The storm came with force, the clouds seeming to form perfectly around the city, yet the storm seemed strange. There was not a single drop of rain, and the lightning that arced its way through the air was a green colour, striking the bone constructs with enough force to put them down, causing the black bindings to come off, revealing them to be an insect like creature, akin to a centipede, and crawling towards the hole in the ground. All the others seemed to be driven into a frenzy, leaping, charging, or scuttling. All of them seemed to ignore Merrique, as if incapable or unwilling to see her. The one similair to a scorpion attempted to strike at both Jade and Acai, the former with a slow tail strike and the latter with a clumsy movement of a claw. A cockroach managed to latch its way onto Kent, starting to drag him away. If not for the massive amount of numbers, it was likely the living would be faring worse, for they clashed into each other much more than they struck their actual targets.
Acai There were tears in Acai's eyes after Vetiver shouted at him. Merrique had always been nice to him, even after he got her all dirty, but Vetiver was rude to everyone...and now he had turned his sharp tongue on Acai. The peasant boy stood closer to Marcus, sniffling and avoiding eye contact to everyone. One moment Acai felt like he was a apart of the group and that he was participating, but now he just felt completely worthless. Having one of your biggest idols yell at you can have that effect. When the Boner Monsters came, Acai was frozen with shock and fear. It was like a living nightmare. He frantically backed up against a headstone and panted heavily, his eyes flitting from monster to monster, having a mini panic attack. But as he watched Merrique, Jade, and Vetiver spring into action, Acai was inspired by their bravery. If he could help them now, when they needed it most, then he could show Vetiver that he wasn't just some useless little kid. "C'mon, Trouble Buster, we can do this," Acai whispered to his magic ring. He was stroking the large garnet stone, trying to figure out what he should do, when Vetiver's storm arrived. The sky was blacked out and green lightning shot down, striking the Boner Monsters and revealing their creepy insect forms. Acai screamed when one of them charged up to him, lashing out with a claw. "GAAAH!!!" Acai yelled, raising his ring. It sparked to life and a glowing red beam shot out, aiming for the insect's center.
As the mask came off Mix's eyes barely widened before instinctively snapping shut in defense, but it did not matter. Mix's power faded and dissipated as his eyes were burned, the sudden pain shot through Mixine's entire body and Mixine felt it as well. Together both of them were seared and endured the agony as what seemed like two voices cried out from the depths of a single throat. Falling to the ground and staring up at Rundas, a soft whisper emanated from Mixine, "Forgive...brother... please..." Mixine... Brother... Together as one: I am sorry... If only... If only.... Completely helpless, Mixine's form fell over sideways, all of her belongings spilling out under the thick cloak. Whimpering and writhing in pain, Mixine pulled herself into a fetal position and slipped into unconsciousness with one final whisper, "Ba...ba..."
Merrique Merrique braced herself when the Boner Monsters rushed forward as one, notching a new arrow in a flash and firing at the nearest one. She flinched when Vetiver's storm arrived and lightning blasted the bones off of them, leaving a horde of murderous insects behind. She flinched again when they all scuttled by her, expecting to get devoured. Instead, they left her alone, completely alone. "What the...?" Merrique stood up from her kneeling position as the insects attacked everyone but avoided her. She gazed around in disbelief and that nagging desperate feeling in her chest, like a painful black-hole, seemed to ache around the edges. She unconsciously reached up and touched the brand on her shoulder. Is this the reason? Do they think I'm irrelevant because I've already been "cleansed"? Her bottom lip wobbled. Then with a mighty effort, he pulled herself back from the brink of despair. The flames of anger roared in her belly. She sheathed her bow and took out her secret knives, the long curved blades glinting. With a fierce battle-cry, she sprinted at the insect that was attacking Vetiver and leaped on its back to stab both her knives deep into its disgusting flesh. "I AM NOT IRRELEVANT!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"We're going to stay and fight them off until we can get that goddamn ring out of that goddamn coffin!" Vetiver shouted as he pointed the Black Wand at the nearest Boner Monster. The point of the wand glowed bright purple and a powerful beam of energy fired with a loud thundercrack, headed straight for the center of the Boner Monster's torso. "We didn't come all this way just to tuck in our tails and run like cowards!" Fool, fool, fool, thought Jade in despration. Then the sky darkened, green lightening filled the sky. Oh, how she hated this city. The lightening struck through the creatures revealing them to be giant insectoids. Again, Jade swallowed her gag. And then the creatures were onto them. The scirpion struck at her and Acai. She rolled aside, as the boy struck the creature with magic. Leaving one of her shadows in front of the child, she ran through the creatures chaotically piling all one on top of the other, aiming for a cockroach who appeared to be dragging Kent back. "I AM NOT IRRELEVANT!!!" The shout was heard. Jade couldn't help herself. She laughed as she ran, tears streaming from her eyes, her side burning. Those self righteous heroes. Fools. She had seen it all. Nowshe could die in peace. She sliced at one creature, rolled under another. She almost reached Kent.
