Everflame: The Shard

[Cifero Windtail]

After recovering from the shock, Feuilly managed to pull his tired body onto all fours. He looked up at the tree house's occupants and offered an apoligetic grin.
"Um... sorry," he said.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

Dim Lane flapped down and perched on the window, hunched over to watch over Aria's shoulder. As she spoke, he deliberately cleared his throat and kept his eye on Talin. The tree began to creak and sway a little more as she was 'healed', and the branches gently curled a little around the treehouse.






Aman shivered and leaned against Nero's tail as it slide past him. He followed his master as they ascended the stairs and where Nero had touched him, kissed him, he felt a cold dark ooze trickle. It stained his fur. Up above them was the sound of conversation, he could hear the steps of a large bestial thing and he smiled at the idea of what would befall the people of this planet.
"My Lord, there is someone here who isn't supposed to be."






"What the hell are you on about?" Andreya asked, and then shook her head. "Never mind," she said and reached over to Little Hands. "Come on let's go." Little Hands nodded and Saviour tore up the stairs, climbing near vertical over rails to move at speed. Then he stopped. It was sudden like he'd been caught in a trap, but he and Little Hands made no sound. They looked around, twitching their heads as though listening.
"Yas svard?" Little Hands asked. Saviour nodded. Andreya prodded the girl.
"What are you doing? we have to move," she said and shifted and prodded at Saviour as though he were a horse.
"You not hear?" Little Hands asked, as she raised a gesture to the sound as though it were all around them.
"Hear what?" Andreya asked.
"Hear sweet girl voice."





Akela frowned and watched the black ooze spill out.
"My goodness," she breathed to herself and pulled the girl close, hugging her.  The other chosen seemed to recoil at the black stain. Some covered their mouths and turned away. "It's okay," Akela said. "The Queen told me to take you to him so that's what I'll do." She turned and gestured to one of the other chosen. They headed off at a pace, returned running and handed a white cloth. "Are you okay to walk?" Akela looked into Listy's eyes and poured energy into the girl, trying to soothe her, while she used to cloth to wipe the black liquid off the child's muzzle.






Neesa was quick. As the silhouette stirred, she grabbed the hands of her wards and pulled them to the opposite wall where the shadow cast pitch black.
"Shut up, bird," she squeaked as she pulled the pair along the wall, running fast with her ears trained on the rooftops.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Talin's mouth dropped a little at Aria's question, and he tried to come up with a quick counter only to be interrupted by Dim Lane's coughing. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his face straight even though he found some strange feeling of happy calmness as he looked at her. In the end he just let the smile happen and decided to sort his feelings out at a later point in time.

"Your voice would be as Seeker intended it to be if she wanted you to be gifted with a voice. It might have been by her will that I give it to you, or it could have just been an unforeseen event that she simply allowed to occur. Either way, yes, I like your voice, and I hope you won't strain it again by forcing yourself to speak anything near a yelling volume."

[tangletail]

"Of course I didn't... I am to busy listening to the white noises and hallucinations of my own dilemmas," the feline ridiculed the little girl. Leo's sight remained on the stairs as they ascended in a near vertical fasion, what remained of his own thoughts were either growing stronger or diminishing without a trace as he watched the two shadows emerge from below them, and slowly grow longer as the owners had came closer. One being of a gross proportion, and the other of an oddly handicapped but normal sized man. His eyes fell onto Nero, as he had finally came into view, which quickly triggered memories from eons ago when the Sphere Community had still existed. Every scream, tormented howl, splitting and shreaking sounds of steel and glass, the very bowls of a community so strong, being exposed to world before long had plagued his mind for only a few seconds, before ebbing away into a small cauldron in which all of it's contents was immediately forgotten. The feline fidgeted, and adjusted his body to allow the demon to see his face shrouded in the darkness of the dim light. And slowly but surely, his cheeks began to pull the corners of his lips into a wide grin that only a demented man can muster. His teeth and irises being the only truly visible feature of his face, gave new meaning to a smile without a cat. A grin that either challenged or greeted the hyena with an odd assortment of venom and hospitality.

[Grace.E]

Aria's face blushed some more as he spoke about how he liked her voice, as the tree sheltered them some more, she looked out as she felt a breeze genlty blow through the tree house. feeling its power and hearing its  voice she looked out back to the village before she turned her attention to Talin, taking his hand in hers "Please don't go, not now...please!"

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Talin's ears fell flat, his eyes showing an unusual amount of conflict in them. He had to go face Nero, or at least assess how strong he had become, then he had to report back to Tizz on the situation in Shard Village. But with Aria holding onto his hand, she seemed to hold on his heart as well.

"Aria, Nero is out there, probably planning on growing stronger through-" He stopped speaking as bits of information leaked in as another memory. He saw the flash that had almost blinded Chronin, and also a great scattering of particles as Vuranin was dashed before his eyes, and his own strength had left him.

