Yuna Ran's Story

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There never was much to Vern's dreams, or at least not in creativity. For him it was always a return visit to old moments of his life, in particular the harrowing moments where his life had come so close to an end. Currently this one had him turning a corner of some nondescript building, followed by two fellow soldiers. Even their faces were vague, and it looked like the two of them were both wounded. They had been moving cautiously, as they had to be wary of some enemies. They then began to run, as it seemed they were now being bombarded by some kind of attack from some unseen enemies. Vern had no clue what the attacks even were or where they were coming from, he just knew that he needed to get the hell outta the line of fire. He turned, looking to see one of the soldiers he had been running with had fallen to the ground. They laid in a pool of red, not moving. He was urged on by the remaining soldier, and so he kept running towards another corner to get themselves out of the line of fire. As he rounded the corner though, he was greeted by a soldier dressed in a uniform of the enemy they were fighting. Both Vern and the enemy had caught each other by surprise, but the enemy had been moving this way with his weapon at the ready; it recognized Vern almost immediately as an enemy and it made the only sound that Vern had heard during the entire dream. It was the sound of ignited gases exciting the barrel of its rifle, propelling a bullet towards Vern.

As the bang of the gun reached his ears, Vern shot up from where he was sleeping, eye wide as he looked around in confusion. He quickly looked around to see just where he was and what was going on. He was sitting next to some brush, a small campfire only a few feet away from him. He saw the white haired woman he was travelling with standing nearby, blood splatter here and there on her as she held onto a feather. He continued his search, seeing the masked Aku sitting against the tree saying something, but Vern was still a little out of it and couldn't really understand. The other were here and there, still asleep, as well as the carcass of a deer. It made Vern blink slightly, then his gaze settled on the prone figure that was Yuna spitting some leaves from her mouth before speaking. "Oh, good morning Aku!" she said, her's being the first words that registered in his mind as it fully came to from its groggy state.

"Ugh..." was all Vern could muster as he laid back down, "Well, you're definitely better than a bullet." he muttered as he put his hands over both his eyes. He laid there for a few moments, just collecting his thoughts before taking a deep breath and sitting up again, letting his hands drop as a flat slab of rock rose up out of the ground behind him. He leaned back against it as he yawned then ran his fingers through his hair. "I didn't miss anything too excitin' now did I?" He simply asked, looking out towards them.

Sleeping. Dreaming. Words that tasted strange and foreign on the tongue of Agrona Caedwyn. Spirits of her kind needed neither, could attain neither. The closest that she could come was a form of spiritual suspension where she was neither alive nor dead and her consciousness became a part of the aether until her physical reawakening. Needless to say, it was not something that she performed habitually. In fact, the only time that she had used it was as an experiment many hundreds of years ago to see if she could commune with any of her siblings through it in an attempt to find them. It hadn't worked and the aether tempted her very little, along with the vulnerability such a state left the body in.

Therefore, the Spirit did as she did every night after the rest of the group fell asleep in their cute little camps: she wandered. Her skirts flowed behind her with swishing sounds over the floor of the forest as she walked and one could easily confuse her for an apparition the way she walked as though the uneven and treacherous ground was the smooth granite of ballroom tiles with unearthly grace.

As the sun peeked through the holes in the lace of the tops of the trees, Agrona turned and began backtracking back to the camp where she knew the group would be beginning to stir. When she reached the camp she saw that Adrienne had not yet returned from her outing and none of the others were quite awake, so the Spirit silently dug through her things and brought out some traveling robes that would be more sensible on the road than the 'sleeping' gown that she was currently wearing and then slipped back out into the woods to change into them.

Not far from the camp, Agrona could make out the sounds of the group rising and their princess's return and so she made her way back and slipped in silently, making her way over to her sleeping arrangement and traveling bags with a knowing smile and began packing her things back together, careful not to rouse Aglaeca who's set up was beside her's.

A sweep of the campsite with her clear blue eyes showed that other than her and Adrienne; Yuna, Vern, and Aku were also awake. Vern didn't quite look awake yet and Yuna appeared to have had quite an adventure already that morning, covered in dirt and with a large buck in tow. Agrona shook her head with wonder at mortals, such strange and unpredictable creatures.

When her things were in a neat pack, she stood leaning against a tree next to her little Devil's sleeping form and said not a word, content with just watching the dustlings interact and waiting for Aglaeca to wake.

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The moon was falling and the sun was peeking out the horizon. The calm dawn ray slowly reveals and lights up the interior of the deep forest. The leaves that was once covered by the darkness of the night regained their color of a healthy green as dawn approaches. Critters wonder about the nature as they start off their day conversing with other animals in their own language. As light reveals yet more of the forest, a man was standing in the middle of the thick forest. The ray of light slowly shone upon his body, the complicated markings on his black boat becoming apparent. A light gust breezed past him, as his coat and hair flapped against the wind.

Affirming the rising of the sun, Lyon raised his hands. He brought it closer and closer to his mask, but just as he touched it, he stopped. However, he continued his motion after. He opened his palms and placed it over his mask. With only a slight pull, the mask came off. As easily as picking up a paper on the table, he removed his mask.

Behind the mask hid a pair of closed eyes, where promptly after removing the mask, opened. It was of without an iris. A grey spot replaced where the red eyes should have been. Similar to dead fish eyes, it was very obvious that the eyes had lost their sight. No matter how much he tried to blink, Lyon couldn't see anything. He could feel standing on the ground, the small wind that breezes by every now and then, the sounds of the various animals around yet he cannot see any of it. "Hmph. As expected."

Lyon places the mask back on after that. He periodically checks whether his sight had been returned to him. Even after maybe the thousandth time, he would try again and again, if not staying positive by telling himself that it would be back the next time he does it. However as reality would have it, it never did. Although the mask was all he needed to see like a normal man again, he would rather throw it away to somewhere obscure. Somewhere he would never have to lay his eyes or hear about ever again. But after meeting Adrienne and his fellow companions, he needs the mask to protect them. The mask has a weakness however.

