At the fortress
Bree was very aware of being taken from the fortress. The thing that carried her had looked around a bit before taking her and leaving in frustration. She could sense he was looking for someone and relaxed immediately when they ghosted past Harumi playing with Alanna in her rooms. Silently in her head Bree sent Rumi a warning, Bree rarely did or could do something like this. But Harumi and Alanna were her living family. Bree couldn't have even sent Cole a warning if she wanted to.
"Take Alanna and hide. I know you will be able to sense this evil thing too. Don't leave the fortress whatever you do. Take everyone and hide in the catacombs and don't come out if you have to." Bree set out with effort.
"...yes...but you? safe?..." Harumi pushed back. Not as able to communicate easily with Bree
"No, but I will be with Cole and the others soon...I will protect them and bring them home" Bree responded.
Bree could sense Harumi was screaming questions in her head in a panic. And with the tiger widow venom in her system it was getting harder and harder to stay even at this level of consciousness.
"Talk to Hana" was all Bree was able to get out.
Her head rolling back and she felt any connection with Rumi snap as they crossed the barrier of the fortress. It rolled in apparent rage as the fortress figured out something was wrong and it was tricked. Nothing and no one should have been able to get past it. The ghost that was carrying her had possessed the body of an elemental master and slide past the barrier. This was exactly how Hana had been killed. Bree and Hana had thought it a possibility for an attack. But they didn't expect that the person would have wanted to leave with her. Bree's breath heaved in her chest and she knew that she would fully pass out soon. She relaxed slightly. She knew it would only be a matter of time till she came back around.
When she did it was slow. Bree knew she wasn't at the fortress but at the bogs by the smell. But it was darker and colder than she expected. She could hear dripping water but could feel no wind move. Nor hear bugs or birds. They were underground somewhere close to the bogs.
The ghost carrying her stopped finally. Setting her down with more gentleness than she expected.
"I've got to go find Clouse. When I bring him he is going to help fix everything ok Bree?" The ghost said. Tucking some hair behind her ear before moving away.
As much as Bree wanted to rage and kill him she didn't move, barely breathed. She needed him to think she was still out cold. As the sound of his footsteps faded she slowly opened her eyes. Glowing red and pissed she went to sit up. Only to feel something new and painful around her neck. She had been shot with a bolt and that still stung. Blood and venom oozing out the wound and dampening her sweater. A wry smile knowing it wouldn't be long before her body pushed all the venom out. The new painful thing around her neck was some sort of chain...? No a necklace. She used both hands to try and pull it off only to hiss in anger and pull her hands away. She was going to try and use her magic to tear it from her when she sensed someone coming. Deciding that playing dead was better for the moment she waited. Another man picked her up. Looking over the wound in her shoulder in disgust. And started walking deeper into the cave they were in.
A while later Bree opened her eyes slightly to see that the person carrying her was no longer the ghost. But an older gray haired man. He happened to glance down at the same time and her and nearly dropped her in surprise.
"Ah so you're awake now. Clouse said you would be out a little while longer" the man said to her.
Bree didn't respond but closed her eyes softly. The necklace around her neck was hearthstone alright. With a something little extra in it that made it sting and burn with skin contact. It would slow her down and hurt. But not enough to stop her if she was angry. And she was fucking incensed. Snapping open her eyes at the same time Bree arched her back and swung an arm directly into the mans throat. Making him gag and drop her.
She tried sweeping his feet out from under him. Only for the man to haul back and hold his hands up signalling her to stop.
"Why shouldn't I?" Bree whispered. Hold out a hand and slowly painfully drawing up a call of purple pink magic.
"Because I am going to help you save your dam friends. For a price" the man told her, wearily and with great annoyance.
Bree did not draw back the ball of magical energy. Instead making it burn brighter. It was uncomfortable and slow. But the old man didn't know that.
"You either trust me, or your friends die. My son dies and my little grandson dies. And probably you too after that sick thing Clouse gets what he wants from you." He explained.
"And just what does Clouse really want with me, Man with no name." Bree hissed at him.
"You know your attitude is the spitting image of Rowena" He told her frowning. "Lets only hope that you have her capabilities or my family is dead. I am...Krux. And the former...or current? Elemental master of time. I was living peacefully in another realm. My wife, our son, My daughter in law, my grandson and my brother. All but my son and grandson killed and those taken as hostages. With the rest of my family's bodies being" Krux did not finish what he was saying but trailed off.
"Clouse is having his ghost minions use their dead and decaying bodies as meatpuppets. The...ghost that brought me here was wearing...using a man that looked a little like you" Bree finished for him.
She drew back the ball of magic and stood slowly.
"Where are the others being kept? And what else does Clouse want from me aside from getting him a real live body instead of the wraith form he is using" She asked.
