Sabbaths of the Ancients » Places

         The pace of Jenna's flight had slowed. Not because she did not want to make haste but because she needed to outsmart her pursuers rather than outrun them. On the soggy ground it was difficult to run full pace regardless. The mud sucked at her boots, threatening to remove them. Her hastily prepared bag thumped against her back, worsening with speed. Between her and the unseen pursuers the rain seemed strangely thick. A heavy curtain of darkness she brought down behind her to block sight and keeping the water dropping on her already damp form merely a drizzle. She couldn't even afford to keep this exercise of her abilities maintained for too long. She had to find cover and someplace to hide. In that case she was well prepared. She knew almost every spot around Ley where a child could hide and just as many suitable for an adult. She reached one of the scattered tree lines throughout the marsh, this one wasn't too far from the path and Jenna was slightly anxious at being so near an obvious escape route. A sudden rustle broke arrested her attention. She froze, perhaps hoping that whoever caused sound didn't spot her. She didn't even know if it was a pursuer or even a person but her nerves were somewhat on edge. Shouts arose in the distance and in the low light she could pick out a figure making some attempt at running through the marsh.

I took her a moment break out of her shocked stillness. She immediately dashed towards the treeline, aware that her path was roughly parallel to the figure's. Yet she was confident that in the trees should would difficult to spot and to find. Yet something about that figure's slowing run brought her to a halt at the each of the wooded area. Whoever it was stumbled and collapsed, seemingly incapable of moving further. For a moment Jenna watched, to see if the figure would rise again. There was no movement and she could hear the shouts in the distance. Yet they were coming from another direction, it seemed the stranger was running from someone like she was. Still doubting herself she carefully moved over to the spot where the young man went down. She only knew it was a young man because his face began distinguishable as she approached. She barely stifled a gasp of surprise when she boy she recognized the boy from earlier. The one who was so afraid, now she understood why he was. Someone was after him, like people were after her. She couldn't leave him there, his breathing was heavy. Like a animal in pain, she couldn't quite locate the wound but he obviously wasn't in peak condition. She didn't move too close, instead glancing out over the open ground. Trying to pick out the sources of the shouts but they weren't visible through the rain.

"Look, I don't know who you are or who you are running from but this time listen to me." She whispered across, although it came out more like a hiss. Urgency in her voice. "I think I can find a place where we can have little shelter and hide from whoever are chasing you. I need to know about this boy you brought to the village before and perhaps we can help each other." She waited anxiously for his response. She considered bullying him to the spot she had in mind anyway. She needed to know about this boy that the stranger mentioned. She had little doubt that he was the cause of all that happened. If anything two people on the run might be safer then being alone.

         As the second of the two fugitives pleaded the spiritualist to aid his friend, the man in question seemed to recoil visibly, shrinking away from her despite the fact that she hadn't moved. Well, she supposed, it was to be expected. Those people who had heard of her somewhat lackluster reputation generally treated her with distrust and distaste. A Child of the Sabbaths, a person bound to be paranoid by nature, would surely treat her with outright fear after hearing that she had murdered one of the incarnations of Saint Celice herself, and that she had somehow stolen that individual's powers. Still, there was no time to lose in trying to placate this boy. They needed to escape as quickly as possible!

"I understand your sentiments," Argo said sadly. "And I do not expect you to trust me. However, at the moment, understand that even if I should want to harm you in any way, you are much more valuable to me as you are than you are dead. We can speak of these things later. Right now, we need to make haste and leave this area as soon as possible."

For a while the boy did not speak, but when he did, it was with a calmer tone of voice.

"Argo, you came from that direction. Is there anywhere we could rest in safety in that copse?" He asked, pointing to the small wood from which Argo had emerged only a short while ago. The young spiritualist smiled slightly, glad to see that he would at least accept her advice for now, and set about answering.

While the wolves den had been a safe refuge for her, she doubted she would be able to convince the animals to accept so many Humans amongst them, although she could probably talk her way into allowing them passage through the woods. That meant that they'd need to find another shelter, instead.

"There are. However, I'm afraid that the hideouts I used will not be viable to a group larger than myself. We'll need to find new shelters. But, first, we should locate this sister of your comrade's, should we not? The hunters are ruthless. It would not be beyond them to capture a target's relatives and hold them hostage as a means of luring their victim into the open."

         "My name is Argo,"
Argo... It made sense now. He had heard the stories about this woman, the woman who had murder Ariya Celice and mimicked her powers. If she had the powers of Saint Celice, it would make sense that Edward felt naturally uneasy around her, considering Saint Celice and Thanatos had sought to end each other in the past. Perhaps they could be allies, they both seemed to oppose the church strongly, and were wanted criminals. But if she only wanted power? What if she tried to kill him as well to gain his powers? He decided to meet this girl's demands, he was hardly in any state where he could argue. He was just about to speak when Joseph cut him off.

