Searching for a soul (private)

[Anonymous]

He heard the voice of the skeleton, but wasn't really listening to the words. It wasn't meant to, but it had the potential of infuriating the bag of bones even more. Frankly, even though the relationship raised his curiosity, Kumori couldn't give a toss about the skeleton, or about the other man, as people with feelings and thoughts and actions. None of this interested him.

He didn't know why he had come here. Perhaps it had been to find peace. It was a funny thing though, that what he was seeking always eluded him.

If he had been more hot-headed, more in tune with action and energy, rather than the listless shell, then perhaps he would've struck the skeleton there and then, for repeatedly referring to a blatant lie. He did not have a 'maker' in the sense the skeleton implied. No, he, like the others from his line, were descended from a lineage that believed in nature, and the levels of life. None of this dark magic rubbish.

Kumori narrowed his eyes slightly, and his pupils automatically dilated to reveal the chasm within. Once again, this was something he wasn't aware of for it was something he had never seen in his eyes before. After all, who holds a mirror up and checks their hair as they are about to fight?

The sword twitched slightly in his grip, betraying the discomfort.

Why not walk out now?

Why not leave all these people to suffer their own fate?

Perhaps he had forgotten what honour really felt like.

"I am no coward, I would rather suck whatever excuse for a soul and bones you have left and make a living skeleton out of you than have Darkness stuck here with you. Then at least you might appreciate the life you have!"

"Appreciate life? Do elaborate, please," he said quietly, locking eyes with the sockets of the skeleton.

Talk, talk, talk.

This would get interesting. Out of his peripheral vision, Kumori noticed that the dark being had freed himself. He'd left the choose up to them. They could still walk away and leave, and no one would be hurt. But it didn't look as if they were going to leave, far from it!

Idly, Kumori wondered what the others were doing.

[Anonymous]

"You came here looking for... an island?" Out of all the reasons Lazarus had heard for other's visits, this the the strangest, most obvious, most amusing. It drew a rich bright chuckle from his throat, his quick snake tongue darting out for a moment despite himself. "You certainly picked and interesting island, and an interesting time to arrive."

He had been walking alongside a crumbling stone walled veined with thorny emerald ivy, when suddenly the wall ended in an abrupt corner. Basking in the shade of the crumpled building was a bed of tiny white flowers, and above them, a cloud of bright purple spores. The tiny puffs danced in the air, the flowers shifting and leaning sideways, to avoid being crushed under Lazarus' huge clawed feet. Every few moments he would glance back at the Nymph, concerned, wanting to make sure she was in no pain. The sight of her eyes was startling, but beautiful. He could not help but indulge an extra moment or two in starring.

"Birthday present? I'm afraid I don't know what that is," he said, a faint sheepishness creeping into his smile. The great creature crouched, easing himself onto the bed of flowers. He proceeded to pluck a few of the white petals from the flowers, and grind them on the flat scaled palm of his dragon's hand. When the petals were reduced to mere powder he twisted about an a somewhat awkward angle, reaching for the little Nymph's wounded foot. Carefully he powdered the wound with the mulched up petals, which would hopefully numb the pain, and assist the wound in healing.

"I? Wonderful?" Lazarus smiled, slightly embarrassed, but quite greatful for the compliment. The smile lingered as he watched her marvel at his glittering scales. On a whim, he reached back with his dragon's hand and felt about one of his front flanks. Finding a smooth scale there about the size of a large coin, and shaped like a tear drop, he carefully pushed a nail under the glassy thing and pried it loose. He winced slightly while doing this, his face contorted with a slight expression of pain. Where the scale had been there was something akin to snake skin; a finer softer weave of inseparable scales in a brighter green. The scale he had pulled off glistened like a glass tear, veined with dark emerald. Holding it now in his human hand, he passed the glassy thing to the Nymph.

"I am the last living Extraho Liberi. Is this a suitable... birthday gift?"

[Anonymous]

"I'll say," she conceded matter-of-factly. It was strange how time caught up with you when you left the river, throwing you into other's whens and wheres as if making up for its losses. Deep down in their watery home, the naiads paid very little attention to 'when', trading it for 'what'. Although the sense of completion provided a . being home involved little more than waiting. Waiting for the what was the entire point. Lyra was a bit exceptional in that she sought out the 'when' much more frequently than most of the other nymphs.

