Breaking Gingersnaps: The Jemsons

The Mood is Write

Mom-de-Plume
Original poster
DONATING MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
Online Availability
It varies wildly.
Writing Levels
  1. Advanced
  2. Prestige
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Nonbinary
  3. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
I'm open to a wide range of genres. Obscenely wide. It's harder for me to list all I do like than all I don't like.

My favorite settings are fantasy combined with something else, multiverse, post-apoc, historical (mixed with something else), and futuristic. I'm not limited to those, but it's a good start.

My favorite genres include mystery, adventure, action, drama, tragedy (must be mixed with something else and kept balanced), romance (again must be mixed, and more.

I'm happy to include elements of slice-of-life and romance, but doing them on their own doesn't hold my interest indefinitely.
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"Sir, we've captured the family."

Jade overheard from her cell, and she felt her stomach drop out from inside her. Lungs couldn't get enough air, and arms and legs went from cold to ice.

Sweat dripped down Hegga's forehead, and the Hunter wiped it away.

"Sorry," the sweating woman breathed.

She looked toward Hunter Heggala, a new acquaintance since the end of the war, and at the sight of tears on someone so tall and muscular, Jade felt her throat close up tight. The Lady couldn't breathe. Only a single high-pitched whine escaped.

Another voice came from outside the cell, "Transport them to the appointed location."

Jade's shaking only increased with her dread. They had her wife and children now, and maybe more—did they have her brothers or sisters? Had they caught her niblings or grandkids or grand-niblings, or maybe her parents? She didn't think she had any aunts or uncles or cousins, but surely they wouldn't have her grandparents.

Each face danced through her mind. She lost several nephews, a sister, a brother, and some in-laws in the final battle; her bodyguards and her closest friends were among them. Unifiers burned the bodies to "prevent regeneration".

It felt unreal until she was unceremoniously introduced to Heggala by being tossed into the same cell as her, and the teal-clad Hunter sarcastically asked what she was in for.

Now, on their way to 'the appointed location', the two remained close within their shared cell as the floor shifted beneath them.

They landed.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Jade stumbled down the ramp last. Out of all of the people present, she was the only prisoner who wore regular handcuffs. The rest wore thick, silver-alloy shackles, one each on their upper arms and one on their wrists. They retained their clothes, including jackets, and Jade even noticed daggers still in place on their belts, but everyone was very, very still.

As she descended further, the reason came into sight.

Cuffed and held at gunpoint, her wife and children knelt in front of a row of Unifiers.

Chill wind cut through Jade's shirt and pants, and her token struggles ceased. She moved quietly forward, to stand in front of the row of Hunters, where she felt her cuffs shift. An experimental tug and a glance back revealed what they did—they chained her to a ring in the icy ground.

Sounds came from behind, and another soldier secured a gag around Jade's head, so tight it left her dizzy from the pressure on the base of her skull, and the large knot dug into her small mouth. A few layers of cloth wrapped around the lower part of her face. She squirmed, but stilled as the soldier gagging her glanced toward her family.

Both soldiers stepped away, and one tapped his earpiece.

"Sir, all are positioned at the appointed location," he paused, and then, "Understood." He turned toward the soldiers who held Jade's family at gunpoint, then lifted his right hand. With the arm aimed at Jade's oldest adopted child, Carman, he suddenly dropped the limb. "Eliminate the heirs."

Jade looked toward Carman, eyes wide. She tried to ask what was happening, but couldn't speak.

Silence filled the air.

The gunshot was deafening by comparison. Jade screamed into her gag and tried to pull herself forward as realization and grief spurred her to try, even if it was useless, to protect her family.

She lunged forward. The ground met her face and slammed against her jaw. Dazed, she watched as another soldier lifted Sophia's head, then blasted her face away from behind. Carman and Sophia both fell forward as the soldiers released their grip on them, then kicked their backs.

Next in the line was Alabaster. Apprenticed to the hidden god of the forge, the girl was only just getting past her rebellious stage and starting to bond with her family again. She helped to create new weapons for the Hunters, and from her place on the ground, Jade watched as a soldier yanked the girl's head back and shot her in the same manner as her siblings.

No.

This couldn't be real.

She didn't have time to ponder. Sol and Lune, her two youngest at only six years old, were the next in line. The Unifiers pushed them to the ground before shooting, because they were so small.

Jade's gag muffled her wordless scream of loss as blood stained the snow and ice. She screamed again as Jacquelynn's head yanked back next. A glimmer of liquid on her face revealed that unlike the others, she was aware. Another scream ripped from Jade as Jac-lee's face exploded outward.

"No!" she tried to screech as her throat tightened.

Dravite, Amber, and Quartz's heads drew back as soldiers gripped and pulled them by the hair.

A high noise sounded from her strangling windpipe as tears fell from wide eyes. She tried to crawl forward, and her chest scraped painfully against the frozen ground.

Cabochon, Lapiz, Malachite, and Opal. Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, and Pearl. The remaining eight children fell.

All of her children, from the oldest at thirty-four to the youngest six year olds, rested on the stained snow. The jaws that remained hung open limply. Grey mush seeped from a bloodied void. Fragments of bone stood out in vivid white. Pearl, her sweet artist, stared with one remaining eye at her. This was her fault. The stink of bowel and bladder seeped in slowly through the gag. Every aspect of the scene bored into her mind. Jade couldn't pull her eyes from their still forms until a quiet voice broke through the sound of her own keening.

"Beloved, I'm..."

Red eyes jerked toward the last of her family—her wife and twin. Blue eyes stared back at her. They shared their large eyes, their slender figures, their hair, their faces—but Jade lacked the grace of her twin, and as she stared at the face that was the light to her darkness, she saw a gun approaching her sister's head. A hand grabbed Topaz's hair by the bangs and forced her head upward as the gun came to rest out of Jade's sight.

Topaz inhaled sharply and closed her eyes. "I will wait for—"

And then her face was gone, and she fell.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

A voice buzzed at the edge of Jade's consciousness, "Alright. Get the Hunters and Jade sealed into that cave. I want out of here before my dick freezes off."

Another voice chimed in, "What are we doing with the bodies?"

"Leave 'em. Humans don't come back like Hunters."

Jade's cuffs dug into her wrists as someone lifted her by them, then dragged her along the ground. A cold steel muzzle pressed itself under her chin as the surviving Hunters, Trainers, Trainees, and Artisans filed past, into a dark cave. Shoved in last, she made no move to stop herself from falling.

The light from outside faded with a rumble.

An hour passed in silence.

"Fucking cock sucking sons of bit-!" A sob interrupted Hegga's cursing.

"Shut up, teal-lover," Kina spat, and a heavy clank followed. "Enough of this. This is not the first time we have been put in the ground. We need to regroup and fight ba—"

A long, high keening escaped Jade's throat, and Kina fell silent mid-word.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Whack!

Michael tumbled through the cavern and landed on a pile of rocks. The adolescent groaned and rubbed at his head, and as the dizziness faded, he jumped to his feet and looked around, eyes wide in the magic-lit cavern. Silence followed, but that wasn't right. His breath fogged the air and reminded him that if he could see it, so could his trainer. He inhaled sharply, then held it as he looked around.

