Reluctant Allies

[Psychedelic]

The way he spoke of the disparities between himself and their golden companion spoke volumes. Clearly such a comparison had wounded him, if only momentarily. Aila registered this, aware that such information could sometimes be useful when kept in the rear vaults of her mind, ready to be unshelved upon any pertinent situation arising. The youthful elf also understood that this was only a minor annoyance to her opposite, and it was also quite likely that any further prodding on this subject would not even touch him. In any case, she did not imagine that there would be reason to berate Gerald. They were defending the same whole, and as such should be as unified as they could, though it seemed the third party in their trio did not wish to degrade herself by making herself equal partner in this expedition.

Leaving this discussion to rest, Aila followed on after the male, her keen eyes - forged in caves - seeing through the darkness far more clearly than others might have done. It was a useful trait for one in her line of work, allowing her a great advantage in thieving and other such stealthy activities. She did not let on that her sight was well adapted to the night, on the offchance that he was unaware of this ability, and it might lend her an advantage. Sometimes, being of such a rare and secretive species could be rather useful - as lonely an existenc as hers happened to also be.

Upon finding themselves well apart from those that might be distressed or angered by their potentially violent activities, Aila breathed a long and slow breath, a common way of expelling the distracting thoughts of everyday life that could cloud the judgement of even the most seasoned fighter if they were not careful to maintain their discipline. This particular elf couldn't quite say that it centred her as well as it was intended to do so, but then again, she had never been the calm and focused warrior that came from practicing day in, day out. Her expertise was in competency in a myriad of areas, and it remained to be seen whether this would be enough to gain the respect of the lone Gerald.

Taking up her own fighting stance, positioning her body carefully; feet planted, legs slightly bent so as to absorb the force of a blow, Aila withdrew the rapier she hoped would see her through this sparring match that she expected to be somewhat brutal. She did her best to ignore the scents of pollen and disturbed dirt, instead focusing only on Gerald, smirking ever so slightly, "You needn't have specified. Only a fool would hold himself back." And with that said, the match could begin.

Aila daren't attack head on, well aware that even her considerable strength amongst women of her own stature would not compare to a seasoned warrior such as her opponent. Instead, the elf kept moving, her footwork instinctive and somewhat messy, though it was still quick and smooth for the most part. The wolf was the more offensive of the two, able to strike more cleanly, and certainly with more power. Aila ducked and spun from these blows as much as possible, parrying only when neccesary - wincing slightly at the twinge of shock that her shoulder was forced to absorb. Of course, she did do her best to break down the defensive walls, using her constant movement and agility in attempts to misdirect and distract, striking low and also from peripheral positions. It wasn't the most honourable of styles, but it was better than sticking to chivalrous tactics and being instantly mown down.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

This woman assaulted with the tenacity and race expected of one as nimble and cunning as a mer. And though his vision was limited compared to her own; Gerald managed to parry and block each counter to his own assault. The clamor of clashing blades, the sparks of their friction and the fancy footwork of both parties resembled a choreographed dance of death. Though no hate nor thirst of blood existed in their swings. With each passing moment the normally silent and stiff old man loosen up. A smile even now crept along his aged visage.

"You move well despite the darkness. And wisely attack what you perceive as weak points. Some may find this dirty; but I found it riveting!" He bellowed, before sending a powerful horizontal slash attack her way. The sound of the b;lade cutting through the air was unusually loud; as was the force behind the attack. Each groove of hi9s chiseled muscles moved in perfect flow with his actions. Resembling that of a galloping horse as oppose that of a man. Hinting to the fact that for each action he optimized not just his strength and positioning, but also his energy and endurance.

This was what made the art of Nabanouu so deadly, it was adaptive and conservative. Capable of sending a flurry of strikes, power attacks, thrust as well as using the opponents own energy and momentum against them. It's universal approach though never overly potent in one area was effectively balanced between them all. Meaning the potential of the swordsman was not limited to muscle memory birthed from repetition. Rather their own innate prowess and tactical observations.



The guard now laid dead, as the headless body of Hayden remained looming over him. "Would you be a dear my canary and fetch me my head?" The doll running to the rolled and pierced severed head. Handing it to her master as he defied all logic and reattached the severed part with ease. The once gushing wound instantly vanished from sight as he held his marionette close to him. Laughing as he felt the song stirring within her; it was almost ready. "Spread forth your wings my lovely song bird! And grace this land with your enthralling tune; that unholy gospel!"


At first none could hear it, but within a few moments the subtle song of a haunting choir seemed to echo within the minds of all those in and around the town. At first it was peaceful; causing only confusion as many tried to locate it's source. Unaware of the threat such a beautiful muse truly posed.





Gerald reestablished his stance, not caring if the power attack had connected or not. But all the fire in his eyes instantly vanished as he dropped his sword. "No it Can't be..." He whispered; looking every which direction. "That song it can only mean...But that's impossible I watched him die!" By now even the moon elf would hear the unholy choir. "If this song continues than everyone will die! We can't let the events of the revolution repeat themselves, we must stop the tragedy of twelve years ago from reawakening!" No doubt his words proved incoherent to the mer.

"Aila! We must postpone this for now! Run and check on Justina! I'll gather the militia in the meantime. Let us meet up in the town square?"

Waking from her slumber Justina lazily got out of bed, placing her bare golden feet on the freezing wooden planks of the floor. "Is there some sort of memorial festival going on out there?" She whispered, unaware of the true nature of the spell being woven. A curse so subtle yet alien in nature; that a magic sensitive Justicar couldn't even sense it's insidious intents. "You could say that my little lady! It is a festival of madness...as the events of time pass and the present collide." Slowly she turned around; only to see the doll and it's master Hayden standing in her room.

Jade eyes glanced at the door and windows, noting how all of her security measures failed to go off. "Who are you and how did you get in here?" She questioned, her curiosity causing the man to laugh. "Such pointless questions! For an immortal elf you are quite the fool aren't you?" His words angering her, as she fired a missile of energy his way from her palm. "Shutup!" She barked; "What does a foolish mortal like you know?" The magical projectile hit the chest of the intruder, blowing his stomach and chest cavity open.

 

[Psychedelic]

Unlike her opponent, the mer was not quite so comfortable in her abilities and stamina to be wasting her breath on speech. It was hardly necessary, anyway, as most thoughts and feelings pertinent to the situation could be conveyed with a brief glance or even a sharp outtake of breath. Indeed, her frustration was obvious to see as she was repeatedly prevented from reaching her goal; her ice blue eyes hardening along with her resolve, her lips pulling tight as she continuously sought a new line of attack that might just pierce through the seemingly impermeable barrier that Gerald had so painstakingly nurtured over many years of training. As admirable as his abilities were, it did not change the gritty annoyance that the girl felt as her failures mounted up against his own.

Each time Aila was successful in dodging an attack, she was aware that the force behind it was too much for her to handle, as was soon proven by a particularly well placed strike. She was unable to duck this juggernaut of a swing, instead throwing up her own weapon just in time to keep the blade from causing any real damage. Her straight edged sword slid back against the superior strength behind the katana, though it slowed it down just enough to leave the girl unbalanced and staggering backward, rather than prone on the floor. It was plain to see that this would have been the end of a real battle, and had they been fighting to the death, her innards would have been the inarguable evidence of her inferiority.

