Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ree feathers bristled but his reactions were to slow as he moved to stand between them. Narrowing his eyes he watched Katarina move away from Vina, pain and outrage in her every step. He had to agree with Katarina but also knew where Grisella came from, someone bad wouldn't be nice would they? And the answer was yes, yes they could.

As Katarina left he turned to look at Vina with gaunt exhausted look. "Anka? " he muttered tired expecting yet another name to the list of bodies they had hidden. Which reminded him...who was the original owner of Ashral's body?

Turning he crouched down by Grisella and lightly tapped her with his top wing and pulled it back. A slow anger was simmering in the back of his mind as he wondered why he was even trying so hard. Because there was something off, because they had been specifically after Ashral to the point of bringing her back from the dead and it couldn't be just to taunt him.

"Grisella ...how old are you?" He asked gently, his voice slightly hoarse as he watched the young meta.

Ree winced but nodded as Vina explained and left. He looked at Griselle and looked down at his own hands as he held out four fingers. "You're three years younger than me" he said quietly and put his hands down as he looked back at her. " he said glancing up at Nero and nodding quietly before looking back Griselle. "We....don't grow up as others do. So we don't always understand everything in a short amount of time" he said quietly. "Sometimes it means we don't understand what others assume we should. " he frowned faintly struggling to explain. "You see the good in people.... keep that for as long as you can. In this case the bad outweighs the good... the pain she has caused others is more the good she has done" he said quietly.

"What she did to you, Katarina, and everyone else, wasn't right. Even if she wasn't as horrible as her mother and sister she still hurt them. Under normal circumstances Vina might have hidden her away tried to get her to change but with the show of powers she did..what she had alleged to have done.. it makes her a danger. " he opened his mouth to continue and stopped suddenly, knowing if he did so and she failed that she could be haunted by it.

"So we are trying to handle it. I just wanted to get your view along with those of others" he said quietly, changing tact as he glanced up at Nero and motioned to Grisella.

Reaching out with his hand he stopped and touched her instead lightly with a wing in comfort as he got up again. "I need to go talk to them. Thank you and sorry . Katarina is angry and in pain, likely for a very long time now." he looked at her closely even through the brightness of her soul, gathering his energy just by being near her. " They hurt, it would be just like if Nero died and you were left alone to serve the person who killed him. They hurt a lot, Marion and her family have hurt so many to different degrees, that is why Katarina is so angry. It isn't with you .. it is that we aren't getting rid of the last vist- er.. person who hurt her. Giving her a chance that she was never given " he said quietly as he got up and turned away, heading to the kitchen tiredly. He took a deep breath and released it before opening the door and stepping inside.

"-They- are no more " he said quietly moving inside only to stop and look sternly at them both. "Neither of you are slaves now because of what we all did. What happened, what was done and why it was done is what we are trying to find out. Whether Marion bears the burden of appeasing the town for her family or not is what is we are trying to decide. " he said glancing to Vina then back. " What they did to your parent's bodies Katarina and all the others they had under the lab, everyone they killed in that town... " he said gesturing toward the window. " The group of people who should not be at each other throats out of everyone on this island are the people in this house. " he said looking between them with only a flicker of anger and exhaustion as he pointed to the kitchen and lower his hand.

"Katarina. You told me what happened when I tried to free you from those cells. What happened to your parents and others true races that have died, your hate for Carmella and the others. Also your hate of us trying to find something concrete on Marion that might give her a chance or condemn her. " he said quietly, looking directly at Katarina seriously. "We are not ignoring you.... I am not even against you, I would have even killed her if she had been part of the people keeping us here, but only because it would have been a necessity. Still hasn't there been enough death? I just want to make sure she deserves it instead of being flogged or what ever in public multiple of times. " he said narrowing his eyes slightly. "You told me most of the past I know of this place...what else do you want to add?" giving her his full attention.

"...." he turned to stare after Katarina blinking back sudden tears of frustration and anger. Kill her... he wasn't Tr- ..he didn't... //we killed them... // // I killed them...//.

Silently he ran his hand though his hair as he listened to Katarina leave the house altogether. He didn't look at Vina and barely glanced at Peter before just nodding and heading toward the door. "I'll help you" he muttered heading toward the door as his wings furled in closely, feeling close to the limit right now and wanting to just leave, knowing someone will tell Ashral he was here if she asked.

He had silently followed Vina, keeping his gaze ahead and trying not to shroud them as he had been forced to the last few times they walked this street. For once it was a good thing for them to be seen even a small he grabbed the stone under his shirt looking for hidden enemies all the way to the estate and Marions room.