Though Acais strike clearly wounded it, blue liquid seeping out and a small amulet falling off of it,, the one that had had its shell removed crawled into the hole, t the sound of bones clacking against each other becoming apparent followed by something akin to vomiting and squelching. A new creature appeared from around the corner and waited. Like the others, it was an insect, yet it lacked any litheness that the others might have possessed. It was a large creature, chitin bulging and covered in a gelatinous slime that dripped off of it and onto the floor. A series of birch coffins, the same as those that had been seen before rested on its back, as if waiting for them to be filled. As it arrived the others seemed to lose their frenzy, and, much more disturbingly, grew a sense of coordination, moving in unison and no longer interrupting each other. The cockroach managed to drag Kent away quickly, reappearing moments later next to the coffin carrier and stuffing him inside, closing the latch. The others continued their assault, the cracking the outer shell and leaving them uncovered, all of them heading to the now open grave. Fortunately, no more seemed to be present. They would just have to deal with them and the group could continue.
Merrique Merrique was at an advantage. The bug things didn't see her, or were ignoring her, so she continued to jump from one to the other, slicing with her knives and screaming ferociously. The arrival of the larger insect made all the smaller ones more organized. Merrique watched as they stopped tripping over each other and moved in, like trained soldiers rather than mindless insects. Tucking her knives close to her sides, Merrique jumped onto a gravestone and flipped to the next one, and the next, and the next, heading for the coffin that all the insects were seeking. When she landed next to Vetiver, she spun around and threw both her knives at the heads of two different insects. Then she quickly unsheathed her long dagger and crouched into a battle position. She was slick with insect slime, panting heavily from running and flipping, and her muscles burned from all the exercise. But suddenly she caught her second wind, and a rush of adrenaline flooded her system. Her yellow eyes flew wide open and a wide smile split her face. "Lets get these turds," she growled to Vetiver.
"Kent!" Marcus shouted, seeing the creature drag him away. First, the massive amount of creatures had come, which he hadn't expected, and now they had completely overwhelmed Kent and Dart. He saw them put Kent into the coffin on the creature's back. You know... I can help you. For once, Marcus didn't shiver with disgust. Maybe Henry's power could help him... But at the same time... Marcus knew he wouldn't be able to control him when he let him out. How about this. Leave. Kent wouldn't want you to die for him. Isn't that what he said? "Marcus! What do you want me to do!?" Dart's voice was full of fear and uncertainty. Or... You could fight. I can help you. Leaving Kent was something Marcus didn't want to consider. But it was an option. Just to escape. Right now. But they could fight just as well. And there weren't any more as far as Marcus could see. But he doubted arrows would do much to these creatures. But he had to try. Marcus. Arrows won't do anything. You can kill humans just fine, but you're useless against the supernatural. You think I'm some kind of monster, but I want to live just as much as you. Marcus saw the reasoning. He wouldn't be useful with just arrows. If he was going to have any chance of saving Kent, he was going to have to use him. "Dart... We're going to get them. We're going to attack. I'm letting him out." Dart looked at Marcus for a second. "Are you sure you'll come be able to come back?" "Yes." Marcus sighed, opening up the channel into his mind. He felt the swirling cold of Henry's soul climbing up. Then he felt himself pushed back. He was just like Henry now. Watching. ------ "Nice to meet you, Dart. Although, I already know you... It's just you who doesn't know me." Dart was silent for a moment. "Just tell me what to do." "Stab the big coffin guy over there in the neck. Maybe we can get Kent back. I'll freeze his arms so he doesn't kill you." Dart nodded. He ran at the creature, with Henry right behind him. Henry waved his hand, and two Lances of ice about absolute zero formed out of the air, then were sent seeking towards the creature's arms.
