Fantasy Remnant (Volchan and BioshockRP)

[volchan]

She floated in a vast expanse of shadow; a void without feeling or time. There was nothing but emptiness, not even a memory to take hold of. Slowly, faintly, voices echoed out from some distant place and she felt something for the first time she could remember. She felt pain.

“M-Mhnn...”
The creature stirred, her eyelashes lightly fluttering as she managed to open her eyes. It was dark, not as dark as the place she'd existed before, but dark all the same. She felt something hard and cold under her and something equally as uncomfortable clamped around her wrists. There was a subtle pain coming from her chest, but before she could manage to take in what lay around her in the darkness a sudden voice spoke out from nearby.

“I think she's waking up.”
It was a deep voice, heavy. The being managed to turn her head, only to see three men there with her. Two were seated in chairs at the front of...whatever it was they were in right now. The third was crouched near her, watching her with eyes that made her chest pound uneasily. She could feel things moving around and under her, but she had no idea where she was, why, or who these people were. Taking a moment to try and sort it out in her head, she was startled to realize she didn't even know who she was.

“Just keep her quiet.” Another voice answered, this one coming from the man who seemed to be in control of whatever contraption they were currently in. The girl looked between the three wearily, confusion and concern caught within her eyes. She felt words wanting to push at the back of her throat, but she was too unsettled to open her mouth. Between her lack of memory and the current situation, she felt frightened. Something about these strangers screamed danger, and even if she didn't understand what was happening her senses were still on high alert.

---

It was quiet between the four of them for a while, until the man sitting in the passenger seat spoke up.
“How much longer before we're out of this damn forest?” He huffed, his tone holding the slightest tinge of agitation...and perhaps discomfort.
“Maybe another forty minutes....the road's making it difficult.” The driver said, not moving his eyes from the dark, country road in front of him. The other man groaned.
“We should've gone through Westport like we planned. This whole area gives me the creeps.”
“There's too much rebel activity in the area. Can't risk getting into a battle now, not with the cargo.” The driver responded coldly, jerking his thumb back to motion at the girl.
“I'd prefer a fight to this...” The passenger muttered, glancing out the window to their right and watching the dark shapes of trees pass by.

It got quiet again for a time, until the driver suddenly put his foot on the break and the vehicle jerked to a halt.
“What the hell??? Why're you stopping???” The passenger asked, looking anxiously from the driver to the road.
“I thought I saw something up ahead...” The driver grunted, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“Hey! What's going on up there???” A voice crackled over a radio. The driver picked up the receiver and held in the red button.
“I thought I saw some movement up ahead. We might need to-”
BOOM!!!
A sudden blast went off, causing light to fill the van and temporarily blind those inside.
“Shit!” The driver cursed, shielding his eyes. The popping of gunfire and colorful flashes of magic began to zoom past the windows. The two men in front ducked down to avoid being hit, while the third climbed over the girl as if to shield her.

“Fuck!” The driver yelled, grabbing hold of the steering wheel to try and drive to safety. Unfortunately, another loud boom went off, shaking the van, shattering the windows, and creating a massive dent where the engine should be. There was a loud sputtering sound as smoke began to rise from the front of the vehicle. They wouldn't be escaping in this van.

Scrambling from their seats, the two men in front rushed into the back and with the third man snatched up the girl and made their way towards the massive double doors in back. Opening them, a convoy of three other smaller vehicles could be seen. Each of them had been damaged as well, with a few bloodied bodies still sitting inside as those still alive crouched behind the damaged hunks of metal. It only took a moment for the cause of the attack to make itself known. From the opposite side of the road, a group of men and women came rushing towards them, weapons bared and runestones glowing and flickering with power.

“Into the forest!” The driver shouted. At this point there was little more to do than run and try to find decent cover. They'd be sitting ducks if they remained in the open any longer. He gripped hold of the captive as he ran into the darkness of the trees, followed closely by the remaining members of his group. Some of his men fired back at the assailants, while others ran in the same direction hoping to escape injury.

