Closed A Stroll Down East Street

[Aoren]

Aoren’s day had been productive to say the least. He had arrived in the city that morning, he had headed straight for the University. The Drykas man had been forced to stop and ask for directions several times but the people seemed friendly enough and willing to help him, if a bit guarded. When he’d arrived at the University and made his intentions clear he wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms but eventually he’d found himself in the office of a woman simply known as Bethany. There he’d been interviewed, evaluated and scrutinized to determine his worthiness. Fortunately, he’d passed though some of what was said had been a little unsettling.

Nevertheless, Aoren was glad that he’d been accepted to the University’s College of Djed. It would be an eye opening experience for him. He’d moved into the dormitories, got his horse situated and that was that. The rest of the day he’d spent getting himself familiar with the layout of the University campus. It had been a lot to take in.

Now, Aoren was strolling along the streets of Zeltiva. It was late and by all rights he should have been back in his dorm room getting ready for sleep but he couldn’t bring himself to rest. There were too many things racing through his head. The restlessness brought on from being on the road for nearly an entire season was still situated in his bones. Adjusting to the atmosphere of the city was also keeping him awake. So, to solve his insomnia he’d opted to take a walk. He’d started at the grounds of the University but, given his unfamiliarity with the layout of the city, had quickly found himself down a more dilapidated section of Zeltiva.

“Things are so different here compared to Syliras.” Aoren passed his gaze over some obviously suspicious looking characters and someone he was pretty sure was a prostitute in the works of “entertaining” a patron for that evening. Aoren himself looked slightly out of place. He stood tall with his back straight walking at a slow leisurely pace. He was dressed more comfortably than he had been earlier that morning. A loose cotton shirt underneath a brown leather vest and brown linen leggings that were tucked into his boots. He wore his travel cloak with the hood up and carried with him his quarterstaff. The trusty and familiar staff made a slight tapping as it met the cobblestones of the road. At his side walked a moderately sized canine with fur as dark as the shadows and intelligent eyes.

Whether it was because of his appearance or that fact that the sparse occupants of the street were busy with other activities, Aoren was left to his own devices. He was not yet savvy enough with nuances of Zeltiva to know that he was on East Street, a part of town better left as a rumor as opposed to a reality. As he walked, two men darted past him with all haste. He arched an eyebrow slightly as they hobbled past looking like they had just been in some sort of scuffle. One of them was quite obviously sporting a broken nose and an injury to his lower region by his gait. Aoren would have stopped them, as felt the compulsion to aid the injured man spring up within him, but they were gone before he could get a word out.

Furrowing his brow, Aoren turned his attention to the direction from which they came. He walked a little ways in that direction until he came upon a scene where people had quite obviously gotten into a brawl. He saw a very large, intimidating furred creature wielding an iron staff standing like a sentinel a little ways away. There was a woman standing next to it, or him, or whatever it was. There was a cloaked figure feeling around on the ground and a young man apparently assisting him with his cane and a man hunched over who must have been the victim in the skirmish. Aoren felt a gentle prodding stemming from the gnosis mark upon his right face. Without hesitation he quietly made his ways up to the man who was most obviously injured, who had just finished emptying the contents of his stomach, and spoke.

“Excuse me, do you need help?” Aoren tilted his head slightly so that the light of Leth illuminated his face. The mark of the Goddess of Healing shimmered in the moonlight making it apparent to those who had their wits about them that he was a Healer.

[Ricky Maze]

For Ricky everything that would seem to have happened in an instant seemed to slow down some now, although that still proved to show things were moving pretty fast for him in the moments he'd spent recollecting himself. His head rang heavy and the comment Pulren mentioned on Kelp Beer unfortunately wasn't met with any laugh or smile, due to the circumstances that followed upon Ricky's own wrong turn into the street. With a burn that still clung to the reaches of his throat and a dull throb in his head, he still felt as though half of his equilibrium had only returned when he stood tall. Therefore those that had gathered could see the Zeltivan bear stand at the impressive six foot and two inches he rose to, yet not fully remain straight as he would lean a little here and there to remain on his feet.