The mask, in return for granting sight and some supernatural powers, consumes his soul. It's not like completely selling your soul to a devil. You don't lose a huge chunk of it that moment. Rather, when a certain amount of powers are used, it takes away a small part of the soul as a price. When it does, Lyon experiences a noxious feeling, similar to when falling ill to fever. He had only explained this to Adrienne as to not worry the other companions, but he knows that this is not going to work. He needs to find an alternative sooner or later.

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He decides to return to where his companions were camping. There are already a few members awake. Yuna, covered in blood and Vern, apparently only awake. Then there is Aku, who is sitting against the bark of a tree in his hood and Agrona, standing beside the sleeping Aglaeca, a young boy but is actually a powerful being. What the boy was, Lyon did not know, but he is content enough knowing that the boy and the lady beside him were helping Adrienne, just like everyone else. There was also Adrienne, awake as usual and seems to be off in her own world, so he decided to let her be.

The others were still sleeping or off somewhere, so Lyon decided to stand beside one of the trees and took out his book, titled 'Valkyrie Ascension', continuing from where he left off.

Aglaeca's eyes opened to the golden spots of sunlight peeking through the leaves. There were voices and activities going all around him as his groggy mind registered the figures moving and talking. It still felt like a few seconds have passed since he had fallen asleep, but of course the time differences between the underworld and the over world were quite large, and for Aglaeca, who had lived for countless years, days and sometimes months were like minutes to him, passing before they even made an lasting impression on him. It seemed like only a few days since they had met the princess and gained so many companions, and even after his many years in the over world, he could never quite get used to the time they had there.

Sitting up slowly, he rubbed his eyes sleepily and yawned, before almost instinctively calling out "Agrona?" to check her presence, a habit he had developed over the past hundred years they had been working together. Though he knew that she might still be taking her stroll in the forest, he checked nevertheless, before catching sight of her leaning against the tree a few paces beside him, already fully cloaked in her travelling attire, dressed and ready. "You sure are early... had a good sleep?" He asked half-teasingly, knowing full well that sleep was an activity that she did not indulge in, unlike him, who considered it as a luxury.

Allowing his light purple eyes to wander to the others, Yuna, who was almost covered in mud and blood, dragging a deer seemed to already have had her share of a adventure, along with Adrienne, the princess who was , holding a pitch black feather, part of the raw power of the whole contract that he had turned into feathers as it was too much for his power to hold. The echoing voice coming from the man with the mask was definitely Aku, and leaning against a tree was Lyon, reading. Vern probably just woke up like he did, not seeming too energetic yet. The whole camp seemed to be stirring... exactly how late was he in waking up? Still, it seemed like there was not much going on yet.

Flopping back onto his back in boredom, he turned his head slightly to Agrona and asked"Now what?" He had woken up, though it seemed like there was nothing much for him to do, except for waiting for the group to carry on in their journey.

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A haunting, eerie melody, the sounds of a harp and the rustle of leaves…. The cries of loons against a sweeping tide, crashing and rolling over some distant shore. Audona could hear incomprehensible whispers every once in a while, almost as if they were emanating from the swishing, whirling tide. She could feel herself wandering as she always did- alone with the souls and sounds of others just out of reach, no matter how hard she strived to near them. But everything was dark and she had to rely on her sense of hearing, which was quickly diminishing into that of someone trapped underwater- gargled and mumbled.

Suddenly everything went deathly silent, as if a deep evil had appeared and all the birds had scattered, the wind held its breath, the water froze paralyzed with fear. A deep thumping stirred somewhere, increasing its tempo and volume with every passing moment. With every beat, Aislinn could feel water begin to fill her lungs, but she could do nothing about it- couldn’t even cry out, for everything was muted except for the unending racing of a heart. A crippling fear was slowly inching towards her, bringing a cold chill and a numbness to her bones that addled her mind to no end. Just as the thumping reached its crescendo, the evil almost upon her, her lungs had opened up despite being filled with water, and it was when she was about to finally scream that she heard a distinct snicker, and everything was dissolving around her- the tenseness of her body, the water in her lungs, the evil presence that lurked above her, it tingled into nothingness.

A voice sounded, different from the prior malicious exhale of breath.

”Oisin; Audona....”

*~*~*~*

The Water Horse’s eyes suddenly opened, the rectangular pupils contracting as morning light met them from the breaks in the leafy canopy above. All hints of sleep one would have expected on any creature were not a part of the Kelpie’s appearance- she was wide awake, almost as if she had never let her mind slip into a resting state in the first place.

A loud whoosh of air passed her nostrils as she stamped her hoof against the ground, shaking her mane of the leaves and bits of grass that undoubtedly made their way into the hair while she slept. She tilted her head and shifted it sideways to stretch her neck a bit before she angled her head up to peer at the treetops with strange, yellow pupils, her maw parting to taste the fresh morning air.

Her musings did not last for more than a second as she returned her head to its original position, staring out into the dim forest. Audona’s nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed, her hoof once more meeting the soft earth below with an irritable stamp. The scent of burnt wood lingered in the air, and the distant sound of mortals stirring filled her ears. How long had it been since was forced into this group, to do the bidding of a snow-capped maiden?

Almost every night Aislinn was tethered to some tree or other, despite the fact that she could not leave regardless, what with her tether in the possession of Fuilteach. She was bound to this place- wherever the woman went she was forced to follow, diminished to nothing more than a pack mule or a simple cart. But she was always stationed far away from the group- a term that had been established two years ago when the Kelpie would refuse to settle in the midst of others- screaming, howling, stamping, decimating anything within reach of her teeth.