Catching her breath, Aila lowered her eyes as she considered the battle that had just been fought, attempting to think of a strategy that would give her the upperhand in future sessions. Of course, this brief piece of thought was rudely interrupted by an insidious and quite seductive sound. It was unfamiliar but still more than welcome. What was a little more worrying was the reaction of Gerald, suddenly frought with confusion and a disconcerting amount of caution. Little of what the man said made sense, but it seemed there was no time to force a more coherent explanation from him, and so Aila put her trust in him as she had vowed to do upon being released from her prison cell.

"In the square." Aila confirmed as she turned upon her heel, immediately rushing into the night; she saw no reason to waste time on further words. As she ran, it did strike her as darkly amusing - the fact they were charging towards whatever this strange song was bringing. But then again - she reasoned - was it not their remit to do so? In any case, her feet carried her lightly toward her goal, her pace steady and swift as was to be expected. She broke through the cover and into the town, slowing herself as she noted the bloody site dangerously close to the inn. The body of a guard, coupled with a disproportionate puddle of blood. Someone else was gravely injured, but who?

The elf cautiously entered the innn, weapon drawn and ready as she moved carefully, easing herself over floorboards that desired to creak and give away her position. She made her way through the establishment, keeping her back to the wall as she moved, eventually coming within site of the room in which Justina stayed. Her steps became even lighter as she crouched slightly, the sense of some grave danger causing her to adopt a stealthy stance.

Indeed, the justicar was not alone in her room, as Aila saw upon peering around the corner. The moon elf debated whether to remain just beyond the doorframe, or else charge in from this position. A more seasoned and disciplined person might have allowed events to play out, and make a decision based on the next few moments, or perhaps alert their ally to their presence before acting. Unfortunately, Aila was hardly this patient. She saw something dripping with blood - clearly an enemy - and so she quite happily marched behind him, with the intent of burying her blade in his heart. What would be done with the stony girl was yet to be decided, as at this point Aila could not make out just what she was to this intruder.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

Justina seemed proud of her actions, enjoying the morbid display of her prowess. The Grimace grin on her face only being out shined by the arrogance of her tongue. "Yet another foolish cocky human returns to dust." Her words cutting as deep as any fine blade. Surely it seemed the fight was finish; that victory had been decided. However Hayden was no mere human; he possessed powers far beyond that of any mortal vessel. Rather than fall to the ground like most, the stranger instead held his ground as the empty corporeal shell of the young girl melted from their sight.

"I have always hated your kind sun elf!" He spoke, as blood spat from his thin cracked lips. Standing on high with entrails and blood hanging from his stomach the mad man laughed. Finding the frivolity in her actions to be humorous. "And what's so funny? Will you waste your last breathes laughing?" She inquired, as she shot Aila a concerned gaze. The once blasted cavity's of his body began to bubble and stir, as his innards were sucked back into his body. Tissue once disintegrated somehow manifested themselves as the man now stood whole.

Fear littered her golden visage; as eyes of jade struggled to fathom the open defiance she had witnessed regarding human anatomy. "Wh-What are you?" Her voice cracked; as Hayden continued to laugh as hysterical as ever. The sheer volume of his amusement reverberating off the walls and consuming the entirety of the inn. "Me? I am the perfect being, the Alpha and Omega of consciousness! And you my beautiful angel....You are incomplete. A fetus of nature that should have been spared it's existence and ripped from the womb of the universe!" Hayden's vivid colored eyes darting from the sun to the moon mer.

"Where is Gerald? Gathering the Militia no doubt? What pointless actions..." He spoke turning toward the tomboy. Seeing an opening the Justicar fired another bolt of energy from her hands. Blowing his right arm clean from his body as blood splattered against the soft cheeks of Aila. Sighing heavily he turned once more toward the sun elf. "Such wasted efforts, misconceived and guise as defiance birthed from valiance no doubt. Behold the pointless struggles of your actions!" He barked, as another hand erupted from the wound she had just inflicted.


Gerald knew that the two could only delay Hayden's plans. But hopefully they'd be wise enough to flee soon enough and buy him enough time to ready the forces. The Militia men had gathered, confused by what was happening. As an eerie and unsettling fog drifted but feet from off the earth. "Your way of life has been challenged; please evacuate as many people as you can and head east far from the neighboring city. For that too will find itself caught in the web of this curse."

Confused they looked at one another, unable to follow the words of some outsider. "You heard him!" barked their commander, a hearty dwarf struggling to squeeze between the crowd. "Now hurry les' I cut your knees off one by one!" He bellowed, the red bearded dwarves approaching proving far more effective as the militia men scattered. "Forgive them Master Gerald; they are good men. But have a xenophobic approach when it comes to authority." The lone wolf of Nabanoou offering him a reassuring nod, accepting his words as true for the moment.

"What is going on?" The dwarf dared to question. His curiosity at first only being met with silence as Gerald turned to face the once peaceful settlement. "The Beginning of this worlds nightmare..." He concluded, his reply meriting a grave expression from the battle hardened dawrf.

 

[Psychedelic]

Why the hell was she wasting time gloating? Aila wanted to throttle the Justicar as she spoke in prematurely victorious tones. How anyone coul be quite so arrogant was beyond her, although she was also well aware that confronting the elder now - or even at any time - would be a mistake on her part. She wished to stay below the radar of Justina for as long as possible, feeling that being wholly unremarkable was a safer option than attempting to gain her respect. Such a woman was a viper, capable of a level of violence that was best kept at arms length, as was made quite obvious by the state of the intruder in the doorway. Had he been an ordinary man, he would have been on the floor in seconds; a fact Justina seemed to have missed whilst cursing him. Perhaps she would learn from the mistake.

The shell of a girl was a problem, though Aila did not know why; all she was aware of was the fact that the disappearance meant she could not track the thing, and as such it was free to wreak whatever havoc it was bid. Unfortunately, for the time being they had no choice but to focus on the master, though the moon elf was also sure there was little they could do to keep him at bay. No doubt, there was a way for him to be killed, though it was certainly not by physical means. Apparently this self assured man knew of Gerald, and as such, she sincerely hoped that the human would be able to guide them in despatching the seemingly immortal being once and for all. Now, to escape from this all too unbalanced altercation.

Even as the entrails replaced themselves in their proper housing, Aila mouthed one word to the sun elf, praying that she would not be too proud to follow such advice, "Window." Offered just in time, as the attention of the death defying man was placed on the girl only moments later. It was no surprise that Justina once again mounted an attack, one that was equally futile as the last. Watching his arm regrow was a grotesque and fascinating process that did not keep the mer from her own desperate attempt to slay him. She stood stock still, staring at him in quite obvious horror, her body momentarily frozen as she was forced to think about what to do.

