Re: Threads of Hope and Despair: Dark Goddess/Ruu

by **Ruu** Thu Jun 16, 2011 5:13 pm

"Ah...sorry Cabe, I'll try to call you that from now on," said Nevin sincerely, though the words sounded foreign on his lips.

He was used to addressing those older than him in terms of respect, as the Church required. But if the Church lied to him in large things, would it be so bad to abandon some of the small things that they had required.

The young boy watched quietly as Cabe collected things foreign to him, looking satisfied. He had seen the terrible carnage such things could create, but if they were to be safe from the monsters, he knew it would be necessary. The smallest tendrils of doubt were beginning to creep into his mind. What if everything the Church had told him was wrong? What if this mission was doomed to fail? Worse yet, what if he lead an innocent person to his doom? Cable shouldn't have to pay for Nevin's mistakes...He shook his head out of his reverie when Cable asked if his faith could protect against monsters. Nevin hesitated for a moment, thinking back...Back to a time when a monster had attacked. He had prayed for the monster to be gone. In a matter of moments the a force had struck the monster hard enough to break its spine, smashing it into the wall. Young Nevin had been traumatized, but the Church had convinced him that it had been a necessary fight. Yes...his faith could do great damage to the beasts.

"Y-yes,,,I can," he nodded, "I haven't fought very much, but I know none of these weapons will do me any good. I don't know how to use them anyway. I should be able to handle at least some of the monsters."

by DarkGoddess Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:26 am

"All right," Cable said in reply to his answer. If he could take care of monsters if Cabe wasn't around to protect him, then that was one less worry for him. Cable knew he wouldn't be able to take care of the kid all the time. He still would need to sleep, or go to use the facilities. Same with the kid.

"Even so, Nevin, I would prefer it if you had one of these with you." He added, pulling out a handgun and offering it to the kid. He knew that Nevin would immediately protest, so he quickly added, "Hear me out before you refuse. I am going to be protecting you as much as I can. But I will need to sleep, or you will need to use the washroom. Those few seconds out of sight can be enough for the monsters to take you. If you panic, will you be able to protect yourself from the monsters with your abilities? I'm not asking you to use it other than in emergencies. If you don't want to shoot anyone, then just fire the gun into the air, it will help me find you. Do you know what I mean?"

He still held out the gun for the kid to take. He wasn't going to allow Nevin to leave without having it in his pack.

by **Ruu** Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:40 am

Cable was right, Nevin was about to protest, but the words died on his lips as Cable continued his explanation. He knew it wasn't fair for him to expect Cabe to protect him all the time. And it was true that his prayer could be interrupted and cause him to panic, with rather unpredictable results. But as a an acolyte, it was his duty to never touch a weapon, or so he had been taught. Wouldn't that be breaking his oath? Then again...the Church had lied to him about many things. The indecision could be seen clearly in his eyes, but he saw that Cable wasn't about to give in. Finally, he sighed, lowering his eyes before taking the gun gingerly, almost as if it would bite him.

"A-alright..." he whispered, "I'll take it but...I think I would only be able to fire it in the fire. I don't think I could hit something with it if I tried."

He looked up again, trying to smile through his uneasiness. It seemed that they had everything they needed. He only prayed that he wasn't leading Cable on a fruitless mission. He would never forgive himself if that happened.

"Are we...ready then?" he asked hesitantly.

by DarkGoddess Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:54 pm

"I'm ready if you are." Cable said simply, standing and stretching out his back after standing crouched over for a few minutes. He went back to the main area, taking the bag with food and water, hoisting it on his back. It sat there comfortably once he had adjusted the straps...even though he was sure that by the end of his day he'd be aching.

Nevertheless, he stood easily, turning around and looking at Nevin. He wasn't smiling but he wasn't frowning. He had made it clear, it would be difficult. The kid had fair warning, so if he couldn't handle it, there'd be nothing Cable could do but find the church again as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the streets still seemed to be changing, even after whatever the scientists had done.

by **Ruu** Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:44 pm

Nevin took the second, somewhat lighter pack, placing it upon his shoulders. He quietly prayed for the strength to carry it throughout that day, and for Cable to maintain his own strength. No perceptible changes could be seen, but they could be felt. Nevin had somehow enhanced his and Cable's muscle endurance. If they were uninterrupted, they would be able to go the whole day carrying the rather cumbersome packs with only minor discomfort.

The young boy took in Cable's expression and took a deep breath. He couldn't read Cable's thoughts, but he knew what the young man was thinking. This would be a dangerous journey, especially with the unpredictability of the Eclipse. Everything was constantly changing, moving, but Nevin could feel in his heart the pull of the Temple. He knew where to find it, as surely as if a beacon were pointing towards it.

"Yep, I'm ready too," he said.