Vetiver "Lets get these turds." Vetiver smiled briefly at Merrique, but could not spare to divert his attention from controlling the storm. Soon, he would run out of power and collapse, but in the meantime he still had a lot of steam. With one hand he shot energy bolts from the Black Wand and with the other he made sweeping motions as he orchestrated the elements. "I call upon the lightning," he chanted at a fast pace. "I call down the lightning. I beseech thee. Do my bidding. Strike down my enemies. Strike, strike, strike!" Each time he said "strike", he made a pulling motion with his free hand, as if he was yanking down lightning from the bubbling black clouds that covered the sky. He focused on the closest insects, but he also tried to send a lightning bolt at the leader of the insects.
The creature that had sheltered the grave reemerged, coated in a new layer of bones, grabbing Dart and leaping atop the roofs and dashing to the coffin bearer. It was struck to a bolt before it managed to reach it though, causing the shell to fall off, and its hostage to fall unconscious. Merrique's actions were slowing them down and severely reducing their numbers, et others continued to poor into the graves, seeking new shells. Worst still, one of the creatures came up, a ringed finger bone in place of where its brow would be. The strikes continued, each member of the party getting at least a bruise. The creatures that had been killed, or at least appeared to be dead, clearly weren't. Instead they simply lay there, incapacitated, lying on their backs with legs twitching in the air.
Acai Acai ran to Merrique, dodging through and under insects, and shooting beams of red energy over his shoulder at random. He was out of breath, sweating all over, and dirty from head to toe. But he was having the time of his life. Once Acai got over his fear, his adrenaline started pumping and he realized that he was living his dream. He was out in the world getting things done, taking on an evil horde of monsters, fighting alongside great heroes. And what was his family doing? Nothing. Sitting at home, chopping wood and hunting and mud wrestling like always. Acai noticed the ringed finger bone on one of the insects' head when he skidded to a stop by Merrique's side. The peasant boy aimed his ring and concentrated and a whip of red energy lashed out from the garnet stone and snaked around the finger bone, viciously snatching it off and pulling it back to him. Acai caught it by the skin of his nails and screamed: "Trouble Buster, GOOOooooOOOoooOOoo!!" He raised the magic ring and a huge crimson blast exploded from the blazing garnet. The blast widened into a wave of scorching power, demolishing gravestones like brittle dead leaves, and headed straight for the giant coffin bug. The blast was so powerful that Acai flew back into a gravestone and all the air was knocked out of his lungs, but Merrique and Vetiver were in front of him to block the oncoming insects. As he gasped for air like a fish out of water, he looked down at the ring and saw that it wasn't shining as brightly as before. Acai examined it more closely and saw that the once brilliant garnet was half-black and half-red. He had used up half the power in the ring in a very short time. "I have ta be more careful," Acai croaked hoarsely as he struggled to pull himself up.