He's gotta be here somewhere, he can't go through wal—

The thought was interrupted by a sudden reminder that yes, his trainer could.

The punch sent him stumbling, but he caught himself and in a flash of blue-grey, he soared into the wall to join the assailant.

Existing in the same space as solid rock slowed his mind and distracted him, and after a few moments, he forgot another lesson his trainer always tried to teach him—don't try to breathe while ghosting.

When the fourteen year old woke, he coughed out some dust, then looked up into the face of his trainer.

"Again," Zippo started, but stopped as they both heard unfamiliar footsteps approach. The figure that emerged into their lit cavern drew a gasp from Zippo, and only a silent stare from Michael.

Zippo rose suddenly and began to approach the tiny woman. "Lady Jade!" He knelt before her. At only two feet tall, the difference in height astounded Michael as he watched and listened in as the two spoke quietly.

The strange woman didn't offer greeting to Zippo at all, but instead turned her red-eyed gaze toward Michael. "That is... my grand-nephew?"

The Trainer looked back to Michael, then returned his gaze to Jade. At that moment, it clicked in his mind—this was their leader. For the first time in his life, he was looking at the leader of the Hunters, and she was so heartbreakingly tiny, with eyes that showed nothing of the cute prankster and brilliant leader from the stories.

She began to walk past Zippo, but paused and looked at him. "Thank you, Trainer Zippo. Please, allow us a few moments' privacy."

Without a word, Zippo left, and Michael was faced with his biggest curiosity—the mysterious leader. The stories about her the others told always made her sound so much grander.

Jade approached Michael, footsteps careful as she kept her gaze locked onto his face until she stood before him. He realized then why people mentioned 'having to' kneel. She didn't demand it, nor was her presence that overwhelming; the alternative was neck pain.

Slowly, unsteadily, Michael knelt.

"Um," he started, but stopped as her gaze remained unwavering. Did she ever blink?

The silence stretched too long. Despite the cold, a bead of sweat ran down the back of Michael's neck. He forced himself to remain still despite the tickle, and clenched his fists at his sides. He took a breath to try to continue.

"You are Nephew Kindall's son," Jade interrupted, "and a Trainee under Trainer Zippo. I am your great-aunt, if nobody has told you yet, and my name is Jade Jemson." The tiny woman's monotone drone nagged at Michael, but he forced himself to pay attention anyway, and he nodded. She continued, still unblinking, "I have a favor to ask of you, Grand-nephew Michael."

"Y-yeah?" he stuttered, and internally cursed at himself for it.

"Attend to me tomorrow. I," she paused momentarily, "I feel something will happen."

⋯﴾﴿⋯

"Tomorrow" came, and so did the end of the world, but years beyond that day, Michael remembered with absolute clarity the moment everything went wrong. Now, on the twelfth anniversary, he prepared his own 'celebration'. The thin young man held a single, silver earring between his fingers as he looked at it. It wasn't the usual stud or bar—this was a small hoop, made by the hand of someone he didn't know.

The starved corpse at his feet wouldn't notice being less one earring—it hadn't noticed the last five times Michael came to this fragment after finding the body.

He approached the usual mirror: an uneven thing that made his chin look gigantic, and looked himself over.

"Nose this time," he decided aloud, then took a slow, deep breath as he lifted the silver ring in front of his face and carefully opened it. The metal burned his fingers anew, and he hissed through his teeth, but refused to let go. He'd been touching silver most of his life, dealing with the pain of it. He could bear it. His hand shook as he lifted it up in front of his face.

With a quick stab, he tore it through one of his nostrils, then secured it as he felt it burn at his skin. Tears came as the sensitive flesh steamed, and he gritted his teeth. Breathing through them, he forced his hands into his hair and gripped it tight so he wouldn't yank the piercing out.

"I've felt worse," he forced himself to say. "This is the reminder of the wor—"

The piercing shifted as snot began to flow, and he interrupted himself with a loud curse, then pounded his chest with one fist. "I'm a Hunter, damn it!" Another pound, and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against the cold wall of the tomb to wait out the pain.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Elite Ranger Sergeant Natalie Collins adjusted her uniform hat. She had her mission, and it was unusual. Instead of going out with a partner, she was tasked with finding someone from the Fragments to help with the search.

She assumed it was because her last partner filed for reassignment after their last mission. It didn't affect her too much—she'd already forgotten his name. Regardless, it was time to get to work, and she nodded to the transporter pad technician.

Her body stretched impossibly upward as the pad began to glow under her feet. Natalie reminded herself it was just a trick of the mind, even as she snapped back to her proper height.

She had time to see greenery around her only briefly before she fell the remaining centimeter to the ground. She fell onto her rear with a curse.

"Fucking tech can't aim!" The woman rose to her feet, then tapped her earpiece. "Elite Ranger Sergeant Natalie Collins reporting. I've landed safely, though my technician should double-check landing protocols. We should be landing on our feet by now, not in the air. I'm going to start heading eastward."

"Thank you for your report. Please proceed," came the pleasant voice within her ear.

Natalie smiled, then hefted her duffel onto her shoulder and began to walk.

This fragment had very little life left to it, based on the report. No detectable intelligent life forms, and most of the native organic stuff was just plants. Still, that didn't mean intelligent life wasn't present—scans weren't always accurate—and it didn't mean she could be careless. She kept a wary eye on her surroundings. If all went well, she wouldn't find anything of note except for maybe a red-eyed blonde with huge knockers. Natalie's teal uniform blended in decently well with the leafy environment, but the gleaming gold? Less so.

According to what she read, the last pair sent to this fragment never reported back. Either something was out there, or the idiots walked off the edge.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Father.

It was the only thought that went through her mind. She needed to find him. He was alive somewhere. One foot lifted and moved forward, and her weight fell onto it. The process repeated, and she took another step forward. Her fevered mind barely remembered how to walk.

Unfocused eyes lifted briefly from the ground before her, and a hazy figure gently turned her away from a rut in the packed dirt road.

She didn't understand, only obeyed the guidance until it faded. Her steps continued.

Father.

Thin legs carried her onward as black hair fell into her face. She would have looked like a preteen, if not for her weighty chest. A sequined red dress hugged her narrow body, and over it, a coat of too many pockets. Through some miracle, the girl's pace continued slow and steady despite the high heels she wore. Even her slowly-closing eyes could not impede her progress.

Lucky!

She heard it, but not with her ears, and she paused mid-step as, for a moment, she felt an influx of energy. Some of the clouds from her mind cleared, and she lifted her head to find a man before her.

Tall and thin, with a black bodysuit, he held her shoulder with one large hand. His other hand hooked her dress with a finger before he yanked downward, and her breasts spilled over its top, The stranger fondled them shamelessly, only to pause as he felt the unnatural warmth of her skin through his gloves.

Slowly, he moved his hand to her mouth and pushed it in, then glanced to one side as his visor gave a reading as his other hand continued to play with her chest. "Huh. Sick little thing, aren't you? That fever probably has your brain cooked useless..." He spoke in Finnish.

Her jaw slowly rose and fell as she weakly chewed the man's covered finger.

