Y.Z.: Act II (PG16)

Velin merely gave the fifth an impassive look as he gave them the briefing, accepting his own part without a single hint of an expression on his face; in other words, it was just like usual. He did not, however, refrain from voicing one opinion of his own:

"Do not presume to command me, fifth." he said in his usual monotone, "You may have been charged with holding onto the specifics on the mission, but at no point have I been assigned to act as your underling." there was an ever so slight hint of a threat in his voice, but it would have been completely lost to most, "You are only to convey the information as you have been assigned to. Any application thereof is no concern of yours."

With that said, the first apostle idly turned his gaze to the pictures he had received. The male struck him as nothing spectacular, but the other...though only someone with a considerable sense of perception could have spotted the difference, the first's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Faewyn's picture. He may not have been granted supernatural powers of perception like Kyra's, but he had always had a knack for memorizing distinct features of people, and the features of this girl-child...though the initial reaction within the sanctuary of Velin's mind had been surprise, it had now shifted to mild interest. Maybe...just maybe it would be worthwhile to have a little chat with his prey before he finished the job.

He didn't voice these thoughts, of course. In fact, Velin stuck to his usual manner and decided not to say anything whatsoever, merely gazing at the ship for a brief moment before vanishing in a blur of motion and Wionus.


"It seems I have found you."

Faewyn spun around as the voice struck her ears, sighing in relief as she recognized the person responsible for the call; a certain blonde soldier in a garish red overcoat who was currently striding down the stairs of the engine room which Faewyn had made her place of residence the moment she had discovered it.

"Everyone else is out admiring the scenery and you're focusing on the machinery." Reece gave a good-natured chuckle, smiling at the girl as he joined him by the side of a particularly impressive set of gears, "Some things never change, huh?"

"Guess not." Faewyn replied somewhat sheepishly, a bit unsure as to whether this was a compliment or a reprimand, but deciding on the former as she tore her eyes away from the marvel of engineering surrounding her and instead faced Reece, "You were looking for me?"

The soldier nodded, "Is that such a surprise?" he inquired, "I mean, we haven't had a proper chat since you left for Alta, have we? Besides..." Reece grimaced, "I don't think your new friends are too fond of me."

"You're talking about Reid, aren't you?" Faewyn asked, "I-I know it doesn't seem like it now, but he's really a caring person deep down, it's just that with everything that's happened-with Rod, and Rosaline, and-"

"I get it." Reece replied, "And to be honest, I haven't exactly done my best to make a good first impression on him either." he shook his head slowly, "From what I gather he's a good kid, just way too wrapped up in his own damn mind." he shook his head, glancing out over the machinery as well, "To be honest, the one I'm really concerned about is this Aertan fellow. I mean, he's a Carn priest, right?" the soldier briefly locked eyes with Faewyn, his expression dead serious, "Can we really trust him?"

"Of course we can." Faewyn retorted, shocked by this sudden accusation, even though it wasn't directed at her. Then again, considering her friend's past maybe this should have been expected, "Reece, he's not like those people. I know he looks really scary and I know he doesn't act polite, but Aertan is really not like that; he's just-" her voice trembled slightly, "-he's just looking for someone he cares about, just like I am!"

"Look, Fay, I'm sorry I brought the thing about your folks up." Reece began, "I really didn't mean to, but you're being too trusting. The priesthood of Thylonstus is like that, they'll say almost anything just to get a stab at your back; you can't just take them on their word." his expression hardened, "I'm not going to let you get hurt by those Thylonstite wretches again."

"Reece..." Faewyn didn't know what to say. On one hand, she was outraged at her friend's intolerance, but on the other...the sentiment behind those words was in plain view, and she couldn't help being touched by it. It was then that something peculiar caught her eye, "What-" Faewyn began, pointing in puzzlement at the door that had just been flung open by a powerful gale, a solitary pitch-black feather floating towards them, "What's-"

"Fay! Get back!"

The girl was offered no explanation as her long-time friend suddenly shoved her aside, bringing out his glaive faster than what she had even thought possible. As it turned out, this was the minimum speed required to avert the assault, evidence of which being the set of pitch-black nails that had been parried by the shaft of the weapon, just inches away from his throat.

It was then that their assailant's mahstion presence struck, Isaire's comforting presence at the back of her mind being the only thing that kept Faewyn from physically reeling back as she attempted to return upright and fumbled to pull out her own weapon. This creature...the girl stared in awe at the tall, slender figure with his ivory-colored skin, gray hair, massive pitch-black wings and lifeless, light blue eyes. Cress' mahstion presence might have seemed otherworldly, but compared to this being it was minute.

Reece, on the other hand, didn't seem to care about the difference in power levels, his gaze instead focused on the black rose pendant that hung around the stranger's neck, a look far more hateful than Faewyn had ever seen evident on the soldier's face.

The apostle seemed to be the only one who was being truly calm about the situation, merely observing, his parried attack with mild interest, "Quite impressive speed..." he remarked casually, his monotone voice sending an involuntary shiver down Faewyn's spine, "...I take it, this is the power of a fael?"

"Perhaps..." Reece retorted, turning the glaive with all his might as he aimed a strike at the apostle's neck, "...and I take it, you would be another apostle?"

The other merely shrugged, nonchalantly slipping backwards and leaving the glaive to slice thin air, "I am death come for you." he replied, "I see no reason to burden you with further details during your last moments of existence."

"Not a very talkative type, are you?" Reece replied, placing himself in a battle ready pose, "Let's get this over with then, shall we?"

"Reece..." Faewyn interjected meekly.

"Don't worry, Fay." her friend interrupted, his glance not leaving their opponent for a second, "I said that I'm not going to let any one of these creeps hurt you, and you should know..." he grinned confidently, "...I'm a man of my word."

"Heh, I'm not as stupid as to fall for the tricks of your fael. I have seen them enough to understand their capacity." Arturo taunted cockily as he suddenly disappeared, only to reappear outside of the attack seconds later. It was unnatural the speeds these things could move at. "As for the princess. I'll tell you what know as long as you present me with an exhilarating fight in return. Deal? Deal. I was order to capture Miss Juliet a few weeks ago. A peculiar order, wouldn't you say? For Carn to order one of their units to capture their own princess? I haven't bothered dwelling on it that much. There must be some sort of resistance taking place. Though, don't worry, your pretty little princess is being treated with the utmost care in her lovely little cell."

---------

A look of undeniable shock passed across Kyra's face as the mahstion bullet sped at her skull. Luckily, she dodged it at the very last opportunity by darting to the left, and then taking to the sky, her blue and red bat wings beating rapidly. She glanced down at her sister, who nodded, before pointing her hands towards the ship. Fionus and wation clearly formed in the right and left hands respectively, and she smacked them together before opening her palms towards the ship, releasing a thick steamy mist that impaired everyone's vision. Reid could have easily blown the steam away, had he not been too busy dodging blast after blast of fionus balls being thrown at him anonymously from Kira. He finally was given an opportunity to strike back, and he aimed his bow carefully at the source of the fionus. The resulting arrow never made contact with a target, yet the fionus continued to come at him. He tried another shot. The same thing occurred. He began questioning why he wasn't hitting her.

"You haven't figured it out yet? Aww, you're so cute when you're puzzled~" Kira questioned sweetly as she stepped out of the steam, which Kyra now allowed to fade. "With my third eye, I can read your movements, I can tell what you're going to do next~" With that said she darted towards the boy, not to attack, but to plant a kiss on his lips, before backing off in an embarrassed manner. She brought her right hand up to the side of her head as she blushed. "Oh my, that was so embarrassing, but I just couldn't resist~ <3." It was obvious at this point that she had noted Adela's earlier reaction, and was acting with the intention of ticking her off. Kyra sighed from above. The battlefield was no kind of place for that kind of conduct, and if that girl raised the weird metal thing to her sister, she'd be done for. Just what WAS that? It multiplied Adela's mahstion at least ten fold.

"Reid, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mistral contacted her host in the serious tone she had possessed when they first met.

"Yep, but wait. She's readying something, I can tell by the tightened stance she's holding. We better wait until we figure out what she's doing before we move."

"Agreed."

ooc; Haeon't and Geote..., Reid and Adela, Rosaline,Faewyn, Alicel, and Aertan

Just some quick sketches for practice. :3 No wings though. Sorry, I don't do wings. xD;;

~

"THIS MAKES ME SO MAD!!!" Alicel squeezed her eyes shut as Kranius roared and stomped around in her mind "THEY IGNORED US TO THE FULLEST!!! AM I NOT WORTHY OR SOMETHING!?!?"

"I'm personally kind of glad they forgot about us..." Alicel muttered, only to be met with more angry yells echoing throughout her head. It was giving her a headache, and focusing on blending in with the crowd was getting harder and harder. Alicel suddenly stopped and thought. Faewyn had never really been much of a fighter either. And when Aertan was still... Aertan, she'd starting using a technique that had practically cut her thumb off just by powering it up. Even if Alicel herself sucked at fighting, two was always better then one. She spun around and peered through the various people for sight of Faewyn, or anyone.

It wasn't like Alicel could get off the airship anyway. Might as well make herself useful.

~

"Oh come now." Jeckt scoffed, "I asked you to stand still, didn't I?" He shot another bullet that seared through the cloud of smoke and dragged a portion of it away, "Be a good little witch, won't you?"

He peered about through the thick steam for his target and while he searched with an annoyed and furrowed brow, Jeckt brought Adela's left hand up to her mouth and sucked up the air where her middle, ring, and pink finger should've been, having long disappeared into the black mahstion bullets. As the fingers grew back, the tendrils of dation molding themselves into new fingers, Jeckt stumbled backward, tightening his grip on the gun as Xaviae broke the one of the chains that held him back. What terrible timing.

The arm that held the mahstion gun erupted in dation as Jeckt grinned maliciously at nothing in particular, since the fog blinded him. Though he was smiling, he stayed in control, and Adela stood trembling as she watched from her own mind, bound by the same chains that held Xaviae to the mother tree. She didn't understand how Jeckt could keep her in her mind against her will.

Jeckt watched with a bored expression as Kira gave Reid a kiss; he could care less. But Adela burned with jealousy, frustration at being a prisoner in her own mind, and hatred toward the apostle. She so dearly wanted to rip her to pieces. But Jeckt's chains kept her held strictly in place. Resigned to her fate of being stuck there until the battle's end, she did the only thing she could do. Forcing Jeckt to move her hand that held the necklace, she deposited it in the pocket of her jacket before biting her lip as hard as she could to keep from crying. There was no way she would give the apostle the satisfaction, even if the apostle couldn't see her.

