Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.
"Blah" = talking
"Blah" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks
"BLAH"= Yelling
There was silence—horrid silence—as the body of Private O'Ryan collapsed onto the stone paved ground with a heavy thud, blood splattering in multiple directions and staining the attacker's sword as red as the man's own crimson garment. At least, for Private Connelly there was. For everything else, time moved as normal, the assailant swaggering closer to the downed body of his comrade. For him, though, everything just stood at a silent standstill, the scene replaying in his mind without ceasing.
"You."
The guardsman whipped his head around, face now drained of most color. His eyes widened as he witnessed the cloaked figure place his scimitar's tip against the side of O'Ryan's neck. Even hidden by the shadow of his hood, Connelly could feel the hardened stare of the being beneath, and his arm hair stood on end that same being continued.
"You're friend still breathes as of now, so before his time gives out, we propose a deal. Open the door and lead us to Oriel, or he dies."
Connelly watched the sinew-less hand tighten around the sword handle, almost as if he was hoping the man would refuse the offer. On most any other circumstance, the private would be swift to meet his quiet wish, but the factor of an injured hostage gave him pause for thought. He leveled his gaze at the two others the attacker had brought, neither having moved since the ordeal began. A near faint rattling sounded out from underneath the heavy cloaks covering their bodies. He wasn't quite sure what to expect, but feared they carried some sort of weapon like their more verbal comrade.
"Choose quickly." The scimitar pressed lightly against O'Ryan's neck, the man trying to hold back spasms from the injury.
"What do you want with Oriel?"
"I said choose quickly. My patience can only wear so thin."
The guard gritted his teeth, eliciting a grunt. Finally, he gave them a begrudging nod and let his spear clatter to the ground. He could almost feel the semblance of a smirk beneath the hood as he did so.
"You two, follow him to Oriel. If he does anything you think is suspicious, give the signal. I'll slice off his partner's head."
The threat provided the intended results, the last spark of hope in the private's eyes dispersing near instantly. The two cloaks walked forward in unison, stopping just before him and staring as if beckoning for him to begin. Connelly sent one last glance towards O'Ryan, then muttered a small apology under his breath while he yanked on the left door handle.
As he did so, he gazed up at an orange-garbed sprite tucked away in a nook of the stonework. Her fearful eyes locked on him, having seen what had just happened and clearly shaken by it. He looked back at her. There was no sound, not even the slightest twinge; just a solid stare that managed to complete her understanding, and as the Ill-formed trio closed the door behind them she burst forth, tearing through the air in search of someone, anyone who could help.
EXSEED
Sixth Pip: The Green Songstress 2
"This your first time in Unicorn Way?"
Aria's voice effectively broke Fate from his semi-aware trance and his head whipped around to her, embarrassed that he had been enraptured by the sights around him enough to forget her presence. The two green eyed individuals walked along a good dozen feet behind the remainder of their party. Victoria would look back every few minutes to confirm their proximity, smiling serenely as she watched the two make pleasant conversation from time to time, but otherwise left them to their own devices.
The scenery through the group's trek hadn't deviated too much from what they'd experienced before, minor additions including a swell in the population of fairy's and pixie's zooming in and out of trafficked roadways. Buildings had grown progressively whiter on the exterior, though through a combined effort of the increase in foliage and bystander outfits, green remained the predominate color of the inner neighborhood. Other colors held at most minimal influence, the occasional crimson wrapped, spear wielding guard on patrol or a Ravenwood student gathering supplies for an upcoming assignment.
"You could tell?" The boy asked with hoisted eyebrow after giving a confirming nod.
"Of course. You sound much more amazed than your friends." She answered, a calm smile on her face and her left hand finding its way to the diagonal strap running across her chest. To her credit, the citar fixed upon her back didn't seem to give her steps any added burden, other than the occasional strap adjustment.
"I can't really help it I guess." A sheepish grin overtook his face. "Everything in Wizard City just seems so… alive and beautiful."
"You're not from around here?"
"Krokotopia." He replied after some time, a subtle twinge of guilt ringing through his mind. "I only moved here recently…." Before the boy even had time to finish, he found Aria's scrutinizing stare trained on his face. At first, he wasn't quite sure what was going on, but eventually as the uncomfortable silence drew on, he felt the need to ask. "Is…there something wrong?"
