Ley

The rain had plastered strings of hair against Jenna's forehead and temples. Dripping down the tanned skin, if there was light the light on the water would emphasis her already defined features. Thin lips stretched in a half smile as the young woman enjoyed the scent of the damp air and the touch of the cool liquid. It was not too cold on her flesh, tamed to cope with the weather. So she stood alone, somewhat comfortably, enjoying one of nature's common phenomena. The crash of thunder every now and then did disturb her slightly. It wasn't wet, cool and comforting like the rain and the snow. She had heard stories of thunder and lightning from some more learned people. It was said that the lightning burnt where it struck, charring and frying its target in a split moment. So she was thankful the heavy dark storm clouds filling the sky were not sentient and malevolent. Each boom caused a little shiver up her spine, as if due to the cold which she felt slightly beneath her dress and heavier cloak keeping her from endangering her health. As a child she had never taken the precautions and had to tough through a few fevers and colds. She had learned to take care of herself better when both she and her brother happened to fall ill at the same time, leaving her parents alone to work for the few days. It had stressed them and for their sake Jenna restricted her time in the precipitation and took care to avoid suffering from soaked clothing.

The lands around her view point could not be described as attractive. It was beyond the edge of the village, away from the people and wild. There wouldn't be much to see even without the pervasive darkness lit only by the occasional flash. It played hell with one's night vision, yet another reason Jenna did not plan to remain outside for too much longer. She was comfortable enough in the dark, in the solitude it offered but there was always the threat of the unknown, small as it was. It was the unknown that stumbled upon her and not in a typical form. Through the overwhelming sound of rain on the wet marsh she heard voices, distant but not particularly sedate. It came from the direction of the village. The words were indistinguishable and Jenna could hardly care less about the speaker. Yet here, alone in the dark and beyond the confines of the bundle of shacks and homes, she felt the tinge of curiosity coloring her thoughts. She started out from where she stood towards the noise. It was a little walk, the mud pulling at her heavy boots and leaving deep trails in her wake. She cut across the rougher ground directly for the much more secure path and continued along the packed dirt towards what could be called the edge of the scatter houses that formed the village.

Being on the path led her past another slowly trudging away from away from Ley's outskirts. The disturbance from earlier had quietened and she stopped to watch this person walking away from the best shelter there was for a least a few days walk. Curiosity was not flecked with concern. Jenna had always been individual yet when things had gone badly her family was always there to care for her. More often then not when she became sick due to the weather and cold. So seeing someone alone in these conditions, not seeking immediate shelter was a certain cause for alarm. Still she stood, watching the vague silhouette as moved away at an angle to her. A timely flash of lightning illuminated the scene and thought it was difficult to tell the young man was certainly not from the village and he seemed completely soaked to the bone. Cautiously Jenna was goaded on, she took slow tentative steps in his direction. When he was within a moderate distance she called to him. Her voice was firm but quiet, hardly carrying through the rain.
"Umm... Excuse me. You shouldn't be travelling in this weather. There should be someplace to stay in the village." Somewhat nervous she stammered the words, feeling a little bit awkward. In a way she might be glad if the offer was rejected but that was foolishness, as much as staying out in the rain was foolishness.

Aeris's joyful laughs were a bit hard to hear from the pouring rain, but what did she care? She had won a race, for Ik'Ra's sake! The girl danced around playfully in happiness, her exhaustion and weariness having been temporarily forgotten. The mud splashed around and grass stained her boots, but Aeris could only focus on her victory and the boy who stood before her. She slowed her dancing to take a look at the boy, who to her surprise seemed to be the same age as she was. He looked to her like he was enjoying himself as well, or that was what she believed as she made out the small curve at the corner's of his mouth. But her assumption quickly dissolved when the look on the boy's face was one of unhappiness.

The other youth that the boy was carrying on his back awoke and slipped off of his back. Aeris watched blankly until she started forward in a sad attempt to catch the two, despite the fact that they were far from catching distance. They joy had visibly left Aeris's features and were replaced with a look of concern and curiosity. The lad with the horrible gash on his forehead, she noticed, uttered words before trudging away. Aeris raised her hand as if to call him back, but pulled it back after she thought about it. It was there when Aeris had snapped back to reality. He had to get away. From whom? From where? Her mind had begun to work as questions piled after one another, searching for answers. Who was chasing him? Why is he injured? Does this relate to the three corpses?

