Larxene closed her eyes, trying to ignore the hollow burning in her chest. She gripped the broken pendant tighter in her fist. Where was this thing taking them? The dust in the air made her cough, causing her to open her eyes. They widened a little as he slowed his pace. They definitely weren't in the city anymore. But she's lived in Radiant Garden for ages, and she'd never seen this place before. How far away from the city *were* they? She took a step back from the creature once her feet touched the ground, despite her shoddy equilibrium at the moment. She flinched in slight disbelief as the creature turned-tail and ran. What on earth? Larxene turned to Aqua. "Are you okay? That uh….wouldn't happen to be a friend of yours, would it?"
Aqua tried to regain her nerve, brushing her clothes and fixing them as best she could. She turned to Larxene, looking more confused than she was before. "I was going to ask if he was your friend... Do you know where we are?" Aqua inspected the area, but couldn't conclude anything since it was so dark. She took a step closer to Larxene, fearing that something more strange would come out to greet them.
Larxene shook her head. "No, I don't…" She squinted and glanced around. Where ever they were, it looked entirely abandoned. Running her fingers through her hair with her free hand, she sighed. "If I wasn't in trouble before, I definitely am now. Xemnas is going to have my head on a damn plate." Her voice faltered as Aqua stepped closer. "Do you uh…." She stepped backward, colliding with the curtain. "Do you think that friend of ours is going to come back?" She asked, giving a second glance to the fabric behind her. She listened as hard as she could muster. She couldn't pinpoint whether she heard noises from the other side, or if her ears were playing tricks on her. That thing wanted them to go in there, right? Why else would it bring both of them here? She reluctantly placed the pendant around her neck again and pulled back the curtain. "Come on." She murmured, motioning for Aqua to follow. Electricity sparked at her fingertips to provide some shred of light. Her stomach turned. She wasn't sure what they'd find in here, but she'd be ready for a fight if need be.
Aqua took a quick breath in after seeing Larxene's hand light up with electricity. "Wh-what... how are you doing that?" She wanted to ask whether or not going inside was a good idea, but the strange power the performer possessed distracted her. Plus, she did not want to wait outside for the strange beast to reappear. Her stomach turned, things were becoming more outlandish by the minute and Aqua silently prayed that some answers would come soon. As they entered the cave, the strong scent of incense hit them like a wall of smoke. The room itself was cluttered with odds and ends: Bottles filled with plants, animal hooves, gems, rocks and many more things were scattered around, some even hanging from the ceiling by a rough twine. Not much in the room could be seen from a distance, for the only lighting came from tall candles all around the room. All of them look like they have been burning for a very long time. Aqua and Larxene could make out a slim figure in the back of the room, stirring something in a cauldron-like pot. The woman seemed to be muttering something to herself in a foreign language, unaware of their presence.
Larxene squinted a little at Aqua's reaction before it clicked. Shit. She shook her hand quickly, as if it were burned. The electricity around her fingers fizzled out. "Sorry….uh." What could she possibly say? She glanced around the room as it opened a little. Her eyes began to adjust. For a cave, it seemed somewhat spacious. "It's technically part of my…" She closed her mouth and stopped walking. Holding an arm out to her side to stop Aqua from moving further, she held her finger to her lips, getting a glimpse of movement from the back of the room. What was she doing? That is a woman, right? Her eyes weren't just playing tricks on her? Larxene squinted again, listening hard to try to make sense of what the woman had been murmuring.
By that time Aqua had noticed the woman too. Between being in such a strange place and completely unsure about Larxene after witnessing her power, she took a very defensive stance. The woman was continuing her exotic chant for a few moments before stopping abruptly and raising her head, still facing away from Aqua and Larxene. She chuckles a strange and almost witchy cackle before saying, "More have come seeking Asha's aid... Though this time I sense you two are from somewhere else... And it might not be business as usual..." After finishing her sentence she whirls around to face them, slamming her staff into the ground. "Who are you then? Why have you come?"