“Get down!” A voice cried out in the darkness just as another loud bang went off, accompanied by a sudden flash of hot, white light. The driver was thrown down from the force, pulling the captive down with him.

---

The girl felt her body trembling. Her sensitive ears were being bombarded with unfamiliar, violent sounds as her eyes took in the sight of blood, broken bodies, and unnatural flashes of light. She felt as if she couldn't move, but something in the back of her mind screamed at her to run. Without taking the time to think, she dug her fingers into the soil and scrambled to her feet, running deeper into the dark forest as she heard the man who'd been pulling her scream out in anger from behind her. She didn't stop, she didn't even let herself look back. She could still hear screaming and booming from behind her as she dashed further and further into the unknown.

Her body screamed at her as she ran, aching and pounding as she gasped for air. She could feel her bare feet being scratched, cut, and bruised by the forest floor, but she didn't let herself slow down. The shackles that bound her hands clinked together sharply like pinpricks in her ears, but she didn't let it distract her. She could hear footsteps closing in from behind, and she knew that if they caught up to her she would regret it.

Coming to a sudden slope, the runaway lost her footing and tumbled with a sharp cry, rolling and sliding over dirt, rocks, and broken branches. Finally reaching the bottom, she groaned weakly and managed to look up to where she'd fallen from. She could see the shapes of her captors pursuing her steadily making their way down, and knew she had no time to rest from her fall. Shakily, she pushed herself up and started running again, this time with smaller, wearier strides. She was obviously injured. Besides the cuts and scrapes from her running and falling, there was a patch of blood beginning to stain the front of her shirt. It wasn't clear what the injury was, but it was serious enough to slow her down. Each new step she took she felt another spike of pain in her chest, and each new breath seemed to burn more than the last. By the time she'd staggered into a clearing she could barely keep upright.

It only took a few more steps for her to collapse. The ground was cold and damp underneath her, and the tall grass seemed to swallow up her small frame. She grit her teeth in pain and dug her fingers into the soil, trying to pull herself back up, to no avail. She could hear the footsteps getting louder, and felt warm, frightened tears break past her eyelids at the thought of what might happen to her next. She didn't have anymore strength left to fight or run. All she could do now was lie there and take in tired, shuddering breaths.

 

[BioshockRP]

Supple shine danced from the moons, as a shade embraced his darkness. The shade, shaped in a wispy, cloudy circle resembled a wisp, but rather large in formation. With a diameter measured in one and a half meters, he solemnly flew past the cricket ambiance. Sight upon his form, the wisp, accumulated by the moonlight. As such, the insects brought into their instincts limited their noises, allowing the wisp to partake in quiet serenity. Within the forest, grass wilted and leaves gently escaped the tree's branches, while the wisp followed his usual routine. Every night, he headed to the plains in order to check upon his work. Over at the plains, he had produced a contraption to collect flamingos. Heading onward to the plains, he spouted incoherently in a language only known to him and nature.

Traveling through the dense forest, the wisp's usual path contained a typical desert, for its very form consumed amply the plants' life force. Fear's manifestation continued to drip endlessly, similar to a snail's trail by the wisp's movement, consuming every organic entity. The wisp could control it, but tonight, he lingered in excitement. Therefore, he encouraged the indulgence to feast upon nature. Compared to the human conscious, plants and animals offered little sustenance to the wisp. At least, he comprehended the circle of life, whereas the odd human transpired out of nowhere with no set path. Rest, eat, and leisure; the three important aspects that managed the wisp's days. Routine, oh, the word fluttered in the brain and thoughts that captured the wisp's psyche. He sought nothing other than the routine, for everything else seemed dull and unpleasant to his mindset.

Dripping darkness from the wisp shed like the peeling of oranges on the open plains' long grass. His speed increased twofold, when he sensed an unusual presence. Not the flamingo nor the plants, but a form littered in terror and confusion alongside a multitude of humans. He thought, why don't I know this life form, yet stopped himself short, as he heard gunshots, magic, and yelling. Finally, something with a bit more meat and filling to the stomach that lusted for fear.

