clothes and be on my way. I'll find a village or something far away to not attract any attention to this place, it's the least I can do after you decided to help me. Even knowing who I was born under."


"Chosen." The Wraith corrected. Luckily for Balor he couldn't hear the spirit speak or they'd get in an argument. "Prisma is a forgiving god. Much more forgiving than Necras but... She and her followers are weak. Most don't have the grit to do what must be done. They'd rather live in fear, or what they call harmony." The Wraith let out a long 'breath' as he sighed, both Gunnar and Balor able to feel a slight gust of wind out of no where. "Be careful of this man, Gunnar. He may betray you if it serves his purpose."


"You do however think of fighting close mindedly." The viking added after listening to the Wraith. "I may be a viking but I don't just pillage or take what isn't mine from just anyone. You can gain coin by working security, hunting, both animal and people. Your strength can be used for other's entertainment in gladiatorial combat or in back room fighting pits. I've done all of these and more where I come from, if you all worship the same gods than I assume things aren't quite that different between the two places. Other than scenery and the people there." He looked to Balor and handed him the Salve, "Mind getting my back? I can't reach and if this isn't treated then I'm probably going to die on your doorstep. No pressure, I'm sure you all have a grave yard somewhere." He teased, then turned around so the Lamia could assist him further.


"Ask him... Why is he doing this?" The Wraith asked Gunnar. "I would ask him myself but the barrier between life and death is only thin with you, I can not interact with him. Why is he helping a champion of Necras? His goddess would not necessarily approve, she and our lord do not see eye to eye on most things."


"I'm not some champion and I'm not going to cause trouble. He's helping us- me. Without him I'm dead." He corrected. "We will not question him or his beliefs OR his god while we're in his house. Understand? Tensions are high enough as it is." When he heard no response back he continued to speak to Balor, "You are a good man for taking me in. Are you almost done? I don't wish to trouble you for much longer. I'd offer to snag you a deer or some fresh meat from the woods as a small token of gratitude but I'm without a bow... and I'm running out of your patience I assume."

 

[C.DEX]

Balor's eyes lit up as the Viking seemed to address not him, but someone else. He was both morbidly interested and spurred into further scorn. He would berid of him soon, and it wouldn't be a problem, however, so he didn't raise the question. Not only that, but drawing the ire of a lunatic was never a good idea. He glanced toward the doorway, lips tightening as he worried after his charges. As far as he was concerned, though, the threat had passed. To his knowledge, the Seers had gone.


"We get our meat from the butcher. And ... your wounds are more extensive than I thought they would be, judging by the fact that you were up and walking. It may be another hour."


For a while longer, far too long for either of them to have been comfortable, the Lamian kept working. He worked until Gunnar's wounds had been painfully stitched up, and the small ones had been closed. There was a magical implementation to his work; it even seemed that he began to heal quicker than normal. As the time passed, however, Balor grew more anxious, passing glances back to the doorway in anticipation of his charges coming back at any time.


That thought had passed, as Sinna burst back through the doorway, looking particularly disheveled. "Bal, I... can't find him. I looked everywhere. The upper floors, the back path, the coast, the other vaults, I... I'm sorry. I pissed him off a bit more than I usually do, I guess, but nightfall is coming and -"


"I understand. Calm down. It will be alright." Balor said, stopping promptly to rise from his seat in front of Gunnar. He walked toward his desk, grasping for his coat and throwing it over his shoulders. The night was coming, and it was cold. Stifling his own sudden worry but also reminding himself that it was par for the course, he looked back down to Gunnar. "I'll be back momentarily. Just rest for the time being. It ... may not be wise now that you leave, since this had taken longer than I thought it would. If the Seers are still in town, they may see you due to nightfall."


He went to move, but then stopped in place.


"Actually... you said you wished to repay the favour. If Sinna is to come help me look, you may as well come too. An extra set of eyes won't hurt, as long as you're up to walk, still. And it's not like your presence could make it any worse than having these two lurking around." Balor said. "All I ask is that you trawl the path you all came from. It should be secluded enough."

 

[Notorious]

Gunnar wordlessly stood up, a little too quickly causing him to wince but it was nothing that truly bothered him. He reached down and grabbed his clothes which were still damp but much more bearable to put back on as they were dry now. He smelled of the sea, the salt water masking the iron smell of blood around the viking. With bandages, stitches and the ointment in place he was beginning to feel much better and he already had a better range of motion whilst moving. Surprisingly so too as he stretched before moving any further. Before he could speak to the others he was interrupted by the ghost who's voice was much louder than it had been recently.


"It is imperative that we find the boy." The Wraith spoke, appearing before Gunnar for the first time. The spirit was obviously male due to his voice but his stature was ambiguous, the hazy spirit barely registering as a hooded blob in front of the viking. "I will go search too. I will return when I have found him." And just like that the Wraith phased through the closest wall and was gone.