Larxene blinked slowly, trying to make sense of the situation. Seeking aid? What could they possibly need help with? Her eyes widened a little. She'd never broken a trinket before. Is this the person they were supposed to go to when that happened? Did that make their 'ride' here normal, too? She fastened the choker around her neck once more, and took a step forward. "I can't even answer that, lady. But you could ask that gallivanting hell-beast, once it comes back." She wanted to know what this woman meant by 'business as usual.' She straightened her posture. "That thing is a friend of yours right? The big guy with the….no…..face?" She asked, making odd gestures with her hands, as if it'd help describe the creature.
Aqua kept her ground, and stayed still and silent, watching the both of them. The woman stared coldly at Larxene for a few moments before stepping forward. Her glare changed to a big smile in an instant as she laughed. It was a warm laugh, one that made her appear much more friendly despite the white skull painted on her dark face. "Tis not a hell beast lass. That was Asha's dog. Pooka must have seen something special in you two... Something... Special indeed..." She looked away for a moment, grabbing a jar filled with what looked like eyeballs, taking a few and tossing them into the boiling pot behind her. As the steam wafted from the concoction she began to laugh again. "Oh yes." Asha turned and her gaze went back and forth from Larxene's necklace to Aqua. "You certainly have a touch of destiny about you..."
"Dog." Larxene repeated, shooting a glance to Aqua. Has this woman ever seen a dog? Like a real, live dog with her own eyes? The performer seriously doubted it. "Does your….dog often interrupt circus performances?" Her hand instinctively went to the pendant around her neck. After a few seconds of silence, listening to the woman's words, she spoke again. "Special? Destiny?" Larxene laughed and waved her hand for a moment. "What are you talking about? Clearly it just..." Her voice faltered upon seeing the contents of the jar. She held her breath for a few seconds. Eyeballs? She glanced at Aqua again, wondering if she had been seeing the same things. "What uh…." She cleared her throat. "What do you do here, exactly?" She asked, trying hard to keep her mind from wandering. She had to have gotten those from somewhere, right?
"Ohohoho dear child. Asha's work has her do many things... To put things simply, Asha's a voodoo priestess. Asha heals the sick, hexes the wicked, and even... Solves ailments of the soul." She finds two large cushions for them to sit on and motions for them to sit. "But Asha is glad to hear that Pooka had made it to the right place. So it is true that hell has come back, and is making its rounds once more..." She turns and stirs the liquid in the pot. Aqua was not understanding any of what was going on, but she sat down on one of the cushions to try to be polite.
Larxene's breath caught in her throat at the woman's words. Ailments of the soul. Something told her that statement wasn't a coincidence. Asha's last sentence rang in her ears. "Sorry, but… once more?" She spoke, moving somewhat stiffly to sit. "Has….this happened before?" She narrowed her eyes. She must know something. Surely she wasn't just crazy, right? She shot a glance to Aqua, unsure of what to do next. "Who…..are you, exactly? What did your…er..dog… want with us?" She asked, uncertainty hinted in her tone.
Aqua made it a point to simply sit and listen. She had no idea what was happening anymore, and she concluded that the only way she would ever learn anything was by listening. She knew her questions would be answered eventually, or at least... she hoped. Asha gave a few more stirs to the mixture in the pot before turning back to her guests. By the way Larxene was reacting, she was thinking hard about what to say next. Choosing her words carefully, she answered, "Souls have been hurting since the beginning of time little one... Though recently things have gotten worse... far worse." At this her steely-green gaze wanders away from them, thinking deeply once again. After a few moments she snaps to attention once again. "Asha told you who she is. Her pet was looking for important things to Asha, though you two were not expected. Pooka is a smart dog. We must trust him."
"How are we important? I don't…..nevermind." Larxene waved her hand in dismissal. She shifted slightly where she sat. Aqua had been silent since they'd arrived. The performer hoped that she wasn't terribly upset for not explaining things like she'd originally promised. "What…what do you mean, they're hurting?" She asked, steadying her voice. Her eyes narrowed. That didn't sound right. Her fingers brushed over the pendant around her neck. "Was your dog looking for something else at that Circus, then?" She asked, trying to keep her tone polite. What did this woman know? Larxene intended to find out.