A howl was heard. And Aeris jumped to the phrase of farewell that was spoken to her. She whipped her head to the boy with the unruly hair who had begun to walk away, more inquiries filling her brain. What does he have to do with this. Where did he come from? Why is he in the rain? What is he doing at this hour? Why's and what's and how's and where's were stockpiling and were ready to burst. Her mind was fixated only on the boy that she hadn't noticed that another woman had spoken to them,

Needing to satisfy her curiosity, and fill in the loneliness in her, Aeris followed right behind the young man. "Wait! She called, almost seeming desperate. "Where are you from? What are you doing here? Are you alone?" Aeris asked question after question all the while right behind him. "Do you know him? Is he a friend? An enemy? Did you hurt him?" Aeris's pace quickened during the interrogation, gradually closing up the distance between the two. "Do you know who hurt him? Why did you help him? Are you a villager here?" Aeris finally caught up the the boy and swung in front of him, moving around so then he may not pass her. "Who are you?" Her face was not one of suspicion, but pure curiosity, and maybe a twinge of despair.

As Edward lay on the ground, exhausted, he felt the feeling of doom and despair slowly fade away. He looked up to the sky to see if the winged object had moved on without noticing him, and saw its wings shatter, causing it to plummet to the ground. Edward didn't care whether or not it was still alive, it was away from him and he was becoming safer with every step it took away from him. He pulled himself up so he was sitting as opposed to lying and looked around the street. They boy who had carried him earlier was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the strange, hyperactive girl. However, the street wasn't empty, he could see a small child wandering around in the rain, wearing no cloak or anything else to protect him from the rain. His clothes looked like those of a peasant and he didn't seem to stray too far from one house, he probably lived here. Maybe he could help provide him with shelter for the night. He pulled himself to his feet and staggered towards the boy, trying not to look like he would bring too much trouble with him.

"Young master!" Edward called out when he was relatively close to the short, young man to grab his attention.
He opted not to try and fake being a commoner, his expensive clothes made it clear that he wasn't a member of the proletariat. Besides, he disliked talking with an accent since many people living in Fordshire pronounced their L's as R's, and Edward found that rather unattractive.
"Young master!" he repeated as he drew closer and stopped to catch his breath, "I am a traveller seeking shelter for the night. I was assaulted by brigands on the road and my escorts were killed. I managed to slay the last one with this knife..."
Edward reached down for his knife and tugged on it, only to find it was bound to its sheath by a vine. How odd, had that boy who had found him tied his dagger to its sheath? Why on Ik'Ra anyone would do that he didn't know, perhaps he was touched in the head. Giving it a stronger pull, the vine snapped and Edward quickly wiped his dagger on his bloodied shirt, hoping the child wouldn't notice or would not realise it was deliberate. He held the dagger out to show him the blood he had recently smeared on the dagger. Whether it was his blood or a soldier's he didn't know, but neither did he care. Having shown the boy the dagger, he quickly sheathed it again and carried on talking:
"If you could provide me with food and a bed for the night, it would be much appreciated. Also, I could pay you well if it is money you seek."

The boy didn't notice that Edward had wiped his dagger in blood after drawing it, that was good. If he had, he would likely have started asking questions Edward couldn't answer and then realise who he really was. Once he knew, he'd alert the Church of Edward's location, and he would have nowhere to stay. He doubted he could travel in his current state, and the Inquisitor's men would catch up to him easily. He would then burn at the stake for his "crimes" without a trial, not even being given the liberty of being confirmed as a Child of a Sabbath by Ariya Celice due to her recent death and the current lack of an heir. Not that seeing Saint Celice's reincarnation would do him any good, he WAS a Child of a Sabbath but that didn't matter, Saint Celice's reincarnations were used solely as figureheads and rubber stamps.

"Sure, you can stay with me. I am Joseph Serria, nice to meet you. Follow me!"
Thank the gods, he wasn't going to have to sleep on the streets, he would have a warm bed to sleep in, away from the danger of the Church's henchmen. It might only be for a single night, but that single night was better than a single night on the streets or in a cell, awaiting execution. He thanked Joseph and followed him as he walked down the street.

As they were walking, he noticed a few burn marks on the ground, they were small, but certainly there. How odd that they would be here in this wretched weather. How exactly they had got there was still concerning without considering the rain, why would somebody be throwing flaming objects around? His concentration was broken by a question from Joseph:
"So, what brings you to Ley? No offence, but you don't really seem like someone who would visit on his own free will."

