[Quest] When Shadows Speak And Sometimes Scream

[Gossamer]

Timestamp: Mid Winter, 511, AV Status: Closed - PM for Info Location: Godiva's, Riverfall's Waterfall Out On The Streets. It was in the dead of night. Snow blanketed the city like a glittering crystal shell, giving the whole of Riverfall an elegant illuminated appearance. The Goddess stood before the slumbering visitor surrounded in whispering shadows. She furrowed her brows and then stepped closer to the bed as if curiosity didn't allow her any other choice. The surroundings were lush, pampering, and the bedding draped elegantly across the dark haired woman who slumbered within them. But it wasn't to the woman the Goddess looked. Instead, she reached out her hand, smiling slightly like an elder sister would to a wayward younger one, and a ghostly hand stretched out, emerging from the slumbering woman, and grasped the Goddess' hand. Akajia tugged and the little girl slid free of the body she was possessing and had ridden almost incessantly since the beginning of her death at a very young age. The shadows rejoiced, as if they too were part of the reunion and the little girl hadn't realized it. She blinked as if finally noticing them and smiled brightly, her ghostly face alight with joy. "Amandarista. I sensed you the moment you crossed into the gates of the city. What in the world are you doing hiding in there as if it were your own shell?" The goddess asked, furrowing her lovely brows and hoisting the ghost into her arms like a real mother would a child. The ghost child smiled. She looked about six or seven, though small for her age, and immediately rearranged her appearance so her hair was swept up and rolled against her scalp loosely like the Goddess' was that particular day. The touch, the incredible intimacy was almost as if between a mother and a child. Amanda seemed to melt into the Goddess' arms and the Goddess truthfully looked completely at ease holding her. Silently, they seemed to commune without words though in truth nothing passed between them but touch. "Ahh. I sensed as much." Akajia said, her hands stroking the ghostly figure as if reading her death like the blind would read a book written in raised dots. Together with their escort of noisily whispering shadows, the pair turned, leaving the woman to slumber, although lighter and somehow more free for the moment as her inadvertent parasite was freed from her form. "I've missed you so much!" The little girl whispered, her arms easily encircling the Goddess' neck, familiar in a disturbing way. Goddess and ghost. It felt natural although such a thing shouldn't be. Akajia carried her through the nearest wall and out onto a balcony and down a stairway walking away from the slumbering woman as she did so. The woman, Caliet, would wake uneasily, knowing something was wrong and feeling as if she hadn't been alone in her room, even though the two entities had departed. A cursory examination would have revealed the room abnormally cold even though a fire still burned in a hearth near the foot of the bed. A quick look outside would reveal two shadows moving away. The pair, reunited, began to speak softly as the goddess carried the girl away, blending into the shadows. She walked for a long way, at length, until they came to an overlook of the frozen waterfall and watched the sun rise in the sky. A causal observer would have seen a mother and a child talking intently, though the girls' voice wasn't one of a childs any longer but of an eloquent adult coherent and animated. The Goddess spoke too and the shadows swirled around them adding in bits of the conversation as if all in the Goddess' aura were old friends. It was only when the shadows calmed slightly could the conversation once more be overheard. "I brought her to you. She doesn't know I did. And there are others gathering here too, Akajia, just as you were promised. We all brought them. You know what was done and that now I am the bellweather for them. They'll come soon, and challenge her. She's not ready. Nor is she strong enough to keep what she learns to herself, even though she's tried. She needs more. The others will help her. And she in turn will help them. But whether they can do what you want us all to do is left to be seen. But our deal still stands, does it not? I want my own body again. That was the promise I was given when I was told she'd take my life. She did it, and I let her, so I've trusted and worked and now I have her here. Others will have the others here as well. I think we are running out of time, My Lady." The child ghost said. The Goddess nodded, understanding what the child said. "No one will forget the promises made to you, Amandarista. The Gods never forget a promise, especially me. But this secret must be revealed. The source must be found. Our kin are falling prey and so too will the Nighstalkers if we don't escalate things and make a move that drives whomever is behind this out in the open. It is as you've seen and as Tanroa has hinted at. And I'm afraid it is as you already fear: They are here." Akajia said, glancing around and then back at the girl. She shifted the ghost in her arms as if she had actual weight, though she didn't, and smiled as Amandarista's manifestation was so perfect that even the slight night wind ruffled her hair. "You look so good. You feel so good. It's so good to have you here in my arms still existing. So many of ours have gone. Once, at the beginning of it all, I thought the shadows would exist forever. Now they are slain and consumed. They vanish and only the Nightwalkers knew they existed. Its the biggest secret, the biggest mystery, of all, Amandarista." Akajia said softly, nuzzling the girl like a real mother would. The scene was so peaceful, so mundane, as if the girl wasn't dead and the Goddess wasn't divine. It was almost sacrilege what happened next. As the sky lightened, some of the Shadows were driven off. And with their retreat a glowing sort of afterimage began to rise from the waters of The Bluevein. They swirled around, glowing in numbers, causing Amandarista to swing her head wildly and utter a wild cry of warning. Akajia moved and the space around them began to darken. The woman's countenance changed abruptly, going from relaxed and loving to abruptly protective and wrathful all at once. The swirling forms began to manifest, becoming more solid, taking on form and presence. Amandarista began to scream in fear while Akajia got deadly silent. She circled, scanning the area, as if trying to get a good look at the enemy even as her shadows attempted to fight their way to her side even as the glow from the slowly manifesting creatures drove them back. One, nearer one of the glowing manifestations was consumed almost instantly, its death scream eerie and unnatural in the stillness of the slowly dawning day.

