Western G'ael

"People of Western G'ael, those who abhors magics and the supernatural, I require someone subjected to my service!", proclaimed by nonetheless, the Hither Slither. "Do not try to harm me or I'll strangle everyone with everyone's intestines. Or eyes. I strangle with eyes. Excellent idea! Let me correct what I said. I'll strangle everyone with their EYES!" he ominously threatened.

The weather has been in gloom since the Hither Slither has set afoot at this lands. His black robes gleams a silhouette at his bony face.

"And what I mean by service, I mean a perilous journey! A dangerous adventure! A pilgrimage for recreation! This service might cost you your life. In return, I shall give that person a reward. Or a flower. A dog? Or a salad. I love salads." Hither Slither explained.

"That service is none other than..... to be my mightiest cave renovator! This servant will redesign my cave! Free lunch and lodging. Just don't sleep or I may make you sleep forever. My cave harvest moon will come and I need to redesign with vegetables and fruits! Please! I need help or my cave will look cheap and shabby! If no one will volunteer, I may just kill all of you. Come to me now!" Hither Slither insisted.

There were soft ripples across the water, each one reflecting the pale light of the moon and making it look exceptionally magical. It was somewhat warmer than usual, enough so for the layer of ice that normally coated the lake to melt. The soft lapping of the freezing water against the land was interrupted by the even softer sigh, a shaky sound that was followed by a pained whimper. Sat at the waters edge her form looked ever more frail, shaking slightly and curling in on itself. In this most pale light the young woman's face looked gaunt and tired, dark eyes barely reflecting the shimmering surface that she gazed out at. Her pale complexion contrasted wonderfully however with her radiant hair, the fiery tones falling in gentle waves down her back, framing her delicate face. It was the only thing about her that looked alive, what had once been an electric woman was now barely even a shadow of herself and part of the reason was still in her hand. Eyes traveling, a few tears escaped and landed with a soft pat on the small pouch in her open hand. Shivering again, she sucked in a trembling breath and stared longingly at the bag. How had something so small become such a big part of her life? How had it been so effective in ruining it.

Licking her dried lips, her hands shook as raised the item to get a proper look at it, fingers beginning to open the tied seal before she sharply closed it again. With surprising speed she threw the drug down onto the ground beside her, pressing her pale fingers over it to keep it there. She couldn't cheat herself again, she'd promised. A cry of anguish slipped from her lips, so suddenly that she even surprised herself, was that really her voice? There were beads of sweat now, forming like little jewels across her forehead and sliding slowly down her temples. Addiction was something that Lucia wouldn't wish on any other soul in the world, it was like nothing that she had ever experienced before, excruciating and tormenting and fixed so quickly that she had never been able to get any further than the point where she was at now.

In a desperate bid to break this cycle she tore her eyes from the packet, moving them back to the body of water in front of her, Valeena Lake they called it. Her dark orbs swept over the landscape trying to memorise every curve and shadow, anything to distract her from the burning need that was beginning to choke her. If she ever got out of this addiction she'd come back here and paint what she could see, it was such a beautiful setting for such a harrowing experience. Lucia's shivers were growing worse now, her skin itching as a soft breeze cooled her, stray strands of her crimson locks crossing her features and adding temporary colour. With the wind came clouds and she watched as they slowly cast their shadow across the lake, ever spreading until the mystical waters looked like nothing but a dark abyss. Darker thoughts began to cross her mind, permanent solutions that could be found at the bottom of the lake, however deep in went. She could do it... there was no one here to stop her. A brief glance confirmed the latter and only made her fancy the dark waters more.

Standing now in shadow, she left the pouch on the ground and took a step forward towards the water. Each stride short and unsteady, slow as she moved to hover at the edge, her bare feet shuffling in the rough sand that formed the gradient between the cold ground and crystal water. A few more tears escaped her glassy orbs, gliding down her ivory cheeks and dropping into the water in front of her. The droplets were followed by a few more although as their frequency increased she realised that it was not just her tears that were creating ripples in the dark water, it was the gentle rain as well, growing heavier as the darker clouds were blown over. It wasn't long until the downpour soaked her form, now stood ankle deep in the cold water. A final chance to end it all.

(A long intro, I apologise! They won't all be so long)

The silent atmosphere of Western G'ael was one of the natural phenomena that flooded the lands, it was the most dominant existence in the whole of the Multiverse which prevented any other forms of life from standing above it. An abyss, something that stared back at individuals as they looked into it, slowly flooding around the person as it was steadily absorbed into the scene before disappearing from a glance. With the right effort and work, all life could do to prevent such actions is to tame the lands; adapt themselves to suit the environment before it ultimately brings their destruction... That is, until beings from outside of existence itself decides to set foot in the area.