Finally, the man sighed. "Damnit, I'm desperate, but not... that much." He pulled his finger from her mouth and fixed her dress, then stared down at her. "Look like a kid, anyway. Come on. I'll take you to base—"

A sudden voice filled her mind and forced away the half-formed thoughts within.

It's going to fall.

Panic.

She reached out suddenly and grasped his hand. "Not that... way..." She began to walk, pulling him as she turned to a path adjacent. "Falling..."

"Wait, wha—" Despite his confusion, he followed as she led him. A misty figure led her, invisible to the man.

Despite his complaints and questions, she led him from the fragment as it began to shake underfoot. Long-dead brambles gave way to nothingness and the sight of a thick rope bridge that linked this fragment to the next. The woman stopped at its edge, and the man looked back in time to see a skyscraper begin to sink in the distance behind them.

"Vittu!"

He picked her up under one arm, then began across the bridge slowly, a curse accompanying each step. Below was nothing—literally nothing, unless you counted what looked like static from an ancient and broken television screen.

The rope bowed and swayed beneath him, and every movement from their starting point sent vibrations through it until he finally jumped the last meter and let himself and his little good luck charm fall onto the vibrant blue grass. Loud cracks and explosions from behind drew his attention, and he slowly turned to look.

His home fragment was bisected. Half of it tilted down and away, and slowly slid down into the sea of void below. Half of his base was visible on it, with the walls ripped away. Thankful for enough distance that he couldn't make out the figures within, he crawled further from the edge.

"Lucky me, I guess," the man murmured as he stared at all four and a half feet of tiny woman. Laying on the ground where he dropped her, she looked strange to him, almost like her proportions weren't human.

"So, you're probably not even sentient anymore, but I'm Usko, and I was planning to do bad things to you, but uh... You saved my life, so maybe not."

Usko wiped his nose as the scent of rot caught it. "It reeks here."

Jade's Side:
Father.

It was the only thought that went through her mind. She needed to find him. He was alive somewhere. One foot lifted and moved forward, and her weight fell onto it. The process repeated, and she took another step forward. Her fevered mind barely remembered how to walk.

Unfocused eyes lifted briefly from the ground before her, and a hazy figure gently turned her away from a rut in the packed dirt road.

She didn't understand, only obeyed the guidance until it faded. Her steps continued.

Father.

Thin legs carried her onward as black hair fell into her face. She would have looked like a preteen, if not for her weighty chest. A sequined red dress hugged her narrow body, and over it, a coat of too many pockets. Through some miracle, the girl's pace continued slow and steady despite the high heels she wore. Even her slowly-closing eyes could not impede her progress.

Lucky!

She heard it, but not with her ears, and she paused mid-step as, for a moment, she felt an influx of energy. Some of the clouds from her mind cleared, and she lifted her head to find a man before her.

Tall and thin, with a black bodysuit, he held her shoulder with one large hand. His other hand hooked her dress with a finger before he yanked downward, and her breasts spilled over its top, The stranger fondled them shamelessly, only to pause as he felt the unnatural warmth of her skin through his gloves.

Slowly, he moved his hand to her mouth and pushed it in, then glanced to one side as his visor gave a reading as his other hand continued to play with her chest. "Huh. Sick little thing, aren't you? That fever probably has your brain cooked useless..." He spoke in Finnish.

Her jaw slowly rose and fell as she weakly chewed the man's covered finger.

Finally, the man sighed. "Damnit, I'm desperate, but not... that much." He pulled his finger from her mouth and fixed her dress, then stared down at her. "Look like a kid, anyway. Come on. I'll take you to base—"

A sudden voice filled her mind and forced away the half-formed thoughts within.

It's going to fall.

Panic.

She reached out suddenly and grasped his hand. "Not that... way..." She began to walk, pulling him as she turned to a path adjacent. "Falling..."

"Wait, wha—" Despite his confusion, he followed as she led him. A misty figure led her, invisible to the man.

Despite his complaints and questions, she led him from the fragment as it began to shake underfoot. Long-dead brambles gave way to nothingness and the sight of a thick rope bridge that linked this fragment to the next. The woman stopped at its edge, and the man looked back in time to see a skyscraper begin to sink in the distance behind them.

"Vittu!"

He picked her up under one arm, then began across the bridge slowly, a curse accompanying each step. Below was nothing—literally nothing, unless you counted what looked like static from an ancient and broken television screen.

The rope bowed and swayed beneath him, and every movement from their starting point sent vibrations through it until he finally jumped the last meter and let himself and his little good luck charm fall onto the vibrant blue grass. Loud cracks and explosions from behind drew his attention, and he slowly turned to look.

His home fragment was bisected. Half of it tilted down and away, and slowly slid down into the sea of void below. Half of his base was visible on it, with the walls ripped away. Thankful for enough distance that he couldn't make out the figures within, he crawled further from the edge.

"Lucky me, I guess," the man murmured as he stared at all four and a half feet of tiny woman. Laying on the ground where he dropped her, she looked strange to him, almost like her proportions weren't human.

"So, you're probably not even sentient anymore, but I'm Usko, and I was planning to do bad things to you, but uh... You saved my life, so maybe not."

Usko wiped his nose as the scent of rot caught it. "It reeks here."

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Usko walked slowly as he carried the tiny and busty girl with one arm, using it as a chair for her. His heavy boots trod across the blue grass, and it bounced back upright behind him as he stuffed his free hand's thumb into his belt.

On his back, his belongings filled a bag. The man looked around slowly, as he came to a stop, then cursed.

"I got no clue where I am! Perkele!" He spat to one side, then cursed some more in his mother tongue.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Rocks crumbled, fell, nearby off a rock outcropping. Something lurked. It heard the cursing. Antlers curled out from grey and black fur, cracked and damaged from fighting off other predators that still lurked. The beast sniffed the air, eye ridges furrowing in an all too human way as it recognized one of the scents. Matted and patchy fur whispered against the grass as the wolf hunkered down and crept forward, trying to see around the rock without being seen itself.

Jade. The one who had saved her and her family, given them shelter and helped them back on their feet... She growled as she stepped out, the fur along her back lifting to make her seem bigger. Alilah was thin, and she didn't think she could win this fight, but she had to protect Jade.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Usko stopped suddenly at the sight of the wolf. His grip tightened on Jade's legs, and he yanked a gun from his hip and aimed it at the antlered wolf.

Something kept him from firing immediately. Instead, he gripped Jade tighter, then shouted.

"Huu hau hau!" He waved his gun-holding arm to make himself look scary as he started to edge slowly away, trying to circle around without making himself look like prey.

"Stay away! Away! Perkele!" He stamped his feet as he moved, trying to be noisy, despite the soft and springy grass.

This close to a believer, Jade began to stir, especially as Usko began to grow more animated. Her face twitched, then scrunched, and one red eye cracked open with difficulty. Movement at the corner of her eye alerted her to the presence of a gun being waved about, and both eyes snapped open.

"Stop," she breathed, eyes wide. "Do not... hurt... Shifter Alilah..."

Usko's movements stopped suddenly, and he blinked as he slowly looked toward the girl he didn't realize had enough in her to speak. "That... your pet?"

It took a moment for Jade to catch her breath, but she corrected him. "Friend."

