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There were more, several more! It didn't take long for Savior to jump backwards and off of her captive as two more figures approached and the Marrowstripe landed on all fours, her whole body vibrating with an unhappy sound of warning. These new arrivals were a male and female Marrowstripe, a combination that would have set off red flags were Savior thinking straight, but instead all she could imagine was that she was going to be overwhelmed and eaten. The thought of being eaten was the only thing that currently terrified the monster, not the idea that she could possibly get hurt.

"No. No." Her words were more of a command, a sort of 'stay back', and she pushed herself onto her feet as she staggered to stay upright. The kick she'd received had not been shrugged off so lightly despite her initial attack and Savior was reeling from the internal pain. At the rate she was going she wouldn't be able to survive this attack and she certainly wouldn't be able to find West. That thought sent another wave of panic down the already unsteady mind of the Marrowstripe and the monster pulled her hands up to her face, visibly shaking. "Wesssst. Where youse."

Even though West was before her, calling her name alongside with Holly, all that the girl could understand were the whistles that came from those of her own kind. She didn't want to die here, she didn't want to be eaten or just have her body ravaged and left for dead. With what was clearly a wail of despair instead of her usual cries of unhappiness, Savior called out West's name one more time before she turned away from the group and fled into the fog, not caring that she was likely to get herself more lost.

Thankfully she didn't get too far in her wanderings before she tripped over something on the ground and landed on her face, her elbows and knees smarting from the impact. She'd tripped over her bag which also happened to contain that rather interesting flashlight as well as. . . more pieces of paper? If Savior could recall only having one then she certainly didn't show it as the amount now totalled up to four. Pulling the bag to her chest she stayed sitting where she was, chirping with unhappiness as her bones whistled from the movement. "Horrrrie. Wesssst."

Slamming his eyes shut, the jikininki clamped his hands over his ears. Shutting up everything around him. The blood, the eerie glow of yellow eyes, everything. He had to think, had to break out of whatever mind games this Jack damned fog was playing. He hadn't stabbed Jove, he hadn't. The blood was real, but he hadn't caused it. It was illusion, that was all, just illusion. "It's just a ******** illusion!" His voice rose into a long, frustrated cry, echoing around him and surely reaching out over most of the path.

Letting his hands fall fall back to his sides he rolled his shoulders before they rounded. Not defeated, but certainly rather discouraged. If these mind games kept up.. Ugh, he didn't want to think of it. No, he couldn't afford to think about it. There were people that depended on him, he had to keep his resolve, not for himself, but for them. The ghouls, Jove, even Elaphe. "It's not real.." Stooping to pick up his flashlight, the boil crammed it back in his back with his blackened table leg and pulled a determined mask over troubled features.

The smaller boil's voice behind him was reassuring. He was alright, they were all alright. At least mostly. Now they just had to stay that way. "Good, good." His chin touched his shoulder as he glanced at Elaphe. "Hey, don't run off again, ok?"

"Jove, it's ok. It'll be ok. Let me see your side," he spoke softly, reasonably. Holding his human hand out to the pup beseechingly. Did his own eyes glow the same as everyone else? From the look on Jove's face, he had to guess they did.

He could hear voices now, out in the darkness. Not the whispered taunts that had been plaguing him, but familiar. He knew those voices! "BUL! WEST!" They were close. Well, close-ish. He couldn't hear talking, but he'd heard the shouting. Oh thank Jack, more people!

The golden eyes faded away. Aurian's arms shook as she lowered her weapon. Maybe the monster had found other prey. Maybe it hadn't been real, either, just a trick of the fog.

Voices called out from not so far away. Aurian followed the sound, metal pipe clenched firmly in one fist. Just in case, she told herself. Even though she thought the voices were all liars, she wanted to be prepared for anything.

Despite that, Aurian still wasn't prepared for what she found. Damien and Saviour were down in the dirt fighting. Not playfully and not in anger - Saviour looked like she was about to rip Damien's arms off.

"Stop, why are you-!?" she called out, choking halfway through.

Saviour and Damien, she could now see, both had glowing golden eyes.

The metal pipe came straight back up, shadowing limbs twining around its length. Aurian was torn between backing away and facing them down. This was a completely unknown enemy. Were the monsters even real? Just a hallucination? What should she do?

Kill them, of course!

Get them before they turn on you!

Quietly, she mumbled, "Why are monsters fighting each other?"

Slowly removing her hands from view, she stared at Bul for a good long moment before speaking. "Y-your not.." The visions were gone, the voice was gone. Bul was still whole! "B-but your arm was there," She said, pointing to the ground. "and y-you were bleeding everywhere! I saw it!" Whining, she placed her hands against her head again. She could still see it, clear as day. But if he was okay---what just happened..?

Hearing another voice, she lifted her head, looking up to see where it had come from. "Who's Seiji..?" She knew no Seiji, who was Seiji? A friend? And enemy? She couldn't take much more of this. Finally his last words hit her. "What do you mean..? Our stuff?" Looking over her shoulder, it was then she noticed the absence of her pack. "Where did it go? Did I drop it?" She asked, glancing about the area.

He was waiting to hear that snap, that cracking of bone that would lead to a red of crimson pooling around his body. It was horrendous, nauseating.
Beautiful.

