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He didn't want her to see his eyes?

Didn't he know a Siren wasn't dependent on people's facial expression? That she extracted whatever she needed to know from the voice, the tone, the timbre? Of course, those with an extremely strong mental defense could still hide certain things, but at that moment Lucind seemed to have struck a side in Anuksu that made it nearly impossible for him to disguise any of his emotions.

She didn't go after the bait, though, didn't even smile or smirk.





"There're so many people here most of whom seem to be connected to the events. Others were just dragged into it but are still willing to contribute - well...not that there're much more options given to everybody right now.

And they're all so...eager to fight.

As if they don't really care what horror it is they're going to face - as if it was everyday business to go and engage into a fight for this world.

...

There was a strange man...he appeared only short before I went upstairs. He apparently knew more about what is really going on. About those shades. And what he called 'Eternal nothingness'."


The vampire would probably start suspecting the woman was really talking to herself now.


"Several of those shades were in the forest when I arrived, keeping people distracted while Victor and Ra'kar vanished with Teira through a portal...likely went to Eden...you saw it I suppose, up in the sky...hard to oversee.

They're serving a god. The Forgotten One.

Wonder if Victor thought through all this...really wonder if he did...

The Forgotten One seeks to plunge the world, no, this universe into its original state of pure, unchanging nothingness...void. First, however, he has to be awakened, as far as I understood.

Now people here know this is more than private issues. It's..."


Her eyes shifted but where still wandering around aimlessly. And still, Lucind hadn't stopped using her whispering technique.


"The whole planet is under attack, not just Lament, Durem and the other bigger cities around. It's not just Gaia. I've spoken to my people...already a few days ago...dunno about the Northern isles...but Angara, for example, seems to be on the list for a raid of undead - this really sounds to be more of Victor's doing than that of the shades. But Meshkat in the South, Azum in the East...fights and ruthless invasion have been spreading rapidly.

Everybody here was arguing whether or not it was wise to just go and find a way into Eden.

And I...I...


Do you know this feeling - when you're watching a scene that should move, affect you somehow...but all you can do is wondering what this is all about?"


Was it really Anuksu she was addressing?


"There's this invisible wall between the others and you, as if you're nothing but the audience of a play.

You should be concerned, because this time, nobody will be allowed to take a seat. But I'm lost for words and thoughts...all but one:

How...strange.

What is going on here?

Right now I...I don't even have access to my feelings of guilt.



I have the book here with me.

Fear it doesn't work too well against the shades - but how should the angels prepare songs against entities being made of a material denied by our universe itself?

Haven't yet used it to the full extent, 'cause I think when I do...the price will be quite high...or just, depending on how you look at it.

For some reason it feels like it's the only thing I can hold on to...as if some childish voice tries to persuade me that it holds salvation...or atonement."


Those words weren't really directed at the vampire, were they? And there was no book to be seen - though it could be hidden somewhere beneath her coat.


"Bleached souls. That is what those shades are, according to that man. They feel weird...looked at them from the lhor aven.

So empty.

Empty.

They suffer so much..."



At this point, the light the vampire thought to have seen being extinguished returned to her amber eyes, as if she snapped out of some dream. Or memory. A display of her thoughts would have revealed blurred images of a tower, of debris falling from a restless sky, of endless souls being freed and echoing with her elegy...




Here, she even smiled lightly at Anuksu before stepping forward.

"Agreed." She nodded firmly.

Apparently, the Siren had still taken in everything Sunstrike and the others had discussed.

Anuksu was afraid that somehow she had sensed the emotion within him, but it was too late now to try and do anything about it. Either way, at least she would have been able to tell that his words were indeed honest. As she smiled at him and stood up, Anuksu realized that whatever it was he had done had indeed helped her. Or had he done nothing… merely given her time to reflect on her own thoughts? Regardless, he smiled right back at her.

“Good to see you alive again. Oh, how rude of me, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Anuksu Noir, and I am at your service.”

Hopefully now, it would be decided who went where and they would be on their way. After all, while they were talking, the enemy was no doubt moving closer to their goals. Though he did understand the need for a strategy, he had grown slightly impatient. He would go where they told him he was needed and he would do his part. Tactics were for the officers, and for once there was no way he was going to be one.

He stood back up, moving alongside Lucind to join the rest of the group.

“Agreed.”