[Sterling Brody]

The night chilled straight to Sterling’s bones. The black wool of his coat was drawn around his chest, his frozen hands stuffed into the depths of the pockets. The night was beginning to make way for Syna’s light, bringing promise of a slightly warmer temperature under her radiance. His teeth chattered as he walked, noting the beauty of the frozen falls around the magnificent city. The dawning day held for him a bit of exploration of the vast civilization. Riverfall had been unlike any city he had ever seen or heard of. So what had drawn him here?

The promise of returning to Endrykas. The fall season had brought him a series of confusing, stirring dreams. Haunting him was the memory of a Drykas woman, Caoin. Though their encounters had been brief and riddling, he was compelled to return home to the grasslands. The longer he had put it off, the worse the dreams had become. It had been too long since his last pleasant slumber. Caoin came to him no more, but in her wake came a constant horde of nightmares. The Striders he loved so much, the most beautiful creatures he had ever known or seen, trampled him to death in his sleep. They bit at him, stampeded, reeled with fury and anger. He had woken up that very morning as a result of said plague. His emerald shirt was moist with the nervous sweat that clung to his body when he pulled the cotton garment over his head. He had set out on a walk to ease his mind, but thus far, Caoin and the Striders were the only things on his mind.

Sterling paused in the street, his chest still tight with anxiety. He was caught in a dilemma. Return to Endrykas or suffer the ever-intensifying terror of the nightmares. But return, and face the fury of his father, who had been enraged by his departure from Endrykas since the beginning. He had been the only child born into his family, a man. As a Drykas man, he had responsibilities and obligations that he had willingly left behind. He had left his brilliant Strider, Kilo, behind on the plains, and it had darkened his heart. What he wouldn’t give to be back home. It had seemed like such a promising expedition. He had learned to think otherwise.

With a sigh, he drew his hands from his pockets and ran his fingers through his hair. He could only hope for a miracle as far as his relationship with his father was concerned. His mother would try to talk sense into him. She would be happy to see him, he knew. But the fury of his father was one to behold.

As he closed his eyes, breathing in the sharp, crisp winter air, he hoped for the best. For now, he would take his time. Why, though? The nightmares grew worse, his chances of mending things with his father faded. So why was he wasting time in Riverfall?

He had to take something back to them. He had to show them he had left for a reason, and come back with something that could benefit his pavilion. And yet, he was empty handed thus far. He had passed by the centers for armed and unarmed combat in Riverfall, as well as the Sanctuary and other places of interest. He would take what he could from these people, and dedicate his newfound skills to benefitting his pavilion. And then there was Caoin. He simply had to know if she was real. Was she really the beautiful Amethyst Clan woman she had claimed to be? Or was she simply a figment of all he had longed to return to? His Drykas people, a beautiful woman, the promise of a family of his own.

As his hands fell back to his sides, his mind propelled his feet forward, but his movement was naught. The Bluevein began to swirl with glowing tendrils. His brow furrowed as he watched, the scene manipulating his train of thought. This city had been strange, but he had yet to see anything such as this. The bloodcurdling scream of a child pierced his heart, causing him to flinch. His head swung ‘round, searching for the source of the frightened child. In the distance stood a woman and a child. The woman maintained a fierce stance, and the child was afraid. His heart leapt, propelling his legs to move into a jog towards them. Something was wrong.

”Hey,” He shouted. ”Ma’am, are you okay? Is the child hurt?”

And yet the nearer he drew, his jog broke into a walk. Again, his brow furrowed. The little girl was not at all what she seemed. Though he squinted through the dim morning light, his eyes had not deceived him. She was practically see-through. The morning got stranger and stranger, and he wondered if he was having another nightmare.

[Raiha]

Raiha was in the mews. The shutters were and the actual glass windows, which fit perfectly, helped considerably to keep the cold out this year. She had a small fire going in the hearth, and with the mews closed up, the heat circulated nicely. Where she could, the birds had nest boxes as well, with nesting materials in there. Keeping the birds comfortable was her first priority. The dogs had fur, and she could layer up, but the birds had their feathers. And she, quite frankly, just wanted them to stay warm. The young Akontak knew, after all, when they weren’t warm enough - it was something that just came through thanks to the gift that came from her mother’s people. Tonight, they were fine. Uzima and Chuki were sitting on one of the perches by her bed, side by side, their feathers fluffed up. Chuki’s beak was tucked into Uzima’s feathers, and Uzima watched Raiha, occasionally eying the trio of little owlets in what Raiha called the crate - a large wooden box with a few perches, and food bowls. Wire mesh covered the front third of the crate - the very front, and a small section of the top. It was covered with a blanket as the owlets sat on the low perch, clustered together, peering out at her. They were just babies - fluffy and covered in down. She was pretty sure that they were screech owls, judging by the sounds that they made. Their little hoots were shrill, and repeated frequently while they watched her. She was sitting on the floor on a woven rag rug, Diallo stretched out in front of her on his side, half-dozing. The lights were low, and around her, the ever present voices of the shadows murmured and bubbled. It was surprisingly comforting. Some people might have called it insane, but Raiha had been hearing a voice in her head for as long as she could remember.

What was more of them?

“I know you’re not happy,” Raiha told the little birds with a sigh. “But you have to admit, it’s a lot better than being buried under three feet of snow, which is where you would be right now if Dara and I hadn’t heard you. You’re not hungry again, are you?” She looked up from where she was practicing tying a bandage on her big deerstalker. He was endlessly patient, which was fortunate, because he sometimes served as the practice patient. It was the little things in medicine that counted, like properly bandaging a limb. She could always use more practice with it. At the owlets’ hoots, Raiha set the bandage aside, getting up and moving on all fours towards the hearth, checking on the dismembered bit of groundhog she had thawing there. It was warming indirectly - the raptors she kept did not need cooked food, and as such, Raiha wasn’t trying to cook it. She was far more interested in defrosting it. She kept a stock of them outside the mews for the birds. She just had to keep defrosting them to feed the meat supply regular. Hawks were not impressed with cooked meat - just something she could feed to them. Sometimes, she missed Mura. There was always an easy source of hunting and supply. And while sometimes on clear days she could take the larger birds she was working with and training and go hunting, and feed the others with the excess, those clear days weren’t always on a good time table.