But it never came, and in an instant the body that was so lithe, but heavy on his shoulders, was gone in a flash. Did he imagine her there, like the voice from before, it felt so real. Then again the voices felt real too. he wanted nothing more than to melt onto the floor and take a moment to compose himself. But he could be killed during that brief instant of relaxation. and with shaky hands, the struggled to get back onto his feet. It wasn't easy and sure he was wavering, but he was up and ready to run at a moments notice.

Damien would never take his arms for granted again as he flexed and moved them around into more comfortable positions, as he spotted his lost weapon not too far away and walked over to retrieve it and looking up at his savior. ((pun not so intended)) Once again he saw nothing but red. West. It was hard to stay disgruntled with the guy once he saved his unlife. But why was his eyes such a haunting yellow color, he didn't notice that before and that grin, it was so unnatural.
"Y-yeah, thanks for helping me out there West." he replied back in kind, he would normally give him a smile and a proper thank you but he was wary about bowing and taking his eyes of him for even a moment. Even Aurian and the Foxed Pajama'd ghoul seemed to materialize out the fog, their eyes not too far from the same shade as West.

"You guys ok?" "They were going to watch you die!" he asked to the ghouls partly in concern, but mostly to make sure if they were real, could never be too sure right now. He turned his attention back to creepy smirking West. "I'm not sure, she started to attack me, I saw something.... funny in the shadows." he said with a burrowed brow. there was a lot of funny business going on right here, but he wouldn't be the first one to say it out loud. They were untrustworthy.

The red haired demon let out a thunderous yell, probably to call more friends murders over. He had to watch them all. Could only trust them as far as he could throw them, and the conditions of his throbbing limbs couldn't even move them one millimeter. But he put a smile on his face and let them think he wasn't onto them. But he knew. and he'd be ready for them.

Jove's ears flattened back a bit further as Seiji seemed to mentally fight with himself, and he took a couple steps backwards. It was frightening seeing the toughest member of their little party in such a state. He cowered slightly and gripped his heavy book until the older ghost returned to the Seiji Jove had gotten to know on the boat ride. The one who gently admonished reckless behaviour. And wanted to make sure everyone was okay.

It could be another trick... Like the phantom hands and frighteningly familiar voices, but Jove had to trust that something was real. He had to trust his friends or else he'd be back where he started in Halloween. Alone and terrified.

The pup stepped forward again, standing up straight despite the little frightened tremor that ran through his body, and lifting one arm so Seiji could see that he was fine. Well, it was more likely that Seiji would not see it as fine with that much blood, but the little one tried to put on a brave face. It really wasn't bad. He hadn't even been hit there! He frowned, looking down to see a clean rip in his shirt where the scythe had cut him. It was a short line between his collarbone and the hollow of his shoulder, complete with a matching nick in the strap of his knapsack. The reaper must have been aiming for his neck... He trembled harder.

His fluffy ears pressed back against his hair as he heard voices again, except this time it was not quite the same. This time the voices were... speaking to Seiji? And they didn't sound as calm and professional as the ones he had heard while lost in the mist. They sounded like other students!

Holly nodded to Damien. What did he do to provoke Savior. From what she'd heard from West, the ghoul didn't attack unless provoked. But then again this fog was surely even more unnatural then the students themselves! "I'm fine..." Or mostly.

She cocked an eyebrow when she heard 'Horriee' from Savior. Did she mean her then the other time as well? The hug caught her completely by surprise. Sure she'd seen the ghoul ride on West's shoulders but was this the time for hugs? Hesitantly she hugged the other ghoul back, not wanting to provoke her or anything. "I'm fine, I take it you are too Savior. Right?" If the ghoul even understood any of that. It was slightly unsettling with all of the glowing eyes that this one was so close. Holly took some comfort in the fact that she was already dead and couldn't possibly be killed here by anything.

The unnerving laughter from the distance almost made her shiver again. What the Jack was that? She looked to Savior and shook her head. "I think we should all stick together. Safety in numbers right?" Didn't look like she'd be losing track of the other ghoul with her so close either anyway.

Holly looked puzzled for a moment and looked to Aurian. "Fight? Who are you talking too." Aurian's eyes glowed stronger than any of the others and she shook her head. Was that even her?

"Was go on. No fight. Marrowstripes." It took a great deal of effort for Savior to try and make enough sense to the others that there was no need to hit each other. Sure they looked really weird because they all had glowing eyes and what not, but they didn't understand that the real threat was the fact that they were surrounded by her own kind. "Marrowstipes kill. Us." almost to prove that Savior was Savior she did the basic thing that Savior was prone to do - she climbed atop Holly's back and rested herself on the ghost's shoulders. It was a very good thing that she was so light thanks to her hollow bones, and the smell of her citrus could not be mistaken for anything else.

It was only when Savior was situated again that she looked over at the glowing-eyed West with a frown, pointing at the weapon in his hand with little understanding. "Wessst sorree. Marrowstipes." She wanted to make a huge mention that they should all be hearing them by now and they should all be panicking but that wasn't going to do her any good. She was perhaps a bit safer now that she was on top of someone and maybe the other Marrowstripes would have diccifulty reaching her. Her kind wasn't known for their climbing skills, deserts tended to not have reasons for that to happen.

It was only when another student made mention of fighting that Savior's hairs on the back of her neck bristled and her hands tightened against Holly's head, a low rumble escaping her throat. When even more voices started to join in the clicks and whistles grew louder, causing the Marrowstripe a great sense of unease. Something was coming, they were not all going to make it.