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

by **Ruu** Mon Aug 08, 2011 2:22 pm

Nevin looked up, briefly encouraged by Cable's words. He managed a wan smile.

"All this time...you've been so good to me...You're right. We shouldn't...give up hope...not yet..." he whispered.

When Cable told him to get some rest, Nevin didn't have the strength to protest. Almost immediately he drifted into a dreamless sleep. It was dreamless, but not without thoughts...feelings...No clear pictures appeared and yet Nevin had the sense that he was being watched. The pain would come and go too, as his wound wasn't completely healed. The icy claws of something unlike the poison gnawed at him, at his spirit. Perhaps despair from the creature itself. At times he wanted to give in, hurl himself into oblivion, never to wake up again...But there was light finally, in all of the deep, dreamless slumber, there was a light. And it beckoned him forward. Suddenly, his dreaming exploded with a vision of books, rows and rows of endless books...Followed by a place lit by an eerie green glow...Test tubes...vials filled with poisonous liquid...And then the Temple appeared in all of its glory. It was beautiful, indescribable. Cable was there, and Alise...well, at least her shadow. It hovered and gray and shapeless before everything was wiped out by consciousness. Nevin blinked and opened his eyes, sitting up carefully. He tried to move his arm, but it was still sore, stiff from dried blood. He felt much stronger now, however, for the sleep had done much to invigorate his still youthful body.

"Cabe...Alise...I'm ready," he said, pulling himself cautiously to his feet.

by DarkGoddess Thu Aug 11, 2011 6:49 am

Nevin wasted no time going back to sleep and as he did, Cable sat down next to Alise. "Nevin didn't get this, I don't think." He said softly, so as not to disturb the sleeping kid nearby. "But you have powers as well. More than what you are claiming to have." Alise said nothing, she just looked at him for a long moment causing his heart to squeeze. He was reminded so much of Seely when he sat next to her. Even the way she sat gave him the reminder. But he had to put that behind himself. Seely was dead. There was nothing he could do to rescue her, or to talk to her again.

Finally, she spoke up. "I do have certain..abilities. Unlike him though," she gestured slightly toward Nevin, "they are within me, I know that. He doesn't. Though, he does seem to be grasping that whatever the church told him, it probably wasn't true." She played with the hem of her shirt for a moment before adding, "Whether he knows it now, or whether his mind is blocking that realization, he would be much stronger if he could figure it out."

Cable partially agreed, but not entirely. His faith was what made him who he was. That didn't mean for Cable that for Nevin to lose his faith, he'd lose his being. Granted, he barely knew Nevin, but that was how he felt about it.

"Cable, Alise...I'm ready." Nevin had awaken, but how long ago, Cabe wasn't sure. Either way, he glanced at Alise and stood up. She followed suit.

"Where are we to go next?" Was all he asked in return.

by **Ruu** Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:30 pm

Nevin thought about Cable's question for a moment, closing his eyes. The images he had seen so many times in his dreams flashed before his eyes. A place with lots of books...the outside...sign on the front...

"Oranu Library," said Nevin slowly, "That's where we need to go next. But before that...there's something we need to find at the top of this Bell Tower."

"Oh...you mean this thing?" asked Alise, tossing Nevin a sparkling gem.

Nevin reached for it with both arms, wincing in pain, though he was just barely able to catch it with his good arm. He wondered if Alise had done that on purpose, but quickly pushed the thought away. As he examined the gem, he saw it was a ruby, blood red and swirling with sparkling colors.

"It was on the monster when I killed it," shrugged Alise, "Looks like we don't have to go to the top after all."

Nevin looked at it again to make sure it was the real thing and then nodded, as if satisfied.

"Alright, then we need to go to the library. The monsters...they're gone for now..." he said slowly.