So defrosting it was.

She shuffled the little plate and rotated the meat. Juices were dripping, and when she poked through it the haunch of groundhog with her fingers, it was soft and relatively pliable. That was a good start. She removed the plate and returned to the returned to the owlets, beginning to mimic their calls, her voice two octaves lower as she opened the front door of the crate, settling down once again and picking through the meat, pulling little shreds, tiny little morsels with her fingernails. The fluffy owlets with bright yellow eyes began to bob and weave, demanding their food. They recognized feeding time. She grinned at that, and began to feed them, little tiny bits by little tiny bits, one at a time. It took care to avoid their sharp beaks from getting her fingers by accident as they gobbled up the gobbits. Half a bell later, when she checked their crops, she found them quite full. Perfect. She closed the crate, and washed her hands in melted, warmed snow, and wiped her hands on a rag before returning to Diallo to practice tying the bandage once more.

She could splint and bandage any part of a bird with her eyes shut. Their anatomy was different than a mammal, however, and most of the work around Sanctuary was done with mammals. And with so many dogs and horses... her gift from Rak’keli only really allowed for cleaning infections and closing minor cuts - not deeper ones. And since Kavala wouldn’t always be on hand, bandaging was a skill she wanted to practice. What are you doing, Shadowplayer? one of them asked, browsing alongside of her, using her to shield itself from the light of the lamps and the hearth. She held the limb out straight in front of her, taking a long, rolled-up strip of cotton cloth, and used her thumb to hold it in place beyond the imaginary ‘wound’.

“I’m practicing bandaging on Diallo,” she replied in their tongue, beginning to wind the white strip of cloth around Diallo’s foreleg tightly. “Bandaging applies pressure to a wound, which keeps more blood from coming out of it. It also helps keep it from getting dirt into it. While wounds are bad, what can get into them is even worse, so we want to keep them covered,” she lectured as she methodically wound the bandage along his foreleg while the dog just laid there and enjoyed the fire. “Bandaging is not the same as dressing. Dressings are meant to be in direct contact with the wound itself, and you can use anything you have on hand. Spiderwebs, honey, even cloth. I like honey myself,” Raiha had to admit. “It’s clean, really, and it’s just the right consistency to work with. So bandaging, what I’m doing now, helps keep the dressing, like the honey, in place, and to prevent Diallo from licking it off, since honey is sweet, and just about everything likes honey.”

Where is the honey, Shadowplayer?

“I’m not really using any right now, since I’m just practicing bandages,” she checked the foreleg below the bandage with her hand, feeling for the movement of blood. “No point in wasting honey when there is no wound, is there?” The shadow had to admit that that was true, and Raiha smiled at it, and finished tying off the bandage, sitting back and eying her handiwork before tugging carefully at it to see how well it was tied, and how well it would move. “The vexation of bandaging is this: you could tie it so tightly it wouldn’t move, but you risk cutting off the flow of blood to the rest of the limb. You can tie it loosely, but then it won’t do its job.”

That’s not good.

“No,” she agreed, “it’s not.” Raiha untied the cotton strip, and began to unwind it, rewinding it back upon itself to try again on yet another leg, reaching to scratch Diallo’s ears, rising up on her knees before scratching the dog’s belly and sides enthusiastically with strong fingers.

Raiha Shadowplayer.

She didn’t recognize the voice, but she heard the urgency, the worry, the fear contained within. The Akontak looked up, searching for the shadow that the voice belonged to. She found it, lingering near the cold door. “That is me, yes. Who calls?”

The Lady calls.

Raiha was on her feet immediately, then, causing Chuki to open his eyes and glare at his falconer. What in Eywaat’s name was she doing, disturbing their rest? “Sorry, sorry,” she told the goshawks, pulling on her gauntlet, and nudging them into stepping up on her arm before opening up Uzima’s flight, that had just recently become the flight that she and Chuki shared, and set them down on a perch by the nest box. There was only one Lady that the shadows referred to with such reverence, and that was Akajia Herself. The Night-Mother, as she and Kanikra called Her. She had resorted out the twin souls of the young Akontak, making it clearer to Kanikra than anyone else had just how much she and Raiha needed each other, and that the path to power was through balance - not from destabilization. Bring Sulvanon, Kanikra reminded her as Raiha removed her falconry gauntlet and began to pull on her layers to go outside in.

It was cold enough to necessitate a necessitate a woolen sweater over top of her leather vest, followed by the woolen cloak. and Raiha drew the hoods up, feeling the shadows brush against her face beneath the garments, twisting before slipping back around to circle the walls. She had no idea what Akajia wanted with her, but for the shadow to be so upset... she reached under her pillow and grabbed the sheathed black blade, tying the sheath to her belt as she pulled on her boots, snatching up suvai and mace on her way out. “Guard,” she told the Deerstalkers before opening and closing the doors to the mews, and hurrying down the steps three at a time before hitting the snowy ground and hurriedly making her way to Riverfall.

Everything she heard as she ran over the snow urged her to quicken her pace. This was bad. Whatever it was, she made her way towards Godiva’s Refuge, suddenly glad for the comforting weight under her cloak that felt like the mace. The sheer crushing power was dead useful, but if the Goddess needed her, she had a feeling that chances were, Sulvanon would be her weapon of choice in the night. The screams chilled her to the bone easier than the windchill of the winter season, and only encouraged her to hustle. She didn’t need the light to see as she saw the Bluevein River surging, and stared at it and the figures near. Breathe, the Akontak reminded herself, pursing her lips. That was the Night-Mother, and she was not happy. She hurried after the young man who had called out, pulling out the black blade, keeping it concealed and ready underneath the wool, her gold eyes on the river as she edged towards Akajia and the ghostly child that accompanied her.