Betwixt the odd entity and the humans, the wisp conjured a network of vines that protruded from his spherical form. At first the vines entered the underground, digging its way to a central point between the unusual form and the humans, and then erupting in a chaotic Kraken fury. The vines, like tentacles, latched onto the humans first, who brought the weapon nuisance. While wrapping tightly around typical human attire, screams exploded in terrorized fervor. Random gunshots bothered to penetrate nothing, as the vines created by darkness soaked them into their essence. The yells that the wisp heard emitted a delicious sound wave, "Aaah! Urgh! No! Leave me alone! I can't breathe! More and Harder!" These amalgamation of voices sated the wisp's hunger quite nicely. Still, even with his fulfillment, he needed to dispose the witnesses who dared to trespass his territory. During night, his power reached immeasurable lengths; therefore, no magic threatened his rampage.

While the humans became crushed into mince, he entered their very minds. Some entertainment ought to bestow a dessert to the wisp. He learned about a man with a child, so the wisp demonstrated the child's reaction to losing his father. In intermittent intrusion, the child constantly struggled to function properly, leaving his misdoings to the absence of his father. Love, the catalyst, that when broken created panic and fright like no other. The next individual, a woman, who desired money, soon engaged a transmission. In her mind, she turned into solid gold, and placed on a scale that determined her wealth. The number that appeared was zero, and so tears dissipated from the solid gold that decreased the value of her being. Every passing second dropped her worth to the point that she desired only death to withhold her current value. When one obsesses to an extreme point about anything, they become lifeless. Soon enough, the rest followed in their demise. The psychological horror provoked a welcome to death, or a plea to live. Either way, the wisp craved for the cherry on top.

When he finished turning the humans into a pasty powder that bared some semblance to flesh, he left one human in his grasp. While the others cried out for something, this particular human tempted additional fear. As a result, the wisp's vine released the human to the grassy plains. In euphoria, the individual collapsed amidst the greenery. This deeply ruined the wisp's appetite, so he lacked any necessity to consume the odd form or the final human. Even with his thoughts focused towards a routine, his curiosity and diminished appetite pestered him to head towards the girl. According to the wisp's sight, she resembled a human with a few distinguishing marks, such as fox ears. The shade entity clouded in darkness hovered over the girl, wondering what she planned to do next. Then, the wisp recognized her face. An odd memory encroached his mind like a migraine; he remembered his dead wife's face. For the first time in decades, he spoke in human tongue, "Emily?"

 

[volchan]

The creature could hear the footsteps drawing nearer and nearer as she lay collapsed. She was too afraid to look, and kept her face pressed into the damp soil as her body trembled. She could hear one of them call out that he'd spotted her before she felt a tremor and the ground began to shake around her. She curled herself up instinctively, her eyes wide as she finally managed to look up and over towards where she'd run from. To her shock, a massive number of black tendrils erupted from the ground between herself and her pursuers, writhing and wriggling through the air. The men and women who'd been chasing her only had a few short seconds to gawk and gasp in horror before the dark forms swept in and twisted around them. The girl watched in shock and terror as those in front of her wept and cried out in pain and panic, their eyes so wide that it seemed they might just pop out of their skulls. A few of them managed to fire their weapons at the mass of wriggling shadows, but it did no good. Each of them seemed to be out of their minds, yelling and screaming things that at times made no sense. It wasn't until those screams and cries had been silenced and the bodies crushed into little more than pulp that the girl recognized her own frantic breathing. She sat there huddled in the grass and watched as the last person still alive was dropped to the ground. She wasn't all that close to him, but he appeared unconscious. Her eyes remained locked to his body, even though in the back of her mind she knew she was in danger. Whatever those things were, they were still close by, and she was likely the next victim. Perhaps it was the shock, or the exhaustion, but she didn't move. Other than panicked gasps of air and trembling limbs, she didn't move. At least not until she heard a voice.