Edward began to panic inside, what was he going to say? He wasn't an experienced liar, and was pleasantly surprised when Joseph failed to tell he was lying about his encounter with highwaymen. Trying his best to keep his panic hidden, he began to think of a response. Fortunately it didn't take as long as he had feared to devise a reply.
"I was on my way to St Martin's cathedral in Brammenhope." Edward lied, "I had arranged a meeting with Earl Kadoh to discuss some disturbing rumors about his son. Supposedly his son is one of the Children of the Sabbaths and was born on Walpurgis Nacht. Earl Kadoh claims his son was born on the next day, but I have my doubts. My father, Duke Fordshire had planned to meet with the Earl, but he has fallen ill and chose me to go in his stead. I had an escort of three soldiers, but they were killed and my progress was severely hindered. I am extremely grateful for your hospitality, and I will make sure to repay in some way or another."

Earl Kadoh was in fact Edward's father and Edward had based the story off his own predicament. He had met Duke Fordshire and his son once, Duke Fordshire was a walrus of a man and his son somewhat mimicked his father's proportions. Duke Fordshire could by no means be described as slim, he had an enormous handlebar mustache and a deep, hearty voice that made it quite clear that he was from the upper class. His son was Edward's age and slightly less overweight than his father, but not by much. He was a stupid, little brat who Edward had wanted to slap ever since he met him. He had treated Edward as if he were a servant, and treated the servants as if they were pigs. His father supported him in everything he did, making things worse. Edward had failed to hold back his urge to beat the little swine after he had insulted Edward's mother, slapping him forcefully round the face and asking him how he made it out of the pig pen and into the monarchy. He was extremely flustered by Edward's outburst, he was obviously not used to being defied. He left quickly and Edward's father ensured that he wasn't punished, since he completely agreed. Edward doubted that this boy knew who the Duke's son really was, and would just give him refuge without asking questions. Peasants didn't tend to be too interested in the dealings of the Church and Monarchy.

Florian hadn’t tasted more than five breaths of solitary calm before a clear voice pierced his peace. He did not wait when implored to, convinced the girl couldn’t be addressing him. A flurry of questions promptly bombarded this conviction into surrender. Only when she blocked his passage did he cease trudging through the soggy grassland. Florian considered dodging past her sides, but discarded the idea immediately. She’d likely consider it a challenge.

“Who are you?”

Tearing his gaze from the ground, Florian dared meet the girl’s eyes. There was desperation in those shocking azure-blue waters. Did they hold hidden depths, or was he looking at honesty so pure it reflected his own?

“F-Florian,” he answered her last question, startled into honesty. His voice trembled. He feared the girl in front of him, and he feared for her. The girl spoke so openly, inquired with such innocence. She belonged in a warm, loving family, not out in the rain with the likes of him.

“I-I’m sorry milady, I can’t answer your questions. Please, seek shelter in the village.” It was the first time in a month he’d spoken more than five words in a row. Florian passed the girl by, praying she would not follow. When he looked over his shoulder and she stood still as if rooted to the ground, he couldn’t help but wonder what deity had heard the prayer of a demon.

The wind whipped at Florian’s hair as he pressed onward through the fields. The rain came down endlessly, but all he felt was the disappearing sensation of pursuit. Would the hunters lose his trail in a storm of this magnitude? He could only hope. He’d try to get at least ten miles out before dawn.

“Umm… excuse me.”

Florian jumped at the sudden appearance of a tall silhouette against the lightning. Were it not for the voice, he would have assumed the figure to be male. She had short fiery hair, and what was more, the woman was taller than him by a head. Her simple farmer’s dress reminded Florian of his own village. The urge to run away was overwhelming.

“You shouldn't be travelling in this weather,” the woman said. Florian shrunk back a bit, even if the voice had not been stern or harsh. “There should be someplace to stay in the village."

She was from the village, then. The concern for another human was touching, but misplaced. The infernal fire within him burned fiercely, and Florian hadn’t been awake for more than three hours besides. If the woman knew just what she was inviting, she would surely not have.

“It’s because people shouldn’t be out here that I-I’m out here, milady,” Florian said, stumbling a little over his words, hoping he made sense. “It would be best if you do not involve yourself with me.”