⋯﴾﴿⋯

The wolf was quickly replaced by a thin woman with wolf like ears at the side of her head where a human's ears would be. There had been so much practice in shifting quickly that it was almost automatic now. "What are you doing with Lady Jade?"

It was a snarl, of an animal protecting a packmate rather then wanting a kill - though she looked liked she would need some food herself. Times were getting harsh on this part of the fragment, but she had her sister and the children to look after. Jade... Jade would bring life back to Luisa. "Ma'am, are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Her fingers curled in towards her palms as her golden gaze flicked from one to the other and back. Keeping an eye on the man, but checking like a worried pet... a worried friend... on their companion. "You better not have done anything to her!"

⋯﴾﴿⋯

"Lady J—" Usko nearly dropped Jade as his expression shifted suddenly to horror, and his eyes traveled to the small woman in his arms, who he'd thought was a child after he first her face.

It wasn't her he feared. It was those who sought her. So many people were looking for her. Some razed whole fragments and sank them in their search. Others were kind enough to build bridges and offer aid. Others laid between on the scale.

"I... Perkele, I thought she was a child," he offered in a shaking voice, "A sick one. Even I'm not that twisted to hurt a sick kid."

Jade didn't speak for several moments as the shifter and the soldier waited for her to speak her side. Her eyes seemed slightly distant before she breathed deeply.

"I remain..." a pause for breath, "Unharmed..."

She had to breathe again before she offered more words—these directed to Usko. "She requires food. For... her family as well..." Jade trailed off as her eyelids began to close. "Please... do not let... my friend... starve..." Despite being near a second believer, she struggled to remain conscious.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

"You got the sick part right, sir." Alilah quickly approached, no longer acting as if she was going to harm the much bigger male. Then again, she could probably at least put him on the ground if he threatened her, anyways. She half reached out to the half lucid demigoddess, but stopped short, her fingers curling with uncertainty. "Please. Can I hold her? I owe so much to her..."

That and she didn't trust the man to keep hold of such a small and precious cargo. She didn't trust many beyond her pack and the Hunters, but even then, she'd begun to hear horror stories of the latter. The antlered wolfkin turned halfway from Usko, gesturing for him to follow. "We'll be safe nearby if you'd prefer."

Dark eyes raised, not really caring what the man said. He held Jade, and Jade came first. She was the spirit of existence, despite her pain, and Alilah wanted her to be comfortable.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Usko watched Alilah for several moments, glancing between both women before he sighed. "Yeah. I was going to take her to a hospital or something," he murmured.

He began to carefully detach Jade, only to frown as he looked down at her. "Hey. Give me something to call you that isn't Unifier bait."

Jade's eyes opened as she looked up at him, and a tiny, half-amused smirk became barely noticeable. "I... have been going by 'Princess'..."

One of the man's brows raised, but he shrugged and handed her to Alilah. "I get the feeling the name's fitting."

Jade nestled herself against Alilah, weak arms gripping surprisingly tight. "I am... glad to see you again," she breathed, her tone of relief subtle.


Set's Side:
Greedy hands reached down, spade in hand, and grabbed at the sod around the handle of their tool. Gloved digits plucked slugs of silver and dropped them into a bag, and then resumed digging through the ashy soil.

"This is a lot," the scarved and masked stranger said in a muffled voice, "This must have been one of the pyres. The amount of silver is..." They shook their head, then kept stabbing at the ground with their simple spade, even as they revealed mossy bone.

"Shouldn't you be... dirt by now?" The person grabbed the last of the obvious silver and began to work the shovel around the bones. Curiosity drove them as they continued to stab and paw at the heavy earth.

A spine, long and slender, led down to hips made for a quadroped. There was a tail and long claws as well, all colored black. A blade of bone on the end of the tail was smashed at some point, but the rest remaining looked sharp enough that the curious digger opted against testing its edge.

They began to dig upwards, curiosity only growing as they discovered an arm, and then the other arm's elbow.

That shape of collarbone didn't belong on a quadroped.

There were more bullets in the shattered upper half of the ribcage, and the dugger stuffed them into their satchel, then paused at a metallic glint from above the collarbone.

"Just who were you...?" they asked the corpse in a muffled voice.

Careful, very careful, the digger covered the gleam and began to dig above it. The skull appeared human, except for a muzzle-like quality to the face that felt wrong to look at, and teeth sharp and barbed, and then the horns... Horns that matched the spines on the back, shoulders, elbows, knees, and hips. Two sets were small, positioned on either side of a pair that arched back from the forehead. The fourth set started past the temples and curled back like a ram's.

With all but the neck excavated, the digger glanced around, then used gloved fingers to brush the ashy soil from the neck.

Slightly dirty, wholly intact, a grey collar hung around the spine. It had a gold-colored buckle, gold loop, and gold heart-shaped tag engraved with words the digger couldn't read.

A light touch to the collar, and it shifted. Vertebrae moved. Another touch, this one experimental, and then a little tug. A bigger tug, and then one more, and the remnants of the spinal cord broke, freeing vertebrae to come apart and release the prize.

The digger fell with a grunt onto their rear, then stared at the treasure in their hands.

Intact.

It had to be worth something good. The skeleton would be, too, but transporting that, and now it was damaged—no. It couldn't be done easily. Maybe in multiple trips, and if they had wire to attach things together, but it wasn't safe out here...

The Sleeping General presided. The fragment shook sometimes. It was best to get everything quickly and leave. They'd been long enough as it was.

The skeleton was, in the end, just a curiosity. A collar that could survive a war like that and the pyres after?

That was a treasure.

Into an inner pocket it went, hidden from sight before a gloved hand grabbed their bag, and they started the long trip back to the bridge. A glance upward was enough to know that it was afternoon.

Already, it'd be twilight before they reached home, even running. Still, they ran. The fragment ruled by the Sleeping General was creepy, even if the stories of the curse of the Worguard were just stories.

Nobody wanted to meet an antlered wolf that could shapeshift. Nobody.

The digger ran. Legs wrapped tight in thick protective gear pumped rapidly. The heavy load of silver slugs on their back clanked. Every breath was a huff and a puff through a mask as thick goggles hid the digger's eyes from view.

Running, the only thing they heard was their own panting breath, the loud brush of thick clothes rubbing, and the whump-whump-whump of a hefty bag as it hit their back.

They gripped the bag by its straps, despite its being secure, and kept going, bridge in sight. Its lights against the growing dimness offered a gleam of hope that the digger would survive another night.

So close to safety!

Unifiers often let wanderers stay at their outposts for up to eight hours if it was low-traffic. Today, it seemed like it would be. Today, they were lucky.

"Hey!" a voice shouted from behind.

The digger didn't look back, but ducked their head and began to run faster. Deafened by the sounds of their own clothing, they sprinted as fast as they could. One thin-soled boot slammed the base of the bridge, and then the other, and the lone scavenger kept going.

Whuff-whuff-whuff-whuff-whuff-whuff-whuff!

Well aware they weren't fast enough to have outrun anyone like that, they stopped halfway and looked back, panting, curious.

Behind them, a dog paced. It wasn't right to be a wolf. No antlers. However, the Worguards were shapeshifters.