In an abrupt movement, Aila drew her blade back from the shoulder, judging the angle carefully as she thrust her body cleanly toward her foe, extending the blade as she did so. Her aim was his eye, as she hoped to damage the brain, feeling that this was the most likely way to keep him down. She had considered a beheading, but she could not guarantee her strength would be eneough to sever his spine entirely, and so went for this still risky option. It was a small target, and adrenaline did have a nasty habit of lowering a persons' accuracy, although in this case Aila was able to remain steady in her hand. She kept her weight back, allowing her body forward only for the moment of what she hoped would be connection, ensuring her ability to remain upright, should she miss.

Additionally to this, Aila took it upon herself to scarper, the second this one last attack was finished. With luck, Justina would follow suit, as Aila shouted over her shoulder, "To the square." They needed to regroup, it was the only chance they had of surviving this freak of nature. She did not wait to see if she had succeeded, deep down sure that such an act was just as futile as the last. Instead, her feet pummelled the ground, hitting the dirt of the outdoors moments later, her direction set to the square in which she would reunite with the rest of the party.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

As much as Justina disapproved of the notion of fleeing, even one blinded by pride such as herself noted the hopelessness of their current course. What prove more revolting was the fact the prisoner had made the suggestion. Hayden didn't bother to move, block, parry or deflect the coming blow. Instead he spread his arms out and welcomed the pain triggered by the piercing of her blade. The attack was clean, hitting the mark perfectly as it buried itself deep into the socket of his eye. "Through fear and pain we evolve, we overcome we conquer!" He babbled on and on, repeating the same sentence a few times over before bursting into the same maniacal laughter as before.

One more attack came his way, another missile of energy consuming his legs. Causing the deranged man to fall on the cold wooden floor of her room. Without further hesitation she followed the moon mer's lead, exiting through the window as they darted to the town square. Putting as much distance as possible between them and that monster. "What was that thing?" She vocally questioned, doubting the thief had anymore of a grasp regarding it's identity then Justina herself.

Back in the room of the Inn he laid, burying his face in the pool of his own blood. As from his decapitated limbs new ones sprouted into existence. Slowly he rose to his feet, as even his eye had returned. "They always run from me. I never have any luck with the ladies!" His voice booming as from the shadows a green robed, caped and masked figure stepped from the shadows. "You and your toys." The strange man spoke of course of the song, which was growing in both volume and complexity with each passing moment. "It is soothing isn't it? Soon, very soon history will repeat itself."

The figure seemed unamused by Hayden's words, bordering on disgust. "This will create another ripple, meaning the Oni Phenomena will only increase in scale. This town, the neighboring city will soon be claimed by the testament." Hayden could care little for this testament, the agenda of these robed men or even the Oni. The only thing that interested him was Gerald. "I was growing sick and tired of being bored. This! Moments like this make make feel alive once again!" The cloaked figured stepped back into the shadows, melting into the void leaving but a single warning. "As long as you serve our end. You will have plenty more moments liek this my poor, poor Hayden..."

Hayden grinned, finding his words to be reassuring. Slowly the man levitated in the air; passing through the wooden beams and ceiling as he soon rested on it's roof. "Come now my marionette; stand by your conductors side and let us weave a grand orchestra this eve!" He spoke with hand outstretched toward the hovering, ever elusive pale light of the moon. As from thin air the same lifeless doll of the child remanifested itself into our plane.



The lone wolf of Nabanouu seemed on edge; as flashbacks of the war and the destruction of his city flooded his fragile mind. The evacuations were taking too long; at this rate they'd have no choice but to make a run for the city. Wandering the wilderness with the Oni on their trail would be suicide. But at least the barriers of stone walls may provide some thin silver lining of hope. The hearty dwarf noted both elves running from the inn. "You pointed eared bastards! Hurry this way!" He bellowed, stroking his long and beaded crimson beard.

"The moon...it's the same as it was that day." Gerald whispered, as eyes of silver peered heavenward. "Did you same something master Gerald?" The dwarf inquired into, as the human seemed far too embellished in thought to take note of his words.

 

[Psychedelic]

The sensation of piercing someones eye was quite novel. Aila wasn't entirely sure what made it so strange, but was fairly certain she had no desire to experience it ever again. Perhaps it was the rubbery resistance of the eyeball, that so suddenly gave way under the pressure of the blade, suddenly becoming a liquid gel substance that allowed a rapid upthrust into the brain. Her blade scraped the edge of the skull, the eye socket and steel screaming against eachother as the blade first ascended and then was withdrawn all the quicker. In less than a second, the attack was all but forgotten, the elf having turned tail and run from the scene as quickly as she had come, breathing a sigh of relief as she became aware that the second woman was not arrogant enough not to follow her.

As she ran, the mer became aware of the question that was asked of her, eyes rolling as it reached her ears, "Getting to Gerald is more important." Even if she had known what the unkillable man was, she probably would have given the same answer. It was unnecessary, but the two already seemed to have established a rhythm of mutual disdain between one another. It was a pointless remark, but hopefully lost in the night before it reached Justina, or maybe would be forgotten by the time they reached the other side of this dark experience.

Soon enough, a gaggle of dwarves more than ready for battle came into view, a man standing with them and appearing far less in the moment than he should have done. Aila rolled her eyes for the second time that night, though she was also somewhat amused by the remark of the dwarven commander. "And good evening to you too." Perhaps they would drink together one day, should they survive this mess.

Quickly, the moon elf stood before Gerald, noting his far away eyes and the muttering that seemed to come from him at staccato intervals. She looked up at him for a while, furrowing her brow as she watched him carry on with his numb mumblings. It didn't take long for her to lose patience, swiftly aiming a punch at his jaw. She was sure he wasn't that far gone to not evade at least some of this, and so she did not hold back. "Focus! Whatever this is, you are the only one who has any idea what to do, so get back here!" Perhaps she should stop this tirade, but she also felt that something needed to change. Even if Justina and Gerald put aside their differences to kill her a little later, it seemed worth it.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

The Justicar took note of her insulting demeanor and rude reply; however saw fit too put such trivial thoughts aside. The truth of the matter was that something truly strange was unfolding before their eyes. And though she hated to admit it; her ignorance proved a weakness and their only hope a human. Standing amongst the dwarf she watched as Aila threw a punch Gerald's way; a subtle grin birthed from sheer amusement creeping on her narrow visage. The human however was far from disconnected, though his mind was wandering between the present and the past. He still possessed enough of an attachment to the present in order to see the punchy coming.

Rather than dodge the lone wolf instead opted to raise his sheathe, blocking the attack with ease caring not if the connection of her fist against his iron sheathe harmed Aila. "I am more than aware of what is transpiring before our very eyes Mer!" He barked; his anger clearly stemming from an outside source. "What shall we do?" The Dwarven commander posed a very simple, yet necessary inquiry his way. Eyes of silver darted between both the elves and their new bearded acquaintance. "Take the villagers to the city, tell them to prepare for war and wait." Gerald spoke, stepping away from the lot.

"What are you plotting?" The Justicar barked, her voice like nails to a chalkboard. "I am going to stay here, confront Hayden and put an end to this cursed song before it is too late." He replied, increasing the gap between them. The sun elf offered Aila a concerned look before stepping off too follow him. "As a Representative of the solar empire I simply can not flee and watch a human hog all the glory!" The dwarf shrugging his shoulders, "The men will flee to the city but what sort of commander will I be if I run off? Plus I prefer the company of women...even if they be pointed ear tree hugging twigs! After all...no woman can resist the dwarf!"