He took one last, wistful glance at the Church before pushing open the large doors and stepping outside into the dim morning light. He turned to make sure Cable was following, but lowering his guard for even that one second proved to be a mistake. A dark and heavy shape barreled into him, knocking him to the ground. His backpack saved his head from being banged violently against the pavement, but caused his back to erupt with a painful fire. Large teeth obscured his field of vision, teeth that looked dangerously close. Nevin could see little else of the creature, though canine paws fitted with bear-like claws that dug into his shoulders, pinning him to the ground. The teeth drew back for a moment, revealing a long snout and beady, coal black eyes on fire with the delight of an easy kill. Just as the beast plunged for the soft, white flesh at Nevin's neck, the boy finally regained at least some presence of mind. The beast grappled as if with an unseen force for a moment, but the brute was stupid and had little mind power. It was thrown back off of Nevin, though that was all he could for the moment as it landed on all fours, circling the boy warily. He tried to get up, but a spasm of pain forced him to remain where he was, in a rather awkward position.

by DarkGoddess Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:43 pm

Cable followed him but as the kid strolled out without even checking out the area, a beast tackled him to the ground. The kid's power sent him flying after a second, giving Cabe seconds to grab his gun and sending 3 bullets into the monster. Two merely grazed but the 3rd caught it in the eye, causing it to fall to the ground with a roar. Black blood leaked from the eye as it clawed at the injury.

Cable wasted no time, pulling Nevin up and yelling, "You keep watch in the back." He took off, not running as quickly as he could. He didn't want to risk leaving the kid behind even though all Cable wanted to do was take off for safety as fast as possible. They rounded the corner of the street, which was empty. Cable had seen the monster before, and they did tend to follow the scent of blood. That monster would be devoured, to put it bluntly. Even so, he didn't let up until they were a good 3 blocks away. Once there, he pulled Nevin into a small alley that had a couple of doors into neighbouring buildings, as well as an opening on either side of the alley.

"Okay, Nevin." Cabe kept his voice low so as to not attract any more monsters than possible. "I'm going to go first for now, all right? You can suggest ways to go, but I grew up hiding from these things. I know how to spot signs. You can guard the back. But we have to be quick. But most of all? We. Have. To Be. Quiet."

by **Ruu** Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:16 pm

Nevin flinched as Cable came out behind, firing his gun and scoring a shot in the creature's eye. As Cable pulled him up, he felt pain blossom like a fire-flower through his back, but he clenched his teeth and followed as best as he could after his guardian. He nodded wordlessly, breathlessly, when Cable said to keep watch in the back. When they finally reached a relatively safe haven, Nevin took a few deep breaths and held lightly to Cabe's arm, taking his words in with a solemn nod of his head. His first encounter with monsters hadn't been the best and had shaken him to the core. He knew there were worse monsters out there. He had to be ready, both physically and mentally. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, a faint aura...a tingling sensation, and the pain finally vanished from his body, along with the fatigue and terrifying bursts of fright.

"I'm sorry, Cabe," he said, voice barely above a whisper, "I-I should have let you go first anyway. I know you know what you're doing. I'll make sure to watch our back, don't worry. A-and I'll be so quiet that nobody could hear me, I promise. I won't make that mistake again."

Hearing the howls of the creatures as they feasted on their fallen friend, Nevin shuddered. Why did life have to be so cruel? Why had the scientists decided to go on with these cruel experiments? What if he really was just another experiment, his bestial nature threatening to explode at a moment's notice?

by DarkGoddess Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:22 pm

"It's fine, Nevin." Cable smiled, but he didn't let his guard down. He kept glancing around, making sure none of the smaller, faster beasts showed up. "We have to be careful. That's it."

"So how do you think we'll go about this?" He asked after a pause. There were many ways, honestly. They could wander until they picked up on a clue. They could try to get their bearings, to figure out where was where. Or they could figure out what they were looking for, then try to figure out where it was. That would be the difficult part, however. Everything was different out there.

"If you have any idea, please, let me know. It'd help us figure out where we're going if you do."

by **Ruu** Fri Jul 01, 2011 9:40 am

Nevin was encouraged by Cable's smile, thankful that more harm had not been done. He too was wary, his senses extended, searching for danger. He could feel the conflict some distance behind them as the injured beast was torn to pieces and shuddered. Other than those creatures, however, for the moment the immediate surrounding area seemed rather devoid of life. When Cable asked where they should go next, Nevin looked up. He knew that the part of finding the way was his. His powers honed in on the Ancient Temple like a beacon. He closed his eyes, memories searching for the first landmark. Ah...that was it...Even if things were shifted, the great Belltower of Craeus would be found easily. That was the first sign, the first symbol.

"The first sign will be the Belltower of Craeus," he said softly, eyes taking in the skyline, almost immediately seeing the fabled tower rising in the distance, "There it is! I'll show the way to get there."

He closed his eyes in prayer and immediately a strange haze, a bending of the light, surrounded his body and grew outward. It traveled down streets, through an alley or two, until it could not be seen.