"You're lying." The statement was simple, but enough to cause him to stumble over an outgrown tree root he could have otherwise easily avoided. Catching himself quickly, he stood straight and caught up to her with a slight jog. "At least, you're not telling me the whole truth."
"Well, I…uhhh….I…" Fate proceeded to stutter randomly, nervousness building up.
"Don't worry about it. Everybody has their secrets. I'm not one to pry." Her lips curved upward into a thin smile, and she faced forward, continuing. "Though I'll admit, I am kind of curious about you."
"W-Why is that?"
"I don't know. I can't really place my finger on it." At the same time, she angled her gaze to the blue sky above, wispy white clouds waving softly in the occasional breezes. "Like I said, you're…different from the others."
Fate carefully calculated his response, wary of her growing suspicion of him. "I still don't understand what you mean by that. Do I look any different?"
"Well I wouldn't know anything about that." A small chuckle escaped her mouth. "Your sound. You sound different than any other person I've met."
If it was possible, the boy became more confused at the response than he was before. He opened his mouth to speak, but before sound exited she increased her pace, skipping to join with the rest of the party and sending him a coy smirk. Bewildered and still wholly confused, he released a sigh and caught up himself.
Conversation between the six remained constant during the remainder of their journey, Ceren and Aria taking turns pointing out various famous locals of the nature-themed neighborhood or giving explanations to the occasional posed question, most of which originated from Tala. The dark haired boy seemed to hold as much interest in the street as Fate, though noticeably of the intellectual and historical kind, though the two Life wizards were happy to oblige.
In fact, the sheer knowledge Aria in particular possessed of the neighborhood overwhelmed Ceren's input on more than one instance. Coupled with that, though, was an even more confusing mystery about her. She didn't seem to exactly know her way around. Her direction predictions were spot on, and street names were called out without hesitation, but as for actually following the directions, the other Theurgist was forced to take the lead. None of the Fate group said anything about it, though a few inclined eyebrows shared their mutual confusion
Feeling somewhat ahead of schedule, the sextet decided to pause for an afternoon lunch at a local cafe. Absent within was the overarching green theme, other than the intermittent potted fern and the numerous fairies whizzing about overhead. Here, earthy browns reigned supreme on the polished floorboards and oak hewn tables, while a stainless white coat overtook the walls. Luckily enough sunlight filtered in through the numerous windows to give a bright and open feel in what otherwise would have seemed a fancy, yet dim eatery.
The party took their places in a rectangular table near the far corner and ordered nothing more than a few appetizer-worthy plates; Tala, Ty, and Fate still held over from the morning's sandwiches. Fresh steam wafted up from the resulting breaded pastries as they were set down, and as a few of them reached over, Aria spoke.
"Could one of you pass me the salt?" The innocent tone of her voice wholly bewildered everyone except Ceren, who simply picked up the glass jar and placed it in front of her without a second thought.
"Ummm…Aria?" Ty hesitated as her face came up from her plate, half a pastry comically lodged in her cheek. "What was that?"
"What?"
"That salt. It was literally right in front of you."
"Ohh…" Her eyes rolled upwards, face taking on a pondering expression, then she gave an apologetic smile. "I guess I didn't mention this to you before. I'm blind."
Silence set in instantly around table, other than the clank of Victoria's fork as it dropped from her hand. Aria kept up her smile, adding in a sheepish rub of the back of her head, and seeing her spirits un-deflated at the revelation brought their worries some ease, at least enough for Tala, Ty, and Victoria to brake the uncomfortable quiet spasmodically.
"Blind?"
"Aren't you our guide? It's kind of important that you can see."
"Why wasn't this mentioned before?"
"She's our guide, right?"
"You're not really blind, are you?" Fate's level statement and equal visage brought their outbursts to an effective halt, and all turned to the boy with widened eyes, his own stare trained on the red haired female. Having all eyes on him brought a shiver to him, though he quickly shook it off and continued, albeit tone more hesitant. "She can't be, right? When we talked before, she looked at me like she could see me. Almost nothing she's done before this looked like she couldn't see."
