Everflame: The Shard

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

Assistants rushed into Entaru's room. They wore three layers of gloves and knocked the shard into a bag before they rushed out. The bag quickly became stained, and spewed its darkness as they hauled it out. The door was locked and the shard's aura was gone. All that was left was the faint mist where it once was.  It coiled around Entaru and ate at him like a shoal of fish.

 



 Dim Lane hurried about, he grabbed the food and ushered the pair on as the Inn's shooed them away. At the third one they found, he pulled out his coin purse.
 "Please, I can pay you very well if you'd just-" The door was shut in his face and knocked on his beak. He looked around and found they'd drawn a small crowd, though they kept their distance as though Aria were cursed. "Come on people, she's in pain." He yelled and waved his wings about, though it only made people leave. As Aria coughed some more, he dropped to her side. "Oh silly girl, you need that blood, stop throwing it out." He patted her with a weak smile as he looked around and found an alley that sat next to the central dome of the town.
 "Hey, Mr Chosen, lets take her in there and you can work your magic." He led the way into it, but the closer they got to the dome, the stronger the feel of twisted corrupted space.
 
 


 
Andreya gave an odd look at Leo, though Little Hands kept looking forward.
"They call it Town of Shard, now quiet." She turned and threw a gun over to Andreya who made a deft catch. Little Hands kept the other and aimed it to the town. "Climb on Saviour, we must be quick now."





As the couple made peace, Reeza looked to his mother whose smile was beaming.





Akela stood up and rested her paw on Meredith's shoulder.
"It means that this little angel has been Chosen. She is like I am." She grinned as she took the girl's hand. "She's one of the most important and gifted people in our community. She must be taught our ways, however." The smile fell. "In order to have this life, we need to educate her far from here. You must let her go for a few years. "





The queen flashed a smile back at Listy as she led the way through the city back toward the Chosen Temple. Alex gripped Listy's paw tight and bent over to whisper to her.
"Oh wow Roxy, do you know where this is? It's where all the chosen live. Your friend must be very important." He shook her arm and watched open mouthed as they were led through the entrance with cloaked figures on either side. The Queen held up her hand and the group halted as she left the room. The chosen around them watched in silence, but soon their heads turned to Listy. Their eyes trained on her.
 

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Talin was carrying Aria to the alley, until he stopped halfway as another wave of sickness came over him. He managed to set Aria down before throwing up what he just ate half an hour ago. It felt like something was trying to force the 'void' inside him to manifest, and it would upset his stomach at the very least when he tried to resist. He could lift Aria again once his stomach finished emptying, and he did so towards the alleyway.
"Dim Lane, I suggest you stay away from Aria and myself during this process. Something about this area is messing with my so-called 'magic', and I might end up sucking your life away while I'm restoring her body." He put a hand on her midsection, and he pushed the feeling of 'danger' out of his mind as he worked on diagnosing and fixing the problem in Aria's body.

[Grace.E]

Aria watched Tail with wide eyes as he began to healing process, her eyes were a cloudy green but began to turn green, she too felt something dangerous and in the air, it was so wrong, everything was wrong.

"Talin..." she closed her eyes and looked at Dim.. we must leave she signed

[tangletail]

With a shrug Leo clambered onto the giant Lizards back, and straddled his legs around it's sides. "Lets not just scream at the crowd we are here to kill some civil bi-standards shall we?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. "It's not completely evident that we are strangers of this world, or we are not riding a lizard or something."

[Self-sain]

"What! No!" The bat snarled, reaching and pulling Meredith close to him. "I didn't spend my time and energy raising her just so that someone could tell me that she has to be taken away from me. It is completely ludicrous." Meredith didn't know what to do, she was still in all about the new feeling, she wanted to learn more, to be taught, but how could they ask Siyan to have her stripped away from him? Her ears kind of feel back as she thought things over. 

[Entaru]

Sliding his hand into the mist, he let it curl and twist around his fingers.  He could feel into almost burning his flesh with the cold, but he could feel the few souls inside of it.  Leaning down, his chest between his legs now, he licks at the mist.  His tongue almost scrapes the ground as he slowly drinks it in, savoring the feel and the pain.  The emptiness inside waned as the souls were absorbed, making him shiver in pleasure.  Despite the agony of the absorbtion, anything was better than the emptiness of being hollow.  Now he knew why Nero, in all his dark magnificence, was feared by worshippers of Seeker.
 