Her eyes widened at the very notion. At the same time, in some small part it thrilled her to be able to share the glorious knowledge of birthday presents; to finally share something new when she was the one always learning and listening. She placed her hands palms-flat in her lap, lifting her shoulders and leaning forward a bit as he crouched, following his actions curiously. She winced as the wound delivered a defiant pang in response to movement, but the girl was quick to speak up without hardly missing a beat of thought, lest she forget what she had in mind.

"Well, a birthday present is a gift that you receive to mark the day with each passing year when you first were. I came from the river almost a year ago."

 "'Last' sounds awfully lonely for an entire island of your own." The nymph straightened her back a bit, trying to peer over his shoulder as he reached down to catch a glimpse at the reason for his expression. She silently mouthed the lilting 'x' sound of the name. It was not present in the language of her species which had so very few quick consonants, and with no match and the factor of rarity it was a bit difficult to put to speech.

Lyra's features lit up instantly at the sight of the beautiful near-transparent scale, lips parting and breath intaking in a wide and sudden grin as she gingerly lifted it from his hand, bringing it close with both cupped hands. She traced the deep green veins across the smooth surface with one finger, drinking in each flecked and colored detail before raising her gaze once more.

"Oh, it's much better! I haven't been given many things, but those were silly things like clothes and socks." Socks, pft. Clothes were another thing, but whose ridiculous idea were socks? "This is a fantastic present," she nodded to herself. Lyra had to suddenly stop her legs from swinging to accompany her revitalized playful air, her shoulders tensing at the strike of a nerve.

[Anonymous]

Dave opened his mouth and explain how life was re-formed and how being undead didn't mean you were less of a being. How it was a lie that the undead didn't have souls and how religions couldn't accept them because they were different. Darkness however grabbed Dave's scapula and dragged him away.

'Hey! What was that for!'
'We came here for a reason. He's stalling you, idiot,' explained Darkness and he went to pick up their pack. Dave knocked Darkness back and went back over to the shadow.

'Now you listen here! First you call me insolent then you treat me like some kind of abomination! Other than being a skeleton, how am I any different than any other being on this earth? I have a soul, I have feelings, I can love and I feel pain?'

'DAVE!' Darkness yelled, he was truly worried about the skeleton and it was showing on his face. He needed to get Dave away from the shadow.

'You stay out of this,' Dave hissed at Darkness. Darkness had no choice but to stay put.

[Anonymous]

"We came here for a reason. He's stalling you, idiot."

A minute exhalation of breath escaped Kumori's parted lips in a barely perceptible snort. Of course that was what he was doing. He wanted nothing more than to be cloaked in the solitude that had always come so naturally to him these days. He wanted nothing more than to wander this island and be alone with his thoughts, to become one with the glorious nature he had once worshipped.

"Now you listen here! First you call me insolent then you treat me like some kind of abomination! Other than being a skeleton, how am I any different than any other being on this earth? I have a soul, I have feelings, I can love and I feel pain?"

Kumori's eyebrows creased in a slight frown. His attention had been upon the hopping action of a tiny green frog, as it leaped and paused, springing and landing, traversing the path. Such tiny feet, splayed in such detail. Was it an arrow frog? Nevertheless, the skeleton seemed to be addressing him, and so Kumori's eyes flicked back to the sight he detested.

It was true. Kumori was prejudiced, and felt nothing but disgust for this being, which should have stayed dead. It was an abomination of nature; it interfered with all of her natural processes, and went against every fibre of his belief. Then again, how strong were his beliefs? It had been a long time since he'd truly had any beliefs, any political views, any personal opinions. For these were what defined you as a person. Could he really speak, a being who had clung to the fringes of belonging?

"And yet you will not leave," he said calmly, in a low voice.

