Caelen raised an eyebrow in a quizzical expression and addressed Aylin.
'This young teen'? I'm rather surprised at you Ms. Aylin. You usually have a much better sense of etiquette. And don't look so surprised. Your outward appearance may have been altered, but your soul aura will never change. I sensed you coming earlier.
Caelen aimed a playfully chastising look at Aylin before continiung in a more serious manner.
I'm well aware of the danger roaming just outside the Manor gates. This isn't the first encounter with a doppelganger I've had today. Another guest arrived just a bit before you and filled me in on the situation. It is grave, to say the least. But, you know I cannot act unless I am formally called on by the town council. That is the one thing that irritates me about this nuisance of a contract. I should be allowed to help as I see fit. I hate just standing by, being held back by the binding laws of a demon's contract.
Caelen's expression grew frustrated and a bit dark as he stared off to his right, silently fuming over how restricted he was by the same powers that he could have been using to stop the force terrorizing the town. However, he was aware of his responsibility as a host, and shook off his personal troubles.
Caelen then turned his attention to the young teenage girl the pixie woman had in tow. He bowed graciously to the young girl and spoke very gently, so as not to frighten her any more than she already seemed to be.
You have nothing to fear here, my dear. This Manor is safe from the dark influences outside the walls. Every member of this establishment will be more than willing to aid you in any way. I am Caelen Evernight, butler of this manor, and servant to all of Barton. May I inquire as to what your name is?
He gave the girl a gentle, non-threatening smile to encourage her.
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:36 pm
Chibi Halo
Celestine Ravencroft
`Hydro
Prim blushed lightly as Caelen greeted her. He was quite charming and Prim couldn't help but be taken by his charm. She had never seen or met a butler before; a demon butler at that. It seemed like this was all a fairy tale, a dream inside her head. The nightmare of the enemies previous seemed to just disappear. Caelen seemed as though he was already aware of Aylin's presence, and she aware of his. It was a comfort to know that she was welcome here. Prim started to wonder who had gotten there before she and Aylin had. She shrugged to herself gently in her mind, knowing that she would probably meet them when she went in. Her focus turned back to Caelen, as her mind scrambled for the answer. "Uhh..oh..My name is Primrose, but my friends call me Prim. Thank you for welcoming me." Prim managed to stammer. She was a bit embarrassed since not often did she have a male talk to her, nor one with devilish good looks.
Aylin let out a soft sigh as she was chided by the demonic butler. Was it her fault that Prim ran off before she could learn her name earlier that day? Was it her fault that she couldn't take a moment out of the battle in the square to stop and ask who she really was? It was definitely her fault they were in their current mess to begin with. It wasn't entirely her fault but Aylin was ready to take most of the blame for the duplicates being unleashed on what now appeared to be three people. From the way Kai was looking at her Aylin knew he wasn't too happy with what lead to their current predicament. And if what the butler had said was true, and nine times out of ten it usually was, then there was another ancient magical warrior inside the manor.
"Look I'm sorry but I very well can't stop a battle just to learn who someone is, especially after that someone took off from me shortly after I gave my introductions. And you know as well as I do that as much as I've been around this town it's impossible for me to know every last person within in this town. It's not like this is Porta Denia for Gaia's sake," Aylin replied to Caelen as she gave Prim a a soft yet stern look to let her know she wasn't completely innocent in recent matters.
At the same time Kai had been taking in everything Caelen had said about the nature of his relationship with the town and his experience with the duplicates. While he understood the nature of the current situation and how grave things were, it didn't sound as though he had personal experience fighting against creatures created with dopple magic. Kai knew his hands on experience in fighting duplicates would be very important in battle against the dark forces wanting to claim Barton for their own.
"It's noble that you want to help in the fight against these things and we are grateful for that but I have to question if today was the first time you've come face to face with duplicates," Kai commented as he let out a knowing sigh, "In my younger days. before this happened. I nearly lost my life to one of those things. Granted it wasn't made of water like these are but I know how what not to do and how to defend against these things. My firsthand knowledge and being on the receiving end of dopple magic will hopefully give these three magical warriors an advantage in the war."
More questions were emerging for Aylin as the introductions, apologies, and explanations were made. Aylin was gong to have a lot of questions for Kai when they had a moment to themselves. However, there were more important things to concern themselves with at the moment like getting dry.
"Look this is all well and good but don't you think we should get inside and out of this rain. Someone, Kai, is starting to smell of wet fur and feline musk and I'm sure those two with Prim would appreciate it too," Aylin strongly suggested to the small group gathered on the porch.
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 8:24 pm
Chibi Halo
Hot Caffeinated Cree
`Hydro
Caelen smiled and bowed to Prim again.
It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Primrose. I will do everything in my power to make sure your stay at the Manor is pleasant.
Caelen would have said something else, but Aylin piped up with a slightly irate response to his earlier playful chiding. He let her have her say. He’d found it best when dealing with Aylin to just let her get things off her chest and not take things too personally. Cae wasn’t quite finished being addressed though. The cat perched on Aylin’s small shoulder spoke up then as well.
Caelen let his expression be as neutral as possible and addressed the pixie as diplomatically as possible.
