A New World

Which world seems more appealing?

Acheo	60.0%	[ 12 ]
Earth	40.0%	[ 8 ]
Total Votes:			[ 20 ]

[Emma Nightingale]

XX - The agitated weight upon his back flinched alive every few hours, quickening recently. ”At least she’s alive.” His ragged breath wouldn’t allow words. Long ago he’d trained his breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth. It gave him a sort of runner’s high, escaping the blood and cuts adorning his body like a horrendous outfit bought by a doting parent. Similarly, he pleaded to never wear it again. The stone road had eventually turned to dirt and then grass, perhaps if he didn’t know himself where they were treading; neither would whatever was attacking them. Alec’s mind coasted, survival instincts avoiding the obvious questions and paralyzing fear around every corner. ”Just keep going..” As another day dawned, the struggling rider upon his back was too much for him in an explosive attack, forcing them both to the ground.

XX - ”Damn.” The word seethed through his teeth as the lost momentum woke every creak in his body. Bones screamed, muscles ached, skin burned; he couldn’t imagine the appearance of his ragged feet. The scream echoing from Penelope’s lungs was sheer terror. Likely the same as the wind whipped around them and they were visited, once more, by an unknown being. Shaking the thought away with a flinch, Alec pushed himself up and steadied himself to Penelope’s side. His furrowed brow met her terrified gaze. Before he could utter a word, her lanky arms, matching his own, wrapped around his legs. He hadn’t cried since then, not even a little, but the sight of his companion, broke his makeshift shield. Her broken words were acid to his ears as she struggled to stand on her own.

XX - Drumming his palms to his ears, he filled his bloodied lungs with freezing air. The exasperated breath from his lips released in whimpers. He couldn’t picture their faces, he couldn’t listen to their screams, he couldn’t smell the ashes, he couldn’t allow it in. ”Shut up”, another flinch with barely a whisper in his cracked throat. ”Shut up, Penny!” She just kept talking, and talking, and talking. The tears trickled from his ashy cheeks. Vigorously, he scratched at their remains of children, elders, mothers, sisters. He’d fought it for so long, the growing conclusion in his gut that she was gone. They had barely made it out of, what, two life threatening events in the last few weeks? The thought of his sister was a topic he’d bottled, boxed, locked in a safe and entombed and Penny released it with barely a handful of words.

XX - ”There’s nothing TO do, Penny. They’re dead. All of them.” The sneer replacing his horror was cold, his words icicles. ”Move on. Get going.” He wanted to be kind and nurturing to her, to be the strength she needed, but he couldn’t deal with it now. Trembling fists at his side didn’t dare reach out. Penny would need to be strong-for herself, by herself. They wouldn’t have each other forever. ”Now come on. You can stand.” His words were softer now, his breath evening out as he turned from her.


All systems go, the sun hasn't died
Deep in my bones, straight from inside
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age.

[Silver Arcaine]

XX Aden's eyes were focused on Alex's as she spoke with the conviction that she did. She was obviously scared, hurt, and upset at her and her brother's situations. It wasn't his fault, and he could only imagine that she was displacing her sense of powerlessness onto him. He had seen this face before. This sense of fear. This loneliness. This longing for one's other half. Aden had experienced this during his first few weeks, hell, his first year away from his home. Longing for his father to come say goodnight. To give him one of his renowned hugs. To share a meal with his father and truly experience the presence of someone that loved him unconditionally, and understood him as such. Aden knew what Alex was going through, and he was determined to help them, to help them both. But, this Darkness, this destruction. It was abnormal. It was...pure catastrophe. This magic these two had were something special, something not seen in years and years. Something not seen in anyone but....his thoughts swallowed as his eyes met with the elf woman's. He finally recognized her. Through the dirt, and traveling rags, he realized who she was. He could imagine the paintings of her and the hero Vash that were created so many years ago.

XX Looking back at the hand on his chin, Aden listened to the girls words until they came to fruition, before responding. "If you never see me again, then you'll never get that date with me" Aden said jokingly, (yet in his mind serious). "No date, no first ki...." he said again as he motioned to stand. His hand creeped over her hand, still on his chin. His face coming within inches of hers, his lips inches away from hers, before pulling away to stand, letting her hand drop from his chin and never coming in full contact with her. Knowing he left her embarrassed, and probably pissed off, her turned his attention to the woman. "Plus, I doubt a hero would kill anyone, moreover a Prince of Arcaine" he said, looking at her, making it more than clear he knew who she was. "You of all people should know what I saw. What attacked me....You fought the beast directly, you and the Hero Vash. I saw it. I know what I saw. I know now that Vash failed to kill this thing. What I don't know is where to go from here. Whether or not you like it, you're a part of this now. And so is she. Alex..." he said looking at her with a strong compassion to his eyes "...she and her brother are different. They have...abilities. Abilities not seen sense your group of misfits attempted to stop this thing...I believe they are the key to all this. Somehow, someway. They are here for a reason" he said, feeling as though he was rambling. Extending his hand to help Alex stand, his eyes locked on the elf once more, hoping she had the knowledge and the guidance that they both so desperately needed.