"That is the way we need to go," he whispered, "It will also cast an illusion on us. I think the weaker monsters will be confused enough that they won't attack. We should at least have warning if they do."

by DarkGoddess Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:14 pm

With that, they set out.

Whatever the monster was made of, the scent attracted a large number of others. Cable and Nevin didn't see or hear another monster for nearly two hours. The eclipse still made it dark enough that passing shadows caused Cabe to jump. But other than that, things went by rather uneventfully.

Before they entered another alleyway, however, Cable held out a hand to stop Nevin. There were dragging sounds coming from the road running perpendicular to the one they were on. Cabe was sure it was a monster, judging by the snuffling sounds that accompanied it. This was one that hunted by scent.

As quietly as he could, Cable slipped around the corner to see what was going on, a hand on the hilt of his gun at all times. Indeed, there was a beast, one with puce-coloured skin and long, noodle-like limbs supporting a narrow body. Its face was squashed, looking as if it housed no eyes, only a nose and mouth.

In its arms was a young girl, about the age of 12 or 13. She was unconscious, hanging limp from its hands. At least, Cable hoped she was just unconscious. Either way, he couldn't stand by and let this happen. But he had to conserve his bullets. Luckily, he was downwind of the monster, and he had all the time in the world to line up a shot.

Bang! One shot and the monster was down, squealing in pain. Cabe wasted no time then. He grabbed the girl in his arms and run, expecting that Nevin would know to follow. The girl was skinny and small, light enough that Cable didn't feel off-balance. The fact she wasn't moving however, made him nervous. But until they were far enough away from that monster, he wasn't going to check her for injury.

Finally, gasping after nearly 3 minutes of headlong running, he slowed to a stop. He ducked between a pair of dumpsters where there was a few feet of space and laid the girl down on the ground. He brushed her hair out of her eyes, and carefully lifted her head to check for any injuries.

There was indeed a large gash on the back of her head, so much so that even her hair was missing in the back. But there was a heartbeat, faint but persistent. "Nevin...?" He asked, not phrasing the question but knowing he would understand. Could he do anything to help her? She looked so young, and even though he didn't know her Cable didn't want to lose a child like her to the monsters. She was close to the same age that Seely would be now, even.

He'd do something to heal her if he could. But he didn't have the ability. Nevin did...if Nevin could. Even if he could heal her partway...

by **Ruu** Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:21 am

Nevin followed closely behind Cable, jumping when the older boy did. Fortunately, there was nothing to see but shadows and the thin, hazy aura that led quietly to the Belltower. After an amount of time that seemed interminable to Nevin, Cable held out a hand to stop him. The young boy waited obediently until he heard a gunshot. The sound caused his heart to leap to his throat and he ran around the corner, staying as close behind Cable as he could. Not until they rested in between some dumpsters did he notice the young girl his friend had been carrying.

Almost as soon as he knelt beside her, Nevin noticed the gash. He nodded at Cable's questioning tone, immediately understanding. Closing his eyes, his lips moved in silent prayer and a soft aura surrounded the girl. He thought of blood clotting, skin closing, what had been broken becoming whole. When he finally opened them, the wound was closed, though a rather nasty scar ran along the back of her head. Nevin wasn't quite powerful enough to heal such a wound without any noticeable remaining signs of the injury. He collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily, as if he had just ran a marathon. But he had done it. He could only hope she would awaken.

by DarkGoddess Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:32 pm

The kid seemed pretty tired, which caused Cabe to make a face as he looked for monsters. If he couldn't move, they'd have to settle down for the night. Somewhere. That had been a problem that he hadn't thought of at the time. They would need sleep. But they'd have to find a house, one that's secure, which was a rarity even before the eclipse. Not to mention, those that were secure would likely have people living there, and they'd be unlikely to trust others.

The girl hadn't responded yet, and even after a couple of minutes Nevin still seemed quite tired. "Listen," Cable whispered, putting a hand on the kid's shoulder to draw his attention. "If the girl wakes up, keep her quiet. Keep quiet, keep alert. I'm going to look for somewhere we can go to rest."

He didn't wait to hear a reply, he rose into a bent over position and glanced down the alley to see if a monster would come. But no one was there, and he slipped out into the main street. After much hiding and hunting, he found a place. It wasn't as hidden as he had hoped to find, but it was uninhabited and large enough for 3 people to spend a night in. Beggers after all, were not choosers. Turning, he went to go back to let his young charges know.

by **Ruu** Mon Jul 11, 2011 1:46 pm

Nevin looked up at Cable with a half-alert expression on his features, drowsiness threatening to overtake him. He nodded once to let Cable know he understood and then Cable was gone. After a few moments, the dizzying feeling passed and he was finally able to get up to kneel beside the girl. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps, but soon they were level and even. Finally, the terrible nightmare she had been having seemed to disappear and her eyelids fluttered open. Their eyes met, and for that brief moment something flashed in them. Nevin's filled with uncertainty and perhaps fear, the girl's with something deep and dark, a hidden secret. But soon that moment was past as the youngster smiled a delicate smile.

