Arin Desmond's Story

Lies were the indelible remains of naked corpses burrowed beneath the skin, its shame crawling like blood into a stream, forcing oxygen into the brain. Forcing the thoughts to chitter chatter, chitter chatter, chitter chattering and chipping away at your sanity. And God, whatever Gods there may be in this realm or the next, Rui had none left.

Listen, she wanted to scream. Listen not with your ears, but with your heart. But how could you teach the born-blind to see red? How could she be any less a liar than a tornado could a force of destruction? Thus she scratched her pen into her small, weathered notebook. It was a flimsy thing, and the only thing besides her blood-stained dress she'd had on her when she was exiled from her home with acidic words and a wave that welded the untruth into her bones. The bitter pain of the curse was a familiar companion, chip-chipping at her bones. She hoped she would turn into ash soon.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, she scribbled into her book. The gold crown feathered into rust. Her left fist moved frantically over the black pages as she raced to the beginning. Lies are the indelible remains of naked... Words sat atop words napping upon words and she thought, I should get a new book, she thought, but the coherent phrase slipped from her grasp like a disobedient eel. She scolded it, and returned her thoughts to the chaos that beckoned her from the pages of her notebook.

A sudden noise from somewhere far, far away wrenched her from her reverie none too gently. She leapt half a metre off the ground before jumping to her feet, knocking over the stack of boxes she'd recently vacated in the process. Rui wrapped her arms protectively around her journal as her eyes darted so fiercely from side to side, up and down that she had to clasp her palms over them to keep her eyeballs from fleeing.

The voice traveled like little footprints over Rui's skin, tickling and tinkling. She released a nervous giggle. "Oh! It's the Dreamers! Look at them!" She jumped before hunching her shoulders as if trying to paint herself into a smaller target. Dreams? Where were the dreams? Her thoughts floated out the door despite herself, guided by a childish curiosity. Rui raced to follow. Would the dreams be colourful, she wondered. Would they leap over her head and nudge her back, tripping her forwards into the unknown?

"There you are!" A familiar hand wrapped around Rui's flimsy wrist like a crab's claw the moment she stepped out of the storage room. "We've been looking everywhere for you. Where have you been? What were you doing?"

"The gardens. I was burying a body," she replied as she was dragged down the steps two at a time. She was busy tripping over her short legs when a laugh burst from the plump doctor. Rui frowned. "What? I'm serious."

Sybil snorted in response and Rui allowed herself a small smile. She didn't mind Sybil, who merely scattered her lies in the wind with a bout of humoured exhalations. More than not minding, Rui thought she might've been halfway in love. The doctor was the only person who'd ever treated her compassionately, as if she were a person and not some halfway gone tool to be hammered against stubborn nails. They always wanted something and then some. She felt the pick axe in her flesh, clawing at what remained of her until soon, there would be nothing left but a bloodstain on the floor from where she stood, and that, even, she was certain they would take eventually.

"Found her!" Sybil chest puffed with pride as she slapped Rui on the back, causing her to stumble forward. Dreams, Rui hoped, did not shove as fiercely as Sybil did.

"You're late," the receptionist barked. Rui imagined a dog snapping at her heels.

Rui tripped into a standstill and resisted the urge to curl into herself in an attempt to shrink her 4'11" frame by another good inch or two. She had an audience. Instead, she straightened her spine, lifted her head, and summoned her most apologetic smile.

"This is one of our healers," Eleanor explained finally, after giving Rui a long, hard glare. "She'll be accompanying you for now in case anything... Goes amiss," she said slowly.

Rui's fingers whitened against the desk as her entire body tensed. The breaths of so many bodies pressed around her rustled her grip on her facade. Rui missed neglecting their existence. Her index finger twitched against the wood, scratching subtly at invisible words, thoughts that flitted down her spine like jolts of electricity. Look up, look up, look up, she thought. Her head dropped lower in response, her eyes focusing on a speck of dirt on the desk. Out of place, her mind screeched. She scrubbed it away with the corner of her sleeve and jerked herself upright, jolting her head towards the rest of the room before her mind had the chance to tell it otherwise. Her azure eyes acknowledged every individual before her, but her mind pushed them aside before they had the chance to take hold.