[Silver Arcaine]

XX The screams, the death, the horror all encapsulated Penny's mind. She could barely hear herself talking or even thinking. Words were blurting from her mind rapidly and with little meaning or comprehension. The ash of scorched human flesh dirtied her hair and was plastered on her skin like hot wax, cold yet burning her mind to the core. Penelope was shaking, trying to wake up, hoping she'd open her eyes still on Alec's back. That they would have lunch and nothing would happen. That they were still dancing. That anything, anything but what was reality. She had cried so hard that her years were beginning to dry and her mind was blank with sheer horror. "Why!? What was, what do we where, I don't, I couldn't..." she rambled until her mind was shot clear by her companion's yelling. His words hit her like arrows piercing her stomach. "Shut up. Shut up, Penny! There's nothing TO do, Penny. They're dead. All of them. Move on. Get going. Now come on. You can stand." Her eyes moved towards the ground and her words became shallow and eventually silence.

XX Penny's legs wobbled slightly as she stood, still not totally comfortable walking, yet she didn't make it clear to Alec. She didn't want to put anything else on him. Her head was hurting still from where it had slammed on the ground, which she didn't understand. Injuries rarely hurt, moreover for such a long time. Feeling the back of her head, there was still wet blood. Crossing her arms, she looked at Alec before shooting her eyes back to the ground and walking towards him, waiting for him to lead the way. Fighting back tears and sniffles, she kept her eyes down, arms cross, and uttered a small sentence "What now...?" she said quietly and monotone.

[Emma Nightingale]

The Headstrong Aquarian Elf of the Water Element

Knowing clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms

Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe in my arms



____________________________________


The grand elf’s smirk had regressed into a thin frown, also known as the usual state. Retreating a few steps back after successfully tying their captive, Ellanorah found the dah-re’s behavior… peculiar. Even for an oddly dressed and often bumbling tyke. Using the lake pool beside them to clean the newcomer’s appearance, dah-re was livid before taking her chance to land several swift kicks to the chest. His actions beforehand seemed to deviate from the teenager’s understanding. Breathing deeply into her lungs, the tall elf relaxed against a similarly regal tree. All too well did she understand the trifles of a young heart. The spark in her chest remained ignored.

It wasn’t until heavy breathing and slight tears spoke that Ellanorah returned her attention to the pair, "Lakeeya, meet Aden or Prince Arcaine. After all, everyone else knew him by that name except me. Where is my brother?" The line upon Ellanorah’s lips was unmoved. The rough attired man slowly came-to after a while of silence. Her mind had unraveled the possibilities, but feared to bring them to light given the child’s sudden urge to live. Unlike his companion, he was delighted at the sight of his attacker. What occurred next would be aligned with one of Ellanorah’s most memorable conversations. Her fists clenched and breathing quickened, though her eyes only flinched. At hearing the events transpired, Alex reacted physically, her body falling to the ground. ”Healing arts…? Power? Chaos of Arcaine..” An icy stare scanned the man for deception, he was troubled, insane. ”South to the border. But with the outburst in Arcaine… Our spies would travel quickly… Borders would be closed.” The man was exhausted, deluded, Ellanorah told herself. Until…

"I came in contact with....with, a being of ancient evil and total destruction. I came into contact with The Darkness." Her chest ached, she held a bloodied hand to the pain before releasing a quaking breath. Images flashed through her head, she flinched with every one. Holding her spinning head with her fingertips, she steadied her breathing against the tree. Depending upon it for strength, already feeling its calming effects of life upon her. How humans got along without the aid of nature, Ellanorah could never imagine. She feared to think of the word again, to ever utter its name. ”No.” Regaining herself, she pushed everything aside, everything. Her cerulean glare returned to the boy’s green eyes, lit with the same fire of her own.