There was several new faces in addition to the large creature that had shown it- er, himself in the event he tried to help Ricky by intimidation. Finally a sense of humor returned to the dulled senses in his mind, as the fisherman scoffed with a chuckle to follow upon Pulren's summation of their little brawl. "Oi'll be fine, just got me a bloody nose an' a few bruises is all." He assured the woman that had asked if they were okay. "As f'r what Pulren 'ere said, East Street ain't de greatest part o' town obviously. A couple o' shady folk tried t' jump me t'inkin' me some simpleton, little did t'ey know dat Oi'm part o' de Wave Guard like me recruit 'ere." He nodded in Pul's direction and then felt a look of painful regret hit his face, as a sudden headache took place in the reaches of his forehead along with the throbbing.

He could literally taste the nasty putrid alcohol in his mouth now, the foul stench of the fish piss a terrible reminder to clean up when he would get home later. Yet now something else seemed to be occurring, a small gathering of the strangest occurrences it would seem. Lhex had a sense of humor tonight. At any rate he commended Pulren for taking the initiative in helping the old man first, he had to force a smile since it was rather difficult for one to come naturally, but all the same he flashed Pulren a quick grin to show that Ricky himself approved of the notion as it was quite a good intent to help his elders. "Keep dat up Pulren an' ye'll make a fine guardsman someday." He assured the recruit with a small chuckle, until his attention turned towards the creature that stood tall with the iron staff he held.

"If ye hadn't come when ya did, Oi'd surely been shark bait by t'en. Ye 'ave me t'anks good sir," At that moment one more person then revealed himself to the group with but the glow of Leth to illuminate his features, the distinctive mark a collective resemblance to that which other healers with Rak'keli's gnosis had born under his eye, "Oh t'ank Laviku an' Priskil someone like yew is 'ere mate." He sighed in slight relief upon the sight of the healer. "If ye could Oi got a bit o' a headache fr'm de beatin' Oi took. Dat an' a few ot'er bruises elsewhere." He pointed out as he recalled the places around the stomach he'd been punched at as well, although the bleeding nose would most definitely be the first indication to what Ricky had to endure.

His curiosity about the old man's presence was still aroused but alas with the number of people that came around and his personal injuries, he found it hard to multitask and ask what exactly such an old fellow was doing walking about the city. He hoped that someone else would for Laviku's sake, seeing as how listening was much easier to do than talking... when your still pretty drunk.

[Grash]

Grash shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't really do anything. I just kind of stood there." He looked at his feet in embarrassment. He looked down at the old man and for the first time realized that he needed help getting up. Seeing the other Wave Guard pick up his cane and offer an arm to help, Grash stood on the old man's other side. Sliding an arm under his chest, Grash had no problem scooping him up and bringing him to his feet. "There you go sir. Grash then looked to the newest person to approach the group. "Excuse me, do you need help?" Grash looked upon his face and saw a strange swirling pattern that he had never seen before. I wonder what that signifies... "Oh t'ank Laviku an' Priskil someone like yew is 'ere mate." The first drunk said as he sighed in slight relief. "If ye could Oi got a bit o' a headache fr'm de beatin' Oi took. Dat an' a few ot'er bruises elsewhere." Judging by what the drunk said, this man must be some kind of healer. Maybe that's what the marking means. Grash thought to himself. He also thought the drunk's accent was strange, but then again, maybe it was just the alcohol speaking. Nodding his thanks to the other guard for grabbing the man's cane, he asked the old man "Are you hurt?"

[Lani Stranger]

Lani set her eyes on the other human who looked up at her. Intoxicated and somewhat stumbling, he took her in. "East Street." His answer was simple and vague, likely a fulfilling answer for someone who had either lived in Zeltiva a long time and knew what that was supposed to mean, or someone who didn't ask as much questions as herself. She was about to ask him to elaborate on simply naming the street, but decided that she might not understand his answer even if he did explain it to her. Then again, she could be underestimating the drunk human. Lani turned her head to the side slightly, a childish display of curiosity that she had developed. The bewildered and mostly unbelieving emotions that laid themselves across the man's face was almost comical, the alcohol was not holding any emotions back. A small smiled rose from the corners of her lips as she looked at the Jamoura behind her. A tall black eyed girl next to an even taller talking ape has got to be a culture shock. He was taking it remarkably well.