She would not allow herself to be ogled every night by those who did not understand, who worked her all day and forced her to share their company. She would not share anyone’s company at night, lest the Water Horse’s ill temper be stirred. It did not matter how far from the group she was- if only off to the side of their resting area distinctly apart from them, or out of sight completely.

However, during the day Aislinn remained rather docile, settled into her fate and allowing herself to be led to wherever the next feather rested. Though, if anyone got too close to her, she would swerve or extend her neck to try to snap her jaws together on any unwary finger or wandering hand. That was another one of her rules- she was not to be touched except when being loaded or unloaded, or when being released into the water. In all reality, it was only the Massacre Princess who did so, as she held possession of the bridle and thus was ‘allowed’ contact.

It wasn’t so much that she despised the others and wanted to bring harm to them, but rather that she was scared and uneasy when in their presence. She didn’t want to be poked and jabbed like a caged animal; everything she did was of an intent of self-preservation and mistrust. There was also the fact that she despised being under the control of another, was in despair that she could not continue her search, no matter how pointless it may be.

Audona stood beside that tree, waiting for the others to get off their lazy bums, for Fuilteach to come and untie her and load supplies onto her back and begin the start of another day. Her situation was not all bad. Despite her longing to be alone, having the company of others where she was previously cursed to wander in solitude was sort of a plus. She didn’t like being with them because of the circumstances, but she made the best of it where she could. It wasn’t like Caoimhe was ignorant or harbored a deep seated hatred for them. No, she was fairly incapable of such- rather focused on the hopelessness of her existence as a whole. In fact, she was somewhat curious about a few of them.

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Vern nodded his head some as Adrienne stared at him, the kinda stare that would set normal people on edge at the least. Vern however had stared down plenty of mean things in his life by now, so by simple conditioning he no longer was rattled by simple angry gazes. ”Well, guess that could be considered good, if not a little borin’.” He said while stretching his arms up above his head. He followed Adrienne’s gaze when she turned her head, looking over to see Agrona standing next to the waking Aglaeca.

Vern watched the two for a few moments, having lowered his arms. He wasn’t weirded out at the prospect of having non-human in the group or to be working with them; he was perfectly fine with the two and Yuna despite them being of some other race. The thing Yuna had over them though was that Vern knew she was an elf, and not just because of the cute looks or the more obvious ears, but ‘cause she’d actually mentioned it. Those two, he hadn’t an idea of what they were and that made it a little difficult for him to completely trust them. He’d work with them though, but there would always be the little barrier ‘til they told the whole truth.

His eye moved back over to the Princess, turning when he heard a rather ragged inhale of air come from her. He couldn’t see her face, as her hair had fallen over to hide it but was soon moved back as she lifted up her head. He also noticed that the feather she had previously held was now gone. He kept a watch on her for a few moments, but then decided he’d best get himself around. Standing up, leaning back to stretch some more, his back popping in a few places as he did so, he then let the rock wall he was leaning against sink back into the ground as he turned to check on his rucksack. It held what provisions and such that he needed, and he simply checked to make sure everything was in order.

He looked up to see most of the others were up and about by now, or at the very least awake. ”Mornin’, Lyon.” he said noticing the quiet, masked man first. Vern continued digging though his ruck, pulling out a small canteen of water and taking a quick drink from it before putting it back away. He closed it up, now looking up towards Aglaeca and Agrona and saying ”Mornin’ta you two also.” before standing up again.
Looking towards Aku, who was still leaning against the tree, Vern simply nodded his head to the man. It’d taken a few months, but Vern had learned by now that he and Aku were not the most compatible of people. There was no ill feelings on Vern’s end towards the crippled, masked man; Vern though could tell that Aku did not care much for the one-eyed-ex-soldier. Whatever it might be, Vern hadn’t a clue so he simply shrugged and let it be.

He turned to look at Yuna, noticing Adrienne leave the area to probably retrieve the ornery Kelpie, chuckling a bit as he looked over her rather dirty form. ”Been havin’ yourself an adventure this mornin’, eh Yunnie?” He looked over to the buck he had noticed earlier, smiling a bit as he did. ”Lookin’ forward to a solid meal like that, can tell you that much; good catch.” he finished while looking back to the elf. Giving her one last smile, he then made his way past her and towards the edge of the camp. He figured that they’d have a few before they all were ready to get moving on out, and since he was set to go, he’d take the time and practice a bit.

He moved to where the camp was still in sight, as he had no need to get to far away from them, and found a solid looking tree to work with. Cracking his neck, he let his arms hang to his side as he concentrated on the relic around his neck. He could feel the magic flow from it, then only a moment later heard the sound of rock scraping against itself as it roses up from the ground. He then felt the flat pieces of rock surround and conform to the shape of his hands and forearms, a piece also tailing off along the spike of his elbow. He lifted his arms up, flexing them and his hands, feeling the slightly increased weight on his arms and testing the flexibility he still had. Even after having had this relic for more than five years by this point, it still always amazed him some what the magic could do. The relic seemed to support the rocks on his arm so that they didn’t weight them down too much, and the relic was even capable of moving and shaping the rocks in a way that it didn’t rob him of any flexibility in his hands or elbows. Smiling, he then began his quick and simple punch combinations, using the tree as his target; enjoying the light thunk that resounded each time his stone covered fists would meet with the solid trunk of the tree.

He cast a quick glance over to the The Princess when she returned to the camp with the odd horse in tow. He stopped for a moment, somewhat distracted by the strange creature, but shook his head and went back to his combinations. He had no intention of going near it, less he get something nipped or bit by it, and he was close enough that if he was needed, The Princess, or anybody, could call out to him.

Movement in her peripherals caused Aerona to shift her focus back to the form of Aglaeca who was just beginning to come to from his slumber. He spoke her name sleepily and she quietly responded with a simple "I'm here" to confirm her presence to him. Her eyes then swept back across the group and Agrona saw that Lyon had returned leaving everybody but the Kelpie accounted for.