"Thank you for protecting me. If you don't mind, I would like a moment alone with this man.” From the recent displays of affection and his bindings, Ellanorah was assured the child could take care of herself. The elf trailed a pale finger along her elongated ear and nodded before retreating into the woods for sticks, always within hearing distance. Grateful for her own absence, her slow walk, once out of sight, turned to a quick run before a fist hit a mighty rock. A slow methodical breath soothed her veins as she retracted the hand, a lightly reddened crack left in its pores. Flexing the fingers to regain its composure, Ellanorah sat, her back against the rock, beside the eerie crack. Her eyes closed, still crusted in the dirt from the jailed cave. ”Traako.” [Elvish expletive] Another deep breath. ”You’d think after all these years, I’d be able to control my anger better. I guess I’ve just gotten more bitter, V.” Her eyes looked to the sky, but she spoke to the throbbing pit in her chest.

Arriving back, the spoken word between the two mulled over, Ellanorah shook her head at the child’s ferocity. ”The angst.” A light hand, her own cuts muddled with the jailers’ blood, sat upon the tree. It seemed to shudder with the wind at her aggression. She was surprised to see the man free of his binds; however, he posed no threat to the girl. The man indicted to the elf in reference to her ability to kill him. She smirked and revealed herself from the shadows. His assumed knowledge of her was… impressive, though he had no idea of her present occupation. ”Hero?” The word danced on her lips, all the way off a cliff into shark infested waters. Then, he made a second mistake of saying another name, assuming the failure of a great man. Her cheek flinched as a scowl occurred, her chin raised. The knife in its sheath upon her leg was increasingly attractive, like a magnet to her bloodied palm. ”Satar [Look here], Boy,” she spat venomously, ”You’re nis’tai [dishonorable] and know not what you speak.” She breathed evenly, ”Vash succeeded where many failed, countless lives were lost and you berate his memory with blasphemy.”

Yet, as troubling as it was, he was right. Somehow some sort of… enemy had enraged Acheo. If the destruction of Arcaine was as he perceived… she would need to return home. She silently fought herself, her sneer obvious. Ellanorah couldn’t ignore the abilities of the teens, no matter the disbelief. Not in the place she was for her people. ”The south border was wise.” Her fingers clenched upon her hips, an exasperated breath left her white lips before continuing calmly, ”We’ll camp on the south side of the lake, it’s about a handful of hours and restock supplies in the nearest town in the morning, another hour travel, before venturing to Elauhar.” He asked for her help, she would acquiesce but her lead was vital. ”On the way, dah’re, tell me of how you came to be here and what has occurred since.”


____________________________________


Story books are full of fairy tales
Of kings and queens and the bluest skies

My heart is torn just in knowing
You'll someday see the truth from lies

[Emma Nightingale]

XX - Dark pale tendrils brushed through his equally blackened hair, although night had fallen and light threatened their safety, Alec still couldn’t get over the extra sun revolving around. Penelope’s words had quieted to silence. Nothing but the chirpings of weird animals and a world he was no longer interested in. Fascination and curiosity had been purged from his body like a sobering cold bath. His heart seemed to run rampant in his chest, the cool wind providing the said bath of awakening.

XX - ”Damn.”Alec hadn’t been able to think since the incident, nothing but to keep going, never stopping. He craved sensibility, logic, something he could read, decipher, a mathematical equation or book to study… but there was nothing. Nothing but frustration and anger and questions with so few answers that when found, led to more questions. Satisfaction was nowhere in sight. Silence was never normal for Alec, his arms lowered from his skull, his sight trailing behind him slowly. Alexandra’s response to his anger was more yelling, it soothed them both, being able to yell at each other and both be responsible and both apologize. Now he was the arse… and alone. Fortunately, he had no pride to uphold as his voice became a slow defeated breath, ”I don’t know.”

XX - ”Damn.”Penny was smaller in stature than even Alex, they were so different and similar, it hurt his head. He wasn’t used to this. Alec took another deep breath, as if the act of circulating oxygen would somehow produce the answer he longed for. His nails bit into his palms, ”Aden said something about going south to the... elves?” His lips pressed into a line, it occurred to him that he had no right to ask for her help. She had assisted him and his sister after barely even knowing their names, let alone explanations, not that they had any, and had asked for nothing in return. In response, Alec had trusted her with nothing but rude and misplaced aggression. His chapped lips parted to speak several times but no words could be uttered. The teenager didn’t deserve them… But he needed her help.


XX - ”Damn.” ”There’s no reason for you to help me.” His teachers and professors always told him he was a terrible debater, ‘too honest’ they said. His brows raised, Alec was desperate and had no choice. ”Can you help me get there? Or at least direct me?” His nails trailed against his thumb, head low, and his foot fidgeted, ”If you’d allow me…” The lump in his throat made it difficult to speak, ”I’d like to earn your forgiveness. You didn’t deserve that after everything you’ve done.”


All systems go, the sun hasn't died
Deep in my bones, straight from inside
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age.