He also took the time to reach out a tendril of thought to Lucind in an attempt to contact her mind. This could, of course, be resisted should she not be willing. He had indeed shown a side of himself that no one had seen for many many years, and he wished for that side to remain well hidden.

"Groups of three?"

Katie was mulling over the idea, but Sun jerked his attention on her then on Max. She really didn't get to meet Alpha. She saw him for a few moments before his powerful attack. It had been Laz, Maximos, Athan, and Vahn that were up close to Alpha, possibly a few others, but she didn't know everyone's name. The subject was quickly changed then put back on route of what was important. She was thankful for that.

"Agreed."

She thought the ideas were good so far.

Hearing the old man, Katie glanced up to see that he had returned.

"You've missed a lot."

Her eyes darted towards the bunny that suggesting checking it out. She nodded at the woman. The Amazon thought the bunny was brave for sticking her neck out and offering to check it out.

"I'll go with her to scope it out."

Glancing around at the gathering, he took note of several of the new people. Additions to this campaign that would lead to only death in the face of such a powerful foe. Quinn had seen powerful creatures, fearsome predators, beasts of such devilish desire that he dare not speak of those encounters. He had dabbled in the dark arts, looked into the abyss- and he had turned from it out of fear. The things he had seen in his relatively short life would shock most humans, would strike fear into their hearts and make them pray for a God not just enough to show itself. Good people who died, family who had paid the price, DAUGHTERS who had been vanquished by the evils of the world.

Smiling solemnly to himself, he took a seat near Katie, the beastly weapon resting heavily on the ground next to him. Looking around the room once again, he suddenly lacked a certain eagerness for these horrid things that were being discussed. The passions of these people for fighting sunk low in his stomach. 20 years ago, he would have been with them all the way, cheery and cheeky for some violence.

"So, fill me in, youngun'. The short, bulleted version if possible."

"The short, bulleted version."

Katie glanced down at the weapon that Quinn was packing before bringing her eyes level with his.

"Okay..

One; we're putting a plan together on paper.

Two; we're discussing on going out in teams of three's."

She decided to leave the whole ordeal out that went down with Maximos. It was neither here nor there.

"And I've just volunteered to go check things out with Madison."

She glanced over her shoulder and grinned at Axel as he snorted.

"Actually I was."

She grinned and winked at him, then turned her attention back around only to catch Twitch's eye.

"Shattered?"

She inquired with a tilt of the head.

The 'little girl' blinked at the shadow and arched an eyebrow in his direction. Her lips forming a small 'oh' as he spoke. If it were anyone other than Rei, she'd probably have twitched or had some comical pulsing vein at being treated like a child by someone who was so many years her junior.

But being overlooked and underestimated had it's advantages. And she didn't rise to the occasion.

"If they've waited so long--"

She said glancing at the map, and then around to everyone who seemed to be ready to depart on wild goose chases,

"Seems to me like they ought to listen a little closer to what is being said."

She hoped up onto the table, sitting with her back turned to the map, but glancing at it over her shoulder as she kicked her feet, indulging the image of a young child.

Moving her hand back and smacking her finger down in the center of what Sun had marked and announced as Reen.

"THIS is where you all need to be. Go in groups, it's less conspicuous. Travel in threes but meet here all the same. We know about the other locations already. Reen however is unknown and nobody knows what to expect there. To send in one under prepared group is less than intelligent. And if any of you want to avoid repeats of the stadium and the forest, then you need to think ahead.

Think for a moment, on why we haven't heard of Reen before now. WHY is there so little information available about this place? What would it suggest to you? Perhaps that it is guarded? Hostile? You don't know what to expect there so you should go with no expectations yet prepared for the worst."

And with that she hopped off the table and wandered over to the bar. It was well past dinner and she was hungry, but she paused and added over her shoulder.

"And a warning to all of you, don't judge things by appearances alone. This is an enemy that will exploit such a weakness."

" They had these tentacles that popped out of their sides, helped them move around and stuff. Some other folks Killed the other shark, looked like guards ya' ken? One of them had dogs with him. Either way, The guy I'm looking for had an Eyeball where his head should be, and a human....well, mostly human form." Damion completed, pausing to take a breath and maybe get an answer. " And if you know who those folks were that saved me I'd appreciate it." He tacked on, almost as an after thought.

He owed those Folks a gift basket after all.