Was this what Akajia had mentioned to her before? The Halival. Shadow-Eater. Her knuckles tightened on Sulvanon. “Night-Mother,” Raiha whispered to the Goddess in quiet reverence. She had called, and now the youngling had come, her eyes returning to the surging river. Raiha breathed, forcing her mind to stop racing, and found Kanikra slipping in. She ceded to her calm, emotionless sister, she who had watched and studied from a world of endless night. Kanikra, who plotted and schemed and pulled strings, who advised and encouraged and scorned, made herself relax, freeing her mind of the mad whorl of of the situation that was unfolding in front of her, and breathed deeply, her features hidden beneath the hoods she wore. Taking comfort from the Goddess’ countenance, even as malevolent as it was, Kanikra inhaled, focusing on the cold, clean air and on Auristics, forcing the Djed to her eyes, her gaze intensifying as her vision changed, bringing to life in the bare lights of the morning what was truly happening before her, to try to get some idea of what these... things... were, and of their numbers, as she tried to read the threads of the auras in the water.

[Cailet]

The wind whipped through the grass, tossing the waist high shafts to and fro as Cailet struggled through the open meadow. It was rather small and completely surrounded by trees; how the wind could tug so persistently at the grass was beyond her. Even Cailet could concede to not knowing everything.

She was alone, she knew that for sure, but as the noonday sun grew hotter, specks of sweat beginning to glisten on her forehead as she continued her persistant push through the grass, the young woman felt the cold trickle down her spine. It was a feeling she equated to being watched.

Years of training with the Shinya brought the woman slowly to a halt, her knees bending as she ducked under the tops of the grass, disappearing from view. Quick brown eyes scanned the tree line in front of her but she dared not turn or twist the stalks of grass, giving away her position, to check those darkened trunks behind her.

But she was alone.

Moving forward in an awkward crouching, crab-like walk, Cailet made even slower progress than before. The vegetation pulled at her hair, sharp tugs that ripped at her scalp and almost made her cry out; but she didn't turn to free herself nor did she slow her already creeping pace further... She had to keep moving. She had to get away.

And then it was cold. Frost started at the tips of the stalks of grass, delicate patterns coating the blades as the cold permeated the entire meadow, consuming everything. The sweat that tingled her brow just moments before froze quickly, leaving her hair stiff and brittle. Cailet gasped, feeling her lungs fill with bitterly cold air that burned as it rushed into her lungs...

Sitting bolt upright, Cailet tore herself away from the dream. She found the sheets twisted wildly about her frame. The mattress was soaked with sweat, the thin layer that coated her body was chilled, gooseflesh rising on all of her exposed skin. With her chest heaving, Cailet could see the puffs of her own breath as they fogged infront of her face. The room had been warm when she had gone to bed.

Still half asleep and profoundly perplexed, Cailet began to rub her hands on her arms with a vigor, hoping that the friction would cause the blood to warm and move faster through her veins. On top of the sudden change in temperature, she had been dreaming. While that wasn't particularly odd in and of it'self, what was strange was that she was alone...

And then she felt it. An emptiness inside of her that was completely inexplicable. It felt as if her brain rattled around in her head, the padding that usually cushioned it having disappeared. Her heart felt a bit lighter, no longer weighed down by the emotions and intentions of two. Her mind...Her thoughts, they were lonely and half formed, as if part of her was just completely missing. It was troubling to say the least, but she just couldn't put her finger on why...

As her breathing slowed, Cailet's finely honed instincts alerted her to the fact that the delicate, peach-fuzz bits of hair on the back of her neck still stood on end. The human equivalent of canine hackles, this immediately set Cailet on guard. She had the same feeling while she was asleep, as if she was being watched.

Slipping quickly from the mess of sheets, the young woman sent her gaze skipping around the perimeter of her unfamiliar room as she bent to grab her clothes. Naked as the day she was born, the shock of the cold air against her bare skin was enough to make her gasp as she stood, her shirt in one hand and her pants in the other.

A movement out of the corner of her eye sent Cailet's head whipping around, tangled black locks flying into her face as the rest tumbled over her shoulders and down her back; by the time she cleared her vision, there was nothing there. She was, indeed, alone in her room.

"Did you see that?" Makleth rolled easily off her tongue, her voice pitched so that even if someone was listening close by they would have no hope of hearing a single word. The silence that met her question was more of an answer than anything else could have been; the Shadows that plagued her never missed a beat and were the first ones to poke, jab, or otherwise make her life seem like a farce. That they had nothing to say... was troubling.

Forgetting the cold and the clothes she held, Cailet crept forward. Hunched almost in half, she worked her way towards the window and crouching beneath the sill before she peeked out of the slightly fogged glass. Movement! There was someone out there!

The cold tore at her lungs as she gulped to avoid crying out. She was away from the window before she could even finish processing what she thought to do; the door was well oiled and barely even creaked as she gently pried it open. Luck for her. Still bent over, Cailet left the rooms she had temporarily rented behind without a second thought to what would happen to her meager possessions left unattended.

Out on the street, she could still see the shadow... Shadows; they were two, an adult and a child, walking slowly down the street. The child seemed to be hugged close, nuzzled up against the larger form. It had to be it's mother. Had they been watching her sleep? Was this the cause of the cold? Cailet had experienced stranger occurrences, but she had to find out. In fact, she didn't even need to justify it with herself; she was creeping after the meandering pair without a moments hesitation.

They were almost within hearing distance when Cailet's foot found the first bit of snow; the cold burned the bare sole of her foot, forcing a yelp from between her tightly pressed lips. Only then did she realize that her clothes were still tightly balled in her fists. Rushing, rather than letting the mysterious figure get away, Cailet didn't even care that her shirt was on backwards, hopping over the patches of snow as she pulled on her pants at a fast walk.

