Andreas "Excuse me, Mr. Mortimer sir," Andreas called from his lawn-level seat. "Just, before the moment passes, you don't have any magical... shoulder-fixing spell, or something? Or maybe some bandages for the road. And a map, actually, or a tourist guide... " a tourist guide? What was he saying? "... just in case anything's changed since Miss was here last. Looking pretty cool, Miss, by the way."
Samara "Oh... so he is not a bad guy..." Samara said to herself in a low voice. Her armor began to dissolve into a wisp of smoke. "That is... good. I... I think I'll take a seat now, if that's okay." She wasn't sure who she was talking to. Probably herself. She swayed unsteadily as if she might pass out at any moment. Rather than embarass herself by falling flat on her face, she decided to take a knee and wait for thr world to stop spinning. She had never pushed herself this hard. On one hand, she felt a rush knowing she was capable of all of this: taking gunfire from the Army, toppling a tree, fighting a vampire. On the other hand, she had finally found her limit... and didn't like it. Need to get stronger. Need to be able to do more, she thought. Everyone's lives depended on it. For their sake, she had to get stronger. As Mortimer and Miss Wintersmith embraced, Samara felt as if she had failed. He wasn't an enemy, but she felt as if she'd let him through -- she had failed as a defender. And, even if he had been an enemy, there wasn't a damn thing she could've done to stop him. "What happened to them?" Samara said, still down on one knee, giving the uncomfortable impression that she was bowing before him. "The defenders, the gate... why is it left unguarded?"
Mortimer gave Andreas injury an appraising look. "Nice one," he said before sniffing the air like a wild dog. "Your first real battle-wound, by the smell of it. My nose is keen, I can smell the subtle notes of blood. It comes from hunting vampires for thirty years: you see so much blood, you start to notice the different smells and qualities. But that was before I joined Nora's gang, the Lightbringers. She was only twenty-something, plump and sweet-smelling with long, snow-white hair, when she asked me to join. How could I say no?" He smiled at Ms Wintersmith and she laughed and swatted his shoulder. "Oh, you!" she giggled, flapping a hand in his direction. "But no, I don't have a magical cure for your injury," Mortimer continued. "Maybe the Moss Women can help you. They live in Greenwood." He gestured behind him to the woods he had just strode out of. "We can stop by their secret village on our way to the nearest Stepping Stone." "We're traveling together?" Ms Wintersmith asked eagerly. Then she looked around and cleared her throat, her cheeks turned tomato-red against her pale skin. "I mean, you know, your help would be much appreciated, eh hem..." "Of course I am," Mortimer answered with a handsome smile. "We're gonna get the rest of the Lightbringers. Fenn is probably drunk out of his mind in Fairywood and last I heard of Scathach she was living it up on Sky Island. "What happened to them? The defenders, the gate...why is it left unguarded?" Mortimer sighed. "Fair question, Lady Knight," he replied. "The simple answer is that we grew lax. We trusted that the Deep Magic would keep anyone from crossing the Wall without official papers, and so we dropped the guard. And now that the Darkness has returned, after a thousand years, dark creatures are gaining extra strength. This monster here--" He pointed at Vetala. "--was probably on the run from justice and tried to flee the OK. Her enhanced dark aura must have been enough to break the Deep Magic and allow her to get through." Vetala smiled and tapped her luscious ruby lips in deep thought. "So, you're saying this Darkness is making me stronger? Huh. And to think I've lived three hundred years and I just thought the Darkness was a scary bedtime story..." She trailed off and stared into the distance, her creepy smile still in place. They could almost hear her brain calculating schemes and plans. Ms Wintersmith scowled at Vetala. "You won't live to use this knowledge for whatever dark purposes you're thinking of," she snapped. Then she turned back to Mortimer. "We need to get supplies to perform the Purification Ritual. This vampire will just spread chaos and destruction if we bring her with us." "I can see to that," Mortimer volunteered. Then, with a lightning fast stroke of his hook, he shattered the ice-cast that attached Ms Wintersmith and Vetala. There was a dazzling flash of blue light and flecks of ice shattered everywhere. For a moment, everyone was stunned, but then Vetala turned with glowing green eyes to strike down Ms Wintersmith. Mortimer was faster though, and he lunged forward and wrapped his hook around Vetala's porcelain neck. The hook instantly glowed white-hot. "Move and you die," Mortimer said in a wolfish growl. Vetala squirmed, but she obeyed him. Where the hook had grazed her skin, there was a burnt-black line that hissed and gave of nasty smoke. "I will take her to Temple City and enlist the Goddess disciples to perform the Purification Ritual for us," Mortimer told them in a calm tone, as if everything were back to normal. "They have done it plenty of times for me before, in my vampire-hunting days. I must go west to get there, but you all can keep going straightaway. I will catch up with you when I can." "My brave hunk of man," Ms Wintersmith said with a dreamy smile. She stepped forward to kiss him on his bristly cheek. "Yuck!" Alex exclaimed, making a face. "Get a room."
Joe stayed where they were, slumped on the ground. Their whole body was exhausted to the point of collapse, not to mention the magic they'd been burning through all day. The others probably felt something similar. Thank f*ck Andreas was okay. For a moment, that wound was the only thing they could focus on. You shouldn't have left him and Nyx. You thought they'd be safe and you were wrong. Nothing you do can stop anyone from dying. But somehow, they had made it. Everyone was still alive. Now they had time to start processing. They didn't make a lot of noise when they cried. At home, that kind of emotional display would inevitably set off a screaming match. So when they cried, they did it quickly and silently. After a moment with their head bowed and their face hidden by their hood, they wiped at their face and straightened up again, relatively composed. Their face adjusted quickly - no red eyes, no obvious tension. It was another trait useful for survival with their father. Will was dead. There was nothing they could do to bring him back. And now they had his killer and were preparing to murder her. Joe wanted to hate her, but honestly he still was having trouble processing everything. Vetala was sentient. She had will, the desire to survive. Was it really okay for them to destroy her? The memory of swinging the wrench back in the basement came back and they were nearly sick again. They knew they didn't have it in them to make the effort a second time. They didn't even swat mosquitoes. On a more immediate note, were they still bleeding? Wasn't that probably bad? Their head and shoulder throbbed. They knew they should say something, ask for help. But with the immediate danger over, and no one else in trouble, they didn't have the guts. They'd just hang on until they had the chance to treat themselves. They got to their feet again, unsteady.