Jade cursed to herself, as Kent was dragged away vy the imsects. She retreated back to the others, hacking and slicing as she went. She held back the oncoming horde, getting bitten in the ankle, scrtched at her shoulder. Then, she felt a change in the balttle. The creatures suddenly appeared to be attacking in order, unison, no longer piling one on top of the other like a chaotic wave. Jade tried to assess the new situation, as she was desperately slicing through insects, trying to dodge attacks and basically just stay alive. Had in not been for her decoys, she would have died a thousand times over. She created two more just in case. She realised they needed to break the orderly attack, send the insects running all over each other. She hoped her next trick would do it. On her sides Vetiver and Merrique were doing an excelent job killing the monsters, and Acai suddenly revealed himself an expert at blowing things up. Jade reached for the shadows. A ring of darkness formed around them, covering most the attacking creatures, leaving her and her group. She willed the darkness to grow thicker, darker than a moonless night. She just hoped the insects rely on their eyesight to manouver. Cold sweat covered her body, her legs began to shake. I got this, she thought back, gritting her teethh. "Listen," she screamed. "Just blast the darkness and kill anything that comes out of it. There are enough opponents so that you don't need to worry about aim." She cut at one insect leaving the shadows and almost fell. Jade forced herself together. She couldn't hold out for too long.
Henry conducted an orchestra of ice, skating on the ice he'd made. A flick of his wrist, a sweep of the arm. An insect frozen, an explosion of sharp, deadly, bullets of ice. Save Dart. Oh yeah. The boy. The one that was just so cute. Don't even think about it. He's not fun at all. He made sense sometimes. If the others saw him having his way with him they'd surely lynch him. Then the monsters were surrounded in darkness, and Henry skated along an icy path towards Jade. "Listen," She screamed. "Just blast the darkness and kill anything that comes out of it. There are enough opponents so that you don't need to worry about aim." She cut at one insect leaving the shadows. Clever girl. The question was, whether or not it would keep him better alive to show the others his magic powers... You know what? They wouldn't care. I care. We'll, you're not in control right now, are you? So shut up. Henry drew a magic circle in the air, and snapped his fingers, the circle moaning with a bright cold light. The circle snapped, screaming, and the air in Jade's darkness dropped down to death, and the hallow ground was buried by a blanket of ice. The very air froze, but it was a freeze no one could see. The face of Marcus, normally so reserved, yet glowing with kindness and warmth, was now distorted with a gleeful, excited, panting joy. "Frozen in place and in the dark. They're easy pickings now." He laughed, in a voice even he didn't recognize. For Marcus hadn't laughed in a long time. Marcus made friends. Henry killed things. Marcus the creator. Henry the destroyer. What can they say? Opposites attract.
One drop of consciousness fell into sea of thought, waves of ripples emanating in the darkness summoning forth a union of beings. Sheared heavens spilling forth, tendrils of light piercing the abyss, the breaking the boundaries between entities. A vision of a fog-streaked marsh and decaying timber house, two black-cloaked figures sitting opposite one another. Their faces concealed behind the white and black masks, silently playing a game of stones. Sundered borders.... The black mask took a white stone and held it up to the air. The white-masked figure pulled his hand away, six heavy iron chains jangled and clinked with every moment, It was inevitable. Life. The black-masked Mixine set the stone down on the field and a bolt of thunder sounded in the distance, It is sacred. This body will create life, not take it. The white-masked Mix took up his black stone and placed it next to Mixine's stone, No being can break the ring. What makes you think that we will? It does not matter. Mix laughed and raised his left hand up to touch and caress the edge of his white mask as Mixine took her turn, You will not make life, all your efforts are useless. Your desires, your fears, I know everything about you. A black and white stone traded, Mixine let out a sigh as the border solidified and part of the dream world faded away. The difference in mind, the distance between the two, it was all too much to bear. Raising her left hand, abstention, Mixine shook her head gently. Life begins and ends with death. Mix picked up a stone and placed it in the corner, taking a state of life away from the twin snakes, We are not dead. Do you like being a toy? No, but I will not fight it. Mixine