Miss Aylin, believe me when I say I meant no offense earlier. I was merely trying to alleviate some of the tension brought on by the day. Perhaps it was not in the best of taste. I apologize. I do understand that circumstances are outside of one’s control more often than not. To that effect, I believe I concur about getting out of this deluge.
Caelen swiftly turned around and opened the grand oak doors to the manor. Gesturing for the others to follow him, Caelen headed inside the Manor. He hadn’t forgotten about the cat’s misgivings. He smiled inwardly at the unnecessary doubts the feline had about Caelen’s personal experiences. After all, very few people knew about Caelen’s full history, riddled as is was with pain, torture, and the need to fight or die.
The group was about ten paces into the main foyer of the Barton Manor when Caelen decided to be a bit squirrely in his answer to Kai. He stopped in the middle of the foyer and turned back to face the guests. He locked eyes with the cat.
Unsure of my experiences are you? It is only fair to question, considering I don’t talk about my past if I can avoid it. However, in this case I will make an exception. I have lived for many thousands of years, since the primitive beginnings of this world. I am of Demonkind, and yet I do not wish to be a force of evil. For this, my own kindred have hunted me incessantly. They believe I should not exist because I refuse to embrace the dark ways of the demon. Many attempts have been made on my life, and there have been quite a number of times in which darkness element doppelgangers, known as Shadow Fiends, have been used against me as a distraction while their creators have enacted a more devious plot to destroy me. All demons are born with the ability to both fight and create doppelgangers. Perhaps though, a demonstration will be more effective in removing your doubts.
All the lights in the foyer suddenly dimmed. Even the candles in the elaborate candelabra on the table next to the door flickered pathetically and then died. Darkness filled the foyer as Caelen’s eyes glowed a deep red. Making a circular motion with his hands, Caelen called forth the shadows from every corner of the hall, shaping them to his will. A substantial object began to take form on the ground right in front of Caelen, taking on the appearance of a small cat. Making a new motion, Caelen compacted the shadows into the semi-substantial appearance that marked a darkness doppelganger.
The final product was a duplicate of Kai, but made of shadows. The Duplicate lept up into the air, floating like a wispy cloud, and hovered right in front of Kai at eye level. The Shadow Fiend tilted its head to the side and then acted as if it were sniffing Kai. Satisfied, the shadow duplicate floated back down to rest on the ground in front of Caelen. With a snap of his fingers, Caelen dissolved the doppelganger and restored the light to the room. The tiniest smirk curved his lips.
Tsk, tsk tsk, Caelen. You’re causing trouble for our visitors, and they haven’t even gotten ten paces into the Manor. For shame. came a voice from the direction of the grand staircase in the foyer. The voice was both teasing and chastising at the same time, but also very enchanting.
Walking down the curve that led to the lower half of the staircase was a woman. Dark black hair with a shock of electric blue highlights in the fringe curved in gentle waves around her face. The deep sapphire eyes shone bright with kindness, but hinted at a sense of fun and maybe even a little mischief. She was dressed in her favorite deep purple sleepwear, which one could easily mistake for an Arabic harem outfit with all the semi sheer material and glimmering silver accents. The top had sleeves attached lower down that gave a stunning display of the woman’s delicate, ivory shoulders. The skirt was cut rather low, accenting her hips as they swayed tantalizingly when she walked. It was quite a daring outfit, but this was normal for her. At least the shoes were sensible little silver flats with about a quarter inch sole for good arch support. A beautiful amethyst crystal hung on a satin ribbon around the woman’s neck.
This stunning, exotic woman glided over to Caelen and laid a hand on his arm.
Well, you silly boy, are you going to introduce me to our guests? I haven’t met some of them, but I believe the pixie is our friend Aylin. The soul aura feels right. the woman said playfully to the butler.
Caelen blushed a deep pink and glanced sheepishly at the woman.
Ahehe, sorry love. I guess I got a bit carried away. Caelen laughed guiltily and replied.
Prim looked down at the ground a bit as she felt truly guilty for what had happened in the moments previous. She knew that she had caused a lot of trouble for Aylin and others. What was she supposed to do though? She just wanted to protect her friends and the people of her town. It was irrational maybe, but Prim felt like she had done the right thing. She bowed gently back to Caelen.
Prim was amused by Caelen's nearly theatrical display. She was so in awe of it. Prim had never seen manipulative magic like that before, she almost wanted to clap at Caelen's demonstration. Before she could do so, or even say anything; she was alerted to a new voice from the staircase. Prim marveled over the woman's attire. It was beautiful, unique, exotic and daring. It almost seemed as though the woman was wearing a negligee for her lover; assuming her lover was indeed Caelen. Prim was a bit envious of others who had someone, but figured that one day she would find her own someone.
Prim figured it was a good time issue her apology to Aylin."I'm sorry I ran away like that. I didn't know what I was doing but I just wanted to help. I just got carried away. I didn't even tell you my name, I'm also sorry for that. I hope I can make it up to you by proving I can be better." A part of her wanted to run away from her duty so she would not cause any more trouble, but her heart kept her from doing so.