"Argo, this man needs healing, he is hurt. Edward. We need to find my sister, she could be in danger. I helped you escape, now help me find her."
"She, she isn't touching me." Edward stammered as he lifelessly pointed an accusing finger at the girl clad in black, "I don't know whether or not we can trust her. W-what if she kills us too?"
Edward lowered his arm and staggered backwards, trying to put as much distance between himself and Argo without making her suspicious that he would flee on a moment's notice. He didn't get far before nearly falling backwards again, using his lance to stop him from toppling over.
"I, I'll help you find your sister, but not now." Edward continued, "I need to sit down and rest..."
Edwards thoughts began to drift to the appealing prospect of sleep and his eyelids began to droop down, they felt so heavy...

Edward's eyes snapped open again as he felt himself falling over, and once again saved himself with his lance.
"Argo," Edward began wearily and pointed to a copse to the south, "You came from that direction, is there anywhere we could rest in safety in that copse?"

         Jenna watched uselessly as the boy actually ran into the night. Ran, like he was afraid of her. It was something that she could always understand, people were uncomfortable around her. But surely not to that degree. She stood as he disappeared into the night as if lightning itself was pursuing him. There was something very worrying about the way he acted. She hoped that he would survive the night, coming across a cold corpse wouldn't be a pleasant experience even if she couldn't dissuade him. For a little while longer she stood, watching the blackness for some sign. A flash lit up the sky, the thunder seeming to grow even more distant with each interval. She turned and headed back towards the village and home. Although her small house was not her destination. According to the stranger there was someone else who needed help, injured as well. The dark shapes of the first few house rose in her vision and to the edge of her vision, a light. With a almighty burst the fireball lit the sky. She shouted in surprise, wincing and sheltering her eyes, stung by the sudden change in lighting. Her first thought was that lightning had actually struck something in the village but she quickly realized where the light was coming from. The barn, their barn, her family's barn. Her breath caught in her throat as she chanced upon the only other thing that could cause something to combust in this weather.

"Jo" she whispered, voice weighted in fear. Her brother couldn't control himself so well and she didn't know the extent of what he could achieve. She knew he was proofed against the very fire he manipulated but not if he was immune to a furnace. What he was doing in the barn she didn't know but she began to run. Ignoring the rain on her already soaked head, the mud sucking at her boots or the few faint shouts coming from those newly awoken in the village. Her mind had already reached out and grasped the millions upon millions of little droplets descending from the sky. Controlling the rain was once of the easiest things she could do and every single drop began to twist and turn in its path, falling an bizarre angles towards the roaring, unnatural fire. The hissing of steaming water was mixed in with the sound of the flame and rain. Slowly the fire began to subside with the sheer amount of water descending. Enough that Jenna was confident enough to release the control as she neared the blackened and gutted structure. The animals inside were most certainly roasted to a crisp and she felt the sadness and fear. Sadness for the creatures she had cared for and tended and fear for her family. Everything was overshadowed by the thundering terror at her brother's fate.

It wasn't what she expected to find a large number of people there already, the others from the village were coming she could tell but not these. The dulling fire illuminated only their fronts but the metallic armor was easy to spot. A number lay motionless on the ground, still or moaning in pain. The others were a mass of chaos, shout at each other and tending to their fellows. It brought Jenna to a dead stop, so many people suffered somehow. She blanched and looked away, spotting a corpse merely a mass of black carbonized flesh. Recognizable as human barely. She recovered herself and managed to push herself between a few men ignoring their shouts and approached as close to the flames as she dared, shielding her face from he heat. She continued to call her brother's name desperately.
"Jo! Joseph! Jo!" There was no response and she turned to the soldiers for help.
"Help me!" She called, get the attention of a few. "I need to find my..." She broke off quickly seeing the symbols upon some of the unmarred breastplates. The symbol of Church. In a moment she could guess what had happened, somehow Joseph had panicked, setting the place alight for protection. Meaning they knew her brother's true nature and relating herself to him would put her in danger and their parents. With only a little hesitation she continued, spinning a quick lie. "My friend. He likes to spend time in the barn."
A few soldiers looked to each other, as if uncertain what to do. One finally beckoned her over, unwilling to move closer to the flames. A quick glance back and Jenna stepped towards him. His voice was grave and his face dark and serious.
"There were two boys here." He said "perhaps one of them was you friend. However I must warn you that they are both heretics and fugitives of the Church. They are demonic children. They were the ones that set the barn alight." He spat the last sentances. As he spoke Jenna didn't need to feint surprise. It was one thing to guess what happened, another to hear that it happened. She looked back to the destruction, hiding her disbelief. That her brother could cause so much destruction, so easily. So much death. She looked at the burnt soldiers, her stomach giving a heave causing her to look away. The news of another Child of the Sabbath was just as astonishing. She and Joseph weren't the only ones. Yet the way the man spoke of them scared her. If he knew what she was he would probably kill her without a second thought.