abstained again. Here is death, but you should fight for the others. Mix pointed to top right of the border, By doing nothing, they will die. How much blood is on your hands from your selfishness? How many people died without your care? Your inaction, indifference, conserving yourself has only prevented your future... I am doing nothing wrong! Mixine took out a stone and slammed it down, taking back the false eye and taking Mix's white stone back. Two eyes. Two spaces. Two lives. Stand with me and free me. Let that kind of love- Mixine reached out her hand and slapped Mix across the face, the white mask shattering to reveal the grinning visage of evil underneath, THAT IS NOT LOVE! The grinning high-cheeks of a desperate wicked man contorted, his face inflated and became full before his lips pursed and let out a airy whistle. Like a screaming tea kettle, the wicked-faced Mix set the final stone down on the edge. Not taking any delays, Mixine moved and took her stone and slammed it down on the table. The board broke and the stones fell forward and into the void as the world was torn away, I do not need two eyes for life. Here or there. By arcanum or gnosis, it matters not. We are freed by the chains. I have seen the resplendence of Para'Ven. Summon them home and then we will heal and correct this world, or die trying. As Mix's body disintegrated as Mixine was bathed in iridescent light, he laughed, “So... you have grown... who is the one that touched your heart?” Mixine shook her head as Mix's form disintegrated and for a moment of clarity, only she remained. The dreamworld shifted back to reality and darkness overtook her, but she was ready to face the world once more. Returning to a world of suffering, Mixine sluggishly pulled herself upright and raised her head. Realizing she was now blood, she could feel the sliding of blood and other fluids down her burnt face. Still in a state of shock, Mixine felt her face and probed at her burnt, useless eyes. Trying to call forth the magic for her second sight, she nodded with the realization that it her magic really had been taken. Giggling to herself as she weeped, Mixine's hands searched the ground for her belongings. Scooping up her spilled medicines, vials, dried goods and reclaiming her flute, her heart raced as she searched for the mask. “Brother...Brother...” Mixine pleaded, “Where are you? Brother...” Mixine moved to the right and found the familiar shape of the mask before putting it on over her face, but Mix did not take her over as usual. Instead, Mixine only felt the bubbling up of depression and despair from within. I could not protect you anymore then you could protect her... “Brother....” Mixine curled up into a ball and buried her head in her knees her voice a mere whisper at first, but it rose into a desperate plea, “Don't leave me. Don't leave me! Don't leave me! Don't leave me! Don't leave me alone! I do not want to die. I do not want to die. I do not want to die. I do not want to die!” Sis... I will... save you! Mixine shook her head as a young familiar voice filled her head and she let out a terrible cry of agony as the memory of nineteen years ago filled her. Drowning in pain, Mixine continued to cry out from behind that mask even after the air in her lungs had been expelled. The long silent scream stole what little remained of her strengh and she fell forward onto the stone ground. A bundle of misery and broken dreams, Mixine pleaded for forgiveness with each shallow breath. “I am sorry.. I am sorry... I am sorry... sorry... I am unforgivable... the unforgiven... an untouchable.” Mixine whimpered and bowed her head to the gods, “Never again. Never again. So hear my prayer, until this body falls dead, never again will I make that mistake again!” Pulling herself together and adjusting to the vertigo accompanied by sudden blindness, Mixine sought out a place on the far wall to hide and wait for the others to find her. It was difficult to gather up her things now, but she had been already used to feeling and placing things back into their pouches without the aid of sight. She did want to tell them of her blindness or weakness, but there was nothing she could do. Rundas' words surfaced in her head and she scowled behind her mask, “They better not die! Those stupid children have no idea what they are messing with. Ergh, to think I need them now... Sorry, Mix – but if you won't listen to me, then I will have to use you again. And, did it really have to be my face? I will never be wedded now.” There was no presence in the mask now, Mix was beyond Mixine's reach. There was nothing she could do, nowhere she could safely go. Adjusting to the dark world before her, gathering her wits and pressing on... it was different, but altogether too familiar to how it felt when Baba died. She wished for Mix to sing, but then again, she wished for many things.