The digger turned back forward with a little hop, eyes back on the ground before them, and then turned all the way and ran towards the side of the bridge furthest from the pacing dog.

"Whoa, slow down!" A unifier caught the digger by the arm, revealing the scavenger's short stature. "What's got you spooked, kid? Don't you know the Worguard don't hurt children?"

The digger paused, then looked up. They looked back across the bridge, then again to the Unifier and shrugged.

"Scared you or something? You've gone by here every day the past two weeks. Is that old fragment that fun to play on? You should get home. Your parents must be worried."

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Rolf had left. Not long ago, but anytime he left her, Luisa worried. Still, she had a job to do. Dirty paws carefully moved the dirt and ash over the bones to hide them, nudging the broken bones into place. She had to take care of the dead. They all did. So many fell on these lands... She looked down at the beautiful Hunter who had been disturbed and Luisa mumbled out an inaudible apology for her negligence. At least the Hunter's partner hadn't been disturbed. Carefully circling on the dirt, she patted it down, before the antlered wolf plodded back to the burrow her and her mates had made a home.

It was a hollowed out bunker from the war, but it still stood the test of time. A younger pup ran up and greeted her and she licked his head in appreciation. She looked around for the others, a small quirk to her lips as she spotted Stephan, in human form, curled around some of their children. The litters had been small, and at least one was like their father. The woman still needed to hunt. They had so many to feed, but at least the berry bush growing in the corner seemed to be thriving.

A little nose twitched from the pile and a dog head lifted, golden fur tinted with black markings. "Mama! Dapa! Mom's home!"

'Dapa' or Stephan, grunted and lifted his head, smiling at his wife. He didn't do much else, recovering from a failed hunt, and not wanting to wake the bundle of fur and skin next to him. "Quiet down, child. Your siblings are still sleeping."

"Sorry."

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Rolf watched a few moments longer until the child was across the bridge. He couldn't bring himself to follow, not with his family struggling as they did.

He'd wanted to take the child home. To reassure. He could smell the scents of pain, and it hurt his heart. Finally, he turned from the bridge and its damnable protectors and began to walk back, only to pause as a shout from behind caught his attention.

He looked back to see a guard, too young to have damned the multiverse, tear open a sealed plastic sack and throw its contents across the bridge.

Four steaks, each massive, and all frozen together.

Rolf stared, then looked back.

"Go on! Take it!"

Another Unifier charged from inside a building, shouting, "What are you doing!? Don't feed them! They fought against us in the war! They're with Jade!"

"I... The war's over, sir. Isn't it our job to better the lives of all beings living on the Fragments until we can fix the results of the sabotage?"

The older soldier stopped short, and Rolf took advantage of their brief silence to grab the meat and run back to the den, mouth open painfully wide and tongue frozen to the icy meat. It didn't taste or smell poisoned, and the anger of the Worguard-hater surely meant it wasn't meant for them.

It wasn't a massive haul, but to feed the bellies of the few young they had, he was grateful for the gift, and he decided he'd try the first bite and wait a few hours to make sure it wasn't poisoned. Better a shitty hunter die than one of the young.


Topaz's Side:
Countless years. Numberless days. Eternity was a long time without her wife... her children. Topaz slogged along, her mind warped and twisted. She couldn't sleep, because she had too much energy, but she needed sleep... Her body kept pressing on though across the fragment. Her mind was in a fog. How long had it been until she had last simply passed out? Far too long.

Family. It had been far too long since she had held Jade in her arms, just held her close while she slept. Far too long since she had spoken to Opal on the finer points of tactics; far too long since she had last sat still as the stones under her feet for Pearl to paint her portrait... Grace. The thing everyone said she had, had long faltered. She stopped, her features gaunt as she looked around at the bleak, cracked desert she had come upon. Far too long since her last good meal.

Emotions, usually so muted and pushed back, welled up as her hope faltered. Blue eyes turned skyward, her throat tight, and she screamed. Her hands balled into fists on either side of her as she screamed and screamed until there was no more air left in her lungs. Tears burned paths down her dirty cheeks, cutting more paths through the dust and grime on her skin. She listened as the sound echoed out over the land, heaviness in her heart. Heaviness that grew heavier every day.

Strength left her legs, leaving her on her knees as she looked out at the distant horizon. No more. She couldn't die. She knew this. They had certainly tried, and it had hurt more then anything else... but it was not finite for her. The woman looked down at the night gown she wore, blood staining the collar and part of the back. Because of this... thing... she wore. Her totem. It had saved her... but no one else. She panted, still regaining her breath from her endless scream, but her strength gave out as hope broke again. The ground came quickly, and the broken woman curled up in a ball on the cracked ground, unable to stop her tears.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

A scream echoed through the desert fragment, raw with emotion and loss. It ripped through the quiet and jolted a half-dazed dreamer from his dozing with a start. Silver and blue eyes darted about as the one who heard Topaz's song of agony sought answer for its source. Feet found ground and he rose. Inhuman keen eyes saw.

Her.

Through grime and starvation, he saw a beautiful lily. Collapsed on the ground, he found her and it was her he approached. With the fearlessness of one who saw no reason for panic, the man knelt beside her. Calloused and scarred fingertips brushed her hair from her face, and a quiet sigh escaped.

The poor creature.

He pulled the long-suffering gem in the desert into his arms and cradled her against his bare chest as he looked around.

"Fear not, lost angel, my camp is near," he urged as he brushed her tears away with a gentle thumb. "I mayhaps have supplies to provide you fresh garment while I launder what appears a prized gown, marred by violent intent."

And so the dreamer carried the lily to his camp—a tent too narrow for such broad shoulders as his to stand, let alone sit. He entered sideways through a pair of loose flaps, and inside, the scent of water, tea, and gentle perfumes filled the air. So much larger on the inside, there was room not only for the two of them, but also a small pond and heavy wooden furniture. Colorful draped swaths of cloth and leather hung from the rafters in lazily draping curves, and a soft breeze from deeper within the tent set them dancing.

The dreamer found no charm in his enchanted surroundings—his eyes remained glued upon the face of his desert lily.

While she rested unaware, he removed her nightgown and placed a new dress on her, quickly sewn from rich, pearl-grey silk with an overlay of pale blue cloth that glittered in the light. He'd not seen her eyes, but something within—some inner intuition—told him she had impossibly beautiful blue eyes.

Her sleep allowed him time to wash her nightgown with fingers gentle enough to pick debris from between the woven fibers. The icy water softened blood and dirt, and light movement loosened it. Some oil, rubbed carefully into the stains, eased them from the cloth, and another rinse brought it pristine from the cool pond. He placed it next into a barrel of woolen balls and sealed it, then twisted the handle as the barrel began to warm. Away from it he stepped, and the barrel spun to his will. Oils in the woolen balls softened the cloth as the wool itself worked with warm air to dry the totem.

To the dreamer, it merely seemed important to do, and thus he did. While he awaited the nightgown to dry, he began to prepare a meal—a creamy broth, light on spice for a stomach long deprived.

Busy movements offered Topaz no low, however. Though she and the dreamer were alone within, it felt as though hundreds of people slept and dreamed peacefully, just nearby.