Drake "Yuck!" Alex exclaimed, making a face. "Get a room." "Yeah" he said. "Who though teachers had sex lives." The though was as amusing as it was gross. Unless you talked about Ms Bennet from the science lab. Then it made complete sense. Following the rest, Drake fonally managed to get over the "Holy Shit I'm in the OK" thought for his mind to actually start working. He still hadn't managed to process the day's events. They had been attacked by freakin army soldiers. And what's more, survived. And to think this was going to be a simple day of play your eyes off on the Sony. And maybe a date with Tristine. Will was dead. Drake didn't no why he could think about that fact with such an even mind. Sure it made him a little sick, but that was it. Sure he had never spoken a single word with Will in all their school years together, but at least some kind of reaction would have beem nice. Just to make sure he wasn't this sociopathic monster. Like the kind who never once stopped to think what was going on with his accuaintances at the wall? He went over to Andreas, and said awkwardly, "Say.. What did happen to you guys while I was back at the cave? That looks nasty."
Andreas "But no, I don't have a magical cure for your injury," Mortimer continued. "Maybe the Moss Women can help you. They live in Greenwood." He gestured behind him to the woods he had just strode out of. "We can stop by their secret village on our way to the nearest Stepping Stone." "Oh. Ok thanks," he said. Moss Women, in the Greenwood, in a secret village, on our way to the nearest Stepping Stone. Got that? In a secret village in the Greenwood on the way to the nearest Stepping Stone there are Moss Women. He repeated it a couple more times, trying to cement the information for later use. It was a large, mixed group and he could imagine getting separated again. Of course it made no sense. They were just nouns. He'd have to pick it up as he went along. He saw Samara, exhausted, on one knee. He saw her concealed fear - their safety, out of her hands? They really were in new territory. He had never seen her weak and exhausted before and he bet nobody else had either. She must be feeling so confused. And the look on Derek's face - nevermind about that. "My brave hunk of man," Ms Wintersmith said with a dreamy smile. She stepped forward to kiss him on his bristly cheek. Andreas smiled. It was nice to see some humanity from their teacher. Well, she was kind and sweet and all, but she was a teacher, y'know? Until now. And the look on Derek's face - how was everyone else doing? He caught a smell, a sort of dank, irony smell. The smell of having a nosebleed. Ah, that would be the smell of blood. There was a dim stain appearing on his bandage. How inconvenient. It didn't seem too severe, though. He could last a while. And the look on - stop it! Oh, and Will was dead. That was a shame. Joe had their back to him, hunched on the floor, their hood pulled up. A similar bloodstain to his own was marking their hood and cloak. Moss Women, in the Greenwood... "Say.. What did happen to you guys while I was back at the cave? That looks nasty." "Oh," he replied, glad of the distraction. "I got shot!" he gave a weird little smile. It needed more than that. "Me and Nyx ran into some trouble. I was facing off against a soldier, and it looked like we were gonna leave each other alone and go our separate ways but he lost it and started firing. I blacked out and woke up here." He looked across at Nyx thoughtfully. She'd obviously saved his life. There'd been nobody else around, and he hadn't bled to death. "Now that you bring it up," Andreas continued, "what's with the clothes? Did you guys undress me? That's a little fucking creepy."
Trisana Trisana grinned and applauded when Ms Wintersmith kissed her "hunk of man". Old people in love is sooo kay-ute! she thought. "Hey, sorry about throwing that rainbow at you, Mr Mortimer," Trisana chirped suddenly. "I didn't really mean it...well, I did mean it in the moment...you know what I mean, hehe..." She laughed awkwardly and trailed off. "I'll just see myself out." She shimmied away, all the while thinking, Oh geez, why am I dancing?! Why do I have to embarrass myself all the time?! She stopped a few feet away and turned to Drake when he started talking. Now Drake was talking to Andreas about his injury. Drake had yet to ask Trisana if she was okay. I mean, sure, she had just been prancing around the grass field, but that wasn't the point. Trisana wanted attention from the boy she liked, but she was beginning to think he didn't feel the same way. You need to fall back, Tris, she told herself, taking a deep breath. You're putting too much importance on a silly crush. Yeah, yeah, you might like Drake more than just a crush, but he obviously doesn't reciprocate your feelings. So just push down your emotions and focus on more pressing matters, like the fact that you're IN THE OLD KINGDOM. How rad is THAT!?!? I'm going to be the bigger person, Trisana concluded with a big smile. "Now that you bring it up," Andreas continued, "what's with the clothes? Did you guys undress me? That's a little fucking creepy." "It wasn't us, you silly goat," Trisana chimed in. "It was the Old Kingdom. When we crossed the border, our clothes magically changed. It was like a Cinderella makeover," she added, doing a little twirl for emphasis. She paused for a moment and then darted forward to lay her hands on Andreas's shoulders and make little sympathetic noises. "It must've hurt to get shot like that. You're sooo brave, Andreas." Okay, I'll be the bigger person after I flirt with Andreas in front of Drake, hehehe! Trisana did not look over at Drake or do anything obvious, she just focused on Andreas and batted her long eyelashes.