The Viking did his best not to react physically to the wraith leaving, knowing that he could communicate without moving his lips but he was giving away that he was looking at something other than Balror and Sinna. He nodded at them with a confident look on his face when he was ready after a short stretch and followed them out of the church. Soon they were in the overgrown forest once more, however this time the twin suns weren't high in the sky currently. One was completely missing from view while the other was quickly setting. They were running out of daylight and if Gunnar knew anything, it was that Balor had stressed time and time again now that the Starseers could see better at night. This was a bad situation, especially with Orin disappearing right before nightfall.


"Wait." Gunnar said, looking to the ground and searching for footprints. This small trail was rather busy but he spotted a few footsteps out of the ordinary, ones that had been imprinted recently. "Someone walked through here not long ago, the mud hasn't settled. My tracking skills aren't exactly that advanced so it could be a random traveler but you all seem to be pretty far out of the way here. Chances are it's Orin and you said you didn't check this way Sinna. He's either going somewhere new or somewhere he's found before to get away from us."


Soon, the other sun had already set. It seemed to fall too quickly, as if it knew the trouble they were currently in and had better things to attend to. Gunnar cursed as he lost the ability to see the tracks in front of them totally as they were engulfed into darkness. They could see lights from a village in the distance, meaning that it was in their best interest to not use any lights themselves. Eventually after a few brief moments of panic their eyes began to adjust to the darkness, both Balor and Sinna's adjusting much easier due to their eye chemistry while Gunnar had to constantly squint just to see anything.


"You know your brother better than either of us, Sinna." Gunnar whispered. "Where would he go if he wanted to escape even you?" He paused, then called out to the wraith in his mind. "Any luck?"


"None."

 

[C.DEX]

"There's one place I really ... really hope he's not." Sinna said, looking to the two of them. She looked to Balor, uncertain, who gave her the same look he had any time the two of them were up to mischief. "The cliff, maybe."


"The ... what? The cliffside, Sinna? You can't be serious. He could -"


"For the most part, he puts one foot in front of the other and he's fine. It's not like he's going to wander there not knowing that it's a cliff. He's going to be careful. And I know it's far, it's just... after being in the vault for so long, it's the only place to get fresh air." She said, frowning.


"It's not the cliff that I'm worried about. It overlooks the city. You can see everything from there but everything can also see you. All it takes is a stray glance. Distance isn't an issue for a Seer, you of all people should know that." He said, reciprocating her emotion. "Now come on. I know the way." He said, stepping forward in front of them all. With Gunnar's injuries and Sinna's stature, it wasn't exactly hard for him to go ahead, scouting the area in front of them. With ease, Balor lead the way for the other two, hastily clearing a path in which to find their lost member.


The path gave way to a clearing, one that rose steeply up to the ledge in which they had expected to find Orin. Instead, they were met with emptiness. A plain of grass above the rest, giving way to the beautiful sight of both the night's ocean and the city in the distance. Balor's summation of the area almost seemed to be an exaggeration; the way was too far for any normal Seer to see then, wasn't it? But then they heard a cry. Sinna broke from them both, rushing up to the edge of the cliff and peering down toward the path below.


What she saw forced an utter out of her.


Along the path winding the city to the church, a soldier dressed in the smock of Central had been convening with two veiled women, undoubtedly recognizable as Seers. The moonlight illuminated them all as they talked amongst themselves, almost seeming to argue with the guard in front of them. The beating of hooves had sounded in the distance, along with a light on the horizon that was growing brighter by the moment; it bore a resemblance to the very same one that sat atop the church, one that they had long since left the reaches of.


To the side of the guard sat Orin, though they couldn't see his state as his head dipped toward the ground, wrists behind his back. Suddenly, he looked up, black eye spotting Gunnar's spirit from amidst his own personal void.


Their blood ran cold.


"That's - a Sister or a Brother of Prisma on the horizon." Balor said, pushing Sinna back to be out of view happen they were seen at the top of the cliff. He wasn't sure what to do, but panic crept up in him, taking hold of his chest. "You two can't go back to the church, not if they're responsible for this. Sinna, stay up here with the human. I'm ..." He paused, unsure.


But then, defying the spirit's expectations, he took toward the group, descending down the cliff with haste.

 

[Notorious]

"He won't last long enough." The Wraith said, no longer speaking in a whisper as he returned to Gunnar. He felt the spirit merge back within him, feeling a strange sense of power he had been missing since the specter had left. "Balor will try and reason his way out of this way, to get the boy back. He knows better than anyone that under the Seer's capture they will not let go of Orin without a fight. You know what must be done." The phantom paused, "If you are the man of honor you claim to be, Gunnar, then I suggest we make haste."


