Sorry guys,
I know.
We suck.
But I swear, there is a legit reason this time!
As some of you might know, we live in Florida and just got hit by Ian which took out our power and internet and shit.
It sucked but Dark's got hers back up- Thank the gods.
My apologies for the inconvenience, now back to your regularly scheduled, rarely posted on time story :D
-Twisted
A gasp leaves him as he wakes to a fetid stench.
It was choking him.
Like he was enveloped in it.
Suffocating.
Evil.
A shiver runs down his spine as he covers his mouth.
His eyes sweep the darkness, confused.
Where the fuck was he?
He shifts to sit up, rubbing the back of his head with a groan.
Something was off-
His eyes narrow as he scowls into the darkness.
Something-
His heart slams into his chest as he scrambles to his feet.
Kids! There were kids-
He grimaces as his mind replays the vivid memory.
The blood.
The screams.
The agony.
Morgana!
That cunt.
What the fuck had the old hag done!?
He sinks low, keeping his growl at bay.
He was going to kill that bitch, magic or no.
He grips his blade so tightly the metal bites into his palm.
Good.
At least he wasn't trapped in a fucking night terror-
Fuck, he winces.
-though a large part of him wished he were.
His eyes strain to make out something-anything to indicate someone had made it.
He jumps nearly a foot in the air when someone grabs his wrist.
He turns, ready to attack.
To defend himself.
"Let me-" He growls as he swings his other hand-
Only for it to be deflected.
"T."
He pauses as some of the tension riddling him loosens. "Yensid?" His brow furrows.
How the fuck had he forgotten-
Fear.
Screaming.
Blood.
His blade sinking into soft flesh.
His strike, a little too late.
"Indeed." The old man sighs wearily.
He closes his eyes as he drops his arms and turns away with a deep breath.
He was-
His eyes open as he takes another breath.
-confused.
Unless Yensid had moved them-
Which, doubtful.
Where the fuck had the horrid smell gone?
Blind or not-
He knew. Just knew- They were surrounded by it.
By death.
So why-
He shoves the confusion away.
So not the point.
"I think it best to shed some light on the situation," Yensid states grimly.
Idiot.
Why hadn't he-
He flinches.
Because he didn't want to see it.
The aftermath.
The carnage.
The truth.
He swallows hard as he fights the tears welling in his eyes, so much more than frustrated.
But he didn't have a name for the overwhelming emotion.
"Yeah," he agrees in resignation.
He didn't want to see it-
But he needed to.
Needed to know the lengths the witch-
He narrows his eyes.
Witches?
He closes his eyes in denial.
How far had it gone?
He clenches his daggers by his side, "do it." He states stoically.
It seemed all Yensid needed as the room slowly became brighter.
His nose scrunches as the fetid stench returns.
Morgana!
His eyes do a quick sweep quickly taking inventory of the cave.
The tiny bodies-
The trails of blood-
The looks of terror screwed on their faces-
No!
His heart constricts in his chest as his stomach turns.
His fault.
Isn't that what she'd said?
The truth of the statement hits him like a brick to the face.
Too late.
It was too late to save them.
He sucks in a breath before he tears his eyes off the small fallen bodies.
Now wasn't the time.
It wasn't just him.
And this was no time for him to break down.
He steps forward with a snarl as his eyes land on Morgana.
Fucked up devil worshiping whore.
A hand curls around his shoulder, "she's gone."
He glances back at Yensid.
No!
She couldn't be.
Couldn't have gotten away so easily with her depraved brutality.
She needed to pay.
Needed to suffer.
How was he supposed to avenge-
Yensid lets out a sigh as he drops his hand, "But I do suppose that's something you need to confirm for yourself."
He clenches his jaw as he closes the space between him and the witch.
He stares down at her body with contempt, before he swiftly kicks her to her back.
Ruthlessly.
Cunt.
His eyes roam over her bloody features.
Gleeful.
The bitch had died euphoric.
His lip curls in disgust as he shoves his blade through her still form.
Another strike to her cold black chest.
A surge of rage courses through him as he rips the blade out before it slides into her again.
How dare she die happily.
Pleased with herself.
Delighted in her repulsively repugnant act against innocent children.
Toddlers.
Babies.
Fucking-
A feral growl leaves him as he yanks out his blade.
Blinded by tears he hadn't realized had gathered.
-cunt.
Though, the slur didn't begin to encompass the existence of what she was.
He stands and lands a savage kick, making the body roll several feet away from her victims.
The casualties of his transgressions.
Fuck, why hadn't he looked harder for the little ones?
Why hadn't he-
No!
He refused.
Not now.
His eyes narrow in on Morgana.
No.
Not this time-
He couldn't get lost. Not again.
Not with this.
Not when shit like this was happening.
His lip curls in a snarl of disgust as he slams the door on the guilt attempting to invade his soul. This wasn't on him.
It was on them.
The blasphemous whores who'd made a pact with, a level of evil he hoped he'd never have to experience.
Betrayed.
He'd been foolish to give it so much credit.
The one good thing about the barrier.
No magic.
So, why wouldn't it bite them in the fucking ass.
And why had he never considered it?
He'd been so-
He whips his head up as the rotten stench returns with fervor, confused when his eyes land on Yensid.
The old man wore an unfamiliar expression as he inspected the twisted bitch's altar.
Disgust?
Horror?
Outrage?
He wasn't really sure-
He just-Empathized with it.
Still-
His eyes dart around the room.
-that didn't answer where the stench was coming from.
There was no way the bodies were already decomposing.
No way, they were rotting.
Not this quickly.
So, where the fuck was the smell coming from-
His eyes widen as a loud groan shakes the cave.
No!
His muscles coil-
Not again!