Jeckt laughed and lifted the gun into the air, feeling around for the point where the mahstion concentration was greatest. It was distracting, having another overflowing powerplant fighting Reid, but he pointed at the point he felt the most dense mahstion, when compared to the mahstion in the fog, and the imposing presence all around him.

"Come out, come out," Jeckt sang in a taunting way, not caring that he was obviously at the disadvantage, "wherever you are~"

--------------------------

Aertan turned his head to face Arturo with a livid expression, his eyes turning onyx black as from out of the dot on his forehead sprouted white liquidy tendrils that moved backwards and formed a helmet of white bone, spattered with faded gray spots and thick horn-like spikes protruding from the back of the mask, "Shut up already, if you can't talk straight, don't talk at all." Came a deep mocking voice that was somewhat muffled by the mask as Geote's hand was extinguished of mahstion and recoiled into it's place inside Aertan's wings.

"You know all about us, eh?" Geote said, his voice monotonous and hardly anything like his insane and sadistic cackle that constantly came from the dormant hand, as Haeon't dropped the glass ball into his outstretched hand, "So I guess it's okay for you to stop calling us 'curses of Tylonstus', right? Because that old faker is getting lamer as the days go by."

He dropped the glass ball onto the ground and stepped on it, but instead of sending an explosion into the air, it branched off into five different walls of fire that seperated the sitting room into five different sections, save for the small ring that surrounded Geote.

"Isn't this a nice? Keeps you from running away like a coward, doesn't it?" Geote said snapping his fingers as the flames roared even higher and Haeon't recoiled into her own place in the great black bat wings. Geote whipped out two small swords with the hand he hadn't fashioned out of fionus, and with a small 'click!' they latched together at the handle, forming the double bladed naginata-style weapon that Aertan rarely used. It was, after all, not his specialty weapon.

"So." Geote said idly, waiting for Arturo to find his way into the center ring of fire, and thinking of the fact that he would only have to find one place to get both Rosaline and Juliet back, "Looks like I hit two birds with one stone."

OOC: OMG, artwork! ^0^ Well, there's only so much I can say about the others, given that I'm not the authority on how they're supposed to look, but Faewyn certainly looks like herself. Love the expression. ^^

Oh, and since I finally got my but onto the writing chair with this sequence...

IC:

If there was one thing Faewyn hated it was battle. It wasn't just the thoughts of the consequences that worried her, it was the process itself; every agitated sound, every clash of metal and claw, every burst of mahstion. She hated all of it. The girl had enough willpower to cling to her weapon, but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't find any way to help Reece as the soldier struggled to keep up with his opponent. The soldier had long since tossed his overcoat aside to keep it from hampering his movements, but even so not a single one of his attacks connected. No matter how fast the attack and no matter how clever the strategy Velin always seemed to be one step ahead, the impassive expression not leaving his face for a moment as his clawed hands danced around, blocking strike after strike. For now they seemed evenly matched, but it was obvious who was tiring faster, and needless to say, the thought didn't sit well with Faewyn.

She wanted to use the new techniques she had developed, to prove that she could fight to protect the ones she cared about, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't bring herself to release the charged bolt on her crossbow out of fear that it would miss its mark and strike Reece instead. She had considered going into close combat, but the pace at which the blows were being traded was almost too much for her eyes to follow, let alone her body. Then there was mahstion, but the very thought of unleashing such a thing brought the image of Rod's mutilated body to her mind and she could do nothing but clench her teeth and wait. Wait for what? A miracle? She honestly didn't know, she couldn't even think straight, a solitary thought playing through her mind over and over again:

'Why?'

"You do realize that this is pointless." Velin remarked as he caught the blade of the glaive in his claws once more, unleashing a miniature whirlwind from the palm of his free hand which forced Reece to leap back, "I am more than your match in speed, power and endurance." he shook his head at the wounded soldier in front of him, "This is a game you can't win."

"Don't-don't count me out just yet." Reece panted in return, wiping off part of the blood spilling over his left eye with the back of his hand. "That was just a warm-up."

"Oh?" the apostle retorted, casually plucking a single feather from his right wing and twirling it between his fingers, "Then I suppose you won't mind me making the first move. Observe, with a single feather..." he blew at the feather in his hand, sending it towards the soldier who watched the approaching object, "...I have breached your defense."

Faewyn gasped. Her eyes had gotten a bit more adjusted to the high speed combat, but Velin had still seemingly shifted from several meters away to standing right beside Reece, his claws around the soldier's throat. To Faewyn's surprise, the apostle didn't finish his attack, however.

"It appears we have a stalemate."

"I told you..." Reece replied, strengthening Fionus around the hand held mere inches from Velin's chest, specifically the point where his heart was, "...don't underestimate me."

"Prudent advice." Velin conceded, an ever so slight hint of teal spreading through a strand of hair hanging between his eyes, "I am poised to slit your throat, yet that amount of mahstion would no doubt stop my heart. What is your next move?"

The soldier gave him a mirthless grin, "I've already told that too." he replied, "I won't let you lay a finger on Faewyn."

"Even at the peril of your own life?"

"If I must."

"You're going to die."

"I could be faster."

"As could I."

"That's a risk I'll have to take."

For a moment, the two stared each other down. Then black claws and painfully bright, white fionus moved towards each other in a peculiar illusion of slow-motion. One blink later, the combatants disengaged, placing a good three meters between each other.

"Heh, looks like we have a draw." Reece remarked, grasping the singed scratch on the side of his neck.

Velin gave no reply, even as a charred fragment of the material on his chest fell off, revealing the surface burn on his chest. It was then that Sieglinde caught onto the situation.

"Reece, behind you!"

There was no time to react. The soldier barely managed a glimpse at the pitch-black Wionus-propelled feather charged towards the back of his neck, only to perform an abrupt ninety-degree change as a powerful gale swept in mere inches from his face, leaving behind a thin, pale skinned being with teal hair, her right hand stretched out and pointing to the wall into which the projectile had embedded itself, leaving a sizable crack in its wake.

Reece gaped in a mixture of shock and awe, "Fay..."

"Later." replied Isair's melodic voice, the ends of Faewyn's mouth curling up ever so slightly, "We have a battle to win."

"This mahstion reading is not the same as before. Are you what they call a fael?" Kyra called out from apparently nowhere as the voice boomed from all around, addressing Jeckt. During the ruckus Kira had been creating, she had moved to fly below the aircraft, and was projecting her voice supernaturally. To say she was in a good condition would be a lie. When Jeckt randomly fired into the air, he pierced her right shoulder, leaving her dominant arm limp and crippled. Biting her lip was the only way she could keep herself from shouting out in pain. She wouldn't last long like this. No, not at all. She couldn't foresee attacks like her sister could In fact she had no abilities that would turn the battle in her favor at all. She decided it would be best to hide away until everything was over. Kira was more than enough to take the both of them...

"That was a great kiss. Thanks for kissing back~" Kira teased. She was acting a lot older than she looked, which left Reid embarrassed and confused. Even Kyra, down below, brought her left hand to her head in disgust. Just what was she doing?

"I DID NOT KISS BACK!" Reid shouted, looking back and forth between "Adela" and Kira in panic. The last thing he wanted was Adela to be ticked off at him after this whole fight. Kira used Reid's moment of distraction against him, and fired a massive ball of wionus at him. Originally, it looked like it wasn't going to do much more than get him wet, but he got a painful surprise as the already cold air mixed with the velocity of the ball froze it before impact, knocking Reid unto the wall of the main cabin behind him. Damnit, I'm freaking cold! I can't even fly dressed like this, it would be suicide for sure. He thought to himself as he got back to his feet, the wind completely knocked out of him. Oh well, the proposed strategy against this girl who could predict their moves would still work with his feet on the ground. "Ready Mistral?"

"Yup." Reid's body began to glow green like it did when he originally fought Cress as Mistral's mahstion poured into him. Down below, Kyra became worried for her sister after sensing this and became prepared to interrupt if need be. At the same time, a grin formed on Kira's face as Reid charged at her. He was going slice her with the blade he had at his side. She prepared to block the blow, and as Reid reached for the blade like she had predicted, something went horribly wrong. Her foresight suddenly dropped as Reid took on the form of... a girl? She would have laughed if this girl didn't have a mind consciousness different to Reid's. She didn't have the time to predict the move, and the hand of the girl thrusted at Kira with a condensed ball of wionus in her hand. It would certainly cripple her, if not kill her upon impact.

The sound of the hit connected was heard after Kira slammed her eyes shut, but she found herself reopening them as she felt no pain. They quickly widened in pure shock. In between Reid and herself was the body of Kyra, whom of which seemed to have been wounded previously. She had thrown herself onto Kira at the last second, taking the full force of the blow. Her four wings, once small yet proud, had been ripped out by the force of the attack, red blood splattered across both Mistral, who backed away in shock, and Kira. Kyra's eyes fell lifeless as the girl's body slid free of her sister's and fell onto her side on the ground. Kira let out a loud shriek as she backed away from her fallen sister, eyes wide, and face splattered with blood.

--------

"How does that saying go again? Don't count your chickens before they hatch?" Arturo responded in regards to Geote's arrogance, as water fall upon the walls of fire to douse their intensity. "You probably shouldn't have been counting those chickens without being aware of my second mahstion element." Despite the fact that he could have avoided it at this point, Arturo made his way to the center of the circle, no weapon or claws yet to be drawn. "Do your worst, fael. You're still one mahstion short of me."

Xaviae stared silently at the crippled body of the apostle that was supposed to be his opponent as Jeckt laughed like a maniac, his self-satisfied cackle filling the air, as Xaviae approached Kyra. It was obvious that Kira would no longer be participating in this fight. The fael that was currently in control of Adela's body had never been faced with this situation. The concious apostle seemed to pitiful to finish off, though it was a perfect opportunity. So even as Jeckt used his greater influence of mahstion to break apart the chains that Xaviae had taken so much longer to eat away, he didn't relent, gripping the mahstion gun as Adela's eyes returned to their rightful color, as with her hair. Her expression had hardly changed from when Jeckt was in control though, as her mouth remained in a small indifferent frown.