As the coffin was opened and Dart was placed inside, Marcus managed a quick glance of the contents. The inner surface was a yellow waxy substance that seemed to give it a slight shine, while the majority was filled with a green fluid, and the second he was placed inside a scream could be heard, creatures now climbing over it to protect if from the storm. Three were protecting the coffin carrier, leaving only five left, but of the group they were the largest. Three of them were humanoid in form, two the same as the original creature though one was slightly shorter, its bones already cracked from the fight. One of the others was merely a pile of bones, ligaments and the black substance that was vomited by the creatures, when one bone moved all of them moved, creating the image of some great writhing mass. The final one was uncovered, currently crawling towards a few scattered bones. The pile had crawled atop the coffin bearer, being too large to tear apart via lighting, while the humaniods charged, one of the creatures shoulder barging Vetiver while another lept at Acai, fist raised. The final gave a large sweeping below in front of it, attempting to stop Marcus.
Vetiver Vetiver did not see the insect charge through the darkness and freezing cold to barge into him with its shoulder. He flew backwards through the air and it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. The breath was knocked out of his chest and tears blurred his vision, but he could still make out the shape of the insect that had attacked him. Thisss one isss mine!!! Xibalba rushed out of the shadows and wrapped its long, powerful body around the insect with the speed of a demon. It squeezed ever tighter, its iron-hard muscles bulging with the effort. Vetiver smiled briefly, proud of his snake pet, and then crashed to the ground. Everything went back to normal speed and he stared up at the sky, gasping and holding his ribs as his lungs burned for air. He had lost his connection to the storm and he had dropped the Black Wand, but as soon as he got enough air, he started chanting in a wheezy voice: "Hellish fire, fulfill my desire, now it's your turn, my enemies you will burn..." As he chanted, the spell gained momentum and he drew on the collective power of his rings. His purple aura flared out one last time and his dark eyes were wreathed in purple flames. "Burn!" he shouted raspily. Every open grave in the graveyard suddenly erupted in a towering pillar of fire. Any insect that was crawling over one would be scorched, and so would any bones that were inside that the insects might try to use to cover themselves. But Vetiver had spent the last of his energy and then some. His eyes rolled back into his head and his eyelids fluttered. "Merrique," he whispered, and then he passed out.
Marcus... Or rather Henry... saw the humanoid figure sweep it's hand towards them, like a gloved hand moving blood off a table. Trying to stop him from getting to the coffin and the source of that delicious scream. Henry felt a prick at some deep part of him that he couldn't understand. Something he'd worry about later. He drew a line of screaming sinners out of the air, frozen a be grim, and threw the wicked javelin at the creature who'd tried to stop him, aiming for its neck.
Jade felt her strength leave her. She saw the creatures moving away to protect the coffin and into the graves, and so she released her magic, the shadows disappearing almost immediately. She let out a quick breath. Any longer and she would have passed out. She looked at the destruction around her. There were insects lying incapacitated on their backs,shards of ice everywhere. Five creatures charged at them. She saw one barging past Vetiver, only to be attacked by his snake, Marcus firing an icy javelin at another, how he was able to do magic she did not know, and all hell broke loose as flames burst out of the graves around her. A creature was about to strike Acai. Jade lifted her sword in a wide slice, hoping to cut the arm off, or at least shift the blow.