His words causing Gerald to chuckle, he could only imagine the amusement of seeing Justina being hit on by this poor soldier. "You may do as you desire. Moon elf...You are free now. And have no obligation to follow; though I suspect you will regardless of any warnings I may issue." No doubt Aila would follow as well; seeing how not to would defy the spirit he saw burning in those expressive eyes of hers.

Soon they found themselves outside of the Inn, eyes aimed skyward toward the roof as the human and his little doll could be seen resting.


"So nice of you all to stay! I was getting bored...Playing the song without an audience is truly a waste of my little canary's talents!" He gloated, chuckling to himself as he lept to the ground landing twenty or so feet from the party. "A play without actors is as empty and boring as a woman without breast!" Gerald had learned long ago to ignore the randomness in Haydens words. "Hayden! Why must you bother me now? What is the point of playing that accursed song!" His words striking the immortal human as odd, causing his brows to furl.

"Why? Because I am bored Hitsumaro! What would our world be like without a bit of chaos and music?" He replied, the mention of his birth name causing the lone wolf to cringe. "Oh! That's right; you hate that name don't you? Isn't that why you go by the name of Gerald now? To abandon your past and to forget about that day you left us to die? Twenty seven of us died, yet I lived on! Well me and the chief inquisitor..." Gerald managed to keep his calm composure, deflecting the past for the moment. "Who taught you that song? More importantly...why?"

A wide grin plastered itself on Hayden's face. "Life without a bit of mystery is dull, is it not? Soon you will know soon enough my dear brother! But shall we proceed to the main act?" A beam of light fired into the heavens, as the doll itself vanished from their plane. "Aww! It seems I miscalculated how much time we had to play my dear Marionettes!" He spoke, offering a bow as he suddenly faded and reappeared on the roof.

"Hell gave up it's dead! As did heaven and the belly of the earth! From their ashes, new life had formed. Death was cast into the darkness, as life eternal reigned on high! But from this second creation, a second death will follow! As all deemed unpure; be it man, woman or child...Were thrown into the abyss of fire!" The sky became painted with waves of light, each representing every color in the spectrum. "What the fuck is going on?" The Justicar asked, as the dwarf readied his loyal ax. "Death is in the air! Something foul is brewing...what is going on master Gerald?"

Gerald offering them all a heavy sigh as he unsheathed his blade. "The Oni are not demons, they come from another dimension. Those that plague the land crept through the first gap created during the revolution by the song we have heard. I can only imagine that Hayden plans to open the Jaws of their world once more...rather to fully open it."

 

[Psychedelic]

The pain was equisite, though thankfully only superficially gained. As her knuckles connected with the metal, pain sung its way up her forearm, floating back down before finally settling in her fingers and the back of her hand. At worst she would be bruised, and perhaps swollen for a few days, but that was a small price to pay. Aila did not pay much attention to being berated, not feeling that she had any reason to apologise for what she had done. Whether or not he believed it, the elf felt that even if he had been fully awake to the situation, he should not have allowed himself to look so far away. By default or divinity, he was the only capable leader in this mad night, and as such he needed to look the part. Mumbling to himself and staring up at the sky was not the way to inspire confidence in those around him. It was just lucky that the mer did not see fit to speak these words, feeling that the animosities within the group now needed to be put to bed for the time being, perhaps to rear their ugly heads in the morning.

It did not take long for the vague course of action to be set out, though the dwarf did not seem to be taking whatever thhis was as seriously as he should have done. It didn't bother Aila, for he thought his flirtation with Justina rather amusing, and would quite like to see how much of this the sun elf would take before heads began to roll. But, they were not here for frivolity, and so Aila only steeled herself against the idea of death coming her way at this sadly early stage. Gerald hit the nail on the head, as she ws as following the dwarf and elf at the rear already. She did not value her freedom as much as her pride, and so fleeing from this was simply not an option.

Soon enough they were standing in a group, disconnected as their personalities were. The man on the roof was clearly insane, although the moon elf suppposed that some might have argued that there was a feverish brilliance within his ramblings. Others might have suggested that he was simply misunderstood, for all the good it would do them. The crux of the matter was that this man was a menace, and with the means to bring the world to its knees, should he go on unchecked. As such, Aila wished to see him dead and buried at the earliest opportunity - if only she knew how that was to be achieved.

Hate built in the woman as she listened to Hayden, watching him closely and warily, uncertain of what his next movement might be. She also made a note of the name he used for Gerald, again putting that aside as a question to be asked at a later date. For the time being, she added her own comment to those of the sun elf and dwarf, "Who cares, I know what is going to happen. The bastard's goiing to die." She spoke with such certainty, it was almost as if she had already seen it foretold, though of course this was impossible. She was bound to listen to the explanation of Gerald, horrific as it was.

The gravity of the situation became abundantly clear, but there was still no clear solution to the problem. Kill the girl? But could she be destroyed? Was she like her master, or perhaps even hardier than he? There were too many unanswered queestions, and it frightened Aila. It showed in the tight set of her jaw, and the sweat that built on her brow, despite the cool night air. She clung to the rapier's grip tightly, knuckles white with the effort, as she watched Hayden always, barely daring to take an eye off him.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

The phenomena had gone beyond the point of no return, the gravity of tonight's actions will forever cause ripples to dance across the thin threads of the universe. Energy beyond comprehension had formed in the heavens; power beyond any mere mortal control. As the jaws of Oblivion opened, the sky tore leaving in it's place a void beyond recognition. Gerald had failed, history would repeat itself as true chaos now entered their world. The once clear skies were now covered in a countless sea of vast and small Oni alike. Flying every which way.

"The time of the second awakening has come my brother! Soon the oceans will run with the blood of this world. Those that have rejected the universe shall converge to a single consciousness and this plane will be warped and contorted to resemble a new dimension. One fit for those lost to the tides of time and the ebbing of change!" Insanely he laughed, Justina hated the arrogance of this human. She longed for clarification as well; but understood now was not the time nor the place for it. All that mattered was the reversal of whatever was occurring.

"Master Gerald! How do we reverse this!" The dwarf yelled, his words warranting a sneer from Hayden. As from the shadows a cloaked figure appeared. "You can't..." The figure spoke, turning to face Hayden. "Leave, take the doll and the song with you. The path to the second key is known." He barked, Hayden offering him a bow. "Please take good care of Hitsumaro in my absence." As both him and the song vanished into the night. Narrowing his eyes Gerald eyed the strange newcomer. "What are you?"

Silence greeted him at first, as the figure turned to face the party. "I am the horsemen of pestilence. Bringer of both Armageddon and Nirvana! But do not fret, I am only here to stall you. Your life holds importance to the plan, child of cain!" Gerald seemed confused, the title so casually tossed his way was lost to him. Whatever this being was, whatever his intentions undoubtedly proved against their favor. "I see..." He replied, changing his stance from a neutral to an offensive. "Everyone, we must take down this man! I know of a way to revert the damage but we can't do so with him in our way!"