Rui finally nodded at a pair of emerald green eyes inches from her face, and screamed. The edge of the table stabbed into her hip as she threw herself backwards, nearly tripping over a gorgeous, leggy blonde before her back smacked into a wall. The slippery floor gave beneath her feet and she slammed into the ground, knocking her head against the corner of the desk in her descent.

A wanderer. A word that had become all too familiar for Abraham. After losing his parents, he's had to fend for himself; using his talents to help others. Of course, Abraham didn't mind. In fact, he managed to find a tiny studio apartment in Sheepish City's Medical District. He has become a part time worker at the Hospital, which pays for his Studio. He's never home though. Abraham is constantly traveling between places in Quies. During the day he's usually at Tall Twelve Towers. At night however he comes back to Quies as that's when the city really blooms. He doesn't mind the constant travel, he enjoys the solace.

Heading back from a client job he was hired for at Tall Twelve Towers, it's almost sun down and he needs to hurry back to Quies for today was that day. The day that the Dreamers are to be released. The whole town is soon to arrive at the hospital, so he needs to hurry.



Arriving before sundown, Abraham was relieved that the towns people weren't out and about yet. Walking into the Hospital, Abraham went to go check into the front desk where Eleanor was typing frantically. "Hey Eleanor! Got anything for me today?" Abraham asked he as he was watching. Without a warning, Eleanor pulled out this note from one of the Hospital head advisers. Flinching, he took the note reluctantly and walked away. As he walked away, he say a boy coming in from the other set of doors on the opposite side of then lobby. Is that Elis? What's he up to this time? He wondered as he continued through a hallway.

Reaching the door he was after, he knocked. After a few moments, he heard a soft but stern voice from the other side to come in. Reluctantly, Abraham peered through the door, not really expecting what was going to happen next. The note he received from Eleanor was rather cryptic. Miss daisy, the woman in charge spoke with Abraham for a while. Telling him he was assigned a new client. Or rather three new clients. He was to watch over the three Dreamers, and to be their protector to make sure they aren't killed by anything, and to make sure they don't die. Not really sure how to react to the news, Abraham sat quiet. Speechless.

Abraham was then handed to books. They were books filled with healing and alchemy spells. They are to enhance his knowledge even more. Abraham knew a lot of the physical side of healing, which took no magic at all. But he's being told that the Dreamers, id hurt, magic works the absolute best with them. A new challenge for Abraham. A topic area he never knew he'd be exploring. Not soon any way. With that, Miss Daisy had nothing else to say, and Abraham was dismissed. Walking out the door, Abraham was now standing in one of the adjacent lobbies that connect to the main lobby. "IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?!" He said loudly. Not caring who'd be staring at him. Besides, that all he could muster to say as the shock was still hitting him. Hard. Of course, he had no time to react. He soon heard gasps and voices carry on from the main lobby.

Abraham reluctantly walked towards the archway to peer into the main lobby. Standing there, across from him in the elevator, where the three Dreamers. holy crap! He thought as he stared. It has begun, and Abraham had no idea what was in stored for him from now on. His life changes now, and is to revolve around the three Dreamers.

It has been a month ever since Francine ended up in this place. Out of nowhere she was forced to leave her previous life and be in a completely new world. The last thing on Earth she remembered was... nothing... Francine's memories of her seventeen years on Earth were a thick fog. She remembered her mother, father and six siblings. She didn't forget her dear friends either. All of them must be worried sick, as it has been a month ever since she left the Earth.

As her fate changed drastically, she lost her old life, but gained a title. Francine was known as one of the Dreamers. Why were they called like that? Probably they were dreaming of going back home? Despite everything, Francine knew she shouldn't dwell on nostalgia for home. She knew she had to be patient. At least she wasn't the only dreamer. There was a boy who seemed distant, yet strong. There was a girl who felt like a younger sister to Fran for some reason. She could feel the love for them, yet her memories of their moments together were pitch black.

"Hello, blonde girl!" Fran waved back to Arin with smile on her face. She looked at a blonde boy, a short red-haired girl who turned into a major victim of slapstick and a blue-haired boy that explictly showed his excitement to see the Dreamers.

Francine quickly ran to Rui.
"Hey, little girl! Are you okay?" she asked in a soft voice.