"... But our deal still stands, does it not? I want my own body again. That was the promise I was given when I was told she'd take my life. She did it, and I let her, so I've trusted and worked and now I have her here. Others will have the others here as well. I think we are running out of time, My Lady."

Had Cailet not been steadying herself on a nearby post as she shoved her leg into her pants, she would have fallen over. She knew that voice. But what... who was she talking too? How was she talking to them? For over fourteen years, Cailet had been Amanda's sole contact; no one else could ever see or hear her. The little girl never left the young womans side, metaphorically speaking. The vacant spot in her mind rattled again, the lightness of her heart twinging as the emptiness she was feeling became apparent.

"But it's not possible!" All this time, Cailet thought of Amanda as the crazy part of her mind, the suppressed child that hadn't ever gotten it's chance to shine in Cailet's own childhood.

Only a fool denies what he can plainly see with his own eyes. The voice was close to her ear, a whisper that couldn't be missed as it hid within the inky darkness of her hair; the moonlight couldn't hurt it there, as it was barely strong enough to illuminate the figures that Cailet followed.

"I can deny what I want to-" Bristling, Cailet's confusion quickly morphed into anger at the voice.

Hush, Shadow Child, Listen.

The "Child" rankled, but the voice had been calm and assertive. If it had had a face, the voice would have been paired to a wise old man with eyes that had seen centuries. It was the type of voice that she just knew she shouldn't ignore. A few quick steps from behind the post to the tree that Amanda and the woman had just passed and Cailet could hear them again.

"...They vanish and only the Nightwalkers knew they existed. Its the biggest secret, the biggest mystery, of all, Amandarista." The velvety tone of the woman sounded eerily familiar, though Cailet couldn't place is. Another few steps closer brought her even closer to the pair as she tried to ascertain more of their conversation; she was gleaning nothing from the small snippets she had heard thus far, the rushing sound of the river wasn't helping any either.

The shock of what she saw before her started to wear away as the cold ate at her disbelief. Belatedly, Cailet quickly ran through what she'd managed to hear. Her spying skills had been greatly hindered by her shock Nd the cold but Cailet knew she had heard Amanda mention killing. Who would do such an awful thing! And the woman, she spoke of secrets... No... It couldn't be! She expected it be dozens of days of searching before she found her...

And then Amanda screamed, chilling Cailet to the bones more effectively than the frigid air in her room or the snow did. Forgetting all pretense of sneaking, Cailet dashed out from her hiding spot and, with a few quick lunges, was at the woman's side. Reflex had her reaching for Amanda without even thinking, as if she could quell whatever had startled her by simply holding her close. This maternal reaction was strange and displaced in the battled hardened woman, though she didn't even seem to notice.

"Amanda!"

Neither did she notice the other figures that approached, drawn also by the curdled scream of a child. The shadows were chittering and sliding away from the strange light, but Cailet ignored them as well. She only had eyes for the ghost girl that should, according to the young woman, only be a figment of her imagination.

[Shai]

Shai crossed her arms beneath her cloak and ran a cursory inspection of the inner pockets with her finger tips. The picks, the fans, the knives… she ticked off mentally. It was all there, in each item’s specific location. She kept everything in order so she never had to fumble for any object which may save her life. A quick shake of her limber frame ascertained that her night leather sat appropriately. The preparations were the result of a cautious disposition that had been engrained in the spider from living, and surviving, in Sunberth. Nearly a season since she had left but it seemed these habits wouldn’t leave her any time soon.

Cold toes tipped across a frigid stone floor to her boots in the corner. Shai knew her activities would have awoken the rogue but he kept up a veneer of slumber to allot her some privacy. The Symenestra’s purpose this night was simple; exploration. The Akalaks made her nervous; it was to be expected since the sum of her knowledge about the blue giants came from scary stories passed down from an elder brother to an adolescent spider. Shai held tight to the hope that the night would dissuade them from their streets. As she slipped beyond the rented room’s threshold she snatched up her mittens from a small table. Easing the door shut behind her the spider crept down the hall, through the common room, and out the front door.

Outside Shai was greeted with the fresh layer of snow, hiding the dirty trodden slush that she had left behind before sleeping in the early evening. Somehow the reflective lunar luminescent of the alabaster blanket combined with her racial ability to pierce all but the deepest of shadows forged a scene reminiscent of a dream. She wasn’t here for picturesque sights though; she wanted the city’s layout. While the thief considered herself relatively stealthy, she certainly knew of no way to mask the crunch of her steps in snow. To quiet her path in the only way she could think to, the spider stepped further into the middle of the street where the frosty precipitation was still slightly powdery; comparatively the noise was muted.

On their nautical approach Shai had caught a glimpse of the city’s tiering, but so far she hadn’t seen beyond the lowest level. It was time to change that. It took several incorrect avenues for the Symenestra to finally find the way up to the next level. Climbing to any elevation with boots and gloves on made her nervous, it almost nullified her ability to grip surfaces which would be particularly nice in a city such as this. Stopping momentarily she placed her hand upon the bitter stone wall. As much as she wanted to climb these cliffs to see the layout of the city she knew such a venture would probably freeze her extremities into a dangerous state. The wind tugged at her cloak and the spider pulled it back tightly around her, a reminder that she was dallying. The black cloaked woman returned to her exploration.

After perhaps a bell of searching Shai was ready to return to the inn, sleep away the morning as she was so prone to. But, before she could even turn back the woman heard the scream, of a child. On instinct the mother ran towards the outcry. Inwardly though she cursed, it could have been anything. An animal, an adult, anything; those she would have left behind, but a child couldn’t be ignored.