Compared to the movements of the dark being and the skeleton, Kumori hadn't really moved at all over the last passage of time, which would've been an impressive feat had he still been with his training grounds. He supposed that he could stand here until the sun went down. Then again, his arm was getting tired from holding the sword, so Kumori stretched the muscles, flexing and relaxing, which brought the sword up to his shoulder height. The edge of the blade glinted dangerously in the sun, reminding all of it's presence, and then Kumori let his arm fall back down again, so the sword returned to it's original position of being by his side.

They were stalling; that he was sure of. They seemed unwilling to fight. Otherwise the man would've freed himself sooner...perhaps?

[Anonymous]

"Ah, I see..." Lazarus was excellent at controlling his tone, his manner to keep his real emotions hidden, but he felt a definite pang of sadness as he soaked in the explanation of 'Birthday Presents.' It was no wonder he had not heard of them before, or remembered them, because he had been alone since his fifth birthday. The creature closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to clean away the somber feeling. Fine bright green scales glistened on his eyelids. "Well then," a kind smile crossed his lips as is eyes drifted open again, the snake-like slits swollen under the shadow of his bangs, "I hope you like your birthday present... that is a very special scale, it repels any and all types of magic," he explained, a tiny note of pride in his voice.

"'Last' sounds awfully lonely for an entire island of your own." Again the great beast found himself shutting his eyes, soaking in the comfort of sun-stained blackness on the backs of his eyelids, just to remove the sadness. His own troubles were his own burden as far as he was concerned, and never to be allowed to bother anyone else. Still, Lazarus had a certain weakness for those who seemed in need of a protector, and he had found the curious little angel injured, and what was that horrible saying about curiosity and felines...?

"It can be, from time to time. But I have a job to do here; I must protect these ruins. They are all that remain of my tribe," a small grin touched his lips for a moment, "Other than me, of course." Lazarus' huge powerful tail hovered aloft behind Lyra, before gently wrapping her in a few loose coils. It lifted her from Lazarus' back and placed the girl at his side, among the flowers.

"I'm delighted you like the present, Lyra. Unfortunately, I need to return to confront the dark creatures that intend to hunt me; I must remove them from my home. Before I go though, is there anything else the lady needs...? And how is your ankle...?" He smiled assuringly at her, slowly lifting himself on his powerful looking legs. "I shan't be gone to long, I hope."

[Anonymous]

The nymph watched him close his eyes, his expression tweaking here and there with a little change of tensity here and the smallest shift of movement there. She often wondered about sadness more than any other emotion, most likely because it was the one emotion that found her with the least frequency. Others, however, experienced it so often in relation to the unknown past that it sparked interest in her tenfold. She did not fully understand the function of sadness, but no other emotion had such visible effects on people - even when suppressed or in small part displayed. The change was all over them.

Lyra wondered exactly what happened to the rest of the tribe. The ruins were undoubtedly massive and glorious in their former days, made evident by the ruins alone - so there must have been a great and thriving number of the Extraho Liberi to build and inhabit the vast island community.

Well, whatever had happened, Lyra was certainly glad that Lazarus had lived. Otherwise she would be in a very tight spot with no sign of home to utilize for protection near; just two very unpleasant strangers and the dark.

Lyra grinned when she was lifted and placed in the patch of flowers, hugging the present to herself, briefly contemplating what it would be like to have a tail and all the placed one could walk and climb with the advantage of that balance. She shook her head to the first question, then blinked and looked down to examine the wound herself for the second. She hadn't given it much thought in the last few minutes with the exception of its own brief, panging reminders. The little reminders, however, had stopped altogether shortly and the wound, a lot and jagged cut, had closed up almost entirely, though the skin around it was still extremely white. She reluctanly ran a finger along it, feeling where the flesh was still thin. The powder had helped immensely to jumpstart the healing process.

"It's fine," she replied, adding as a sincere afterthought, "Thank you." Lyra glanced around the clearing before returning the smile upward and nodding.

"Oh, you won't," she said with certainty. "All those two have are their appearances and words."

[Anonymous]

Darknes sighed, Dave really was useless at the moment. He was too emotional to fight anyone. 'Dave, I shall be back. You keep an eye on that shadow.'