He didn't take the lead this time, allowing Cable to walk them from the building. He peered cautiously outside, and saw no sign of the monsters from earlier. His senses had been correct. As they began to travel, he once again generated the field that would keep monsters away, while providing a trail through the labyrinth of the city. He frowned, however, as he felt his arm. He had done his best to heal it, but it was still a mess. He wished they could find water, but he knew they didn't have the luxury to wait for that. It still hurt, though he tried to hide it. The poison was gone, yes, but it was as if the monster had struck him with despair itself. Even with Cable's confidence, he continued to wonder if this was the right choice. Was the church correct? Why was he feeling such doubt? He felt Alise's eyes on him and looked up at her. She smiled gently, putting a hand on his good shoulder.

"I know what you're feeling. You don't know how to deal with the power inside you. If you would just open up perhaps you could do more. I'm not saying the Church tried to trick you on purpose, but you have more potential than they realized. Remember that."

Nevin nodded and tried to smile, but before he could say anything, a wall of flame sprang up before them, seemingly out of nowhere. Nevin blinked in surprise. He hadn't even felt any source of danger.

"Cabe! Watch out!" he cried as tongues of flame began to spread from the wall, speeding towards them.

by DarkGoddess Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:59 pm

Cable was supposed to keep an eye out for the monsters, but as the children continued talking and no sign of monsters appeared, he couldn't help but lose track of time.

He couldn't keep his mind from returning to his last day of school. Math, English, Biology. History, French and Chemistry. Chemistry, always the last class of the day and always the biggest challenge. Not that the class was difficult. Chemistry had been his favorite class afterall. But his favorite teacher had been killed only a month and a half before. Not by monsters or scientific experiments, rather through a car crash. He had been hit by a drunk driver in the side, thrown through the window, and pronounced dead on the scene. As a result, Cable had recieved a new Chem teacher, one who knew nothing about the subject.

He had argued with him every day on everything until he had finally just stood and left the classroom. Of course, that caused him to be sent to the principal's office. He'd been in and out of that room for a long time at that point, beginning with Seely's abduction and through fights at school. It was at that point that he had been expelled.

Of course, how was Cable going to tell his parents that? They wouldn't understand. They had taken Seely's disappearance hard but they hadn't been as close to her as Cabe had been. It may have been a coping mechanism for them to deal but it had only served to create fissures in the family that was left. As a result, he hadn't told his parents. He wandered the city, staying at houses of friends until time came for him to go home without suspicion. Of course, that was what had happened when all hell had broken loose.

He kept walking as he mentally berated himself for that. The helplessness when he heard Nevin's cries, he felt like following that he had had nothing left to live for.

"Cabe, watch out!"

Cable looked up just in time to see flames leaping towards him. He took a step back in hesitation, then grabbed both kids by the hands, dragging them down another alley. His ankle was throbbing, more furiously now that he was back in the present. But there was no time to worry about it. The kids were struggling to keep up but they were still being dragged more than keeping up. His long legs were actually coming in handy for once.

Finally, he slowed to a halt, pulling the kids behind him and looking to face the directions the flames had come from. There was only silence, which made him even more uneasy. He moved to the small doorways in the buildings, trying doorknobs. The second one opened to a small bar, which he made use of. The three of them took off to the washroom, a small dank place but with running water and some towels. Cable soaked a towel in water, placing it in the crack beneathe the door, then turned to the others, wordless but with a questioning look in his eyes. He didn't know what to do.

by **Ruu** Sat Aug 20, 2011 3:10 pm

Nevin's shout did some good, for just as the flames began to curl around the three, Cable grabbed their hands and started running. The young child tried to keep up, but he was already winded and his shoulder continued to throb. Soon, he was almost being dragged along, and looking over he saw that Alise was much in the same predicament. At least Cable was very agile and could cover a great distance. Soon they found themselves in a small washroom. Cable placed a towel soaked in water under the door, though Nevin knew it wouldn't stop a wall of flame. The young man looked at the children wordlessly, a question in his eyes. Nevin wasn't sure he knew the answer.

"The fire's gone," Alise spoke up abruptly, "I don't feel the heat signature any longer."

"Yea...but...something else is coming," whispered Nevin, eyes closed.

Alise looked at him, as if genuinely surprised, when a rushing wind ripped into the room with enough force to shatter one of the windows. Nevin cried out, covering his ears in shock. Alise grabbed him, shaking him.