His deduction morphed her smile into a smirk. She leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Well, you're right, but I'm also not lying." Any faces free of confusion before were quickly remedied. A simultaneous sigh and chuckle fled her mouth.
"Don't worry, I'll help them out." Ceren's elbows found their way onto the table surface and his fingers laced. As he did so, two fairies descended from their perches in the rafters of the ceiling, one landing before the boy and taking a bite from his bread, the other leveling itself onto Aria's right shoulder. "I'm sure all of you read in your history classes about how Bartleby sung the world into creation?"
"Creation is life, and life is motion." Aria picked up where he left off, green orbs dancing with an interested mirth. Ceren chuckled slightly at barely getting his sentence out before she took over. "Every creature, every plant, every atom ever created is in constant motion at all times, and anywhere there is movement, there is sound." The fairy leaped from her shoulder back to the ceiling with her companions, and the girl watched her retreating form. Her voice was clearly distant, but none of them could sense any sort of sadness within. "The entire universe is supported by sound, and I have the ability to see the sound of all things."
"We Theurgists harness the power of that sound in our spells." Ceren finished. "She's only the second person I've met who could actually see it, though."
The explanation seemed to serve them for the moment, at least abate their fear of being blindly led through the roadways of Unicorn Way. Despite his now curious disposition towards the first's identity, Tala or any of the others would receive no further elaboration, particularly as an orange-clad sprite sliced through the air next to Aria's shoulder and came to a staggering halt on the table as she tried to kill momentum. Fate noticed her appearance when she stood to her feet: disheveled, hair windblown, and heavy panting escaping at gradually lengthening intervals as she regained her breath.
Before any could question, the miniature humanoid whirled around to Aria, voice a barely identifiable squeak. "Aria, come you have to help us!"
"What's wrong, Nyx?"
"Lady…Lady Oriel. Someone's broken into the Hedge Maze and they're trying to get to the Lady."
Everything happened in but an instant. Aria's eyes widened considerably, and Victoria picked up on the menacing edge that seemed to have twisted her face. Then, she shot from her chair, and was already striding quickly towards the exit before Nyx had time to finish. Surprised by her sudden reaction, Fate stood as well just a hair ahead of the others.
"Let's go, Nyx." Ceren called out to her while dropping a few coins on the table for the bill, everyone else already filing out the door. "We haven't a second to lose."
—o—o—o—
"Keep moving." A rough, almost crackling voice commanded as Private Connelly came to a halt at a fork in their path.
While his post at its front gate was an everyday occurrence, it had admittedly been some time since he had actually ventured within the Hedge Maze. The occasional flower would poke out amidst the deep green of said hedges, towering a few feet above his head and forming a seemingly endless sea of corridors both large and small.
"Relax. I'm just trying to remember." He lied calmly, hand finding the stubble on his chin. With his other hand he gestured to the left. The two following figures made no motion for a second, unnerving him slightly, though he breathed a hidden sigh of relief as they eased into motion.
Fairies from every virtual direction scurried about like worker bees, most giving the familiar private a curious eye. None dared to venture close to the cloaks and Connelly could only regret his decision as each winged creature, from the hoary haired elder fairies with rainbow-like iridescence layered over their transparent wings to young plucky sprites, cowered from a healthy distance.
In truth, the Private was at a staunch mental impasse from more than his two shaded followers. Originally his plan from the gate had been relatively simple. Only those strictly familiar with the layout of the maze could have any hope of navigating its reaches, and his position as a gate guard required him to escort any approved visitors. This in turn gave him the knowledge of both the proper path and its winding dead ends; dead ends he intended to exploit. If he could just stall long enough, reinforcements were sure to arrive with Nyx in tow.
However, there was always that O'Ryan factor. At the time he had left, the downed soldier had been bleeding near profusely, and clearly this entire situation was a race against time he lamentably didn't possess. The sword-wielding cloak didn't help matters either. Connelly wasn't sure what the assailant had meant by signal, but he wasn't about to take chances with his partner's life or the life of his Seraph charge. He mentally nodded, steeling his resolve. While not foolproof, his best option was to stall for time, pray O'Ryan could hold on long enough, and hope the two trailing him wouldn't catch on to his ruse.