"You sure are early... had a good sleep?" She whipped her head back towards her companion, feigning irritation at the joke that he had made, they both knew each other too long to miss the hint of sarcasm in the other's voice when making such wisecracks.

Her mock anger split into a smile, "oh you know that I did. Now get up and get ready, little monster, or we'll all be waiting on you." However, Agrona saw that her little friend's attention was focused more on the group than on their shared banter, so she also turned her own attentions back towards the rest, her face a mixture of curiosity and amusement. It seemed that Adrienne had gone off to untie the pesky kelpie. Not that she minded the horse's presence, she actually quite enjoyed to think of all of the chaos such a beast could cause if it decided to. As Adrienne was away, the rest of the group carried on in a sleepy manner. The only member who seemed truly away was Yuna, the little elf girl, who was presently stripping the carcass of and preparing deer. While eating wasn't a necessity for the Spirit, she did enjoy partaking in it but the prospect of venison for breakfast did not appeal to her picky palette as it wasn't what she considered to be a breakfast-food. And so, with a melodramatic sigh, Aerona turned her attention to the other members of the group. Unfortunately, neither Aku nor Vern managed to hold her attention very long and all that Lyon was doing was reading, so she turned her eyes back to Aglaeca who was flopped on the ground in a similar state of boredom as she. "Now what?" he asked, his head turned the slightest bit in her direction.

The Spirit gathered her skirts and sat down beside him, "I suppose all that we can do is wait for the dustlings to do something interesting. Funny, their time is fleeting yet they waste it by never doing anything interesting." She closed her eyes, unlike the Mortals she had all the time in the world and, while bored at the moment, she knew how quickly moments get lost in the current of time when you have lived so long as she. If no one else does, perhaps I might have to stir something up, It'd be a shame to give these mortals so much peace. I don't understand how they're not bored out of their minds.' Agrona thought with slight irritation.

Soon, however, the rustling of the underbrush alerted Agrona to the approach of the leader of the group and the kelpie. She reopened her eyes and watched Adrienne. She seemed to be agitated, her posture appeared tense and uncomfortable. The Spirit rose to her feet and she approached the other woman, slightly concerned though not bothering to show it. "Is everything alright, Princess?"

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In the barren fields, where the fallen comrades remained on the ground, a single body retained life. Her purple armor battered and her lance coated in crimson red, her white hair fluttered about in the air as blood slowly trickled down from her forehead. With one eyes closed, she observed the remains of the battlefield before her. Her comrades, all dressed in similar purple armor, lays lifelessly on the ground, many stabbed and without a head, rarely was there ever a clean body. Beyond the graveyard, armies scattered about the land, injured and in no less serious condition than the female warrior. Yet they stood up, determined.

With a silent roar, battle spirits were stirred up once again in her heart. Her will and determination rises to a higher peak and ignoring the pain that numbs her entire body, she charged forward with her lance in hand. The soldiers responded to their brave enemy, forgetting their injuries as well and going forth into a battle against one of the strongest Valkyrie in the land, without the fear of death itself.

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"Mornin', Lyon."

A voice disrupted his attention on his book, as he brought his head up to discern the voice. Vern, apparently already awake since Lyon last saw him, greeted him as he dug through his bag for a small canteen before shoving it back into his bag and walking off. The laid-back fighter was one of the few rare people with the rare color of red for hair. Throughout the course of his journeys, he was told and convinced that the color red was hardly found anywhere and due to that, Lyon's red hair was always the once thing that most people spot for in a crowd. But with his skills and natural ability to retain a small presence, he managed to escape what could be considered life and death situations for him.

He didn't planned to do anything about it however. He believes that this color of his was given to him by his parents, and though he may not have the chance to see her, his mother had one of the most beautiful hair as described by his father. He was blessed with such a color for hair, but had he not lost his sight, maybe he could have appreciated it more.

Lyon despises the color of his hair. For whatever reasons, ever since he possessed this unknown accursed illness that suddenly took his sight one day, robbing him of whatever chance he could have to remember the face of his mother. But Lyon turned away from that awful memory. He closed his eyes lightly, hidden under the mask he wore. Moments later, he opened his eyes again. Everyone else was currently more or less awake, with the Princess bringing back Audona, the Kelpie. Namely, a magical water horse that Adrienne had brought with her along with the group. She was used as a luggage carrier, carrying most of the group's equipment and such. While Lyon certainly did not disagree that having someone - or something - do most of the carrying would definitely lighten the burden on the group, he felt as if he needed to do his work as well, if not to kill off some of the guilt he built inside him. Surely enough, he wanted to treat the horse as an equal, but he didn't dared to speak up for he thought he might overstep certain bounds set by either the group or the horse herself. She was never fond of humans.

Nevertheless, he remained quiet. Agrona seems to have gotten up and went to where the Princess emerged from, asking whether if there was a problem. Deciding that it was best to look directly at the direction of where the two was, he brought his attention back to his book, still splitting a part of his concentration to the conversation in order to see whether anything was really wrong. It was a hunch of his, but he had a feeling something will happen soon. Or he could just be paranoid. Either way, he'll find out soon enough.

"I suppose all that we can do is wait for the dustlings to do something interesting. Funny, their time is fleeting yet they waste it by never doing anything interesting."

Aglaeca sat up from the ground, grinning slightly at the irritation evident in her voice. Agrona was never quite content with giving humans some time for their peace, and like him, she never quite understood how they could not tire of their constant activities. “But thats what makes them interesting, is it not?” he asked, a glint coming into his eyes. For once he looked closer to the creature that he was instead of a normal boy. However, it was gone as soon as it came, his attention directed to the rest of the group, the others who were carrying on in their usual ways, and Yuna, who was the only one wide awake, preparing the deer carcass for their breakfast. The idea of food sounded almost ludicrous to the young devil, whose favorite food used to be the souls of sinners, but he did need nourishment while he was in the over world, after all.