When Topaz woke, she laid on a pile of thick, soft pillows that supported her body as naturally as though they'd each been constructed for the sole purpose of cradling her. A man knelt beside her. His dark skin was covered in swirling silver lines, and long, black hair rested in a loose ponytail that hung in front of one shoulder. His eyes shone a mix of blue and silver that stared down at her with admiration, and he held a shallow wooden bowl in one hand.

"Was the desert angel's sleep restful?" asked the dreamer, "I've only to offer my humble tent, but it is yours, long as you wish remain. Do you hunger?"

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Warmth. Warmth she had not felt in a long time swaddled the gem named woman, and she couldn't do anything about it. But... there was no fear in her partially unconscious state. She felt oddly safe in the arms of whoever held her, aware of the desert's heat. Her mind slipped some into sleep as he carried her, and yet she clung to consciousness. The last people she had seen... How long ago had that been, exactly? Did she even know how to communicate still?

Lost angel... she wasn't an angel. She was a banshee. A lost soul who had lost everything precious to her. And yet the worlds, such as they were, still lingered. Jade... Jade still lingered. At some point, she drifted down into the actual darkness to chase after dreams. They were all she had anymore, and her fevered mind wanted to recover, to hide from the reality that surrounded her otherwise. All of her children, dead... and she would be there too if not for the gown she wore.

Topaz became vaguely aware of that item most important to her being removed, and something else being slipped over her form. So thin, so hungry. And yet she still didn't feel threatened by this... whoever it was. So many resting... Tired... Resting... Slowly, after a time lapse that she had no idea the length of, blue eyes fluttered open, quietly taking in the person who watched her.

"Where... am I?" She croaked out, her lips cracked. She ran her tongue along her lips, trying to make the pain lessen.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Ever-patient, the man smiled at her question.

"It is within my humble tent that you rest, sweet desert lily," he informed with a gentle smile, only to use a soft finger to push her tongue back within her mouth. "Balm for the lips. The tongue's moisture evaporates and does not seek deeper to restore." Even his scolding was gentle, but it did not go unaccompanied—from a pocket in his sash, he withdrew a small glass jar and removed the lid.

The inside smelled faintly of lemon, basil, and fish. A digit slipped some of the smooth grease from within, and he set the jar down. A push with one leg drew him closer to the lost angel, and he cradled the back of her head as his laden finger spread balm across lips starved for moisture. Gentle rubs saw balm wholly absorbed, and cracks faded. Dead skin faded from sight, and skin grew elastic under his care. Leftover balm rubbed into the skin of her cheeks to similarly restore them.

Adoring gaze unchanging, he continued to cradle her head even as balmy fingers withdrew. When the balmed hand sought one of hers, it was free of grease. A thumb massaged the back of her hand as he spoke again.

"I do not have enough balm for the whole of you, but food and clean water plentiful shall see the ills of your body banished," he trailed off after a moment, "The ills of your heart are stronger than my power, but I can endeavor to bring some relief, for the sake of the lost angel, if she allows me."

Her dreams, witnessed by his identity as she felt them within his home, left deep sadness to cut its way through his heart. He witnessed her joys and sorrows through them, and her hopes alongside.

She had a love already—one who held so much importance that existence rested on that love's shoulders. So many children was she forced to watch die after she raised them in joy.

She had a name, also. He knew it, but he did not use it. A name had power. He would not use it—to do so would force a bond over which he had no control.

"Sweet lily, please allow me to tend to you." Misted eyes regarded her, pleading as he released her hand to lift a spoonful of soup to her healed lips.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Topaz was so weak, she found herself unable to even resist him as the strange man scolded her and put his hand behind her head, cradling her like a sickly infant. It was strange, the adoration in his eyes, but she said nothing, merely enjoying the scent of lemon, even tinged with basil and fish as it was. He was willing to take care of her, and she welcomed it. After so long of being alone, the attention was more then welcome. It salved her soul as much as the balm he applied to her lips. Her blue eyes gently closed under his touch across her cheeks. A gentle touch she so missed. And still he gazed at her with a fondness she didn't understand. He didn't know her; why did he look at her like that? Still, there was nothing she would have liked better then to be tended to.

Rest. She needed rest. Food as well. So much she wanted, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to say aloud what she wanted. Lemons. She wanted lemons. Lemon bars. And still her voice didn't want to work again. She opened her mouth, leaning forward slightly to take the spoonful of offered soup, a gentle pleased noise escaping her throat as she swallowed it down.

She could feel a sense of kinship with the man, though. Something told her they shared something in common, but she couldn't place what. Still, he called her sweet things, like lily and angel. Nothing like what her dearest would call her. Her tears misted at the reminder. Why was he being so kind to her? Why was it so important for him to tend to her? And still, the desert lily couldn't bring herself to reject him. Was she that lonely? Desperate? She hadn't a clue. She cleared her throat partially, glad for the soup that gave her throat moisture. "Not like I can... take care of myself, huh?"

⋯﴾﴿⋯

"She speaks!" Exclaimed joy escaped his lips in a breathless whisper. So easily, she drew a grin from him with her humor, small though it was. He longed to touch her face, but instead he offered another spoonful of soup. "Please, eat more. A simple broth, but digests easily. More complex foods such as angels crave will come later, when your stomach will remember intended function."

The lily ate, and willingly. A joke offered, though weak and quiet, restored hope. The dreamer's smile refused to absence itself.

He continued to feed her. Broth soaked into dry throat and mouth and empty belly. The angel could feel liquid healing ease body's hurts until empty bowl had nothing left to offer, and the man set it aside. The ideal amount, it had contained.

"How feels the sweet flower now?"

⋯﴾﴿⋯

"Of... course I speak." She managed out, her voice breaking slightly even as she managed to force words out. Even still, the broth, as simple as it was, filled her belly. It eased the pain in her throat, her lips. Cracks healed, disappeared slowly as she indulged not just him, but herself as well. And still, that smile of his was so sweet, like nectar. It made a soft smile cross over her own features. His gentleness calmed her, made the woman feel safe for the first time in more then a decade. She swallowed down the last bite, a wave of contentment washed over her, threatening to put her back to sleep. She was so tired. Then again, when was she not? "I... feel better. Thank you."

And still he continued to call her sweet things, like 'sweet flower' and 'angel'. Why? Why such sweet things for one such as her?

⋯﴾﴿⋯

"I am who is thankful, sweet desert lily, that my meager offerings bring you comfort."

Confusion tinged her mind, but Kjramen saw prompting unneccessary. With time might come conversation and clarity for the beautiful being under his care.

"Kjramen is this one's name. Please, call for aid upon it whenever it is your wish. Anon, the angel tires. Please hesitate not to rest, though should you instead determine remain awake, slumber of many within will offer strength."

So many slept in his tent, all hidden from sight, and though he spoke and moved, to Topaz, he stole no energy and instead fed her with his presence.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

"I'm..." Thoughts raced through her head. Despite his kindness, she had no idea where he stood on who she'd have been married to. On the missing body... Her thoughts went to first Jade, her beautiful jewel, and then to... "Julie. I'm... I'm Julie."

