|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:41 pm
Much like the others Elijah stood off, watching intently and listening to what he could. He had his suspictions just as everyone else seemed to be gaining though what ran through his head really gained him not a single bit of valuable information. All he could do for now was stand aside, allow the others to make the decisions, after all what could he possibly do. Shifting his bright eyes between the adults he pondered what it was they would decide and act upon.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:45 pm
What was Herei and Alex doing now...? Kenth glanced at the two briefly. The man's suggestion sure was alluring, and Kenth understood that if he wanted anything done, there would be a price associated with it...even if it meant more sacrifices.
The stranger had heard Wei's decision, and a smile creeped up on his hidden face. So at least one human was willing to take the bait, eh? Well...one should be enough...
"So, what is your final decision?" The stranger asked in a rather demanding tone. "We haven't got all day, better move along than standing here and doing nothing."
"You are quite right." Kenth nodded, smirks still remaining on his face. "If you keep your words, I'll be glad to help."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:44 pm
If Dante was still looking at Alex's eyes, he'd see that hard flame ignite into darkest green as her anger spilled over and through her. Despite the wrath that she felt, her voice was perfectly calm, steady and low, addressing the two men quietly so her words would not carry, "First he'd do anything to get rid of us. Now he throws us all away for the mere suggestion of information, even though he never inquired...what we..." Her chest felt funny, as though her heart had fallen into her stomach. How easily Kenth had given in, not even knowing what had happened or what was in there; he had no idea, and he was ready to throw them all to the wolves.
Something else glinted in those raging flames: betrayal. She brushed by Dante without addressing him, still not trusting or liking the elven man for his obvious concealment of important information himself, making him no better than the strange man here. To her, pleasantries and politeness had no place where murder and death was rampant; information needed to be shared, not concelaed, not when it could make all the difference. Making her way back to Lina, Alex sat down by the other woman, carefully drawing her backwards until Lina was supported against her chest and shoulder. Arms wrapped delicately around her frail friend, she glanced up to Greg, then further to Farlest and Ka'hmesh.
She wouldn't let them go back. She wouldn't put that horrible stress upon them. No...she'd come here to protect her brothers, which the school seemed to be doing a terrible job of, and she would see to it that they were safe. Weiyuan's opinion and offer would not sway her; she'd drag him if she had to. To the strange man, she addressed him with a hard edge, "I'm not going with you." Let the teachers go, but she would not allow the students in that maze.
The woman was angry that no one was asking questions: not what happened, not what they saw, not why it took them so long to get out of the forest, not why it took a strange man to escort them out and, above all, why the man spoke English in a Chinese country. Alex wanted to scream at all of them, but something in the back of her mind was putting up warnings and red flags as it had when she first met the man. She felt as though she had lead him directly into the heart of the camp, and that perhaps, that was his intention all along.
For now, she'd put the last measley scrap of faith she had in the school and the people here into Herei, and hope he didn't disappoint her.
"Kenth." The word was said with laughing lips, but the voice was not humorous. "Since you did not hear me the first time, please come over here to talk? You seem to be missing some information." For being as keen as Kenth was on getting the answers, he didn't seem very interested in the means of getting them so long as the information was his; while Herei continued to smile, he completely understood the Italian woman's rage, although he didn't approve of her letting it eat her alive. There were too many loose cannons here, and he had to do some damage control quickly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:03 pm
Dante stood. "Kenth, did you not just hear Herei and I? We NEED to discuss this, Kenth. Normally I would have no problems with you taking over, but this directly concerns the students, and not just your own welfare! I won't let them be led into harm, and I don't like what this man..." he cut himself off with a shudder again, almost wrapping his arms around himself.
With a slight hissing sigh, he strode past Herei, pausing and nodding. "Whatever it is you worry about, Herei, it is now the same here, after watching what happened to that woman. We need to talk."
And, if need be, figure out how to get the students out of here covertly. He left that part unspoken, however, and merely jerked his head as an invitation for the man to follow.
"Alex...." Lina said quietly, taking slow, tentative steps.
She nearly doubled over again as her abdomen cramped, but she managed to stay upright, instead letting loose only one small, pained moan. "...I wonder if we have anymore of that tea. I just...I don't like...he's hurting me...." ...Us....