The sound from the undergrowth snapped him out of his thoughts as the princess appeared, leading the odd-looking horse. He had seen many monsters in his stay in the underworld, but none of them looked quite like the kelpie, both beautiful and chaotic. It was a very interesting creature to say the least, though he was sure to stay away from it. He could recover fine, but he did not fancy getting bitten the least.

The princess soon caught his attention as Agrona walked over to her, asking if she was alright. That wasn’t something you see everyday. It was not always that Adrienne appeared irritable and tense, seemingly disturbed by something, to the point that Agrona actually noticed it and was concerned for her. Something was not right this morning, and he could have sworn he saw shadows following the princess, flitting just out of sight whenever she tried to catch sight of them. It could be a part of his imagination though, but he narrowed his eyes at that nevertheless, before getting up and brushing himself off, heading toward Agrona and the Adrienne.

“Something is off today, did we get a few more observers?” He asked them, inclining his head slightly. He didn’t think it was quite a big problem, as the group was more than capable of finishing them off, but you can’t be too careful with things like that.

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With the rustling of the underbrush, Audona tilted her head to peer down at the snow-capped woman, paying little heed to the words that proceeded from her lips as she approached. A soft huff of air passed her nostrils as the other began working on the knots that held her to the tree. The woman seemed to struggle a bit at first with the knots which caused the Kelpie to shift somewhat impatiently, but Adrienne made quick work once she figured them out.

Caoimhe made no attempts to resist as the Princess of Massacre led her back to the group- an unusual occurrence, as it seemed the Kelpie loved to inconvenience the woman as much as possible in any way she could to display her disdain for any one situation. Perhaps it was because she was distracted by that dream, or she was uneasy having been in this area for such a long time. Her maw was about an inch or two away from the woman’s shoulder, being led very closely to the other’s body. Yet she did not try to lash out or bite- she never had attempted to do so with the Princess. It was pointless, and no doubt she would receive some sort of punishment. And the last thing she wanted was more contact or time with Fuilteach.

However, about the same time that Adrienne felt an unnatural presence in the forest with them, Audona made an abrupt stop and steadied her shoulders as she threw her head up softly to pull at the tether in the woman’s hand, a snort leaving her nostrils as she lowered her neck forward and stared at Fuilteach with those strange pupils of hers. Her tail swatted loudly against her haunches, turning her head this way and that to shake her mane out a bit. Her eyes then settled forward, ready to reunite with the group. She did not like being watched, and whatever the other presence was, it bothered her to no end- unsurprising when considering she rarely stayed around when she felt uneasy or threatened. Her actions obviously confirmed Miss Massacre’s suspicions as well, though such confirmation was unneeded.

Adrienne did not dilly dally, and was soon dashing forward; Aislinn might have been caught off guard had she not been watching the woman intently, but her legs moved almost as soon as the snow-capped maiden’s did. Audona was surprised, though- it almost seemed as if she were… concerned? Adrienne did not run from any sort of fight, it wasn’t in her personality to do so.

They appeared in the small clearing shortly after to find everyone minding their own business and apparently greeting one another. However, at the woman’s appearance, everyone turned their head to see what was up. Each one in turn looked first from Fuilteach then to herself. This was why she did not like being in their presence- no matter how many times they may have seen her, they still ogled every time. It made her feel small and her captivity all the more pressing a fact.

While she did not particularly meet the gaze of any one of them, she watched them in turn as they watched her. From the distant Folaigh who sat against the trunk of a tree calculating everyone around him despite the fact that it was hard to tell where his gaze rested, to AonSuil who lingered a little ways out pummeling some poor tree or other- she could feel his half-gaze resting on her form for a moment, the wooden thunks of the tree pausing for a moment before resuming- then the chirpy voice of Uallach as she announced a meal had been prepared, suddenly appearing beside Folaigh and offering him a preparation of some meat or other- practically staring at Audona the whole time she wandered over to the cripple- the little Plá and restless Colgach seemingly hovering beside a tree, and finally Púicín who for some reason or other held a book in his hand despite his dead eyes.

Aislinn dug a hoof into the ground, upsetting the dirt there as she diverted her attention away from the group. She heard what each and every one of them were actually called, but just as they did not care or bother to use her name, she did not use theirs. It seemed unreasonable and foolish, in both the fact that she did not want to accept such personal qualities- that these beings were capable of having any past or warrant for their name, that they were anything other than inconsiderate and selfish- and that they did not give her the same consideration; they likened her to nothing more than a mindless creature, only to be used as a beast of burden and nothing more, like she didn’t have a past, that she didn’t have an actual purpose other than to be taken advantage of and used until she was no longer of any importance or advantage.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Colgach seemed to be approaching them with words appearing to be as sweet as honey and actually concerned. "Is everything alright, Princess?" Audona’s pupils narrowed with every step the spirit committed towards them, and she pulled her head back abruptly with a snort of discontent once she decided the other had come too close. The majority of her dislike for the group rested on the two other inhuman creatures. Spirits were tricky and selfish- they took advantage of whatever they could whenever they could, bringing misery and pain for their own twisted delight.

Demons and demonically tainted spirits were worse. They tortured souls to no end, eventually devouring them once they grew bored. They made twisted deals with hosts, never really fulfilling their part of the pact and making the life of their host a living hell. They were blood-ravaged creatures, thirsting for life’s liquid but never really satisfied by it. No, they went for the soul itself, ripping it apart slowly if they could get to it before it disappeared into the afterlife. Should they, the essence of a creature would be lost to all existence, locked in a state of excruciating pain and nothingness, doomed to relive every second of their death and destruction, the only thing they could feel or even have some semblance of existence being that pain.