Before she could ask the green eyed man's name, Lani's head turned to the human who was considerably more drunk. The wretched smell of his digested spirits was not making the small gathering between the strangers seem any more opulent. But he was accompanied by another man. Lani couldn't quite see his face properly, but he arrived with the wind. She was made aware of his presence by the loud and drunken rambling of the Wave Guard. Lani let her eyes linger on him curiously, her black orbs flitting back to the green eyed human in front of her one more time, wondering if he was as curious as she. How was this new blonde man going to help? He had not tools and not medicines on him. Anyhow, there wasn't much to do for cuts and bruises. Clean 'em up and let them heal. That's the best you can do ... right? Lani thought, taking a step to the left, to see the interaction between the men a tad better. The step was surprisingly useful for another purpose. She had moved out of the range of a rather old man who plummeted to the ground beside her.

"Shyke from Rhysol himself. Well aren't we having a little party tonight ... ?" Words of disbelief crawled from her lips accompanied by her own poor sense of humor in a low mutter. Lani's mind was spinning, there was no longer room in her thoughts for any more evaluation the events surrounding the group. As quick as she could blink, things kept happening. Lani brought a hand up to run it through her hair, stepping back once more, almost running into the Jamoura behind her, who was heading towards the old man. Lani glanced behind her at the blonde and the drunk who were doing their own thing, in front of her the green eyed human and the Jamoura helped the old man. She was practically useless. Most sane people would simply walk away. Being the only woman on the wrong side of town during the wrong time of the night ... but Lani was curious. It was the fiery need that took over her thoughts anytime she couldn't quite comprehend her surroundings or studies kept her bare feet planted firmly on the ground. She was going no where until she found a few things out. She wanted to know why this Jamoura stood on the streets of the port city, so far from home. Why the blonde man thought he would help with no medical tools. She wanted to know what the heck these two humans were doing starting fights. She couldn't walk away until she knew what she walked into. Lani swung her boots to her other hand, pulling her arms up as she crouched down beside the three. She looked once at both the human and the Jamoura, willing to take an answer from whichever would give it to her. "What's up with him? He okay?" Her words seemed cold. She wasn't attached immediately to the old man who had fallen. There were two other panicked people at his side. But it didn't mean that she had no interest in her well being, she didn't wish harm to him, but it wasn't her priority to help him when others had already taken that initiative.

PC/NPC Talking -- Common -- Kontinese -- Thoughts

[Eldritch]

The Jamoura was easily able to pull the older man to his feet, his form weighing very little as either evidence of malnourishment or simply a small form. Perhaps a little of both, though whatever the case when the older man’s hand briefly brushed against the Jamoura the intelligent ape would feel as though a tiny bit of energy had simply been sapped from him. The old man shuffled forward a bit and felt around for Pulren handing him his cane, his face finally becoming visible to the young Wave Guard. Harsh wrinkles set in his face, eyes sunken and low, and his teeth were crooked and yellow as he appeared extremely ancient.

He reached out to place his hand around the cane, his hand falling over Pulren’s and when it did something very wrong started to occur. The young Wave Guard would feel his essence, his energy, being sucked from him almost as if the old man had opened a tap in his energy and was guzzling away at it. Within a few ticks Pulren would lose the ability to properly stand, feeling as though he had run a marathon around the whole city, sweat would start to bead upon his brow.

From here the old man had held a hand out in the direction of the others, a tiny black dot forming in the air and rapidly beginning to expand in the air. It was clear that if something was not done then Pulren could very well be killed by this strange older man and his ability, but the black vortex already the size of a human head one had to wonder if one could reach him in time to help. The whole while cruel and mad laughter could be heard bubbling up from the old man’s chest, obviously his mind having vanished long ago to whatever power he commanded.

OOCSorry to pick on you Pulren, but hopefully this should make things a little more interesting eh?

[Pulren Marsh]

A good deed never going unpunished, Pulren looked into the face of the old man as he handed him his cane. He looked so very old, older than anyone that should have been out of a deathbed, much less out on East street so late. He felt the elder's cold, clammy hand on his own and began to help him up. He felt a little light headed himself, blaming the stinking kelp and its slimy hold on his brain.