He doubted Dave would have heard him; the skeleton was too absorbed in the shadow. Darkness turned and left. He began looking for a stick, anything that he could use as a weopon. He found a good thick one then thought again. If that half-dragon had power over plants, perhaps a stick was no the best idea. Fists would have to do. Hopefully with Dave out of the way he could let himself go a bit more.

While he was walking he admired the scenery. The ruins were beautiful in a wild and natural sort of way. They were very different from any other settlement he had been to. It was a shame he had to capture it's last resident. He had been paid already and did not want to fail in his goal.
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Dave looked around for his knife. It was near where he had curled into a ball. He kept his eye sockets on the shadow and went over to pick it up. What would a shadow turn into when it died? All Dave needed was a skeleton and sometimes skin to turn a creature. He went back over to the shadow and held it out in front of him. He would show the shadow how he felt.

OOC: Darkness was bound tight and couldn't have got out on his own is what I wass thinking. Neither want to fight the others.

[Anonymous]

"Dave, I shall be back. You keep an eye on that shadow."

Kumori's eyes slid ever so slowly from the skeleton to the dark being, who had somehow managed to extricate himself from the tangle of vines and thorns. A second ago, he could've sworn the man had been as trapped as ever. So, he had a few tricks up his sleeve. Assessing the situation, Kumori realised that the team were going to split up. Half of his attention was upon the skeleton, who was groping around for a dagger, whilst the dark man was walking in the opposite direction. No doubt the man would backtrack- he would probably be looking for another way past Kumori, and it wouldn't be difficult at all, for Kumori was only guarding one of many ways to get to wherever the half-dragon had gone.

It couldn't do. Kumori had to stop the man. It was pretty obvious that the skeleton would pose no threat, so he instantly dismissed it from his mind. Kumori moved swiftly forwards, towards the tangle of thorns, which was currently posing as an obstruction between himself and the man.

Grunting, Kumori raised his sword and slashed through the stems, and a second later, leaves and wood began to rain from all around him. He was vaguely aware that the skeleton was holding a knife, and was moving in his direction with a murderous look in it's...eye sockets, but...another second later and he had elbowed his way through the thicket. Scratches clung to his bare skin, and with a detached air he noted that his cloak would need mending from the jagged clutches of the thorns.

He sprinted after the man, until he was ahead of him, and then stopped, blocking the way. Beads of sweat clung to Kumori's forehead as he raised up his sword to bar the way.

"I am sorry, but you can go no further."

[Anonymous]

Lazarus felt the flutter of delight as he watched Lyra's delighted expression as he lifted her with his tail. She was quite the wonderful creature, he thought, taking a moment to tap her head with the very tip of his agile tail, which really only served to mess her silvery hair very slightly. He was relieved that the little nymph seemed well, and wished that he did not have other pressing matters to attend to. It pained him to leave such a creature when she still might need some sort of help...

But then, he would try to make quick work of the dangerous intruders, and return to her side.

"I do hope you're right," Lazarus said with a small assuring smile, "When I done with them, I shall return. Please promise me you'll be careful, I'll worry about you the whole time I am away," Lazarus said in a gentlemanly voice, bending his front two legs in a light bow, before turning and thundering off through the trees.

Without a passenger on his back, he could move at much greater speeds. Still, he was not a foolish creature, and quieted his footfalls long before drawing near to the three other strangers on his island. Lazarus came to a steady halt behind the cover of a few bushy plants, his underbelly pressed to the soft earthy ground as he attempted to make himself a little more unnoticeable. He could not see that damned unnerving skeleton, but it seemed that Kumori was blocking the dark creature's path.

Lazarus felt a small swell of fondness for Kumori, as it really appeared he was making an effort to help Lazarus by fending off the dark creature. He mentally noted that he should thank Kumori when all this unpleasant business was over.

Raising his dragon's claw, Lazarus intended to snare Darkness on a much more fetal trap. Aura's guardian never killed (unless to eat), but it did not mean he would hesitate unleashing a harsh attack to those who meant him harm.

A carnivorous plant this time, he thought, and a large one at that.  Extending his hand slightly, Lazarus shut his eyes to concentrate. The ground tore open and from the crack spilled black thorned vines like blood. Lazarus' eyes shot open in alarm, his pupils as thin as threads. His aim was horribly off! Besides that, those cracks were cutting through the earth dangerously; it seemed he had accidently split some weak ground.