In her flight towards the voice the diminutive thief noticed the first practical blessing about winter. The snow stopped her footsteps from echoing out as they surely would have if she ran upon uncovered stone.

As Shai neared the area that she believed the cry had originated, she began to notice the others. Others that she could only assume were drawn in by the same scream. Normally the spider preferred to keep to the shadows, to hide her presence, but that didn’t seem an option this morning. Between the languidly rising sun and the strange behavior of the shadows around the woman, Shai made a judgment call. Standing in the open the spider spent time catching her breath and trying to make sense of the strange display lain before her. She could only come to one logical, or perhaps illogical, conclusion; magic… again. Inwardly she sighed and suspiciously moved closer to investigate.

[Alaqua]

Used to the inky blackness that pervaded her home the bright shallow water invaded her sleep. Eyes slowly flickering closed Alaqua struggled to sleep, the constant flashes of light on the roof of the ocean shocked her awake. Gently widening her hands she wiggled through the water, spinning slowly to rock herself to sleep, letting the intermittent darkness fondle her skin. "Oh Akajia, how I miss you," she murmured longing for the sleek darkness of home. Her voice chirped, rebounding against the rocks to echo against her white skin. The small nodules glowed faintly at the stimulation. Long nails wedged between rocks, she let her body drop slowly she ran her stomach along the mossy tops of the rocks enjoying the sensation. Peering up through the water she guided herself towards the surface, skin instantly glowing under the moonlight. Her eyes bobbed above the surface as she slipped through the web-like skin of the sea. A scream suddenly permeated the air and water, shocking her skin like an electric prod. Instantly sliding beneath the surface to escape the shock, the scream echoed through the shadows. Milky eyes wide she bolted through the water, tilting her webbed feet to guide her. Nodules gleaming as brightly as they did thousands of feet below the surface, she slipped from the water. Turning back she slid a hand underwater drawing her cloak and black gown from the small cave. Her glowing nude form quickly covered by the dark cotton, she dashed up the street towards the scream, slipping on her backpack and buckling her belt as she went. Scavenged jewelry hung from every limb tinkled together as she ran, silent in the water she created quite a cacophony on land. Having traveled for many moons towards Riverfall to sell their scavenged goods Alaqua and her father had separated several days ago. On her own for the first time and not accustomed to the racism of other species she had found herself in several dangerous situations over the days. Nonetheless, she tore up the street, leaving a trail of water behind her. Hiking up the stairs beside the waterfall she giggled as the water frothed playfully against her skin the roar drowning out the sounds at the top enough to make her almost forget what had brought her out of the water. Kissing the water droplets she reached the top of the falls the tumultuous waves crashing down towards the sea. Slipping below the surface she became a glowing moon beneath the surface. Forcing the light to fade she hedged her way through the rocks and peered up through the frothing water her hands holding her in place. Gazing at the scene before her, she tilted her head confused. A shadowy luxurious woman stood before her cradling what seemed to be her child. Waves of permeating darkness surrounded them reminding Alaqua of her home, panged by homesickness she gazed at the wall of shadows before the woman. "Night mother..." She whispered to herself, her accent clicking and whistling over the words. Eyes widening she peered closer. Seeing movements in the shadowy alleyways she picked out others watching the scene like herself. Foolish Dryka, she thought when he flew into the scene like a horse descending from the hills. Staying in the cover of darkness, close enough to watch the scene but removed from the sounds besides the rumbling of the waterfall Alaqua waited. Once forward and curious, the past couple months had taught her the benefits of cautiousness. Drawing the long delicate blade from her hip, it's shining tip stretched out farther than most blades. It was thin and bendable, made for stabbing it's whip like elasticity made it adaptable in the open spaces of the ocean, the thinness discouraging water resistance. On land it seemed feeble but was quick, and its strangeness gave her the psychological advantage.

[Antar]

'Shai.'

For some reason he was worried about her in a way that wasn't right to his normal mode of thinking as she made her way from the room. He tried to turn over, to head back to sleep, but he found that he couldn't. All he could do was lay wide awake in bed, thinking about her and if she was alright. He had come to Riverfall thinking the two of them could get away, to think about things and what they meant to each other. She had wanted to climb the cliffs and have fun. His talk with Naama about her and Ulric's relationship had helped make him wonder if even the worst sorts of people like himself could have something that was ... peaceful.

But since they had gotten here he'd notice her tenseness, a trait which hadn't made her relax one bit. That worried him, and as much as Antar could worry about the symenestran woman. He knew she could hold her own, but he stil... he still couldn't help but - what was the word? Be concerned? He still didn't know what to make of these strange feelings she was slowly awakening within him.

But he didn't know what was wrong with her; or why had she been so tense. For a while he had merely waited, calmly, accepting that she would tell him in her own time. All he wanted to do was to think now, to buy the time they'd both need to figure out if whatever it was between them was something others called 'love.'

But Noth was still concerned. She should have been at ease amongst the akalaks, unlike any male, they tended to protect women. It was one thing he would agree upon in their culture that he liked in general. Even if he wasn't always one to follow the rule if a woman or two attacked him.

Sighing to himself, Antar would realize his night's sleep was at and end and then he'd get out of bed and throw his gear on, armor and all, and head out into the night in an attempt to follow her. His quiver on his back. From her cage he would draw his falcon, Ellise, and wake her before tossing her from the window with a measured word to follow the symenestra. He would then follow quickly after, holding the ledge in his palms before dropping to the ground of the shared room.

It took him less then a half bell for Ellise to find her, and Antar would take up solace watching from afar; being sure to keep the hood of his shadowsilk cloak away from covering his features; leaving his white hair out as a sign amidst the darkness as he merely walked the streets. For the next half bell he would wander, checking with his kelvic from time to time to garner any inkling if Shai would head back to their room; aiming to get there first to pretends as if nothing had happened. He passed a few akalaks, ones stumbling with smiles back from the taverns.