"You saved me," she whispered in a soft, almost hypnotic voice, "Thank you."

"I...I didn't do much," replied Nevin gently, "You should really thank my friend. He was the one who saved you from the monster. I'm not...strong enough to do that."

"You both helped me," replied the enigmatic waif, "Without your healing I would have been lost."

Nevin looked uncomfortably at the ground, not used to being praised. He quickly looked up again smiling.

"Don't worry, we'll keep you safe. My friend is coming back soon. We'll be alright."

"I didn't say I was worried," giggled the girl, "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself. That monster just tricked me. I should have been more careful."

Nevin took a moment to look the girl over carefully. Something about her belied her innocent looks. He believed her when she said she could take care of herself in a fight.

by DarkGoddess Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:17 pm

By the time Cable returned, the girl was sitting up and smiling. She looked fine, albeit tiny with narrow shoulders and chicken-legs. Her clothes seemed to be a fairly small size but they were still hanging off of her. Brown hair hung straight and slightly mussed down to the small of her back. Her face was heart-shaped, with steel eyes framed by strong eyebrows.

Those steel eyes fixed on Cable. She blinked twice, and the flicker of her eyes showed shock before she blinked again. "Are you this boy's friend, he was talking about?" She asked, her soft voice raised in polite question. Cable blinked and nodded. Her voice was familiar. Impossible, but still it was so. It was soft, low and sweet... understandable, as she seemed to be about 13 years of age.

"Yea, that's me." Cable replied, dropping his voice so nothing would overhear. "Listen, can we wait to talk? I want to get somewhere safer before we attract anything. Can you walk?"

The girl nodded and pushed herself up on her thin legs. She took a feeble step, then another stronger one. Cable held a finger to his lips, more for Nevin than for the girl as he led them to the hideaway. A small, plain room. There was a couch and a desk with a lamp on it. The door was a steel door, tough even for a monster to break. Even so, Cable wouldn't take chances. "I can keep first watch, I'm sure you're both tired. Unless you want to get the meet-and-greets out of the way now."

by **Ruu** Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:00 am

Nevin glanced up thankfully when Cable had returned. He had been so afraid that the monsters had found him, even in such a short amount of time. Nevin wanted to help the girl as she got up to walk, but her strength seemed to return with every step. He followed carefully behind, heeding Cable's signal until at last they made it to the small bare room.

When Cable said he would take first watch, Nevin looked thankful. Nevin really wanted to be helpful, but he was exhausted from the act of healing and he really needed some sleep. But he also wanted to introduce himself to the newcomer before anything else.

"I'm Nevin," he said with a smile, without a preamble, "What's your name?"

Why did this girl send something like a warning signal down his spine every time he looked at her? She was so harmless, so innocent. It certainly wasn't any training from the Church...Probably a result of science again. Had this girl been experimented on as he had? Nevin wasn't sure about that, so for the moment he held his peace, trying to dispel the questions swirling in his mind.

by DarkGoddess Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:05 pm

"I'm Nevin," The kid introduced himself with a smile, apparently agreeing with Cable's idea of getting the meet-and-greets over with. "What's your name?"

The girl looked around, still seeming to take in the room. Although, in Cabe's opinion there wasn't much to see, she seemed interested in it. Finally, she moved over to a small window that faced the alley, looking out as if she expected something to be there. "I'm Alise." She answered Nevin, but she didn't look at them as she did.

"Alise? Nice name." Cable replied awkwardly, not sure how to handle it. A little boy he could get along with, but he knew nothing about young girls. "I'm Cable. Are you feeling better now that your head is all right?"

by **Ruu** Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:59 am

Alise had given Cable a reply to the affirmative, and after a few more pleasantries, the two children drifted off to sleep. After what had seemed like only a few minutes, but was more like a few hours, Nevin suddenly opened his eyes. His head began to throb as a thousand conflicted and terrible emotions were swirling in the back of his mind. Raw anger...fear...distrust...bestial instinct...lust for blood...Someone...no...something terrible was coming. He got to his feet as quietly as he could and gently tapped Cable's back, hoping not to startle the watchful guardian.

"C-Cabe..." he whispered, his voice shaking with fear, "W-we have to go now. They're coming...They're coming..."

Just outside, nothing could be seen or heard. The moon cast its pallid light over seemingly tranquil streets, but Nevin knew they were anything but tranquil. Soon...very soon, a monstrous horde would be upon them. The horde was intent on killing them and it was as if they almost knew the group was there. Nevin could almost palpably feel the malice directed at them. He looked back at Alise, still out cold, though her brow was furrowed in silent concentration, as if she were in deep thought, or a perplexing dream.

"We really should wake her and go..." he said again.

by DarkGoddess Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:01 pm

"C--Cabe..."

Cable turned around to look at the boy, who was leaning up over the girl's motionless body to look him in the eyes. "W--we have to go now. They're coming..they're coming."