Lazarus peered down at his dragon's claw for a moment or two before he noticed; there was a fine coating of white powder on his scales. The numbing flowers... Lazarus remembered mulching them up on his claw.

'Well aren't I the world's greatest idiot,' he thought to himself.

A huge yellow blossom edged in black teeth reared it's head, snapping it's jaws through empty air. The thing could not move on it's own of course, and was mildly confused as to why it was brought up with nothing to feast on. It was not ten feet away from Kumori and Darkness, visible but of no threat.  It's vines struggled to grasp the thin ground; Lazarus knew better then to summon such a heavy thing on ground that could not support it, but then again his aim had been horribly off.

Suddenly there was a great cracking, the gouges in the ground suddenly cutting forward like black ravenous snakes. The sound of empty space and sprawling echoes could be heard from below, like the ground was opening up into a vast underground cave system.

Still, the darkness that loomed there was not telling; it could be a long treacherous fall down. Lazarus cursed internally; he knew of the pirate caves, if his hand had not been numb he never would have made such a horrible mistake!

But there was no time to think on that, for the ground was ripping apart with apperent deadly intent, the cracks heading straight for Kumori and Darkness!

Without thinking Lazarus lept forward, taking two great vaulting steps before leaping. His scaly form passed Kumori like an emerald comet, but as he did his tail wrapped around the warrior's waist, tugging the man with him as he went. Lazarus' claws dug deep into the bark of an ancient tree, which was barely managing to hold onto the splitting around. Vaulting off to that he launched himself back, just beyond the reach of the finally settling cracks in the earth, and placed Kumori on the solid ground at his side.

'My apologies,' his voice rang somberly in Kumori's mind, 'I do hope you're not injured...'

Lazarus' eyes turned to the torn up landscape; all in all the damage was not that bad, but he would have liked to avoid it. He looked between his poor hungry plant, the cracks, the trees clinging to the splintered earth, trying to see where Darkness was...

[Anonymous]

You peeps may skip over me once or twice. I may be gone for a while as I'm having family trouble recently and need to be around. Sorry for the inconvenience!

[Anonymous]

((Oh, hope everything goes OK *huggles* ...not sure what everyone else wants to do - wait for you, or carry on, but if we do carry on, let us know when you come back yeah?))

[Anonymous]

OOC: Well, it is kinda an alright time to skip Lyra maybe once or twice. Gosh i REALLY hope that doesn't come off mean, I just mean it's an alright place in the plot it all ^_^;;; *HUG* I hope the issues get resolved soon!! <33

[Anonymous]

((Sounds like we're all in exam season then...so I guess it's mdu's turn now! I think I'm gonna have Kumori fall into the underground caves...*muses*))

[Anonymous]

OOC: Hang on?! Didn't I post here? Sorry guys. I hope I didn't hold you up too long.

Dave grew furious, how dare that shadow turn away from him. He did not have complete control of himself, he ran SCREAAAMING towards the shadow. Then the rift opened. Dave was unable to stop from his full lunge  and he toppled over the side. He fell deep down into the chasm. He dropped the knife and grabbed onto some roots as they grew and pushed the earth arounf them. His pectoral girdle (chest bones) rose and fell. He had no other arm to pull himself up with so he just clung onto the root. When he looked down he saw a root near his left leg and placed his foot on there. At least he had some support.

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Darkness's foot was ensnared by a root that pulled him to the ground. He clenched his teeth when the ground came in contact with the large, black hole in the side of his cheek.He pushed himself back onto his feet and struggled out of the root. Something felt wrong. The air around him was darker than it should be. He cupped his hand over the cheeek wound: it had opened up and was sucking away the light. Hopefully Dave would be able to handle it.

Where was Dave, he had seen Dave run towards the shadow's back but he had disappeared. He started calling out to Dave but no answer came.

[Anonymous]

The man of darkness wouldn't cease approaching. Kumori gritted his teeth, anticipating more than a clash of weaponry. Once again, his pupil dilated to engulf his eye whole, revealing the gaping chasm that lay within. Swirling, swirling, tainting his eternal soul with the same magic that breathed in the man approaching him. How he despised it.