Inside he said nothing but his feathers were bristled in aggitation. Having someone else there helped but it did nothing to alleviate the feeling they were going to be attacked any moment.

As Vina started to comb through the room he silently grabbed a chair and sat down grabbing the books she found. Grateful to be able to look at anything else instead of the intetrior of the house and to finally rest a bit.

Scanning through the sketchbook he said nothing just looked at what was drawn, then for anything hidden within the pages before putting the book back on the table without another look.

Moving to the first journal he read silently, glancing up now and then as he tighten his fist around the stone with one hand.

Resting his finger along one journal entry he he frowned faintly and continued on only to find nothing else had been written. Turning that book over he placed it on the table and grabbed the second journal.

The second journal made him frown as he re-read one of the entries and sighed. Between both books he had a better picture of what had happened during the failed rebellion and Katarina's revenge.

Loosening his grip slightly on the stone he turned to look back at Vina and with a sigh. "Nothing substantial to what we are looking for, but it does mention the rebellion lead by Rika and Anka. " he informed with only a flicker of a wing toward the book. " I know he died, she ran off and Katarina and Grisella parents were killed..." he counted on his fingers, and that left one other unknown person dead too. " Where were you? And was this before the purple sky?" He asked with only a hint of curioisity, it didn't really matter now except he wanted to have everything clear in his head and to warn her if it was indeed before the purple sky.

Ree closed his eyes listening to her as he sighed quietly and picked up the first journal again. The 6th person must have been Nero's child and an infant? They killed an infant and these were the towns people 4 years before....poor Nero.

"You weren't responsible for their murders. " he muttered quietly. " You were a.. teen? learning about your powers. " he muttered running his hand through his hair before looking up at her, haunted. "Think about it ..you severely injured someone, -injured- them and there were two healers in house. That was not reason enough to go and kill everyone including an infant. " he bristle his wings and leaned back in the chair, as he assumed Lena was the one she injured. Still to react so violently...

It made no sense, if Vina injured someone severely and he ran around basically killing them why weren't they punished just as severely, or why wasn't he dead? //... // // ...... //


"If that is what happened, you're not the murderer. You didn't force them to react like that ... " he continued and sighed. "It also seems Marion was told differently. Let me see" he moved and picked up the journal turning it over to read it.

" It says, Rika and Anka lead a revolution against the human staff, several non-humans were killed and Lena was severely injured. Many townspeople wanted to kill all of the non-humans servants in the servant house for breaking the rules and killing many humans. Carmella had stood up for them and tried to get them to stop, ultimately saving my friend Griselle and the other non-humans that were left. Six servants were killed in the scuffle and Rika had ran away never to be seen again. " he read then looked up at Vina.

"Perhaps they took your mistake to start the revolution? " he muttered since that was the only reason he would see that would make sense. "If so...it's still not your fault.. It likely would have happened eventually" he muttered, those had been the fighters... the ones who were left were to fearful. They pulled through but only when it seemed like it was possible to win.

Shaking his head he put the first journal back on the table. "Carmella was right though, the towns people did try to kill Rika. When I arrived they were burning her at the stake. I helped her... forced the town people out..made them kill one of their own by making them think he was controlled by a magi. The hate is very real with them.." he gave Vina a meaningful glance, hoping she understood the trouble she was going to get when the adrenaline had faded, the hate would still be there.

"Her legs were burnt, but I took her to one of the warehouses and she told me to leave. Warned me how to survive the night without falling prey to the townspeople and Carmella but didn't want help leaving the island itself, because you were still here. " he frowned slightly, still wishing he had done more. "She also gave me the necklace, she knew they would find her" he said blinking as he realized he had never let it go. He still didn't let it go as he continue, shifting his wings nervously.

"I meant to go back for her but fell asleep..the next morning she was gone and I found you. " he motioned to her. "The next time I saw her.. she was in that lab, her legs were still burned. I thought she was dead but she woke up very weak and in pain...wanted to see my eyes. A part of me let her and she bit me... she was a vampire and I didn't understand that." he looked pained and guilty.

" I pulled out her soul, she thanked me and turned to dust" he said quietly, pain quiet obvious on his face as he waited for her to react, trying to pull back his emotions. He could, he definitely could, if he didn't feel so guilty. Carmella killed Rika in one way but he killed her permanently, different than losing control of a power.