How could they reason with something that feels nothing but pain unless its causing it...
 
He shivered again and a mad grin stretched across his face.  Thank you, my master....for letting me know you...I will not fail you.

[KittKat chunky~]

"That's all?" Yenchi looked up at Imshi with a hurt expression. "Just a friend, never anything more isn't it Imshi." With a wrinkling of his nose Yenchi shifted from a cross-legged position to kneeling, shooting sideways glares at Imshi as he drew lines in the dirt floor.

Imshi drew in a small breath, hand moving from Yenchi's arm to his chin. "Yenchi..." She stroked under his chin and to his cheek with a small shake of her head. "You know how I feel. I asked you to be my sworn servant, out of friendship. Not because I desire you for a mate." She withdrew the hand and let it fall to her lap, fingers teasing her russet fur.

A small shiver ran through Yenchi's body; visibly running from the tips of his tufted ears to his tail. He steeled himself for a moment, then moved to kiss Imshi.

For the briefest of moments the kiss held. Imshi's eyes widened as their lips met, breath mingling and the taste of his lips on her tongue. The moment passed and she pulled violently away from him. He stared at her with brazen eyes, watching curiously as her white-furred cheeks flushed. She stood hurriedly and turned away from the feline with an embarrassed flick of her tail.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

"Whoa, um um," Dim Lane hopped about and prodded Talin. "Okay, so maybe this place was a bad idea I mean since both you and Aria are saying it's a bad idea, maybe it's a bad idea. I mean I dont feel what you feel, but I'm not stupid." He gesticulated wildly as though stuck between walls backward and forward. "I mean first you give her a voice, then she gets all coughing and what have you, and well this doesn't seem like a good idea." He looked up at the dome. "but then that said, i do still need to get in there and see what they're doing." He prodded Aria. "They're in there right.... maybe htat's why you two are feeling all weird, since we're getting close. Maybe you two shouldn't be here." He smiled to himself. "Maybe I should be the hero," he laughed with exhasperated breath.





Andreya clambered up behind Leo and held onto his waist as Saviour began to speed up and his movements became more erratic. Little Hands looked back with a sniff of derision.
"You want stealth, you get off and run ahead, 'kay?" she said. "Seeker hide us until the dome, then we boom bang and get inside and kill people and things." They were fast approaching the outskirts. Nobody could be seen just yet.






Akela sighed and her head drooped.
"I don't think you really have a choice. The problems your girl is having will only get worse as she gets older. That emptiness will consume her until she's a huks of pain." She stepped forward and looked him deep into the eyes. "Think of me as a doctor, and Meredith here has an infection. If I dont take care of her she'll lose a limb, or worse. She won't be gone forever, just until she's ready to see you again."



Deep in the Dome of the Shard, the two scientist minks extracted the power cells from the ship and lowered them into a vat of water. Then attached to ropes, the shard was lowered. Not just the water, but the entire room darkened into a thick blackness. it spewed from the bowl like a thick cloud. The scientists stepped back as the cloud began to twist. They tied a rope to the stand that bowl stood up and pulled it out into the corridor. Behind it left a trail of the dark that seeped into the ground as though eating into it and displaying the shadows beneath. They hauled to Aman who stood by Nero's door.
"My Lord, you don't have to do this." said one of the minks. Aman sneered at him and snatched the rope from his palms.
"Why else would I be in this world if not to do this myself." A crack could be heard in the flowing mist.
"Sir, the power is being unleashed, you must act fast." The other mink pushed him on and Aman hurried down the corridor, curling through its turns as it descended into the crater until the last door stood before him. He leaned his ear to it.
"Entaru, can you hear me? I need you to be calm. If you are calm and still then we can complete this ritual. You will be more god than man. I need you to be still as I bring in the shard." The spewing clouds increased and sparked with black lightning that reached at the door, it cracked and sparked in the air like a violent animal.





Reeza looked to his mother wide eyed. She gestured for him to calm down, though her face expressed that hint of annoyance as a hostage and a witness to a couple's rollercoaster

[x]

Listy immediately felt their eyes on her after he shook her arm and grew uncomfortable. "Chosen?" she asked as calmly as she could. She trusted that they were taking her to the right place, but somehow grew scared nonetheless. The girl sucked in a deep breath and rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited. "Where is the Queen going?"