"I do not have a weapon..." He said outloud without even thinking it, startling Sinna who was standing next to him. "Otherwise we would already be down there."


"Leave that to me. Make haste! Balor is about to be spotted and we can not risk him being exposed. If those damned seers spot him then it will no longer be safe here for him or his church!"


Gunnar didn't need much convincing as he began to run towards the edge of the cliff. While Balor was sliding his way down to their surprise, the viking with an incredible show of strength (and stupidity) jumped right off the side to Sinna's horror. He fell for quite awhile until his feet met the sloped angle of the cliff, sliding down it with precision as he made his way down the cliff side. He passed by Balor, who had a massive headstart on him, and reached the bottom of the cliff before he even got half way down. Gunnar wasn't going to allow Orin to be taken, not after he had saved his life just a few hours ago.


Running, the Viking closed the distance between him and the group faster than any average wounded man could. It was as if his wounds no longer mattered, his adrenaline flowing as he rushed to save Orin. The Wraith was slowly unlocking more of his abilities the longer he spent bonded with Gunnar, increasing his speed ever so slightly while making pain a non-factor from his wounds. Then, something incredible happened. Gunnar held out his hand and an almost transparent throwing ax appeared in his grasp. It was pure white and could be seen through but Gunnar was holding it as if it was really there.


He looked down to it whilst running and was impressed, the spectral ax was just what he needed to save Orin with. He was within range now, both the starseers speaking with the guard and the Prisma informant all having a fairly decent conversation with the poor blind boy sitting in the dirt next to them. Gunnar could barely make out his expression: he was hurt and obviously distraught he had finally been caught. That was all the viking needed to see as he reared his arm back and threw the ax directly at the guard in the middle of them all.


"-will be taken care of. We will ensure your safety when transporting the prisone-" The two women and the Prisma informant all nearly had heart attacks on the spot when the guard who was speaking was cut off by an ax to his face. It had split it down straight the middle, causing him to gurgle for air as he was not only suffering facial damage but brain damage as his injured brain tried to comprehend what had just happened. Then, as if it was never there, the spectral axe vanished causing the guard to burst blood all over one of the Starseer's face as there was nothing to hold back the flood gates of blood and bone from pouring out. She screamed as they were under attack by what felt like dozens of people.


It was simply one man.


Orin could see a lone figure in the darkness, betraying his blindness as he seen the wraith from before charging directly towards him. The distance was closed and the screams grew louder as the Starseer furthest away from Orin was rag dolled as she was grabbed the neck and thrown to the ground. The Prisma informant began to run away but was quickly met with a spectral axe to the calf, causing them to curse and moan in pain as they crashed to the ground. The screaming Starseer was far too frail to escape from Gunnar's grasp as he bashed her head into the dirt over and over again until the front of her head caved in, leaving only one remaining to deal with.


"Do you have any idea who you are defying? You are defying the laws of the land and the Eye of Mana! Most importantly you are defying Constellia who will smite you! She is the goddess of-"


"Fuck your god." Gunnar said bitterly, having no love for Starseers of any kind and raised his hand forward. To his surprise, a sharp spectral short sword appeared in his hand right on cue. It separated quickly, forming bit by bit starting from the handle first and ending in the sharpened blade tip. He then thrust forward, the blade piercing the woman's neck. Gunnar took a twisted pleasure in slicing her throat like this, smiling at her as she watched with glowing eyes. "Tell your god I'm coming from them." And with that, Gunnar kicked the Starseer in the gut sending her falling to the ground as she tried to gasp for air only to fill her lungs with blood.


"Good..." The Wraith said, watching as Gunnar bent down and sliced Orin's restraints with a quick flick of his wrist. "You know Necras is no friend of Constellia. I can see why you have been chosen finally, after so many years of watching over you I did not understand... You are a natural. I think I am beginning to finally understand his decision." Years? This confused Gunnar even further as he took a knee and talked to Orin, all the while the Prisma follower a few steps away was trying to frantically crawl away.


"Are you hurt?" He asked, checking the boy over. "We looked everywhere for you, Orin. Did they do anything to you? I would say we would get them back but... they're dead already."

 

[C.DEX]

Sinna took off down the cliff, legs traveling faster than she could handle without nearly falling. Balor ran just as well, after having seen the human take off quicker than he could possibly manage himself, but between the two of them, even the shorter-legged Ifrit girl had caught up with the Alchemist, fueled by sheer panic. She ran and ran, until she had met up with Orin, collapsing on her knees in front of him and wrapping her arms around him, nearly jolting him from the shock of it. She held him tight, putting his well-being above the blood and gore and violence that had just transpired. It hadn't truly occurred to any of them - other than perhaps Orin after having been mercilessly stomped to the ground after violently protesting his capture - that that would be necessary. For a long while, she wouldn't let him go, more than afraid that she was a moment away from losing him.