A human sized wormhole opened before a strangely thawed lake in the frozen wastelands of G'ael, the edges of this transportation medium warped the perception of space-time itself as if it pushed the fabric of space apart into some form of tunnel. From the other side of this tunnel was the panicked populace of Wing City, rushing to leave the area of what seemed to be a flaming man and a giant mechanised weapon. However, the main being of focus was the one individual who stood out from the rest; dressed in some strange orange-tinted armour which covered only the vitals of the body: The chest and shoulders as one chest piece while an armoured kilt covered the lower body down to it's knees. Off the bottom of the chest piece hung a myriad of ammunition clips along with an assault rifle and sword held holstered on the sides of the kilt.

And so, this armoured woman walked through this wormhole with a troubled look plagued across her face. Stepping onto the pure white snow which formed a blanket across the whole environment, spreading out into the horizon. Once the realm jumper had fully entered the frozen lands, the wormhole which gave her means of transport closed as suddenly as it opened.

It took a double take for Sarah to notice the presence of a strange woman standing ankle deep in the thawed lake, her troubled looked replaced with a look of curiosity. "Are you alright there? I don't remember there being hotsprings in this area."

The young woman's attention was stuck firmly on the intense black water in front of her, practically sucking her into its freezing void. It was hard to notice with the quiet surroundings as her ears went deaf, even the soft lapping of the water becoming muffled. It felt like she wasn't actually in her body but rather looking through a dull window as the world happened around her. Even her skin had become numb to the cold, the crawling feeling that her addiction gave her nothing more than a vacant thought in the back of her mind. It was a momentary reprieve from the sickness, a calm before the storm as she began to move further into the water.

Vaguely she registered a disturbance, something that made her hair feel like it was standing on end, it sent shivers through Lucia's sickly frame. It was enough to draw her attention and for the briefest moment her eyes flicked up to spot the developing wormhole, it's strange warping and rippling making her blink and frown in wonder, like nothing she'd ever seen before. Finally she tore her gaze away, shrugging it off as some sort of mind trick, a figment of her imagination caused by her starving body. She had seen things before that hadn't been there, it was something that the redhead had become somewhat accustomed to. Drawn back to the water, her thoughts gradually trailed off until again she was not really in her own head, instead watching herself move until she was waist deep. The clothes that had once meant to keep her warm now clung to her slim form as it soaked up the water, surrounding her like a cocoon and dragging slightly in the water.

With a shaky sigh she stopped walking, her head bowing as her eyes peered into the dark water around her. She still couldn't feel it, the bitter cold that should have taken her breath away. Not that she minded, the welcome numbness dulled her senses and let her final moments be as peaceful as they could possibly be. There would be no more cold sweats or muscle cramps, she didn't have to worry about the nausea or the vomiting, it was the best she had felt in a long while. A muffled sound caught her attention briefly, pulling her head to turn slightly before returning to it's original bowed position, eyes still focused on the water. It was only when the noise sounded again that she raised her head, turning in it's direction and catching sight of a woman. Blinking rapidly, Lucia's jaw dropped slightly, lips parting to release a small surprised breath. A sudden ringing filled her ears, a white noise that drowned everything else out. Her vision became fuzzy too, like static on a television as white spots flashed before her eyes. "W-what?" Frowning, the young woman staggered back slightly and began to gasp, eyes growing wide as if everything she hadn't been feeling has rushed upon her suddenly. "Oh god..." Panic was now clearly evident on the females face as her eyes rolled around wildly in their sockets, body heaving slightly now that the nausea had returned.

Time seemed to flow slowly in this land, a small encounter which in reality would have lasted but a few minutes; but felt like hours. To see this woman wonder further and further into the lake, shaking in the sheer distant temperatures of this northern territory, it was quick and easy to rule out the fact that this was some strange hot spring. In fact, there seemed to be an odd atmosphere surrounding the woman, something of a low vibe, depression. In fact, a myriad of emotions could be felt by the nearby Realm Jumper, watching as such a meaningful but also irrelevant scene took place.

That was then the woman finally reacted to Sarah's word, it seemed to be of a panic attack, as if her previous actions were not of her own doing. There was the sense of nausea, the sight of a mental imbalance as her body moved uncontrollably to whatever was hitting her hard. Sarah had to react, she couldn't just watch as yet another innocent person fell to mental instability, or whatever was plaguing her actions; it happened too much in the past.

And so, with a deep blue glow of the crown worn on the back of her chest piece, slightly covered by her long white hair. Sarah set out to walk across the water, at speed. Followed by her swift movements, Sarah pulled the woman out of the water and quickly travelled back to the lake's edge. Her little strength struggled to carry the woman, leaving her feet to drag across the water before she was dropped harshly on the ground; with Sarah standing beside her attempting to catch her breath.

"The fuck are you doing there?"

