Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Oh, thank God!" Jerry breathed as the helicopter arched overhead, landing nearby, "Cavalry's here! I'm sure the others would have seen it, c'mon!" Relief dripping off of him, he hitched up his crutch and booked it as fast as his wounds would allow. Hopefully they'd have some runics with them and charged, right? They had a helicopter, didn't they?

It took some fumbling, but once he arrived, to his relief he saw the others coming toward them. "Guys! Hey!! There you are!!" He called out, and beamed to see Sasha amongst them. "Did you find Nona??"

Reaching the helicopter, Sasha's face beamed at Jerry and Dylon in relief, "Thank goodness you are whole and well!" After a moment her expression dropped dramatically into one of terrible woe, "No, Nona is still lost to me. I must stay here to find her, but you should go while you are still able. You should all go." Her expression was shifting strangely, as if she was holding something back, like tears or laughter, but she quickly schooled it back. "I thought numbers would be enough, but it had only brought this land more victims."



The lamp flickered and dimmed as it hit the floor. Outside, the singing abruptly stopped. The door began to swing open and darkness filled the room. The rasping voice hissed a pleased, "It issssss....well done...little misssssss." Metallic scratching was followed by the protesting groan of hinges.

A presence stood before Sasha, moving in the darkness before her, moving closer until it was just, almost, touching her. "She didn't trusssst me...with you."

"Ahah, well mostly one piece. Do you have anything for some sprains?" He glanced to the impatient helicopter operators motioning to his and Dylon's states, but at Sasha's declaration, his brows furrowed. "Leave you here again? Alone?" A glance went to Wash, "No, no way, not after last time. We'll just... have to come back."

"Besides- I ah... we found something," His right hand clenched into a fist at his side, "I'd like to get the Life Department to look it over."

"I'll... turn it over to the proper authorities," He frowned. It wasn't exactly like he could just toss it back where he found it. "If... if you're sure? I can bring a team back-" He wondered if Wash would stay at least, but left that up for the other hunter. "I sort of feel like my skin's going to fall off ahahaahaha um." He glanced back to Dylon and the others, wondering who else would go. It didn't feel right. The mission wasn't complete... but with things as hectic as they sounded they were, he might be needed at home- And he certainly wasn't doing any good here.

"I'll bug the right people to come check on you in a few days, alright? No more!"

With one last hopeful smile to the others, he let them make their decisions, easing himself onto the copter with a sigh that was relieved for a proper seat.

He hoped they'd have headphones, helicopters could be very noisy, and he really hoped to catch up with some sleep on the way back.

They'd make the right decision, he'd trust. He had been fairly useless thus far, anyway.

Sasha's mouth curved into a small smile, "Yes, do please take care. Thank you for coming with me this far, and I am sorry for whatever troubles have been wrought." She waved to them as they boarded the helicopter and turned to the rest of her party. "And you...?"




Several tiny points of pressure stroked the back of her head, slipping down gently into the long, curling expanse of hair. The presence learned forward to whisper in her ear, "They won't.....be enough to esssssssscape, little misssssss. I sssssaw you....lasssst time."

They stepped back and a hard, ragged hand wrapped gently around her own and led Sasha from the cage. Moments later, it placed her fingers around a familiar hilt. Nona, at last. The voice spoke as the weapons runes slowly began to glow, "I'll help...you. But you musssst...help me....in turn....little missssss."

The weapon's light revealed a tall creature with an androgynous face of bark and moss. Wooden branches curled out from the vines of its hair that framed a pair of large black eyes, staring solemnly down at her.

"Viviane...thisssss issss....her body. She wishesssssss...to leave," sorrow shifted it's features into a strangely graceful droop. "She hassss...alwaysssss...been alone here, but for myssssself...and her gran."

Lifting its hand, it touched her again, and this time a smooth, gentle voice flowed through her mind. She always ran free and wild, and I ran with her. She's my best friend and the one I love most and all was well in our world. But, a mental sigh, this past year she began to dream of a dark man, calling to her. He offered her the power and knowledge this family has sought through the centuries. He taught her how to walk the pathways of blood and how to open the doors to other lives. He twisted her nature, the voice grew grimly bitter. I want her back and I want her to stay.