"I can't deal with this kind of attack," she yelled over the gale force winds, "But you can! Forget what the Church taught you! The power's inside of you! I believe in you!"

Nevin hesitated, searching for hidden meaning behind her words, but finding nothing. The wind began to howl incessantly, swirling around them. The young child's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. The power was inside of him? But the Church said...He had to forget about that. His friends were in danger. All that mattered was stopping the unknown assailant...He closed his eyes once again, ignoring the howling storm around him. He felt the particles swirling in the air as he never had before. He could touch them...hold them with his mind...and...stop them...At first it was a slow process, grabbing individual air molecules, slowing their rapid movement, but soon he had control over the entire storm. He willed the storm to dissipate, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Alise smiling at him. The winds were gone. He looked over at Cable, to make sure the older boy was alright. What...had he done?

by DarkGoddess Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:50 pm

Cable didn't know what to say.

One minute, a storm had blown into the room which was impossible, considering that there were no windows or anything in the room. Alise grabbed Nevin's arm, yelling something at the kid that Cable couldn't make out. The kid seemed to understand what Alise had said hoever. He closed his eyes, and after seconds the area was silent.

The kid reopened his eyes, finding Cabe's own. He was...scared? That wasn't what was in the kid's eyes. Perhaps it was shock? Or was it the realization that he had this power within him? Cabe hoped that if it were the last one, that thought wouldn't go to his head. But before he could say anything, Alise had had her arms around Nevin.

"You did a great job." She told him, beating Cable to the punch. Cable felt a bit put-out by her quick rush but he pushed it from his mind without a second thought. He felt close to the both of them, sort of. Jealousy didn't need to be factored into this equation.

"How are you feeling?" Cable asked, to keep himself into the conversation.

by **Ruu** Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:55 pm

Nevin blinked when Alise congratulated him. Why...was she so excited? Well, of course, he had dispelled the winds, but he felt it was something more. He felt as if she were praising him for denying the teachings of the Church for the first time. It felt strange, as if a part of him were being ripped out. Keeping these thoughts down, he managed a smile at Alise.

"T-thanks," he whispered as she finally let him go.

"See? All you needed was to believe in yourself. Forget about that hokey religion," laughed Alise.

Nevin looked stricken for a moment when Cable's voice cut into his thoughts, asking if he was alright. Turning away from Alise to hide his expression, he buried his face in Cable's shirt, holding onto the older boy tightly.

"I-I'm okay..." he whispered, his voice barely audible, "I just...I don't know...I feel...D-did I do something bad Cabe? Ah...I-I'm sorry...I-I should ask if you're okay? D-did you get hurt?"

Alise tilted her head as if she were listening, but she was smiling as if she couldn't hear the words.

by DarkGoddess Wed Aug 24, 2011 9:41 am

Cable hadn't had so many hugs since he was a kid, giving his mum a hug goodbye as he left for school everyday. Of course, he had stopped doing that a long time ago, around the age of 8. So it had be a long time since he had been hugged so much.

He kneeled next to the kid so he could whisper in Nevin's ear. "You did fine." He replied, knowing the kid was scared for something; the power he had, perhaps? But Cabe didn't know how to handle it. "And I'm fine, thanks to you." Nevin had said he was fine, but Cable didn't believe him. Shifting so he could whisper more quietly and still be heard by the kid, he added, "don't listen to Alise. Your faith is who you are. Don't give it up unless YOU feel like it. Maybe the church was wrong. Maybe," he hesitated before adding, "maybe you are the one with the power, not your god. But he installed it within you for a reason."

by **Ruu** Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:30 pm

Nevin looked up at Cable's words, eyes sparkling with unshed tears. He managed a smile, touched by Cable's concern. Cabe was right. Even if...perhaps..the church had lied, God was still good. Maybe everyone in the Church was doing bad things, but Nevin had been protected. Perhaps there was still hope in his faith. But maybe Alise was partially right too. Perhaps the power had come from inside him, been bestowed on him. That just meant he still had to be extra careful. And even if it was inside of him, his prayers wouldn't hurt anything.