Slowly, she managed to peel her eyes from the form lying in the grass and turned her head to look towards where the voice had come from. It took her a few moments to notice the shadowy, spherical entity hovering above her. She'd been too consumed by fear to notice it before, but now that she looked at it she could sense a sort of....intelligence....from it. It had to have been what had spoken to her, but what was it? Why did it call her 'Emily'? Was that her name? Did she know this creature, whatever it was?

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no sound would come. Her throat was tight, and she could still feel tears slipping down the sides of her face. Perhaps if she hadn't injured herself she would have tried to run at this point, but instead all she did was stare at the mysterious thing floating in the air. As a few more moments passed, she could feel her heart slowly starting to drum a little softer and her breathing quieting until it was no louder than the crickets chirping in the distance. Her throat began to loosen, and finally she felt her body, previously stiff with fear, relax.

“W....Who....are you?” She managed to ask. Her voice was quiet, though it was uncertain if it was naturally that way or due to fear and exhaustion. Her eyes, two richly golden orbs, danced over the form slowly, as if trying to understand what it was or if there were any other details she'd somehow missed in the darkness.
“Are you....” she paused, trying to gather herself together enough to ask, “...going to kill me?”
She didn't really want to know the answer, but even if this being planned to harm her she knew she had no chance of survival. Her wrists were shackled, she was cut up, bruised, and bleeding, and on top of all that she was much smaller and weaker than it seemed to be.

 

[BioshockRP]

The frantic movements produced by Emily intrigued the Wisp, to which the entity reassured her, "I am-." A long pause followed forcing the Wisp to contemplate its own existence, and whether it truly had a name. Unfortunately, no names erupted in consideration, so the wisp simply told her, "I am me, but you," the wisp came closer, hovering over her face, feeling her breath on his aura, "You are not Emily, but yet you share some resemblance." He tapered between her forehead and her knees, trying to adjust his peripherals to account for the difference in biological flesh and shadowy wisp. Without another word, the wisp floated to a grass patch, using its tendrils to grab an assortment. From the two tentacles, he fashioned a rope utilizing the grass strands as the formation. Another question pestered his ears, wherever they may be, "No, but I do want that face. So let's make this quick. How do you prefer to die?" Around the two, the greenery transformed into discarded, wilted trash; albeit slowly.

Although not human, she certainly ignited similarities to one in the eyes of the Wisp. Terror was prominent in her body and anxiety; and it delighted the Wisp. Hopefully, the reference to a hanging, as the Wisp prepped the noose to suitable sinews tied in knots, provoked a response. He thought how dare this woman mock Emily, but still, he wondered to kill and cut the face for decoration, or to contain her as his own. A useful trophy, given her fear, which he loved to feed on, along with that face to mount on his castle fireplace. Yet, his mind lingered to the prior encounter, as he pondered shortly the unknown men and women who chased her to his territory. "Wait, never mind that. Actually, come with me. I've many the questions to ask to you, hmm...no a different name. Your name is Volsung, that's tolerable. Enjoy it. Call me Me. Me, only Me."

Noting her weakened body, he attempted to wrap his tendrils gently around the woman, only to carry her forward to his living place: the castle. He tried to coax Volsung, "Relax now. Although, I wouldn't mind your anxiety. It's just I can't have you go unconscious yet." If successfully intertwined into his wispy vines, the Wisp would take the woman to his castle. Along the way, they passed by trees, a lake, and an assortment of traps. Inside those traps, pink-feathered birds, flamingos. Within his domain, the wisp was aware to all, even the subtle sounds that echoed in background. Even nature demanded the Wisp's attention. At least, his stomach quartered no grumbling, since he'd eaten terror in abundance. He remembered their screams, those disoriented eyes, and the frivolous acting. Enough, he finished his thoughts, when he finally reached the castle. Throughout the transportation, he remained quiet, unless to answer the woman's questions.