But she forced herself on. If she could get away from the man, she knew they'd be all right. The two of them would be able to rest....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:58 pm
Weiyuan turned back to the others, a fierce gaze settling upon them, not caring who or what they were at the moment. His gaze trailed back to the professor and to Rui. His decision was made and he wouldn't change it.
There wasn't else much that they could go upon. And he was sure that they were as unsure about this as he was. Charcoal eyes focused directly upon Alex. She was probably the one thing he had to trully worry about trying to hold him back. He had doubts about this as well but what else did they have to go upon? Jack nothing that was for sure.
He sighed, a hand raking through his hair. It would do no good to separate them now. And honestly, he felt as if the adults were doubting the abilities of the students. They all had to grow up at one point or another. This included. "It's probably best if you go speak and discuss with them. Quiet their worries. There's nothing more that only use, who have no idea what else will happen, could do. It's the will of the forest."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:18 pm
Kenth sighed. He knew this would happen. These idiots have been in the forest, and are now scared by it like some kind of small animals. It was the human instinct again wasn't it? They would not want to approach the danger because well, it was obviously dangerous. But Kenth thought life differently than those people. He could really care less about dangerous places...so long as he get something out of it. And this was the perfect chance. If he wanted to get what he needed, then this is a gamble he must take. These...pathetic human logic to save their own lives were only in the way right now...both to his decisions and actions.
Frowning, Kenth shook his head firmly and refused to move. "Discuss all you want, but not at this time when we need a decision right on the spot. Your diplomatic plans and your advisories would only work when we really don't have anything important to do. For now, don't drag me into it. I have made my decision, and I am not about to change it and waste my time on you people to reach a decision several years later."
Kenth thought he had a point. At least, he knew that decision making would take time, which involves a lot of debates, back and forth, with people yelling and trying to reason with each other. Kenth was not a man of many words, nor was he interested in such debates. They were pointless to him...especially in a situation like this. They had come here to stop the natives from killing people, and these guys want to discuss while the natives continue the rampage? He couldn't wait for that long. If he could have a chance to get to the root of what was happening---even if it requires many sacrifices---he'd do it.
"If you guys can't agree, then I shall go with this gentleman right here. Then you guys can debate all you want about your final decisions." With that, Kenth turned to the stranger. "Well? Will myself do?"
The man took a step back, amused at Kenth's boldness. This man was really desperate wasn't he, even though he hid it well under that cold face. The stranger nodded eventually. "One more pair of eyes are always better than none."
Really, one was enough...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:30 pm
"It's not the forest, Weiyuan." Her voice was softer than she remembered it ever being, her impossibly green eyes dark with the memory of what was in there. Alex was afraid she'd have to fight him, but she would not let him go. It wasn't his people...it wasn't anything the boy could possibly have expected. She wouldn't let him die for a man who was already dead.
Very carefully, Alex wrapped one arm around Lina's back and the other beneath her knees, lifting her and cradling the woman against her chest. Usually she would have been somewhat embarrassed at such a display, but now wasn't the time for pride or modesty. Her eyes turned over each of the students, nodding to those whose eyes she caught, tilting her head to indicate that they should follow. At last, her eyes rested upon the stranger, and she felt another surge of anger well within her. There was something wrong with him, and she didn't know how else to explain it. The woman walked away, around the forest where Herei's group had come from, stopping a fair distance away before resting Lina in the shade of a tree set apart from the forest. "Feel better?"
"I hope you can find your way out of the barriers, Kenth," Herei called jovially, "or that this man doesn't...disappear." His smile was wide, almost a grin, as though he could not contain his mirth. Was the man going to stop Kenth? Absolutely not. To Dante, he said, "Advisor, we need all the students to stay with us. There is no choice in this matter; no one here could possibly know what they're up against." He refused to elaborate on his words or his train of thought, glancing pointedly at Weiyuan. Either the elder boy would understand, and lead his brother and boyfriend to safety, or he would be ignorant and try to follow the pig-headed doctor into the maw of hell.