The figure seemed bewildered, laughing as he found amusement in his words. "Such powerful words from children of dust and ash. So be it, come at me. Let me teach why the barks of a pet; have little effect on the will of it's master!" Tendrils erupted from the slits of his armor, as what appeared to be roots planted themselves from his feet to the ground. The unknown horseman lifted himself from the ground as the tentacles now resembled branches. From their tips the diseased corpses of human and elf alike blossomed like flowers. Dropping tpo the ground as several mindless thralls served as a barrier between them and their target.

"I am the door, through me all must pass! All those you see were once human and mer, claimed by disease they now serve as my toys!" The husk of the dead moaned and cried, calling for their family, their lovers and their god. The sheer volume of their agony like an orchestra engulfed the entire town. "This sick son of a bitch! Using the dead like puppets!" Justina's words contradicting her normal persona. As she fired various bolts of energy their way. Blowing the limbs and heads off of several of the husk. But as soon as one fell, another sprouted from the horseman and descended on the ground ready to serve it's master.

 

[Psychedelic]

As terrible as all this was, the elf found that she did not regret her decision to flee her life of quiet peace in her home. Yes, it was likely that her life would have been a great deal longer, as the demonic horde would probably not have reached the well hidden clan for some time, but that was hardly the point, in her eyes. A long life that has not been truly lived, is worth nothing to the person it belongs to, and could barely be said to hold any significance to family and deities. On the other hand, a fast burning life that has been used and loved for all it is worth, is something to be cherished by any that know of it. Why else are adventurers and heroes given such rapturous funeral rites? It is because they are revered so well by the old men that invariably perform these tasks.

Unfortunately for all involved, philosophical points such as these were made moot by what was unfolding in front of them. They still had so few answers, but the questions were caming at them regardless of this fact, and they didn't plan on going easy on them. The conversation of Hayden was just as disturbing as it had been in the beginning of the debacle, but he took on an even more fearsome demeanor as he saw the objects of his labour come to fruition. The maniac spat words that were troublesome to even the dullest of ears, and Aila fought with her instinctive self as it screamed at her to run. No doubt, most others in the vicinity would be feeling the same, although she was also sure that the three that accompanied her were seasoned enough in battle to have these thoughts and emotions well in check. Indeed, she doubted if any of them even noticed this primitive instinct anymore.

Time carried on at an annoyingly rapid rate, Aila forced to wonder if she would even manage to think in this high pressure. The corpses descended at an alarming rate, the fruit of their master. There were far too many of them, but they seemed to be fairly weak, and would go down like any other rabid animal. That was good, at least. The elf considered the best way to tackle these monstrosities, soon coming to the conclusion that they would need to become a team in this fight, rather than a group of four individuals that just happened to share a common enemy. With this in mind, the girl took her own strengths into consideration, in relation to those of the others. It seemed plain what needed to be done.

Only a few moments after Justina had begun her own ruthless attack on the husks that had once been so full of life, Aila burst onto the scene. She moved with more speed than she had done during the sparring sesssion, driven by a healthy amount of fear that she did not show, along with the adrenaline shooting through her, boosting her reflexes. As she fought the disgusting dead, the elf tried not to look at any of them too closely, afraid that she would see some thread of sentiency in their eyes. She hated to think of what these creatures had once been, instead choosing to block this out for the sake of her own sanity. She also feared seeing someone she might recognise, be that through hysteria or reality. In any event, her idea of hacking at limbs and slicing throats was far more practical than studying the horde first.

Although it might seem futile to be slashing away at this seemingly endless procession of dead, Aila kept at it, knowing that she was not nearly strong enough to take on this Pestilence, and so she needed to carve the way for others to get to him. Indeed, she tried to convey this to those around her, briefly gesturing as she spun low to avoid the deranged swipe of one of her foes. Her blade plummetted into her back moments later, only to be removed in order to go onto the next one. At this rate, she would tire long before this battle was over.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

Deep within the soothing song of his own Madness, Hayden found solace as a warm light did beat against his porcelain toned skin. With eyes opened anew he found himself standing within the court of these strangely cloaked men and women alike. "Hayden, using the song to this extent was unwise. You have accelerated the events that were to transpire!" A woman's voice hissed at him, from behind a charred mask. Being the only woman in the group, and the only temperamental one Hayden found her the most appealing of the lot. "And what of it?" He replied so nonchalant like; his reaction evoking rage.

"Wrath; calm down. Our wayward pawn has performed admirably. His current actions may have hastened the dissipation of the world. But I am sure his motives were pure and aligned with our own." A white robbed man replied, his mask that of a ram. "Hayden tell me why you acted so irrationally." The angry cloaked figure managed to regain control of her emotions. "Why? Isn't it obvious?" His reply causing the other members of the order to look at one another concerned. "No, pray tell." Another member called out from the group.

"Perhaps I wanted to cause a shift and push this whole dimension into a high-order domain." His words causing grave concern, "What are you saying?" The females voice breaking under the strain of her emotions. "Don't be afraid; We low-dimension creatures will move to a higher plane! It'll be glorious! The true eternal chain! The fulfillment of that which we lacked! The evolution of mankind, and the evolution of the very world itself that watches over us! Happy days are here! They'll name a holiday after me! That is, assuming they even have the concept of holidays on the other side!"

He spoke without delay or pause, his voice stern and adamant as he danced around the room laughing in a craze state of mind. What he sought was similar to their desires, however his end goal of chaos proved unwanted. "Such a world can only breed disorder and chaos!" The old man rebuked him, like a father does his child. Freezing in place he glanced back at him. Chuckling; finding amusement in his reaction. "And what is it you find so funny?" The elderly one continued, his hands tightly clenching his staff.

"Chaos? It is through adversity we evolve. Only by consuming and accepting the illogical nature and randomness of our world can one truly ascended to the realm of a perfect consciousness. God is dead ladies and gentlemen! In his place...only chaos can stand as sovereign ruler of our universe. Smite me if you wish, but the truth even to this madman is self evident enough." They knew now the folly in using this exceptional being, even without their supervision he would send the world hurling to destruction. And even they, with all their power could do little to stop him.



No matter how many they cut down, the mindless groaning thralls of Pestilence never ceased. Their numbers grew, as the Dwarf rolled into combat. Cutting them down to size with his large battle axe. Gerald with fluid motion and grace weaved between their ranks, slashing the heads off of these poor souls. As the Justicar hurled a sea of destructive magic across the vast horde of marching death. What was once ten had become a hundred, revealing the futility in their actions.

"Foolish, children of dust are such weak prey." He whispered to himself, his words unable to reach their ears. But the look of disgust mingled with boredom was all to obvious. "Is there no end?" The dwarf cried, spinning in a circle as he sliced all those around him in half. Large quantities of blood spraying across the scene. "This is pointless!" Justine replied, as she cast a wall of fire around the party, giving them some respite as those remaining were cut off.