Rui lay there gasping like a fish out of water for a few aching moments, pain pushing through her skull to stroke the wrinkles of her cerebrum. The ceiling spun. Suddenly, her spine arched as the oxygen that had been knocked out of her flooded her lungs and she greedily devoured short bursts of air. A pair of obsidian eyes swam into focus, wide and concerned.

"Hey, little girl! Are you okay?" the girl asked, her long hair tickling the apple of Rui's left cheek as she bent over her. Rui scrambled backwards until her back hit the wall. These people were devoid of the concept of personal space. Frightened blue-green orbs lurched around the room as Rui saw, really saw, the present inhabitants of the medical building. The boy who'd frightened her with his proximity stood a ways away - but not away enough - his gold hair curling over eyes the colour of tranquil meadows and wild forests. A fake moustache graced his upper lip, a jarringly different shade to his real hair. She wondered if he was mad.

Rui hoped he was.

He looked like a Prince, and she found herself gazing behind him in search of his white horse. He didn't have one. Perhaps he had a pegasus instead. That's right, his airborne steed must be waiting just outside, ready to leap into the clouds with a small red-haired girl on its back. And the dashing young prince whisked the peasant girl away, Rui stitched into the folds of her ebony skirt with an imaginary thread. He plucked a strand of molten gold hair from his majestic head, and curled the strand around Rui the Peasant Girl's ring finger. The thin lock solidified into a thick band. "Marry me," he whispered. "And I will protect you for ever and a day." He tilted his head, seeming to reconsider this. "Or perhaps just a day. It really relies upon which rabbit hole the fox flees."

The Prince seemed to glimmer and Rui furrowed her little brows, worried his beauty might blind her. As she pulled her gaze to the other fair-haired creature, Rui wondered if the blind were lonely in their world of darkness. The slim blond she'd stumbled over was no kinder on the eyes. Her hair flowed like woven light down her back and framed a face that made angels look hideous. Not that Rui had ever seen angels, being about as psychic as a riverbed pebble. She wished the woman would turn so Rui could confirm if she had wings attached to her spine. How many wars had been fought for this beauty? Rui estimated 14.

Near her was another gorgeous being. Was today the day for meeting eligible bachelors and bachelorettes? Porcelain skin was stretched over an elegant frame and a slim nose sat beneath warm mahogany eyes set in mathematically superior dimensions, but something was off. Her hair was on fire! Yet there was no lingering scent of smoke in the air. None at all. How strange. Rui realised with a start then, that her hair was on fire, too. She scrambled for her head, finding it just above her shoulders and ran her fingers through the silky strands. She pressed a lock to her nose but sniffed only notes of gardenias, with vanilla accents. She sighed in relief. Her hair was more of a violet-red with auburn and plum accents, than the fire brick red of the girl before her. Rui would not combust, so long as she avoided direct contact with flammables.

Lastly, her eyes met...

"Raiden," she gasped, fumbling to her feet. She took 1-2-3.5 steps forward before her heart.

Stopped.

And she breathed suffocation, lungs deflating 1-2-3-4-5-militeres-and-6,000,000-miles; bones melding into steel; eyes prickling with tears at this cruel, cruel lie that stood before her. Of course not. Of course it couldn't be her Raiden. Her brave, stupid Raiden who'd died and left her alone. Liar, she hissed at his ghost. Liar.

Because, you see, lies have a way of burrowing beneath the skin, failing to dislodge their corpses from your bones. Lies, have a way of whispering sweet nothings into your ear, so that you may never be free from expectation. That was the worse part, perhaps.

Still, he stood still, staring at her as if he'd found and lost her all at once. He had Raiden's eyes, though they were not the same colour. It was that they shared the same intensity in their gazes, as if they could see through her skin, her dishonesty, and dagger her soul. Rui considered dislodging her heart from the cavern of her chest to place it in his hands, but she couldn't. She didn't know where her own heart had gone either.

"She's better at healing than she is at human interaction," the receptionist said drily. Rui pulled her gaze away from Raiden's impostor and blinked at her shoes.

"I'm fine," Rui answered the dark haired girl's earlier question, the lie bitter on her tongue. No, I'm not fine, she wanted to say instead. My chest is an empty red cavern and I have corpses in my bones.