Ushering those closest to him, flashing another large smile at Kenth, he started to move them towards Lina and Alex. The doctor had made his decision, and Herei would not begrudge him that, no matter how stupid he personally thought it was. Kenth had no concrete information to work with, and he was pursuing a possible lead that was likely not at all what the man really knew. No, the Advior had a good idea of what was happening, and it was his duty now to ensure the students would not suffer for the pale-haired man's foolery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:37 pm
Dante nodded. "Wei, decision made or not I cannot allow you to go. Professor Prinwaltz asked for me to look after the wellbeing of each of the students, and that includes you. There will be no debate on the matter. Please, do not make me restrain you."
He inclined his head to Irame then, lowering his voice and speaking in Elven so that only they two could understand one another. "Can you perhaps send one of your guardians after him?" Dante said, inclining his head at the man. "Make sure he doesn't fall into peril?"
Lina's eyes squeezed shut, then opened slowly. She nodded hesitantly, though she knew neither she nor that other one would be all right until the man was gone completely, his aura that was so tainting the site and causing their violent reactions fading completely. "I'll...be...mm!"
She drew her knees to her chest, bowing her head. And then she did something she'd never done in front of anyone.
She cried.
As quietly and silently as she could...she cried, the tears cascading onto her cargo khakis.
"I'm such a stupid idiot," she berated herself. "I never should have come. I never...God, Lina, you idiot, you've made a terrible mistake...I'm so sorry...."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:56 pm
He glared at each and every one of those adults who went against him, Alex included. He wanted so much to tell them to piss off but his logic decided to bowl into him.
He didn't doubt that there was perhaps a chance that the Elven magic could indeed restrain him. He'd rather follow them with his pride half-intact. But Kenth would most likely still follow the stranger. And if something happened to his idol, he wouldn't forgive himself.
There was more at stake. RuiZhi and Rylenn would most likely follow him. And even if they did, the two of them would grieve his absense. Especially Rylenn. He promised his lover that he'd protect them, stay with him, be with him. And no matter what he'd like to do he just couldn't be selfish for the sake of the two boys who meant the world for him.
The odds were against him and just for a moment he wished he wasn't apart of this school or had any attachements so that he could follow his will. Like the last time he was here. Alas that was not the situation. "You all suck."
Again he glanced up at Kenth, his dismay burning in his eyes. "Don't die." With that he grabbed his dìdì's hand crossing the invisible line between the sides, growling, not caring how obvious his emotions were.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:02 pm
Alex lifted her eyebrows, not able to tell if her friend was crying or not, but able to hear the threads of pain in her voice. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Lina, resting her cheek on the other's head, her voice cracking in the slightest as she said, "We all make mistakes, Lina." She herself had made a huge mistake, coming here at all, having stayed rather than dragging her two brothers off...
That's the Temple talking, even though it's so far away, she told herself, but she felt so miserable that she didn't care. Instead, she held her friend tight, allowing her the freedom to do what she needed before they were on their way back.
RuiZhi looked hesitantly between Weiyuan, Kenth and Herei, three people he deeply respected and admired. On one hand, there was Weiyuan, who was here for a purpose; on the other, there was a Professor that always smiled and usually seemed to know what he was doing; the wild card was Kenth, who had saved them all before, who had inspired him to be where he was today. Alex's face swam before his eyes, the dark look on her face and the lack of joy he normally saw...
Before he could think any further on it, Weiyuan yanked him away, causing him to stumble briefly. He looked sharply towards Kenth, the fear he felt showing plainly on his face for a short while. "Come back to us, Doctor Kenth!" he called meekly, barely managing to grab his belongings as he let his brother lead him. Relief flodded the boy, as if this was the right thing to do, and he gave Weiyuan a gentle but warm squeeze in their clasped hands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:12 pm
"I won't." Kenth said merely to Wei's words. He had heard Lina's crying, and RuiZhi's plea. Somehow the students' voices made his heart jump a little, which made him a little slow in looking up at the stranger. He decided that he shouldn't look back. After all...none of them really could stop him from what he wanted to do now, be it crying, be it yelling... He really would not be effected by these emotions. Business is business.
So without turning, Kenth walked to the side of the stranger. There he called out.
"I take it that you will bring the group back?" He didn't exactly address which person he was speaking to, but the message was certainly geared toward the two advisors...the two responsible adults. "I'll be on my way then."
And with that Kenth looked at the stranger. "Shall we?"