Florian bowed and turned to walk onward. A stray thought tugged at the back of his mind and he paused.

“There was an… injured man with me. Perhaps he may accept your hospitality.”

Florian gazed at the village behind him. His home town had been much like this one, and it now lay in ruins.

“It might be best if he did not stay for very long.”

"I, umm... hope you don't mind, but it might scare my family to see a stranger in the house, sorry."
Edward was somewhat disappointed to discover that he would have to sleep in the barn, but it was better than nothing. He slumped down into the hay, it was softer and more comfortable than he had expected. However, the barn smelled of animals, a smell he was unfamiliar with, causing it to burn through his nostrils like a torch.
"Well, it's not quite what I was expecting," Edward began, "But I'm still grateful for it."

"Hey! Look over there!"
Edward turned around quickly to look at where Joseph had pointed, but saw nothing but the rafters. He turned his head round to look at Joseph again, and noticed Joseph putting out a candle as he looked back. Why on Ik'Ra would he want Edward to look away while he was putting out a candle? What a peculiar young man. Edward didn't ask him why though, he didn't want to make the boy fell awkward, he was a guest after all.

"So, you have told me your father's name. What are you called?"
Had he? Edward could only remember disclosing his "father's" position. Maybe this little peasant boy thought that "Fordshire" was his surname, but he couldn't blame him, peasants were rarely well educated. Now he just had to remember the little pig's name. What was it? Edward remembered it began with an O... Oliver? Oscar? Oswald.
"My name is Lord Oswald Thorne, the next Duke Fordshire." Edward lied, "It may seem that I'll become Duke sooner than I had hoped."

Edward could feel the temperature in the barn rising slightly and sniffed in case something was burning. He could smell no smoke but the smoke from the candle. Perhaps he had caught a fever from spending so long outside in such horrible weather, his immune system had never been too impressive. He had been a sickly child, and his mother and some servants had attributed this to how little he ate and his refusal to eat meat. Edward however believed the opposite, he thought eating little and being vegetarian would improve his health. He wondered if these peasants ate meat, most peasants didn't because they couldn't afford it, but this boy lived on a farm with livestock, they could have saved some of the livestock for themselves.

While Edward was thinking, he could feel the heat continuing to rise. It was rising gently, but rising never the less.
"Is it just me, or is it getting warmer by the minute in here?" Edward asked, trying to see whether the temperature really was increasing or he was just falling ill.

"So, umm... Oscar, why does the clergy want the Kids of the Sabbaths dead? Ley doesn't have a church, so I don't really know. And are they as bad as you say they are, they seem like people who just happened to be born on a bad day. Why do they need to be hunted?"
Oscar? He'd just said his name, how could he be getting it wrong already? Perhaps it was only a slip of the tongue, or he'd misheard Joseph. Edward was also confused by Josephs use of the word "Kids". Having grown up in an affluent area, he had never heard anyone refer to a child as a "kid", only baby goats. He presumed it was rustic slang, since he doubted the Old Gods would be entrusting their power to goats.
"You don't have a church?!" Edward asked in surprise and fake shock, but on the inside he was jealous of Joseph, he'd been kept safe from the bigoted propaganda the church used to brainwash its victims, "I understood this village was out of the way, but I didn't think it would lack a building as important as a church! No matter, I'll explain now. You might want to make yourself comfortable, this is a long explanation."
Edward sat up on the mound of straw and cleared his throat. He was going to have to sound convincing, and wasn't happy about having to sell out his beliefs for the moment.

"The Children of the Sabbaths are cursed by the Old Gods from the moment they are born," Edward began, "While under the spell of their god, they will answer to its every command. If they are allowed to grow, their powers will grow stronger and stronger, and those powers will be used against the Divine One. Their powers cannot be used for good, only to harm others. There was an incident many years ago, before either of us, and likely our parents, were born where a Child of the Sabbaths who had been kept secret from the world used geomancy to collapse Foendshire Minster in the middle of a large service, killing hundreds of innocent people. He wasn't captured for another 2 years, and was slain by Saint Fiora, a reincarnation of Saint Celice. Foendshire Minster was rebuilt and has a shrine to all those innocents killed by the geomancer. If this is what Gria's servants are prepared to do, Gria, the kindest of the Old Gods, there is no telling what the others would do. Just think of the atrocities a Child of Thanatos would perform! I sincerely hope that Earl Kadoh isn't hiding a Child of a Sabbath, I know him myself and he is a kind and God-fearing man, but I would not be surprised if he chose his son over the Divine One. Does that explanation suffice?"