He gave them a cheery wave and hello and they gave him back stares. No matter. Noth was out for Shai's benefit tonight, he felt compelled to somehow ease his worries and he thought she would understand what he was doing even if it was all for naught amidst one of the safest cities in the world.

A commotion on a street closeby echoed through the alleys to him as Ellise came down to roost on a nearby ledge, her craw open and hissing as her wings beat frantically.

Something was wrong.

Antar's steps would hasten towards the commotion, just in time to take in some mysterious shapes closing on a few others amidst the night. A woman holding a child and then two females of some features he couldn't see and a man joined them; a drykas asking if something was wrong. Something he couldn't tell was swirling in the midst of the street, as if marshalling itself to attack as the shadows of the world seemed to move of their own accord.

Then he saw Shai; coming from a place nearby; clad in the dark fabrics of her own cloak and gear. He wasn't the type of male to enshrine her in silk coddling robes though, she was her own woman with the right to risk herself as she chose. If she was here, then...
Should he flee? or fight?

In that instant, he heard a term he had never heard before spoken directly to any particular individual, "Night-Mother.”

His mind would blink at the implications of such an act, but reflexes would dismiss the ramifications from his thoughts as survival instincts took over.

From Antar's lips, yelled words laced with ultimate trust sould towards Shai, who he was still distant from as he had approached the area from a different direction. His words would would be shouted for all to hear. Confusion, uncertainty, all would be conveyed by what he was seeing... "Shai! Could you or anyone else please command me here? What's going on? What is that stuff?! Tell me: where's the threat?!?! "

All thoughts of doubt washed aside and his brain prompted his words to speak as a small kindled orb of Res would secrete itself from his skin at his djed's prompting, the globe's surface sparking into a bright haze of bluish white, in an effort to know what was going on he would raise the globe higher to a place just above his shoulder: letting it hover as a light for those mingling here to see by as he drew his weapons, a gladius in his right, a kukri in his left .

It had been a cold night away from his woman's side, and he suspected it would soon get even colder as he waited for anyone to direct him amidst the confusion. Any other extraneous avenue of thought besides fight or flight which was counter productive to any mortal or immortal's survival today was tossed aside like yesterday's garbage.

[Gossamer]

The Shadows retreated, hovering around Akajia and the ghostly child Amanda. They were awash in anxiety, speaking rapidly in a language that only the Nightwalkers among the group could hear. Their were warnings, anxious cries, and death screams as the pale forms rose up, circling, ten in number, and surrounded the duo. They ignored the other individuals for they made no threat other than words against them. As the dawn broke pouring Syna's light across the river and illuminating the scene clearly, Akajia seemed to fade. Her realm was the darkness and her power was the heart of night and all its secrets. And as the light cast its warm morning greeting across the land, the shadows vanished as well, stealing Akajia's only protectors from her. She clutched the ghostly child tight for a moment, kissed her on each of her cheeks, and whispered "Stay alive. I will come for you tonight again." All the others were ignored, dismissed as unimportant, and not recognized as a threat. With that, the light finally touched where Akajia stood and the deep sapphire skinned was illuminated. She closed her eyes and along with the remaining shadows, vanished. Amanda was left alone, standing in a sea of swirling ghostly creatures, the sunlight stealing their luminosity just enough their features were made out. Roughly human, hideous, with forked tongues and pupilless eyes. They radiated predatory hunger and frustration at the vanishing shadows. And so enraged, they turned their ire on the ghost. They too ignored everyone else, dismissing them as harmless to them, even as Amanda turned, spotted Cailet, and screamed. She bolted straight for the human, her whole ghostly manifestation intent on reaching safety.

[Cailet]

It seemed as if years of growing discontent, topped with a recent decision to actually do something about it, could culminate in nothing better than the object of ones desire literally at ones fingertips.

But Akajia, though occupying most of Cailet's thoughts recently, was hardly her biggest concern at the moment. As it always seemed to happen when she reached a sort of panicked state, everything sped up for Cailet. She darted towards the woman and child when the lights were still that- merely light vying for the same space as the shadows.

Amanda had not noticed or acknowledged her presence, completely and utterly wrapped in the embrace of the Goddess. The scream had stopped and they seemed to be whispering fervently to each other. The whole thing made the hairs on the tops of her arms stand up; she did not like this one bit. Though it was deaf to her own ears, Cailet was repeatedly calling out to the girl, a plaintive note that spoke of great confusion in her voice.

The ungraceful leaping-jump-step that she took towards Amanda, both arms outstretched and ready to receive the weightless burden, brought Cailet within feet of the pair. That was when the entire area erupted into confusion. The swirling things were ghostly blobs one moment and hedious, evil looking monsters the next. Akajia, meanwhile, seemed to disintegrate as the light touched her. One moment she was there while the next left Amanda stranded in the midst of the vile creatures, finally taking notice of her long-time host.

In movements to mock Cailet's own, Amanda cried and stretched out her arms, panic clear on her semi-transparent little face. It all happened so fast that Cailet was carried by her own momentum right into the midst of those monsters. Whether she collided and bounced off or swiftly passed through all those in her way, the young woman found herself by Amanda's side more quickly than she had anticipated.

Reeling, her mind and awarenesses trailing far behind her instinctual actions, A particularly vicious creature as it detached itself from its fellows, lunging for Amanda. Cailet didn't even have time to register the consequences as she turned her back on it, curling herself around the tiny ghost, as if to use her body for a shield. To those watching, it was an extremely maternal gesture; a mother would always sacrifice herself for the betterment and perfection of their children. However, with her mind still moving at a sluggish pace thanks to the intensity of the moment, Cailet still rejected Amanda as her own entity. To the hunched Shinya, her actions were completely self preservation.