"Sin, I'm fine." He said, pulling her off of him. He had bled onto the shoulder of her normally pristine robes, though they had already been muddied by the commute over there. "They - They're dead?" He asked, in shock and in pain. The concept of having them all killed in front of him - of having anyone killed in front of him - was a foreign one. In the flash of an eye, he was potentially on his way to execution to having his enemies executed in front of him. And he didn't know how to react. Blood dripping down his face that was partly his own and partly others, Orin seemed to go blank for a moment.


Sinna pulled him up to his feet, and they were soon met with the running form of Balor, who seemed to go pale at the sight of all of the blood. He looked up to Gunnar, wholly afraid of both the retribution of his acts and of having the twins be around the man himself. He kneeled toward the follower of Prisma, taking a light in hand to illuminate their face.


"...Sister Fera?" he asked, looking to the distraught, tear-filled face of the woman who'd been attempting to crawl away. "...Why do this to us? To our people?"


"The Shade are not our people!" she shrieked, all parts angry, bitter, and in pain. "We hide them, risking our necks, we're - we're supposed to be healers of the Light, not Harbingers of the Dark, Balor. How are we supposed to protect our people if we're constantly on edge, hiding fugitives?! Regardless, they knew. They suspected, they -" she stopped a moment to scream and hold her calf. The formerly proud, pointed-eared, Prismatic woman was now fighting to simply get away. "-It was to protect the church, and - you must put her Grace above them, Bal - you must -" she said, rambling, reaching for any reason for them not to finish her off there.


"You cannot have light without the dark, Fera." Balor said, grimly, standing once more. He looked to the rest of them, knowing a grim reality: they very well could have possibly traded every hiding life within the Church, who still stood tall and bright amongst the night sky, for Orin's. But he couldn't bring himself to do anything about the woman on the floor. Still, he stood between her and Gunnar, not wanting any further harm to come to any of them. "Gunnar, take the Sister back up the Cliff - don't harm her. Sinna, take your brother and follow them. Keep her light shaded. NOW!" he yelled, commanding both of their presences, seemingly pushing away his fear of the situation in order to take hold of it.


Sinna stood with Orin, pushing down the grimness of her reality in order to follow Balor's lead. He was sore, but able to stand, not having the time spent with the Guard and Seers in order to take on any injuries that weren't superficial. Regardless, a deep swell of guilt had settled in his sister's chest, knowing well that they wouldn't be in this situation if it hadn't been for her harsh words. But then again, they may very well have been blindsided at the Church. Hoofbeats sounded in the distance, getting closer, but under the guise of night they couldn't be seen; Balor had extinguished his light, and the Prismatic woman was far too pain-addled to tap into any of her magic at the current.


"All of you - after I leave, meet ... The path you took to get to Gunnar. But under no circumstance do you go back to the Church. Understand?" Balor asked, looking to the three of them. He'd kept his words for fear of Fera listening in, despite wanting to spare her life. She could very well simply be dropped off somewhere while they took care of what they needed to. Then, as they all disappeared into the dark, Balor fell to his knee, in the best attempt to look injured as he could. Begrudgingly, he clutched his chest. Then, the hoofbeats almost became deafening. Before long, he had been advanced upon by a squadron, lantern-light illuminating the grisly scene that had been placed out for them. The guards instantaneously drew their arms; a Lamian took the front, looking down on the grisly scene with a fist full of fire.


"What is the meaning of this?! What happened here?! Present your hands, Prismatic, who has done this?" he asked, revolted enraged, but entirely in disbelief that Balor could have done everything there himself.


"I... We were attacked by -"


"We've gotten reports that there are illegal Shades in your Church. Did you partake in the killing?! We were supposed to pick up a prisoner, have they escaped?!" he said, teeth gritted, glancing around as if preparing to be attacked at any moment.


"They weren't housed by us! We were attacked, here!" Balor replied, desperately, clutching blood to his chest as if he'd been hurt. "They went off - to the left of this road." he said, attempting to direct them away from his charges. "Along with a Sister from our Church; Sister Fera. Please..."

 

[Notorious]

Gunnar bent down and helped Sister Fera to her feet, she cautiously grabbing on to his hand as he helped her up. The pain from her calf caused her to stumble however, forcing the viking to scoop her up in his arms and carry her. She was stunned simply due to the fact that this was the same man who had done this to her. The very same man that she just watched slaughter not only a guard but two Starseers? No one in this area had ever seen anything like it. This was mostly a calm, country area. For a warrior such as Gunnar to arrive it would be big news come daylight and this area would be bustling with activity, particularly those who had sworn to protect the Starseers would arrive.