It wasn't her real name, but her mother's. She didn't know who to trust, and so she did what she had long thought to do when she felt endangered. She gave a false name, and instantly a part of her felt bad for it. But it was a name she often used regardless, because one couldn't be certain. Slowly, Topaz sat up from where she lay, her blue eyes momentarily closing as she fought off vertigo. "I... I noticed there were a lot of folks sleeping... Dreamless, but still sleeping..."

Her eyes swept over him; he was appealing to her, his voice, his appearance, and guilt gnawed at her. She knew Jade was alive, and so it felt wrong to even lust after another. Not that her body felt up to the task that indulging in lust would entail, but she still scolded herself mentally for it. Physically, though, her expression was placid, tired, almost aloof, but that was her natural state.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Julie, she named herself, and though he saw truth hidden, simply smiled. "The loveliness of name suits a lily's sweetness."

His hand reached out to steady her with a touch to her back as she pushed herself up to sit.

"They sleep because... I urged them rest. Neither food nor water exist in this place, and winds uninterrupted scour. Once sea, now desert, this place supports not life, but my tent provides relief."

He paused as realization struck that she might think he would make her sleep.

"Your stay, I hope, will only be until you decide depart to seek for flower's jewel... And I wish accompany the beauty on her quest." Gentle fingers pushed her hair from her face as he looked into her eyes.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Without even meaning to, the blond woman who looked so much like her father leaned into his touch. It was nice to have someone touch her so gently. It... it almost was intimate. Had she really been so deprived of touch that she now viewed it as an intimate act? No matter where the woman strayed, Topaz had never let anyone else get so close to her, and here he was willingly touching her and treating her like the most delicate treasure.

And it was nice. It... it wouldn't hurt to indulge in that, would it? Just the gentle touches and feeling so cared for, even if they had just met. And to have his company when she traveled would be nice. "Please. I... I would like that."

More and more, 'Julia' regretted not telling him the truth about her name, but she had spent so much time on the run, hiding from those that would use her to draw out her beloved, that she felt a deep need to protect not just herself, but Jade as well. "Company, I mean."

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Full-moon-bright and equal parts gentle, the dreamer smiled warm and loving. Errant thumb caressed her cheekbone, and chaste lips pressed brief to her hairline.

"Anything I can, for the angel I will give," he assured with a singular nod, "I shall eagerly accompany and assist in all you wish. I vow protection, service, and kinship freely to the beauty I have found in this most arid of places."

Kjramen's smile refused to dim or lose its warmth, and his other hand lifted to cup her empty cheek. "And the lily should not fret over little lies. A sweet rabbit hunted so long... this one understands, and honors any name offered him by the maiden of dreams."

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Blue eyes, clouded with a need for sleep, gently closed as she brought up her hand to rest it over his own. The kiss to her forehead was reassuring. Reassuring. A feeling she hadn't felt in so long that it was basically foreign to her at first. Topaz's body relaxed, and her eyes opened to a half mast as she listened. Her brows lightly stitched together as she looked at him tiredly. "Why... why are you being so nice to me, Kjramen?"

Most upon figuring out someone was lying to them, would not be happy. Most would leave and not look back. Trust was hard to come by in this day and age, but he seemed just... so trusting, so sweet. Tears pricked at her eyes as his compassion sunk in. Still, she was so tired... "I'm a rabbit... because those in teal hunt my wife."

Her voice cracked as she spoke, as it all hit her at once what she'd been dealing with. The woman took her hand from his and wiped at her eyes with the heel of her frail hand. She wouldn't cry. She was stronger then that. Couldn't. How long had it been since she last cried herself to sleep? Let the demons come and tear her apart? Let her nightmares keep her from sleeping in the first place? "Why are you being so nice?!"

⋯﴾﴿⋯

Silver and blue eyes widened in surprise at her outburst, only to relax as a smile of empathy offered a hint of his own pains before he simply kissed her forehead again.

His thumb ran along her cheekbone as he watched her, uncertain how to answer for several moments.

Finally, he spoke.

"Beautiful angel asks, but answers this one lacks." His smile had more humor now as he admitted he didn't wholly know why he was treating her with kindness. "Perhaps dreamers' kinship, or mourning shared. Perhaps other reasons haunt. Regardless, this one wishes for desert flower reasons to smile."

He paused between sentences, thinking through each before he spoke them, and as he said them, he had only warmth for Topaz.

"Your rabbit shall we find, dear angel, and surely she shall find peace with arms twined together."
 
Alilah's grip was that of a mother's, holding the small doll woman close to her chest. A sad, but grateful smile lit her filthy face as she looked down at her cargo. "Princess... Fitting. My sister will be so happy to see you again as well."

The wolf woman turned fully away from Usko, her slim legs still powerful enough for her to sprint towards one of the hidden entrances to their den. She stopped at a cluster of scattered and matted branches, nudging them aside with her foot to reveal a tunnel that looked like a canine had burrowed through the dirt. "Through here."

She looked around, ears perked up to listen for anyone that would be coming around. Her eyes were alert, despite her frail appearance. There was intelligence there, and most of all, determination. She put Jade down on the ground, before she turned back into her wolf form again. Teeth gently grabbed the woman by the back of her shirt and ducked into the tunnel, looking back to see if Usko would follow. If not, she could lead him to another opening, but first, she needed to get Jade safe.

~@~ ~@~​

Luisa looked up as she heard noises from one of the tunnels. More of the children were awake now, huddled around their mother happily, waiting for their aunt and fathers to come home from where ever they'd gone to. A wolf nose twitched as she sniffed and her head tilted to the side. Why was that scent so familiar? Alilah's was identifiable, but there was another one... Jade!

The identity hit her like a smack to the face and she extricated herself from the pile. The pups squeaked, yipped, and otherwise voiced their surprise, but she ignored them as she stalked towards the tunnel. Jade... Alilah... and someone else...?

~@~ ~@~​

His eyes were mesmerizing, Topaz idly noticed as she listened to him, giving him time to voice his opinion on the matter. He spoke carefully, picking his words with caution, almost like he was trying to figure it out himself why he was being so nice.

"Beloved..." The word tripped from her tongue before she could stop it, and Topaz sniffled some as she got a better grip on her emotions. She was better than that. A Princess that was taught and raised better. There he went again with the pet names. But she found herself enjoying it. It was something she had found herself missing so many years. She let out a sigh at the assurance and she let her weight pull her back to her bed. "... Yeah... we'll find my rabbit.."
 
Jade held to Alilah quietly, and didn't object as she was set down, only to blink as she was carried by the back of her jacket. Despite a few bumps and how the jacket dug into her armpits, she soon slipped back towards her usual fevered sleep.

Usko eyed the entrance a moment before he shrugged and dropped down enough to enter. He covered the entrance behind himself before he backed in, moving slowly to keep from bumping into Alilah and Jade. His suit was compact, and though he wore a backpack, it too, was compact.

"I just hope nobody bites my butt," he grunted as he continued to carefully back in.

It was an easy target in his tight bodysuit.

Jade stirred as she heard squeaks, yips, and other surprised noises. Her eyes opened a crack to spot Luisa and several pups ahead.

"Hello," she whispered.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

"We will," he agreed as he used a hand to help guide her back to the pillows, extending and withdrawing it as though he knew her movements before she did them. He took one of her hands in his own and held it as he looked at her, taking in her appearance for a long time before his smile returned.