At the Castle's gates, a wooden entrance, with splinters galore at the sides. The wisp drawn the gate, using a few tendrils to pull the lever on the other side. They dashed on over the top, and into the building. While the gate headed down to the gravel, the castle lit up, revealing a few chandeliers, paintings, carpets, and a collection of books. Once the wisp left the foyer, he headed to a medical room. Inside the room, one would see a surgical table with straps, an assortment of medicines and potions, and a sterilizing station. Carefully, the Wisp holstered the girl onto the table, leaving her unrestrained in her rest. Another coax escaped the Wisp's form, "Relax. Now tell me, what's going on? Why were those people chasing you?"

 

[volchan]

The girl seemed confused by the creature's response. So...she wasn't Emily after all? Then who was she? It seemed as if this being didn't know her after all; in fact it seemed it was planning on killing her too. She watched with wide eyes as it used those same deadly tendrils to pluck up grass and begin weaving a rope. There were no memories of hangings for her to compare it to, but she recognized a threat all the same. She felt herself shrink with anxiety as the being asked her how she wanted to die. It apparently wanted her face for some reason, which somehow sounded even more frightening than dying.
“I-I...” She stuttered, watching as the greenery around her seemed to drain of life and wilt. What was happening? She felt as if she'd woken to some foreign place with no knowledge of why or how she came to be there. Everything was mysterious to her; new. Her heart began to pound again and she couldn't come up with a response to the creature's question. She didn't want to die at all, but she doubted it would accept such an answer.

Thankfully for her, the being seemed to change its mind. It had questions for her, and apparently wanted her alive...at least for now. Without skipping a beat, it gave her a new name and informed her on what to call it.
“...Me?” She asked, looking a bit befuddled. That wasn't really a name, was it? It was probably best not to argue though, especially considering how lethal the creature was.

Almost out of nowhere, the being reached out its shadowy tentacles and began to wrap them around her, immediately causing her to seize up with fear and cry out. She imagined herself being crushed like the others, and the vision terrified her. It wasn't until it reassured her of its intentions that she was able to begin to calm down again. By now her body was quite weak, even her mind was beginning to exhaust itself from all the emotions she'd been through in the last hour or so. As scared as she was, she still felt her head getting lighter as the stranger carried her off deeper into the forest. She wasn't sure where it would take her, or what was going to happen once they got there. It was quite possible she'd end up dead still, but what could she do? She barely had it in her to keep her eyes open at this point, running wasn't an option in her current physical and mental state.

As they continued through the darkened trees, the girl spotted several pink birds in what appeared to be traps of some kind. Her ears flitted curiously on top of her head as she stared at them. They were such an odd sight in a place like this; what were they, and why were they here? She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but she felt unable to work up the courage.

Finally, the two came upon a towering stone structure nestled within the trees. It had an ominous feeling about it, which made a small chill creep up her spine. The giant, wooden gate lifted briefly, just long enough for the creature to get them inside, before slamming back down to the ground. She was certainly trapped now; there was no way she'd be able to get past something like that on her own. She could feel her stomach starting to ball up inside her; making her nauseous. What was she going to do? What was going to happen now? She wasn't certain if she'd ended up in a better position than she'd been in before, but at the moment it didn't feel like it.

The lights flickered on as the two entered, revealing colorful, patterned carpets, decorative furniture, and a vast assortment of books. The girl's eyes darted from one thing to another, drawn by the unfamiliar shapes and brilliant colors. She seemed more curious or amazed at the moment than frightened, though that seed of fear still germinated within the back of her skull. Once the two had left that warm space and entered into the medical room she once again became aware of her predicament and the danger she was in.

Upon being laid down, her eyes scanned the room around her uneasily. She wasn't familiar with the tools and contraptions inside, but they spelled danger. The sharp edges told her that it wasn't the sort of place she wanted to be. The cold table she was on bit into her skin, causing her to shiver a little. She could still feel the sticky sensation of her own blood on her; especially her chest. Whatever wound she'd received there, it wasn't a pleasant one.