Sympathy could've been something that Xaviae had, but Adela could hardly muster up the slightest bit of pity for the remaining apostle as she lifted the mahstion gun up to Kyra's face.

"I don't ever want to see you again." Adela hissed as tendrils of black mahstion coiled itself around Adela's arm and into the mahstion gun. She seemed not to notice the distress that the apostle was in. She seemed not to care.

Where are your wings?

Adela's eyes widened in shock as she pulled the trigger.

- x -

Geote stared at the burnt places where the flames were extinguished with a rueful eye.

"Hmm..." Geote mumbled passively, trying to block out the sounds of Haeon't shouting criticisms and curse words at him. He didn't want to hear Aertan's exhasperated sigh. Not coming from that sissy. He'd show them. He was a negafael, and Haeon't was a plufael. What did she know about fighting? Nothing. Aertan was a mortal. What did he know? Nothing.

Geote smiled and showed a mouthful of pointed teeth, "You just don't talk normally, do you?"

'He's such an idiot!! Stop provoking him!!' Alicel brought her hand up to her forehead silently, making a pained expression as Kranius laughed, clapping his hands as he melted away into the water that surrounded him.

Geote slid his hand to grasp the red rope as he swung the sword around like a lasso above his head, "Well. If we continue at this rate, we're not going to even exchange blows before everyone else finishes their fight."

And with that, Geote stepped forward and swung the sword toward Arturo.

- x -

It was one thing that Alicel had been ignored.

But Alicel much preferred that over having two disgustingly long nails (yet thankfully clean) stabbed through her. Grasping one of the long fingers with as tight a grip as she could muster, Alicel gasped for air as her blood pooled at her feet and she felt blood gurgling up her throat. As she coughed it up, she watched the red disappear in the black sleeves of the apostle's dress.

"Please," Villa requested solemnly, "Do tell me where I can find this 'Adela' child."

"Like hell." Alicel spat, and Villa looked as if she might cry when the blood mixed with saliva hit her cheek.

"Y-You...." Villa stammered as she trembled, "You're so mean!" She wailed twisting her fingers away from Alicel's stomach. She hadn't hit any vitals, of course. Villa wasn't like that, and if she had, then she couldn't get the answer she needed to finally succeed at a mission. She knew she was interrupting a different mission, with more important apostle's involved, but she had to finish. And so she'd tagged along, more like a fugitive then an apostle. Of course, having wings helped a lot. The waxy film that connected bladed frame had long retracted though, so only the blades stood her upright.

Collapsing into her own blood, Alicel took her free hand and clutched her midsection, where Villa's now bloody thumb, middle, and pinky finger had pierced. She listened with increasing annoyance as Villa weeped dramatically, but of course, not quite loud enough to attract the others' attention. She used no mahstion, and tried her very best to hide her mixed lionus and eation mahstion that naturally radiated off of her, just to keep from getting yelled at again.

But Villa couldn't stifle a shriek as she was blown back by a sudden whip of wation, crushing her into the ground. As Alicel used her free hand to push herself off the ground, blood dripping from her mouth and dying her once perfect blonde hair red, she glared at Villa, who stared fearfully into Alicel's icy blue eyes that were flushing with dark sapphire.

"What-?!" Villa started, but another blast of water crushed her to the ground. She hadn't been briefed on faels, nor did she know about any kind of desperate power boost that humans might get if their life was in serious danger.

But only three more heavy blasts of water connected before Alicel was thrown against the wall of the airship, and cuffs made of sand locked her wrists to the wall and a hammer fashioned out of lionus gave Alicel a good blow to the head.

"My-my..." Velin remarked at the unexpected interjection, "It seems like someone has finally found their courage. I take it this would be...fael transformation? Such an unseemly technique...but your mahstion presence is quite impressive."

"That's enough, apostle." Isair retorted, nimbly adjusting Faewyn's weapon into a spear, "If you wish to speak then tell us: what have you done to princess Rosaline and Faewyn's parents?"

"Questions, is it?" Velin inquired calmly, "You're one wrong move away from your demise yet you concern yourselves with such trivial things?" though his expression was as indifferent as always, the apostle appeared amused by this, "Oh, you are amusing little beings. Very well, then. I shall answer your questions..."

Within her mind, Faewyn held her breath in anticipation.

"...if you answer mine."

Isair's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "To what end?" he inquired sharply, "A moment ago you would have killed us without as much as an introduction, why do you now wish to parley?"

The apostle shrugged, "For my entertainment, for my curiosity and out of a mild interest in your abilities." he replied, "Make no mistake: I still have every intention of claiming your lives, but since you've been so entertaining thus far, I thought I'd humor you for a bit." the hint of teal in his hair remained ever visible, "We take turns asking questions. When one party refuses to answer this little game ends and should either of you show signs of hostility I shall interpret it in a similar manner. Now, seeing as how I just answered a questions of yours...it is my turn." his eyes focused on Isair's, seemingly intent not on peering at the fael but the girl behind him, "What makes you think that I would know anything about these parents you mentioned?"

"Because..."

"Fay, are you sure about this?" Reece interrupted telepathically, his body still on full alert for any trickery from Velin's side, "There's no telling what this creep is after and no way we can confirm or deny anything he says, or even if he knows what we want to know."

"I agree that this is risky." Sieglinde concurred, "But still...this man is obviously part of the same group that abducted princess Rosaline. If we pose our questions carefully, we may gain valuable insight into their plans."

"I-I've got to try, Reece." Faewyn replied, "Ae-" she corrected herself in mid-thought, realizing that the ex-priest's name would not support her case, "I've heard a rumor that Thylonstus personally passes judgment on those who have committed serious crimes in Carn and...this-this person is an apostle of Thylonstus, right? If anyone would know it's him, so please..." her voice took up a pleading tone, "I've at least got to try..."

"Well...alright." Reece replied, still clearly unsatisfied, "But if this guy tries anything I'll break this little chat up. Let's just get this over with."

"Right."

"Lin and Verdance Ayre were conducting research into the tradition of ritual sacrifice in Carn." Isair said at last, "As you no doubt know, this is a capital crime under Carn law and they have not been heard of since. The priesthood of Thylonstus is the most logical culprit, and as a servant of the priesthood it seems a fair assumption that you would know something of this incident."

"I see." Velin replied impassively, "Though as an aside: I am a servant of Thylonstus, not his priesthood. Not that this would make much difference for you." he shrugged, "Your question."

"What have you done to princess Rosaline and Faewyn's parents?"

The apostle quirked an eyebrow, "That is really two questions." he remarked, "I shall tolerate this once, but please respect the rules of this game in the future. All I know of the sacrifice is that she was reclaimed on order of the priesthood and is currently being held prisoner within the capital. What purpose this serves I can only imagine, but for the moment we are simply keeping her alive. As for the other two you mentioned...I've never heard of them." Faewyn's expectations plummeted at the statement, "The punishment of lawbreakers is a task appointed to the priesthood; as an apostle I am not part of - or privy to - the particulars of this process beyond the capture of criminals...or execution, as the case may be. Next question." his blue eyes pierced through Faewyn once more, causing the girl to reel back slightly within her mind. "What is your interest in the sacrifice?"

"She-" Isair's calm and collected voice was suddenly usurped by Faewyn's far less tranquil one, "She's my friend." Faewyn replied, a newfound fire burning in her eyes as she returned Velin's stare, her hands clenching the weapon far tighter than before, "And she's got a name: Rosaline. She's not your 'sacrifice' anymore so stop-stop calling her that!"

"Such conviction." the apostle remarked, "And for a little girl you couldn't have known for more than a few months no less. Fascinating...truly fascinating. Very well then; your turn."

"Have you ever loved anyone other than yourself?"

Velin's confidence seemed momentarily shaken by the question, posed not by the fael but his host instead. Reece seemed equally surprised, but held his tongue. "That question is completely irrational." the apostle replied at last, still not quite at his previous level of confidence, "Why would you want to know such a thing?"

"Because you were surprised when I asked you not to call Rosaline 'sacrifice'." the girl explained, "You concealed it then, but your reaction just now proves it. If you had ever had a beloved friend, if you had ever had anyone you value enough to risk your own life for, you would have known what I was feeling but you don't." inside her chest, Faewyn's heart was beating at a rapid rate, but she kept up a strong facade.

"I see you know this game better than your fael, miss Ayre." Velin grit out, the teal in his hair now almost completely replaced by his usual gray, "Though given that deduction I'm not sure you need my answer anymore. But yes, you are correct. I have never formed a bond like the one you described. I have allies, some more useful than others, and I have enemies, but if this is how you define 'love' and 'friendship' then I have yet to obtain neither, nor do I see the need to. Now for my question-"

"You already posed it." Faewyn interrupted, her voice now a lot steadier than before, "You asked why I wanted to know and I told you. This means that it's my turn again."

She was playing with fire and she knew it, but Faewyn also knew that letting Velin call the shots in this game would not yield the answers she wanted. For a moment, it looked like the apostle was about to attack, a threatening tinge of red appearing in his hair, but finally he nodded, "Go on, then."

"Why did you abduct princess Juliet?"

Before Velin could respond, a piercing shriek sliced through the engine room, the apostle immediately tensing at the sound.

"It seems that we shall have to call this game off for the time being." he announced, "Enjoy the brief moment of life this has granted you; I assure you that it will not last long. Farewell."

With that, the apostle disappeared in a blur of motion once more, but this time his destination was the door he came from. He wasn't the only one, however.

"Hold it!" Reece called, barring the path as he pointed his glaive at Velin, who was forced to break out of his dash to avoid being impaled, "I'm not letting you walk out without answering that question."

"Arrogant fool."

There was no time to react. Just one moment where Reece stood tall, blocking the apostle's path with his weapon, and another where the soldier was slumped over, a mixture of pain and surprise etched on his face as his eyes swiveled to the searing-hot claws embedded in his stomach, "I..." the soldier's words abandoned him, a volley of blood escaping his mouth instead as he slumped onto the stairs, the apostle coldly kicking him aside.

"Reece!"

The sight in front of her had completely wiped out Faewyn's moment of triumph, tears streaming down her cheeks as she rushed over to catch her friend in mid-fall.

"You were lucky." Velin remarked over his shoulder, "It seems your fael switched in at the last moment. Perhaps next time you will know better than to try my patience."

