Onward to Chaos

[Deleted]

((Marcus?? ))

Lilith started slightly at the familiar voice. "Mathius, I- I did not mean to interrupt. I sensed..." She left her sentence in the air, suddenly feeling awkward. She noticed that he wrapped himself with something, and her mind brought the image of his scarred arms from earlier to her mind. "You're ashamed of your scars." she whispered absentmindedly. She found herself wondering what they could have possibly reflected, and why he should be so conscious of them. An adventurer was normally proud of his scars, for it demonstrated that he was fearless, so why then did this Relic Hunter hide his?
Lilith realized that she was now scrutinizing Mathius as though he was something of great interest. Tearing her gaze away, she cleared the throat. "Right then, I apologize, I did not mean... As you were." She quickly turned and walked a ways down the hall, before stopping and leaning against a wall, a hand on her pounding chest. This man made her uncomfortable in some ways.

[Lovely]

He would have thanked her. In fact the scars reflected more. He released a heavier sigh. Why was he trembling...no one saw his scars and just now she saw them. ugly...weak...pathetic a voice that wasn't his rang bitterly in the back of his mind as he winced as though imvicible lashed struck him. "Stop this." Anger rose as he yelled to himself under his breath. He stood up and with the throw he headed to his chamber walkimg pass Lilith in the process not stopping to explain himself, there was nothing he can tell her that would explain him not now anyways. With a heavy breath he entered his chamber until the next morning another sleepless night full of nightmares.

[Deleted]

Her breath caught in her throat as she sensed anger, then noticed him walking towards her. He radiated anger, and shame. Guilt prodded at her, she felt responsible for this sudden outburst; she did catch him by surprise after all, and in a state he clearly did not want to be seen in. No words formed, and she simply waited for him to disappear into his room before returning to hers.
She lay beside a lightly snoring Kairi, and before she knew it, she fell fast asleep.

***

Kairi stirred, then sat up and stretched. Glancing to her left, she saw Lilith was fast asleep, her face seemed to be stuck with a permanent frown. Kairi smiled at the sight, then lifted herself from the bed. The sounds of life could be heard around the Inn, which told her that she'd been asleep long enough for it to be considered a new day. She glanced at the darkness outside the window and shook her head. "How in the world can people live in a place without a sunrise to tell them when to get up?" she mumbled, shaking her head.
Behind her, Lilith mumbled a reply, and she turned to see her friend sitting up and lightly rubbing her eyes. "Is it morning already?" she asked, more coherently.
Kairi shrugged. "As close to morning as this place can get, I guess."

[Lovely]

"Its going to be a beautiful day"
Nami jumped on the bed, onto Lilith, a large smile spreading from ear to ear as she happily looked at the two, "I wonder if master is awake" she rushed out of the room just as quickly as she pounced on Lilith she ran out in search for Mathius. Indeed he was awake with his bags by the foyer like the night before only this time the throw was placed back in its place and he had his full attire on. A trench coat, a muscle shirt, several pouches and belts that held the weapons he journeyed with. In his hand was a cup of tea, and his feet were placed on the stand in front of him. He took a long drink and shifted his attention over his shoulder to the cat girl that ran towards her "MASTER!" she chimed as she sat on the ground beside him, "master is awake" she smiled proudly, "where's the other two?" she frowned as she looked over her shoulder to the hallway that lead to their bedroom "...they're still in there. Lilith didn't wake up right away" He smiled, "let the sleep in, the more rested we are the more concentrated we can be" he happily remarked, "besides the ladies need their beauty sleep if they're going to stay that pretty" Nami gasped and angrily looked at him, "are you saying I'm not pretty enough master" he laughed as he leaned further into his chair taking another long drink.

[Deleted]

Neither of them certain of what just happened, they exchanged blinks in silence for a few moments.
"Who made her a box of sunshine all of a sudden?" Kairi finally asked poking her head out the door. As she looked back at Lilith, she rested against the doorframe. "So, how are you feeling today?"