Time seemed to pass at a slow crawl for him, anxiety as high as the grass underfoot. He cursed mentally, the un-weathered, un-trodden terrain surely a dead giveaway of the area's disuse and by default its falsehood. Thankfully, what seemed a surefire end to his subterfuge went completely unnoticed by the perpetrators, at least from their lack of change in attitude or demeanor. Connelly breathed heavily in relief, then continued on.
Within minutes they reached another intersection, and the guard paused, pretending to remember the correct route. Then, he pointed. "This way."
"Are you sure?" Connelly's eyes widened as the smaller of the two spoke, voice distinctly female and tone questioning. "I could swear we've passed this way before." Without revealing his nervousness, he calmly responded.
"Yes I'm positive. The route is long, so many of the paths will seem familiar."
"No, no. I'm sure we've been in this spot before." If he didn't know any better, the private could almost feel the smirk under her shaded hood. Fear and confusion grew in tandem as she sauntered towards the direction the guard had pointed. Then, she knelt down, and he caught sight of an amethyst-encrusted gold ring on the ground. "See, I dropped my ring here when we passed by earlier." She craned her head back towards him, an undertone of accusation about her. "We must have been going in circles, eh private?"
Connelly roared just as she finished, the near-feral roar of desperation, and charged at the female cloak with reckless abandon. There was no longer any hope of further deception, but maybe he could prevent her from giving off whatever signal the shrouded trio had planned.
Before that wish could be realized though, four long arms lashed out just as the man's run began, two of each clenching down on the private's own appendages. The man whipped his head around. The arms were solid bone, protruding from the largest figure's long cloak sleeves with pieces of tattered, white cloth scattered sparingly about and poking out from thin cracks.
The female cloak returned amidst the guardsman's jerking and thrashing, fitting the recovered ring on her now exposed middle finger. As she did so, a strange breeze erupted from beneath her feet, ruffling grass and hedge leaves alike. The puzzling phenomenon, though, was shirked as she walked before him, staring blankly into his defiant eyes.
"I had hoped to locate the hive, though I suppose anywhere within the building is sufficient."
"What do you plan to do?" The man queried. She paused for a moment, then raised her hand into the air and performed a sharp snap.
"You shall see." The other figure tightened his grip further on Connelly's arms, then twisted its whole body into a unstable spin. Mid spin he released the armored warrior, momentum carrying the private through the air and through a thick hedge, crashing into the ground with muffled thud. "You shall all see in due time."
She snapped again, and the figure responded accordingly to whatever hidden message had been communicated. Connelly recovered quickly and peered through the hole. The figure discarded its cloak with a heavy flourish, revealing the oddest sight he had laid eyes on in quite some time.
The arms had previously hinted at it, and the sight confirmed the skeleton's bony disposition. This one, though, was quite different than the other human-sized ones he'd encountered in the past. Apparently it had been quite hunched over, for it now towered at a staggering eight feet, its stature supported by four thick limbs, two to each side. A pair of ball-and-socket joints on either shoulder supported its four lengthy arms, and at its center, a wide bone cage occupied its abdomen area. It was a monstrosity in every sense of the word, and its deafening snarl only supported the idea.
A brief silence followed after that, and the next few moments were hard for Connelly to keep track of, especially as he scrambled towards the beast amidst the pain from his fall. Two of the abomination's arms curled inwards, hooked a few interlinking chest bones, then yanked with all its might. The cage door's swung open, and an unsettling purple glow emanated from within its reaches. At the same time, the female cloaked figure had already begun tracing a complicated purple symbol in the air. The pattern itself was complicated, per say, but more that from what he had seen, it seemed to be a storm sigil.
An inverted storm sigil.
He hadn't the time to analyze the action before her tracing completed and it dissolved into the air. Instantly, there was a reaction from the mutant-skeleton. A violent wind erupted from its feet, leagues more powerful than the other's breeze earlier. The winds climbed and spiraled at the same time. Shrill screams of fairies and their kin resounded throughout the area, though those close enough to witness it could only fight against the winds that eventually consumed them.