There was a breeze flapping his cloak, but where had it come from?

And then, out of his peripheral vision, Kumori saw and felt the tremors in the ground, as it prepared to split like ice. Huge cracks zigzagged right in front of Kumori, and the ground opened up her yawning, gaping mouth, separating him from the man and his cavalry; namely the skeleton screaming bloodlust and murder. He had to admit, Kumori found a slight satisfaction somewhat, in watching the skeleton careen headfirst into the black hole.

All of that had happened within the space of a few seconds, barely giving him time to react. There was a whole spider web of cracks now, a network that was ever enlarging. Kumori himself stood on uneven ground, potentially treacherous ground, if he read the lay of the land correctly. Even more bizarre was the appearance of another giant, oversized plant, which surely must herald the arrival of the half-dragon creature.

Another tremor caused Kumori to lose his balance; he managed to steady himself, but he wasn't prepared for the one after that. And the hole was getting larger and larger.

It all happened in a green blur. Suddenly he was on solid ground, well, shaking unsteadily against the roots of a great oaken tree.

"My apologies, I do hope you're not injured..."

Kumori managed a thin smile, which turned out to be more of a grimace.

"Not at all, not at all," he said in response.

Just then, a slight prickling sensation caught the hairs on the nape of his neck. They were tingling, standing up on end. What was it? They were tingling to the scent of magic. And it was the magic of the dark man, but before, it had been controlled. Now, it seemed wild and terrifying, like a torrent that rent holes in the very fabric of space and time.

Kumori felt the atoms in his body being magnetically drawn towards it.

"No, no," he said through furiously gritted teeth.

What tricks were upon him now? And where was the man?

He caught sight of a wisp of the darkness. It was flowing down, down, into that gaping hole. The magic was too raw to be anything done on purpose, so Kumori surmised it must've been from an accident. That was no less reassuring.

Kumori struck his sword into the earth between the gnarled roost, and clung onto the hilt, for all he was worth, whilst around him, like sand grains, the world was being torn apart, as day was rendered night, and all the life, all the warmth of the nature was becoming drained, shrivelled and drained. It was a sand collector, a man collecting the light and bottling it for what purpose?

His eyes were furiously closed in a grimace of pain.

"Help me," he whispered to Lazarus.

[Anonymous]

Lazarus felt like he would like nothing more then to leave this chaotic scene and find that spot on the west side of the island where the grass grows the softest, and there is no canopy, so he could nap in the sun. Plus, at that distance, he could probably not see all the damage he had done; thank goodness they were far enough away from the actual ruins! His stomach clenched as he realized the damage he could have caused with his numb hand. Lazarus internally scolded himself for making such a stupid mistake, a small part of his wanting to simply hide from all the damage he had done.

But, there was no time for that. In fact, there was hardly time to consider the enemy. Lazarus' claws dug deep into the splintering earth. He could feel the distress of the roots and plants as they struggled to hold the ground under him, all the while fighting the stress of the weak ground, and the sudden dark gravity. Even with his magic resistant scales he felt the horrible tug, his claws sinking deep into the ground like a hot knife into butter.

What on god's green earth was happening?! A vortex of some kind seemed to have been created from the wound of that sinister dark creature! Whatever it was seemed to be draining the life from his precious forest, sipping it up as easily as water from a glass. Kumori seemed to be suffering horribly from it, muttering to himself in distress. Lazarus' heart panged in sympathy, his protector's instinct flaring up as he heard the stress in his comrade's voice.

Nudging the man down firmly, he took a few uneasy steps over him, again digging his claws into the unsteady ground.

'Hold into my legs,' his voice slipped through Kumori's mind as Lazarus leaned down, twisted upside-down to Kumori as he attempted a small smile, which came out more worrisome then he meant.

Straightening up, Lazarus looked back to The Image of Darkness, letting a smoldering shield of anger mask all the uncertainty he felt, the pain he felt at the life draining from his forest, and the worry he felt for the two kind souls on his island.  