Prim turned her attention back to the dark-haired woman who now stood beside the butler. "Um..hi I'm Primrose, or Prim. I just wanted to say that you're very pretty, you almost look like a crystal princess from one of my old books." She blushed slightly, hoping it wasn't odd for her to pay a compliment right off. First impressions were not her forte after all.
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 4:17 pm
Hot Caffeinated Cree
Chibi Halo
Celestine Ravencroft
Most of what was being said floated over Charm without much meaning. When the Demon butler and the talking cat started conversing, Charm rolled her eyes inwardly. No matter what species, boys always had to size each other up, it seemed.
Charm floated up off of Prim's shoulders, letting Yin ride on her tail. She noticed the little dragon was tired, but in tears. So much confusion today. Charm's own head was swimming, she could only imagine how the little dragon felt, and in a rare move for her, she gently swung and cradled the hatchling so it would fall asleep.
This rain reminds me of the last time I saw her. Charm found herself terribly pensive as the people around her talked. The rain splattered hard against the windows of the impressive mansion. How had she not known of this place? And Hydro, who was more curious than a bunch of kittens about magical things, had not seemed to have found it either. Still, from the view of a window, Charm could tell there were three doppels outside, nearly immobile as they could not trespass onto these sacred grounds, it seemed.
It was in the fields outside Isle de Gambino, near a tree. The day appeared quite sunny with happy fluffy clouds above. "Charmmmmm!" The angel imp had found herself enclosed in a hug, Hydro snuggling her close. "Where have you been? I'm so happy to see you. Oh, I should make you a flower crown too!" Hydro released her tight hold on Charm, but held the imp gently in her hands, beaming an almost obnoxious amount of happiness. Hydro was in her usual strange get up, with a flower crown on her head. Charm also noticed long trails of flowers tied together hanging from the tree, and all sorts of odds and baubles around it. It looked a tad like a fairy's doing. "Where'd you get that idea?" She asked, gesturing to the tree.
Hydro showed Charm a book. "Look. It's about fey and pixies and all sorts of creatures and the love they have for nature." Hydro giggled, "I think I saw a pixie the other day, in the sky!" She pointed to the airspace around Barton. "Nothing exciting besides surfing seems to happen at the Isle, so I came out here."
"Well, kid, there are all sorts of people around Barton Town," Charm said plainly. "Haven't you been there before?"
"Passing through, really. There's always so much trouble there, you think it would be a magnet for the strange."
Airhead. Look who's saying that..."I would think with all these magic books you read, you'd love to go to Barton and see a pixie or something up close."
Hydro shrugged. "Maybe. I just remember when I would stay in Durem, everyone kind of treated me oddly. Kids would play with me, but they would go home at the end of the day. But what am I to do? I'm daughter of a mermaid with no tail. Where do I go?" Hydro said, sounding as if she didn't know how to place a book back on a shelf, rather than a question of identity.
"What about your other half?" Charm asked. "I mean, after all, your mother didn't saddle you with the name Hydro did she? Even I have to admit that's odd for a mermaid."
"Oh, no, my sisters....half-sisters, called me Hydro, they thought...it was funny. They never let me see my mother or would tell me anything else really." A sad expression crept over her, then she lightened. "Yin! I need flowers for Charm's flower circlet."
Yin was carrying a small bloom and setting it down carefully. Squeaksqueak! The little dragon, responded, and floated off to get another flower. "Not too far away from me!" Hydro said, unnecessary concern in her voice.
"So what's the real name then?" Charm asked. "You said your sisters call you Hydro. Tell me your real name so I can call you by it."
"I don't know it." Hydro's voice went flat and almost heartbreakingly sad. This was a lot to say for Charm, who thought this girl was all fluff between the ears. "But it's okay. Maybe I'll pick one for myself. But first." She grabbed Charm, "You need a flower crown!"
"But..." Charm protested.
"Flower Crown!"
The girl didn't even know her proper name. Wow. If she only knew what Charm knew. Which wasn't much, but if her reaction to the name question was an indicator, she'd have to tread carefully.
"Flower crown!" Hydro said cheerfully after she fastened it onto Charm's head. "It looks so pretty on you, don't you agree, Yin?" She watched Hydro carefully magically storing a book. "So..." Charm tried to get Hydro talking again.
Hydro lifted her angelic staff and summoned her wings. "We have to hurry! It's going to rain."
"No, it's fine, let's--ooooof!" Charm had no choice in the matter. Hydro had grabbed both her and Yin and flew for the nearest building. A little fishing cabin, apparently empty at the time, as the destination. No sooner had she closed the door the rain started pounding the windows.
In the present, Yin snoozed quietly in Charm's tail as she overhead the newcomer to the room.