She knew she hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep, but she had a feeling that everyone else was awake and she didn't like the idea of being the only one still asleep. So she threw her feet over the edge of the bed, and glanced at Kairi with a sigh. "In all honesty, Ri, I am not certain of how I should feel. Of course, if you are asking me if I still have concerns regarding trusting Mathius, the answer is no. I trust that what he told me yesterday is the truth, and that his intentions are pure." I don't, however, trust him. There seems to be something off about him, and it unsettles me. she finished silently to herself. His inexplicable outburst last night was what set her on edge about trusting him, and it was what made her very glad that Kairi was traveling with them. "Now, I'm quite certain that he and Nami are awaiting us to join them, so we might as well hurry."

Lilith was hiding something, Kairi could see it in her face. Her tone was very indifferent, which was also a red flag to her, but she knew not to press the mage. "Right-o! I'm good to go!"
As they walked towards the foyer, Kairi examined her friend. She noticed that her eyes were a little creased, which was a sign of fatigue. So she didn't get any sleep last night. She must have been thinking about this all night. Damnit Lil, are you lying to me?
When they entered the foyer, her eyes drifted to Mathius. His body language told her that he was also tired. Great, traveling with two sleepless grumps, and the over-happy furball. This'll be interesting. A small grin formed on Kai's face as she waved to the two companions that awaited them. "Hey guys! What's the plan?"

[Lovely]

Marcus placed his tea cup on the table with the coins needed to pay for it and he brought himself to his feel "GOOD MORNING SLEEPING BEAUTIES!" He smirked his arms outstretched, "so first we'll be heading towards the pumpkin cemetery...which will lead to Dark Springs, than from that point on we're going to Tanba Shrine!" He explained, as he twirled his back faced to them "Onward to the amazing adventure" and with that said he exited the inn followed by Nami who carried his bags. It was clear that he knew where he was heading. Though despite the facade he played it was clear that he was exhausted. He stood in the streets of Port Caan the frown on his face expressing his thoughts. He offered his hand to Nami "Map please" "Yes sir" she dug through the bags until she gave him the map of Treset that he opened and began to read it.

[Deleted]

((Marcus again?))

Kairi raised an eyebrow at Mathius' words, then turned to whisper in Lilith's ear. "I think he's drunk or something."
Lilith shook her head and forced a natural smile. "Good morning."
When he turned away, Kairi grimaced at the mention of Dark Springs. She'd heard stories, and something told her that she wanted to steer clear of that area, but it seemed quite unavoidable. She mentally sighed, then glanced at Lilith. She didn't want to worry her friend, so she quickly changed her grimace to an eager grin. "What are we waiting for, then?" She pointed in the direction of the cemetery. "This way!"

Lilith had caught Ri's grimace, but she didn't have time to ask her about it. Kairi was already heading towards the cemetery, seemingly very confident in where she was going. Lil found this odd, because as far as she knew, Kairi had never been to Treset. She seems slightly different since we arrived here. I wonder what it could be.

[Lovely]

The journey lead them to a field of tombstones and patches of pumpkins. Trees hung menacingly over the dirt that they trampled as the screams of crows echoed the area that surrounded them. Mathius spoke little during the adventure that lead them here. His once confident smile seemed to only diminish itself as he neared their destination. Nami watched him and felt a pit of worry burrow itself inside her gut the walk was exhausting and her paws were hurting she sighed as she eyed the man and the two women who closely followed. "Master may we rest here?" She questioned him feeling the pay that struck her feet as she held the ankle. "My feet are hurting" he stopped in his tracks looked over to the cat girl "don't you know it's dangerous being here the undead can surface" She knew his reaction to the undead "but master there's really nothing to be afraid of" She smiled confidently.

[Deleted]

Lilith watched the two discuss the possibility of resting here, and remembered their last encounter with the undead. If it hadn't been for Kairi, they might not have gotten out in one piece. And while they were four this time, it didn't necessarily mean that they could fight the undead; there was always the greater possibility of being outnumbered. Especially in a cemetery. This made Lil feel a little uncomfortable, but if Nami couldn't walk anymore, what choice did they have?