"But I guess it's the fact I grew up without a church, they don't seem that bad. I mean that guy probably lived his whole life hearing what a monster his kind were. I guess it would be enough to make anyone crazy."
Edward was surprised by Joseph's reaction, did he not know that the Church would have those who sympathized with Children of the Sabbaths executed? However, he admired his gusto, but such courage would land him nowhere but on the stake.
"You may be right, but had he lacked the power of geomancy he wouldn't have committed genocide." Edward retorted, "Had he only killed the priests it would not have been quite as bad, but all those innocent people in there, agreeing with the teachings of their elders! That man was unforgivable, and what if we allowed more like him to grow and strengthen themselves? It's only 5 or so children every year, children in league with dark gods, when it could be hundreds of innocents. I think it's obvious which decision is more humane."

"So, tell me, if you were faced with a Child of the Sabbaths, you would kill that person without a second thought about who they were or their families?"
Now he would have been digging his own grave, his tone of voice made it quite obvious that he thought the answer "yes" would be the answer a demon would give. Edward thought the same thing, but he couldn't say so, lest Joseph tell someone. He knew that he wouldn't deliberately get Edward caught, but he would tell someone who would tell someone else, who would then tell another person, and so on until it reached the ears of the Church. He couldn't have them knowing where he was.
"No, I would not," Edward started, "For it is not my place to do so. While I may know for certain that they were a Child of a Sabbath, I could be convicted for murder. I would go and tell the Church, who would deal with the situation. Besides, they possess greater powers than I do, but I doubt they could defeat the Holy Guard."

A sudden thought hit Edward, what if Joseph was a Child of the Sabbaths? He had seemed rather nervous and jittery when Edward lied that he was assisting the Church hunt himself down, he didn't sound so sure when he said he couldn't feel the temperature rising, he wanted to know why the Children of the Sabbaths deserved to die, he had stuck up for the man who had committed genocide and criticized Edward for how he claimed he treated Children of the Sabbaths.
"Joseph, is there something you aren't telling me?" Edward asked, using his tone of voice to make it quite clear what he meant.

It was a while before Joseph responded, but respond he did. Making the candle burn violently, he pulled the flame from the wick and coiled it around himself like a snake. He looked like he'd whip at with it as soon as Edward did something against him. It was a frightening sight, and would have scared Edward more had he not been over a foot taller than Joseph. Just as he was about to start making excuses, the girl who had been shouting about how she had beaten the young man who had carried him turned up out of the blue and poured a bucket of water over Joseph, claiming she'd save him from the flames. She truly was a strange young woman. The water boiled as at went over the flames, certainly not a good sign. The young woman then started to roll around on the ground, inviting Joseph to join her. The oddity of this girl's actions made Edward temporarily lose his fear, confusion taking its stead.
"M-miss, I don't th-think you quite understand what's going on h-here." Edward stammered, "This boy's not in any trouble, he put the flames there himself."

Edward then turned to face Joseph, he needed to calm him down or he'd burn the barn to ashes with both of them inside it.
"Joseph, clam down, I was lying!" Edward protested, "I lied to protect myself, I thought you were a normal child, so I told you I was someone else. I'm Earl Kadoh's son, the one who was born on Walpurgis Nacht! I'm like you!"
Edward touched his two index fingers together and slowly drew them apart, a lance of dark matter forming on the imaginary line.
"See?" Edward asked as he held out the lance, "I'm not with the Church at all, I'm being hunted by them. I thought you were a normal boy, there was only a 5 in 365 chance of you being a Child of a Sabbath! If you were normal and knew who I was, you'd go straight to the Church with my location and I'd burn at the stake. Please, calm down!"

"You are lying to me!"
Joseph didn't calm down until Edward gave him solid proof that he was what he said he was. The flames seemed to dissipate as quickly as they came, leaving behind a cloud of smoke that floated up to the ceiling and lingered there, slowly seeping out of the small gaps in the roof.
"My name's Edward Blackhall." Edward told him, "As I told you, I'm Earl Kadoh's son. However, the Church already knows what I am now, so the hunt's already on. I didn't tell you who I was because I thought you would be a normal child, one who would go and alert the Church of my location."