Nyx The next events were all a blur. Duplicating something, even something as small as bandages-- it took a lot out of her. She remembered Samara gently lifting Andreas from the ground, and she remembered following her through the Wall. She definitely remembered her clothes changing. What was a black t-shirt rippled into an also black form-fitting woven cloth shirt that looked... medieval. It even had some sort of leather band just above her biceps. Her (ripped) skinny jeans morphed into tight, also black (What does this place think I am? Some sort of sexy ninja lady? I'm sixteen.) leather pants. A soft belt settled on her hips, and heavy boots rose to her mid-calf. After that, some old dude name Mortimer came by, and apparently he knew Ms. Wintersmith. They talked for a while. Nyx sat down with an internal sigh. She'd been sleeping for a while, and she'd already been awake too long. Then a question caught her attention. Nyx turned her head slightly, staring at Drake. His lips were moving, must be him. "Say... What happened to you guys while I was back at the cave? That looks nasty." Nyx narrowed her eyes slightly, listening. She was honestly too tired to hold a simple conversation right now. While she was extroverted and rambunctious, she still needed time to process and recharge, especially with events this big, and especially since she didn't have time to think about much before. "Oh," Andreas replied. The corners of his lips turned upwards just slightly. "I got shot!" Nyx shifted her intense gaze to Andreas. He sounded way too excited about that particular... event. He probably wouldn't be too happy if he found out what Nyx did to get those bandages. Not like he's gonna find out. Nope. "Me and Nyx ran into some trouble," he continued, the strange grin fading a little bit. "I was facing off against a soldier, and it looked like we were gonna leave each other alone and go our separate ways but he lost it and started firing. I blacked out and woke up here." And then he did the strangest thing. He looked straight into her eyes, thoughtful, like he knew exactly what had gone down. Calm down. Of course he knows you bandaged him, he's obviously got... bandages on, and no one else was around. Idiot. Nyx opened her mouth to expand on the story, but Andreas had already started talking again. "Now that you bring it up," Andreas said, "what's with the clothes? Did you guys undress me? That's a little fucking creepy." Nyx choked, quickly disguising the sound as an explosive sneeze. She carefully schooled her face back into one of indifference. Luckily, Trisiana kept the conversation going. "It wasn't us, you silly goat," she piped up. "It was the Old Kingdom. When we crossed the border, our clothes magically changed. It was like a Cinderella makeover," she giggled, twirling around. Her white cloak fluttered on the soft breeze. Well, that must have been what Andreas meant. The clothes change. Nyx mentally facepalmed. Then her eyes gained a mischievous glint that Nyx knew too well. Nyx narrowed her eyes at the ditsy girl, hoping the glare would serve as a substantial warning to back off. Trisiana flounced over to Andreas, and sighed sympathetically. She put her hands on the 15-year-old's shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. "It must've hurt to get shot like that. You're so brave, Andreas." Nyx clenched her fists. It was flirting 101, what she had just used. Compliments, using the person (flirtee?)'s name when it wasn't necessary... Trisiana grinned wider and batted her eyelashes. Nyx stood up abruptly, and walked the few steps to where the little group was. Her recharge time was over. "Alright, that's enough," she said, aggravated. "No flirting with the guy who just got shot. Honestly, don't you think it's time to be a bit more serious, Tris? All you've done since we got here was shoot rainbows in the air, shoot rainbows at people, dance, and flirt." Nyx paused for a second, letting that sink in. "We had a real chance of dying today. Even I, the class dumbass, have realized that. We still have a real chance of dying. Andreas needs to get his shoulder treated, or who knows what kind of Old Kingdom infection will come in and then bam, no more arm for our good friend right here." Nyx sat down beside Andreas with a heavy sigh. "People are dead," she said, quiet. "I don't want that number to increase. Oh shit!" Nyx exclaimed, suddenly loud again. She can't believe it took her this long to notice the growing stain on Andreas's bandage. "Shit, you're bleeding again!"
Trisana Trisana's face settled into a flat, bitchy expression the moment Nyx started lecturing her. She looked Nyx up and down several times, made a few humphing sounds, and shook her head. The only thing she got right was that she's the class dumb-ass, Trisana thought moodily. When Nyx was finally done speaking, Trisana opened her mouth wide and let out a long, drawn-out yawn. "Alright, Nyx," Trisana said in a bored tone. "I get it. You don't want me flirting with Andreas. I heard ya loud and clear. But please don't try to tell me how to act. We can't all be killers." Trisana knew it was a low blow, but the words left her mouth before she could stop herself. Wait..why should I care if I hurt her feelings? a spiteful little voice said in Trisana's mind. Nyx is most likely a psychopath. She unnecessarily killed someone and she doesn't even look all that shook up about it. I don't have to be nice to killers. Now that Trisana had spoken her mind, she turned away from Nyx and flipped her long tresses over her shoulder. "Anywayyyy," Trisana said, turning to Andreas. "Nyx might be a shrew, but she is right that you need serious medical attention. I hope these Moss Women don't live too far away." She started twirling a lock of hair, a tell-tale sign that she was about to go off-topic. "Hmmm, I wonder if they're made of moss?" she asked nobody in particular. "That would be pretty cool..."
Andreas "It wasn't us, you silly goat," she piped up. "It was the Old Kingdom. When we crossed the border, our clothes magically changed. It was like a Cinderella makeover." Oh. Well, that made about as much sense as anything else that'd happened today. That even explained why his bandages were clean when he woke up - even his modern bandages must have been transformed. What's more, he even accepted being a silly goat. For now. "It must've hurt to get shot like that. You're so brave, Andreas." Now THAT was fucking creepy. Not because it was Trisana, no, she was a little bit hot. Very hot... but it was so out of character. Andreas had to admire her ability to ignore him when all he ever did in school was make snide comments at her. I mean, she was his exact opposite, and that was asking for it. But she certainly didn't like him, unless she had some sort of Stockholm syndrome. Geeze, had he been that bad to her? Stockholm syndrome? No, that was silly. She was up to something. It's amazing how the mind can calculate so much in such a short space of time. He leaned away from her a little. What did she want? "Uhh, " he began - "Alright, that's enough," she said, aggravated. "No flirting with the guy who just got shot... " Yes, it really is amazing. How in a single moment so much can fall into place. Was that the real reason for their long-term feud? Nyx continued: "Even I, the class dumbass, have realized that." And now self-deprecation. She usually hid any self-esteem issues behind a spiky wall of volatility. This whole thing must have hit her pretty hard. And watching him get shot, that must have been a shocker, no matter the shootee. Yes, that was it. She was just a bit shaken up, there was nothing there. She'd be back to normal soon, and the world would be simple again. Wouldn't it be really weird if Tris' wasn't up to anything? And if Nyx liked him? The universe would end. Now THERE was a tough one. Tris' or Nyx? No, it wasn't that tough. ARGH! What was he thinking? He was the caustic Spaniard, nobody liked him, end of story. Done. "Shit, you're bleeding again!" "It's ok, it's not heavy. I think we should be worried about - " "Alright, Nyx," Trisana said in a bored tone. - Joe, he was going to say, but Nyx's attention was locked on Tris. "We can't all be killers." "Woowwww," Andreas said in a take-it-down-a-notch kind of way. Trisana was soon trailing off. Andreas clutched Nyx' sleeve in case she was going to launch herself. Not that he could have stopped her. "Nyx," he said hastily, "she can't help it, she just feels awkward. Don't worry about it. She doesn't like me anyway." How the hell did he end up in this situation?