Cable nodded, not bothering to question why he thought that way. He took the gun in his hand, flipping off the safety and shaking the girl with his left hand, keeping his other hand over her mouth. Her eyes flew open, looking...angry? at first, at least. But then she looked at him with a question in her eyes. "Something's coming. We need to go." He whispered. She nodded, and the three of them got their things together as quickly as possible.

"Which way is safer to go, Nevin?" He asked quietly before checking to clear the area. When he got his answer, he stepped out, scanned the area and waved them out in the direction Nevin gave them.

by **Ruu** Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:51 pm

Nevin had not the time to create the aura or the illusion, but it wouldn't do much good against a horde of monsters. He pointed them silently in the direction to the right and followed Cabe. They began to weave through streets, left, right...He would point the directions, always silently, but he could feel the mob gathering behind them. Every so often he would look over at Alise. She had a determined expression on her face, grim, almost as if she had known this was going to happen. Come to think of it, she had been ready almost immediately after Cable had shook her. Did she have some sort of premonition as he did? Shaking the thoughts away, he looked up at Cabe with wide eyes. He felt it. They were surrounded. The monsters had hemmed them in every direction. Even now he could hear the snarling, the growling, the grunting, the teeth gnashing, claws sharpening...

"We're trapped..." he whispered to Cable, "What can we do?"

They couldn't even go up as he heard the beating of wings. Deformed bird-like creatures that would swoop upon them if they took to the rooftops.

by DarkGoddess Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:17 pm

Cable looked around and even with his limited senses, he could feel their approach. Couldn't go up, there were no other exits. Doors seemed to be of no use to them right now either. Monsters were more than able to wait them out. How had this happened? The beasts had been on their tail since they had left the church. But even as bad as they had been after the eclipse, Cable was still able to hide. Were the beasts drawn to Nevin's powers somehow? But no, that would have drawn monsters even more to the church. But there weren't that many in that vicinity.

Finally, his eyes fell on the one thing that could possibly save them. A small manhole cover on the sidewalk. Cabe was willing to bet that none of those monsters would be able to get them there. "Nevin." He said to get the kid's attention, then pointed. He wasted no time to run over and dig his fingers in underneathe but for all his desperation, he wasn't strong enough. He swore angrily under his breath. He wasn't about to ask Nevin's help again, the kid was exhausted afterall.

Alise had run over as well, close to Cable's footsteps. The tiny girl worked her fingers in underneathe just as Cable had done. "On three, pull." She commanded. Cable rolled his eyes. If he couldn't do it, he doubted that a 13-year old would be able to help. But he placated her nonetheless. "One..." Cable readied himself to get the best possible leverage. "Two..." He braced himself, "Three!" The two of them pulled, Cable with all his strength, and miraculously, the pothole moved. Just a little, but enough for them to get it out of the rim that kept it from rolling across the pavement. Cable went over to the other side by the girl, and the two of them managed to get it off to the side enough to slip through.

Alise spent no time and slid her tiny frame through the hole. A split second later, he heard her land. "It's slippery. Be careful." She called up. Cable called Nevin over to send him down next. When the kid got through, Cable was quick to follow. However, his shoulders caught painfully on the edge leaving his legs dangling into blackness.

Carefully, he wriggled the pothole a little bit further to make the opening larger, all the while his legs kicking to get the tiniest bit of aid. Finally, it seemed to open far enough for him to slide through without much warning.

Cable landed hard on the side of his foot, causing his leg to buckle and to land on the stone, knocking the wind out of him. Oddly enough though, there was no pain, just a slight pressure on the ankle he had rolled. But there was no time to worry about that. "Let's go." He said, pulling the flashlights out of his pack and passing them around.

by **Ruu** Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:15 pm

Nevin's eyes flashed with hope upon seeing the manhole cover. When Cable could not lift it, however, his spirits fell. He was about to offer to try to move it with his powers, though he knew it would be close to the last of his strength, Alise was able to assist Cable. Surprisingly, the two were able to open it together. Alise entered the hole first, and Nevin quickly followed. He slid through easily, his tiny frame slipping through the hole. Cable had a bit tougher time, and when he finally managed to slide through, the older boy landed on his leg in what looked to be a painful manner. Nevin wanted to ask him if he was alright, but he knew there was no time. Even if the monsters couldn't find them, from above, who knew what lurked in the sewers below the city? He took one of the flashlights that Cable offered, looking curiously at the light. He would have provided illumination himself, had he not been so tired. Fortunately, even under the city his powers seemed to be quite active. He could easily discern the way they were supposed to go, still heading towards the BellTower.

"This way...and this...here...turn left here..." he would whisper as they began their trek through the winding tunnels.