How long had it been since that day? Since the day of the ambush, where he had been left for dead with a slit belly and spilled guts? How was it fair that his magic had healed his otherwise fatal wound, and Tai, Reggie, Allesa, and all the others were dead or taken captive? The guilt of living when his friends, his comrades, were bereft of life or freedom weighed down on Reshiro, causing him to question whether he wanted go onward.

Yet always he trudged on. He couldn't stop. He was the last of the emissaries from Pellidar. His nation needed him to complete his mission. Whether he wanted to or not he had no choice. He had to continue onward to save his land and his people.

Despite his noble intentions, he was hopelessly lost and had no idea where he was going. He had found a road the other day and walked alongside it. He hadn't passed by any other travelers to ask even where the road went. At least he had food and water. When the Ingladians had ambushed they hadn't taken the supplies that the Kathalan Regiment had been carrying with them, leaving Reshiro with plenty of food and water to take. By the time he had regained consciousness after his injuries, several days after the ambush, some of the food had spoiled, but most of it was fine. It was hardy travel food, not prone to mold. A few bugs crawled around in the hardtack but Reshiro was expecting that.

Now his food was beginning to run out. He needed to find a town soon and restock and find out where he could go to get allies for Pellidar. He could hunt, but a sword was not ideal for that. He knew how to make traps and snares, but he would have to wait, possibly for days, for those to yield anything. He didn't have days to spend away from his mission. No, his best bet was to follow the road until he found a town and buy supplies there. The Ingladians hadn't taken any money when they had ambushed, either, so Reshiro had taken a large sum from the purses of his fallen comrades.

There! Was that a town in the distance? Yes! Reshiro broke into a run. Even if it was a small town someone should be able to direct him somewhere he could find aid. Perhaps he could buy a horse at the town as well. It would likely take up most of his money, but it would be worth the faster travel.

After an hour or two of running Reshiro reached the town only to find it bare and deserted. Where was everyone? He wandered around, trying to find someone to talk to and get information. He didn't have any luck, so he entered one building that wasn't locked at random. Inside were a bunch of people. Some looked confused, some appeared to be guarding those who looked confused, and others seemed to be spectators. Reshiro nearly backed out of the building because of the strangeness, but he remembered his point for coming. He had finally found some people, so he had to take advantage of it.

"Sorry to interrupt," he began, not sure who to address, "but what is this place? I am a traveler and I need to buy some supplies."

It didn't occur to him what a strange sight he would be. His shirt had a large hole in it from the sword slash that had eviscerated him and was stained with blood. His trousers were likewise splattered with blood. He carried a dirty pack, a large sword, and a shield. His hair was long and uncombed from the days of travel. Dirt covered him since he had found no place to bathe. He had become used to these things because he had had to live with them for weeks by now. So thus when he addressed this group of people he was totally unaware of his odd, perhaps even frightening, appearance.

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For a while, everyone in the lobby was quiet. You could hear even the slightest movement. Everyone was looking at each other as if not knowing what to expect. Suddenly, a red headed girl went down. Abraham couldn't keep back a slight giggle, as the way she fell was quite comedic.I shouldn't laugh. Oh my I'm awful sometimes. he thought as he held back another chuckle.

The long black haired dreamer asked if the red headed girl was alright. She had replied with an occasional 'I'm fine' but the way she had fallen looked like it hurt. Also, the blonde girl in the room scooted over quickly to assist her. I have a feeling this might be a frequent thing. Abraham sighed as he leaned back on the wall behind him. Slowly sliding down, prompting himself on the ground. It was quiet again. The red head that fell is now on her feet, and no one is talking again. Things seemed to start to get back to normal, but like clockwork, things got weirder. The main lobby doors swung open, revealing a young man around Abraham's age. He looked very tattered. His clothes ripped, dirt all over him, and even the occasional blood stain. The guy didn't seem okay, but he was handing himself as if that was normal. "Sorry to interrupt, but what is this place? I'm a traveler and I need to buy some supplies." Was what the guy said. Not even mentioning his outside appearance. Is this guy nuts? Is he even hurt? He though as he continued to eye him up and down. Suddenly, the blonde girl again hurried to the guy, making a scene again. She asked the guy if he needed medical attention. Lucky for the guy, he's in a hospital. Lucky for him, Abraham was a healer.