Ms Wintersmith and Mortimer were in their own little world, flirting and holding hands, and they weren't paying any attention to the students' heated conversation. Vetala looked supremely uncomfortable, her hands hovering over the glowing hook around her neck. She muttered dark curses and glared down at her captors with intense hatred. "When I get out of here...grumblegrumble," Vetala was saying. "Somebody killed somebody?" Alex asked Trisana. His eyes turned to Nyx. He didn't look upset, just curious. "That's pretty serious. Do you need to talk about it? It doesn't have to be with me, I'm the weird gravestone boy, but Ms Wintersmith could probably help you through it. Just a suggestion." With that, Alex shrugged and turned back toward Greenwood, where had previously been facing. He stood perfectly still and gazed ahead, lost in thought. "We're really, really here," he whispered to himself. "I really should get a move on," Mortimer was telling Ms Wintersmith. "Temple City is about three miles away, but there should be a Stepping Stone that I can use in between." "I could conjure you an ice carriage," Ms Wintersmith offered. She started waving her hands and blue spirals flowed from her fingers, but then they flickered and went out. "Wait, I can do this," she panted, already out of breath. "Please, Nora. Don't. Save your energy, you look beyond exhausted. In fact..." Mortimer opened a pouch on his leather belt and took out a handful of dark black-brown cubes. "Remember these?" Ms Wintersmith grinned. "Heck yeah, I do. We used to take them on long journeys when we were bone-tired." "Exactly." Mortimer turned to the students. "These caffeine chews. Each one is the equivalent of ten cups of coffee. They will give you a temporary boost of energy, just enough to get you to the Moss Women's village. A fair warning, though: once they wear out, you'll probably pass out from exhaustion. Just make sure you pass out in a nice, secure spot. I passed out in a cow patty once...it wasn't pretty." "Thank you, Mo. You were always so resourceful." Ms Wintersmith took the chews and walked around to each student, handing them out. "Chew on these until they dissolve, students," she instructed. "A fair warning: they're very bitter. I haven't had one in years, but I could never forget the taste. I usually chased it down with a glass of cream, but we'll just have to take them raw." When Ms Wintersmith gave a caffeine chew to Nyx, she stopped and looked her over, eyes narrowed. "Is something wrong, sweetie pie? You look different somehow, and I don't just mean your clothes."
"We can't all be killers." ...What. What? Who would say something like that? Anger rose inside Joe, hot and sudden. Trisana was crossing a line. They stood in silent rage for a moment, wrestling with their feelings. It was always a mess when they lost their temper, an explosion of all the feelings they kept tamped down inside themselves. Calm the hell down, went the remaining calm in the centre of their brain, we're not safe yet. We're not done yet. We all still got shit to do before you get to have your little breakdown. Joe forced themselves to breathe deeply. It was a little too loud, were people looking, thinking they were freaking out? Focus, jackass. "Is something wrong, sweetie pie?" Nyx deserved to speak for herself to their teacher. Joe doubted they'd be much help, though it shamed them not to even try. Instead, they turned to Trisana. Their re-suppressed anger burned inside their throat in a little knot, but they shoved it down. They had to be rational, and not a jerk. They wanted to be mad about the day's events, they wanted to fight with someone. But they needed to be better than that. They all did. "Today's been hard and bad for everybody." Their voice shook, but kept they kept quiet enough so they wouldn't be broadcasting to the group. They looked at Trisana, making eye contact for as many seconds as their bravery allowed. They'd never been able to read her. "We all had to do too much without enough time to make plans or know what would happen. If Nyx hadn't attacked, Andreas would be dead. That soldier would have killed him. Do you really think Nyx liked what happened? Can you look at her face and really think that? Something awful happened and she's the one who has to deal with it. She doesn't deserve people making it worse." The anger was still inside them, fuelling their words. And as Joe looked at Trisana, they realized why. "She's not the only one who hurt people today. You were there, too, throwing magic. You-" The words caught. "You almost crushed me, back in the school. I could've died, I almost did. Did you even think about me when you did that? Or did-" Their eyes teared up, and they hated themselves for it. "Did you just not care?" Their face was hot, and their rage had faded to shame and hurt. They lowered their face and shoved shaking, clenched fists into the pockets of their new tunic. "Forget it," they mumbled. "Just...I don't know. Bad stuff happened today. Nobody needs to be a jerk about it."
Trisana "Oh, thanks!" Trisana chirped when she got her caffeine chew. She immediately popped it into her mouth (she was starving) and then gagged at the nasty taste. But she could already feeling it working, giving her a buzz of energy. She was contemplating doing a cartwheel when Joe, of all people, started yelling at her. Trisana froze, her eyes wide in shock. Wow, I must've really effed up if Joe is lecturing me, she thought. "I'm sorry to upset you, Joe," Trisana apologized, speaking around the wad of gunk in her mouth. "And I'm sorry about what happened at the school. You're right, I acted without thinking. I was trying to save your life, but I almost ended it in the process." She bounced over to him and threw her arms around him. "I really am sorry," she continued, pulling away. "I'm just flighty and forgetful. I promise to be more careful in the future." "And I apologize for calling you a killer, Nyx," Trisana went on, a little begrudgingly. "I may not like you, and you may not like me, but I went too far. For that I am sorry." She bobbed a curtsy. "But I won't apologize for being myself. If you don't like my dancing, rainbows...heck, even my flirting, then I honestly don't know what to tell you. Just because we're in danger doesn't mean I'm gonna mope around. We're stuck together until we can figure out this mess, so you're just gonna have to get used to it. Now, if you'll excuse me, the caffeine is kicking in and I really have to do a cartwheel." That said, she proceeded to cartwheel away like a demented gymnast.