"There's so much to ask and so few answers." Charm muttered quietly, and sighed. Ignoring the fact that Prim had just addressed the lady of the manor, Charm floated back onto Primrose's head to get her attention. "Hey, kiddo. Don't you have parents that might be worried about you?"
panting with exhaustion and Fatigue looking at the scattered water pile as the sun hung low in the evening sky over bartons square Leif had a wide grin on his face as for once the water no longer piled back up after the countless strikes and flurry of shots. Slowly sauntering back to his trusted companion Leif scooped up his hedgehog with both hands before brushing his nose against the small creatures head in a loving manner. sorry about that little friend, i know its been a while and im sure it was scary but everything's fine now. though i must admit we will have to spend a night outdoors again i promise we'll find a real place soon. brushing two fingers gently over the hedgehog Leif placed his companion on to on his shoulder before gathering up his things and folding his wings behind his bag as if showing slight shame with being slightly alien to the local populace. Spending most of his remaining strength and energy the young traveler walked back out of bartons gates and in to the southern area sleeping against one of its larger trees. Cuddling the bag tightly as the Hedgehog and young man slept peacefully resting partially against each other a gentle harmony eminated between the two in the slowly setting evening.
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:56 pm
It had been long day tiring day since Seren had run back to school after the strangeness that once again occurred in the square, so lost in though was she she failed to notice that she was heading farther and farther away from her path home as if the very shadows in the streets were luring her far into the woods.
Trembling as a cool breeze rolled over the weary travelers Leif stirred to a dazed alertness before staggering about the shadows for a moment and giving a soft groan at having only a few hours to sleep. a soft yawn and a large stretch came from the young man as he thought he had heard noise around the trees. Slowly with a silhouette framed his vision as Leif stepped forward smiling with his eyes half closed in a peaceful and exhausted manner.
KaguraSakata
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:34 pm
Hot Caffeinated Cree
'Hydro
While Caelen gave his miniature performance, the angel imp had wandered off toward a nearby window, the baby dragon held protectively in its tail. Even when Celestine had come down stairs and joined the little party, the imp hadn’t bothered to acknowledge anything. Caelen let his attention focus on the imp while the young girl, Prim, was apologizing to Aylin for rash behavior earlier in the day.
Silently observing the imp, Cae noted how the imp’s wings seemed to droop ever so slightly as it hovered at the window. The creature’s full attention was lost far of in some other place or time.
Hmm, the imp seems very preoccupied, sad even. I wonder just what this poor creature’s role is in everything happening as of late? Caelen mused inwardly, allowing himself a touch of concern for the small imp.
Though he may have been of Demonkind, Caelen had the greatest respect for the powers of Heaven and those who served the light.
Caelen’s focus returned to the rest of the party when Prim shyly addressed Celestine.
Hehe, Cel does seem to charm people right from the start. Caelen observed silently, amused by Prim’s gushing.
Celestine giggled delicately and spoke to Prim.
I’m glad I meet with your approval, Prim. I am Celestine Ravencroft. Odd that you should mention crystals. Your comparison is not too far off, actually. I am a Crystalmancer, a mage who uses crystals aligned with specific elements. It is the most respected practice of magic back in my home world. Of course, back home my duties go far beyond mere Crystalmancy.
At that point the angle imp returned its focus on the present and settled down right on Prim’s head, pointedly asking about the girl’s parents. This etched a frown of concern into Celestine’s usually carefree expression.
If you need to contact your parents, I’m sure we can arrange for that. Hopefully the land lines are still working, but I’m not overly positive considering this storm. Oh well, failing that I suppose we can always try the scrying mirror. It’s not my first choice of communication though. That mirror has been a bit on the fritz ever since Ren borrowed it for one of her goofball experiments a few months back. I still can’t quite figure out what on earth she did to the mirror. Cel mused, looking up at Caelen with an eyebrow raised in puzzlement.
Caelen just shrugged. He had no clue what the neko girl had done either. Ren’s experiments had a bad habit of turning things a bit upside down around the Manor. Caelen just shook his head in mild annoyance. One of these days he’s have to have a stern talk with that cat girl.
Returning once again to the present situation, Caelen said Yes, we can help you contact whoever you need to. It wouldn’t do to leave your parents worrying about you. Although, I doubt it would be advisable to try to have anyone come pick you up, not in this weather. This storm is unnatural, and I’d feel bad if anything happened to anyone else. You are perfectly welcome to spend the night. There are plenty of guest rooms. Aylin had been here over night before due to being on certain crews for town wide events.
Yes, and I’m sure by now you are quite hungry. Caelen can take you to the dining room, or just go to the kitchen if you’d prefer that. As it is, I should probably go change into something a little more appropriate since we have company. I’ll be back down in a bit. Celestine added. She directed the last bit more to Caelen than anyone else.
Things looked to be rolling, so Celestine headed back upstairs to change into normal clothes while Caelen attended to the guests.
Both pixie and feline let out an audible gasp of breath when they saw Caelen produce the copy made from shadows. Aylin knew better than to question whether or not Caelen was knowledgeable about something. It was an unwritten rule among those who cared for the manor, or so she had thought, and one that Kai would soon commit to memory as well. Still, out of the small rag tag group in Aylin's charge Kai had the most knowledge and experience of what it was like to be on the receiving end of a more solid form of the creature the dark magic produced. It was an experience he rarely talked about and one that had him rushing to complete his Animagus training. It was in that rush to master the animal forms that Kai found himself in his current predicament stuck as a small gray cat for over three hundred years.
