Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ruby groaned, and one of her grey eyes peeked open, it then fell back closed."Sug, I'm tired."

She rested her head on his shoulder, falling back asleep. But then her nose wrinkled, and her eye peeked open again. She mumbled, still half asleep. "Sugar, we can cuddle all you want, but after you shower; you smell like somebody else's blood."

She opened the other eye and tried to stay awake long enough to make sure he wasn't hurt anywhere. She had little or no recollection of the earlier fight, and even if she did, she probably wouldn't have had the energy to think on it.

There was a valid reason for her exhaustion, and for the wound, a reason that hadn't come up in Merlin's scan because it didn't involve any spell or item that altered Ruby, so much as it was a tiny piece taken away from Ruby. Like a page torn out of a book.

Ruby pouted as Arch put her down, reluctant to let him go despite her being asleep, and despite the smell of Brook's blood. She settled down as he kissed her forehead, her curls smelled faintly of feather shampoo. For the last couple of days she'd decided to experiment with it, just to see if it would make her hair even shinier, like Horse shampoo was supposed to. She curled onto her side, a pile of red silk and soft curves which began to slowly rise and fall as her breathing evened and she drifted deeper into sleep.

It was nearly impossible to tell what the missing pieces would do, until after Ruby was functioning again. Too much taken too soon could likely cause a serious shock to her system, it also depended on what part they took.

Another concern was the fact that they knew about the book at all, let alone knew how to access it or use it.

"Hahw theh hehl doh theh knohw 'bahwt thaht?" Arch said, his face blank. The thought that the Seer misspoke crossed his mind, then left is as quickly.

"I don't know that, but they do, and we've got to deal with the fact that they could have taken a critical part of Ruby. She might not ma..."

Arch glared at the Seer, a look of hardened steel. "Donnah yeh finihsh thaht sehntahnce. Sheh's gunnah puhl throuhgh."

"Acknowledge the possibility Angel. They got her in here undetected, they've got some power. The best thing to do is try and figure out what happened, and get back what they took. They could have taken a lot of names."

Arch smoldered, seething silently. "Yehr raihght." He grunted.
"Ahwlraight, Merlihn, ahmmah neehd yeh tah chehck yehr spehls, chehck Ruby 'gaihn, chehck everehthihn twaihce fehr a breahch yeh maihgta mihsehd. Thehn chehck theh cahmehrahs fehr ahnehthihn sihmple. Ahmmah staih 'eah wihth Ruby, Seehr, ah knheehd yeh tah gohn ahn' chehck theh ahreah 'rahwhnd weah sheh wehre tahkehn, seeh ihffn' yeh cahn giht theh rahwkcs tah tahwlk."

Merlin turned to leave the room as the Seer spoke up.
"Angel, you know I cannot do that. I am bound to this place."

Arch's glare returned. "Yeh saihgnehd ahwn tah thihs saihd, Seer, whihch meahns yeh fahllahw maih ohrdehrs, ahn ahm givhehn yeh ohne. Ah donnah wahnht yehr excuhsehs 'gaihn."

"I'm not making excuses for your sake, Angel. This base is where I am bound."

"Mohve yehr ahs nahw, ohr yeh'll beh kihcked ahwt!" Arch yelled at him, losing his patience quickly. The Seer sighed, turning to leave the room.

Arch glared over at the Seer before turning back to Ruby. "Nothin', dahlihn. Tihs ahlraihgt."

The Seer sighed. "Before I go, know that the AOS is planning an attack on Phoenix." And with that, he was gone.