Faewyn blinked, staring at the person in her arms. Only then did she notice that its hair was not blonde but a firey red, the eyes an eerie, misty gray as they turned to meet the girl's, "Not to worry..." Sieglinde managed, "Reece will pull through and I...I will recover with time. Isair, if you please..."

"Of course." the fael replied, once again taking over Faewyn's body and placing a hand on Sieglinde's wound, green wionus flowing from his fingers into the gaping hole left by Velin's attack, "Faewyn, we should take Reece to safety. Sieglinde will need time to recover, and my powers will be drained by this procedure." he observed his right arm, now gone from the elbow down, with a grim expression, "That apostle was toying with us this far, but if he should strike at full force when we are this weakened..." he paused, "We should let the others know about our situation."

"Right." Faewyn was still worried, but having a task to perform always made things a bit easier, so she did her best to focus on a general broadcast to her friends - something with which she had no practice with - "Can-can anyone hear me?" Faewyn's mindvoice sounded insecure, even to herself, "I...I and Reece got attacked by an apostle in the engine room. We've made it for now, but Reece is hurt and our faels took a big hit. If that guy comes back, I..." she trailed off, trying to gather her thoughts, "Look, could someone please answer me? Anyone?"

OOC: Don't worry, I'm not going to let this die! Although, in retrospect, trying to get a post in during math class probably isn't that great of an idea... Ah well, who needs math? xD

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." A monotonous male voice boomed only moments before Adela fired the weapon which would surely kill Kyra. The shot went off, but was absorbed by a dation portal, the shot flying off somewhere in which it would cause no harm. "It seems fate has conspired for us to meet again, Reid Davies. It's unfortunate that I won't be able to kill you at the moment, although I try not to hit girls anyways."

Reid clenched his teeth as he gripped his bow once more, albeit forgetting Mistral's body was still dominant. "Cress! Where are you!? What did you do with Rosaline?" The voice was all too familiar, and the emotions overcoming his will to scold Adela and Jeckt for using that gun. He never had any intention of killing them, as obscene as they were. Silencing them would have been enough.

"Actually, that's why I'm here. Catch." Cress stepped out of another dation portal before Reid, and threw a bag at him. Reid cautiously glanced at the contents, and realized they were Rosaline's belongings, her flute included. The bag was also lined with her feathers. "She won't be needing that any longer. She belongs to the Padre now." There was something about his voice that appeared to be asking for help. Cress proceeded to go pick up the wounded Kyra, casting Adela and Jeckt a glance of disgust. That weapon, the Padre had wounded him with one only an hour or two prior, and already was he whipped. He couldn't possibly resist the Padre alone, that's why he needed the others. And, that THING he created, it's power surpassed the capacity of even Velin.

"Velin, Arturo, you've been ordered to retreat. Be... cautious when you arrive back at HQ, the Padre is execuring a plot against us." Cress used the thoughtspeech of an apostle to contact the others, unknowing that it broadcasted on the same frequency of the fael thoughtspeech. With that said, Cress, Kyra's body in hand, entered the black dation portal that opened behind him, Kira following afterwards.

-----------

"Ah, this is quite unfortunate. It seems I must take my leave." Arturo addressed Aertan briefly, after dodging the sword swing, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

-----------

"You, Kira, by the order of the Padre, are to be terminated, as your blood is the only thing that may revive your sister." A lifeless female voice announced from the shadows as Kira stepped back out of the portal onto the ground of the HQ planning room. She didn't have time to react as a grey blade, presumably consisting of lionus and dation, spead at the girl's neck, severing it instantly. "Cress, place Kyra in the pool of blood."

Cress did as he was told, although trying hard to keep himself from throwing up. This thing... this girl... She was like a doll, a pawn. She had no real emotion, and she didn't know right from wrong. Kyra's body absorbed the blood, and the wounds healed themselves instantly, although she remained asleep. Arturo arrived just in time to see this spectacle, and moved to Cress' side.

Villa frowned when she heard Cress' voice in her mind. It made her want to cry, the tone it held as he told them of Padre. She'd never really known him. Or maybe she had. She didn't remember. But she knew that he was the one who thought up all the crazy experiments. They wouldn't miss her if she didn't show up for a few minutes more. She wanted to succeed in this mission. That was her task. She was technically still on her mission, since she failed in completing it. So, it was completely unrelated to the fifth's mission. Shaking her head, Villa knew this was a wrong philosophy. She'd be punished for leaving without permission. She wasn't as skilled as the first, she wasn't as bold as the seventh, and she didn't have a killer-instinct like the fifth. She didn't even know how to get around, like the third and fourth.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Villa murmured in a constant chant under her breath as she fumbled with the drawstring on an empty black sack, "Sorry sorry sorry...." As she opened the little bag, she stared around herself with fear dancing in her wide eyes. She didn't want to use her mahstion. It would attract the attention of the other apostles. But she couldn't just leave the girl to die. Villa couldn't kill people, no matter what. Placing the bag on the ground in front of Alicel's limp feet that barely brushed the floor, Villa strengthened the shackles that held the girl to the wall of the ship with a coating of Lionus, and then capped it off with more Eation, trapping the Lionus inside.

"Sorry sorry..." Villa continued to mumble as she stood and took a step back, holding her hands out in front of her, arms rigid and palms toward Alicel, her fingers forming a triangle. She moved her mouth to form words but no sound came out, as a triangle of Lionus dashed out from her hands and reflected off of Alicel's forehead and into the black bag, filling it up until it looked as if it might burst. When the last of the Lionus had been stuffed inside, the extras floating about in the air pulled the drawstring shut, and evaporated into the air.

Licking her thumb, Villa wrote letters of Eation on the wall beside Alicel saying, 'I'd like the bag back please. Surely we'll meet again, so please return it then.'

Villa paused and added in very small print, 'sorry'.

Brushing her hand over the text to imprint it in the wall, Villa smiled and stretched out her angular wings, the UnderGround machine-like joints jumping into action as a waxy and bubbly film grew between them. Splashing in the puddles that had been created by Alicel's mahstion, Villa cast one look back at Alicel and managed a small smile before she twisted off the airship.

"I remember you now."

- + -

Geote howled in anger and frustration when Arturo disappeared, Aertan holding a hand against his right ear as Geote waved about, beating his fist into a nearby wall. Haeon't seemed rather relieved, ignoring Geote to the fullest as she picked up the discarded sword. Working together, she and Aertan took it apart into two seperate swords, before Geote opened his mouth wide and threw his fingers back, Haeon't dropping the swords down his throat like the traditional circus act.

Rubbing his decapacitated arm in discomfort, Aertan chewed on the inside of his lower lip as he decided it'd be a good idea to see what had happened to everyone else. He knew the exact location of only two people; Reid and Adela, who were on deck.

But Aertan was in no doubt that Reid would make sure that no harm came to Adela, and if Reid was wounded, then Adela could tend to it. That left Faewyn, Alicel, and that other guy, who was most likely with Faewyn. But that wasn't necessarily the case. Aertan pondered over who he should look for. However, Haeon't reasoned that whoever he found first, he found first. It didn't matter who he was looking for, it mattered as to who he found. This was a good point, so Aertan tried to bring his mind off of it. He was somewhat uncomfortable that the only thing that had happened to him was getting a little wet from Arturo's mahstion.

He hadn't forgotten who he was. And he certainly couldn't forget who they were. So leaving practically unscathed... Aertan ran a hand through his hair as he over analyzed things, leaving strands of his crimson bangs dotting his white hair.

"Where is everyone?" Aertan wondered as he headed in the direction opposite where he'd decided both Reid and Adela were.

- + -

"Woah!!" Both Xaviae and Jeckt shouted in surprise when the grassy ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently. Xaviae shot Jeckt a dirty look when they'd both recovered from the initial shock, and Jeckt smirked. Standing next to Jeckt and grasping the chains lightly was a transparent girl, her short teal hair cut into a layered bob, and her long bangs clipped away from her eyes. She stared at Xaviae with a wide gaze, and the fael looked down to see a group of faceless children around the age of the girl surrounding him.

"Where are your wings?"

Adela lowered the gun, staring at the spot where the apostle once was. Breathing hard, she swallowed the lump in her throat and stared determinedly away from Reid. Putting the mahstion gun back into her bag, she grimaced and tried to remember what had happened before the apostles. She could barely even think of it, let alone envision it. And it hardly put her at ease in this moment. Gripping the strap of her bag, Adela blinked to contain tears.

The children disappeared, and Xaviae stood in the rain, staring at the little girl who was still clinging to Jeckt.

"Who are you?" She finally asked defiantly, her brow furrowed and her mouth formed into a small frown.

Jeckt laughed when a pained look crossed Xaviae's face, "See?!" He shouted at Xaviae, "She doesn't even know who you are!! It's been thirteen years, you good-for-nothing plufael. What have you done for Princess? Let's see! You did nothing to get back at the losers who made fun of her. Nothing to get revenge on the people who made fun of her because it's practically impossible to see her wings. You stood by when the those Tealian-Morons criticized her for her age and stuck her with crap missions. And now, you're going to leave her to that kid, who's obviously got more than one girl on his hands. Hm. I don't know, Mr. I'm-A-Plufael, you're not doing your job very well."

Xaviae frowned more deeply, "You made her get revenge by playing pranks. Cruel pranks that could've killed people."

"I couldn't have made her do it," Jeckt crooned, "If she wasn't willing to in the first place. I just…" He paused and took a moment to think, mocking Xaviae with a contemplative face, "Gave her a little push. You saw it. I didn't do anything, to make her shoot that apostle."

"She wouldn't have shot if you hadn't brought her here!" Xaviae yelled, pointing accusingly at the little girl who shrunk back.

"It wasn't my intention." Jeckt said, 'liar' written all over his face as he yanked an arm against the chain to no effect.

"You cheated." Xaviae said, making sure that Adela, who was pressing a cold hand to her forehead to cool her burning forehead, "You lied to her, made sure that she was never happy enough to lock you away, fed on her insecurities and lack of self-confidence. You even told her that you were her plufael when she first came. You made her think that there was nothing wrong with this world."

"And there wasn't. Princess chose by herself. Keep talking, plufael," Jeckt's sinister smirk turned into a self-satisfied smile, "The gun is sitting in her bag, and the only hope you have of becoming her plufael again is a sitting duck, gaping at a bag like some kind of idiot."