Kai had been an accomplished archer and was considered by many a prodigy with a bow and arrow being able to strike a target dead on from over one hundred yards away. It was a skill that made him one of the best hunters in his village during his youth. It was a skill he cultivated so he would not be completely dependent on his skills with magic during a battle. It was for this skill Kai had been called on several times to act as sniper when dealing with invaders threatening the village. However, at the same time Kai had a decent level of talent in both shape shifting and magic based in pure energy. While he was a good all around defender of his village, Kai's rush to master what he wasn't ready for ultimately became his downfall and his curse and after three hundred years he wasn't about to let anyone else make his same mistakes.
The moment Caelen had dissolved the wispy copy of Kai and Cel finished admonishing the demon butler the pair was brought out of their small trance when they heard a soft apology come from Prim's lips. The young teen believed she had been the soul reason they were in their current mess and appeared ready to give up and give in to her self imposed guilt. Aylin let out a soft sigh knowing what was about to happen next needed to be done. Prim needed a dose of scolding for her part in the current mess and for giving into her guilt.
"Yes, you shouldn't have run off like you did Prim and yes, you shouldn't have confronted the masked woman like you did. However, that is in the past and the longer you dwell on what went wrong the more you will doubt your own abilities," Aylin told her in a firm yet soft tone, "If you want to continue in this fight, and I know you do, then you're going to have to learn from your mistakes in battle quickly and press on without continuing to think about them. Lesson one, never rush into battle without any type of game plan first. Know your opponent. That said, you are not completely at fault for what has happened. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take most of the blame and reprimand for this. After that woman froze you in ice I flew off the handle and said some things that quite honestly lead to us being here with those things on the other side of the fence. If anyone needs to be sorry it's me because you're not ready for this yet. But I promised you this morning I would help train you and I'm not going back on my word."
"And you have my word as well that I will help make sure you are ready to face whatever these dark forces throw at us," Kai added before giving Aylin a look that said they would have words later.
Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 1:43 pm
`Hydro
Celestine Ravencroft
Chibi Halo
Prim listened to the imp's question and thought about it. Prim frowned a bit at the thought of her worried parents. She didn't want to worry them or disappoint them in anyway; but something inside told her that it wouldn't be much different any other day. She had been used to her parents going away for business all the time. However, she did miss Sigma. She loved that cat, Sigma was her friend. Seeing Kai beside Aylin only reminded her of her more. Prim let out a long sigh and shook her head. "It'll be fine. They won't worry too much. I just wish my cat was here too. She's probably lonely and afraid." Prim's stomach growled at the mention of being hungry. It was true, it had been hours since she last ate and her stomach was begging for some food. "Heh..I think I could use something to eat." She agreed with Celestine's statement. Prim turned back to Aylin and nodded. "Thank you for your help, if you hadn't helped me back there I wouldn't have been here now. I don't blame you for what happened, because accidents happen. I'm sure if I were stronger and less rash, I could have helped that girl a bit better. I know you, Kai, and the others are all here to help me get stronger, and I'm very grateful for that." Prim smiled gently and gave a hug of assurance to her pixie mentor.
As Barton found itself under attack by forces of darkness for a second day in a row, an emergency meeting was held at town hall to decide on a plan of action. Various leaders of agencies and organizations throughout Barton have spent half the day deliberating about the two attacks and how to handle it. In order to carry out a plan, the council needed a unanimous agreement, but everyone seemed to have different ideas on how to proceed. Finally a young man spoke up, with about as good an idea as anyone else had.
"What about Caelen?" proposed Chef, the young head of the BFAA. "He could find out where these creatures, where this pillar of dark energy came from. If anyone can protect Barton from these attacks, it's him." Chef was unsure what the council would think of his idea. They were never too keen on the idea of a demon protecting all of Barton, especially after rumors broke out of the Kuro gang being led by a demon. But Chef knew better. Caelen was nothing like other demons, and he is under contract to protect the town. It was probably the best idea proposed so far, or so Chef thought.
"What? Are you mad?" retorted an older councilman. "In order to deal with these dark beings and this dark energy, you wish to call on another, much more powerful dark being? He will siphon all that dark energy for himself, and what then? He can destroy this entire town if he so pleases to do so! And why are we even listening to the head of some social club? You have no place here!" At last the council agreed to one thing: that Caelen was too potentially dangerous to be involved in this situation. An absolutely livid Chef decided to waste no more time with the council. With the pillar long gone, there was no need for the town to be on lockdown for much longer. The young man shoved aside the security guard who stood at the main entrance and stormed out of the town hall.
* * *
As the masked girl left the square, the skies above Barton became dark once again. Much like the day before, rain seemed to have materialized out of nowhere. Unlike the day before, the town found itself in a torrential downpour as opposed to a light shower. Soon Terra lost sight of the masked girl as she vanished into the mist and rain. Terra had no time to dwell on the situation, however. The woman she accompanied sensed immediate danger in the area and decided it was time to go. Before Terra could even think about objecting, the woman grabbed her by the arm and led her outside. The two stepped out into the pouring rain and started toward the town's south gate, hoping to escape before any danger caught up with them. Not even halfway to the gate, however, Terra stopped dead in her tracks. Off in the distance a dark mist lying low along the ground, unlike anything she has ever seen. Just as Terra caught sight of it, the mist suddenly changed direction and was headed towards the two women. Terra let out a gasp in fear, her heart racing as adrenaline began coursing through her. The woman she was with, however, didn't seem to budge. She seemed somewhat intrigued by the mist, though still wary of it. And she had good reason to exercise caution. The mist reached the two women, biting at their ankles with a coldness so extreme that it felt like it was burning.