He couldn't help but look over at Alise now and again. He had decided she definitely was a different child. She did things that others could only dream of. Her strength had allowed them to open the entryway to the sewers and there was an unmistakable aura of power about her, very different from the power he wielded, at least in his mind. While his strength came from faith, hers seemed to be an inner resolve, a belief in her own power. He couldn't quite explain it.

by DarkGoddess Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:16 am

Cable followed quietly behind Nevin. For the first few minutes, he was fine. But that wasn't to be. His ankle went from feeling a little odd, to a little sore, to downright painful and reducing him to merely being able to hobble along, barely putting weight at all on his bad leg. Nevertheless, he didn't stop, nor did he ask to. He knew himself they couldn't, they'd been standing still far too long already.

Alise moved along beside him, saying nothing but always ready, just in case he stumbled. She didn't offer aid, nor did she ask if he needed help. Cabe was too proud to accept it. Besides, they all needed help. Why were they so insane as to stay in this hell-hole of a city?

The silence was interrupted only by the echoes of their footsteps. But it seemed to be a fortunate move, going down into the sewers. They hadn't seen a monster in nearly an hour. But they wouldn't risk it with loud talking. Instead, he gritted and teeth and moved on.

by **Ruu** Thu Jul 21, 2011 5:42 pm

Nevin continued walking as if a trance, lips moving in silent prayer, a prayer that was woven with a dampening of drowsiness that was present with the group. It allowed them to keep going despite pain and fatigue, allowed their footsteps to keep moving, away from the group of monsters. The group was no longer following them, though there were a few monsters scattered in the streets above them. At last they reached another manhole, the dark steel plate opened just a crack to allow fresh moonlight to stream into the sewers in a single concentrated beam. Here, Nevin allowed the dampening effect to disappear, though he looked sympathetically at the other two as he did so. He knew they would feel the effects of the long walk, and Cabe's poor ankle...The child had wanted to heal it the entire time, but he knew a moment's hesitation might have caused something far worse than a sprained ankle. He felt tiredness rush over his body and his eyes were barely open. They just had to go up and they'd be inside the Bell Tower. It should have been safe there...

"We're...here..." he whispered, breaths coming in uneven gasps and he trembled, his body fighting to stay awake.

Alise's eyes flashed with something, perhaps disdain, before she smiled gently.

"Good. We've made it. Let's go up and then we can get some rest."

"You should rest first, Cabe. Your ankle...I'd heal it...if I wasn't so...tired..." Nevin faltered.

by DarkGoddess Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:31 pm

"Nevin." Cable couldn't believe what he was hearing. The kid was nearly dead on his feet. "You have to sleep. As long as I don't move, my ankle will heal fine. You're sleeping."

He didn't allow Nevin to say anything in argument. Instead, he picked Nevin up under the armpits, literally holding the kid up so he could climb through the pothole. Next, he held his hands out, interlaced so that Alise could step up and vault up through.

Thankfully, the ceiling was low. Therefore, when he jumped he was fairly sure he'd be able to grab on to the rim. Hopefully he'd be able to climb out. Hopefully he wouldn't have to jump twice. The pressure of landing on his injured ankle would be enough to cause him to stop going at all. He just gritted his teeth, bent, and jumped. He did manage to grab the rim, barely. He shifted for a better grip, swinging back and forth, his foot throbbing like hell itself. Finally, he began to inch his way up. By the time he got up, he was spent.

"You need to sleep more than I do." He informed Nevin again.

"Uhm, I can keep an eye on things while you two sleep." Alise spoke up. But Cable had seen the uneasiness behind Nevin's eyes regarding the girl. If Nevin didn't trust her, he wouldn't either. So instead, he smiled at the girl.

"If you want to stay up with me, that's fine. But I'm not very tired. I can hold on."

by **Ruu** Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:39 pm

Nevin had not the strength to protest as Cable helped him up through the gaping maw leading into the basement of the belltower. He barely pulled himself up to scramble forward, collapsing on the ground and breathing heavily. Too much strain...The constant concentration of prayer was taking its toll mentally and physically. He needed a good night's rest. Then he'd be whole again, his body and spirit renewed. He looked back to see Alise follow behind him with Cable pulling himself into the darkened room strenuously. Nevin so wanted to help...He didn't want to allow Cable to stay up when he obviously needed sleep as well. Alise seemed spry enough, but he was somehow glad when Cable wouldn't leave her to watch over them alone. Why didn't he trust her? He usually tried to see the good in people, but Alise...there was something off about her. Her emotions were closed to him; he couldn't even get a faint trace of any feeling, be it joy, fear, sorrow...It unnerved him, but he had little time to think of it. He tried to pull himself to his feet one last time. He had to heal Cable! He just had to! But with a groan, he collapsed, eyes closing, dead to the world. His body had denied his spirit, his will to stay awake...