This gave Abraham the opportunity to look at the healing book of spells he was handed. However, whether he knew the guy was actually hurt or not was the mystery. Woah, this book is cryptic. I can barely read it. Abraham was trying his hardest, but wasn't heading very far. Abraham looked up again and noticed that the blonde girl was now holding the guy's arm. Nudging him to seek medical attention.Well, I suppose I should make myself useful. Seeing that by the time a doctor gets down here it'll be too long. Standing up, Abraham started towards the seemingly hurt guy. "Hey man. Are you okay?" Abraham asked as he got closer."I can take a look at your wounds if you'd feel comfortable. I'm a healer. I know a thing or two." He smiled, not knowing how he'd react.

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Mary had expected that she'd simply be taken out of the building where she'd been kept and moved to a different location, perhaps to be interrogated or at the very least briefed on the workings of the society she'd unexpectedly fallen into. However, event had quickly proven that leaving the building, even under guard, would not be so simple. Upon entering the lobby, she'd found herself surrounded by people of all sorts. There was a strange girl with red-brown hair who had swiftly taken a fall into a desk, and then, as though in a daze, had gawked for a few moments at the rather serious black haired boy who'd been imprisoned along with herself. Mary had been inclined to go and ask if she was okay, but that was around the time that a man had barged in through the front door with a rather large set of weapons slung over his back, casually asking where he was and if he could buy any supplies there. While he certainly seemed out of place, she doubted that he was foreign to the world like herself. More importantly, though, he looked terrifying, given that he was soaked head to toe in blood. She couldn't tell if it was his or somebody else's, but either way, he looked like he'd just come freshly from a battlefield. So there was a war going on in this world too? She almost forgot her place and rushed over to ask if he was alright, but he didn't seem to be harmed, and one of the doctors - at least, she assumed he was a doctor - swiftly came to do just that. She sighed, remaining where she stood, not wanting to throw her guards into a panic by making any sudden moves. She averted her eyes, trying to ignore the blood that had so rattled her, and just hoped the man was unharmed.

Even so, she was getting more and more uneasy with each passing moment. She had no idea what was going on, or where she was being taken. For all she knew, she might be on her way to some kind of freakshow, to be locked up and paraded about before gawking audiences such as the truly massive crowd that had already flooded into the building. She couldn't ask her guards, since they probably wouldn't tell her, but maybe somebody else might know... Glancing around, to her dismay, the only person she saw close enough to speak to was a young boy who, while he might have been her age, seemed to have an astonishingly bushy mustache for someone of his youth. More to the point, though, everybody - even the guards - seemed to be purposefully ignoring and avoiding him, meaning there wasn't anyone between them, and nobody would probably notice if she asked him. Shuffling slightly to the left, she tried not to startle the guards as she moved within speaking distance of the boy. Waving slightly to him to get his attention, she spoke.

"Excuse me, sir? Pardon my rudeness, but do you know what exactly is going on here? Presently, I'm just finding my feet, so I'm a little confused by the situation," She inquired quietly, giving a slightly uneasy smile.

The people didn't respond to Reshiro as he had expected. First of all, they stared at him with dumbfounded expressions. Then a blonde haired girl rushed over to him, asking him if he was all right and telling him to sit. While Reshiro was digesting this a boy with an authoritative air walked over, asking Reshiro if he was okay and saying he could look at his wounds. Then it clicked in Reshiro's mind why the people were freaking out over him. He was still wearing the clothes he had been wearing when the Kathalan Regiment was ambushed. He glanced down at himself, remembering that he looked a mess. He had only passed by small creeks and springs on the way to this town, so he had drank most of the water and used the rest to fill his canteens.

"I-I'm fine," Reshiro stammered, embarrassed that he hadn't thought of finding a well or something to wash off at. "Thank you, but I really am fine."

It was true. He was dirty and would have liked a meal, but he had completely recovered from his injury. At first when he had woken up after the ambush his abdomen had still hurt, but now the pain was gone. Nevertheless, Reshiro wouldn't be surprised if the people didn't believe him. He wouldn't blame them. Yet while their concern was appreciated, it wasn't needed.

He glanced around the room again, hoping that he had dispelled some of their worries. One person, a little, red haired girl with blue eyes, looked familiar, but he wasn't sure where he had seen her before. Another person, who also happened to be a redhead, softly asked a guy with a mustache what was going on. Reshiro smothered a grin upon hearing that. At least he wasn't the only one confused. It seemed like he had intruded on something.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt," he repeated, "But I couldn't find anyone. I just need a place to stay for a little while and rest up."