"By the Creator." She whispered, looking up to the soldier. "Excuse me I must tell family." She moved around him, not seeing the curious look that followed her. Quickly enough the soldier, seeming to have been promoted now he had explained the situation, began to shout out orders to his fellows. Jenna slowly picked up a run. Dodging around the villages going the opposite direction. "Papa! Papa!" She called, trying to find her father among the people. There was a response.
"Jenna?" With the guidance of her voice she quickly found her sire. A tall, strongly build man. Almost the typical image of a farmer. He shared his daughter's sharp, defined features. Even more emphasized by his worn and rough skin. "Papa, the barn..." Jenna gasped, somewhat out of breath. She recovered herself before whispering to her father. "It was Joseph." Ian Seirra's eyebrows wrinkled, trying to understand what Joseph had done. Jenna continued. "There were soldiers. I don't know how but they found out about him. Papa. They found out." Her voice was full of fear, for the absent Joseph. After a moment of surprise Ian quickly gripped his daughter's hand with both of his. Looking her dead in the eyes.
"Go home and stay there." He rumbled, full of concern. "I will come back." Jenna nodded dumbly and, after being released from the old farmer's grasp, headed in the direction she was meant to as he rushed to the barn. In the darkness now lit by lanterns and burning wood the sadness in her features set her up as lost and alone. She knew that her parents would do anything for their children and she would do anything for her parents. It was only a matter of time before the soldiers found out about her and then her family would also pay the price. She couldn't allow that. She had to leave, to find Joseph wherever he had run off to. Then somehow draw the soldiers out of the village and away from her loved ones.

Knowing her mother was awake she went around the side of their small house. She and Joseph had a separate room and for her purpose that served perfectly. Climbing in through the window she kept as quiet as possible. The door was closed and she set about gathering what little belongings the children had. Well, there clothing was all that she could manage. Taking dry rough, farm outfits and a thicker, wet weather set for her brother. She had no idea if he was equipped for wandering in the rain. The thought of her stupid, over energetic brother hunted out put vigor into her actions. She packaged the sizable bundle and clambered out the window. She looked back as she headed away, out of sight and taking a circular route back to the barn. The rain dripped down her checks, disguising the tears there. Pearls of sadness, rare glittering droplets appearing once in a lifetime mixed in with the pure rain water she loved so much. A sniff and she fruitlessly tried to wipe the water off. She would see them again, she was leaving so she could see them again. So Joseph could see them again, her little brother would be home one day, she would make sure of it.

Her path took her around the village to the other side of the barn, so the smoldering structure was between her and the pinpoints of light that was the village. The soldiers said the people in the barn had run. So to find them she needed to find the tracks but in the failing light it was difficult. Her eyes squinted at the ground, trying to pick out the indents of feet in the soft mud. So intent on her task that when she found some sign and stood to follow the tracks that she didn't notice the proximity of a number of men.
"You! What are you doing!" Snapped a familiar voice. Jenna's head snapped up and focused on the speaker. The voice was recognizable as the man she had spoken to earlier. For a moment she was paralyzed with fear and surprise before realizing that they were suspicious but hadn't yet acted upon the suspicion. The lead man stepped forwards, trying to see her face in the low light. She didn't move, she had to keep them still for her plan to work. If she ran now they would catch her easily. The young Guard was slightly surprised when he recognized her and she looked back, emotionless. Her cold, usual self. There was no point in making up a complex lie to explain this situation.
"I'm going to find my friend." She said, matter-of-factually. The bluntness brought her a moment longer before the leader started forwards. He was about to say something but it turned into a cry of surprise as his forward motion was suddenly angled downwards. The few others behind him let out similar bellows and their feet didn't budge. The armored figures slammed into the mud, feet quickly frozen in place. With them helpless icicles crept up from the ground to lock their metal to the ground. It grew fast and vigorously as more rain fell, tinkling on the metal.
"I'm sorry." She said, sadness creeping back into her voice, before turning to run. Even as she fled she wasn't what she had apologized for; Abandoning her parents without a proper goodbye; Letting her brother end up in the situation; Lying to and betraying that young man who was just acting upon what he believed was right; Or just sorry that she was who she was. She continued to apply her abilities, growing the ice to keep them there as long as possible. It was only a temporary measure and as the distance grew she felt it difficult to keep her arms and legs coordinated at the same time. She had the trail, now it was only a matter of following it and not leading the soldiers to the two run away boys.