The last of the creatures fell, leaving only the large black centipede which quickly began to scuttle away, each step from each leg made a clicking noise against the aged stone that seemed to pierce the air and combine to make a sound akin to rain. It's pace was middling, close to a jog which was impressive considering its length. It crawled up one of the monoliths, the coffins on its back dropping off and shattering. The inside of the planks were covered in a yellow waxy substance, and a green fluid with a red tinge spilled out, hissing as it hit the ground, burning away the mud between the stone and scorching the inside of the creatures. The two bodies were in there as well. The skin was lacking, having dissolved away to reveal the musculature beneath and, in some case, the bones and internal organs. No noise came from either of them, nor did any blood seep from them, the acid having seeped into their veins and been pumped throughout their bodies, all the while corroding them. A figure came around the corner and all magic seemed to seep away. Rundas had returned, and slung over his shoulder was Minx. He moved easily, despite the extra weight. He walked around the acid, picking up the ring that had fallen from the first creature, leaving the ring that had come from the grave on the floor, either not noticing it or not caring. He dropped his captive on the floor, placing her so she was sat up against a wall. He turned to look at the group before his gave settled on Vetiver. "Tomorrow, it shall be your turn." With that he left, walking away as quickly as he came, and all the magic seemed to seep back into the air. Most strangely, whether the clouds maintained their stormy appearance, or had held it since the moment they woke in the city, it stayed the same. For now though, the group was safe.
Mixine curled up and pulled her legs close to her chest, buried her head behind them as soon as Rundas had set her down. A soft whisper, "Please forgive brother..." slipped out from behind that mask as Mixine whimpered and wrapped her arms over her head in despair. She could not hear Mix's voice in her head, she could not sense his presence and she did not understand why. No matter how many times her thoughts railed against the invisible barrier, no matter how much pleading, Mix remained unresponsive. It was not fair! He could come and go, respond and act as he pleased, even usurp control of her body at will, but none of these things could she do in return. "Mix..." she whimpered, "I cannot do this alone..." The silence added insult to the injury, but it was more devastating to her than the branding itself. A surge of rage rose up in her chest and hands, the desperate anger of denied child. It clashed with her senses of morality and righteousness, growing more and more under the extreme stress. A sun and moon flashed in her mind and Mixine's anger was purged instantly and she let out a soft gasp before relaxing. "Water" Mixine mumbled, "Water..."
Jade hurried to Marcus' bag, and fumbled through them, until she found what she was looking for, a waterskin. Then she rushed over to Mixine, and slowly tipped the water into her mouth. "Here, child," she said. Where that side of her had come from, she did not know. All she knew was that Mixine was hurt, a sister in an otherwise foreign world. That man, the man with the simbol of the eye was going to pay, with his life. He may be able to negate her magic, spot her while she was sneaking, but he did not see the last of her, Jade qill make sure of it. She will see him helpless, just like he has made her.
Mixine would have been surprised about Jade's actions except she was still in shock. She pulled off the mask for a moment to let Jade see the seared flesh and blackened blood on the center of her face, "Jade? My eyes... my magic... he took them.... playing with us. We are trapped here... no exit. Brother was right..." Drinking the water, Mixine was thankful for the drink and she reached out to embrace Jade, "We will tell you everything. These demons... they act without restraint or remorse. Brother... had the chance... to k-k-kill..." She let out a soft cry and buried her head in shame, "I've lost everything and yet... it still hurts. Brother..." Replacing the mask over her face, Mix did not return to comfort or console Mixine and she wept, repeating whispering, "Don't leave me... don't leave me... don't leave me... don't leave me alone again.... I will be good... don't leave me... don't leave me..."