The creature asked her why she'd been chased and her attention went back to it. She stared for a moment, trying to retrieve any information she might have. There wasn't much.
“I...I'm not sure.” She replied hesitantly.
“I woke up and...I was in this...I don't know what to call it...” She started, her eyes flickering back and forth as she tried to sort out what had happened. It had all gone by so quickly.
“It was moving, and there were these three strangers there with me. They didn't really talk to me, and they seemed...tense. I...um...I just remember that all the sudden whatever we were in stopped, and then there were all these sounds and shakes. The men with me seemed...I don't know...scared I guess? There were all these loud booms and I could hear screaming, but I don't know what was happening. They dragged me out of the thing with them and I think I saw other people there. It looked like they were fighting, but I don't know why. The man holding me lost his grip on me and I managed to get away. I kept running until I couldn't anymore....then I ended up in the place you found me.” She said, finally looking at the being again.
“That's all I know.”
She knew it wasn't much, but she didn't even know her own name.
“Can you tell me where I am? Nothing...nothing feels familiar to me. I have no idea what's going on...” She said, glancing down at the shackles still clutching her wrists. Whoever those people had been, they probably weren't any better than the creature she was currently with. At least it hadn't tied her up.

 

[BioshockRP]

He administered the surgery after the girl finished speaking. Usually, one will calm down once they're given a chance to explain and rethink prior events. Just from hearing her words, he lacked any comprehension to the event, so he decided to not ask any questions. However, he felt curious, but maybe after she recovered, he would ask her. He answered her question, "No, I won't. Now let me clean this wound up." At least this time he provided a succinct, clear answer rather than ignoring her, when she questioned his name, "Me."

The wisp's eyes, hidden within its black aura, scanned a recipe book, "How to cure." It's been several centuries since he last attempted to cure someone of an ailment, such as pain or wounds. He dropped the book, causing it to clack on the ground, as he proceeded to open her rags for inspection. The tattered clothes ripped off quite easily, like melted butter. Upon realizing her chest wound, the wisp grabbed stitches with one tendril and a needle with another. Her body felt cold, almost shivering, likely a feverish symptom. Still, he applied the tools, after soaking them in sterilized water, into her chest cavity. Slowly, he started to needle the stitches on her skin, in order to prevent the wound from reopening and infection.

Once finished, he left the room, leaving her to rest on the table. Hopefully, she'll do something other than just lay around, and regurgitating the stuff he witnessed in the forest. He groaned, even if the incident warranted him to look into things, he just wanted to feed on terror and make humans suffer. Now, this girl pestered him a new outlook, and worst of all she resembled a past that poked unwanted emotions in his noggin. As those thoughts past, he crept forward to his a den, a private desk situated with ink, feather quills, and papers. His research, and yet he sighed, for tonight, he had no time to pursue it. At least now, he wasn't bound to human principle. The wisp slumped its body into the chair, slightly hovering over the cushioned pillow. A slight whisper escaped the wisp's mouth, "Emily." Almost a treat to his ears, if he wanted the word to convince him.

Nevertheless, the wisp removed his thoughts to focus on another matter: the flamingos. On his papers, he looked them over carefully, the drawings that represented his timeless desire to science. For on these sheets contained a formula and hypothesis that promised the wisp resurrection. Then, a ring bellowed out within the manor, prompting the wisp to leave his chair and desk. He floated towards the dungeon, an underground layer. Inside the room, chains, iron bars, and wooden planked floors. In each jail, a bundle of hay which caressed the dead flamingos that laid over the grain. And so, he began an arduous task to eliminate the carcass remains from his domain. Each tendril carefully picked up a dead flamingo and then dumped the pink-feathered birds into a chute.

 

[volchan]

The girl didn't really respond to the being's refusal to tell her where she was or why. She'd sort of figured he might not be willing to share that information with her...but then, why was he keeping her alive? Did it have something to do with the 'Emily' person he'd mentioned before? But she obviously wasn't Emily...so what use was she? Perhaps she was just a curiosity; a puzzle to solve. She didn't really have much time to mull it over though, because within a few seconds the creature had reached out and torn open her shirt, much to her surprise.