At least, that was what Audona knew of them. And why should she think these two to be any different? There was no reason for her to suspect abnormality. Each inhuman had its way of dealing with things, and while these two seemed content for the time being, Aislinn did not believe it for a second. The Kelpie couldn’t really be blamed- after all, it was a concoction of both types that made her into what she was, that cursed her to her own existence. Perhaps she should be thankful for her impossible being- that she did not have to suffer nothingness. But that was far from her mind.

The little Plá was quick to follow at Agrona’s heels as soon as he realized she had moved, and he too spoke when he neared the three of them, “Something is off today, did we get a few more observers?” Aislinn really seemed to snap when the other settled about a foot or two away. She reared back ever so slightly, her front legs lifting about two or three inches from the ground, pulling Adrienne back a bit as her neck shifted backwards.

An unnatural snarl left her maw, directed towards the both of them as her hooves hit the dirt and she lurched forward with a feral snort, pulling her shoulders back and lifting her chin in a threatening manner. She might suffer one being close for a while, but the both of them she would rarely accept. When she was close to either turbulent being, it would stir her own malicious nature, and Audona did not like that. She didn’t want to sink down to such levels; she did not want to allow her existence as a Kelpie to rear up, murderous and chaotic and delighting in destruction and pain. She was not that creature. She would not let her humanity slip through her fingers just like that….

The sky fell everyday.

The sun sank beneath the horizon like a fickle limb evacuating the body when the miles stretched too far. Not tonight, it would say, and the clouds would mirror promises they would never keep, sweeping across the ceiling and abandoning the earth to brown into a crisp with crevices lining its brittle face like an ageing man. Rain fell, lightning fell and leaves fell from a million different branches to be trampled by the creatures that in turn hacked the trees to the ground. They fell like bodies or perhaps bodies fell like pieces of wood, but mother nature was unbiased. She embraced them all, pulverising them into dust particles that would one day shiver into diamonds. Perhaps there was beauty in death, but certainly, not in this.

The girl - if you could call this lump a girl - dangled from the statue with her limbs askew. Blood pooled on her fingertips to collapse onto the top of her head, her head which was not on top of her shoulders where it should have been. The corpse's vacant gaze was oblivious to the crowd that pressed around it in huddles, its ears deaf to the muttered prayers and trembling whispers. The sight of the gawking crowd with their faces ashen with disgust made Xin ache. Why was nobody lowering her body? Why were they prolonging her torture by leaving her there like a slab of meat at a butcher's window? Her family would arrive soon, and nobody deserved to see their daughter, sister or wife so brutally mutilated. Xin stepped forward.

"Don't." Fei's fingers curled around her wrist and jerked her backwards. She scathed him with a glare. "This isn't in our jurisdiction."

"Yeah, neither is clothes shopping so why don't we just run around naked?" She jerked her wrist. He tightened his grip. "Let go."

"Don't be rash."

"Oh, okay, give me a moment," she said sarcastically. "I'll just go ahead and find somewhere to die."

"Don't be absurd." Frustration escaped his lips in a long sigh.

"What, now you want me to kill myself twice? That is biologically impossible."

"So is reason, it seems," he said.

"Only on Tuesdays."

Movement in the crowd diverted their attention. The body was being lowered from its perch but the guards were struggling to grasp the fragments, what was left of her skin slippery with blood. Fei tugged her arm lightly and said in a gentler tone, "come on." This time she followed.

They'd been in Billarf's Tavern - what sorcery impelled a person to name their child Billarf? - when they heard the scream. Fei had been content to continue reading The Anthropological Treatises of Josëfaen Harchdenbraich but Xin insisted that they check that no one was being slaughtered by "intergalactic elvish priests," albeit somewhat reluctantly. She'd been playing Drunkard's Cards with a number of brutes the night before. The battle had been intense, lasting all through the night. It would've ended with her as the victor of a small fortune - the only reason Fei ever tolerated her "petty games" - had she not been such a selfless, beautiful soul. Alas, a hero of Jeildae could not rest when justice called.

They sighed through the streets now as the city ascended into the new day, dodging the cascading bucketfuls of murky water and the merchants shoving their wares at weary passer-bys. The twins stretched their consciousness in search of stolen and unregistered Variants, tendrils of an invisible sight passing over the vivid array of fruits and vegetables, through the cracks of uneven pavement, rummaging through the pockets of scrawny children. It was a natural instinct now. They'd recovered innumerable Variants in the last decade alone. Just last year they'd uncovered one of the Shadow of Airen's strongholds, returning dozens of rare Irelian artefacts hidden amongst other stolen goods to the Irelian government.

Finding lost Variants was the least unpleasant of their duties. Today their purpose was to "arrest and garner information from a suspected Irelian traitor and associate of the Shadow," but they knew better. There would be no trial nor polite inquiry, just the rattle of bones and steel, especially if the Irelian defence force believed them to be partners to the notorious Shadow, and certainly not if they were traitors. If there was nothing else Irelia condemned, it would be Irelians who betrayed the nation.

"You care too much," Fei stated abruptly.

"And you care too little," Xin replied, preoccupied with the glint of a silver clasp. Vines sprouted from the gleaming lily, swirling into an intricate bracelet that winked from the merchant's store.

"That is not untrue," he said, a whisper of a smile tugging at his lips. As they wandered away from the city centre, Fei's gaze drifted towards the forest that loomed behind the sprinkle of houses that dotted the areas sporadically. The number of people had waned considerably the further they'd traveled, the lovely cobblestone streets fading into patches of cracked cement that crept through the dirt paths. Fei rested a hand on his sister's arm, head tilted towards the trees. He stepped into the forest, gliding through the mess of wild flora like a silent ghost.

"Do you feel that?' Fei whispered, holding himself remarkably still between a thorny bush and poisoned mushrooms.

"Yeah, my breasts are aching too." Xin massaged her chest with the palms of her hands. "I think it's that time of the month again."

