Welcome to Gaia! ::

Algren focused on the woman with the whip, and smiled a wry smile as he stood in the shadows of the door way, the black sinews of the shadow almost seeming to embrace him and his roaring, dancing flames. The blue eyes in Algren’s head no longer held their angry madness, but something more cruel, more sinister. In those eyes was now the glint of a vile cunning and satisfied contempt. The contempt of a man full of the perception that no matter what occurs, he wins. His thin lips curled into and almost pleasant smile as his blue eyes looked deep into his foes’.

“Your are confident and that I admire, however” he said raising a single finger. “You are foolish and quick to make assumptions. You honestly think I would sacrifice Asmudius? A man I value over a hundred legions?” He shook his head and chuckled, his voice deadly quiet. “Nay, I simply retreat to get a better view as you are annihilated.” And than, as if on cue, the thin, white haired man rose hope, his bones snapping themselves back into place. The shaggy head slowly spun to gaze on the two foresters and the lips pulled themselves back into a violent sneer. The green eyes of Asmudius were now a glinting yellow and the teeth that flashed were elongated like the fangs of a wolf. Asmudius spun the cutlass once and then, with impossible speed, Asmudius lurched forward. Within a second he was past the two foresters, the cutlass held in both hands as he spun around on his heels, smiling as strands of cloth fell from each of the forester’s clothing. The white haired man then spoke, his voice no longer calm and feminine, but slow and raspy, as if he were dying.

“Ten seconds, foresters, ten seconds. Once we start this fight, that’s all the time you have to live.” The white haired man swallowed and made a gargling cackling noise and then licked his fangs with a red tongue. “Shall we begin this fight then?”

Algren smiled as he lingered a moment more and then faded in the black embrace of the shadows of the house. The black flames faded and with long, thudding strides, he made his way out the door on the opposite side of the small building. The foresters were dead; he had no need to stay. Better that he greet his comrades in arms with the look of a conquer upon his face, than in the midst of a battle.

Blaise stepped out of the room for a moment to get Rosette a glass of water and to talk to Cadie for a moment. Blaise easily maneuvered around her kitchen, knowing it well, and quickly got the cup of water.

“Cadie?” she said, unsure of where to direct her speaking to, “Eh . . . sorry about this. Never a dull moment I guess. Things are really not usually like this but lately things have been . . . difficult. I hope you don’t mind the delay.”

Blaise walked from the kitchen and back to the room and got as close to Rosette as she dared.

“Is it safe or are you going to be sick again? Here, I brought you some water.”

((Where did we all go?))

Riana approached Blaises house at a quick trot. She had been off in the outer reaches of the woods scouring out any unwelcome guests and checking on old booby traps for what seemed like ages and was eager to find out what she had missed. Running one hand absentmindedly through her boyishly cut hair, brown and spiked around her head just the way she liked it, a slight frown creased her brow and her other hand was busy worrying at one of the straps on her belt. She had heard rumors that Blaise had suffered some sort of injury. It was not like Blaise to let someone hit her hard enough to leave a mark. The fact that there was any rumor of it at all was upsetting in itself and almost destroyed any kind of discredibility whatsoever. Reaching the door of Blaises house at last she broke her stride and straightened her clothes, making sure that every forest colored item was well in order before knocking loudly and opening the door soon after. Somehow it had once again slipped her mind to wait to be invited in.

"Blaise?" she called out in her clear voice. "Hey now, its Riana! I'm back, finally, where's my welcoming comittee?"

Asmudius smirked as he watched the display of lighting and listened to her words with mild interest, his young face contorting into a smile as she attempted to strike at him. The moment the blue burst streaked towards him, he began to run crescent to the lighting, and then streaking towards her, his cutlass, trailing behind him as he closed in upon his foe. He suddenly leapt over her, flipping nimbly through the various discharges of electricity and landed several feet away from his adversary, his back to her as he spoke in the rasping growl.
“Yes lighting is fast my dear, but so far.” He paused, cackling, “I’m the faster. I hope you just getting warmed up because other wise this mighty be a very short confrontation.” He rose from his croutch as he spied several troops surging intot he square. He knew before long the place would be over run and already the troops wer descending upon the foresters. He was slightly annoyed, he had, after all, wanted to kill these to forester so babdly.

Everything was becoming confusing. There were so many people . . . so many sounds. This really wasn’t going to work. Being blind was beginning to get to Blaise and she swayed a bit on her feet, her head hurting.

Walking to a chair, Blaise sank down into it and cradled her aching head.

“Are you alright?” Kaden asked, concern in his voice.

“Yes, yes.” Blaise mumbled, waving him away, “I’m just a little tired is all. My head hurts.”

Kaden sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

“I knew I should have made you stay in bed. And you are looking a bit pale. Maybe you should lie down for a few moments.”

Blaise cringed. Riana didn’t know yet. She hadn’t heard anything. Now Blaise would have to explain. She felt ashamed of herself for not being able to save herself from this fate that had befallen her and she didn’t appreciate having to repeat the story.

“I hit my head.” She said dryly, “End of story.”

Kaden glanced at Blaise sadly and whispered to Riana, “I’m not sure if there’s anything you can do. The injuries are internal.”

Blaise crossed her arms and sat back in the chair; her body language saying shut up and leave me alone.

“Blaise.” Kaden said softly, “Please. Listen to me, just once. Go lie down; I’ll take care of everything. The sooner you’re rested up, the sooner we can work towards recovering your sight.”

“Oh, that’s just typical.” Blaise hissed, getting angry, “Stand out of the way and let me fix it. How many times do I have to tell you to stop treating me like a little sister?”

Blaise stood, stave in hand, and walked towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Kaden asked worriedly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Blaise pushed his hand away and kept going.

“I’m going . . . for a walk.”

Rianna made a pained face for Kaden's benefit, and half shrugged. There was no remedy that sprang into mind, but that would nto stop her from looking for one. Everything had a cure from a hangnail to near death and she would submit to the murdurers that killed her brother before she gave up finding a cure. Thinking on the brighter side of the blindness at least Blaise was still herself. That woman would never except help lightly when she was fully well, why should she change her ways now? If she had been a gooey helpless hopeless blob of self pity, then Riana would have worried.

She stayed out of the wounded Forester's path as she left and hesitated momentarily before deciding to trail along. She wanted some answers and she was not about to let Blaise wander off in the dark on her own. She sensed that Kaden's brotherly help would not be much apreciated now anyways. Blaise seemed like the kind of person who flourished under tough love. Clearing her throat a bit she reached out a hand to touch Blaise's arm but stopped at the last moment, pulling back. Gathering herself she aquired her customary grin. "Lovely day for a walk if I do so say myself," she said briskly. "Ran halfway here from my house after making sure that idiot Tyr found his own way home. And just to save you from asking, most of the outer posts are well intact and there was scarcely an intruding brigand to be found and I only had to reset a mere handful of traps. We were bored most of the time." A mischevious smile flited across her face but her mood was dampened almost immediatly by Blaise's solomn aura. Taking a chance she asked quietly, "What of everyone else? Khnui...the Messiah?"