Blackness swirled about him for a while, the cold nothingness of utter oblivion, the strange floating feeling that someone feels when they pass out...Soon, the nothingness gave way to dreams. They were terrible dreams at first. The greenish glow of a sickening laboratory...The screams of others...white-coated scientists probing and poking...glistening hypodermic needles and strange concoctions forced down his throat...These gave way to bright sunshine...A kindly woman bringing him into the Church...Years of prayer and good works...The last days before the Apocalypse...Cabe, the aura swirling around him that meant he had an important part to play. Alise, suddenly, drastically, her face swirled into view. Dark and menacing it looked for just a brief moment until it resumed its kindly, slightly worried expression. A strange device glowing with rainbow colors, something he hadn't seen before...A hint of things to come?

He awoke with a start, breathing heavily. Everything was still pitch black, as it should be in a basement. What time was it? How long had he slept?

by DarkGoddess Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:21 pm

Somewhere between when silence fell and when Nevin's breathing levelled out, Cable must have fallen asleep. He was more tired than he had first thought, apparently. Of course, they had spent the entire day running from those monsters, and with him on an injured leg, it would take a lot out of him not to complain. But unlike Nevin, Cable liked the young girl that had joined them. She seemed quiet and a little off, but she had grown up with these monsters, just like the rest of them. Cabe had known some people who had been changed by the beasts. She seemed just like those kids.

Either way, when Nevin sat up with a gasp, Cable felt his stirring before he heard it. He must have fallen asleep near the kid. But when he sat up, he rubbed at his eyes and just asked, "Nevin, you alright kid?" He asked, voice roughened from sleep. Beside him, he felt Alise stir, hearing her sneakers scrape across the floor as she turned presumeably to face them. Cable paid her no attention other than that however. If the kid was having a nightmare, it might warn them of something to come in the future.

by **Ruu** Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:44 pm

"I'm...fine..." replied Nevin, slowing his breathing and his racing heart, clearing his mind, "I just had a bad dream. I don't think we should stay here much longer. And don't think..."

He had been about to say he was worried about Alise being with them. He hated to mistrust an innocent girl, but his dreams had been so vivid, so real...There was something about her that frightened him, and he didn't know why. His words were left unsaid, however, as the clock began to chime with a deafening roar. It frightened Nevin so much that he nearly leaped into the air. Sure, it was just a clock, but there was something ominous about the way it tolled. And it sounded so close too...Suddenly, the room itself began to shake. Swirling particles of rainbow colors began to dance about the room. Alise sat up with a wide-eyed look. For a moment, Nevin thought it looked like she snarled before resuming her innocent expression.

"What's...happening?" asked the young girl uncertainly.

"I don't know..." Nevin admitted, "I've never been to the Belltower before. The Church wouldn't let me for some reason."

As the kaleidoscope of colors intensified, Nevin moved himself closer to Cable, though still kept a bit of distance between himself and Alise. As the room continued to shake, bits and pieces began to fall, hurling themselves into a suddenly gaping abyss. Nevin's eyes widened in horror as the entire floor collapsed, leaving only the floor directly beneath the small group. The rainbow colors continued to swirl steadily. If Nevin had been more observant and less frightened, he would have noticed the colors taking a certain pattern. They moved in a line, zigzagging and curving over the gaping chasm. As it was, Nevin could only stare.

"This way!" Alise said sharply, walking over to the chasm.

"But we can't..." protested Nevin, yet he could only gape in astonishment as she seemed to float in mid-air.

Were her powers that advanced, that she could levitate herself? Nevin could levitate himself a bit, but he knew he didn't have enough strength to take himself across the gap, let alone anyone else.

"Follow the colors," sighed Alise with a toss of her head, "Just stay behind me and you'll be safe."

Nevin hesitated, looking up at Cable. He had little time to decide as Alise walked further. If they didn't leave now, Alise would leave them behind. Nevin took one tentative step onto the open space, only to find it held his weight, somehow. Assuming Cable was following, he took one step, then another...a third...This was getting easier! Alise continued to flit, following the rainbow colors. Soon, Nevin didn't need to even look at where she was going. When he finally reached the other side, however, he could no longer see her. At the moment, he was too frightened to notice as he gratefully touched the solid ground. Suddenly, a scream pierced the dank, stifling air that seemed to gather and thicken. In front of Nevin lay the stairs that led to the upper part of the belltower, but something was blocking the way. For a moment, it was just a hazy cloud of putrid air, but the cloud soon formed into a terrifying creature. Somewhat human like in structure, it stood over eight feet. Long black, snake-like cords hung from a misshapen head, a head that pierced to the soul with blood red eyes. It's torso was covered in thick armor, and it wielded a great battle axe. With a terrifying laugh, it ran towards Nevin at top speed. The stricken boy was able to gather his wits quickly enough to deflect the first blow of the axe with an invisible prayer. He wasn't prepared for the spike the launched itself from the creature's armor, piercing his shoulder. Nevin sobbed in pain, sinking to the ground, precariously close to the edge of the pit. He could feel a dark substance consuming his body from within...poison?