"Hilarious," Fei said drily.

"It really isn't. I wish these things lasted an hour instead of a week." She sighed. "I mean, okay, you've made your point. I'm not pregnant. You can go now."

"Shh." Fei stepped back, forcing her behind him.

A snarl jerked through the forest, distorted and unnatural. It nearly distracted Xin from the roaring hiss of the artefact. It was something other, not quite Variant but possessing an immense energy that was reminiscent of Sakuradite in its purest form, humming with the desire to act, alive.

"What the hell is that?" she gasped.

"I think they can hear us."

"They? Who's they? We're the only ones here. Gosh, Fei, you really need to learn to stop speaking in riddles because nobody understands y-"

"You're hungover," Fei admonished, a hint of surprise lacing his words as he looked at her, really looked at her. It was difficult to differentiate between the effects of alcohol and her personality when it came to whatever it was that made her say bizarre things most of the time, but why had he not realised? Of course. Of course she would be hungover.

"Of course I'm not hungover," she said, exasperated. "I'm still drunk."

"Run."

"What?"

"Run."

"I can't, I'm wearing high-"

He threw his weight into her, snatching her arm as he dashed past. Xin stumbled behind him before finding her footing. Fei urged her forward, entirely prepared for her to outrun him as she always did, regardless of her footwear. She had to.

The Variant would have to wait, because whatever else was in the forest with them, it was not human.

---

---

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Vern struck out at the tree with two quick left jabs, followed by a right cross. As his fist came back to its position, moving to just in front of his face, his chin tucked to keep it naturally protected by his raised fists, he was already shifting to the left as he swung is left in a tight hook which landed on the "body" of his imagined target. As the blow landed, he was already stepping back to create the distance he needed for the rest of his punches, throwing a quick jab out at the tree again to cover his retreat. He was still off at the angle of the tree, but he did not throw out another combination as he heard the cheery chirp of Yuna mentioning the food was ready.

Looking over towards the camp, he smiled as he lowered his hands, enjoying the clattering of the stone pieces as he released the magic on them and they fell off of his arms. He walked towards the camp, not paying attention to the stones as they seemed to meld back into the ground, the magic of the relic now having fully released its hold on them. Wiping his forearm across his forehead, using the sleeve of his jacket to wipe away the perspiration there, he then closed his eye as he took a good inhale of the food. Smiling, he then walked forwards to the stump which the elf has rested the food on.

"Goodie goodie, I am hungry and it smells good, Yunnie." He said as he scooped up two pieces. He popped both into his mouth, quickly covering his mouth with a hand to not spit them out reflexively as he hadn't really considered how hot they still were. He rolled them about in his mouth to not burn himself and give it a chance to cool off, before he actually began to chew it. It may not have had much for flavoring or anything fancy on it, but after a life of military rations and food, this was a good meal to him. With his mouth full, he didn't really have the ability to speak, so instead he simply directed a thumbs up in Yuna's direction.

He turned his head to the sound of a rather vicious snarl, followed by the stamping of hoofs as he looked to Kelpie with an eyebrow raised. He watched the horse...thing shift about in an agitated manner. "Ain't goin' near her today..." he muttered to himself as he watched the Princess chat a few moments with Aglaeca and Agrona before she began loading things onto Kelpie. She muttered something to the horse-thing, but it was too low for Vern to hear. Though it more seemed like the Princess talkin' to herself so it wasn't for his ears anyways.

Since it seemed she'd be ready to leave soon, Vern decided to double check his ruck and make sure his stuff was ready to go so the group wasn't left waitin' on him. He moved back over to it, doing another quick glance through it all while taking another quick sip from his canteen. As he put it away, he saw the green-black headband he'd occasionally wear. It was something he usually wore if he knew he'd be seeing some violence that day, as it helped to keep his hair back and out of his face. It wasn't usually a bother for him, but there was always a chance in a fight it could and so he always figured it best to ere on the side of caution. So far it's worked well for the one-eyed-pugilist. Pulling it from the bag, he decided today he'd just wear it for the hell of it; he slid it up along his forehead to push his hair back, making sure to the do the same towards the back as he tied it secure.

As he finished, he looked up towards Adrienne as she mentioned his name. "Everyone prepare to leave in fifteen. Vern and Lyon, come with me." She stated as he watched her grab hold of her weapon, starting to march towards the forest. Vern narrowed his eye as he watched her, but he didn't ask nor hesitate as he stood up and followed after her, not waiting to see if Lyon followed either. He knew to simply follow the order, especially when she used that tone. Somethin' was up, and it was not the time to hesitate questioning why she needed them.

She bolted off ahead, and Vern quickly followed behind her, albeit lagging behind some; he wasn't exactly known for his speed. He caught up to her a second or so later, long enough for her to have already engaged the people in a conversation with a simple statement, "Good morning, quite early for a run through the forest isn't it?" Clearly she hadn't decided yet if they were enemies, so Vern did not make a move to attack either. Rather, he kept his eye on the two individuals as he slowly began to circle around towards the right of the Princess and the two, choosing the side so he could keep them in sight of his good eye. He had no idea who these two were, though it made him worried about what they could do. The high heels gave the impression that the woman might be the lesser of the threats, as it was hardly a sane choice of footwear for a fight; he did not focus on either in particular though.

"Well for some the mornin' is the best time for a good run. Quiet, cool, and ya get to listen to songs of the mornin' birds." He said, smiling a bit as he continued his slow circling of them. Her statement may not have been directed to him, but sometimes he couldn't help but get a quip in here-or-there. He had the magic of the relic on hold, though he didn't draw up any stones yet. The beauty of it was that he could have the stone gauntlets and greaves on himself in a flash, ready to engage whomever was attacking him.