"T-thanks Cabe. You're a really good friend," he whispered, "You're like the brother I never had."

Alise hadn't seemed to hear the whispered words, but she did flinch visibly when Nevin mentioned that Cable was like a brother to him.

"We better keep moving. Nevin using his powers like that will probably be like monsters. We have to go," she said in a short, clipped voice.

Nevin finally let go of Cable and nodded, allowing his powers to light the way once again, "I'm ready."

by DarkGoddess Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:56 pm

Cable was still more than a little unnerved from the show of power, but he said nothing, and shoved those emotions to the side. He needed to be strong for the kid. "Lets go then." He said, flashing a small smile at the kid. A small smile was commonplace, but the large ones were more rare.

They didn't see any monsters as they travelled, strangely enough. But after a short amount of time, it began to rain. Rain was fine, Cabe welcomed it. Afterall, since the eclipse there'd been no rain at all. So he was happy to feel his head soaked, and the water dripping off his chin. But soon the downpour thickened into nearly full sheets of water. It was even difficult for him to breathe, let alone see. Finally, he had to duck under an eaves, to get his bearings straight. Try as he might though, he couldn't find Alise or Nevin. "Nevin?" He called experiementally. "Nevin? Nevin!"

by **Ruu** Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:57 pm

Nevin followed after Cable quietly, comforted by his smile. As he walked, his mind began to wander. More and more he was beginning to doubt the words of the Church. It was as if some presence were working itself into his mind and planting seeds of deception. He would look back every so often to see Alise smiling at him, and for some reason the smile completely unnerved him. Though she was only a young girl, there was something definitely older and more devious about her. But she had saved his life; he couldn't mistrust her if only for that. Besides, he didn't know her very well anyway. It wasn't fair to judge her before learning more about her.

One drop...two...rain began to fall, a blessed rain that had not been seen since the terrible eclipse. But soon the drops began to fly towards the earth, faster and faster. In a matter of moments, Nevin found himself soaked to the bone, his thin garments completely waterlogged. His hair was matted and fell in front of his face, further obscuring his vision. His heart raced with fear when he realized Cable and Alise were nowhere to be seen.

"Cabe! Alise!" he called out in a thin, wavering voice, "Where you?"

Without warning, a bolt of lightning pierced the clouds to strike right next to him.

"The next one won't miss..." whispered a strange voice.

Nevin had a split second to hold up his hands as a lightning bolt sped towards him. With some effort, he diffused the energy, allowing it to spark harmlessly around his body.

"Very good...Care to try again?"

"W-who are you?" whimpered Nevin, trying to find shelter from the onslaught. The voice didn't reply as another bolt of lightning struck and Nevin was forced to diffuse it. For now, Nevin had enough power and concentration, but the water was making it very hard for him to think.

"Fool...why don't you fight back?"

"I...I won't..." whispered Nevin, "I can't..."

"Foolish holy platitudes...they mean nothing! Don't you see? You are a product of science! You have untold and unimaginable power! Let yourself go! Show me!"

"Never...never..." whispered Nevin, his strength beginning to ebb.

"Then you will die..."

by DarkGoddess Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:12 pm

There was no sign of the kid anywhere and the only thing Cable could think of doing was to brave the water--he hesitated to call it rain, it was so thick--and to find him.

He took a couple of breaths to steady himself, then plunged out. The rain hit him like a wall, and he had to physically hold his hand over his nose and mouth in order to breathe. "Nevin!" He yelled again, throwing all his strength in his voice. Suddenly, he found himself colliding with someone. "Alise!" He cried in surprise, seeing the young girl. She looked exhausted, and not quite herself. But he couldn't pay attention to that just yet. "Have you seen Nevin? I can't find him."

"He was around a minute ago but he wandered off." She replied, holding her hand over her eyes to look at him more clearly. Pointing, she added, "That way."