Kairi had wandered off a bit, just examining the area around them to ensure that it was safe to camp out for a while, when movement caught her peripheral vision. Her head snapped to her left, but nothing seemed to be there. Curiosity piqued, she found herself inching towards a giant tombstone when a large black crow lunged at her face. A small cry escaped her as she dived for the ground.
"Stupid bird." she grumbled as she glanced around, then pulled herself to her feet. Shaking herself off, she turned her back to the tomb stone and headed back to her friends. But something sent a chill down her spine.
A soft, choking, gurgling sound seemed to emanate from behind the tombstone, and a familiar scent danced beneath her nose. Suddenly she was very aware of everything around her, and she found herself once again being pulled towards the tombstone. Her vision seemed no longer limited to what her eyes could see. She somehow knew that she was alone, no other presence was around, save for the ones a ways away discussing where to camp. Them, and the person on the other side of the tombstone she now stood inches away from.
Her stomach lurched oddly as the scent grew stronger. She realized that her mouth felt odd, and she was salivating a lot. What was going on?
She peered around the grave marker, and all at once, she felt her vision blur, her stomach tighten, her jaw ache, and her heart stop.
A young woman lay, weeping silently as she clutched her throat. Blood oozed between her fingers, and her wild eyes looked up at Kairi, as a gurgled sound replaced whatever noise the woman tried to make. Kairi was having a very difficult time keeping her composure. It had been a long time since blood had done this to her, and she was very confused as to why it was happening right now; this wasn't the first time since giving up blood that she'd been around it, so why was she having such an intense craving?
Forcing her mind to clear, and her fangs to retract, Kairi knelt down and gently tried to pull the woman's hand away, but the fear in the woman's face told Kairi that her secret was out; she failed to hide her inner vampire. "I promise that I want to help you. I won't hurt you, but I need to see how bad it is." She forced the hand away, and after a closer look, reached in to her satchel to remove a piece of cloth. "Hold this against it, tightly enough to stop the bleeding, but not too tight as to cause yourself pain, or cut off your breathing."
Kairi was having a difficult time keeping her eyes focused and her voice steady. Why was this so difficult for her today? She forced a warm smile at the woman, who whimpered and glanced away. Kairi realized that her fangs were exposed. Idiot.
She searched through her satchel for something to place over the shallow wound to help stop the bleeding. As it was, the woman would not die from the wound, if the bleeding could be stopped soon. Then she froze.
Why are you bothering to help her? She's just going to die anyway. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but she will die eventually. So why force her to face the torment of mortality? End her suffering. Look into her eyes and tell me she doesn't deserve the sweet release of death.
Kairi glanced down at the woman. She had soft grey eyes that seemed to glimmer with faint trust through the fear-filled tears they swam in. Kairi felt her resolve to help this woman grow stronger.
Don't be foolish, you can't help her.
Kairi suddenly realized that the voice she was hearing was unfamiliar to her, and she felt a surge of anger flow through her. "Watch me!" she snapped, then gently scooped the woman up into her arms and hurried back to her friends.

"You can jump on my back if you'd like. This way you get a chance to rest, and we don't have to stop where the undead may potentially get us." Lilith smiled at Nami.
She wasn't used to being nice to people, but something told her that it would make the entire trip much easier than if she ignored everyone and kept to herself. And to be fully honest, she really didn't want to camp out in the cemetery, she'd rather wait a bit and camp anywhere else. But she didn't want to come right out and say that; Nami seemed to take things a little too personally, and Lilith wanted to avoid her taking it as an attack.
She was about to make another suggestion, when Kairi hurried over to them, carrying what looked like a body. "Maker's breath, Kairi, what have you done?" Lilith didn't mean to ask that, but Kairi didn't seem to notice.
"I found her behind a gravestone. The wound isn't fatal, but it will be if she doesn't stop bleeding." Lilith knew the look Kairi gave her, and Lilith's heart sank as she shook her head.
"I can't heal her."
"Not heal, just cauterize the wound. Please, Lil, she's fading. I can feel her slipping away."
"I don't know..." she cast a glanced at Mathius, unsure of what to do.

[Lovely]

"You think I'm frail do---" Nami's sentence was cut short as she realized the woman that Kairi carried. Her plea made Nami curiously watch to see what out come would have come of this. Lilith's eyes met Mathius's and he guided them to the woman whom was now in distress. He was aware of how little she enjoyed casting magic. He began digging inside his satchel as he pulled out a fire rune. "Here..." he handed the rune to Lilith "...don't use your magic now. Especially when we're standing in a cemetery of ghouls and dead things" he figured keeping the illusion that she was like them was something alot more wise then exposing her talents. "Caurtarise her wound with that fire rune she might be left with a scar but I know its helped me in the past." Here wasn't exactly happy wasting a rune considering itselling price in the market...but the undead was attracted to casts. At least a rune could keep them hidden a little while longer.