Talin couldn't feel himself breathing, or anything going on in his body for that matter. The void filled everything from the follicles on his head, to the claws on his feet. Then once again the sensation, or lack of, left his body and only a fraction of a second had seemed to pass for the rest of them. "Pieces of himself, scattered across the stars, this one shard is just a tiny fragment of him... but it is all the more important now that it has a host to thrive in."

[Entaru]

Nero nodded to Aman, letting him know that he already knew of their presence and continued on, finally reaching the stairs and looking up at the group.  He seemed to ignore Leo for a moment, looking at the group around him and smiling softly.  The light coming from behind him stretched his shadow to an impossible size up the stairs, putting out the torches on the walls and engulfing them.  Looking at Leo, he returned the grin as his form seemed to flash into his old hyena form before turning back into Entaru's corrupted body.
 
Walking up to them, he stared at Leo menacingly before shrugging.  "Hello Leo...sorry to put your plans out of whack but I have no time to kill you today.  Perhaps another time?" Simply looking at them with a smile before walking past them, he took a few steps and turned around. "I hope you forgive me for not giving you an audience yet...as you know, God has to be everywhere."

[KittKat chunky~]

Yenchi pulled away from Neesa and drew one his knives, lunging for Vin with his free hand and stifling the bird’s shrill cry. As they ran Imshi pulled her own bone-carved knife from her belt, eyes flicking from shadow to shadow. Her wings hugged her back, feathers rustling as they brushed the earthen walls.

The arrow whistled fast and sharp, plunging out of the shadows and catching Imshi a sickening crunch in her shoulder. With a loud yelp of pain she was sent sprawling into the dirt.
 


From an alleyway to the left a male figure lunged from the darkness and a net was thrown, knotted reed mesh snaring Yenchi. Anger and fear rose up in him at the sound of Imshi whimpering in pain, struggling to her feet despite the arrowhead that burrowed deep into flesh, and with a shout he slashed out at the figure. Hot blood flecked Yenchi’s fur as he lunged again, plunging the blade into flesh up to the hilt.


For a moment he stood face to face with the attacker, close enough to see the fox's features through the gloom. He slumped, a perpetual look of surprise on his face as blood pooled through his fur and drenched Yenchi's blade and arm. Yenchi stumbled back, an equal look of shock on his face as he clutched the wall for support, looking down at the dark stains with a sickened feeling in his stomach.

[tangletail]

 “Oh, no... that wasn't part of my plans for today, I only wished to say... hello,” the feline spoke calmly, almost casually even as his gaze traversed downwards toward the hand that had gripped his shoulder to move him out of the way. He rose a brow as he examined the hand and, slowly the grin he once held turned into a sly smirk. “A god hm,” he chuckled as he turned to face the fox as he continued up the stairs, and quietly dismounted Savior to stand on his own feet.
He crossed his arms over his chest, and tapped his index finger over his bicep lightly as he continued, and his remained chosen lightly. “As mighty and awe-spiring you are to these people... you are far from a god as you are a bloomed flower," Leo ridiculed as he tilted his head to the side in a gesture to the naked male that followed him from the chambers. In fact, comparable to a wilted one at that my friend. You've been labeled a greater fool than I, and your efforts will always remain a footnote to the history... that you and I hold onto so loosely.”
The cat soon licked his lips as he edged closer by one step up the stairs to get a better look at Nero's face with his large, blank, mocking, demented eyes. The feline finally rose a single hand and rolled his wrist, "What happened to you? How could you, a self proclaimed god, failed so horribly over a time frame I have disappeared, in which the world could be licking crumbs from your very finger tips."

[Entaru]

Nero huffed a bit and shrugged.  "A minor technicality that has been remedied...fate ordained me to wait for my time, as it obviously did yours and now I am free to execute my will without retribution. I am a fixture in this universe now, rather than just a visitor."  Nero glanced to Little Hands again, then looked at Andreya, then Savior, then back to Little Hands.  "What a sorry group of misfits...even in this primitive land you managed to befriend a barbarian."  His shadow twitched slightly as its arms stretched over Andreya and Saviour before peeling off the wall and cupping Little Hands' face in its black talons.  His smirk grew a bit as the shadow caressed her face.

[Self-sain]

Meredith felt her little body begin to tremble as more and more was expected out of her as she descended down the path. Her thick winter associated fur was panting to much heat and she was panting like a work dog. She thought maybe if she were to talk time would pass quicker- but after looking at the weasel, he didn't look friendly. Not to mention, she didn't think she can spare the effort to speak a lot and keep up with the weasel.
   "How much longer?" She said, mainly to her self.

After Siyan left he felt a sense of emptiness dwell deep with in him. He thought he head back to the country side, with little else to do, maybe some plowing would take his mind off of-... Just the very thought made his mouth go dry and his food to rise in his throat. She will be fine, he told him self. He walked, emotionless toward the city gates.