"People seem nice here after all..." Francine thought. She was surprised to see a person covered in blood suddenly arrive. And the first reaction for people here was to help him instead of trying to defend themselves from him.

"Here." Fran approached Reshiro and gave him a bread bun she was saving for later. "It's most likely not poisonous."
She smiled at the blond girl who offered a place to stay for the four of them.
"This is very sweet of you." she smiled. "Thank you very much."

A sudden scream reached everyone's ears. A small crowd was forming around an unclear to Francine scene. She ran to see the cause of all the panic. Fran immediately stopped next to Rui. Her irises shrunk at the sight of a seriously injured man in a large puddle of blood and another man, holding a child by the throat and preparing a collision between a blade and the young boy.

"That was just a drill, we're teaching civilians how to spot thieves and defend themselves against pickpockets." this is what the little red haired girl said. What was happening?

"What are you doing with the little child?" Francine's tone changed completely, along with her eyes glaring at the scene and mouth that erased her usual smile.
"Why is that person over there laying and bleeding? Let the boy go."

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Abraham stared back at the bloodies man. "Alright man, that's fine. As long as you're sure you're okay! With that, Abraham stepped back a few steps, allowing one of the dreamers to step up. It was the tall, long haired one. She seemed pretty nice. She handed the bloodied guy a bread bun. Abraham didn't mean to stare, but that bun looked really good. Pretty sure you could hear his stomach by now growling. Ugh, I need to find some food soon. I can't go on without eating. He thought as he took his sight away from them. He wondered where that red headed girl went. Didn't take too long to figure out though. Abraham heard another scream coming from the outside. Following the scream, Abraham had to check it out. His curiosity wouldn't let him pass up this moment.

Looking outside the Hospital, the amount of people have increased. In the middle of the crowd, there were three figures. Another bloodied man, and a white haired man holding a boy. Man, there's so much going on tonight already. He thought as he looked down at the scene. Abraham had to act quick however, seeing as the white man holding the boy had a sword close to him. Held in a way that read that he was going to attack. Dammit! How am I going to rescue this child? Why is he doing this? Abraham started freaking out. Before he could continue though, the red headed girl spoke out. She claimed it was a drill. A DRILL?! He thought as he looked at her. Is she mad? Is that girl working for that white haired man? So many questions were being left unanswered. Of course, it didn't make things better when the blonde girl chimed in agreeing with the other girl. Abraham couldn't waste time wondering what that girls' intentions were. He had to save that bleeding man down there first. At least close the wounds and stop the bleeding. He needed someone else to perform this healing with. He needed to go unnoticed. looking around, he saw that long haired girl near him. He had no choice.

"Hey, so I need your help with something. I'm Abraham, and I can heal people, and with your help I'll be able to heal that man down there, along with the boy. Just stand there, and make sure not to draw attention over here okay?" He explained as he placed himself behind the girl. Closing his eyes, Abraham chanted a healing formula. He's never performed this on another person before, so the odds of this working were minimal. He had to try though, there was no other option. Acting quick, he focused his energies on the bloodied man, making sure he wouldn't die at the very least. Pretty soon there was a small blue circle surrounding the man. Oh my god, it's working! The healing circle is working! Abraham was most certainly pleased with his work. The circle should mend his wounds so he stops bleeding. The bloodied man should be fine for now. He was more worried about the boy however. He wasn't sure how he was going to help him out. Think! Think dammit! Frustrated with himself, Abraham looked around. Turning to face the long haired girl again, Abraham spoke. Hey, you have to help me save the boy now. Are you able to do anything? Do you have any powers?" He asked. He wasn't sure if the Dreamers had any hidden abilities, so he had to at least ask.

For some reason the blond girl went along with the small red head. Maybe they were trying to win some time in an odd and unclear to Francine way. Soon, the blue haired boy asked her to cover him without bringing attention. Unfortunately Francine had already rushed her actions by confronting the man. Yet she stood there, not moving a muscle.

The boy was healing the wounded man. That brought slight relief for Fran - whatever happened next, at least there was a healer.

Fran took a deep breath when Abe asked her if she had any abilities.

