Welcome to Gaia! ::

“First the shadow world… and now this.” Laven paused to look around the decaying village. “For some reason, I feel like I should be surprised.” But she wasn’t. How could she be when everything about this new life she lived was all about being taken to places that shouldn’t exist?

First, there was the Dark Kingdom and its castle and then the Rift beyond the massive doors and creepy hallway. Then there was the world consumed by the darkness that erupted with fire where the ground fractured and chasms formed when the large dragon appeared. Now they were in a place with unnaturally cold fog and eerie forest encircled this lifeless town.

Although there were some powered signatures, Lavendulan assumed that they were transported here like they were and that most, if not all, were from Destiny City. “How are you holding up?” She looked at Wolframite, brows knitted in concern her gaze drifted down to his chest where she worried that the cold weather might be aggravating his injuries.

“Ok,” Laven nodded then looped her arm through his.

It wasn’t that she was scared, even though she probably should have been, but she knew Wolframite well enough to be able to read between the lines. At a glance, the two of them might look like a wussy lieutenant clinging on helplessly to a Captian in the hopes that they would save the tiny damsel in distress.

Not at all the case but who was she to correct them?

Either way, with all the signatures gathering in this small village it would be best that she was perceived to be the weak one so they would leave Wolframite alone. “Why don’t you sit here for a little while. I’ll scout out some of the houses and make sure they are safe.” With her Water form, the building could collapse into a pile of twigs and dust and she could walk out unscathed. Wolframite, on the other hand, would not fare so well.

Laven removed her ear cuff and as she pressed a kiss to his brow she affixed the familiar piece of jewelry on his soft pointed ear. I won’t go far, the reply was spoken through the tether that linked their minds.

“Be my eyes and ears out here, let me know if someone tries to come side after I go in.” This unfamiliar place that was shrouded in fog and mystery undoubtedly housed its own demons. Just like how they couldn’t sense the shadow hounds last year, chances are if there was probably something in the woods that they couldn't sense either.

Laven reluctantly left his side and approached the nearest cabin. Until recently she never had a reason to keep things hidden from Wolframite. However, she knew him well enough that if he felt her nervousness or apprehension through the link that he would insist on coming. That was a risk she was unwilling to take.

For now, she had to focus on breathing calmly and after a moment’s pause, she took hold of the doorknob and gave it a rather forceful tug.

To her surprise, not only the door frame, but the whole house seemed to groan in protest; it was as if she had just awakened a sleeping giant, and before the building could come tumbling down like the three little pigs straw hut, Laven quickly shifted into her water form as a precaution. Similar to the houses in the ruins around their home, this cabin too held that musky smell, and only after the dust had settled enough for her to see did she finally step inside.

Well, on the plus side, there isn’t a hole in the ceiling. She jested in an attempt to lighten the mood. Laven looked around the rooms slowly, and tested each stair step carefully before putting her full weight onto them. Everything she saw, Wolframite saw, including the queen-sized bed upstairs.

It’s pretty chilly in here, I can start a fire downstairs, but at least you can lay down comfortably up here. With his fear of fire it was good to know he could reap the benefits of a warm home while sleeping in a separate room.

Laven smiled at his comment and would have laughed if it wasn’t for the mention of something lurking in the woods behind him. I honestly doubt you’re being paranoid.I trust your senses more than anyone else. He was, after all, basically an expert tracker with a keen sense for the hunt and better hearing than most humans.

I’m coming back out. She made her way down the stairs, slowly still since her magic had just worn out. It’s old, but sturdy enough… I think. Leaning against the handrail made the wooden posts bow but they didn’t crack or break which was a good sign she supposed.

There was a light peppering of dust atop of her head and shoulders which were wiped off with a sweep of her hand. “If you can get past the odor and cold, this is probably our best bet for shelter.” Laven walked over beside Wolframite and scanned the tree line; with the earring, it offered an odd sort of panoramic view of the area but aside from fog and trees nothing really seemed out of place.

“Do you want to go inside and lay down for a bit? Or would you prefer to maybe go see if anyone here has an idea of what going on? I can gather wood and straighten up things in the house if you want to mingle.” She had heard voices in the house adjacent to theirs, fortunately, she could sense auras coming from the other side of the wall and knew there was nothing to really be concerned about; for now at least.

“Mmm…” Laven winced.

“You probably have better social skills in large groups like this than I do.” One-on-one or with two others at most were fine, but large gatherings especially ones that had a mix of factions made her fidgety and uncomfortable. “Why don’t you let me worry about getting things prepped for this evening?”

Carefully, she removed her cuff from his ear. “Here, put this away in your subspace pocket so we don’t waste the limited time it has. If anything happens I can come back quickly.”

Laven wrapped her arms around him and just breathed in his scent; it was familiar and calming. It let her know that this was in fact real and not some lucid dream which was kind of a double-edged sword; both comforting and terrifying at the same time.

Wolframite once said to her that if she couldn't kill then he would. Never did she imagine that there might be a time where he couldn't. It's not so much that she wanted to be brave but more that she needed to step up.

"We'll get out of here, I promise." Laven kissed the top of his head then whispered "I love you."