Light headed took a slippery slide to a darker place, however, as Pulren could feel his life slipping away. It seemed as if he could feel his hand acting much like a keg tap, his energy slipping free into the old man's mug. he tried to complain, even to pull away, but only a "Nnnggghh.." came from his lips. His own skin became clammy and sweat formed a slick sheet of illness over his features. As his legs went out from under him, all the young man could do was curse the wicked kelp and its weakening of his own strength.

The old man seemed very pleased with whatever was going on, Pulren mused, though his legs were shaking and weak, as if he had run all day. He could hear his own pulse in his ears, thumping in time to the energy leaving his body. His eyes fluttered closed as Pulren swayed back and forth on his knees. He wanted so badly to pull himself free, but the strength wasn't there. Nothing was. Not even the cold, wet bricks of the street as he slumped over into unconsciousness.

[Aoren]

Aoren found the man’s accent a little difficult to understand at first but as he processed the words he got the gist of his sentence. He nodded humbly at the gratitude expressed merely by him showing up. It had been circumstance. Reaching out he placed a hand on the man’s shoulder pressing down lightly. As he did, the Gnosis shone brightly casting a soft blue light. He watched as that light passed from him into the man coursing through his body mending what was within Aoren’s power to mend. The Drykas concentrated on alleviating the man’s pain lending him strength where strength was needed. When the light faded, Aoren nodded stepping back to allow the man some room.

“There you go. How do you feel?” Isikai, the large Zypherian, Bozderon mixed breed padded up to Ricky nudging the man with his nose. The dog sniffed at him curiously before huffing and returning to Aoren’s side. He pet the dog on his head for a brief moment before surveying the rest of those gathered.

“Is anyone else in need of—“ Aoren’s inquiry was cut short when he saw the young man assisting the cloaked figure collapse. The sudden fall struck Aoren as odd given he was assisting the elderly gentleman without much difficulty a moment prior. Given the apparent involvement of alcohol in the situation however, it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility that he just lost his balance. Shaking his head Aoren moved to help the man when Isikai gave a low growl. That made Aoren pause. He looked at his canine companion to see the dog hunched over with his fur on end growling in the direction of the elder gentleman.

“What is it, boy? What’s wrong?” The resounding laughter was all the answer that Aoren needed. His attention riveted to the old man. The sinister grin on his face made chills go down the Drykas man’s spine. Isikai barked at the old man growling as he took a tentative step closer. Aoren reached out placing a hand on the dog’s back to keep him from darting off. It was then that he saw the black vortex forming in front of the old man’s outstretched hand. Aoren didn’t need to be a mage himself to recognize that whatever the old man was conjuring, was some form of magic. Given the madness in the old man’s eyes? It most definitely was not the helpful sort either.

Aoren thought quickly. His eyes darted to the young man who had collapsed then to the large furred creature nearby, the woman standing next to him and to the man behind him. There were four people that he had to consider, four lives that could be put in harm’s way if Aoren didn’t react. He didn’t know if any of the gathered possessed magic of any kind. He wasn’t going to wait to find out. The old man was obviously a threat.

“Sir,” Aoren addressed the old man. He tightened his grip on his quarterstaff with his right hand. He lowered his left closing it into a loose fist at his side. The young man conjured his Res then. He hoped it wouldn’t be necessary but it was better to be safe than to be sorry. He wasn’t about to die while reasoning with a madman.

“Stop. Whatever it is that you are doing, stop it now. You don’t have to hurt anyone.” He tried to adopt his calmest voice. His Res was gathered in the palm of his left hand. Aoren willed it to thin and spread until it was a wispy gas swirling in his fist. He stepped a little closer to the old man. Aoren nodded to the unconscious form of the young man on the ground.

“No one has to get hurt.” Unfurling the fingers of his left hand he commanded the gaseous Res to flow behind his back. As he did this, Aoren raised his hand in a placating gesture attempting to reason with the old man. More of Aoren’s Res pushed itself out of his back joining the wispy gas forming behind him. It seeped through the pores of his skin passing through the threads of his cotton shirt to join the loose cloud lingering behind him. In a few short moments the cloud was the size of his head centered at Aoren’s back. The Healer stepped a little closer toward the old man.