Cable went the direction she pointed, but the rain only thickened if possible. He couldn't find the kid, and ended up continuing to fight his way through. Finally, he saw a shadow through the water. It turned out to be Nevin, slumped against a wall. But Cable was so exhausted, he could only crawl up next to him and sit beside him. He couldn't do any more.

by **Ruu** Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:12 pm

Nevin didn't move for a few moments as Cable slumped beside him. In fact, he didn't even hear the older boy over the pouring rain. He was a sorry sight, hair matted and pressed against his skull, his clothes saturated with water. His skin was pale, and his lips had turned blue from the frigid riandrops. When he finally noticed the presence beside him, he laid his head on Cable's shoulder, tears in his eyes, though they were washed away by the constant rain.

"I couldn't stop it...C-Cabe...I-I just couldn't..." he whispered, "T-they said they'd drown the whole city if I didn't stop it...If I didn't fight...B-but how am I supposed to fight something I can't see...I-I can't...I can't...besides...fighting's wrong...isn't it? But...I don't know anymore...I just don't know...I...I'm scared..."

Lightning could be seen, thunder heard, but it no longer was striking at Nevin. Only moments earlier, a barrage of lightning bolts had crackled around Nevin's meager defenses. Nevin had backed against the wall and just when his strength was about to give out, the attack had stopped. The young child was thankful for the brief respite but...

"C-Cabe...I...I put you in danger...y-you and Alise..." he whispered, "I-It's all my fault....T-they're attacking me with lightning now...I don't want...don't want you to get hurt..."

His voice started to drift off as he began to ramble, "I was so sure...the visions were so real...I saw them all...but we didn't even get to the books...we didn't get to the green light...we didn't get to the pretty Temple...I don't know if we'll ever get there....with this water...I wish...I wish it would stop..."

by DarkGoddess Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:01 pm

Cable couldn't do much in reply to Nevin's statements. He was so exhausted, barely able to think straight. He managed to make a single sentence in reply to the kid, though his words were slurred and barely comprehensible. "Ishgooonastopsooooonnn..." He said before falling off the dangerous cliff of consciousness.

He reawoke with a jolt, returning to wakefulness all at once. Where was he?

They were in a small room, he and Nevin. In that room was a cart filled with cleaning supplies, as well as two entrances, a sink, a toilet and the pair of beds they were sitting on. There were also a pair of garbage cans sitting on the ground next to them. Cabe forced himself into a sitting position after a struggle, and wiped the grains of sleep from his eyes. He was still tired, but knew he wouldn't get much sleep now that he was awake.

Cable forced himself to stand, then moved to one of the exits. It led into an old-world looking hallway, a rug draped over old wooden floorboards, and paintings as well as figures lining the walls. Cable had been up and down this hallway many times as a child, and he knew it quite well. They were in the Oranu Library.

"How...?" He started to ask before trailing off, finishing his question in silence. How had they gotten there? Last he remembered, they were drowning in the rain. Slowly, he sank to the ground, trying to remember getting up from that spot, so exhausted he could barely breathe, to walk all the way here facing unimaginable obstacles. He just couldn't remember.

And where was Alise?

by **Ruu** Sat Sep 10, 2011 12:25 am

Nevin blinked as crystal blue eyes turned to take in his surroundings. If this was heaven, the Church really must have been off its mark...Nevin took a deep breath and sat up, only to find himself coughing violently. His lungs must have been waterlogged from the ordeal...If he was still hurting, this was no heaven. He must be still alive. But how? And...where were Cable and Alise? Nevin looked around the rather plain environment; a sink, toilet, the beds...There were two beds and the second bed looked rumpled, as if someone had been sleeping in it. Nevin's heart surged with hope as he got up on somewhat unsteady feet. Walking forward, he found himself in the hall of the beloved Oranu library, a place of wisdom and knowledge, often frequented by members of the church before the eclipse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Cable, though concern appeared in his eyes when he saw that Cable wasn't standing. Nevin ran over to the older boy and knelt beside him.

"A-are you alright, Cabe? I-I'm just glad to see you alive. I thought...the rain...it would never stop..." he whispered.

It dawned on him that they really were in the library, their destination all along. Had Cable somehow had the strength to drag them both to the library before collapsing?

"Did...you bring us here, Cabe?" he asked softly.

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