"You bring blood to th-"


"I don't give a fuck." Gunnar interrupted, his brutishness stunning Sister Fera. She had never met a man like him before and if it is one thing she made a mistake, it was betraying her own. This made Gunnar want to drop her off the cliff as they began to re-scale the cliff instead of going around. They didn't have much time to get hidden again with Balor distracting the reinforcements. "You brought blood yourself. This is on you for being a traitor to your own. If I had it my way, I would have hit your head instead of your calf." He spat to the side as they finally cleared the top of the cliff edge. He looked back down and seen that both Sinna and Orin made it up okay and were right behind them.


"You... you're a monster." She gasped, tears in her eyes as she looked up at the intimidating viking who was clutching on to her a little too tightly. "A harbinger of darkness... Oh yes... I can see the cloud of death on you, all the blood you have spilled. You... killed those innocent people... Without a second thought! You have no remorse... None whatsoever."


"I may kill for the ones I protect but you are the real monster here, Sister Fera." He mocked, "I have no remorse because you are a bad person. Those women are bad people. You would turn against your goddess and report children? Compromise the safety of others because you were scared? Do you have no loyalty? No honor?" He held her tighter, causing the woman to try and wiggle out of his grasp but he was having none of it. "Struggle and I'll knock you unconscious. If it wasn't for Balor you would be dead. Traitor." They were back in the woods now and near the place where Balor instructed them to be. Gunnar continued though, "What would Primsa do if you threatened the life of others like this? I'm sure she'd be disappointed. She values life over all else and you are here trying to snuff it out? You're a heretic."


"Calm..." The Wraith whispered. "She is done, you have done more damage with your words than your ax. Sit her down and wait for Balor."


Gunnar quietly propped Sister Fera up against a tree then took a knee, looking at her wound. It was still bleeding but luckily for her he had more bandages on him than a mummy, grabbing some of the spare he had pocketed before leaving the church to find Orin. He quickly wrapped up her leg and applied pressure, causing the woman to writhe in agony. Gunnar took a twisted pleasure out of it. He had noticed the twins with him had been awfully quiet on the journey here so he turned to look at them.


"I'm sorry what you had to go through. The both of you. Orin, are you okay?" He noticed the look of hesitation on both their faces. They both had just witnessed him murder three people at the drop of a hat and then severely injured a woman. Their hesitation around him was to be expected so he softened his face. "I am also sorry you had to see that side of me... The plan was for me to leave the church when I was mended by Balor and you wouldn't have to see me again. I am glad my wounds took longer to mend or... This traitor here would have gotten you killed Orin."

 

[C.DEX]

Sister Fera, with teeth gritted, looked upon the three of them, hesitant to speak any words in fear of drawing the barbarian’s ire once again. She then looked to the twins, whose eyes had become shaded in contemplation. They were covered in blood; Sinna, from kneeling next to Orin, and Orin, for being there at all, especially given his own bruises and injuries. Sinna looked on her with scathing anger, suddenly balling her fists and walking toward Fera. “Why would you do this?! You-“


“I had no choice, Sinna. And Prisma would understand. I’m sure of it.” she hissed. “The Seers were onto us, I could either risk all of the lives of the Servants of Prisma and you all, or I could risk the Shades. Do you understand, girl? Prisma … she does love your people, but we come first.” Fera said, causing the Ifrit girl to get even more heated. Before Sinna could advance on her, however, Orin grabbed onto her wrist, keeping her grounded. Her nails seemed to grow sickeningly, as her heritage began to creep up on her. “You have … Sombras. But Sombras has no place in this world. We must …” she stopped, yelling out in pain once more and looking rather pathetic.


“We trusted you!” Sinna said, tearing up at the eyes. Gunnar couldn’t truly grasp how big of a mistreatment the woman’s words had been. They had stayed with her for years; the same way that Balor was almost a father to them, Fera had truly been a sister. But it was all gone. Because the Prisma came first. “You could have warned us to leave; done something other than this! Those deaths are on YOUR hands!” she said, raising her voice perhaps a little too loud.


“Shh.” Orin said, holding a hand to his head.


“I am … not responsible for them. Your friend is. I have spilled no blood, here.” Fera said, her resoluteness causing the twins to look down on her with both disgust, betrayal, and disappointment.


“He was just trying to protect us.” Orin said, voice quieted. “And … I’ll be better once we find a place to rest that isn’t the forest. I just don’t know where we’ll go. This has been our home for a long time.” he said, frowning. “And then … I got captured. I’m sorry.”