Everything was happening so fast for Lucia, whether or not it was because her mind had only just began to catch up was still undecided. It was all a blur as the stranger came at her, a quick flash of white hair and suddenly she was mobile, being dragged backwards with surprising speed. The even more sudden stop was jarring, landing on her back and gasping as it knocked the wind straight out of her. It felt like her chest was being crushed and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her lungs to fill enough to catch any air. Lucia rolled over onto her side, her frail form curling up into a ball whilst she continued to fight for breath, it had all happened so fast and she still hadn't quite worked out what was going on

Digging her nails into the cold earth, the young red head dragged herself up to sit awkwardly on her side before teetering forward onto her hands and knees. She stayed there for a while, the ringing in her ears beginning to fade out and her hazy vision clearing. The knock seemed to have cleared her head a little and Lucia felt somewhat better than before. Lurching forward suddenly, Lucia staggered clumsily to her feet and took a few uncertain steps before collapsing back to the ground and retching. "I'm f-fine..." She whispered, voice hoarse and cracking slightly. There were tears in her eyes however, threatening to spill once more. "Just... Get out of here huh!?" Lifting her head to look at the woman there was a flash of anger across her face which quickly turned to regret as she shamefully let her head drop. How had she fallen so low, what was it this woman must have thought of her. Some low life scum, a pitiful excuse for a being. She was so ashamed of her life, the waste of her life.

Reluctant to move, she turned her head slightly to the side and let her eyes wander along the lake's edge, searching for something that she obviously didn't find as her brows furrowed and her lips turned down. There was no way up from here, she could see that now, but maybe if she felt better she could deal with this situation. If she wasn't so sick none of this would be a problem. "Where is it?" She questioned, eyes still searching for the small pouch she had thrown onto the ground earlier. She wanted it, she wanted what was inside; the only thing that would make her feel better. She must have looked like a woman possessed, tearful and pitiful one moment and then unreasonably angry and questioning all in the space of minutes. That was the price she paid for her high, those drugs which made her feel invincible were also the ones that would drive her to such depraved behavior such as this. Trying to kill yourself in an almost frozen lake.

It was such a troublesome yet interesting scene to watch, some woman acting as if she was on drugs, left in the frozen wastelands, probably trying to drown herself. Now it's all starting to add up, Sarah had come across some victim of something. Perhaps she or a family member did something to a group which caused them to enact such disgusting, inhumane revenge. Or perhaps it was just a group of adolescents who recently learned on some effects of overdosing and threw this woman out from their little experiment. Either way, it was a sorrowful and disgusting scene to watch, something to put a wretched look on Sarah's face as she stared inquisitively before crouching down to meet the same level as the woman.

"Now, you look far from fine." She replied, her voice flowed with the gentle icy breeze of the skies; suggesting a great experience in talking to people such as this woman. Or was it in fact some natural ability? Just a normal voice which happened to match the calming, tamed voice of a goddess, something which would definitely be expected of such a woman as Sarah. "And what are you looking for? Were you bullied by some disgusting, poor excuse of people?"

Lucia was still looking around as the woman crouched beside her, only glancing up when she spoke once more. A soft whimper sounded in her throat and she nodded slightly, knowing all too well that this stranger was right "I know..." She whispered, beginning to shake her head. "I think I-... I need help.." Sucking in a shaky breath, the young red head dug her fingers into the ground, bowing her head once again. How she wished she could just sink into the ground and disappear forever, seeing the disgust on this strangers face made her both angry and ashamed.

It was the first question that made her raise her head once more, brows pulling together and face contorting into an expression of puzzlement. She really couldn't guess? Lucia thought it would be obvious to spot a dug addict looking for her stash but she had experience with it, maybe Lucia just looked sick. A somewhat startled laugh slipped from her with the second question, eyes growing wide in disbelief "You think... You think someone d-did this to me?" Shaking her head, the amused expression quickly fell, the hollowness coming back to her eyes "I did this... Every choice was mine" She seemed to retreat back into her own little world, thinking over every little decision that lead to where she was now. "Where are my drugs? They were by the edge of the river... I n-need them..." She looked up as she directed the question, eyes growing focused. She knew what she wanted, what her body needed, it didn't matter to her that it was slowly killing her.

The Sidhe girl's footfalls seemed to resound infinitely throughout the harsh landscape, she crouched to examine a footprint on the ground. "What do you think Lugh? Is this Jose's?" The Spear of Lugh floated by her side without responding, it was after all, not sentient. The girl dropped to all fours and took a long smell of the track she had found. "Yes. It certainly smells like someone carrying the Blacklight Virus." The girl stood up and looked around her vast surroundings.

He should not be far from here, the girl thought to herself. She couldn't see Jose Mercer, but she knew he would be close. Something about the way the man caused wholesale devastation wherever he went had absolutely smitten the Fey girl, and she was determined not to lose him. "Jose! I can smell the Virus on you, come out come out wherever you are!" The girl skipped along, searching desperately for the lost man.