“Now, why don’t you just lower your hand and we can be on our way. All of us.”

What hope was there in reaching out to a madman? Was there any hope at all?

NoteI was so conflicted about what to do! -flails- This is the only thing that makes sense for Aoren as a character to do at the moment.

[Ricky Maze]

With the hand of the healer gently placed on his shoulder, Ricky tried his best to maintain what balance he still had from his stupor. The effects of being drunk were all but gone now and in turn Ricky needed to find himself a better anchor to dwell on, seeing as the equilibrium hadn't fully settled down just yet. When the faint light of highlighted blue seemed to glimmer and travel from the healer to the fisherman, Ricky himself felt his very core begin to find relief as the injuries he suffered were healed. The change first started with the sudden flow of relief from his insides towards the surface, and then finally the areas that seemed to suffer injuries were in turn starting to regenerate as though the very process of repair the body undergoes was sped up.

The bruises he had quickly faded out and returned the skin to the original shade, while the cuts and gashes made from taken punches magically closed on their own, all while the very pain of his wounds melted away into oblivion to leave Ricky in the same condition he was before the fight had started. What a relief! Healers were something he could never take fore granted, not since the time he'd held his own near death experience so close. Were it not for those healers that came, he would've surely passed on into the next life. That was all in the past now, and it was better to look at the present instead. Like now... Now they had all these people here in one night, on the street that was most dangerous no less, and they were about to find themselves in yet another pickle.

The older man had started to do something, literally pull some kind of act as Pulren, who was the recruit Ricky trained, seemed to lose his own consciousness. It was as though the young man who seemed lively one moment, suddenly lost all that energy by a mere touch. A mere touch?! The old man! He wasn't just an old fellow, but a Leecher that had sapped the Djed from Pulren! Were it such an easy assumption to make, yet Ricky remembered what Leeching felt like for him. Volanaro did it to him before Spring began, granted it was only a small portion of Djed. This? This definitely mirrored the outer effects Ricky could recall, sudden loss of energy and weakness in the limbs. Yet Pulren looked as though he were actually falling out of it, which meant if Leeching were involved... then he had a lot more Djed sapped from him. Concern rose greatly in his head as something else started to transpire, as an odd phenomenon occurred above the group then and there.

A strong pull like the attraction of Res... but this was different. This pull literally seemed to affect the air and the space, gravity itself seemed affected as Ricky's senses told him magic was involved. Shivers and tingles alike shook his spine, as a black vortex seemed to gape only just wide enough to swallow the head of a human whole. By the Gods! This man was an insane lunatic from the asylum! His laughter, his abilities, he was by far out of his mind in comparison to the group here. This man was a threat. Threat equaled danger, danger led to a change. That change being the protective nature that resided within the one who was presumably drunk. Instinct took over Ricky now, as Aoren seemed to try and find a way to reason with this man. There was no time though. Pulren was already losing precious amounts of his life force, and they were literally under a ticking time bomb of a vortex!

Action. This called for action. Yet no sense of combat or paradigm could come to Ricky, as this was all too sudden for him to figure out. There were only three key thoughts to focus on; the group around him, Pulren, and then the insane wizard that intended to kill. The goals were set, now was the time to act. "Get de PETCH back!!" He pointed to the larger creature and the girl, hopeful they would likely withdraw as this event unfolded. The further they were from this... vortex then the better, as for now he hadn't the time to rightly explain his reasoning. Whether they listened or not was up to them after all, next of course was the main target. In order to save Pulren he would have to break contact somehow, which meant... Gods. This would be dangerous.

Ricky waited no further as his impulse led him onward next, the shift in his not-so-greatly made equilibrium put on all front as he darted forward. It would help build him some momentum to say the least, enough to literally rush past Aoren and in turn tackle the older man head on. Ricky knew this would likely result in him being leeched next, but his Djed should be thicker at least... compared to Pulren's. Magic users had more Djed to spare compared to the folks that didn't use it, so Ricky more or less thought he would be able to buy for time by tackling this man to the ground. In turn that might've stopped the unknown vortex from forming, once the concentration would finally break from it of course. The large fisherman finally seemed to collide into the figure of the old man, a small roar made from Ricky himself as he smashed into his target to attempt to break him off from Pulren and the group. The further the distance between this freak and them, the better in their case as it would hopefully bring back a little bit of safety. Safety Ricky wanted to provide them considering he was an overbearing guardian of the city.

oocOkay so for everyone's sake I figured this time I'd place a posting order, so nobody would find themselves confused about it in the event things got confusing. Since I already made this post I'll just start the list with who goes next.