The stranger looked at the rest of the group, somewhat shaken by Kenth's words also. But eventually the smile that was on his face before came back to him. He nodded.
"So we shall."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:57 pm
Lina shook her head, sliding out of Alex's grip. "You-you don't understand! Alex, I--even you'll look down on--I'm not just endangering me by being here! Alex, I--"
She couldn't finish her sentence, instead turning around and letting her arms dangle at her sides, refusing to hug herself.
Forgive me, small one. You should not be here.
Dante looked to the woman for a moment, then back to Herei. "...We can't leave him alone," Dante said, sounding a bit pained. "Irame, we need the blood creature. And...summon something to take Miss Lina--"
"No."
"Miss Lina--"
"I decided...I was going to finish what I started," she said, wiping her eyes despite the tears cascading out of them. "...I'm being selfish, I know. But I always finish what I start, even if--" she choked on her words from here on out, taking a few deep breaths, trying to collect herself.
"...I'm...we're going to be fine."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:00 pm
Charcoal gazed up to look at the whitenette. For some reason he felt that he was going to lose yet another important man. His hands curled into fist, his whole body tightening. He didn't like this. "Damn it. Damn this all if we lose Kenth." he could feel the flames of his words upon his lips as he turned from the two moving away.
"Damn this all if someone important to me dies again."
He moved away from Rui, not caring if the younger followed him or not. He moved behind a tree, leaning his head on it, fist shaking. Kenth was someone he looked up to. He thought of him as nothing more. But he felt as if he was losing some sort of...father figure. No. It wasn't that. This feeling just reminded him of losing his father.
Gone. With a stranger. A force unknown. A pricking sensation in the back of his eyes threatened to pull out the rest of his emotions. This was partly for Kenth. Mostly for his father. The feelings were so similar.
He stifled sob escaped him as invisible tears flowed. He would not cry. His gaze shifted to Alex as he turned so he could not see her. "I hope it's harder for you to watch him go then it is for me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:30 pm
She was hit, twice. Not literally, but in ways that would bruise her heart. First, Lina pulled away from her, saying that Alex would look down on her, when Alex herself didn't think she could possibly feel that way for the woman, ever; then, Weiyuan staunchly reminded her that she had her back turned while Kenth was walking away, and quite possibly...if not unquestionably...into a place that would eat him alive, where she could not be there for him. Not only had she let him go, she had not even turned to wish him well, her back being the only thing he would have seen if he had turned. Even after he had said he needed her to stay by his side to be reassured of her own safety.
Alex wanted to do several things at once. She wanted to shake Lina and get a damn answer for once; she wanted to yell at Weiyuan, ask if he would have been happier if it was her instead, or his little brother, who looked so heart-broken and being without anyone near; wanted to chase down Kenth, grab him and--
"We go." It was all she trusted herself to say. Casting one last glance over her shoulder, she walked away.
"He made his choice, Advisor." Herei looked over at the elf, his smile softening a little. "He doesn't want to waste time, and I don't blame him, even if his methods leave something to be desired. We still have a mission here." The man chuckled a little, catching up to the rest of the group. Moving forward at a brisk pace, he looked forward, knowing the rest would follow. "Don't worry. He wont be alone for long." His smile turning somewhat cryptic, he lead the way back towards the scientists, mentally going over the events that would need to follow to ensure everything went as planned.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:38 pm
Dante nodded. "Right." He, too, motioned to the others. "We gain nothing by remaining here. Let us go back to the scientists first, then decide what to do from there."
He'd make sure Kenth was all right. Prinwaltz hadn't hired the man just to get him killed.
Lina's eyes widened. "Alex, no. Wait."
She caught up to the woman, grabbing her wrist gently. "You want to know. You really want to know? I'll tell you."
She paused a moment, looking aside. Then she spoke in a voice low enough so that others wouldn't hear her--she didn't need Audun's snide comments, or everyone else's reactions.
"...I'm pregnant, Alex. One month pregnant."
She paused moment, then, hurriedly, "I chose this, Alex. When I say I finish something, I finish it, goddammit. And I'm going to finish this, and I'm going to finish school after this. And if that means that you look down on me for this mistake--this choice--that I made, then so be it. I'm stupid, I know, but I don't leave things undone."
Having finished, she stood there, panting, face in a slightly pensive frown.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