[Deleted]

Lilith's mind whirled as she accepted the rune from Marcus. As she raised her hands towards the woman, however, Kairi pulled her away.
The woman's chest no longer heaved, and her eyes were now glassy, staring blankly into space. Kairi's own eyes seemed to darken as they slowly traced the woman's face, and finally rested at her exposed, torn throat.
Lilith felt her breath catch in her throat. Her hesitation cost this woman her life. If she'd have just healed her, or cauterized the wound immediately, the woman might have stood a chance. Shaking her head, Lilith slumped back, staring at the woman; never noticing Kairi's trance-like state. She weakly held the rune out to Marcus, her eyes never leaving the body in her friend's arms.

It's so warm. taunted that familiar voice in the back of Kairi's mind. It's going to waste, pouring out all over your clothes, and that dirty ground.
Kairi's jaw ached, and her body was tense. She'd fought this off plenty of times before, so why couldn't she fight it off now? She realized that her head had lowered slightly, bringing her mouth closer to the woman's blood-soaked thoat. A single drop would send her on a frenzy. She didn't want that. "Someone help me." she whispered, knowing she couldn't stop herself.

The silent plea reached Lilith, and she grabbed Kairi's shoulder. "Ri, no."

[Lovely]

"What are you doing!?" Nami shounted pulling the now dead girl away from the hungry Kairi. "You fangs all think alike have some de--""That's enough Nami!" Mathius growled as he looked at Kairi and Lilith whom came to her aid. "Are you alright?" He asked her. He understood that temptation was a terrible demon. He leaned by the two girls "Right now we're not in any condition to help anyone...this cemetery alone makes those who wonder alone fools...there are different monsters whom can attack us at any given minute, this souls life is no longer suffering we can't dwell on this right now" He was right, if they stayed where they were any longer they too would be a prime target of whatever lingered this dying area. "We need to continue" "Shouldn't we give this girl a proper burial first?" Nami questioned him, leaving Mathius stumped and lacking a response, no longer did he have his eager and bright expression, he now carried a troubled look.

[Deleted]

As quickly as it came, Kairi's hunger vanished, and she looked up to blink at Mathius. "I'm sorry. You're right, we need to move." Without looking at anyone else, she stood and continued on the original path.

Lilith watched as Kairi distanced herself from them; she'd never seen this side of Kairi. She was starting to think that this 'adventure' wasn't such a good idea. Something deep within her felt wrong, and she became apprehensive of what lay ahead of them. "We shouldn't have come here." she whispered.
Then Nami's question caused her to glance up, a little bewildered. "We haven't time. Something's--" Her sentence was cut short as a pain shot through her gut; something was nearby.
Her head swiveled around as she lowered herself. "We need to go, now!" she growled, grabbing their wrists and darting off towards Kai, who turned back as she did so.
"What's going on?' she asked seeing Lilith barreling towards her with the others.
"Go!" Lilith hissed at her.

[Lovely]

Mathius and Nami began running, unsure of what Lilith was running from but he was certain whatever it was it wasn't good. There was definitely no time in questioning especially in these parts. This journey was only going to get harder, he sensed it, he was certain that Lilith sensed it as well. He felt a sting from the scars on his back as he winced from it ignoring it for the time being, "LETS HURRY"

[Deleted]

Kairi let herself get swept away in the flurry of her friend's escape, though she couldn't help but look around for a potential threat. She didn't sense anything, at all. Then again, all she could smell was the blood from the woman she had been carrying. As she glanced back once more, however, she saw it; several shadows were darting around not too far behind them, jumping from tombstone to tombstone.
"What the hell are those?"
"Just run, Ri, go!" Lilith wasn't sure what they were, but every fiber of her being said they were bad news. Something tells me they were attracted by my energy.
"Mathius, do you have any ideas? Where do we go from here?"