Heavily Gerald was breathing, enjoying the rest as his eyes darted across the battlefield. "It seems we can't hope to stop them all! What sort of monster be this man" He questioned aloud, as the sudden ringing of a bell echoed across the town. "What in the hell?" The dwarf spewed, spit spraying from his lips to his beard. Pestilence looked at his watch, sighing heavily. "It seems my times is up. Enjoy your time in limbo foolish children!" He taunted them as he too vanished leaving his horde behind.

"Coward!" Justina yelled at the top of her lungs, her body freezing as the ground underneath them became semi transparent. "Master Gerald! Lady Moon elf!" The dwarf cried, as they began to sink into the very earth. Surprisingly Gerald seemed calm, exhaling peacefully as he turned to face them all. "Remain calm...Do not fight the current soon to come." His words seemed strange, and empty without proper explanation. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?" The Justicar inquired into, before a huge flash of light and a massive wave of energy came rolling their way.

But just before it hit them, a little girl appeared between them all. Her lips moved but no words escaped her mouth. "From the ashes of the old world...came a New Jerusalem." Her lips seemed mouth, but suddenly there was only darkness. The group was separated and knocked cold. And when they awoke they'd find themselves standing in another world of crystal trees, white sand and two bright suns.

Aila would be the first to awake, finding Gerald unconscious with the little girl standing over him. The same she saw before the collision. The dwarf and Justicar seemed to have been blown elsewhere. Hopefully together...or for the dwarfs sake maybe apart.

 

[Psychedelic]

This was not going well. The dead just seemed to be multiplying as they mowed them down with skills both instinctive and born of rigorous training. For all the brilliance of their combined efforts, it just wasn't making a dent in the formidable foe of theirs. Aila wanted to scream with frustration, and certainly would have done so, had she the breath with which to make this sound. Unfortunately, the relentless attacks all around her kept her from doing anything but continuing the fight, moving without all that much accuracy, though with enough brutality in her swings to keep herself alive. At this stage, where she was beginning to panic a little, that was the best that could be asked for.

Finally, with the help of Justina, the continuous waves of husks were kept at bay. Aila only glanced at the sun elf, the meaning of this momentary expression quite obvious. The gratitude she felt was immense, although it was difficult to say whether there was any point to it. They were protected for now, but sooner or later the flames would die down, and then they would all be thrown back into the pit with those dogs. Even the strongest of them was not free of fatigue, and it was that flaw that would take them. As thheir reflexes slowed, they would fail to parry effectively, their judgement would suffer and they might miss an opponent. It would end as surely as it had begun.

At the tolling of the bell, Aila momentarily looked up, though she was not distracted for long. The words of this Pestilence were not a comfort, despite the fact that it was their get out of jail free card. Whatever he meant, she was sure that nothing good could come of it. And as if to prove this point, the oddities just became greater in that moment. "Shit." Was the only comment the young elf had on the situation, for she had nothing left to her but this frightened and angry word escaping her lips. She wasn't sure whether this would be better or worse if she began falling, as standing on this transluscent echo of solid ground was enough to give even the most seasoned adventurer a serious case of vertigo.

Whether it was lucky or unlucky, the pace of change only seemed to speed up like a runaway animal, the words and demeanour of Gerald only adding to the madness of the situation. In fact, the biting words of the Justicar were almost a comfort as their vision became gradually bled out by the mass of light. The girl appeared so suddenly, and mouthed her words with such precision before the world was obscured from view by the flash, Aila was unsure whether this apparition was real or imagined, though she did not have the time to think on it before everything fell away from her.

The elf started awake, almost bashing her head as she struggled for consciousness. It took some moments to resettle herself in this environment, familiarising herself with this odd and far too bright world. The trees were almost offensive in their crystalline beauty, and those celestial bodies blazed with far too much intensityy. But there was no time to focus on that, for she had spotted Gerald and the girl that stood over him.

Aila made a grab for her sword, which had fallen nearby her own body, soon approaching the odd being with a considerable amount of caution. "You! Step away from him." As disconcerted as she was, her voice remained clean and strong, her posture falsely confident. She added, "And tell me who the hell you are." Her gaze shifted to Gerald periodically, glaring at him, as if he would wake if she were angry enough with him.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

The small child only offered her a perplexed glare, she seemed truly baffled by the mer's reaction. In truth she had always had trouble understanding the children of dust; their logic and reasoning on another plane when compared to her own. "Gerald is hurt, but he will heal...." She replied at first, throwing aside her inquisition momentarily as she circled the moon elf curiously. "Do you....Do you care for him so?" She asked, tilting her head to the right allowing locks of brown to obscure her face.

Finally she would answer Aila's questions, however perhaps not in the way or method she would of desired. "Who am I? What an odd question to ask. Most would start with, Where am I? How'd I get here, what are you? Never before has one simply asked who I am as a starter." The young lady glanced around the room, smiling as she sensed the disturbance brewing within this elf. "The scenery annoys you does it not? This is merely an illusion I have set up to spare you from the truth of my world. Or rather your world..." She replied, "If you wish I can undo the spell and show you the end of what is too come?"

In truth something very odd was about this child, the energy emitting from her was immense yet soft to the senses. About her was a sense of wisdom and experienced beyond the grasp of even the eldest of elves. "I tend to wander forgive me. I do not see the world and time as you do. My name is Gabriel. And what I am is a forgotten relic of the old order. Some of you know me as an archangel, though such a title is far more whimsical than the harsh reality of things." She spoke, glancing over at Gerald as his cuts and bruises slowly began to fade.

"He is more than a human. Yet fully human at the same time. If you have any questions you should ask before he awakens." She concluded.

 

[Psychedelic]

How did this girl know his name? Did it matter? Probably not. Names were spoken so freely, it was almost impossible for a stranger not to know it, and if this girl was some sort of celestial body, then such things were just mindless trivialities. What was more important, was the fact that the young thing seemed to be far less inclined to violence than the other strangers they had met in the course of what could only be described aas an utterly insane night. She gave a positive message, although the moon elf could not quite bring herself to trust her entirely. Only fools took the words of an unknown entity as fact, it was always best to lay on the side of caution. "We are bound by circumstance, and promises. I would not abandon him." Aila was a woman of her word, and she did quite like Gerald, for what it was worth.

Aila listened to what this strange body was saying, following every syllable carefully, trying her best to make some sense of the situation. The childish babble did not help matters. At least a positive could be drawn from this, as the usually mouthy elf did not retort to the girl as she questioned the order of her questions. She reeled off her reasons in her head; chief of which was the simple fact that for the most part, living beings could pose more of a threat than a strange environment. But, this stayed in her head where it belonged, as she instead latched onto the fact that there had been a number of others in this godforsaken place.

The elf was not all that familiar with the concept of angels. She had read of them, of course, but the stories were so many and varied that she simply put their existence in the same category as childrens stories. Whether this was right or wrong, this child with the aura of something yet greater than a clan shaman, was right here and ripe for questioning. Her comments on the species of Gerald was not the most disconcerting, and so she asked about this only later on.