…


“Urel. Go with him.” the Lamian commanded. He was significantly darker-skinned than Balor, obviously not a subrace of Prisma. In fact, his skin was hued a deep, almost infernal red, and his sclera a charcoal dark. He was dressed in royal attire; obviously a Captain of the Central Guard, revealed both by intricate, finely crafted plating that was well-worn. It wasn’t common to see a Lamian man in a combative role, but judging by the scars on his face, he wasn’t a stranger to danger. He disembarked from the caravan, which had a slave’s cage hooked to the back of it, lined with magical runes that glowed on the sides. The Captain walked toward Balor, drawing his sword from his side and holding it up to the Prismatic Lamian’s throat.


“If I find you are lying, I will personally cut your throat on the altar of your temple and then burn it to the ground, Hospital be damned. I have no love for people who harbor Shades. Do you understand?” he questioned, to which Balor gave a quick, unhesitant nod of the head.


“I must seek medical help.” Balor said. “And if your people are wounded in the search … I will assist them as well, but -“ he held his side, grunting, hands bloodied. “Be merciful, please-“


“Go, then!” the Captain shouted, causing him to flinch. Another guard disembarked from the caravan just as well, joining the formerly white-robed Balor’s side. Under his armor, it wasn’t entirely clear what he had been, but he did look Elven, with whitened skin and blue eyes. His weapon was at the ready, fingers touching its hilt, prepared to kill the Lamian man at a moment’s notice. “The rest of you, fan out!” he said, pulling a small glass star from his pocket and snapping it, blazing white liquid covering his hand and illuminating the surrounding area. It was a design of Prisma’s followers, ironically.


Balor and the guard walked together, with the Alchemist keeping a particularly wounded visage on for show. In his mind, he plotted. It wouldn’t be long before they reached the Church itself; with how many back ways that Sinna, Orin, Gunnar, and himself had taken, they weren’t truly far at all. Soon, the emblazoned symbol that sat proudly above the church casted her light on them. Judgement would be passed.


“It’s … it’s just this way. If you wouldn’t mind - please…” Balor suddenly seemed to fall ill, dropping to a knee. The guard glanced to him, alarmed but not entirely concerned with his wellbeing. He began to approach the Alchemist, who waved him off. “I will be fine, but if you’ll help me to the study before you begin your search, I would greatly appreciate it.” he said, wincing. The guard pulled him to his feet, ever-weary.


Soon, they had gotten to the Church. Balor grew sicker by the moment, until the guard very well had to drag him to his own lab. Very little life stirred in the church amongst the nighttime, however, giving them no real audience. “Just … over …”


As they passed into the room, the Alchemist fist balled. It suddenly filled with light; a light that he had shoved mercilessly into the guard’s eyes, causing him to fill the room with shouts of pain.

 

[Notorious]

"Not trying, doing." Gunnar said to Orin about protecting them, "You have nothing to be sorry for. If you weren't captured then maybe this bitch would have gotten away with her plan." He sighed, then said, "Those like her that would hurt good people will be dealt with, damn the consequences." Gunnar began patrolling the area, not quite feeling like they had been cleared yet. His barbaric actions were a stark contrast to what the siblings and Fera had ever been use to before. The way he carried himself now was drastically different than the wounded man they had nursed back to health. They had been right to be nervous and skeptical about him: he was a monster himself. "If it wasn't for Balor, you'd be dead, whore." He said, crouching down to her eye level now. "People like you that hide behind their gods and goddesses... Use them as scapegoats for your own disgusting actions... It's worse than anything I've ever done, I can tell you that. And I've done a lot of terrible things..." The intensity on his face made her feel such an insane level of fear she began to shake slightly, all the while groaning from her injury.


She began to look away from him but he jutted his blood covered hand out and pulled her chin towards him, making her look at him. There was something so indescribably vicious and mean spirited the viking was to his enemies, it was quite terrifying even to those he was protecting.


"That blood might physically be on my hands... and now your face..." He said, smearing the blood stained hand over her face and marking her with a giant smear of dark red blood. He then let his hand drop to his side, starring her down. "But you're the one who drew it. Without you... None of those people would have died. No one would have gotten hurt. No one would have been found. You are the root cause of this problem, to me, you're the one that caused it. So I may have had to draw said blood, but you're the whole reason it happened."


"Do you think you intimid-"


"YES! I do." Gunnar said, getting back up in her face. "Think about what I said lady... You'd rather draw these kid's blood than help them? That sure does sound like a loyal worshiper of Prisma to me. I wonder what she'd say to you... That you didn't try your hardest to save those lives and instead tried to protect your own. I bet she'd be a lot less forgiving than me." He smirked, "Maybe this is her way of punishing you. The gods work in mysterious ways and I haven't been here too long. Maybe I was sent for you... Your life..." He stood up, leaving the belligerent woman alone. "You can cry... you can groan... Hell, you can piss yourself for all I care. But if you raise your voice for help, or if you dare insult these two again by saying your life is more important..." He smiled at her, "I'll kill you. Then you can really see what Prisma thinks about you in the afterlife."