Henry felt a rambling, trembling, tremulous, despaired rage as soon as the figures of Kent and Dart were revealed, very clearly not there anymore. As much as Marcus thought he was the devil incarnate, he did things for reasons. It feels good. It feels right. It makes sense. This, however, did not. Dart was a noble, loyal, youthful friend who looked past the past and listened. The only person Marcus had ever confided anything with. For that Henry was intensely jealous, but in the end, he knew that he was a good person. Kent was a not-quite-so-noble father figure, always looking out to the future, and always putting others' needs above his own. Sacrificed his humanity for the sake of being able to live on his own terms. To protect his 'family, when all it really was was a gang. Both good people. Yet now they were a disgusting image to look at, dripping with poison and hellish color. They had been forced into death with the delicacy of a raging bull. A undeserved, impertinent irony that only Satan could have realized. If Henry were God, he would have Dart die nobly in a duel. Have Kent die via a malfunction in his armor. Deaths that would make sense logically. He would carefully consider every person on the planet and make them die in a laughably ironic way, or by a very fitting way. Heh. Henry was such a hypocrite. Jennifer... Ashley... Maxwell... Alexander... that random girl on the street... Hey. It felt good at the time. Marcus couldn't disagree. He was the one getting all the fun out of it. Well, Henry kind of made him... but whatever. He enjoyed it. No harm no foul. Marcus wanted to come back up. He wanted revenge. Henry pushed him down. It would kill him to confront that creature alone without magic. The massive creature had slung Mixine over its shoulder like she was a bag of barley, and dropped her on the floor in front of them, turning then to Vetiver. "Tomorrow, it shall be your turn." The creature turned away, walking away as he came, and seemed to pull the magic out of the air and Henry felt a surge of warmth flood into him. There was no more danger... for the most part. Hey Marcus... you can come out now... Marcus... it's safe. Marcus... you know I'm on limited time here... Henry could feel his soul being slowly torn apart. Those couple of high-intensity magic spells had drawn away most of his soul. The emotional, useless fucker. The one he was in love with. So depressed, so lifeless, he can't even live. Now he's leeching off of the only person who ever understood him. Who ever loved him. Henry's face hardened. Whatever. Marcus deserved to live. Even if it killed Henry... literally... he would keep him alive until he couldn't anymore. Because Satan knows Marcus was the only goddamned person on this goddamned planet worth goddamned anything. Other than Dart and Kent, who these other Pinocchios had failed to save. Damn these monsters. Damn this life. This world be damned. His face transformed into something ugly. He pointed at every one of his companions. One after the other. "Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!"
Merrique Merrique knelt by Vetiver's side. She touched his neck with two fingers to find his pulse. He was still alive. She sighed with relief. "He probably passed out from all the magic he was using to save our butts," Merrique murmured to herself. She brushed Vetiver dark hair out of his face and slowly caressed his noble jawline with a soft, curious finger. Then Merrique realized what she was doing and stopped herself. She glanced around discreetly to see if anyone had noticed, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. But everyone seemed to be too wrapped up in their own personal dramas to notice Merrique's odd behavior. Especially Mix (who was lying on the floor, babbling nonsensically) and Marcus (who was pointing his finger at everyone and screaming "Damn you!" over and over). Merrique did not take offense. He was distraught that his friends had died. She had to admit, it was a gruesome way to go. She had seen monsters eat her friends back at the Crystal City, or torn apart, or decapitated, and even burned alive by the super-heated breath of an over-sized salamander, but melted by corrosive acid inside a coffin? She had nothing to compare that to. It's just all so sad, Merrique thought. She quickly took off her cloak and balled it up into a pillow, gently lifted Vetiver's head, and placed it underneath. Then she stood up and walked over to Marcus; Mixine had Jade seeing to her, but Marcus was alone. She approached him slowly and cautiously. "Honey, darling, sweetie," she said as tears suddenly fell from her eyes. She knew how it felt to lose someone close to you and she felt his pain as if it was her own. "Come here. I'm here for you." She held out her arms and waited, a weak sob escaping her lips.
"Jade? My eyes... my magic... he took them.... playing with us. We are trapped here... no exit. Brother was right..." "We will tell you everything. These demons... they act without restraint or remorse. Brother... had the chance... to k-k-kill..." "I've lost everything and yet... it still hurts. Brother..." Jade steoked the girl's hair pitifully. To lose her sight and her magic all at once, the feeling of helplessness. Jade did not know whether she could handle it herself. She stroked the girl's hair, not realising what she was doing. Over her shoulder Marcus was shouting "Damn you," at everyone and everything. In any other occasion, Jade would have thrown a sarcastic comment at that foolish gesture, but she had some tact. She raised her guard, it would be unfortunate if Marcus, mad with grief, will start attacking them.