Drake "Alright, that's enough," she said, aggravated. "No flirting with the guy who just got shot... " Wait was that flirting? Drake didn't know why that annoyed him so much. Yeah, he liked Tristine, but it's not like he didn't know she'd just flirt with anyone anywhere as a reflex. That was why she wanted to go out with him right? It's not like anyone would seriously be attracted to the thin as wire, pale, lazy loser, especially not a girl as high above his league as her. "We can't all be killers." With a start, Drake suddenly realised that he zoned off. Wait, somebody killed someone?! What the fuck? He was about to ask what exactly happened while he was gone, but decided against it. It would probably bring up all sorts of emotions and other stuff he really sucked at. A heated argument where everyone told Tristine off began. He wanted to say something, stick to her side, be the hero, but then again, he was smart enough not to set everyone against him too. Not that he knew what they were talking about. Magical Captain Hook gave out these caffeine tablets. Caffeine. Sleep's worst enemy. He deliberately put it in his pocket. "But I won't apologize for being myself. If you don't like my dancing, rainbows...heck, even my flirting, then I honestly don't know what to tell you. Just because we're in danger doesn't mean I'm gonna mope around. We're stuck together until we can figure out this mess, so you're just gonna have to get used to it. Now, if you'll excuse me, the caffeine is kicking in and I really have to do a cartwheel." Drake couldn't help himself, even if Tristine basically admitted to flirting with someone other than him. He burst out laughing, something quite hard for him outside of Southpark. And the whole lightheartedness in the face of danger. How the hell did that make her even hotter?! "Yeah, totally agree," he said, surprised with the hint of enthusiasm in his voice. "Not with the cartwheel part, but, I mean..." Wait, but Will... No, he can't take that back now. "I mean... It's a way to deal with the pain, laugh it off. Like the ending of Life of Brian, you know?" Right. Compare the situation to a Monty Python movie. Way to go, Drake. Idiot.
"...We can't all be killers," Trisana spat, finishing her little tirade. Nyx sat there in complete shock. She didn't have anything to say back to that, because it was true. Who was she to tell people what to do, when she fucked up so phenomenally? Why should she try to save someone's life when she took another? She didn't deserve that immediate relief. Trisana kept talking, but Nyx didn't listen. Eventually, she grinned, twirled her hair around her finger, and flounced off. She didn't look like she felt an ounce of remorse for what she said. Is that what everyone else thought? That she killed someone without any thought, and she didn't deserve to be here? Suddenly, pure, unbridled rage flared up within her. Who was Trisana to tell her what to do? Only Andreas's hand on her sleeve kept her from lunging at the blonde. "You-!" "Nyx," he said hastily, "she can't help it, she just feels awkward. Don't worry about it. She doesn't like me anyway." Nyx heaved a sigh, slouching back dejectedly. "I know," she said. "I just-- I don't understand how she can be so happy--" "Somebody killed somebody?" That was Alex. Suddenly, he was standing beside her. "That's pretty serious. Do you need to talk about it? It doesn't have to be with me, I'm the weird gravestone boy, but Ms Wintersmith could probably help you through it. Just a suggestion." He turned away without listening for an answer, but his comment made sense. People went to therapy for years for smaller things than murder. Nyx settled back onto the ground and looked away, self consciously pulling her sleeve from Andreas's grasp and pulling her knees to her chest. She heard the faint murmur of conversation around her, something about caffeine. Miss Wintersmith came up, and held out a small, taffy-looking thing. Nyx took it, and popped it into her mouth. She chewed it slowly, ignoring the intense bitter taste. Miss Wintersmith was still there. Nyx looked up hesitantly, to see her suddenly-not-aged teacher giving her a look of concern. "Is something wrong, sweetie pie? You look different somehow, and I don't just mean your clothes," Miss Wintersmith finally said in a soft tone. Nyx clenched her jaw, reaching a decision. "It's... nothing. Don't worry about me. I'm not as important as getting Andreas help, or destroying Vetala, believe me. I'll be okay." I hope, she added on mentally. Joe was yelling at Trisana in the background. Wow. Joe's quiet, but they care. Why they'd care about this piece of shit right here, I have no clue. But still, they thought. Trisana looks remorseful. A bit, at least. "And I apologize for calling you a killer, Nyx," Trisana went on, a little begrudgingly. "I may not like you, and you may not like me, but I went too far. For that I am sorry." Nyx nodded. She wasn't quite sure she forgave the girl yet, but she'd stay out of Trisana's way if Trisana stayed out of hers. "Yeah, totally agree," Drake said, enthusiastically. What? Agree with what? Who was he talking to? Apparently Nyx had zoned out again. "Not with the cartwheel part, but, I mean... I mean... It's a way to deal with the pain, laugh it off. Like the ending of Life of Brian, you know?" I hate it when I do this to myself, Nyx thought bitterly. "When this is over," she said, addressing no one, "I'm taking a long, hot bath, and god help whoever tries to stop me."