Grash
Lani Stranger
Eldritch
Pulren
Aoren

As for the whole tackling the insane mage thing, I leave that to you Eldritch to determine how it unfolds.

[Grash]

As the old man's hand brushed against Grash, he suddenly felt a bit drained. As if he was beginning to realize how tired he was. The old man then went for his cane, his hand falling onto the wave guard. What happened next completely blew him away. Grash watched as the wave guard quickly sunk to his knees and fell into unconsciousness. He wasn't quite sure what was happening, maybe the alcohol had gotten to him. But it seemed far more strange than that. And seconds later, the old man reached out to the others and a black mass began to take shape. Grunting in scared confusion at the black vortex that was increasing in size, he heard one of the men to his side shout in his direction. "Get de PETCH back!!" Eyes widening, Grash saw the drunk charging his direction. Grash jumped backwards, gripping his quarterstaff tightly, afraid that the man was attacking him. Quickly realizing, however, that that didn't make sense. He watched as he plowed right into the laughing old man. Is this really the town that Garal had insisted that I belong in??

[Lani Stranger]

Events rushed by her before she quite realized what had happened. The green eyed human who she had neglected to get a name from just sunk to the ground. This forced Lani into standing position immediately. Something was wrong. Something was very very wrong with that. It wasn't until she could feel the sharp chill of a magic that she knew all to well that her feet were in action. No thoughts floated through her brain to judge her response or evaluate who had opened the vortex growing a few inches from her face, all Lani knew at the moment was fear. Her feet propelled her back, trying to get out of the radius of the void, that would surely suck her in. Her limbs were rubbery and heavy as she tried to turn around, she needed to run. She needed to run! But she couldn't get her footing in time. One foot tripped over the other, impossibly wide eyes, as black as the void itself, watched the portal grow. Her rump hit the ground, and Lani scrambled backwards, hands grasping for something to pull her away. But nothing offered her hold, her fingers raking the smooth cobble, chilled from the night. A shriek flew form her mouth, halting before she could form words. What words would she form? Were there words to express the force that had threatened her life before and was back?

Thoughts returned to Lani, awkwardly rising to her feet. She had dropped her shoes, and she could see one on the ground just below the void. It seemed to be torn, unable to decide if it was pulled towards the ground by gravity or toward the void by Djed. The laces had made up their minds, rising up, towards the black hole, towards death. I have to go. She told herself, her eyes fixed on the shoe. I have to go. I have to go ... Barely a foot away from the shoe, lay the human. Either dead or unconscious, she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure how he had come to be in that state either. Whatever the matter, he was too close. The portal would grow and soon he would be sucked into it.

A leg stepped in front of her vision of the unconscious human. The other one, the blonde one, was talking to the old man. "Oh he can't be reasoned with ... " a shaky voice crawled from her lips, taken away from the ears of the man. He may or may not have heard her. The portal was growing and so was Lani's fear. She needed to run. She needed to save herself and get as far away as she could. But she couldn't Her feet were planted in place. She didn't know these people, she had no obligation to them. She had no reason to feel guilty for saving herself. But she couldn't move. Her time was running out, her immobilized state was doing nothing to help her. As quickly as it all happened, the waveguard was in action. Moments ago he was groaning in pain and helplessly drunk. No where near resembling the man who ran head first into the man, which didn't particularly seem like a good idea to Lani. But she wasn't thinking about the man's miraculous health or not entirely thought out decisions. She was thinking about death. She was thinking about how, if the misfortune of it had not already fallen upon him, the green eyed human was going to meet death very soon. Her own action was a little less rash as she let her eyes wander the scene. If she wasn't going to run, she was going to help. Only as long as she didn't get hurt. Her vision landed back on the portal to the void, making her heart skip a few beats as she realized how large it had gotten in a few seconds. She had to get to the otherside. The only thing separating her from helping the unconscious man, which everyone else had completely ignored, was the void. The entirety of the dimension in one area, waiting for its prey. To one side, the blonde and the wave guard dealt with the old man, to the other, there was a wall. Lani didn't know how far the force of the portal would reach, but hoped she could slide along the wall with little consequence. Lani cursed as she realized what she was going to do. "Damn it. Damn it all to Hai."