The brunette acted quickly, pushing Terra back into an alley and further away from the mist. Terra remained on the floor, the pain still too great for her to overcome. Upon raising her head slightly to check her surroundings, she noticed a strange figure at the other end of the alley with an uncanny resemblance to the woman she accompanied. The doppelganger charged with a sudden burst of speed, making several lunges at the brunette. On the other side of the alley, behind the two, the dark mist was closing in on them. A feeling of hopelessness filled Terra's mind, and she was convinced this was the end.
It was at this moment that a light, so bright and pure, filled the alley. As the light dissipated, Terra found herself encased in a transparent shield. She looked to the woman in awe as she fought off the doppelganger while still surrounded by the mist. But in the blink of an eye, the woman was gone. She ducked into one of the buildings that faced the alley with the mist and the doppelganger in tow. Another ray of light appeared, this time around Terra. The light enveloped Terra, filling her with warmth. The searing pain from the mist had left her ankles, and the mist itself had retreated. Terra didn't know what exactly happened, but she had an idea that the woman she accompanied was much more than meets the eye.
With the threats seemingly gone, Terra stood up and looked around her. She extended her arms and felt a solid wall in front of her, even though she wasn't able to see it. The crystal shield that protected her from the mist now imprisoned her, and the woman who created it was nowhere to be found. "She'll come back, r-right?" Terra thought, feeling around the shield. She tried to no avail to remain calm. The tight space was starting to make her panic.
"S-she has to come back! She can't just leave me in here! Hello? Miss? HELLO? LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Terra shouted as she slammed her fists against the transparent wall. Unfortunately, the woman was long gone, and there probably wasn't a soul left in town. Terra pushed against the wall with all her strength, but to no avail. The crystal shield refused to crack, and Terra was exhausted. She leaned back against the wall and slowly slid to the ground. She pulled out her topaz necklace, which has been glowing throughout this whole event, and started fiddling with it. "Please..." she sighed. "Just open..."
With those words a sudden flash of light illuminated the alley, and the crystal shield disappeared. Terra stood up and extended her arms out to make sure there was nothing there. She sighed in great relief and collected her things, then walked toward the end of the alley. "Guess all I had to do was say 'please'. Heh..." she thought. Terra wasn't out of the woods just yet, though. She was completely unfamiliar with Barton and didn't really know anyone in the city, so she had to find her way out on her own. What's more is that the flash of light acted as a beacon to those sensitive to it. Just as Terra was leaving the alley, she came face-to-face with a strange being much like the one from earlier. This being appeared to be made entirely out of water, and it looked almost exactly like Terra. But instead of attacking her like the last one attacked its 'twin', this one just stood there and stared at her. Something felt off, however. It was as if the creature had a faint trace of Terra, but it couldn't quite see her. Terra stepped around her duplicate and left the alley without a trace. The orange-haired teen ran as fast as she could to get as far away from that... thing... as possible. She looked back for a moment to make sure the creature wasn't following her, but that sudden change in focus caused the clumsy girl to lose her balance as was running. Terra fell into a large puddle and soaked all her clothes. She sat on the cold, wet ground and threw her hands up in frustration. Wet clothes would soon be the least of her worries, however.
Terra's doppelganger emerged from the alley and scanned the surrounding area, then made a sudden dash in one direction as an orange-haired girl seemed to materialize out of thin air. Terra's heart raced as she realized she was now visible. She slowly got up and tried to get away, but her doppelganger had closed the distance in mere seconds. The unsettling being lunged forward, grabbing Terra by the ankle just as she tried to run away. Terra grew weaker and weaker as she fell to the ground, the creature's grip tightening on her ankle. Terra wildly flailed and kicked her legs, trying desperately to shake the creature loose. One kick connected with the creature's head, and it exploded spectacularly into a large puddle of water. Terra then got up as quickly as she could and dashed off in a random direction. She couldn't run for very long, though. The creature managed to steal a substantial amount of energy, and Terra was running on fumes at this point. She made a quick left turn and hid herself in a small space between two buildings. Her unfamiliarity with the town would come back to bite her, however. By the time she realized her hiding place was a dead end, the doppelganger had caught up with Terra and pinned her arm. The creature was about ready to finish its 'twin' off when something deep inside Terra had awoken.