Connelly watched as, one by one, the stationary tornado gobbled up fairy and stray leaves alike. Throwing caution away, he charged the engulfing storm head on and, against his primary thought, managed to grab onto one of the creature's arms with minimal effort. What may have easily overpowered the diminutive size of the fairies would be hard pressed at moving his heavy-set physique. He would have mental note to thank Bartleby or whichever proper deity for that later.
Now, however, the situation was growing more problematic. His eyes narrowed to protect against the whipping winds inside, but he could see that the captured fairies were being forced into the monster's cage, a number only growing by the moment.
He opened his mouth to yell, pushing away the creature's arm, when a jolt of electricity ripped through his spine. Body, now temporarily unresponsive, crumpled to the ground and his eyes rolled back in his head, though not before catching the shrouded female's index finger pointed towards him out of his periphery.
As his large frame twitched from the dancing electric impulses about him, she strolled over to him. "A noble effort, but unfruitful neverless." She glanced over to the large skeleton, whose abdomen cage neared half capacity. "Fill your cage quickly. We have spent too much time here as it is."
"Yes, you have."
The figure whipped around to what she perceived was the origin of the voice, revealing a sight she had not yet anticipated. There stood a woman; pristine, beautiful, and without physical flaw on her porcelain skin or golden hair. Her sleeveless white robe cascade down her petite frame, end hovering just above her ankles and midsection tied together by a forest green rope. A medieval sword rested in her palm, luminescent silver hilt a stark contrast to the solid brown scabbard.
Protector of the Unicorn Way fairies: High Seraphim Oriel Vesperania
The Lady took a step forwards, continuing while two ivory wings flared out from her back, sending a small gust in their wake that ruffled the fauna nearby. "You have spent far too much time here, and I would have you release my children and depart before you desecrate anymore of this sacred ground."
"Still as imposing as ever, Oriel." Initially caught off guard, the figure finally regained her composure and managed a grimace, albeit still hidden from her hood's shadow. The seraph could just hear the variations in her whispering before she raised her arm, pale hand sprouting from her cloak. A pitch black light, swathes of navy blue hidden in its deepest reaches, absorbed her palm from her fingertips to her wrist, menacing tendrils waving around from the edges. Then, she thrust that palm forward. A rift even darker than the light spread out from that spot like rippling water, the sound of swirling winds emanating from within. "Very well. I shall take my leave then."
The moment Oriel laid eyes on the mysterious portal, her voice took on an ominous edge, and she nearly hissed out as her hand flew to the sword handle. "You will release my children, witch."
"I think not." She pointed her other hand towards Connelly's unconscious body, sparks cutting small arcs through the air before it. "One move and I'll eliminate every trace of him."
The motion effectively halted the woman, and she eased out of her combative stance. A lingering tenseness reigned about them, the cries of captured fairies failing to bring the angelic being to tears, however close they progressed. Seconds seemed like minutes in the standstill, and finally bestial skeleton's absorption ceased, winds shrinking until a final small breeze petered out into nothingness. A low rumble escaped its mouth, almost like some ethereal belch, and upon orders it stooped under the gloomy portal's apex on its way through.
Despite the impassiveness of her current visage, Oriel could barely check the unbridled fury welling up within. Even then, she managed a calm, controlled question. "What do you plan to do with them?"
The figure didn't answer that question. She simply stared blankly at the seraph, then stepped in through the portal after the skeleton. The rift closed with a hushed wisp, enshrouding darkness fading the colorless air from before replaced it. At that moment, time seemed to return to Oriel's senses. The bird's high aloft the ceiling uttered out their cheery calls, while fairies themselves swooped down to ascertain the situation or mourn the loss of relatives and comrades.
Oriel cast a sidelong glance at Connelly, who had just awoken upon the enemy's retreat. Tears welled up at the side of his eyes, pupils trained on her form and voice shaky. "I'm…I'm sorry, milady."
She said nothing, and made not a sound. To her, there was truly nothing to be said. Instead, she turned her gaze towards the ceiling, flawless face basking in the sunlight filtering down through skylights. Then, after shooing away the fairies checking up on her, she allowed herself one small tear as she made her way towards the entrance.
—o—o—o—
O'Ryan let out a strained cough, doing his best to hold onto the large gash at his midsection and his ever-fleeting sense of consciousness. Only the blood flowing from his stomach managed to fight off the cold enveloping all of his body. Color and sound began to gently fade from the world around him until green devolved into lifeless gray and voices, muffled hums at best.
