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How did Arel NOT know about the trials? He was RIGHT here. He'd always been there. More than any faculty member around, Arel was at least in the know most of the time and present. At times, he felt more like the head of the school than Hellma, wherever she was. Growing more and more frustrated, the kelpie started to grind his teeth. "The Trials? THE TRIALS! You were RIGHT THERE WITH THE HOR-"

And then the bang came, and all sound was overtaken by the sound of footfalls, clanging metal, and panic. More fog and now dust rushed around them, and trying to look around, he noticed Arel and the rest were gone. "COME BACK! UNTIE US! WE'RE NOT H-"

Then the alarm came for hunters, and Calder was getting very sick of all of this. No one knew them. No one knew about the trials. The school was gone and there was NO EXPLAINATION GIVEN to what had or was happening. How obvious was he that he was from Halloween. How could they say they weren't here when they were?! HOW COULD THEY LEAVE THEM HERE?!!
With all the noise, Calder only scooted closer as best he could, biting at the ropes with his teeth and glad that the helmet at least protected his head, though his ears were starting to hurt. It was then that things settled, and when everything went from chaos to quiet, that never spelled good.

Then the hunters arrived, and Calder sighed. HOW often had this setup happened. Sure, no cages, but being restrained while a Hunter talked to them was just not that surprising anymore. He only glared daggers and hoped Arel, no matter how much he wanted to kick the ice demon for running off while they were tied, to escape safely. The chat only was received with a cold glare, and Calder listened, raising a fine eyebrow only when the hunter said they weren't here. How could they not be here when Arel talked to them and the Hunter was having a discussion with them? Last he checked, he wasn't a ghost. If he was, escaping would have been MUCH easier.

While he was trying not to gag at the exchange of the couple that were being all cuddling together and walking off together, he watched the appointed guards there to watch them. Waiting around for them to do what? Later make them weapons or failed attempts? Like Jack he was going to sit around for that! While the boils talked, Calder was already loosening his restraints. Luckily all that play-tying had paid off. These weren't even leather!

And with that, Calder was free!

He flared his nostrils and snorted at the hunters. "I've already met enough of your friends. How about we play the game, Kiss My Flank?!" And with that, Calder darted, reaching out and shoving Barth to his feet. "MOVE!"

Calder and Amrita were both free in a burst.

Barth slipped his claws upward. It didn't even take very much pressure. Ropes. Honestly. In the ensuing confusion, there were suddenly a lot of thorns too.

In spite of no longer being tied up, the door was...well, sort of long distance away. He didn't slip out of his chair. While sneaking was...certainly sort of an option, it would...take a lot of sneaking. Barth did not really do quick bursts of speed. And he didn't have his skateboard.

"Err...C-Calder..."

And then Calder was pushing him up. ~ <3

When the whole cave started to shake from what she assumed were explosions, Lizzy winced, shaking the dirt and debris off her. The words 'hunters' and 'evacuate' caught her attention and made he worry, but it was quickly replaced by fear when she realized that they were leaving them behind; did Arel not believe them? That they were not hunters? That they were just students?

Was it really that difficult to believe?

When the cave went silent, Lizzy found herself holding her breath, scared that even the sound of breathing might give away their location; however, deep inside, she knew that they would be found. Maybe, by some miracle, the hunters will take mercy on them and just kill them, instead of capturing them; after all, there was nothing left for them outside... Just endless fog, whispers of 'home' and what ever was left of their beautiful school and town.

She kept her head lowered and her mouth clamped shut; the end is the same, anyway. Nothing... Will come out of it even if she told them anything. If they decided to spare them today, they'll be back tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow. And the day after that... Trapped in a cycle, that's what they are. Death is a release.

When 'Ben' left with the Caelius-look-alike, Lizzy begun to wriggle her feet and her hands; if she could just get one of these loose... Maybe she could do something to help the others escape... Just a little...

"Stick it in yourself!" She sounded like she was on the vague of tears, but she stuck her middle finger up and pointed it at the hunters with a pout - she wasn't really sure what it meant, just that Mac did it a lot whenever he didn't want to talk to someone - and than hightailed it out of there, yelling for Amrita to move.

Calder was pushing Barth through before he took his hand, racing ahead and pulling the boil with him, his hand holding tightly to his. Hunters had already taken Barth from his once, because he hadn't been around to keep him close. He wasn't about to make that mistake.

Further down the hallway they went, through the broken light and somehow managed to get outside. The fog was thick, but Calder continued to run, trying to keep sight of Amrita and Lizzy...........but his grip....


Calder felt Barth slipping, and stopped to reach out and grab the boil's arm, but it wasn't there. Calder could feel fingers growing thing, but Barth....


Calder reached out to where his boilfriend should be, hands out as if blind as he searched. "BARTH?!!" He called out. "Where are you?!!" Panic shot through him, but he felt if he called out, Barth would slowly walk to him. He must have just lost him in the fog...

The fog continued to get thicker. "Barth? Come here?" He held his hands out, waiting for the slick claws to fill them.


They didn't.



"Barth..."

Christof was still struggling when he heard the hiss and felt the burn, his eyes sweeping from Barth crawling away to the crackling of the mark on his arm. No... no no no this was not how it was supposed to go, Master, his Master... this had to be a dream, this had to be an illusion, this had to not be real... Everyone had escaped their bonds but he still could not struggle free it wasn't fair it wasn't FAIR he was going to CRUSH THE HUMANS....

His struggles dissolved into muffled, unintelligible wails. He couldn't even plead with their captors, he couldn't do anything, just a useless, stupid Igor who's negligence had gotten his Master... his best friend... the man he wanted to spend the rest of his time alive inventing with...

The Igor wasn't even aware of the tears spilling down his cheeks as he rolled, finally, loosing oomf. Maybe he should just give up. Follow Master into the beyond, that was what a good Igor would do..

He couldn't even bury him, there was no body left. And even if he did... what then?

While the other survivors of their group rushed to safety, Christof merely glanced to them for the briefest of moments, attention shifting from Lizzy to Calder before settling on Amrita. His expression softened.

He signed clearly and deliberately, "Run. Will-hold-them-off," before turning to do just that.

With a muffled snarl, he lumbered forward, fists flailing as he headed directly at the remaining Humans, ready to end them, ready to take vengeance, ready to do what was necessary to get The Task At Hand Accomplished.

He was barely upon them before he felt the jolt.

There was the briefest of gasps before the Igor crumpled, particles fading into nothing.

He was coming, Master...