"The ghost that brought you in went off to find Clouse, something about Clouse keeping up his end of the bargain. I know Clouse wants a human body and so does that young ghost. Well at least not a decaying husk. The others are in the dungeons up ahead. Chained to the cave walls. The rest of the ghost went up above for now. But they can be back quickly and there are always the kappa to deal with" Krux supplied with a grimace.
"The ghost can fuck right back off to the departed realm before he gets anything from me ever again. Clouse on the other hand..."Bree mused.
"You can not possibly think that giving Clouse a body again would be a good idea. And I take it you know the ghost?" Krux asked. Holding out an arm to guide her which Bree looked him up and down and did not take it.
"Your going to have to pretend I brought you to him, so either I lead you or I carry you. And I am going to hand you over to Clouse, when he is distracted with whatever you are doing trying to kill him then I can get the others loose and get my family out of here. But I suspect your friends might not want to leave you here" Krux added.
With a huff Bree took his arm and let him guide her as if he was dragging her along when they go to where they were going.
"They might not, but I have ways of getting them to go, even with this dam necklace on. Cole however I can tell you probably won't leave. And yes I do know the ghost. He was not a good person in life. I trust him even less now that he is dead. He is absolutely in any of this mess for himself. And yes... A body might just be the ticket to killing Clouse" Bree told him. Smiling to herself.
"How is that?" Krux asked in a whisper as they neared a larger cavern and people, or ghosts could be heard arguing.
They both stopped and listened before Bree looked up at Krux.
"Because I don't have a gifted silver sword, a bunch of potions to anoint it or the several weeks to cook them in order to kill a wraith. But I can kill a human. Even another master of magic if I have to" Bree whispered.
Krux cracked a smile for the first time in a long time.
"You are very much your clever mothers daughter" He said with a smirk.
"Lets just hope its enough to make this work" Bree retorted. Then nodded in consent as Krux took her arm firmly and pretended to drag her. While Bree started to pretend to struggle and fight back.
The conscious ninja and elemental masters looked up. A few gasping. Lloyd and Kai swearing in anger. Wu silent...but suppressing his anger as he was often want to do. Bree gave a half a gesture with her hand to Cole. She wanted him to stay quiet for now. Cole had already talked to her about not letting Clouse or the ghosts and kappa know they were married yet. They didn't want to let Clouse know and have him use it against them. It took all Cole had in him not to scream in rage as well. Which at this point Morro had joined the others in cursing. But also specifically questioning Clouse's mental status and manhood.
"And I bet you are trying to compensate for having a needle dick too you drippy butt boil!" Morro barely finished before Clouse sent a ball of magic at him, hitting him in the chest and singeing his hair and clothing.
With a moan of pain Morro muttered "worth it". Before Skyler elbowed him to shut him up.
"Well, well, well. Now I finally have what I asked for. Well half of what I asked for. The child isn't here. But at any rate" Clouse laughed in a really creepy and pitched tone.
"You said I get the woman here and my son and grandson can go free. Give me their crystal hearts and let me take them out of here" Krux told Clouse. Slowly edging Bree more in front of him.
"Hold on a dam second, you said if I got Brianna and her son here and she helped you that you'd have her make me a new body and I could be alive again! I have been collecting potion ingredients and supplies for months!" The Ghost wearing Acronix's body yelled in anger.
"I told that to both of you, I never really intended to keep any parts of that bargain, especially if you have brought me only half my prize" Clouse said with a shrug. Drifting closer to Bree to take a better look at her.
Bree felt Krux's hands on her arms tighten. And she pointed with the finger behind her back the keys set on the far wall. Krux picked up on it and released some pressure off her arms before giving her a quick squeeze to show he understood.
"You can take that decaying meatbag you are wearing straight back to hell where you belong Slate. After what you did I would never give you the gift of a second chance at life" Bree spat in anger, her eyes glowing before the hearthstone necklace shorted out and slowed her powers.
"Slate?! That's fucking Slate?!" Cole roared from his chained position on the wall.
"So you don't even recognize your own older cousin. Ha. My Bree here picked up on it instantly. And yea I get it, you are pissed at me babe. But I'm sorry. I know we can make this work if Clouse here holds up his end of the bargin."Slate drawled.
Cole grunted and tried to pull the chains off the wall. Even getting his elemental powers to briefly light up, no matter the vengestone. The other ninja and elemental masters rustling uncomfortably in anger and some in pain.
"I don't have time to argue with the both of you. How about this. Krux and Slate get to try and kill each other and whoever wins and brings Briannas little Alanna to me get a new body?" Clouse said in evil sick laughter.
"Wait I have a daughter, its a girl?" Slate asked in confusion.
"No. I have a daughter and you have absolutely nothing" Bree snarled. Bree leaping forward at Clouse. Krux with going after Slate in the same leap.