Adela whipped around and stared at Reid like he was a time bomb, clicking off the seconds faster than seconds came and went.

"Liar." Xaviae replied boldly, "If she doesn't want to do it, then she wouldn't, no matter how much you pushed her. She can't fall off if there's no ledge."

Jeckt cackled with mirth, "And you're implying that you know where the ledge is?! You, who've stood in the dark for the past thirteen years, would know what she would, or wouldn't do? Think about it. What just happened? What's happening, right now? What exactly, is in Reid's hands?"

Adela let go of the cream colored strap and felt around her pocket for the necklace. When she felt the sharp points of the butterfly's wings, she tightened her grasp on it. The whole point of their mission was to get Juliet back. And if Rosaline was gone too, then it was only natural that they'd go after her too.

"Insecurities." Jeckt said, calming down after his laughing fit, "She's riddled with them. A single one can give me the opportunity to reach into that bag and shoot him dead. And don't even talk to me about Mistral. She could take the first few bullets, but she'd die long before I ran out of shots. Adela doesn't need to do anything."

"Shut up!!!" Xaviae snarled, whipping his arm across the air in front of him.

"Stop it!" The little girl shrieked, standing in front of Jeckt and directly in the path of the whirling blast of Dation. This move caused both negafael and plufael to yell out, but when the smoke from the blast cleared, Jeckt was unscathed, Xaviae's eyes wide with fear, and the girl nowhere to be found.

"Where…." Adela blinked, no longer looking distressed and pulling her hand out of her coat pocket to find that the thing that was digging into her palm was a gold necklace, "Where am I?"

She peered over her shoulder at Reid curiously, not even noticing the fact that he was spattered with blood, or that there were pools of the crimson liquid all about, "Who are you?" She asked with innocently wide eyes.

Faewyn sighed at the continuously mute response to her intended, deciding that trying anymore would not do her good. Quite clearly, she'd need Isair's help with this telepathy stuff, but with the fael's currently weakened condition, she didn't want to bother.

It was then that the foreign psychic message brushed against her mind. Though the voice chilled her to say the least, the message itself was a relief. The apostles were retreating, and right now that was the only thing about it that the girl cared about.

"Thank goodness..." Faewyn mumbled in relief, her body finally relaxing, "Reece, we did it! They're retreating!"

"Sounds...more like something else did it for us..." the soldier wheezed reply, giving her a tired smile in return. Sieglinde may have taken the brunt of the blow, but his stomach still bore a burn mark, as did the side of his throat that Velin's claws had scratched, and neither was particularly pleasant, "Anyway, we should..." he began fumbling out of Faewyn's grip, rising to his feet in a slightly shaky manner, "...we should find the others, and-ergh!" Reece winced as a sharp pain sprang from the burn on his stomach, causing him to falter and nearly lose his balance.

"Reece." his friend said in a worried tone, rushing to support him, "You-you shouldn't be moving. Look, just wait here and I'll get someone to-"

"Nonsense." the soldier replied in a surprisingly harsh tone, but seeing Faewyn's expression it softened to his usual manner, "I'm fine, Fay, I'm fine. I've marched with injuries a lot worse than this. I'll be fine." he straggled towards the stairs up, stubbornly maintaining his balance with aid from the railing, even as the girl followed him with an anxious expression on her face.

"So where to now, then?" Reece inquired, stubbornly ignoring the worried glances that his companion kept giving him, "Are we going to check up on those two lovebirds up on the deck or what?"

"No." Faewyn replied, "We're going to the infirmary, Reece."

"Wha-look, Fay, I told you I'm fine." the soldier persisted, "I'm a Fionus user, remember? There's no need to fuss over a few burns, I'm doing just-"

"Stop it!"

"But-"

"I said stop it!"

Reece was momentarily silenced, unable to find a single word as he stared at the stream of tears running down Faewyn's face, her thin frame trembling between the sobs, "Fay, I didn't mean-"

"Please...just, just stop." the girl persisted, "Stop acting like you're not hurt, stop trying to make feel better, just stop it!" she glared at him from between the tears, "You could have died back there. Sieglinde nearly did! How can you just smile like nothing happened?!"

"Look, Fay... didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry I-"

"There you go again!" Faewyn thundered, "You-you're always like that, always charging into danger with all those big words about protecting people you care about and dying for the cause of justice! Always acting like nothing is any trouble! Have you, even once, stopped to consider the feelings of those people?!"

The soldier was absolutely speechless. They had known each others for years, but not once had he heard Faewyn speak so harshly and with such anger; it was like she wasn't even the same person.

"Do you have any idea of how worried I was just now?! Do you have any idea of what it feels like when someone you care about puts their life on the line for you?! When you know that if something happens it will all be your fault?! That someone you care about suffers because of your weakness?!" Faewyn's body still trembled, but it wasn't sorrow anymore; no, this was anger, anger she had locked away and thought that she'd never see again, "You haven't, have you?! It's all just one big epic adventure for you! Knight in shining armor saves the day! You want to be the hero?! Fine, but don't expect me to keep playing damsel in distress for you! I'm not a kid anymore, Reece! I don't need you to fight my battles for me, or tell me what I should do, or-or deciding who I should and shouldn't be friends with! Just..." she sighed, turning her back to the dumbstruck soldier, "...just leave me alone for a while. You can go after Reid or whoever, just...leave me alone."

With that, Faewyn marched off without really watching where she was going. Her conscience kept telling her that this was wrong, that she was no better for leaving her friend alone in such a state, but right now a far more persuasive one was telling her that turning back now would be inexcusable. She had a vague idea that the common room was somewhere in the general direction she was going, and odds were that that was the place where people would start gathering. Right now, she just didn't have the energy to search for them.


Velin remained silent.

In itself, this was nothing new, but the situation in the first apostle's mind was something quite different as she watched the gruesome revival ritual playing out in front of his eyes. He had seen death before, he had seen blood, gore and agony far worse than this before, so why...why was it so hard for him to watch? Why did he have to force his gaze not to stray away from the sight of Kira's head being cut off? Granted, she had been a reliable ally, but even those had to be sacrificed from time to time. Why should this one be any different? And why...why couldn't he get that little girl off hís mind?

'Have you ever loved anyone other than yourself?'

Such a childish question. Why should he need to attach himself to another in such a fashion? Sooner or later you'd have to let go. You always had to let go, he had embraced this fact a long time ago, so why did that question bother him so much? The first apostle didn't know the answer to this, and it irked him, but one thing he did know.

The one responsible for this...he would see them dead before this was over.

OOC: Short post, crappy post, but good considering I have a block. XD

"Er... Mistral?" Reid spoke to his fael mentally after Adela questioned his identity. He had no idea what had just happened, especially in regards to the apostles. But, Adela's sudden amnesia was an immediate cause for concern. What had brought it on? Some kind of event that reminded her of a childhood trauma, perhaps?

"Yes, I'm aware. I sensed some sort of disturbance a few moments ago, and upon inspecting her mind I found myself amidst a large forest. Whatever is going on, it's something we can't help. I'd suggest just dragging her along until things have worked themselves out." She sounded calm, but something was terribly wrong going on in Adela's mind, and Mistral was aware.

Reid sighed and took Adela's hand, Rosaline's things in the other. The boat had finally docked, and a soft snow began to fall over the wharf. The land was all white, the air bitterly cold, and Reid was still dressed in his damp, summer clothes. "I'm your friend, Reid. And we're on a trip. So, uh... just come with me, okay?" He said as he dragged her down the wooden plank to the dock, only to slip and land face first into a pile of snow.

Smooth, and nice excuse.

"Shut up."

---------

"You are hereby placed under arrest, Velin Dahn." The emotionless, doll-like voice spoke again, before stepping out of the shadows. Cress looked away as the girl's appearance came into view. She was nearly the spitting image of Rosaline, with a few key differences. The navy blue hair that was one of Rosaline's key features was now black, while her eyes were pure white, with the pupils extremely small, that provided a lifeless look. Her wings, once lined with beautiful white feathers, were now a skeleton of what they once were, as if someone had taken the time to pluck ever last feather, were closed behind her. A single black, spiral horn like that of a unicorn stuck out five inches from her forehead, which had a white lace ribbon tied around the base of it. Other than that, her body didn't seem that deformed, although there was a chance that some dark, mutilated secrets lied beneath her lacey, ribbony, white gothic lolita dress that revealed her shoulders and fell down past her feet so that the dress dragged behind her."For conspiring against the Padre, you shall be contained in cell 765. If you refuse, I have been requested to use force."

"I wouldn't try resisting." Cress whispered into Velin's ear. "The bastard made her out of the two princesses without the permission of the King. That thing, that marionette of a girl, she has no soul, and she has more power than even you."

He snapped back up as the girl addressed him once more. "Cress, do not forget your place. You have been charged with my well being, after all."

"...Yes milady Cressida..."

"Reid?" Adela asked with a smile spreading across her face, "I don't know how you can be my friend, since I don't remember ever meeting you, but alright. Where are we going? Are we already there, or what?"

But when Reid slipped and fell face first into the snow, Adela raised an eyebrow and stuck out a hand to help him up, "You're soaking wet! Aren't you cold?"

Inside her mind, a large argument ensued between Xaviae and Jeckt, both of them shouting at the top of their lungs and accusing the other of making the young girl who contained Adela's relationship memories disappear.

"YOUR THE ONE WHO FIRED THE BLAST-"

"IT'S NOT LIKE I WAS AIMING AT HER!! IF YOU HADN'T-"

As their arguments overlapped and both became more frenzied with worry and frustration, a small sigh silenced them both. A young boy sat in a wooden plank swing that hung in a tree. Neither Xaviae, nor Jeckt remembered the prescence of this swing, but Jeckt struggled against his chains with renewed strength when he saw what was sitting in the boy's lap.

"GIVE ME THAT CRYSTAL BALL!!" Jeckt shouted, changing the direction of his vent of anger.

The boy seemed highly unfazed and simply raised an eyebrow, infuriating Jeckt even more as the small boy sighed sadly again, "You want to get her back, don't you?" Jeckt and Xaviae silenced themselves with a new interest in the boy, "Well... I don't know where she went... but I don't think your mediocre powers could hit her. She probably went to the Black Pool, since she's a sissy. Can't get across the Black Pool with Dation though.... You'll just melt right in and disappear forever... It'd be rather nice without you guys though, you're rather loud."