Terra's necklace began to glow as brightly as when Terra first found it, and a feeling of warmth coursed through her. The ground started to shake with tremendous force, as if it was making an announcement to the whole world: an ancient and powerful being has returned. Terra's appearance transformed dramatically as the powerful energy overtook her completely. She now wielded a magical hammer made from molten rock. Her mind was filled with some of the memories of a life long gone and the knowledge of basic earth magic. Terra was unable to control or contain the massive amount of energy that now coursed through her. The brick walls that made up the buildings surrounding Terra began to crumble as a result of the violent shaking. The doppelganger had long since released its grip on Terra, confused by the sudden outburst of energy. The creature realized far too late that the energy came from Terra, as the loose bricks from the building buried it completely. But even after the threat was taken care of, Terra couldn't stop the shaking from destroying the surrounding buildings. She raised her hands reflexively, hoping that somehow she could avoid being buried with her doppelganger. Much to her surprise, the stones that made up the building were floating just above her head. As she lowered her hands back, the stones slowly dropped to the ground. At last the shaking stopped, but the damage was done. The great amount of energy proved too much for Terra who collapsed just as she crawled over the rubble and back into the street.
* * *
The intense shaking rattled Chef, but it ended almost as suddenly as it began. That wasn't what troubled him, however. As he located the source of the shaking, he found two collapsed building with several others that had minor damage. And even more worrisome was the young girl who lay motionless at the foot of the rubble. Chef rushed to her immediately, hoping for the best. "Still has a pulse. No major injuries. How interesting..." he recorded. Chef treated the young girl's injuries and laid her up against a wall.
"Ah! You're back!" he exclaimed as the girl came to. "Thank goodness you're okay!" Chef helped the girl to her feet and led her towards the south gate. Terra wasn't sure just what was going on. She hardly remembered what just happened, but she was glad to feel fairly safe again. Chef also couldn't help but wonder just what happened to this girl and what she was doing here in the first place, but he had bigger problems at hand. Water seeped out from under the pile of rubble and once again took Terra's form. Wasting no time, Chef grabbed Terra by the hand and made a mad dash for Barton Manor. He'd rather not stick around and find out what that creature was or what its intentions were. His priority now was getting this girl somewhere safe.
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:49 pm
Hot Caffeinated Cree
Celestine Ravencroft
`Hydro
Aylin gave a slight start as Prim's arms encircled her before letting out a soft sigh and settling into the hug. The last time the pixie warrior had been hugged like she was, her youngest grandniece, Zoe, didn't want her boarding the airship to Porta Denia. Even though the girl was thirteen, she still worried that something would happen to her favorite aunt every time Aylin would leave Barton on an airship to deal with Alliance business. Zoe would always plead with Aylin to stay prompting her older sister Jen to pull the young teen away from her. Zoe would then tell Aylin how much she would miss her and make the pixie promise to come back to Barton, which then had Aylin reassuring the teen she always came back. In the end, Zoe would fight back a few tears and force a smile trying to put on a brave front as Aylin boarded the airship.
Prim was not that much different from Zoe by Aylin's observations. The young teen had an air of compassion and caring about her worrying more about Aylin's feelings and the well-being of others before herself. And yet, while those were noble qualities they were better suited to acts of charity and giving back to the community than the harsh realities of war. That was what they found themselves in, a war. It was a war between dark forces and those with the abilities to fight back using more than just physical weapons. It was the struggle between good and evil. And it was something Aylin knew Prim was not emotionally ready to face..
Unlike Prim, Aylin had gone through being torn down both emotionally and mentally in order to rebuild her psyche into one more suited for war. It was a process that combined physically and emotionally pushing Aylin and the other recruits in her class to their breaking point in order to implant upon them the mentality of a battle ready soldier. It was a process Aylin resisted at first but once she received her first taste of working with physical weapons Aylin felt complete and took to the training like a fish to water. It was because of her military training that Aylin became fascinated by bladed weapons, especially human weapons, and now had collection of them hanging on the wall next to her, small homemade meditation space in her small cottage home.
Aylin gently pulled back from the hug keeping her hands upon Prim's shoulders as she looked up into the young teen's eyes. The girl was scared and worried and in need of reassurance that things would be okay. She worried her parents wouldn't know where she was and would be scared something terrible happen to her. She worried that her beloved cat would go unattended to and not be fed for the night. She worried that she was the cause of all the day's events. Aylin could see that Prim needed to know, just like Zoe, that everything would be okay. And at the same time, Aylin needed to remind herself, because she was simply not ready to admit it, that things were not as dire as they appear.
"Prim, I'm sure your cat will be fine for one night alone. Your parents will do just fine taking care of her for you. It will do you some good to call them and let them know where you are and be able to hear their voices. I can tell from your body language that you're scared and still unsure about all of this," Aylin began as she projected her own fears and doubts about being a magical warrior onto Prim, "Yes, you made mistakes today but you shouldn't beat yourself up over them. You're still new to all of this and you've never fought before. Everything is going to be okay. Yes, there are some bad things happening to this town but it's not anything we can't handle together. The people of Barton will be just fine. Your parents and your cat will be just fine. The danger is more to the buildings and to you and me than to the regular people but we still need to keep them safe. I promise you, nothing will happen to anyone in this town as long as we have anything to say about it."
I just wish that was one hundred percent true, Aylin thought to herself as she threw a look at everyone else in the room that told them they were to not bring up the actual seriousness of the danger to Barton Town around Prim before she was ready.