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Talin couldn't help but chuckle at Dim Lane's last statement.
"Actually, I can still fight and walk around, but you might be right about Aria. I just have to go on an empty stomach until we leave the city, which I can deal with. You'll have no problems getting Aria out of here since they don't even want her around." He got Aria to her feet and helped her grab onto Dim Lane. When he noticed that the raven was not exactly strong enough to hold her up, he had to hold back some more laughter.
"Fine, just try to not get too much attention." Talin picked up and cradled Aria in his arms as he walked away from the dome. Talin noted that despite having just recently coughed up blood and mucus, she was very easy on the eyes. He then shook his head and continued his way out.
No, you've only known this girl for a few days while Tizz personally visited you for almost a decade. Then again, the Seeker might not let it work out since I gave Aria something she was not born with...

[tangletail]

 Leo lets out an odd hum from somewhere down in his throat while he gave his chin a quick scratch. A smile crept over the cat's lips as he shurgged slightly to the girl. “Harsh, but lets just bash on through the gates then,” the cat pantomimed as he pointed onwards towards the gate,“It's not like we need a plan after all. Just an escape, and slash or an optional coffin.”
He continued to watch the Town grow in size through his squinted eye lids as they drew closer. He nudged the girl only once to get her attention. Hollering out through the wind to her,  he gave a quick gesture symbolizing the guns they had once showed her, “Now I am sure you have a reason for holding onto them, but if you please may we have our weapons back for the time being?”

[Grace.E]

"Dim..a hero..." she smiled at him, telling him with her eyes that she agreed, when she noticed that Talin was looking at her funny, she raised an eyebrow. she felt awkward how she was being constantly carried all the time, so lept out of Talin's arms, looking back at them as she mentioned them to follow her, through a secret pathway from the village, venturing deep into the forests, until they reached an ancient, large oak. she tree, from her childhood, she began to climb the tree, holding onto the ivy. "Come...sleep here tonight" climbing into the tree house, using the dagger to get everything out of the way.

[Entaru]

Entaru's ear twitched as he heard Aman, and he felt his body tense as if ready to pounce.  Then listening and understanding his words, he felt the void inside him ease itself back...calming him.
 
It...(Nero)...was calm (waiting).  It...(Nero)...was ready (hungry).  Entaru (my body) spoke softly (invite them) and called him in (almost dinner).  "I'm (us)...ready (hungry)...my lord (insect)..."  He stood (jolted) up and covered (hide) his face with his hood (too bright).  His body ached (burning) as he walked to the center of the room (dining hall), ready for the ritual (FEAST!)

[Self-sain]

Siyan felt his heart drop with the women's words. Could he truly allow such a horrific thing be fall his beloved sister? No, he knows he can't, but how can he allow some strangers to just take her. He looked at the young girl, stroking her white fur. "If she wills it, that I will allow her to.." he couldn't finish his sentence, he turned his body, allowing no one to see the silent tear that plundered to the ground. 'Will I see her again...' his voice trailed off in his own head.

Meredith was rather oblivious to the torture her brother was taking on, she looked at him an smiled, regardless of the fact that it was his back she smiled to. "I wish to go." She said quickly.

[KittKat chunky~]

Imshi turned her head away from Yenchi's stare, eyes flicking from point to point in the room without settling. Finally her gaze flicked back to him and she gave a strange expression; like a wince crossed with a bashful grin and a bitter vein of anger laced through it.


She sighed. "Yenchi, please. You know how I feel about you, can't you just leave it be?" For a moment her eyes brimmed on the verge of tears, glistening, no longer strong or proud as they had been before.


Yenchi stood, then with a soft movement clasped her hands in his. For a moment Imshi pulled away, that same shamed wince, then relaxed and eyes flicking once more away from Yenchi.


This time it was he that sighed. "Ever since a kid I wished I had wings like your's Imshi. Did you know that?" She glanced up at this, eyes meeting his. The smallest of smiles twitched the corner of his mouth as he spoke. "You know how I was when I was young. Shy, quiet and so much unlike the other boys from my tribe. I felt as much an outcast then as I do now."


Imshi finally pulled her hands out from his. Confused thoughts struggled between each other to reach the surface of her mind, and it was with a long and drawn out sigh that she turned away "I need time to think Yenchi." She glanced to Reeza and his mother, acknowledging the fact that they were there for the first time since she had walked into the room. Her voice faltered as she glanced away again "I-  I'm sorry. Your hospitality should not have been met with petty arguments."