Ms Wintersmith nodded at Nyx, but on the inside she was having a tough struggle. Her maternal side wanted to keep questioning Nyx and get to the bottom of this, but all her old Lightbringer instincts were telling her that they needed to find shelter before nightfall. Ms Wintersmith chewed her bottom lip as she deliberated, staring at Nyx with big concerned eyes. The decision was made for Ms Wintersmith when Mortimer patted her shoulder and said, "Well, pretty lady, I think we should get a move on. As you know, the Old Kingdom can be a dangerous place at night, especially now that the Darkness is back. I will see you as soon as I drop off the trash." He jerked his head in Vetala's direction. The vampire hissed in response, green eyes flashing. "I just have one question, my darling," Mortimer continued hesitantly. "You can ask me anything, Mo, you know that," Ms Wintersmith chided playfully. "Why did you leave without saying good-bye?" Mortimer asked in a rush. "I mean, I know we hadn't talked for a couple years, but you left for the teaching position in Taggerton without so much as sending me a letter. I just want to know...why?" Ms Wintersmith blinked. "I...I don't know. I don't remember. It's completely unlike me...I don't think I said good-bye to anybody, to be honest. Not even my family. But I'm deeply sorry, Mo. If I could do it all over again, I would let you know before I left." Mortimer smiled and nodded. "Well, the past is the past. We will have plenty of time to catch up later on, once we round up the rest of the gang. Good-bye for now, Nora." With that, he turned and marched away, Vetala trudging close behind on his hook. "Okay," Ms Wintersmith said as she turned to the class. "We have to get moving and it will be impossible to find the Moss Women's secret village at night. But first, it's time that I teach you all some new spells for whatever we might face in the future." Ms Wintersmith went around asking each student what spell they wanted to learn and taught it to them. "Good, now let's cover some ground," she announced, clapping her hands together. "And from now on, please call me by my real name, Nora. We're not in the classroom anymore. We're all equals here." "Do you think Mortimer can handle Vetala all by himself, Ms Winter...I mean, Nora?" Alex asked as they headed toward Greenwood. Nora was caught off-guard by Alex's question and opened and closed her mouth without saying anything. She stared after Mortimer and Vetala, who were already specks in the distance, getting smaller and smaller. "Everything should be okay, as long as Mortimer can get to Temple City uninterrupted," she finally answered. "It is not in the nature of evil to stay trapped for too long..." CHAPTER TWO: The Blood of the Earth They had been walking through Greenwood for what felt like hours and it was nearly impossible to tell which direction they had come in from. Wherever they looked, everything looked the same: all the trees were practically identical, and the light that filtered through the canopy was tinged green. The deeper they went, the more moss they came across, until the ground was covered in a soft green carpet and the tree branches were dripping with thick moss curtains. Finally, Nora told everyone to stop and she walked up to a large tree with a jagged scar across the trunk. "Stay together," Nora told her students. She held out her hand and a long ice-sword formed in her grip. Then she continued onward. Just as the sun was disappearing and night was falling, they came to a wide, empty clearing. Mounds of moss were scattered about the clearing, rolling around in a cool breeze that sprang up the moment the sun went down. "They should be here," Nora muttered. "This is the secret village. Something doesn't feel right..." Almost immediately, something grew up Nora's feet, and all the student's feet, and prevented them from moving. They looked down and could see that it was moss and that it was growing rapidly up their legs. "Have you returned to finish me off?" came a soft female voice from somewhere nearby. "I'll kill you all before you get the chance!" "Sulla?" Nora asked frantically. "Sulla! It's me, Ilianora, and these are my friends! Please don't kill us!" "Lady Wintersmith?" Suddenly, a pair of large golden eyes opened on the side of a tree in front of them. Then a patch of moss peeled away from the side of the tree and fleshed out into the shape of a woman. She was completely made of moss, down to her long, fluffy hair that was dotted with tiny purple flowers. "I did not recognize you, old friend," Sulla said in a warmer tone. "It has been a long time." With that, she waved her hand and the moss fell away from their legs and sank into the ground. "Where are your people?" Nora asked. "The other Moss Women...they're all missing." "My people were slaughtered by a pack of werewolves," Sulla explained, her voice shaking. "Normally they left us alone, because we are not made of flesh, but the Darkness maddened them. They tore through our village, howling with rage. We did not stand a chance. No one survived. I am the last of my kind." She finished with a sad sigh and hung her head, a sob escaping her mouth. Nora looked around at all the clumps of moss that were drifting about and she finally understood: it was the remains of the Moss Women that had been murdered.
Samara Today was a day of failures and broken promises. First, she had failed to protect Will. His body and the pool of blood in the school hallway remained vividly in Samara's mind. It's your fault. Then, she had failed to protect Andreas and Joe. And Nyx. Though they had survived, they were each wounded, some physically and some emotionally. Because you couldn't protect them. It's your fault. Samara had sworn she would bring Vetala to justice. Now she was forced to stand here and watch a man she barely knew take the vampire away. Because you're too weak to do a damn thing about it. It's. Your. Fault. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but even that would only add shame to the guilt swirling inside of her. She couldn't let them know. If she couldn't be strong, she at least had to appear strong, for their sake. And what happens when that lie is put to the test? When Miss Wintersmith approached her to teach a new spell, Samara tried to brush off the training. She went through the motions, at first, but was ultimately given a pass after saying she had already used too much magic and should conserve what she has left. She could feel Miss Wintersmith's gaze upon her and knew the teacher saw through her lie, but Samara was grateful when the woman moved on to someone else and left her be. The walk to the Moss Women's village felt like an eternity, but at least the beauty of the Old Kingdom helped take her mind off of other things. Samara's new clothing was comfortable, and surprisingly warm, despite showing a little more skin than she would've liked. Then again, she had always been somewhat of a prude in that department. After that hormone-laced nonsense at the wall, she just hoped the boys kept their attention on Nyx and Tristine and off of her, even if she was more 'developed' than the other two. Wait, why am I even thinking about that right now? Ugh. Samara didn't even conjure her armor when Nora drew her ice sword and said to stay together. She didn't want to appear weak. The armor was something to hide behind; it was as much a symbol of cowardice as a symbol of strength. She didn't even conjure it when the moss began to climb up her legs. She merely stood there, looking strong and proud, as if challenging the Moss Women. If they truly were allies, they would stand down. She just had to stand firm. Be brave. Despite looking outwardly calm, she remained acutely aware of Mortimer's cube in her pocket. She was saving it for the right time. Thankfully, now was not the time. The moss melted away and Nora's old friend showed herself. So, they're made of moss after all, Samara thought. Trisana had actually been right, for once. "How long ago was the attack? Where are these werewolves now?" Samara asked Sulla, all business... maybe too business-like. Her usual, compassionate self was entirely gone. This was war and they had to be laser-focused on the fight ahead, not the losses behind them.