"SHUT YOUR-"

"No!" Xaviae silenced Jeckt with a chain, and said, "Where- Where is the Black Pool?"

The boy, no more than a third of Xaviae's height, stared at Xaviae piteously, "You... don't know where it is?"

"WHY YOU-"

"No, we don't!" Jeckt interjected sweetly, "Please, if you would, show us the way?"

The boy leaned back and tossed the crystal ball up and down, with Jeckt's patience running thin rather fast.

"...Alright. I kind of miss her too. But I'm not going to help you get her back. I don't like the Black Pool. I don't really like the things that live in it, they're kind of gross." He said, hopping off of the swing and tossing the crystal ball up into the air one last time. It disappeared, and Jeckt let out a pitiful whimper when he saw his long-time tool disappear in thin air, "It's that way." He pointed toward the mother tree and when both Jeckt and Xaviae turned their gaze to the tree, the boy was gone when they'd turned their wary gazes back to him.

"THAT SNITCH!" Jeckt shouted, wriggling against the chains with frustration as Xaviae let his shoulders sag dejectedly.

"At least we know it's not permanent though..."

"Nothing's permanent." Jeckt rolled his eyes, still visibly annoyed, "But the problem is how we're supposed to deal with this. We can't. Get. Across. The water. We don't use anything other then Dation, smart one."

"I know that!!" Xaviae snapped, disappearing himself and leaving Jeckt as the only one left.

"Fine then." Jeckt grumbled under his breath, "Just leave me here! It's not like I care about my hard work being lost forever at all!"

Out of breath and with a tone of urgency, Xaviae skid to a stop when he realized he was standing on... nothing! It took him a moment to get over the initial surprise, but shook the idea out of his mind that he might fall as he caught sight of Mistral.

"Mistral!" Xaviae called, "Mistral, I-I acc-accidentally- mind you it was on accident! I..." Xaviae fumbled over his words as he tried to find the best way to describe what he'd done without giving a bad impression of himself, "I er... Well Adela's memories, the part that represents her relationships and stuff?? Uh, I... accidentally made her disappear, and -" Xaviae finally took a breath and wondered how he'd suddenly known what the Black Pool was, "We uh... need your help!"

Grasping the hem of Xaviae's shirt, the boy appeared again, staring up at Mistral with his large blue eyes as he said slowly, "Adela's memories are still yet retrievable. Indeed, her mind is a place where things have twisted upside down quite a few times. Xaviae here, is the real plufael. Jeckt is simply a very sly negafael. The young girl who represents Adela's memories was scared off by a fight between Xaviae and Jeckt. I wouldn't know how myself, but it seems she found a way across the Black Pool, and in the middle is an island. We call that the forgetting place. The Pool doesn't normally open a path for myself unless I begin to remember so many things for Adela that I simply cannot contain it all. So I choose what to remember, and what to forget, and cross a path that opens for this purpose exactly. I'd imagine that since she's there, the longer she stays, the less of Adela's memories we can recover. But as Xaviae explained, those bestowed with the Dation mahstion cannot cross it. It's like water, but there are many dangerous things that lurk in it, so falling in is not really something I would suggest. This is, of course, assuming that you are willing to assist us? I'm sure that anyone else could easily get across if they didn't use Dation, but I'd imagine that, being Reid's fael, Adela's memories will leave the forgetting place with less of a fight."

He smiled up at Mistral, "I hope we're not bothering you."

~ ~ ~

"Why am I not running into anyone?" Aertan snarled, getting more tense by the second. He just wanted their reaction to his unscathed appearance done and over with. And the longer he was kept waiting, the more absurd scenario's he thought of. Reactions he knew he wouldn't be presented with, and ridiculous idea's that were probably fabricated from nothing.

"Faewyn!" Aertan finally caught sight of her, and took a mental effort not to shrink back. She looked... angry, "Uh..." Aertan thought for a moment. What was the most appropriate thing to say after a battle? 'Got 'em good?'

No.

"Are you okay?" Aertan asked, then thinking directly of a better question, "Did you run into any apostles? The one I saw said that there were others. And, was Alicel with you? I haven't seen her since I got on board and I know she wasn't made for fighting."

~ ~ ~ ~

"No!" Villa cried boldly from her own spot in the shadows. She'd not been allowed inside the planning room normally, as she was never welcome at these meetings. She was just the experimental object, and not really quite important for anything else. But that certainly didn't mean she wasn't allowed to stand and listen.

"Please," Villa implored Cressida, seeing a fellow experiment in her instantly simply by her appearance, "The First- The First has done nothing! Nothing against the Padre, The First is our guidance! Nobody has kept us better in check than The First, so... so... don't..."

Villa had hardly known Kira, who died for Kyra, whom she barely knew as well. But it stung like a knife. Surely, surely, the girl who'd been revived would be sad to hear that the girl who had died was gone? Surely, the girl would be punished for failure? Velin, she'd practically never had the courage to speak to. He seemed to exude that air of authority and violence that Villa hated so much. But he was simply one of the people whom Villa could not see being punished for anything. She, who knew more than anyone about the punishments that the Padre could truly give. She, who feared every night that they would disown her for being such a failure, and leave her to face the world as a mutilated freak. What would happen to The First after his imprisonment? Would the Padre threaten him with various devices? Would he put The First through experiments, like he had with Villa herself? Experiments that he would never remember? Or have the burden of remembering every detail?

She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down, squeezing her eyes shut for the lashes that were inevitably to come, "Don't." She managed to squeak out, nearly inaudible as she trembled, hiding her fingers that were still stained with Alicel's blood behind her back. It was only the shadows that kept the fact that Villa was soaked to the bone secret from the other apostles. Though surely the smell of Wation lingered in the air where it shouldn't have been exuded. Eation and Lionus being Villa's expertise.

Why does there have to be so much pain?

Above the islet, a storm was brewing. Heavy, black clouds loomed threateningly in the sky, fierce winds whipped the unprotected grass and the very air crackled with pent up-energy. Then, in the distance, a booming thunderclap erupted. On queue, the clouds burst open, obscuring the islet in a veil raindrops.

Crimson raindrops.

Faewyn's head jerked up ever so slightly as the voice caught her ears. Her ponytail had broken in all the commotion, stray strands spread across her face, a comforting curtain of teal between her and the rest of the world.

"Are you okay?" the girl's briefly froze at the question. Though not a muscle moved, one could almost hear something snap inside her.

Such hollow words...of course she wasn't okay. He wasn't okay either. No-one was okay. Everyone, every last being on this world was in pain. The only thing that differed was how much of it they showed.

Like a marionette operated by someone with an unsteady hand, her head jerked upwards, the sudden motion sending the strands in front of her face aside as a pair of eyes turned to meet Aertan's.

Bright green eyes, peering into the ex-priest as if they had never seen him before. The girl's face was still flushed with color, her recent tears painfully obvious, but the eyes were unyielding.

No, no-one was okay. There was only one way to be okay, the path that only one of her friends had gotten to take.

An ever so slight breeze blew around her right hand. Not Faewyn's usual chaotic kind of technique, though. No, this mahstion was perfectly focused, elegant as it swirled around her hand, creating the illusion of long, dagger-like claws at the tips of the fingers.

Only one sting, and then...no more pain. Near-instantaneous. Barely enough to register.

"And, was Alicel with you? I haven't seen her since I got on board and I know she wasn't made for fighting."

Faewyn's eyelids shut for a fraction of a second, opening to reveal a warm, brown color. The mahstion disappeared in an instant. "N-no..." the girl replied, her voice still clearly shaken, "I...I haven't seen her since we were at the dock." she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, "I-I was with Reece, he's-" she bit her lip, firmly avoiding eye-contact, "He's got something to deal with on his own. We ran into an apostle, but we-we made it...sort of. Anyway, we should-" she stifled a small sob, still firmly set on brushing past the topic, "We should go and look for Alicel. Maybe-maybe she found some place safe where they couldn't find her?" the hope in her voice was feeble, but the girl clung to it all the same, duly taking point. But then, a thought struck her and she turned to address Aertan once more, "Oh, and I asked that apostle...about-about Juliet. I think...I think he was about to tell me something, but then we heard this terrible scream and he just escaped before answering." she hung her head slightly, "...sorry."


Velin was alarmed.

It wasn't the doll girl's proclamation that had caused it, nor Cress' warning or even the knowledge that this creature had the sacrifice inside of her. These things weren't altogether unexpected, though he had to admit that given the padre's outspoken distaste for apostles, it was ironic that he'd rely on one for his own coup. No, what really alarmed him was Villa. Hearing her speak up, especially in his defense, had been unexpected and a reckless risk to take for one of her standing, but it went deeper than that: Villa smelled of blood, and not only that, she was wet. Not just regularly wet either, no...she stank of wation, and if Velin could tell then Cressida certainly could. Didn't the failure have any idea of what danger she was placing herself in?

"Silence, Villa." the first thundered, quickly moving in between Villa and the doll girl, "Return to your exercises; this is none of your concern." his voice had been as cold and scolding as always, but Villa was most likely bright enough to spot the lack of red in his hair, not to mention note the fact that this was the first time he hadn't referred to her as 'failure', "As for you. I will of course comply to the order if the priesthood so decrees. However..." he stared unflinchingly into his adversary's eyes. The more attention he drew to himself, the less likely Cressida was to pick up on the obvious case of insubordination that was currently concealed behind his back, "To my knowledge, a decision of this magnitude would have to be approved by the high priests in a disciplinary hearing, and the hearing itself would require a week's notice before assembly, yet when I left a mere day ago, there was no word of such a thing, nor have I been asked to attend any such meeting. Perhaps you could explain this little detail for me? Certainly, the good padre does not consider himself above the laws of the great Thylonstus?" this was a crazy gamble, but Velin truly didn't fear any pain. They had tried to break him with that for ages and never succeeded. No, he would play this game to its fullest, maybe even obtain some much needed information in the process, he could only hope that the other apostles were paying attention and ready to make us of it, "After all, we are all His faithful servants, and it is regretful how often we forget that there are no hierarchies before Him."

Aertan watched Faewyn carefully as she replied. His brow furrowed, not blind to her obvious distress. Had that apostle said something to her? But he could hardly focus on that. She hadn't even noticed that he was completely unscathed, and that bothered him more than if she'd told him off. Aertan chewed on the inside of of his lip as he tried to think of something to say. Something that wouldn't be completely insensitive, but... Well. One thing was for sure. Aertan wasn't about to ask about Reece. There was a reason that he wasn't with Faewyn, unlike Aertan had expected. There was a reason that Faewyn had left someone behind.