Several of the hums, he could hear from a fair distance, coupled with the tender padding of moving feet on the flagstones. Try as he might though to interpret, a vague sense of spinning swathed him, followed only by another wave of agony. Throughout this a voice particularly close to him, the cloaked scimitar wielder, seemed to be speaking across the way, for he no longer looked on him.
"More visitors, eh?" He wondered aloud, fingering the curved blade in his bony hand.
A good ten meters away, a girl with flaming red hair and vibrant green eyes came into his view, her steps more akin to a feral prowl than a human's stride. Behind her a little ways, five more figures of similar shape trotted up, stopping next to her as she herself halted only a few meters from him. The six teens formed a crude horizontal line, and each became wary as they noticed the hooded man's sword, not to mention the bleeding body lying near his feet.
"Our apologies, but the Hedge Maze is closed for…renovations." His joking voice held an eerie scratching quality, and the rattling springing from underneath his tattered garments sent a silent chill through Ty and Fate. "I'll have you leave now."
"What did you do to Private O'Ryan?" Ceren questioned firmly.
Each of them could nearly feel a malicious grin from under his hood as he spoke, simultaneously pointing his blade towards the guard's direction. "As I said, we are having renovations. It did us well to clear the area of any troublemakers."
A dangerous silence followed after his statement. Victoria by chance laid eyes on Aria, her face now much calmer than it had been on the journey here. Serene, even, and it didn't make a bit of sense to the blonde. Then, the redhead stepped forward, speaking as calmly as she now looked.
"Ceren, this is a lot to ask, but do your best to get O'Ryan to a stable state." The Theurgist simply nodded, not taking the time to question her judgment. Aria nodded in thanks, then placed a hand to her sitar strap, shifting the instrument around so that it rested horizontally at her front. At that moment, when her fingers touched the cool metal strings, her voice remained unchanged but gained that same menacing edge from before. "I'll clear the way for you."
"Oh, you will? I hope you have a decent plan." He chuckled darkly; hand reaching up to his hood and ripping it back. The head of a skeletal soldier rested in its place, again unnerving and confirming Ty and Fate's fears. The skeleton brought up its free hand and gestured to where its ears would lay. "My vessel isn't much of a music fan."
"Is that so?" Left hand holding the sitar neck, her other palm moved to a side pouch hanging from the belts around her waist and procured a seed; a simple kernel no larger than her pinky nail. "That's too bad."
She relaxed her hand, and the seed plummeted to the ground near her feet. As it did, a glowing orb of energy materialized, floating a few inches from her right shoulder with another one already in the process of forming. Unlike the ones he had seen in his match against Nolan, this pip was odd to Fate. Its golden color seemed to give off a more energetic, wild presence, like it was barely containing the energies stored within. He wanted to assume it was some aesthetic characteristic of hers, though the second pip was normal enough, bringing either further confusion to his mind.
"I would choose carefully." The skeleton suggested, stepping back and bringing his scimitar to rest just above O'Ryan's neck once more. "I can easily end his life at a whim."
In response, she said nothing, and neither did anyone else. Instead, she began to pluck the strings of her sitar in a relaxing rhythm. A green spell sign began to trace itself in the air, its curves and corners following the varying tempos and changes of her notes. Her attention was completely focused on her music, so much that she didn't look up as the bone warrior spoke.
"For a Theurgist, you sure are callous about other's lives." He brought his sword up high above his head, then in one swift motion brought it down with all his might.
Two things happened at that moment, amidst the others' shouts of protest. First, the cobblestone next to O'Ryan broke apart, spewing a small cloud of dust. A gnarled, wooden root climbed through the resulting cracks at an astounding speed, catching the undead's sword between its budding branches. Then taking advantage of his hesitation, it winded its way up the blade length like a snake before coiling around his upper arm.
"What is this?" The skeleton tugged to no avail, joints creaking all the while.
"I get it." Ceren remarked with a smirk, beginning his explanation as Aria's music triggered the second occurrence. "With the neighborhood's close proximity to Ravenwood, many of Bartleby's roots course through the soil here. And where there are roots, a capable Theurgist can become a formidable opponent."