"You say this is my world, and speak of endings? But what do you mean?! I just left my world." Aila spoke with an uncharacteristically shrill voice, her upset and anger plain to see, "And you have explained nothing of what you really are. What is your role? Please, I must know." And she concluded her string of rushed questions with the more personal question of what on earth she meant about the man. "And how the hell can a man be human and not at the same time? Why must you speak in riddles?" She was desperate and afraid, though trying not to show this weakness. Even now, her pride would not give way.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

The child sighed, her heart heavy with a grave burden. She had always found it tedious to communicate with the elves and men of the world. Their knowledge regarding the truth of their own universe far too finite. Making the translation from the truth, to something they can easily grasp difficult. "You have not left your world. Time and space is not as linear as you may think. The future ever changing, and with each choice a new world is forged and another possible future destroyed." She paused, waving her hand as the once serene enviroment faded, giving way to a more terrifying truth.

"What you perceived earlier was a barrier to shield you from the harsh truth..." She whispered, as they found themselves standing in a city. The capital of the Solar empire, one of the greatest kingdoms in the realm in ruin. It's peoples petrified in ash as their once proud architecture had been rendered to rubble. The skies were blotted by a thick and rolling blacken clouds as all nearby vegetation seemed withered as if the sun dared not shine for decades. "This is the current future of your world. The entirety of it's beauty lost."

Eye lids closing shut as she turned to face Gerald. "If the Oni or Jenome are not stopped, then the universe will not fall into darkness. It will simply fade into nothingness. The fabrics supporting your world are slowly being torn. We will soon reach the tipping point. But do not fret there is still time to change the ending of your story. Less everything great about your peoples becoming nothing more than a faint memory consumed by the void of time." She spoke, thinking of a way to best describe her purpose, her very being.

"What I am is not easy to grasp and even harder to explain. I am the caretaker left by God to watch over your sinful world. But where in he saw nothing but depravity and darkness. I see the faint glistening of light within your very souls. There are those who wish to use the Jenome or Oni as you know them...use their arrival to further their own agenda. To return everything to the moment of creation when God was at his weakest. They seek to consume him, mold this world and repeat an endless cycle of nirvana and Armageddon. But this man, this tiny human a being of dust. With bones so brittle, soul so frail and flesh to easily rotted. He and those that follow the path he so dare to tread; are the only ones who can change the end. You all despite being like ants to the cosmos, your tiny hands and insignificant strength is the gap between salvation and utter annihilation."

She turned, looking at the elf locking eyes with her. "You must kill Hayden. He is the first of many cancers eating away at this world. But to do so...you'll have to find the Mother. An unnatural creation of men designed to battle these beast. Only she can bring the human back to his mortality. And to do so...you must wander this destroyed city alone. Long ago Gerald and the flesh golem met. But during a battle she was consumed by an anomaly. Her coffin lies in this world, at the center of the carcass of the empire. Find it and you all can return to your own world. And prevent this disaster..."

 

[Psychedelic]

Aila had never been one for deep thought, and the difference between linear time and a multi-faceted version - perhaps billed as a time tree - did not exactly go over her head, it simply didn't interest her. The future could be non-existent for all she cared, as this particular elf was the sort to live in the moment. It was a primal way of living, and could be likened to that of a much lesser animal, but it served her purposes well. She felt that those that wasted their time thinking of the possible futures and the deeper consequences of their actions were usually the most likely to be miserable, and often seemed to forget to act in the first place anyway. No, better to live in a world where only immediate consequences were thought of, if even that. Sensation was far more important than philosophy.

These thoughts of poo-pooing the girl and her explanation faded rapidly, in time with the manifestation of the true state of the world they were in. She had never been to the heart of the Solar Empire before, having preferred to avoid it altogether if that were possible, as those pesky golden elves were far too astute for her liking. She had feared that they would see through her disguise all too easily, at the very least noticing that she was not just a lowly wood elf but one of the secretive elves of the moon. That was no crime in itself, but it would have led to far too much attention, not that any of that mattered now.

Seeing any city as wasted into nothing as this one was disturbing, but the fact that it was the cornerstone of such a powerful and determined species was worse than seeing a human city in ruin. Humans were destructive by their nature, and many anticipated them causing this sort of destruction through some overblown minor dispute. But this was not the case, the husk was here, and Aila flinched away from it as best she could, muttering, "Justina." Her thoughts went to her companion, despite the fact that they were hardly friends. The moon elf knew that however arrogant and devoid of feeling the other attempted to portray herself as, seeing this would touch her in a purely emotional way. No one could see their home destroyed and simply shrug it off, not unless they were under the spell of madness.

"So you are saying that everything is the same. Does anyone survive?" Aila was still full of questions as she gazed at the remnants of civilsation, currently wishing that her eyesight was not as sharp as it was. Seeing this void was not all that pleasant? "How far ahead is this?" She considered the fate of her own people, in part feeling glad that they likely would have been untouched by this anyway, as they had been well on the way to extinction in the first place, something that Aila had not been prepared to help prevent, as proven by her escape from the sheltered caves.

Aila listened to the explanation of the small girl, keeping her eyes trained on her carefully, feeling that this was the easiest option. She also considered whether this person was trustworthy, soon coming to the conclusion that it was best to simply take her at her word, as doubting her would only complicate things further. Killing Hayden was the obvious path, and Aila had not needed a celestial caretaker to tell her that, although the rest intrigued her greatly. The elf wondered if it would simply be better to allow the Oni to come, for a swift end was far better than this wasting of the world. But then again, that was hardly her decision to make.

"So, little mistress; I must find a dead thing? Just point the way." Aila slipped back into her usually flippant tones, finding it far easier to pretend that this was just another one of the silly scavenger hunts the children had enjoyed many long years ago. "Are the others safe? Tell me that, before I go on this fools errand." All of this was foolish, whether or not it was necessary or noble. As the girl had said, she was a speck of dust in the cosmos, a speck attempting to weather a storm before shooting off to beat the weight of a hundred oxen.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

The child understood that the nature of time was a concept ever prevalent in both mer and human consciousness. Yet somehow it's true form and shape eluded them. In this regard the caretaker pitied them, to experience something but never know the entirety of that experience was perhaps the greatest tragedy of them all. This Aila, this moon elf seemed to be suffering from inner disposition as she spoke. Someone she cared about, or rather tolerated came to mind. And seeing the city laid out before her eyes whom it was proved to be hardly a mystery.

"The Dwarf and the Sun Elf are both here, soon they will awaken. But the harsh reality of the truth will shake the very core of Justina. A woman who keeps everyone at arms length, out of fear they'll notice how broken and lonely her existence truly is. Her entire life a lie, a sacrifice for the future of her people." She replied, giving the woman some insight into the complex duality and nature of her fellow Mer companion. "Much suffering is yet to come, even you whom acts so cold and firm on shifting sands will loose your footing. But no matter what is too come, you mustn't give up. No matter how small you and your companions may seem...Hurry and find the Flesh Golem before this future completes it's dissipation."

The child faded, purposely refusing to answer her question regarding the extent of the global damage. Her inability to answer spoke volumes in and of itself. The city stretched out before her was a valley of death. Ash statues of mothers shielding their children, grown men cowering and clawing at the walls burned a permanent image into any sane persons mind. It seemed as if the whole world had stopped revolving, as not a single sound could be heard.