"Maybe." Aertan said, uncomfortably, trying to block out exactly what could've happened if Alicel's opponent had been on the same caliber as Arturo, "We should er... go find her then."

He was all ears however, when Faewyn began to speak about Juliet. He clenched his fist when she said that she'd heard nothing, but turned his gaze away at once, loosening his hand and swallowing, trying to get rid of the sour taste in his mouth. Taking a deep breath, Aertan managed to reply in an even tone.

"The apostle I fought." Aertan said burning his frustrated gaze into the wooden planks, as he ignored the white and crimson hair that was whipping and sticking to his face, "Said that..."

The thought that it was Carn who had ordered Juliet's capture caused his teeth to lock together. He was confused. Angry. So they'd done all this and blamed it on Tealia? So he was here for no reason? Juliet had been fine in the first place? If she was fine, then why was she locked up? Aertan looked up at the next thought that crossed his mind. Why was he going to such lengths to save a girl he'd met only once?

"She's fine." Aertan managed to say, turning from Faewyn entirely and walking to his right, as Faewyn had come from before him, telling him that Alicel was nowhere along that path, "Anyway, since it's raining, we should find everybody before they get sick, if they're hurt and can't move on their own or something."

Aertan stopped in his tracks for a moment, turning his head towards where Faewyn was, but not looking directly at her. He took a breath to say something, but paused again, before closing his mouth and changing his mind. Finding out about her parents had never been his job in the first place. But he still felt somewhat guilty that Faewyn had thought of asking about Juliet, while her parents hadn't crossed his mind even once during his and Arturo's battle.

"Let's go."

ooc; I'll post Villa's side after David posts~

"Seriously. This relationship is NOT going to work out if I have to clean up all of your messes." Mistral sighed after listening to the pleas from within Adela's consciousness. "I'm not going to be some sort of house wife, you know. But I guess I owe you two a favor since Jeckt saved me after Maelstrom attacked me. Though I don't believe I'll be trusting him anymore." She sent the negafael a glare that would pierce his very soul. "Fine, but Reid and Maelstrom are coming too."

"Wait, wha-" Reid's sentence broke off as his body fell backwards onto the icy dock, his head banging off of the cold wood. However, no reaction towards pain could be seen, just a motionless body. Meanwhile, in Adela's head, Reid and Maelstrom appeared beside Mistral, completely bewildered. "...What did you do now?"

"She brought us into Adela's mind, idiot. Probably because she won't be able to take the dation by her lonesome, and she couldn't leave me alone in your body because I'd take it over, correct?" The dark haired Mistral, otherwise known as Maelstrom said. A large scar ran up her right cheek from her conflict with Mistral, and she was dressed in a white sundress now as opposed to the armor she had been wearing during their last encounter.

Mistral looked offended at the 'idiot' comment, and it wasn't even her she was addressing. "Right. So, let's get this over with!" She exclaimed as she grabbed the hands of the two and dragged them into the black water. It tingled with pain at first, but that eventually subsided after they got used to it. Along the way, the three were constantly bickering. They finally arrived at their destination, and as told, the girl was there. Mistral approached the girl without the other two, and extended her hand with a big smile. "Hey there, want to come back with us?"

--------

"You are mistaken. We are nothing but disposable pawns used for the purpose of Carn. If you were told of any paperwork, it was a lie." Still no emotion was present in her voice. She truly was inhuman, and it was pitiful. The girl exited the room, expecting Velin to follow. Before the man whom Cress hated had left, he decided to leave him some final words.

"Azyla went to Meredy to speak to the Queen on our behalf. If all goes well, we'll be free of this hellhole." He said quietly, for Cressida's ears were sharp. "I know you have your pride, but you're going to need to suck it up."

When all was said and done, Kyra began to stir in the bloody mess that was all that remained of her sister. "...What's going o-" Her eye caught sight of the decapitated head in the corner of the room, and she just froze. "K-k-k-kira!?" She shrieked, got to her feet, and backed away, only to trip over the corpse and land face first in another pool of blood. She got to her knees again, and wiped some of the blood off from around her eyes before crawling over the the corpse and beginning to bawl with all three eyes. "What... happened to you."

All Cress could do was watch as this unfolded. Everything used to seem clear about their kind, but not now. The people they were composed of. Were they people that had friends and family that loved them like Rosaline and Juliet did? Was this all right? Should they exist? He slowly walked about behind Kyra, and grabbed her in an attempt to move her away. Like a feral animal, the small girl clamped onto his arm with her teeth, tears still pouring from her eyes, while shouting the name of her deceased sister, and he dropped her in reaction. The poor soul quickly crawled back over to the headless corpse and buried her head into it's clothing as she continued to cry.

Arturo, without saying a word, left. He had things he needed to check into, and something he had to ensure.

"Spoilsport."

Isair didn't dignify his sinister twin's comment with an answer, merely focusing harder on the links of vivid green that had appeared to replace their missing comrades on the chain, which he then tightened to bring the negafael's right hand back to full immobility. The storm had calmed, but a slow shower of crimson still fell from above, and the heavy clouds still hung above them.

"She invited me, you know." Typhoeus continued conversationally, "All I did was follow her wishes."

"Ones you planted in her head, negafael." Isair remarked, still not making eye contact.

"Perhaps." the white-haired one replied with the closest thing to a shrug he could manage from the cross, "But you know as well as I that they would never have taken root if she wasn't receptive towards them to begin with, plufael."

"Everyone has darkness in their heart." the plufael replied levelly, "But that does not make her 'receptive'. Need I remind you that it was Faewyn who threw you out just now?"

"Momentary confusion."

"Momentary clarity is more like it."

"I'll get my chance."

"And I'll be there to take it away from you."

"Oh, please." Typhoeus snorted, "Spare me the facade. You seem to be forgetting who's one arm short at the moment."

"And you seem to be forgetting who's chained down right now."

"Chains can be broken."

"Wounds can be healed."

"Persistent, aren't you?"

Isair gave a light shrug, "That's what Faewyn needs me to be."

His twin gave him a malicious little grin, "Maybe I'm the way Faewyn needs me to be too." he replied, "Ever though about that, saint-boy? She's drawn to suffering, she revels in it. Maybe my purpose, the one which you are so rudely keeping me from, is to satisfy that craving."

Isair's gaze was firmly nailed elsewhere, "Faewyn is opposed to suffering."

"But..." Typhoeus continued triumphantly, "She needs something to oppose, no?"

"..."

"Shall I take that as the silence of consent?"

"..."

Still maintaining his calm appearance, Isair let his gaze and attention wander from the gloating figure on the cross to the black clouds above. Though he would never admit to Typhoeus being right, this latest development troubled him. That possession attempt had been way too close for comfort, and had the ex-priest not mentioned Alicel, it may have been more than just close. First Rosaline's disappearance, then the disappointment of conversing with the apostle, the feeling of having let Reid down, then Reece crossing the line. There were simply too many disappointments. Too many. Even with his support, it was a miracle that the chains of Faewyn's heart had held up at all. Only one was truly solid right now; if that broke...a small frown on his face, his lips barely moving as they pronounced a tiny message, its contents lost under the breeze.

"Aertan...please don't upset her."


Faewyn hadn't missed the obvious disappointment in Aertan's manner, but when the ex-priest explained about having heard that Juliet was alright, the girl relaxed slightly. At this point, any good news - even news that didn't directly concern her - was good news.

"That...that's a relief." she replied, a thought suddenly striking her, "Oh, and Rosaline is alright too. That apostle said that they were just keeping her imprisoned right now, in...the apostle headquarters." she sighed, "That's not narrowing it down a lot, but at least we know that they're both alright for the moment. You know, I bet-" she paused, catching herself in mid-statement. There was no proof for her wild assumption that Carn was behind Juliet's abduction - pulled completely out of the blue, of course - and though the apostle's reaction suggested that she had struck gold, she didn't want to lead Aertan on with any hopes that could turn out false, "-no, never mind that." she added hastily, "I was just thinking out loud, that's all."

For a moment, it seemed like Aertan had had something to say too, but he seemed to have decided against it as well, and so the next few moments of searching were spent in awkward silence. It was then that it suddenly struck her how silly it was not to make any kind noise for their friend to locate them by.

"Alicel!" Faewyn called out tentatively, her voice still hoarse from the recent screaming and crying she had done but still carrying a fair way down the hall, "Where are you?! Are you okay?!"


"You're a girl after the good padre's heart, I see." Velin remarked, referring of course to Cressida's brutally blunt and straightforward answer. He honestly couldn't tell whether she was deceptive or just plain ignorant, but he knew very well that the padre was over-extending his authority on more than one count and most likely this creature hadn't been built to protest. How surprisingly ambitious of that sorry excuse for a human being. Cress' remark about 'sucking up his pride' was redundant; what kind of fool did he take him for? Velin had never been one to object unless he knew that he stood to gain from it. In this case, he obviously didn't. Inconvenient though it was, there were too many targets about - the biggest of which was still painted on Villa's forehead - and she wasn't about to let this upstart obliterate everything he had labored so carefully to set up. Being locked up didn't bother him; he could use the thinking time, and he had yet to find a cell that could contain his true power, but not getting to decide on how long that period would be was a bother. Still, not as big a bother as taking this creature on.

Without another word, the first apostle strode towards the exit, but he stopped in the doorway for the briefest of moments, not even turning to address the remaining occupants of the room.

"I trust that the other apostles will remember their duties in my absence."

There were many orders entrenched in those simple words: look after Kyra, find out what the heck the padre is up to and how he's doing it, and above all: don't get yourselves killed in the process. He just had to hope that they were bright enough to deduce all that since there was no opportunity for private conversation. Inconvenient though it was, he would have to rely on the failures for now.

ooc;; I'm so sorry that all my posts have been so messy. Dx;; I'm trying to wrap up all these things that I've started. </3 And this is by far the messiest post of all. I just gotta get all these things done and then we can get on with the RP. xD;;

ic;; Aertan glanced over his shoulder. He was curious as to what Faewyn had been planning on saying, but didn't press the issue, as he'd stopped himself from speaking what was on his mind as well. As the silence dragged on, Aertan could only think of his purpose. He knew for sure by now that he could care less for Rosaline's well-being. But what truly bothered Aertan was that he could feel the fact that he was starting to care less and less about Juliet. Thinking more practically with the idea that he'd only met her once or twice, and never actually spoken directly to her. He was snapped out of his reverie however, when Faewyn began to call Alicel's name. Pausing in thought, Aertan stared at the floor for a few minutes.