-he launches himself towards Yensid.
He couldn't.
Not now.
He couldn't lose the old mage too.
He fucking refused.
Refused to let this cavern take another life.
Refused to watch someone else he cared for die.
Not if he could help it.
He grits his teeth.
Never the fuck again would he underestimate this place.
The evil it contained.
The lengths in which it's captives would go-
And for fucking what exactly?
Rage burns deep in his belly.
What the fuck could possibly justify this atrocity?
He had to get to him, but it was as if time had once again slowed.
His feet were too heavy.
His lungs unable to draw in enough air.
And not ten feet away from him stood Yensid-
An adult who trusted him.
Fuck, an ancient adult that trusted him.
An adult who-
He glares when the old man opens his mouth and waves his hand.
No.
"Don't you fu-"
Suddenly, his feet are no longer slapping against the ground.
No!
He was flying backwards, gagging on the putrid smell that was haunting him.
He coughs as his back slams into the cavern wall.
His eyes' water from the stench.
No!
He pushes against the wall with a growl, but it was no use.
He was trapped, held in place by a stupid spell.
He snarls.
Damn it!
Fucking magic could go burn with fucking Morgana.
No!
The cave!
Yensid!
He watches in horror-
Stuck.
Unable to lift a limb.
Choking.
Useless.
No, he struggles in earnest against the invisible bonds-
Useless was a choice.
This-
This feeling was so much worse, so much more maddening.
So much more infuriating.
A feeling he'd just vowed to never let overcome him again.
Yet here he was-
Powerless.
The only thing he could do was watch, eyes glued to Yensid's resigned face, as the roof caves in right on top of him.
"Now that we ain't waitin' for that thing ta bare down on us-" Beam's shaky voice and weak tongue click cut through the tense silence, "I ain't never seen no one move that fast."
He shrugs, "Ain't none o' these kids dyin' on my watch."
The Isle where twisting vines of darkness had, only a few moments ago, had been grappling and twisting in on themselves, was still once more.
Everything vanished after the weird explosion.
His heart was still hammering against his ribs, no matter how cavalier he was trying to sound.
They'd braced.
He wasn't sure what they were facing, but after the first nasty storm and the Old Man saying the weather and waves were only a side effect.
He couldn't stand by and let the ship be pulled apart.
Not with so many on it.
But then-
Nothing.
Barely a breeze teasing the rigging of the furled sails.
And an eerie silence.
"No shit," Beam nods, "respect, Wing-Man."
His eyes narrow.
Wing-Man?
What-
He shakes his head, he could question the moniker later.
"Aye," he runs a hand through his hair before he chances a look around.
Everyone was still standing, still white-knuckling the ropes around their waists.
But, something felt off.
Why had some been affected even before the darkness?
Like Uma and the sound she'd heard.
"Did anyone get a count of them that went down?"
Silence.
"I got it." Beam frowns before he pushes off the rail and heads for the stairs. "Kat's got'em packed tight."
He bites his lip as he watches the lanky leader leave.
His eyes drift back to the mocking breeze before he nods, confidant that the ship would continue the smooth sail.
"Stow the lead lines!" He calls out to the crew.
"Aye!"
"Sam, we make for the cove," He proclaims as he steps up to the helm, "full sails."
"Aye," Sam taps his fingers to his forehead as the rest of the crew race to get the Revenge ready.
His grip on the helm tightens as they catch a current.
Harriet.
Uma.
T.
Yensid.
Gil.
Deez.
Fuck.
Though he knew it wouldn't do him any good, he looks back over his shoulder towards the Isle.
Where the docks once were.
Where the strange light had been.
T and Yensid supposedly went in that direction.
T would find a way to get caught up in shit like that-
Little fucking asshole was always exactly where no one should be.
At least he had the Old Man with him.
All he could do was hope Harriett hadn't gone off in that direction.
He couldn't think about that right now.
Harriett was more than capable of making her own choices and looking out for herself.
Which left him with a nagging worry.
Why had Uma heard a sound?
Why was there blood in her ears?
Why had some of the others gone down?
So many questions, and none currently able to be answered.
Fucking magic.
The one thing he thought he'd never need to know anything about.
Yet here they were…
His eyes narrow when a shadow pops out from below deck.
It ain't T, he quickly reminds himself.
"Yo!" Beam greets as he races over, "think I figured out what made them drop."
"Aye?" He nods as the sails snap and fill with wind, "An'?"
"They're all fuckin' weilders." Beam runs a hand through his hair. "Gotta be. Kat made a list." He frowns. "An, yeah there are some on it I wouldn't have guessed- but everyone with a connection were the ones to hit the deck."
"Fuck." He spins the helm, rapidly turning the ship towards a faster current.
"Ya ain't fuckin' kiddin'." Beam shakes his head, "the fuck we s'pose ta do 'bout that?"
He widens his stance, waiting for the telltale jerk of the ship hitting faster waters. "I don't know, but Deez an' Gil are some kin' o' wielders, an' they were alone when that hit."
"Shit." Beam slams his hand down on the railing.
His sentiments exactly.
So-
What the fuck right?
Talk about some fucking fall out.
A quarter of the ship (including her Captain) went down.
Yensid buried among a cave in.
James and Beam in charge of the crew.
The self-hatred T and James are sharing about how under prepared they were to face magic.
Not that I can blame them.
Who would've guessed the barrier was capable of cracking?
And who would've guessed it would be Jane's fault?
Shit, she's going to feel awful if that connection is ever made-
And Mal have mercy on her.
Jane's going to be fucking grateful of her new sister if T ever finds out
Please let us know your thoughts!
Questions.
Complaints!
(Please?)
Much love and appreciation
-Twisted