As he talked, the seed she had dropped earlier cracked open, minuscule root stubs crawling into the paved pathway at an unbelievable rate. Within seconds, a rough, somewhat thin tree stump emerged, climbing at least ten feet in air. Then, crackling preceded the sound of snapping bark, branches formed appendages soon after, and Ty, Tala, and Victoria quickly recognized the form of the treant, reminded of their previous encounter and thankful that this one seemed much more subdued.
"You're skilled." The skeleton admitted, voice now accepting rather than fearful, even as the treant took heavy steps towards him. "What's your name, girl?"
"Aria of the Wood." She responded, playing ceasing and eyes unflinching. "Remember it if you wish."
The skeleton's head inclined upwards, the treant now standing fully over him, looking down with fearless yellow eyes. It reared back its gangly arm while spreading its stance to lower its towering body and as it brought its claws around in one powerful sweep, a chuckle betrayed the skeleton's constant impassive demeanor of its bone structure.
"Yeah. I think I will."
At that moment, its body was torn asunder; rib cage, arms, and neck torn completely from the main body, leaving only a legged stump of a spinal cord. The split bones crashed into the side of a nearby tree, ricocheting off and landing in surrounding bushes.
Ceren immediately began a jog to O'Ryan, who looked as though he were on his last thread. With the assailant vanquished, the numerous fairies seeking shelter before quickly rushed to the private's side, like swarms of butterflies perching on a meadow log, prepared to assist the initiate Theurgist however they could.
"Take good care of him, Ceren." Aria spoke, earning a positive nod from the male in question. Her snap gained the attention of the treant, wooden body still hanging over the skeleton's separated legs. When she could hear it shuffling over to her, she faced towards the maze doors and began her own trek in their direction. "I'll finish off whoever's left in the maze."
As she got the words out, however, those same doors eased open, and a white-clad blonde stepped through, a hint of sadness hidden behind her warm visage. Aria's eyes widened considerably, and her breath caught in her throat. The others looked on as each female approached the other, the Theurgist with a faster walk than her counterpart.
The redhead met Oriel with a powerful embrace, catching the seraph off guard before her surprise died down into a more reserved smile. Victoria thought the scene strangely reminiscent of a lost mother and child reuniting, the way the angel ran her fingers through the girl's hair. She wasn't quite aware of what had caused a twinge of sorrow to run through her at that time, and neither was she aware of that same feeling dispersing in Ty and Tala in unison with hers.
"I am alright, child." Oriel soothed, giving the girl one last pat on the back before the two separated. "I cannot say the same for your sisters. I was powerless to stop their capture."
"Lady Oriel." Ty spoke, clearing his throat as everyone else save Ceren stepped towards her. The woman brought eyes around to the Diviner, then later the sealed envelope caught between his thumb and fingers.
"You must be Ambrose's group." She spoke, lips curved into an apologetic smile. "You come at a rather unfortunate time, as you have already discovered." Her gaze fell upon Aria once more. "Please if you would Aria, assist Ceren with Private O'Ryan. I've sent a few fairies to let the medical corps know of the incident."
"What about us?" Tala queried.
"You four may follow me. Once the situation has calmed a bit more, we will discuss your reasons for coming here."
With a simultaneous nod, the young quartet followed the Seraph back towards the door with no particular uniformity. Fate gazed around at the scenery around him. Aria, who had already heeded Oriel's call and begun on assisting Ceren, held a solemn look on her face as she assessed the bleeding private. The treant she had summoned previously stood in place, unmoving as the spells subsided and its bark decomposed into dust particles blown away by whatever wind passed by. Fairies here held none of the joyous exuberance he had witnessed before; here only a tragic quiet loomed over them. Though nothing had physically changed, even the landscape itself had seemed to lose its original luster.
Fate clenched his fist as he passed through the gate doors, a sort of helplessness welling up inside him. A helplessness he hoped in time would change, so that he might be able to put a stop to whatever, or whoever, was behind all this.
(Author's Notes)
And here we are. I really wanted to finish this arc in one chapter, and I pray it was enjoyable. Since I'd like to just post this and go to bed (work in the morning), I'll re-edit any mistakes I find at a later date.
Until next time!