That shut her up, other than her quiet sobs as Gunnar walked away. He was able to see her still but didn't want to speak to her anymore, leaving her a bumbling mess as he walked to the side.


"And I thought I was scary." The Wraith said, surprisingly trying to lighten the mood and even more surprisingly causing Gunnar to laugh at him. "I've seen you do some incredible things, Gunnar of Veldard. Never before have I seen you do so with your words though. You have grown since the Raids on Atalla."


"Yes, I have." He said internally, "That feels like a lifetime ago now. We will speak more during a quiet moment, Wraith. For whatever reason I am not alarmed by your prescience... As if you have been there much longer than you let on. A normal person would have panicked yet... You feel familiar. How long have you been there?


"Upon your birth, Necras marked you. We have been watching for some time, watching, waiting. Protecting." The Wraith confessed. "I have watched you since your birth, protected you from harm and made you stronger, faster. Any injury you have received I have helped heal. Every battle I have helped you learn... Your accomplishments are your own but look at it as a direct blessings. Only a few people receive the gods favors, you are one of the lucky few."


"And why is that? Are you my guardian?"


"I do not know, I only know my duty as your guardian, yes. We fight and improve eachother symbiotically. The stronger you become, the stronger I become. It is why I am able to speak to you now... For years I was mute, as the dead usually are. The longer we are to be on this path, the quicker we both shall reach our full potential."


"Good to know..." Gunnar said, looking over to Orin and Sinna. He then spoke out loud to them, "I can get you both of out here. I assume Balor will want to leave with you, on the off chance he doesn't however I can go with you if you'd like. I would understand if you don't want to though... Watching what I did is a lot to take in for those not use to death and violence."

 

[C.DEX]

The Church had awoken.


The guard screamed out, reaching out for Balor with the tips of his fingers. When they had met fabric, he latched on, bringing the Alchemist to the ground. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to land much in the way of punching, the guard held the combative Prisma down with one arm, while the other swung to his hip to reach for his dagger. Fearing for his life, Balor thrusted the guard off of him with all of his might, sending him to the ground.


The Alchemist scattered to his desk, reaching desperately for his components. The guard looked up, vision painfully white but with colors blotting in, giving him a small range of vision. He looked for red. The very same red of his fallen compatriots. It stood out amongst the white brick that had surrounded them all, and he knew exactly where to plunge his weapon. The guard slashed forward, catching Balor's arm as he swung around with something in hand.


Glass and darkened liquid shattered and splashed over the guard's face, as he sputtered it out. On the floor lay a singular tag, originally belonging to the small bottle that Balor had chosen to assault the guard with. It bore the symbols of Dowse ... And Sombras. A concoction that Sinna herself had helped brew up. He spit out the liquid onto Balor, who had only a moment to wait until his own personal help would arrive. Unfortunately for him, in that moment, the guard had grabbed him, thrusting the knife into his chest.


The guard's grip on the knife seemed to slip for a moment, before his eyes had slowly rolled into the back of his head. Expression filled with hate and fear, he began to collapse under the influence of the potion, and soon, he was on the floor. Unharmed. The same couldn't be said for the Alchemist, whose chest bore the protruding blade, unmistakingly crafted by the Central Guard.


A Sister practically skidded into the room at the commotion, eyes widening as she had seen the mess before her. The normally proud Balor, caked in blood and potion, above the absent-minded body of the Guard. She covered her mouth.


"Sister ... take ... take the Shades out, through the sideway. Don't ... don't go out of the front. Central is coming. Fera has betrayed us. Use the Shades to bring the Guard out into the forest, and then use their magic to hide until the threat has passed. The Guard shouldn't remember anything when he comes to, but in the case that he does ... blame me." Balor said, breathlessly, clutching at his wounds. He panickedly shoved the entire contents of his dresser into the little-used travel bag, pulling it over his shoulder painfully.


"I will, but what if they do blame us? See the vaults?" The Sister said, fearfully. "They could raze the church."


"Then you run as well." He winced. "Protect them." He said, before staggering out of the door.


...


"We can't leave. Not without Bal." Sinna said, fear in her eyes. Fear from the situation. Fear about losing her brother. Possibly losing Bal. She held him tight. And, despite still being a little mad at her, he held her as well. They looked up to Gunnar, hesitant due to his violence, but mostly unsure what to do.


"...If he doesn't come back, what can we do?" Orin asked. "Gun ... if he doesn't, I can hide here, but can you and Sinna look for him?" He said, regretful.


