[PRP] The Unfound (Temperance & ???)

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Per?" Temperance called out, voice squeaking against the trees. She'd run heedlessly back, ungracefully, and her legs bore the scrapes of her progress. Now, she moved through the trees, trying to remember exactly which one was the little squirrel dude's.

"Per, come down - I have something." Her breath still came quick and fast, blood pumping in her ears. Faster, something had urged her one, faster.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

It was different, the trees. There was silence where there had been the sounds of their little village.

No fairy lights lit her way as she approached.

No, instead, the ground was a muckier under her feet. It was tinged a color that was not right and the further she walked, the more she would notice the damage that had been done.

Some trees were entirely uprooted, others splintered in half. She had not even made it to their little area yet.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Something was most definitely wrong. No, more like some things were. Her feet picked their way hurriedly over fallen trees, splintered branches blocking her path. s**t, s**t, s**t. It looked like a hurricane had blown through. The ground was... wrong. She swallowed heavily.

"Per? Per - where are you?" Temperance called out. Was she too late? Her heart beat up into her throat, choking her. She shouldn't have dallied so long along the shore, should have been able to find this stupid little thing more quickly, shouldn't have promised to help if she wasn't able to ******** follow through. Roughly, she shoved the emblem down her shirt, trapping it in her bra. She might need both hands.

Skidding to a halt, she scanned the ground.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

There was no answer, just silence. The ground was wet from both the rain and, when she looked closer, blood. It was diluted but it was there.

A little further in, closer to where the small village had been, something squeaked.

Then crunched.

The far too familiar sound of bones breaking. (It shouldn't have been familiar but it was to her as if she had heard it a million times before just like this.)

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Temperance sucked in her breath. She'd nearly missed it, but it swirled in with the mud. Blood. She wished she were wearing shoes but she didn't have time for more thought. That sound - she knew that sound as surely as her name.

Suddenly, she breathed out and vaulted over a tree trunk, running towards the sound. If she could get there, she could... could what? Scare it away with her thin arms or scary face? Didn't matter, Temperance thought, It didn't matter. Her feet slipped in the mud and she nearly fell, catching herself against one of the few partially standing trees. The raw wood scraped her palm and she pushed off of it, running as fast as she could, noisy and clumsy.

"No no no no," she chanted between breaths. "Per!"

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

As she ran she'd see them, the remnants of the little fairy lights. They flickered brightly in her presence, fading as she passed.

They had been tied to the emblem but were useless now.

The trees were destroyed, the village gone, and sitting there was a beast. It was large, nearly bear size, and stretched out on it's back.A long tail lazily swished back and forth in the muck as it flipped what was-

It was Per.

Or it looked like Per.

It was flipped into the air and caught in the great beasts mouth with a snap.

Glowing red eyes cut to Temperance as she came into view. "My apologies," it's voice rumbled, "I sincerely hope that wasn't a friend of yours."

It hoped it did. Clearly.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"W-what did you do?" It came out high-pitched and of course, it was an obvious question. The words just slipped out of her mouth as she skidded to a stop. Then, she grabbed a hefty branch from the ground and hurled it at the beast.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

The creature rolled it's eyes. The branch never it it, swatted away with ease. When it hit the ground it was in pieces.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm having dinner." It rolled over onto it's belly, stretched itself out like a great cat. "... since apparently their little champion failed them."

It smiled.

It was not a good smile with all those teeth.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"How did you even get free?" Thoughts turned over in her head, everything blanketed by remembering the sick crunch of bones. She tried not to think about it. How far was it...

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

"Free?" It blinked at her. With one final stretch it lifted itself up and stalked towards her. It's breath was terrible, sickening.

"I think you've made some very bad choices about helping."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Out of the cage, Dee," she whispered. And then she turned and ran. The faceless mannequins didn't like her, but maybe they could somehow help because of how much less they liked Dee. The only bad choice she'd made here was not being fast enough. She was never fast enough, but she tried every time, and maybe this time... She felt sick.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

The beast tilted it's head but then she was running and that was always fun.

Temperance would not get far, a large paw pushing against her side and sending her skidding into the muck and mud. There were no claws involved, just a paw pushing her.

"I confess," it said, looming in the broken shadows of the damage it caused, "that I've no idea what you're talking about and that is interesting."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"You destroy - am I supposed to believe you're not it?" It.. looked different, but the eyes were the same color. It was a tenuous hold, but the sheer magnitude of destruction, the wanton way it acted felt similar. She did not want to think there were more than one. Temperance scrambled, trying to pull herself up, hands and feet slipping in the mud.

"Then," she said, her voice a little stronger. "What are you - who are you." She didn't particularly care beyond keeping it talking while she thought. Goosebumps rose on her skin and they weren't just from the chill.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

"Foolish girl, do you not know?" It loomed over her, teeth snapping a breath away from her face. "Names have power and there is nothing that knows my name. Nothing has power over me."

Then it smiled, or it looked like a smile if not for the teeth and the way it's tongue lolled in it's mouth, pushing at them. "Though destroy is fitting. If you must call me something, you can call me Destroyer."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Yeah, well, ******** you, Dee. Why do you... even.. even d-do this?" Was this it - eaten alive by an otherworldly creature before she could even do something? Before she could make up for all her failures and instead stacking them in on themselves. Temperance had never really felt in danger at the ball - it was always someone else.

"Even things without names have cages. Let me go!" Her hands shot up, fingers crooked, aiming for his eyes, ears, something soft and potentially painful.

ashdown whaler