"Right after is when part of me teleported to where you all were and attacked Carmella." he continued quietly. "I had an inkling something was odd when Carmella automatically moved to protect you then her first order was to take you both away. Once gone she told me that she knew I had my powers back. Wanted to see what I would do...wanted to know if I was frightened by what I saw in the lab, she was smiling while she said it. That part of me insulted her then killed her" he said nearly emotionless now.

"Lena who had been the lone guard in the room ran and you know the rest" he said wondering how he went from one thing to this. This has nothing to do with Marion but it was the first time he had been alone with Vina without any need to go head out and she deserved to know about her sister even if that meant he had to take Ashral now and leave the island. Gaia he was tired....

He took a breath then motioned to the second journal "Before anything... the second one talks of why Marion is afraid of Katarina..and her emotions regarding Lena and Hope. If I were to hazard a guess since we really have nothing. Perhaps a second personality" he shook his head and motioned to her. Wanting to throw that out before she responded to the rest and he couldn't at least throw that out there, if she doesn't react badly.. well there was still Lena's room and perhaps Hope...he still didn't know how she died.

Ree nodded putting together the last missing pieces between what Katarina had said, that Marion's journal had and now what Vina filled in. So before the attack they didn't wear collars and it was that incident that involved all of them that flared the attack. It felt off somehow, why did they originally trust the non-humans after they killed everyone in town? Why was this family so assured of everything? Carmella stopping the attack made sense, Vina was there ..even Rika well...she must have assumed she had enough daughters to take over is something happened. He said nothing though, holding on to his doubts as he continued to listen silently, waiting.

Nodding quietly looking toward the journals as she picked them up. "Like Ashral.... except Ashral was not supposed to live past Carmella's death. Just like Livy" he said quietly before turning his attention to the the book she had in her hand, his gaze blank. Another strange thing, they would replace the guard but the non-human was more valuable? Was the attack because Lena had been attack? He assumed she was a magi...did she control the servants? the guards seemed like it except for the one that had spoken out during their capture.

"Nothing" he agreed, since it seem Vina was not about to tell him to leave. "Carmella never even mentioned Marion in her own journal either" he said quietly. "So far the only proof you have that she did use powers was my own eye-witness and what she told me. We could ask Ashral to confirm her voice was the same though and Grisella could ask some of the spirits she controlled. Unless you want to uncollar her and see what happens " he said pushing himself up, emotionless as he moved to the door. "Lena and Hope's room are the only two left" he said quietly. "If nothing there..I have no idea. Likely the information died with Carmella and Lena or it is hidden somewhere else. " he said quietly moving out into the hallway. There were always treasury records but she likely had two books.

"Livy and Ashral were both dead...Carmella was keeping their spirit stuck in their bodies " he said quietly. "She warned me her death would kill them " he continued from the hall, watching her through tried eyes as he nodded to her line of thought.

"The more information you can gather the better you can decide..." he said looking toward the end of the hallway with a shiver. "The problem is when you get false information, sometimes it stick out like a sore thumb other times you don't notice. " he sighed quietly and followed her to Hope's room. "I am wondering the same thing" he said under his breath.

He gazed silently over the sketchbook then made a cursory attempt at helping to look. "I didn't have time to ask...but how did she die?" He asked quietly as he picked up one the sketchbooks and moved on to the next room. "You should give Marq one of those ..or all of them " he muttered before finally looking around Lena's room.

As Vina searched he glanced around as well, finding more potions like the one the guards had and his hand clenched over the stone again. He finally turned away when Vina dumped some books on the table.

Letting go of the stone he grasp the first book and leaned against a wall to read, not trusting himself to stay awake if he sat down again.

"Perfect pairiing..." he said softly frowning as he read through the entry then the next and re-read it. "Resurrect the dead and control emotion..but she was dead by then. " he muttered talking to himself out loud. Letting go of the stone he ran his other hand through his hair then picked up the second, placing the first book down on the page.

Reading through the second book his eyes widen. "Gaia...they were already dead " he whispered in distress and pain re-reading the entry then leaning his head back, closing his eyes. His breath hitching slightly but no tears fell as he tried to re-think what has happened. They were dead but their spirits had been in there..they had been alive just like Ashral. Lena controlled them that couldn't be called living and it was only for a short time.

Lowering his head he opened his eyes again and held the book out to Vina. "Your mother wanted to make a non-human army under her control. Your sister could call back dead spirits and could control others. Together they were trying to make that army to....do something and Lena was the one who gathered weapons for it." He frowned tiredly. Taking out every single moral that was not a bad plan, he could understand the appeal but was disgusted with it as well. Know of evil, to understand good.