She just lay there in shock for a few moments, before her gaze slowly shifted down towards her chest. There was a large gash running diagonally down from her left shoulder. The wound appeared older than any of the other cuts or bruises on her body. It had been stitched previously, but some of the stitching had torn, probably during her escape, and blood stained the skin around it. The sight of it caused her to tremble a little and she ended up looking away in discomfort. She had no idea how she'd gotten the wound in the first place, or even who had stitched it up.

She gave a small jolt of surprise and pain when she felt the stranger start tending to the wound. He wasn't exactly gentle about it and, needless to say, the wound was already pretty sensitive. She bit down on her lip a little, digging the fingernails of her right hand into her left as she felt tears of pain begin to well up in her eyes. Her vision blurred from the moisture, but she didn't scream and, other than some small shuffling from her legs, remained still. When it was finally over, she let out a weighted breath and just lay there. It wasn't until she'd blinked the remaining tears from her eyes that she realized she was alone. She remained lying there for several minutes, trying to decide if it would be a good idea to wander around. He hadn't said she should stay there...so maybe it was alright.

Slowly, she pulled herself up into a sitting position, letting out a small groan in the process. Her chest was throbbing with pain and she could feel a cold sweat coating her entire body. She felt shaky and weak, but at the very least she wanted to get out of this creepy room. Gently, she slid herself off the table and quietly and cautiously made her way out of the room. 'Me', as he called himself, had torn her shirt, so she tied what she could together to hold it closed. She didn't have anything to show off, being pretty much completely flat-chested, but walking around exposed still felt weird all the same. She glanced around wearily, uncertain if she'd end up in trouble for going off on her own. It seemed he wasn't around, so she headed back towards the gate he'd carried her through earlier. Reaching it, she examined it closely. Yep...she certainly wasn't going to get out this way. Even the lever to the gate was too heavy for her, and even if she did manage to get out she'd have no way of knowing where to go. She'd probably end up dead out there, or at the very least recaptured. She supposed that, for now, there wasn't much reason for her to run away anyway.

She took a little time to meander about, taking in the sight of the ancient, stone structure. Some parts had crumbled or broken away, revealing the pale moonlight and stars above. Little patches of grass and moss grew from between the massive stones, marking its age. The sight of the fortress stirred up feelings she didn't quite understand. There was something cold, but beautiful, about it. Each room she wandered into had its own presence and purpose. Some were mostly vacant, with old stone benches and cisterns. Others were filled to the brim with colorful and ornately-patterned rugs, books, and decorative lanterns; among other objects and furniture. Scents such as musk, sandalwood, and other warm fragrances filled her nose. There were chests filled with all kinds of ingredients and minerals, shelves stocked with glass bottles of various sizes and shapes, all holding different items such as crystals, stones, feathers, and even things like buttons. She had no idea what the shadowy creature needed all these things for, but her eyes were wide with curiosity as she observed each and every detail. The dusty tomes that sat piled in one room made her ears perk and twitch. Just the sight of the richly-colored book covers and the smell of worn paper made her imagination spike. She couldn't recall having read before, and she had no idea what any of these books contained, but there was something...magical...about them. As she made her way through the clustered room, she ran her fingertips lightly over some of them, taking in the texture of the pictures and words engraved into the covers.

Leaving the clustered library, she came to an open space that had the appearance of a small courtyard. It was still technically inside the fortress, but the ceiling had a large opening for allowing in light and rain. The stone floor was almost completely covered with grass and other small plant life. Even a few flowers had pushed up from between the stones. In the center of the area sat a large fountain. The water within it sat still, with small lily pads floating on top. She approached it and stared up at a statue that towered at its center. It was old, like everything else, and time had not been kind to it. The figure's face had almost completely broken away, leaving it unrecognizable. One of its arms was also broken off, having fallen into the fountain some time ago. Whoever the figure had been, Volsung got the impression that they must have been important. The one remaining eye stared back at her, cold and unfeeling. It made a small shiver travel down her spine, and she held her still-bound hands together in an attempt to ease the subtle discomfort.