---

At some point, he had already shifted complete attention to the group, nonchalantly holding his book. For some, it may seem as if he was reading the book, but Lyon just couldn't get any content into his brain any longer. His paranoia got to him. When the Princess was confronted by Aglaeca, Lyon finally decided to put his book down, placing his bookmark - a small strap of leather - on the page he stopped at. On the book cover was a picture of multiple female warriors clad in purple steel, charging towards a barren wasteland filled with soldiers. Their armors were battered badly and there was not one of them that wasn't without an injury. He took a look at it, slowly trying to use the picture to image the story he read. Definitely not a bad book... He thought to himself as he looked up again, facing the camp.

Vern appeared to have returned from a warm up, sweat covering his forehead. The fellow red hair's ability to fight unarmed was impressive, more so when he further enhances his style with stacking rocks on his arms to form gauntlets. While he may not be the smartest of person, Lyon could agree that Vern is a formidable fighter. When it comes to it, Lyon wasn't sure who will win in a spar, even if he might have an advantage what with a blade as Lyon's weapon. But there was one thing he could sure of; the two of them will definitely end up using more than they should be using when in a fight.

Lyon watched the red haired fighter approach Yuna as he helped himself to the food that she made for the group. A little after that, the horse that the Princess brought back with her started shifting around, like a horse when met with conditions or humans it didn't like. However, for that horse to move around in such a manner, it was normal. But maybe it was due to the two spiritual beings that approached it that may have caused it's agitated state this time. Nevertheless, Lyon ignored the horse. Something in him was tingling extremely wildly, like his senses was screaming at him about something. Then the next thing that happened confirmed his suspicions.

"Everyone prepare to leave in fifteen. Vern and Lyon, come with me." The Princess demanded from the red hair duo. It was tones such as these that the Princess had found something interesting. She probably called for the two as backup in case whatever she ran into proved to be more of a challenge than she could take on her own, if there was anything that needed so in this situation anyway. When there was something more powerful than the Princess herself, normally most of the group would already have noticed the presence. This time, it should be no different. Right after the Princess ordered for the group to prepare, she and Vern had already blasted off in the same direction, not wasting time with whatever she detected.

Lyon pushed himself off of the tree he leaned against, grabbing with him his lifelong companion, Xernier. Before leaving the area, he gave a last glance at the camp, making sure that everything and everyone was present. After that, he mimicked the two who went ahead and kicked off the ground, his quick agile movement apparent.

It wasn't far from the group as he had already reached where the Princess and Vern had intercepted two people. A male and female, both the exact same from each other. If anything, they were highly possible siblings. Or they could really be just two lovers who happened to look extremely similar. Because he took a slight different path into the forest instead of staying on the dirt road, he broke off from the general direction where the Princess had stopped her 'prey'. Without making as much as a sound, he crept his way to the left, opposite of where Vern was standing and essentially guarding the other side. Were they choose to run, they still had the option to run the opening behind, but either the Princess of Lyon himself can catch up to them without breaking a sweat. However, he didn't want to judge too much. They might be professional warriors despite the female was in a attire unsuited for combat. High heels never made fighting easy and it never will now.

So Lyon decides to hide away behind one of the trees, peeking out ever so slightly and creating as less presence as possible. If a fight breaks out, he will provide a surprise attack. That should be enough to grant him and his allies' the time to lay down the decisive strike in less than 5 minutes, depending on how their opponents will react. He held tightly onto his blade, ready to draw any moment.

Silence screamed in the nanosecond following the Princess of Massacre's words before a series of deafening whistles devoured it whole. The twins hissed three notes that teased one another like static harmonies, sounding more like the wail of machines than humans or animals. The sound roared throughout the forest, its intangible fingers dancing through every nook and crevice, seeking its Sakuradite prey. Every Variant weapon within a one mile radius shivered so furiously smoke danced from the friction the vibrations caused, and nearly every, if not all the Variants jerked into flight, slicing through the forest like pack animals answering the call of their Alpha and Omega. They jerked to a stop around the two figures now poised for battle, hovering around them like obedient dogs in a circular formation, before pointing themselves at their masters' enemies. There was hardly a pause before they arched towards the Princess of Massacre and her male companion.

A simple gold pen slipped into Fei's palm, shimmering into a gold staff that was taller than even him. His Variant Khakkharra caught the morning sun and amplified it, jarring in its abrupt luminescence. He wasted no time as he lunged for the woman who'd known their identities, the deadly point of his spear arching over his head to slice into where the woman stood. He moved with a fluid grace reminiscent of sea creatures gliding through water as he held the woman's gaze with eyes that gleamed like sapphire gems, his features utterly devoid of emotion.

The welcoming smile Xin bore had bled into something eerie, a dimple that might've been adorable in any other circumstance decorating her feral grin. The delicate canines that echoed Fei's had lengthened to clang against her bottom teeth, alabaster metal colliding like the bite of swords as she bared her teeth at the man she'd playfully teased moments before. Still, she barely changed form, choosing instead to slip the straw-thin needles that held her hair between her fingertips. She swung her arms outward and released the needles at the two trees she'd carefully calibrated would fall where her enemies were. The needles gleamed, hissing and flattening into thin, razor sheets that sliced through the thick trunks of the old trees. There were a groan as the branches swayed before the trees toppled down like fallen beasts. She leaped backwards with an inhuman speed to avoid them, falling into a crouch that kicked smoke and embers into the air as she skidded to a stop.

Sakuradite pulsed in their bones and hummed in their veins, granting them impossible skill with their Variant weapons. No creature, no matter how skilled or experienced, should have been able to bend the will of a Variant, much less multiple. with such liquid grace and precision. Xin beamed, taunting, like a feline playing with its prey. They needed them alive, this she knew from the glare Fei lodged between her eyes. They needed one of them alive. The boy would have to do.

"Oh, just the Public Library of Airen," she replied to the earlier question. "You have an overdue book. I believe it was called 'Premeditated Murder Made Easy.'"