Once Celestine had left the room, Both Prim and Aylin had had much to say to each other. Many apologies, admonishments, and encouragements were offered up, but Caelen didn't miss the pixie's pointed look, it's meaning all too clear. It was just as well. Caelen, in being a silent observer in all of these exchanges, had come to the conclusion that while Prim did have much potential, she was also a bit naive, and definitely not ready for the trauma of war. Even Cae could see that was where all the events of late were headed, all-out war.
A long life presents the unfortunate opportunity to watch the world as it grows, changes, and faces many conflicts. Gaia was no exception to the natural ways of change. The world had faced numerous wars over the centuries, none of them any less brutal than another. Caelen had seen the senseless hatred and evil that had torn lives apart and decimated populations. He remembered all too well how grisly the battlefield was.
Looking back at the small girl with pink hair and bright eyes, all Caelen could think was that this young child should never have to face the horror that is war, but he knew that was not for him to decide. It seems that some other force at work in the world had deemed it necessary for such an innocent young girl to be a part in the next war to ravage Gaia. Caelen's head drooped in silent prayer that she remain protected as long as possible.
Mourning the loss of innocence would have to wait for another time though. Something was within range of the Manor yet again, and not just the doppels hovering beyond the Manor gate either. There were more people coming. Not wishing to upset the current guests, Caelen decided it was time to get them out of sight and into a more comfortable setting.
Miss Aylin, Miss Prim, if you and your companions would kindly do so, I will lead you to the Manor kitchen. You are free to help yourselves to anything you find to snack on. There are a few things that need attention, so I will be unavailable to cook for you for a short while, but I promise I will return as quickly as possible. This way please.
Not giving them a chance to ask any questions, Caelen began heading in the direction of the Manor kitchen. He needed them safely out of sight in case trouble was coming, and he also needed to find that other girl who had arrived before them.
Lunette hadn't found anyone in the immediate vicinity when the butler had directed her into the manor and left her to her own devices. It was fine by her. She never could stand people who hovered and wouldn't let her figure things out on her own. So far, the butler was on her good side. She hoped for his sake it stayed that way.
Since there had been nothing better to do, and she wasn't familiar with the place, Lunette had randomly began exploring the ground level of the Manor. The place was huge, and in her opinion too upper class. Opulent decor never had impressed Lunette. She was more of a basics kind of girl herself. Most of the rooms proved to be uninteresting. She found the kitchen right off, but it wasn't very far anyway. Not being hungry at the time, she had closed that door and searched other venues. There were several common rooms for just sitting around and talking. She did find a billiards room, but it was quiet and empty. A few of the doors she tried were locked. Lune just shrugged and moved on.
Then she found it. There was a small room just off to the right side of the foyer. The door hadn't been locked, so Lunette had peeked inside, expecting to see no more than the usual overdone furniture and no one around. Instead, what she found was a miniature library, meant for less intensive research. It was a casual reading spot, with simpler, but very comfortable chairs for sitting and reading hours on end. Lunette had wandered in and casually perused some of the titles in the subtly flickering light of the small fireplace.
To her amazement, Lunette found many books on astronomy and elemental energy manipulation. A thought hit her. What if she could find some of the answers she was looking for right here in this room? A goofy grin of excitement lit up Lunette's face as she wasted no time pulling books from the mahogany shelves and placing them on the lone table in the center of the room. She sat down at the table and opened the first book. Lune became lost in her reading, happily soaking up info....until more people showed up at the Manor.
She really didn't notice them much when they first arrived. But then she heard the name Prim. Lunette's eyebrow twitched as it always did when that girl's name was mentioned. Growling inwardly at possibly being interrupted by that pink menace, Lunette quietly put down her book and crept over to the door, opening it just a hair to peek out into the foyer.
Oh great, that has to be her. Only Princess Prim would have that much pink, magical warrior or not. I knew helping that little twit earlier would lead to nothing but trouble. Lunette whined mentally.
She then took notice of the others who had come in with Prim.
Who the heck is that short little sprite with her? I saw that one earlier in the square too. Looks like perfect little Prim is collecting a fan club of freaks. Pathetic. A mangy cat, some floating marshmallow, and a lizard for friends? She's losing it.
Lunette grinned evilly to herself at the thought of Prim going cuckoo. But the fact remained, she still didn't want to run into Prim, here or anywhere. Lunette silently closed the door to the small reading room and returned to the table with her books. She opened her book again, but the words on the pages weren't making sense. The conversation out in the foyer had her attention. Prim just sounded like a whiny little ignorant kid with all of her apologies and self-blame. The pixie gave her a good shake over though, Lune observed happily. But then the pixie let Prim of the hook essentially by taking most of the blame. Lunette glowered at this.
But does it really matter who is to blame? So much has happened lately. Playing the blame game will not solve the current crisis. We need to find a way to fight the evil, not let it make us bicker amongst ourselves. Only together are we strong enough to combat the darkness said a quiet voice deep within Lunette
Lunette was headstrong and would never have had such a train of logical thought. No, this was something else, buried deep within her that had been long lost. Many things were going to happen soon, and these odd awakenings were only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Try as she might, Lunette could not shake off that small voice of reason or its logic. Eventually, she would have to own up to being one of those odd mystical warriors, and she would have to face Prim whether she liked it or not.