"Rest and good food anon, and then seeking we go. This one anticipates eagerly the sweet lily's reunion."

A light squeeze of her hand, and then he slid his free so he could pull a blanket up and tuck it gently about her shoulders.

His hands then cupped Topaz's cheeks, pinning some of her hair against her face as he stared at her, unable to keep his smile away. "Truly, the angel possesses both beauty from within and without."
 
Once they were inside the abandoned bunker, Alilah carefully put her precious cargo down once more, and warm, careful arms picked her up again. All eyes were on them, though the adults were the only ones who really knew who the woman being held truly was.

"Who's that?" One of the kids asked, floppy dog ears perked up and curiousity in his eyes. He was a teenager, and he definitely looked like his father.

"This... this is Princess. She saved our family before the worlds went away." Alilah carried Jade over to Luisa, who gave a quiet sob of sorrow, taking the woman from her sister.

"... She's the one who helped you guys when the Unifiers wiped out your family?" Alilah quietly nodded.

"And who's that?" The teen narrowed his eyes at Usko, and Alilah looked over.

"... He was the one who had Princess, so I offered him a meal in return for his help."

Luisa held Jade close, and it was clear just how much this little black haired woman meant to her. "It's the least we can do."

~@~ ~@~​

There was no words. No words to express her gratitude. Loneliness had long been her friend, and having someone wanting to travel with her? To want to spend time with her? She clung to it. Even as she fell into the dark embrace of sleep and ran from the pain of consciousness, she clung to the spark of hope that had ignited deep in her heart.

Topaz had no idea how long she had stayed asleep, but her eyes slowly slid open some time later, and she just laid there, conserving as much energy as she could. Unfortunately, her bladder had other ideas, and she carefully sat up, not wanting to cause vertigo or upset her stomach. "Bathroom..."
 
Jade didn't struggle. She knew she was safe. Here with loved ones, the barest hint of a smile teased at her lips—little more than a light tension in her cheeks.

Her arms wrapped around Alilah, and then Luisa when the other woman took her. With two of such strong belief near her, she felt more like herself—like her reality was more solid and less hazy. Here in the dark little den, she hugged Luisa with the strength of an infant, but it was more than she'd had in years.

"Your children are beautiful," Jade murmured after a few moments of looking around. Her skin felt uncomfortably hot against Luisa's, but there was very little sweat.

Usko finally finished backing the whole way in, just in time to hear about a meal offered him. He turned as he sat, one brow raised as he looked around, and then he turned his face away and shrugged. "I have rations. I just want to make sure she's safe, cuz she kept me from falling when part of my Fragment gave out."

He looked back toward the family, and his gaze softened as he caught sight of Luisa's expression.

He turned his face away again quickly and cleared his throat. "Besides, you have kids. I'm not taking food from kids."

A masculine grunt from another entrance voiced Rolf's agreement as he arrived. He carried a large steak in his mouth, with a tiny bit nibbled from the center where he checked for poison.

He flung the steak onto a table and huffed quietly. "I couldn't get that graverobber to stop," he apologized, "But one of the guards, the nice one, had some extra foo—" he cut off suddenly.

"Is that...?" His voice grew quiet with reverence.

"Princess," Usko introduced, "Is what she goes by. I am Usko. I'm just here to repay a debt to her."

In Luisa's arms, Jade exhaled heavily through her nose in a silent laugh at the man.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

"Bathroom?" the man's voice echoed the word, his tone a question as he walked toward her and offered a hand to help her rise.

"If the sweet lily wishes bathe, fresh water runs shallow just near." He smiled, misunderstanding her use of the word for a moment before, as his hand touched hers, his cheeks reddened slightly.

"Oh!" Silver-blue eyes widened a moment. "My understanding lacked. I now comprehend. A place to relieve herself, the angel requires." He gave a single nod as he gently escorted her to a curtained area that, for certain, hadn't been there previously. Beyond the curtain, a flushable, if strange-looking toilet and a basin of cool water on a stand.

"If privacy you wish, this one remains separated by a curtain."
 
A curse in their native language was what first escaped Luisa's at the announcement that the graverobber hadn't been stopped. She nodded though, sighing her frustration. "I'll take next watch after we eat. Youngest first."

Since her sister was busy, she turned to the fire that had started to die down - it was stationed under one of the holes in the bunker's roof to allow ventilation - and worked to get it roaring again. "We'll have plenty, even if its just jerky, Usko. Least we can do. You gave us something we haven't had in a while, so its a debt greater then you probably realize."

"You gave us hope." Luisa said, her voice choking a moment as she continued to hug Jade close. She went to their water supply and dunked the bottom of her shirt in the water, placing the cooled, wet liquid to Jade's forehead to try and cool the fever she could feel radiating off the woman. "We have a berry bush too, over in the corner."

~@~ ~@~
"Thank you." Her voice was husky with sleep, and she disappeared behind the curtain to o her business. She was shaky still, but much better then before. So many sleeping nearby gave her energy she hadn't had in years, though malnutrtion and dehydration still dogged her consciousness. She washed her face, splashing it with the water to clear her thoughts. Then her hands and she wiped her face down with them, making an exaggerated noise. Her mind reeled and yet there was nothing concrete to grab onto, leaving her restless. Finally, she emerged from behind the curtain, glancing around at their surroundings, curiosity piqued.
 
"You have kids," Usko grunted, "I'm not taking your food. Kids need food more than some random guy." He flashed a grin at Alilah. "If you have to reward me, a place to sleep is plenty. I have lots of food... But what's this about a graverobber?"

Rolf huffed. "A child. Keeps stealing the bullets from the corpses of fallen heroes... At least, I think it's a child. Impossible to get a good sniff, but they're small and run like they're young."

Jade perked slightly. "Cherries...?" She misheard 'berries'.

⋯﴾﴿⋯

When she emerged, a table was set with seats for two and a meal for one—a light and watery-looking green soup with flakes of green that floated throughout and slices of sausage laid across, and some rust-colored bread in the shape of a fat butterfly, sliced in half. Both steamed invitingly, and the man offered her a seat.

"For dearest Angel, hunger sensed still. More filling food comes."

He smiled at her, as warm and as inviting as the food.
 
"There was a great battle that took place nearby. This kid keeps taking things from it. I think they think we'll punish them for it? I just wanna make sure they're safe." Alilah wanted to take care of kids, and it showed in how she approached young of other species. She poked at the fire, sitting back and going for the meat one of her husband's had brought back. "We... kinda took it upon ourselves to protect that place. My family wouldn't even exist if not for Jade and her Hunters who fell in that battle."

Luisa giggled quietly, and with a hand held out, one of her kids dropped a berry in her hand. "Sadly, just regular berries, Lady Jade."

~~@~~ ~~@~~​

His kindness filled a void that she didn't even realize had existed. She'd been alone so long and she carefully tucked her skirt as she sat down. "This smells delicious. Thank you."

Topaz wasn't sure why he kept complimenting her and calling her such intimate names, but she found she didn't care. He seemed just as desperate for attention and companionship as she was. And who was she to deny him that? That and the food good too.