"How long ago was the attack? Where are these werewolves now?" Sulla sniffled and looked up at Samara. "They attacked last night," she told her. "They pass through Greenwood three nights a month: the night before the full moon, the night of the full moon, and the night after. Tonight is the last night. That's why I attacked you, I was on the alert. I thought it was odd that the werewolves were in human form, but I thought it best to attack first before they changed and did to me what they did to my sisters." Sulla looked down at the clumps of moss and her large gold eyes sparkled with tears. "This is devastating," Nora said in a whisper. She sat on a moss-covered rock and looked dejected. "The Moss Women have always been a part of the Old Kingdom. They are the best healers and people come to them from far and wide to get treated. Everyone loves and reveres them. This is a nightmare." "But I am still here," Sulla said in a strong voice. She stood up straighter and furiously wiped away her tears. "For as long as I live, I will uphold my duty to heal any creature that is in need. Speaking of..." She turned to their group and held out her hands. "Let those that are injured step forward so that I may lay hands on them. I will heal you." "The werewolves could come back at any minute," Alex told Samara. "We need to secure the perimeter...at least, that's what people always say in action movies."
Samara "I... I don't think that's a good idea," Samara said, turning to Alex. It was hard to pull her eyes from Sulla. The extinction of an entire race in a single night... she still wasn't sure how to process that. Her compassion wasn't entierly gone after all. "If they are like normal wolves, they will hunt in packs. We should stick together. I think spreading out to establish a perimeter will only get us picked off, one by one." Samara paused to think for a moment. "Umm... Alex, if you do not mind me asking... how do Moss Women..." Samara gestured vaguly, as if trying to pull words out of her throat. "I mean... how do they reproduce? Is there a way to grow more of her, or... is this the end for them? I have heard no menntion of Moss Men, so..." she shrugged. She should probably be asking Sulla these questions, but the woman seemed a little too distraught to give a biology lesson and Alex seemed knowledgeable about magical beings. Well, vampires, anyway.
Sulla overheard Samara's question. "We were a tribe of women," Sulla explained. "Created by the Green God in the old times. He goes by the name 'Fenn' now. He is close friends with Lady Wintersmith." "And he's probably the first of the Lightbringers that we will collect," Nora said. "Fairywood is closer than Sky Island, where Scathach is. Fenn has always loved to revel with the fairies. They're one of his favorite creations." When Sulla's eyebrows creased, Nora rushed on to say, "Oh, the Moss Women were his most favorite, obviously." "Your bravery is inspiring," Alex complimented Sulla, tactfully changing the subject and paying her a genuine compliment at once. Sulla nodded to Alex with a smile. She looked noble and beautiful in the face of extinction, but there was profound sadness in her golden eyes.
Drake His feet felt like they were on fire. That was probably more walking than he had done in a year. Maybe he should start walking more. Doing some, Drake shivered at the thought, exercise. Beside, his clothes were hot and itchy, the huge collar didn't help. Drake felt outright miserable. Suddenly, he longed for a drink. A really good, cold drink. Couldn't there be a way to have a cooler follow him around? Adventure, sure, but why not adventure in style if you can. And beside, pulling drinks anywhere, probably a hit with the ladies. He remembered talking to Ms Winter- Nora, about his Time Stop once. According to her, it was a dimention outside of the normal time zone. Even his teleportation she reffered to as using the intermediary dimention that exists between space as a shortcut, even if it was a really complicated way to say that he disappeared somewhere and appeared somewhere else. Could it be that he had a talent for using the different dimentions? Interesting. Then maybe, he had an idea. All the way through Greenwood he spent bugging Nora with questions about parralell realities and the like. Especially pocket dimentions. He started forming the spell in his head, when they suddenly reached where the Moss Women's bodies were on full display. Drake gagged slightly, and stepped back. Then he heard the word "werewolves". God, fearing for his life is not a fun experience, he realised.
Andreas Andreas took the cube with a smile, but didn't like the sound of it. Ten cups of coffee? He was sure that could be handy, but given the way the group had just tried to crack (around him! How the hell?) he'd rather be calm. And sleep tonight. He popped the cube into his pocket and watched with more than a little curiosity as Nyx slipped the cube into her mouth. What exactly did it do to a person? Were there side effects? How long did it take to kick in and how long did it last? His nerves were still on edge from the confrontation and he had no trouble deciding on a new spell. Projecting levity... or 'swapping levity', as Miss had called it. She said something about transferring brain activity but essentially, he had to imagine energising a point just above and behind his right eye, and then 'pour' that energy into something else. "And from now on, please call me by my real name, Nora. We're not in the classroom anymore. We're all equals here." "Ok Nora," he said instantly. Best get it over with. A long-term and well-established adult/child authority relationship. The only way to shift that out of the way was bluntly. He found himself churning over events as they walked through the monotonous forest. He was tired. That little brown cube started to sound attractive. Not now, he told himself, and hoped it wouldn't get damp or ruined in his pocket. Every now and then he glanced at Nyx, his mind in a state of confusion. He had overheard (evesdropped?) the spell that Nora had taught her. His imagination conjured the oddest vision - him, in the woods, lying unconscious, blood pouring from a wound in his shoulder, and Nyx standing over him in a panic. Then magic happens, and Andreas wakes up alive and well and with a freshly dead Nyx. He shuddered, but told himself to stop being so irrational. If anything, that was something Joe was more likely to do. Joe was bearing up well, considering. The back of their cloak looked properly sticky now, and if he was honest it'd started to smell a bit. How bad would they let it get before they said anything? And did nobody else notice they were bleeding, too? Sooner or later somebody was going to die. God, he needed sleep! If this moss got any thicker - Trapped! He struggled wildly. He saw moss climbing up everyone else's legs too and - Samara's legs were showing? How hadn't he noticed THAT before? Grind it! he thought, but then the Moss-thingy spoke. A woman made entirely of moss! How cuddly! His head felt strangely numb, particularly just above and behind his right eye. But then he heard about the extinction, and realised they were surrounded by corpses. That sobered him up. Sooner or later... "Let those that are injured step forward so that I may lay hands on them. I will heal you." It took a while for the words to register. Soon there was talk about werewolves (shit!) and Nora being best friends with a god. The Moss Women! "Joe!" Andreas blurted out loudly. "One of ours is badly wounded. Joe, you're up, buddy," he said in an assertive voice.