At the center of this ruin, but miles away stood one structure semi intact. It's stone form chipped, cracked and covered in thick moss and vines alike. The road once solid marble stone had already begun to be claimed by the planet, as patches of grass caused the brilliance in their artistic design to crack. Here in this future of desolation and emptiness the Mer would find herself facing a metamorphosis. As would all those that entered with her...


Justina stirred, rocking to her side as heavy eye lids strained to open. Her vision was fading in and out as she crawled across the ruined road to the dwarf. Who seemed passed out but a twelve feet from her. "Dwarf! Wake up." She hissed, rocking him from side to side. Her voice and touch causing the commander of the guard to awaken from his state of torpor. Unlike her he seemed unharmed, springing to his feet with impressive agility and vigor for one of his stature.

"What do you want damn woman!" He barked, his gaze not taking long to note their surroundings. Justina's eyes struggled between darkness and light. As blood could be seen running down her face, an injury no doubt caused by that darn wave of energy, "H-Help me up?" Weakly she questioned, finding her current state to be pitiful of one of her stature. The Dwarf helped her up, noting the near lifeless void of her gaze. He had recognize the architecture of this land. And thought it best to keep her in the dark until she could see the truth for herself.

The Dwarf may have been small compared to the race of men and elves, but he was hardly weak. Making up for his size with his brawn as he easily lifted the light elf. "My vision is blurred and fading...I must of suffered some sort of head injury. Tell me dwarf what do you see? Where are we?" He didn't know how to answer her inquiry, pausing momentarily he responded the only way he could. "In some sort of ruined city it would seem." Feeding her half the true.

"In the distance, not that far from here I see a building that seems intact compared to the others. Let us seek shelter there...if anyone else survived the ordeal it would seem a logical enough place to meet up." He spoke while stepping forward. It had to be at least a mile or so away. And though this woman was light, she'd eventually wear him out. Which is a first seeing how he usually worn out the ladies.

 

[Psychedelic]

Although Aila did not know how this apparition knew such personal details of the lives of all of them, she did not see any reason to doubt her. The girl spoke with such conviction as she mentioned Justina, it was not unreasonable to expect almost anyone to believe what was said. Aila was one of those that took the words as they were, feeling a deep twinge of sympathy for the sun elf, despite the fact that their relationship was hardly a cosy one. Seeing this destruction was painful enough for Aila, simply for the reason that she knew what it meant for the rest of the world. For Justina, seeing her homeland and her people in this way, it would likely drive her to some sort of rash action. They could only hope that the woman was strong enough to curb her grief and anger in the same manner that she had conducted herself as a Justicar.

At this stage, the moon elf was beginning to wonder if all this was some madness induced hallucination, or perhaps she had simply fallen and hit her head. It was possible, wasn't it? But unfortunately, her gut told her that this was all very much real. As if to prove this, the girl took a few steps toward one of the petrified corpses, touching it tentatively, gasping and pulling her hand back a mere second later. The arm she had so briefly touched was now marred with the shallow dent of her fingers, a thin film of ash having flaked away. Somewhat horrified, Aila brushed it off her skin as best she could, though the mark would remain with her no matter how much she scrubbed.

By the time this minor but disturbing event had played out, the girl had disappeared, leaving her spoken question unanswered, along with several others that had yet to be formed. Aila just assumed the worst, though she attempted not to think about anything but the task that had been set before her. Whatever this flesh golem was, she supposed she would find out soon enough.

Aila glanced over at Gerald, shrugging as she left him, in the knowledge that he would be of no use for now. And besides, he could take care of himself. There was one goal, and it was clear among the rubble. Some buildings still stood in their foundations, but this was the only one that actually had a relatively well sealed roof, and walls that didn't cascade in a waterfall of bricks. It was not too far to walk, but the journey was not one that Aila looked forward. The truth of the scenery was beginning to get at her, making her skin crawl as she made her way towards the formerly grand structure.

From a distance, the building appeared smooth and deceptively pristine. Aila focused on this as she hastened towards it, feeling the oppresive atmosphere of the long since abandoned city. Her footsteps were rapid, and seemed deafening in the silence, though in reality she moved without much less grace than was usual. The place was getting to her, much as that embarrassed er to admit.

Luckily for her, it was not too long until she was at her destination, which was hardly as wonderful as she had anticipated. It was in a better state than the rest of the city, but it was still very much delapidated. Still, the door was intact. Her fingers rested on the handle for an extended moment, her fear of going on with this quest quite obvious to see, not that anyone else was around. But the elf was resilient, and so opened the door without much longer pause, entering the cool room, careful to close the door behind her - not that she was entirel sure why this was important.

 

[The Underdark Rises]

Inside that building, what greeted her was not a symbol of hope. That despite the tragedy that claimed this city, perhaps a remnant may have survived? Such delusional thinking quickly torn asunder by the harsh reality of this world. The people here had been spared the ash mummification process. But on their rotted corpses could be seen the face of utter horror. Mothers clinging to children, some praying for aid while others accepting their damned fate. No divine help came that moment, nor has any divine intervention been wrought since. Their corpses only serving as a harrowing reminder of the futility in their struggle. Of the frailty of life itself...

Yet within this room of morbid imagery, stood something out of place. A coffin, in the center of a cross chained firmly to it. But this tomb was different, it reeked not of death. No darkness could be found around it, rather a shimmering welcoming aura of hope. The human eye couldn't detect the magical enchantments surrounding this casing. Even the elves would have grave difficulty in pin pointing it. However the subconscious was drawn to it like a insect to the light.

This once symbol of death seemed oddly enough the only vibrant visage in this forsaken realm of ruin.

The dwarf and the Sun elf continued their descent to the structure. Mostly in silence as the flakes of ash stained both their skin. The Justicar need not see to sense this was a place of death. And the dreadful scene did more than stay the wailing tongue of the dwarf. Vision once lost begun it's return to the Justicar. "Let me down..." She implored, the dwarf knowing better than to endure he scorn of a woman, let alone one as feisty as Justina.

With feet planted on the ground the Sun elf spun around slowly, her eyes widening as she took in the barely familiar sight of her people. Their bodies seldom recognizable, their once tall buildings struck low as if it were mere ant mounds. To the ground she fell, knees planting themselves in a thin film of ash. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as she silently wept. beating his fist into the ground. "I should of told you sooner..." The dwarf tried to explained. But his words were met with a sudden harmless blast of energy knocking him off of his stubby feet.

The dwarf crashing into the wall as he sluggishly stood up. "I might of deserved that one..." He whispered, "Le eier vil mas graal und vil weibus?" She cried in her native tongue. Her voice echoing throughout the empty ruins. "This...This must be a joke. A sick illusion woven by some sick man! Hayden!!!" She cried, the dwarf knowing that this was no mere spell induced dream or illusion. "No, this is no spell." She whispered to herself, being unable to deny her natural instinct. "This is real, yet this is not."

The dwarf against all logic closed the distance, giving the sorrow stricken elf a warming embrace. Normally she would of blown his legs off, however this brief contact was something she wanted...No that she needed. "Whatever this is we'll find a way out and some answers." He replied ever so optimistically.