"C-Cabe..." he whispered, consciousness beginning to fade.

by DarkGoddess Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:18 pm

Cable, unlike these two kids, had no idea whether or not he could cross this chasm. He had no problem with the kid, even if Alise had her powers, whatever they were. But he had no intention of walking into empty space with no idea if he'd survive or not. But as he was deliberating, he heard a cry from across the gap. There was no way he could see what was going on, though. Stuck on one end of an endless pit of space, Cabe was stuck.

Suddenly, silence fell, and Cable reached uneasily for his gun. He could hear nothing more from the other side, and knew then that he had failed in his duty to protect Nevin. How was he supposed to though, when the kid used fricken' magic to get over the gap? Cable was born without those powers, he'd never get them. Not at this age.

Slowly, he sank to the ground, folding his legs and facing the direction of the blackness. There was nothing he could do but wait and hope for the best. For the longest time, he heard nothing, saw nothing, and felt nothing moving behind him. Until at least, he saw Alise drifting back through the chasm towards him.

"He's hurt. I did the best I could, but he keeps calling your name." Was all she said before offering her hand. Cabe hesitated then took her hand, letting her lead him through the field. They didn't speak, neither finding the need to. But as they reached the other side, Cable immediately went to the kid's side. His shoulder was black, looking almost as if blood poisoning was happening. Cable couldn't help but swear at that.

"Alise, do your powers apply to healing?" She shook her head, sadly. So for Cabe, there was only one thing he knew to do. "Keep some water nearby then." He told her, then knelt over the kid's wound and began to suck the poison from his body. As soon as he was finished, a long 10 minutes later, he took the bottle from Alise and swished the water around his mouth. He spit it out following that. He wanted to clean the kid's wound as well but it was difficult to do that without alcohol and stitches.

"Let's just hope he wakes up." He finally said.

by **Ruu** Fri Aug 05, 2011 3:09 pm

For a long time it seemed, Nevin tossed and turned in a restless state between waking and blissful oblivion. At times the pain was sharp and aching, slowly blossoming from his wounded shoulder, trying to thrust its way towards his heart. And then...the pain lessened...its grasping claws became pushed away from his heart, and centered around his shoulder until nothing was left of the stinging, black death. Yet the pain remained for the wound still had not completely closed. Someone had saved him from the brink of death, and he knew who that someone was.

"Cabe..." he whispered again, eyes opening at last to look up with a disoriented expression.

His eyes glanced from what he could see of his tattered shoulder to the water filled with a swirling black substance, venomous and vile. His eyes widened as it brought back memories, memories of others who had been poisoned...Members of the church who had...He realized what Cable had done.

"C-Cabe...oh...I-I'm sorry...I'm sorry...you didn't have to...You saved my life...I-I could never ever repay what you've done for me," his voice was weak and spent, coming out in a barely audible whisper.

He suddenly looked over at Alise. He had heard her before he had lost consciousness...She must have destroyed the monster or at least distracted it. Perhaps he had been too harsh before.

"Alise...I'm sorry to you too...I should have trusted you...Thank you for saving me from the monster..."

"I have...an uncanny ability to drive the monsters away," said Alise slowly," It surprised me when we got across, nearly knocked me out or I would have warned you. I think it would have killed me if it hadn't sensed you coming up behind. It honed right in on you, like you had a beacon or something. I was able to use...my ability to knock it backwards and into the abyss. It won't be troubling us any longer."

Nevin drew a deep shuddering breath, placing a hand over the still bleeding wound. It had clotted somewhat, but without stitches it probably wouldn't close completely. Nevin knew what he had to do, but it was going to hurt a good deal. He closed his eyes in prayer, a soft blue light touching his body as it increased the natural healing process until the wound was closed. Nevin let his hand drop, unable to look at his own blood.

"I can't do much more..." he whispered, blue eyes glassy and faint, "Not until I rest. I'm sorry...I wasn't...careful...enough..."

Nevin wanted nothing more at the moment than to be held in the arms of the Priestess who had served as his mother...For her to whisper comforting words...to say it would be alright...But there was no time for such a luxury. Besides, he had always known the journey would be difficult, if not well-nigh impossible.

"I'm sorry...I dragged you...into this..." he continued, breathing still labored, "Maybe all...those dreams...they were....a...lie..."

by DarkGoddess Sun Aug 07, 2011 10:30 pm

Cable didn't argue with the kid when he said that maybe this was a lie, a wild goose chase. But there was something that had happened at the bell tower that Cable couldn't argue with. "That chasm wasn't there before, Nevin." He said simply. "If you had said this was a lie this morning, I'd have agreed. But this proves that you're on to something."

He looked up, and saw that Alise was staring at him. He locked eyes with her for a minute, and she ended up being the one to look away. "Alise and I can stay awake for awhile. You get some rest. You must be tired." She nodded in agreement with him, though Cable wasn't sure if Nevin had seen. Besides, this wasn't up for debate. Nevin was going to drop dead from exhaustion if they carried on now.

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