"Haeon't, Geote." Aertan stated, looking up at them both and nodding. The two hands stretched out and bent around corners, up and down stair cases, until Aertan was pulled roughly forward to his right, letting out an 'Ouch!' while he fell smack onto his face. He looked highly unamused when he sat up, muttering curse words under his breath before being dragged forward again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Aertan snapped, trying to get to his feet as Geote continued to pull Aertan forwards in urgency, really only succeeding in sliding across the floor. Haeon't quickly came back however, and picked Aertan up by the collar, setting him on his feet before hesitating.

"Geote says he's found her." Haeon't's raspy voice came, "He says you should probably hurry it up."

Aertan furrowed his brow, massaging the spot where his right wing connected to his back, "What are you-"

He fell to the floor face-first again as Geote pulled again. But this time, Aertan stood quickly and turned to Faewyn, "Let's hurry."

Picking up his pace to a run to keep Geote from pulling on him again, Aertan only had to round a corner and open the door that led to one of the smaller decks to find exactly what he and Faewyn had been looking for. Stepping forward, Aertan pulled his foot back when he found that the whole deck was soaked in water, and started to go back around the corner to tell Faewyn to hurry. He decided against it though, thinking that it'd be better if she was unaware of this for even a second longer. He was vaguely aware that the water that was around her was a pinkish color, and that the wall she was thrown against had blood spattered over the spot where her back rested against it.

Though Aertan couldn't exactly find it in him to be terribly worried, he was hectic to make sure she was still, at the very least, alive.

"Haeon't, check a pulse." Aertan said, "Geote, what's keeping her chained to that wall?"

"Eation." Geote replied, reeling back and slamming his fist against the stubbornly hardened sand, "Fortified-with-Lionus." He said, speaking between attacks on the cuffs.

"She's just unconcious." Haeon't reported, withdrawing her clawed fingers from Alicel's neck. She noticed a small bag at Alicel's feet as Geote noticed the writing next to Alicel's head.

"Open it." Geote told Haeon't, and Haeon't pulled the drawstring bag open, releasing a great burst of Lionus that weaved itself into the holes on Alicel's torso.

"What the heck are you guys-" Aertan shouted, but when the Lionus disappeared, Alicel was quite fine, albeit a little bloody, while the extra Lionus burned itself into the wood at Alicel's feet. Aertan called Haeon't and Geote back as he knelt beside the second engraving.

'Till next time' it said.

Bang. Aertan started when he heard the sudden noise, turning to see Alicel crumpled on the ground and bits of Eation and Lionus evaporating into the air.

~

Villa complied with Velin's first order immediately, though she looked extremely disappointed. No matter what, she was still a failure, and she'd even failed in this. Villa had, however, succeeded in deciphering his second order. Even if she didn't know that this was something she hadn't failed at.

Staring at the place where Kira's head should've once been, Villa stepped forward, feeling safer now that it was really only Cress, Kyra, and herself in the room.

Bending over to pick up Kira's head, Villa walked as quietly as she could over to Kyra, before situating herself on her knees and using Lionus to heal the cut between Kira's neck and head. Though the other apostle was no more alive then she'd been just a few seconds ago, Villa glanced at Kyra, who was still crying, and mumbled, "I'm sorry, that I can't do more."

~

Jeckt scoffed when Mistral glared at him, "It's not my fault that you have to go save the girl. And of course, me lying to you was completely uncalled for, even though I'm a negafael-"

But it wasn't as if anyone were listening to the one chained up to the mother tree.

The little girl looked up at Mistral with a tear-streaked and offended face, about to snap at her but then she saw Reid in the water, and glanced at Mistral quickly. As the little girl decided on who Mistral was, she grabbed the outstretched hand, and dragged Mistral back into the water, but this time, the whole pool parted for the little girl, showing that it was actually rather shallow for a lake. She ran, pulling Mistral behind her, and stopped abruptly in front of Reid.

"I know you." She stated childishly, staring up at Reid with awe, "But I don't want you to be here." She glanced at the wall of black water, where human-like figures floated around, unable to penetrate the Dation, "Thank you for coming though. Maybe next time, I'll meet you somewhere prettier." Smiling, she closed her eyes and let go of Mistral's hand, shutting Adela's mind and sending Mistral, Maelstrom, and Reid back to Reid's mind.

Meanwhile, Adela had been confused as to exactly what happened to Reid, and why he'd suddenly just conked out.

"Are you okay Reid?" Adela asked, a tone of urgency in her voice as she looked to see if the collision had caused any bleeding, "What happened?"




"So what memories did you pay?" A young boy on a swing that hung from a lone weeping willow asked a little girl who was picking flowers that grew around the single tree. She looked up and smiled.

"I didn't really like it when that other girl kissed Reid." She said, holding an armful of daffodils.

OOC: For the record, I'm waiting for you two to hurry up with whatever the heck it is you're doing before I post again. XD Sorry for the delay once again. I've been having horrible connection luck lately. XD Anyways, Bell already knows this, but whenever we get around to Act III, it's going to take place 5 years later. Just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of that!

OOC: Five years?

o.o

Like, whoa...didn't see that one coming. x3 Anyways, sorry for the delay in posting: I've been sort of busy with fanfic reviews (and writing) lately, not to mention running around university info seminars. Oh well, posting time. ^0^

IC:

As word of Alicel reached her, Faewyn had no interjections to Aertan's request, immediately setting of into a sprint after the ex-priest who - in turn - was being hauled forward by his ghoulish faels. The girl's heart pounded with a mixture of fear and relief as she followed her guide. Relief over the fact that Alicel had been found, but fear over the condition she might have been in. What if she hadn't avoided the fray like Faewyn had thought? What if she was hurt? What if-what if she was-

'No!' Faewyn scolded herself firmly for the last thought, shaking her head in protest. She would not believe something like that that about her friend, not without proof. She refused! A bit more secure in her newfound conviction, Faewyn turned her full attention back to her surroundings just as they rounded yet another corner to face...

"Alicel!"

The girl had completely missed the scene with the bag, but there was no missing the disturbing amount of blood in the room, or the fact that Alicel was unconscious. At the sight, Faewyn practically collapsed next to her friend, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the floor was still soaking wet as she turned to inspect her friend's body, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"Alicel..." she mumbled, as if in trance. Not another, she couldn't possibly have lost another...what if-it was then that she felt something, a subtle motion in the body she was holding, was that...a pulse? Looking up with newfound hope, she turned to Aertan, "I she...she's alive, right?"


Meanwhile in the medical room of the ship, a solitary figure was locked in thought, his amber eyes fixed on the large bandage wrapped around the better part of the torso without really seeing it. His shirt had been removed for the procedure, and his weapon lay forgotten in the corner of the room.

"I must say..." interjected the voice of the doctor he had managed to haul out of hiding, attempting to make conversation as he inspected the cuts on his patient's neck, "You area very lucky man, Mr. Everard. Both of these wounds are mere inches away from critical spots, if either cut were any deeper, there might not have been anything that I could do."

Reece gave no reply at first, but noting the doctor's expectations he finally managed to respond, if somewhat lukewarmly, "Oh."

The doctor shook his head, "Not much fazes you, does it?" he remarked, "Well, whatever this technique you were subjected to is, my advice is to steer clear of anyone wielding it. I've never seen wounds like this; this doesn't just burn like regular Fionus, it lingers to undo any attempts at mahstion-based healing, though...you probably noticed that already."

"Yeah." Reece grimaced at the memory of the recent attempt at Lionus healing, which had resulted in the newly grown patches of skin immediately bursting into flames. He had been given some sort of painkiller, but even so the pain was excruciating. Strangely enough, it wasn't the wounds that bothered him, though, not the physical ones at least...

"Have you, even once, stopped to consider the feelings of those people?!"

Consider feelings? Those words...could they be true? Had what he thought of as heroism and helpfulness really been nothing more than a big ego trip? Had he been needlessly sheltering Faewyn when his intention had always been to protect her? Had he really been...inconsiderate? And Sieglinde...if it wasn't for Sieglinde, then...the wound on his stomach protested again, but the soldier willed himself to ignore it. This was nothing, this was absolutely nothing to what his recklessness had put the fael through. If Sieglinde didn't complain then he certainly had no right to. The doctor droned on, but his words were helplessly drowned beneath those from his memory, from a far more grizzled, old doctor he had become acquainted with long ago.

"You're a damn fool."

He remembered a searing pain, he remembered wishing for the wing to be removed, just to make the pain stop, he remembered a little girl with teal hair staring at his silent enduring of the torment with eyes full of wonder and admiration, and above all, he remembered the words she had whispered to him as she gave him a childish little pat on the head after the operation:

"I think you were very brave, mister."

Reece cast a dismal glance at a mirror located opposite of him, staring his reflection straight in the eye. His lips moved soundlessly, forming the words that he should have formed way back then:

No, not brave.

Just a damn fool.

Aertan turned his gaze to Faewyn after he'd burned the words etched into the wood with Fionus, until it was just a blackened sooty . Nobody else needed to see that ominously foreshadowing scribble of Lionus. He glanced at Alicel warily before saying, "I haven't checked myself, but Haeon't says she's alive, and at this point, unharmed."

Aertan stood, and walked over to where the opened bag now lay piteously empty of it's contents. Picking it up, Aertan examined it silently, before crushing it in his hand, and watching one last tendril of Lionus fall out with as much energy as a dying dog. The tendril heaved itself up to Aertan's stump of a left hand and after touching it once, disappeared entirely. Scoffing, Aertan shoved the bag into his pocket and turned to Faewyn, snapping his fingers and brushing right past her as Haeon't and Geote lifted Alicel out of Faewyn's grasp.

"We should find everyone else." He said, before stopping at the doorway to wait for Faewyn.

ooc;; I'd say we've finished up. Unless AE's gotta do something, you can just assume that we're already at the deck or something, so we can get movin'. ^^;; Sorry for the hold-up. And the super short post. xD;;