"I have no powers, skills, sharp weapons or brains. All I have is brawn." Francine replied, squeezing a bat. The serial wounder probably had everything Fran said she lacked. His strength was likely to be ten times bigger. Yet she realized she couldn't just stand there, doing nothing. There was a whole crowd that would probably help if something went wrong. The blue haired boy would help, which brought Fran comfort.
Out of sudden Fran went inside the Lion's mouth. She ran to the white haired man and with all of her strength she hit the none sharp part of the blade with her bat in an attempt to disarm him. Was it successful?

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Reshiro stood, stunned, as the blonde haired girl offered him and others a place to stay at her house. She had no idea who he was and the people had already established he had a frightening appearance, so he was shocked that she had so blithely said that he could come to her house. He would have done nothing to harm her, of course, but she couldn't have known that. Yet the trust was gratifying. Reshiro trusted people easily, and it felt good to be trusted with such ease in return.

To add on to the kindness of these strangers another one of the people, a black haired girl, gave Reshiro a roll. A grin lighting up his face, he thanked her and wolfed it down. Ahh, it was so much better than the hardtack and dried meat he had been living on. His esteem for these people was steadily rising.

Then a scream rent the air. The little girl, the cheery blonde, the blue haired healer, and the roll-giving girl rushed outside one after the other. By the shock on their faces Reshiro judged that this was not normal. He swallowed the last of the roll and went outside after them.

He arrived to a mess. A white haired man stood coldly strangling a boy and a man lay crumpled over on the side, bleeding profusely. Listening to the crowd's chatter brought Reshiro up to date. What kind of sick weirdo was the white haired man? The crime was taken care of! By this point the thief was likely scared enough stop pick pocketing. It wasn't necessary to kill him! There were other forms of punishment that didn't involve taking a life. And the victim who had tried to stop the white haired man!

The movement of the black haired girl swinging her metal club at the white haired man caught his eye. The white haired man lifted the thief's limp body to shield the blow. Without a thought Reshiro dove in front of the club's path. Pain jarred his back, but he ignored it. He had survived far worse.

"Please get back," he said to the club-wielding girl. He backed away from the white haired man and drew his sword from its sheath on his back, but kept it low in what he hoped was a non-threatening position. He didn't want to aggravate this volatile man, but he wanted his sword out so he could defend himself if need be.

"Sir, is it really necessary to kill both the boy and the man?" Reshiro addressed the white haired man. "There are other punishments for a thief, and the man was simply an innocent. Death eliminates the problem within people, but it also eliminates any good that they could do as well. Please reconsider what you are doing."

Even though Reshiro hoped the man would listen to his words, he was prepared to fight if need be. He figured he would be the weaker of the two if it came to a sword fight, but he couldn't back down. When he had been remade by the Mages and the Kanth Stones he had been redesigned to follow a certain set of morals. Even if he wanted to he wouldn't be able to go against them. Perhaps this made him blind to other points of view, but he couldn't think of living without them now since they were so integral to his being. The problem was, would the white haired man recognize the value of those morals?

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Cerin was jolted out of his shock to see that everything had changed. He had seen the events unfold in a blur, and was still processing that she was here...

Running over to the scene which had unfolded, he studied the layout. An odd knight-like figure stood over a boy wrapped in healing rings that Cerin recognized... then his mind blanked. Leaving him with naught but the action.

Stepping up next to the blonde and the petite redhead, he listened gravely. Apparently there were conflicting sides- many wanted to help the boy, where others were simply claiming it was a drill. Then, a black haired girl- One of the Dreamers, he remembered- strode up to the man and swung a bat. A boy leapt out of the crowd and intercepted the bat. He heard a sharp crack and hoped that no bones were broken.

Then the blonde next to him walked up to the man and nervously stuttered something, maybe a bribe? Or an offer? He put his hand on the girl's shoulder, the one that reminded him so much of his lost love. Knowing that this was going to be painful, he opened his mouth and uttered something he could regret instantly.

"Do... do I know you? You seem so familiar, and I cant remember anything, but you seem like a huge part of my memory, like some sort of void I cannot fill... Is that weird?"
Very eloquent there, Cerin.
he hissed mentally, hoping that he hadn't driven away a source of his past. A lifeline, it almost seemed- she was the only thing tying him back to life.

He only hoped he hadn't completely creeped her out.