Clink, squelch, clink, squelch. The soldiers' heavy greaves pressed into the mud of the churned up dirt path as they trekked down it. The scouting party should have returned over an hour ago, where were they? That question was quickly answered as one soldier shouted to alert the rest of his party of his discovery. Lying in a mixture of blood and dirt were three corpses, one separated from its head. That head appeared to have decayed away from the body, the neck was nowhere to be found. Another corpse lay with a small, sharp, black object stuck through his throat and the last corpse had shards of bone sticking out of his face. Whatever had killed these men was not a force to be messed with, that was for certain. It was almost certainly their prey, the heir to Earl Kadoh. However, he had only been faced with three soldiers, not a company of 80 men. That 80 was now 77. There was a trail of blood and footprints leading away from the corpses and down the path, undoubtedly, the noble's trail. The company pressed on.

The trail stopped in a small copse where the plants had tangled themselves into strange, unnatural shapes. This boy could control plants as well, they would have to be careful. The trail of blood stopped, but the footprints did not. However, they were smaller and came from different shoes. Perhaps it was an illusion cast by the boy to throw them off his scent. It wasn't going to work, the company pressed on.

The small footprints were still present, but the bigger ones had reappeared. Perhaps the owner of the larger ones had been carried this far, and the owner of the smaller footprints had left. The company chose to follow the larger ones into the village, and towards a light coming from a barn. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the light was that of fire, and was coming from a small boy who seemed to control it. He certainly wasn't their target, but he was a heretic just like that noble. Perhaps they would be rewarded for bringing back more heretics than expected.

Edward could hear the ominous clink of greaves once again, slowly drawing towards the barn. Edward allowed the lance to dissipate and quickly helped the young lady to her feet.
"I think we have far more to worry about than a bit of dirt..." Edward warned, just before the barn doors were flung open and a group of armoured soldiers walked inside.
From the crowd a particularly well armoured soldier stepped forward. A candid, gold trimmed cape trailed behind him, a cape that bore the symbol of the Church on it, a golden irised eye on a silver cross.
"Edward Blackhall," he began, "You have been charged with heresy on two accounts, forging a pact with Thanatos, and assaulting a member of the clergy, and 3 accounts of murder. Surrender now and you will have the blessing of a trial. Resist arrest and you will die here. No matter which option you choose, your friends will join you as well."
"Cease this nonsense!" Edward ordered, "You have no proof of any of these claims. Bishop Arachel is senile and has been involved in multiple scandals regarding recreational drugs in the past, he is quite clearly untrustworthy. As the son of Earl Kadoh, I order you to leave and arrest Bishop Arachel immediately."
"You can hide no secrets from the Divine One." the heavily armoured soldier retorted, "We saw the bodies, and your wound does nothing but strengthen that evidence."
"I suppose I have no choice then." Edward sighed, feigning a surrender.
Once he could tell their leader had lowered his guard, Edward summoned the spear back into his hand, and hurled it at the soldier. It drove itself right through a weak spot in the man's left pauldron, piercing both his armour and his flesh. While the soldiers were in shock, he released a blast of dark energy that smashed through the wall of the barn, creating a hole big enough to flee out of. He fled from the barn, calling to his newly made acquaintances to follow him, otherwise the soldiers would capture them since they had been seen alongside him.
"Burn the barn!" Edward ordered Joseph, "It will buy us some time. They have to look after their wounded commander, and burning the barn will cause some confusion and possibly injure some of them."

Edward kept running, getting slower and slower as he progress, he was tired, and pain and exhausted. To make matters worse, he suddenly felt the ominous feeling of doom he had experienced earlier, but far stronger this time around. He could see the source coming nearer, it was a girl his age dressed in black robes and carrying a staff. Mustering up the last of his strength, Edward summoned another spear at brandished it at the girl as menacingly as he could, which wasn't very.
"Stay, stay back!" Edward commanded feebly, "You, I won't let you..."
Edward nearly toppled backwards, and had to lean on his spear for support. He took in deep breaths as he watched the girl carefully, making sure he would be ready to spring away at a moment's notice. As he watched her, he wondered about what the others were thinking. Joseph probably hated him for dragging him into this, and the strange girl who had rolled around in the dirt was likely confused and upset. If only he had just kept on walking, he could have stopped these to from getting dragged into such affairs and he could have avoided meeting this source of ominous energy and the group of soldiers. If only...

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.