On nimble feet and long legs, Lani sprinted the few steps to the wall, trying to give the growing vortex as much birth as she could. Lani could feel her heart going faster, sweat was dripping under her arms already. Her ears were tingling and she gave a relieved breathy chuckle when she had reached the other side, to the clear street. Again, Lani froze. She could run. It was growing, and unlikely the man was even alive. The thought came back into her head as she realized how close he was to it. She had no obligations to him ...

But her feet were moving again. As she got closer, she could feel the terrifying pull. It wasn't particularly strong, not like some that Lani had seen, but it was still there, a weak pulse that brushed her clothes, gently urging her her towards the portal. It locked her legs, what was so doing? Don't be selfish. Lani chided herself, daring to inch closer, the pull stronger on her as she got closer, but not nearly enough to move even her hair. But Lani's perception of this was clouded by fear. Lani gave herself a warped reality, thinking the pull was far stronger than it actually was. She crouched, latching her right hand onto the man's calf. With her left hand, she dared to reach closer, gripping his shirt in her fingers. "Oh sweet Aquiras!" Lani gasped as she tried to drag the man across the ground. His deadweight wasn't the problem for Lani, she wasn't the most fit person, but she was reasonably larger than him. The ever-growing vortex that resided barely a foot from her crouched head, was weighing down both her limbs and his, making the simplistic task far harder than it should have been. The fact that she crouched in a position that gave no leeway for movement, wasn't going to help either. Lani straightened her knees, stepping every so slightly forward so that she could grab his entire torso. Lani shoved her feet into the ground, thinking the man was going to be heavy. The strain that it put on her legs was far more bearable, than she thought it was going to be. Having overestimated, Lani pulled the man back with ease, loosing her balance. She winced as we elbow hit the cobble, but scooted back farther, taking in short breathes and staring at the void on last time.

Forcing herself not to think about it. There wasn't a pull, she had imagined that … maybe. Lani wasn't sure what to think as her adrenaline wore down. Goose skin still held her arms rigid and her heart had not slowed, but Lani was starting to think more clearly. Forcing herself not to pay attention to her surroundings, Lani got onto her feet. She turned to the unconcious human beside her, crouching down. Her thoughts fumbled, not knowing what to do with him now that he was out of the way. Her hair flipped into her face as she glanced back, looking for help. Hopelessness was slapped across her face and she dragged her eyes back to the man below her, blowing the bangs out of her face. Cold fingers slipped under his jaw, and she pressed around, feeling for a pulse. Lani was almost certain that was how to tell if he was alive, but uncertainty held her thoughts when no warm beat hit her finger tips. Frustrated, Lani leaned her head down, resting her ear inches above his nose. She could definitely hear him breathing, which was enough life for her satisfaction. At least he wasn't dead.

"Oh Gods. Oh … um." Lani didn't know what to do with the unconcious man. She was not one to help others and in it had barely been a few chimes, Lani should have been half way to the University by now. Instead she was sitting next to the void, fretting over a man she didn't know."Agh, wake up!" Lani turned he head again, watching the threats of the void, and the man who had opened it. The scuffle was barely five feet from her, which sent a wave of chills down her back, forcing her eyes back down at the human. Desperation brought her hand to his face, a sharp slap to his jaw. Maybe the shock would wake him up? Again Lani let her hand connect with his face, lighter this time. She lifted and eyelid to see the white veiny human eye that seemed to be turned backwards. Lani stood, unwilling to do more for the man. But this time she didn't leave. This time it was her choice, black eyes watched the commotion, the sharp warm feeling was building in her fists. She had no more obligations here, she needed to leave. Lani's feet stood planted into the ground, it had already been decided in the few minutes she had been there, she wasn't going to run.

OOCI might've gotten too carried away ... sorry xD

PC/NPC Talking -- Common -- Kontinese -- Thoughts