[tangletail]

Leo watched Nero's shadow as he carrased the girl's cheek through a shadow, and slowly grinned as he turned back to the real one. Once again the feline crossed his arms diligently as he now began to tap his foot lightly. His eyes shifting to Aman for only a few seconds as if he was confirming something, before finally looking back to Nero,"Did the corpse just try to one up me? Call it an insult while I call it a compliment. Be it as it be, but as far as I can see... you have gained the affection of a clingy amputee, a nudist and mortal at that. I bet you share the same emotions for him. Yes..."


The mock in his eyes remained as he took yet another step closer up the stairs, "So Nero the great ruthless god has a heart. How sweet to think that at one point he could call himself a god if he falls as low as compassion for an individual. What's on your agenda Hyena? Or should I say fox... an engagement?"

[Grace.E]

Aria's emerald eyes were slightly as she stared at Talin, she didn't want him to go, not after he saved her, she was trying to protect both him and Dim. Still holding his hands she brought them to his face with out realizing what she was doing, she pressed her soft cheek against his hands as she still stared at him with her emerald eyes. "Its still not safe...your still too weak...you must grow stronger..."

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

"Hey!" Dim Lane raised and flapped his wings in exasperation. "Would you like me to leave you alone with a person who gets visons" He wiggled his fingers and feathers as though it were all absurd. "With all due respect to you Mr Crazy, I think that we should either A, find out what's happening then skip town back to the Queen, or B, just plain skip town." He hopped over to the pair of them, and draped his wings over Aria. "And if you can't keep your own mind clear, I suggest you take your hand away from her face, if you dont mind."





Little Hands and Andreya shifted toward to handrail, as far as they could go as Nero ascended the stairs. Aman followed up behind him with an almost empty grin, and a sycophantic glow in his eyes. He smiled Leo as his master spoke to him, almost pleased for the cat, he reached out his hand stroked along Leo's arm. Andreya sneered at the pair as she clambered back against the railing and gripped to Saviour. The lizard had shut his eyes as the shadow crawled across him, though as everyone darkened, his scales kept their shine as though in a summer day. Little Hands was far less immune as the shadow stroked across her skin and held her face, seeping into her head. She pushed at the dark and leant away, back against the handrail, leaning over. She pushed and flailed.
"Hivorsza havo, vos!" She kicked and slipped, tumbling over the edge of the staircase railing. She dropped and thudded against the lower steps which burst a yelp as she rolled and thudded against the wall as the stairs turned. Andreyalooked down and climbed over the railing to drop safe on the stairs before running to Little Hands' side. Saviour didnt move, but his body shone brighter like a beacon in the dark.





Neesa ran to them and grabbed the pair, yanked them through to the alleyway from which the assailant had appeared. Pitch black consumed them and the alley was narrow as the dragged pair scraped against the walls as they tumbled in.
"Stay here, shout if you need me," Neesa said as she looked up to where they building met its roof. Then with a crouch, she scaled the wall in one leap and grabbed to the corner to peer over the roof. The sky was growing bright, but only slightly, and she spotted a silhouette a few houses back who stood upon the roof and scanned over the streets, then walked back for a way down. Neesa hung on to the roof and looked down at Imshi and Yenchi hidden in the black. "Can you two still run?" she asked.






The weasel glanced down at her but kept up his stride, watching the girl pant in the heat.
"Soon," he said then looked forward, down the steps that stretched into the planet. More and more torches filled the corridor but they seemed smaller, dimmer as though lackluster. Then the weasel stopped. It was sudden and the passage continued on deeper down, but there was a door to his left. He pressed against it, he shoved against it. Clearly it wouldn't budge and he turned to Meredith. "Open it," he said.




As Siyan headed up into the main city, the city gates yawned open and the guards watched him pass through to the farmland. The sky lightened into a dull blue and the farmers began to stir. One of them, a squirrel woman, was stood at the front of her house and watched the lonely Siyan walk.
"Hey," she said. "You look like death, you okay?"

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Talin couldn't move his own body as two mental factions waged combat in his mind. He moved his face closer to Aria's as he never broke eye contact with her. Well, until Dim Lane stepped in and snapped Talin out of his mesmerized state. At first he was confused, then he started to get angry.

"Did I just hear that right? I think I heard you saying we should find out what is going on over at Shard." He stood upright and backed away, fists clenching the entire time.

"You want to know whats going on right now? I'll tell you without putting us at risk of being devoured." He gestures with a raised thumb at the dome, wearing a smirk on his face.

"That block of black rock they covet so much, is a piece of the god Nero, a pebble in comparison to the rest of him. That laughter you heard could only come from an entity with vocal cords like the rest of us. I can go into the long version, but I'll leave it at this: Nero is back in action and we only have a short time span before he finds out how to leave this planet and restore the rest of himself." He could feel the void in his body returning, but he was ignoring it at this point.

"Right now the closest person to that city who has any combat experience and any form of unnatural power is standing right here, and frankly I'm starting to doubt why I should return to Tina City if Tizz herself neglected to mention if I'm just going to be thrown back in jail or put on the labor list because the culture of that city is biased towards women when it comes to overall competence!!"