"The other part...Lena hated you. She was the only other Magi, then you came along with powers and made her feel not so special any more" he said with a motion to the first book. " They were also aware that Rika and you had convinced Marq and Anka to lead the revolution" he said with a slight hand gesture to the side as he turned the book over. "Lena tried to take you out first since you were the strongest and it backfired. She was furious and forced all the human servants to kill the rest of you ...until Carmella told her to stop" . He paused and looked disturbed "they took the dead servants and raised them again, gave them those masks" he said with a sigh. That explained why they weren't furious when the guards started to die or why the guards kept throwing themselves into the fight instead of retreating. "But in terms of Marion... Lena thought she was to innocent to have seen so much bloodshed. " he frowned, still reeling a bit from the discovery as he forced out those words. It meant that Marion likely didn't have anything to do with it..or at that time she didn't. She could have even grew into her powers during the whole fight.

As for the guards, he had wanted to take off one of their masks, even try it to see if Lena was controlling them that way. Except they were always running ...he never had the chance. Would Vina had recognized one of the servants if it happened...the bodies even now did anyone look?

Passing the book over, if she would take it, he moved on to the third one with a frown. Opening it, he went through the entires carefully, fingers started digging into the cover of the book as feathers bristle and finally Soul Light flared out into the rest of the room with a blast of heat. For once since coming to the island the light was its normal bluish white instead of sickly green. The light passed Vina without harming her but the heat was still there both physical and spiritually, looking for a target that was long gone.

"Vina...when I "he stopped, clenching his teeth trying to find the words for it. "Nearly died..who healed me?" He muttered trying to pull the light back even if he didn't want to, he just wanted to burn the place...find Lena's body and burned it again and again. Unconsciously he had his artifacts in hand, the see through staff in his free hand, the black long blindfold draped over a shoulder and a black book with gold lettering and a blue stone under one arm.

Letting out a breath he forced his soul light back, fighting it inch by inch and unsummoned his artifacts, never noticing the third.

"Lena turned Rika and Ashral into vampires. Something stronger and easier to control" he pushed out, putting the third book back down as he paced, weighed down by anger, guilt and shock. Rika would have survived if he hadn't lashed out, the he had almost become Lena's plaything if he had killed himself...-trying- to escape this. The fact she thought she even had the right to control him....

As for Ashral... easier to control Vampires...easier for who to control? Lena or in general? Then Lena..she enjoyed it, enjoyed watching him suffer ..watching all of them suffer. I made sense why he wasn't killed outright now..he was 'entertaining' and his continuous attempts were likely a challenge up to the point Carmella died. No...even past her death, Lena tried to play them between Marq and Ashral.

"She was curious I killed her first pet project and protected the second. Wanted to try and find a way to control me but failed. She was angry that someone kept healing me instead of letting me die so she could do what she did with the others. Still I was interesting...which makes me assumed that is why they didn't kill me outright" He said calmly even if his face showed anything but that. He was trying to come to terms with something and was struggling.

"N-nothing on Marion. " he continued and crossed his arms as he pulled his wings in close. Thinking but coming out blank on Marion completely,other than the thought of her being something like the guards, but there was no evidence of that either. Slowly his mind moved back to the journal instead of Marion and he bristled his feathers again.

"Last sentence was her asking Marq who healed me and him denying it" he said quietly blank as he moved to look around a bit more. Staring at the potions without really seeing them. His mind just kept on going and going and going and he was just so tired. Even then, he started to wonder about Hope.

There was no mention of anyone hating her...and she wasn't that much of a danger to Lena so why? well she was still a threat but ..ugh he almost wished he flew to Marq see if there was something to be done but the other was a healer... he would have drained himself if there was any chance she was alive? Plus if he had Ashral would have definitely been dead...and well she had been.

"Perhaps. I know what I saw... but lets say I hallucinated everything from pure exhaustion. There are still to many people she has hurt and angered, and it might not be as serious as a death sentence but they might still want justice" he muttered looking at another set of potions, wondering if they made it themselves or if they had it sent for. Hadn't Levy been a chemist? "Can I take a set of these?" he muttered quietly as he motioned to some of the potions and kept on thinking. the more he thought of it the more his mind kept going to an alternate personality even against what Vina has said, one that could control Marion's powers... play on her unconscious. //Us... // A colder voice whispered in his mind as he shivered. Another idea was taking on em- hah no... very unlikely. He was just grabbing at strings now.

Pulling away from the drawer no matter the answer, he started to help looking around the room for anything that could have been missed.