When she got close enough, Amanda had wasted no time latching to Cailet. Small, insubstantial arms wrapped around her neck as the little ghost literally flew into her arms. Cailet's own longer ones curved around her to form a hard barrier, protecting from any harm. It was only when Amanda was secured against her chest did the woman straighten, turn, and blanch.

The monsters had completely encircled her. Or, rather, she had gotten herself stuck in the middle of them. Movement out of the corner of her eye triggered her hard-won instincts thanks to a childhood on the road and a lifetime of law enforcement. Cailet's head snapped in the direction of the form who skulked in the shadows. It was all she could do not to scoff; only a fool thought the shadows offered protection. It was a woman, light footed and almost indistinguishable to anyone who couldn't easily penetrate the darkness of the shadows.

"Hey! Are you really going to stand there and watch?" Cailet's voice was a whip crack as she shouted towards Shai. A cursory glance, all that she could afford, told Cailet that the woman could handle herself; her body language screamed control. But the stranger hesitated, and Cailet growled. "Help me, damn it!"

Flickering off to her left tore her attention away from Shai. Taking advantage of her distraction, the creatures had tightened their circle. None made any attempt to break formation, none seemed willing to be the first to make a move. Instead, the stood their grown, glowering and slobbering as their wicked tongues flickered from their disgusting mouths. It was very reminiscent of a reptile tasting the air. Could they taste fear? It all made Cailet's heart beat a little faster. But what were they waiting for?

More movement whipped the Shinya's head back to the right. It wasn't the woman this time, but a man. And he seemed to be yelling. Weirdly enough, everything seemed a little muffled from inside her circle of deamons and Cailet couldn't make out a single word. Instead, she screamed at him to do something, just as she had only moments ago.

Why where these people here? To watch? Was this some kind of sick entertainment here in this strange city? Had Cailet simply fallen for the ruse and she was going to be the latest joke?

"They heard me scream, all of them. Except one. We brought another here, too. See? She comes."

Amanda's voice sounded even more childish out loud than it ever had when it echoed around her mind. Staring blankly down at the child she cradled in her arms, Cailet furrowed her brow in puzzlement.

"Why are you... speaking?" It was a stupid question in the scope of things, and the look the little girl gave her was enough to peel paint. Clearing her throat and shaking her head, Cailet whispered again. "What are you talking about, they? Who is "she"?"

But Amanda didn't answer, instead she just gestured to the surrounding area. The evil creatures obscured much, but now that she knew what she was looking for Cailet saw the rest of them. Two more women and a man.

Just as she was about to call for help, the largest, most menacing monster lunged. Cailet didn't even have time to scream.


OOCI'm sorry if this is horrid. I'm still really sick and I can't really string my thoughts together too well, but this needed to be put up.

[Raiha]

She counted the different auras of the creatures, the pupils of her gold eyes shrinking with her focus. Ten of them. And while they looked to be phantoms... their Auras suggested otherwise. They were different from the little ghostly girl that fled Akajia’s arms, heading straight for another woman who had shown up, looking for something. Apparently, this was whom she was looking for. The Goddess disappeared, every last trace of her splendid and ominous aura removed from her sight, and Kanikra didn’t waste time worrying about the acknowledgment, or lack thereof. It had to be earned. Everything in this life had to be, and the sun was here. It was time for Akajia to cede, for now, maybe, or perhaps it was another test. But in any case, the conclusion came to her as the Shadows uttered their death agonies in pitches and tones that made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up, that she had this had doubtless happened in part because of her. Despite looking for the Halival, she and Raiha had not found them lurking in Riverfall. Perhaps she should have looked harder.

Like in the water.

In any case, for a being made of flesh and blood, she knew what was a far better option as she blinked, watching auras without scrutinizing, just for the sake of tracking them now and any warning that they might give her of actions and intent as she pulled out one of her long-handled flanged maces. Only a fool played their best card before they saw the other’s hand, and as such, Kanikra would start with the mace. If it had flesh and blood, then presumably, blunt trauma would help. It required far less precision than the suvai, and even as the ghostly girl screamed, Kanikra was already moving. It was true that fools rushed in, but just standing there and letting these aberrations devour more of her companions and the secrets they held was not an option. The time for watching inaction was past. As Amanda fled for Cailet, the Akontak ignored the shouts of chastisement that came from the ghost’s target, the heavy head of the cold-iron forged weapon glinting in the rays of light, with the same understated malevolence as Kanikra herself. Even as the others remained frozen, Kanikra realized one simple truth.

These creatures ate shadows.

The Nightwalker had trained to use the mace with one hand with the plans of using two at once, and she drew it now with her left hand, using the weight against her own, behind her to balance her own body, as Raiha watched and counted and sorted out what they knew, providing the same support and intel that Kanikra did when their roles were reversed. They didn’t expect or anticipate anyone else wade in - Kanikra trusted no one but herself - even as her feet moved over the snowy ground in the familiar patterns that led up to an attack, as simply as if she was circling and beating the shyke out of the padded mannequin at Sanctuary. As she neared the creatures, the fearsome weapon swung up and over her shoulder, her feet slowed, her balance shifting to compensate as her arm rotating neatly despite the garments she wore against the now-forgotten cold as adrenaline surged and Kanikra felt alive, just as she had the day she had impaled an Akalak’s head with her suvai until the tip went through his skull. Her right arm went behind her for balance, as neat as a cat’s tail, to help her recover and reuse the momentum to strike again when the time came from below or from the side, as she struck with the mace, looking to cave the creature’s skull in, her face calm, almost as if she was just out for a leisurely stroll on a midwinter morning, not tangling with some freaks of nature that needed killing. The first strikes were experimental, to see if the sheer force of the weapon, upon connecting, would do anything. Worst case scenario, she would draw Sulvanon. But for now, she trusted her handy, handy mace.

Blunt trauma. There was nothing like it.