"We should wait before we do anything like that, Ori. Bal knows what he's doing ... I hope." She said, looking out toward the lights that danced outside the forests, looking for them. As Sinna held onto him, they slowly began to fade away into nothing. It was taking a toll on her, but the mechanicalness of which she had done it had hinted that she was no stranger to the action.


"FIND THEM!" the Captain roared, closer to them than was comfortable. Fera seemed to stir, wanting desperately to shout out, but fearful for her own life. "Find them and bring the Shades in ALIVE! They will face retribution for MURDERING OUR BROTHERS and the defenseless Seers who assist us. Fan out!"

 

[Notorious]

The next few moments were incredibly tense, especially since the guards were so uncomfortably close. They heard the sound of thunderous boots in the forest and the clanking of armor, animals scrambling away from the areas in which the guards were fanning out. Gunnar's fists were clenched as he kept a look out for any that were getting too close, ready to do what must be done to protect the twins. He was growing worried for Balor, if they arrived at the church then the evidence was all there for what he had been doing. This was turning out to be a terrible night. One, that was about to get much worse.


A blinding light filled Gunnar's vision as well as the twins as Fera hit them with a blinding light of magic and began to frantically scream and hop towards the church and the sound of the guards. Gunnar roared in anger as she had been waiting for just the right moment to do so, the only time his eyes had been torn away from her.


"HELP ME! THE ONE THAT KILLED THOSE PEOPLE IS AFTER ME!" She screamed frantically, her voice shrill and high as she shot spell after spell of pure light from her location. Gunnar's vision was returning and Fera hadn't made it very far. He rubbed his eyes and just before he was about to charge after her something stopped him. Not the Wraith, but his gut. He felt as if he killed this woman now then that would leave Orin and Sinna exposed. She had already revealed their location, she wasn't about to get away AND get the twins killed. "PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!"


"Move." Gunnar said to the two, ushering them off the path and into the forest. Sinna grabbed onto Orin and guided them through the woods quickly leaving where Balor had instructed them to be. Fera quickly collapsed into one of the guard's arms as several of them came rushing through the woods towards where they had been. Gunnar kept looking back and around them for the lights, the guards betraying themselves by using lights to navigate the woods. Gunnar could barely see himself but using Sinna as a guide was all they needed as the three quickly made it away from the guards.


That's when they heard the screaming.


The Guard Captain was no rookie in arresting shades, in fact, he was very decorated in doing so. He had the church surrounded before the other shades could escape, effectively netting a little over a dozen rogue shades right into the guard's care. They began to scream, not only from being beaten down to the ground but because the woman protecting them was littered with arrows once they had singled them out. They didn't want to deal with the politics of executing a woman who was breaking the law, the public only really cared about the shades after all. The screaming grew louder from the church and Gunnar had a scowl on his face the more he continued to hear. He was growing impatient with Balor so he began to head towards the church, then he swiftly turned around to face the twins.


"Stay low, stay safe. Balor might be in trouble and those other shades are being taken. I'm not going to order you to stay out of trouble as you barely know me and you're both practically adults from the looks of things." He sighed, "I'm gonna save as many as I can. If I do not return... Thank you both from saving me from that puddle. Out of all the water in the ocean, that little bit would have got me." Gunnar smiled at them and quickly disappeared into the forest, running as quickly as he could to the far side of the church.


Magical flares began to get set out above head for light, illuminating the forest and giving the hunters the advantage now as most hiding places were swiftly disappearing. Shade after shade was being plucked out from their hiding places after they had left the church, the ones in side cowering as they were being trapped due to the Guard Captain's strategic thinking.


"What do you plan to do? " The Wraith asked Gunnar. "We can not save all of them."


"Not all of them... We can thin the hunters numbers down though. Buy these people some time. I need weapons." He said, still sprinting through the forest and closing in on where he needed to go. "Need something long range, followed by something to scalp these bastards." Gunnar held out both his hands and sure enough, a spear appeared in one hand with a ghostly tomahawk in the other. "You said you've been here since I was born? You could have been helping me out a lot more then!" Gunnar was impressed with the quality of the weaponry, especially as it had simply just faded into existence. Soon he laid eyes on the first hunter, one who had his hands around a little girl's throat and cursing at her for being a shade. That didn't last long as Gunnar hurled his spear at him, it landed directly in the side of the guard's head and went through his helmet sending him falling down to the ground. The little girl didn't scream as she tore away from the falling guard, running to the place where the sister had told her to hide.


"That solves one problem..." Gunnar said to himself, observing as the little girl could take care of herself for the moment. Suddenly a guard tore out from the trees after her, only to receive a throwing ax to the back of his head sending him tumbling down the hill after her. Gunnar held up his hand and the tomahawk returned in an instant, either that or a new one had taken its place as it vanished from the fallen hunter's head. The viking then rushed deeper into the woods, intending on taking out the entire hunting party if need be.