Like many of the others, Joe chose to pocket their cube. They didn't even take painkillers when they got headaches. Logically they knew Miss Wintersmith ("Nora" definitely wasn't going to happen) would never give them anything harmful, but for whatever reason they'd never felt comfortable with chemicals or stimulants. After a while, though, they found themselves wondering if they should've bent their policy just this once. They felt exhausted, and more and more out of it. The pain was across their whole upper back now. Say something, stupid. But of course they didn't. They barely kept up as Miss Wintersmith explained how to learn additional spells. They already knew what they were going to learn. They'd known since seeing Will's blood all over the hallway. If they'd known it then, they might have been able to save him. But no matter how many times they tried to get the hang of it, the healing light they tried to call upon kept slipping through their fingers. They were too hurt, too mentally and emotionally exhausted. Caffeine wouldn't be able to help with that. When they reached the village, when they learned the green growth all around them really was, they felt like throwing up again. The moss women had not been human, but their remains held much of the same shape: Silent faces stared out in pain and terror, broken green hands and arms thrown about like fallen leaves. Joe tried to forget, tried to let them fade back into the soft, irregular landscape they'd thought it was, but it was never going to happen. They stood there lost for several moments before dimly becoming aware of their name being said. They snapped back to reality. What was it? Did they do something wrong? Who was angry with them? "One of us is badly wounded. Joe, you're up, buddy." Joe sagged. Of course, the voice was Andreas, not their father. The authority in his voice sent Joe to Sulla unquestioningly. They pulled their hood down so Sulla could see the worse wound, though blood seemed to be causing the fabric to stick to their hair. They glanced up at her in awe before quickly lowering their eyes. "I'm sorry," they whispered, "I'm so sorry about your people." Oh, wait. Of course. "Please, when you've taken care of the others-" They swallowed. "I have a new spell, I'm trying to learn- how to heal people. Would you please, if you could-" Easy, buddy. Breathe. Get it out there. "Would you please help me learn?"
Sulla smiled kindly at Joe. "I can teach you rudimentary healing, but I'm afraid it would take too long to go more in-depth," she explained. "Your healing spell should be sufficient enough, young sorcerer. If after everything is said and done you still want to learn healing...well, I'll still be here." That said, she placed her soft green hands over Joe's wound. Moss spread from her palms over the injury as she whispered softly, then she removed her hands and the moss simply crumbled away. The wound had vanished completely, as well as any other bruises and scratches Joe had sustained. A pleasant aroma lingered in the air, like the essence of nature. "There," Sulla said with a nod. "Now, if anyone is hungry, I'm sure there's enough rations to go around..." There was more than enough rations to go around. Sulla led them across the clearing to a large dead tree with an opening that was hidden behind a hanging moss curtain. Inside, the walls were packed with shelves of abnormally large fruit and vegetables. Everything from giant apples to oranges the size of a basketball ball was in stock, and an enchantment kept them all as fresh as the day they were picked. There was a long, moss-covered rock that served as a table in the middle of the room surrounded by giant mushrooms that served as chairs; silvery moonlight shone down on it from the open ceiling. They all sat around it and ate from wooden plates with carved wooden utensils. Every once in a while, a moth the size of a wagon wheel would flutter into the tree trunk, land on someone's head or steal some fruit, and then flutter away. Each moth had radically different designs and colors on its wings; Sulla had a name for each of them and she treated them like pets. Sulla apologized that they were out of rainwater and offered to go to the river to fill a pitcher, but Nora just broke her ice sword against the table and separated the chunks into wood cups for everyone to drink. The ice melted quickly once it was no longer in contact with Nora and they all had cool, refreshing water to drink. Nora had regained some strength and made more chunks of ice for anyone who asked. "Where are you headed after this?" Sulla asked them as she peeled a banana the size of her arm. "The nearest Stepping Stone," Nora replied as she finished chewing a fist-sized grape. To the students, she said, "Stepping Stones are a network of stone platforms that are magically connected. If you think of where you want to go and step off one Stepping Stone, it will take you to another Stepping Stone that is closest to where you need to go. They were created thousands of years ago by a long-forgotten sorcerer who wanted to help people travel faster." "The nearest one is just a few miles outside of Greenwood," Sulla disclosed. "You must be careful, though. Many dark creatures roam between here and the Stepping Stone, especially now that the Darkness has returned." She shook her head, fluffy green hair swishing behind her. "I can feel the Darkness growing stronger and stronger. I hope that you succeed in banishing it before it consumes the Old Kingdom and spreads to the world beyond." "There is hope," Nora assured the Moss Woman. "Once the Lightbringers are back together, we will find Darkness Incarnate and perform the Banishing Ritual." She turned to the kids again. "Whenever Darkness comes to the land, it inhabits the body of someone with a corrupted soul," Nora explained. "That person will develop vast powers that grow stronger with every passing hour. This person is Darkness Incarnate. It is critical that we destroy him or her before they reach god-like status, or else it will be too late." "So basically we're going to save the world?" Alex asked Samara, who was quickly becoming his confidante. His jaw was dripping red from devouring a giant strawberry and, when he smiled, dozens of black seeds were stuck in his teeth. "Awesome," he commented.
Trisana Trisana made sure that she sat next to Drake. He had been on her side earlier when everyone was yelling at her and she had decided to get over her petty insecurities and be his friend again. And if he wants to be more than friends, well, that would be pretty neat, she thought hopefully. The food looked amazing and Trisana couldn't decided what to eat first. The strawberry that Alex was munching on looked delicious, so she started carving one up and laying the thick, juicy slices on her plate. She also grabbed a few of those fist-sized grapes that Ms Winter...Nora was eating. (Geesh, it was gonna be hard to remember to call her that!) The giant bananas looked liked too much work to peel, so she left those untouched and grabbed a fuzzy, melon-sized kiwi instead. "You really have a green thumb, Sulla!" Trisana said around a mouthful of kiwi. Then she noticed the pun and started giggling uncontrollably. Wow, I'm extra giggly tonight. She lifted her fork to stab into another piece of fruit when she realized that she had double-vision and that the whole room was spinning. A wave of fatigue hit her and she rocked back on her mushroom seat. I think my caffeine boost is wearing off. Gosh darnit, why did I have to eat it when nobody else did? But Trisana was determined to flirt with Drake, so she took a big gulp of ice-cold water and turned to face him with a lopsided grin. "So, how you likin' your fruits and stuff?" she asked in a slur. One of her eyes was half-closed and she was leaning far too close to Drake, but she was so out of it that she didn't notice.