She didn't remain there for long, and soon headed back to the warmer, brighter areas of the fortress. Coming to another clustered room she finally let herself sink into a couch with a tired sigh. It had been a very long night, and she felt exhaustion quickly overcoming her. She had no idea where the dark being had gone, but right now she was too tired to feel concerned. Lying on her side, she curled up and pulled a blanket, which had been draped over the back of the couch, over herself. It wasn't long at all before her eyelids grew heavy and she fell into a deep sleep.

----

The distant chirping of birds reached her ears and they twitched as she groggily opened her eyes and sat up. Her body was still feeling sore and a little weak, but she stood up and sleepily shuffled out of the room she'd slept in and out into the main foyer. Sunlight peeked through every hole, window, and gap, making her blink. It was obviously daytime now, how long had she slept? She glanced around herself a moment, listening for anything that might tell her where her strange savior/captor was. She could feel her stomach beginning to ache and grumble. She was hungry.

 

[BioshockRP]

Down the chute and into the river, the flamingos poured, becoming the soup of failed dreams. "At least," scoffed the wisp, "but no. Not really." The hovering wisp left the dungeon for the library. With that research completely deceased, he needed a new approach, or rather a new plan. What better way than the library? For knowledge came from the past, and books clearly communicated the past thoughts. As he floated onward, he sensed a presence, likely the girl's. He thought she was more resilient than other humans to be up and about, but let her be, for there was no way she could leave in her condition. Nevertheless, the wisp had more pressing matters to attend to; the plan.

Inside the library, the plethora of books, materials, and mineral enveloped a scent that didn't faze him. Going to the library daily, the wisp's nose had gotten accustomed to the old musk and dusty atmosphere. Each tendril, about six, collected a book, some materials, and a jar with a wrapped, cylindrical scroll. He spent some time analyzing the contents. With no eyes, the wisp relied on its inner eyes and senses to comprehend the information. Eureka, he found it. If flamingos don't work, then there was potential for hyenas. However, how would he find a hyena in this climate? His tendrils scratched his circular, wisp form; mimicking an agitated person. Either way, the wisp formulated a plan given the recent day to find a hyena. In a few days, he would have to leave his domain.

From the wisp's senses, he found the girl sleeping in the main foyer. He left her to sleep there, after carefully checking the bandages and leaving a blanket over her body. With no time to spare, the wisp quickly transitioned to his workshop. Inside, wood, steel, iron; all the basic materials to craft. To the left, and arranged neatly on the walls; his tools: the screw, the hammer, and anything else. Something stirred in his mind to craft a foundation that resembled the trucks. Humanity surely developed far past his last encounter with them. Unfortunately, he lacked the materials, so he headed out again into the forest.

Never one to sleep, the wisp always remained alert and in action. A hunger never sated, nor a mind never rested, the wisp acted in tangent to what it believed it must do in a methodological manner. While floating through the decaying path, he searched for the destroyed trucks. Oddly enough, he found pollution, something less powerful than his own ability to decay. This triggered a sensation, one filled with doubt on whether he was human or not. He wanted to remove his humanity, yet they managed to mimic him. Truly disgusting, he thought.

From the wreckage, he located the parts, and carried them with his tendrils back to the castle. At his workshop, he formulated the foundation for the make-shift car. Still, more work needed to be done in order to finish the product. Once the morning sun appeared, he went to the main foyer, finding an awake volsung. Maybe she knew about a truck's mechanics, so he asked her, "You. Volsung. Follow me." He opened the door, telling her, "Go." The rays from the sun shined brightly on her body and bandages. It'd been a long time, since he was in his human form, so he'd forgotten the recovery pace.