"Stop this at once!" he barked, keeping himself taught, every muscle in every leg clenched as he faught the voice that wanted to drag him forward. His tail darted back and wrapped around the branch of a tilting tree, giving a slight anchor. Lazarus' pale straw colored hair seeped over his shoulders, curling and ridding on the pull of whatever magic was coming from Darkness.

[Anonymous]

Dave shrieked in terror as the darkness slowly crept towards him. He let go of the root and attempted to climb down to the root his feet were on. He continued in this way until he slipped and fell onto the lowest roots. He had to get away and fast. He didn't want to go back, not to the darkness. He looked down to the more natural darkness beneath him. The only way to get away from the darkness was to jump. If he died he would be free.

He clung to the root he was holding. He was now deep into the chasm and the roots here were not at all sturdy. He screamed out, 'DAAARRKNNEESSSSS!!!' He was half screaming out to his friend, half shrieking out at his darkest fear. He siddled down to the very tip of the root and looked around for a ledge or something, anything to get away from the approaching darkness. He let go and fell, deeper and deeper into the chasm until his bones crushed against against the wall and he rolled onto a ledge. If he had been fully alive he would have sustained great internal injuries and bled to death. Instead of this, he shattered most of his bones, including his mandible and skull.

Still the darkness came closer. He curled up as best he could. His arms and pelvis did not follow and four of his ribs fell from his thorax and onto the ledge beside him. Part of his mandible hung loose in its socket. He closed his eyes and tried to loose conciousness so that he could survive the mental onslaught.
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Darknes was escaping form Darkness's whole head now, pure and uncovered by the his body. He had to find something to cover himself with, as he did not have the time to fix his body properly. It would be useless though, anything he covered it with would only last a short while. It would not last long enough to get Dave out. Perhaps the half-dragon had some plant cure but the man seemed too inept to think things through. Why had the stupid creature created such a massive chasm and plant? Perhaps the creature had lost control of his abilities.

The hole got larger, it was now seaping down his neck. Why was it accellerating so fast? He finally got around to answerring the half-dragons question. He turned his body towards the creature.

The Image of Darkness's true voice rang out across the island, scatterring all the birds and causing any land anomals to crawl underground in fear, YOUR PLANT CREATED THIS HOLE, NOT ME. THIS IS ME. TELL ME, WHAT HAPPENS TO A PLACE THAT HAS NO LIGHT? I CANNOT DO THIS AND HELP MY FRIEND THOUGH SO YOU MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SACRIFICING FOR Y--. He heard his friend sceaming and the sound of something falling. Dave would probably not survive this time, killing him would be the kinder option.

Hopefully the other two would understand what he meant. If he did not gain control of himself, the nymph would be the first to be mentally tortured until the darkness killed her. Next, Lazarus and the island would go. He did not know what would happen to the shadow he failed to control himself.

Darkness hung his head and focussed inwardly. He would have to try to hold the darkness in and trust the half-dragon. Deep inside he wanted to set himself free but now was not the time nor the place. He would have to go somewhere without life to do that. He inhaled, trying to suck the darkness back inside. His body would be able to be seen. Finally he would sew the wound shut with whatever the half-dragon could offer. It would need to be covered properly so it could heal. Darkness would have to stay here for a while so that he could heal without having to focus on anything else.

Darkness started trembling and sank to the ground. He had to withdraw and solidify himself before the darkness went any further.

[Anonymous]

Making a mental calculation, Kumori came to the painful conclusion that whatever had been unleashed seemed far too grand for any single being to control. All of the light was being sucked away and replaced by heavy, oozing darkness, a black magic that glittered with the thousand eyes of a poisonous black beetle. It wasn't there yet, but the wisps were swirling somewhat, round and round into the gaping hole in the earth. Soon it would become an unstoppable vortex, an unnatural whirlpool that would destroy all nature and order on this island.

And who knew what next? Would it stop after it had engulfed this island? Would it then move onto the rest of the world?

He wondered how he had managed to get himself caught in the middle of an impending apocalypse. Well Kumori, the battle you've always wanted is dawning upon you. Can you handle it?

Kumori simply closed his eyes and heaved a deep passive sigh, somehow resigned. In the wake of the immediate magnetic wrench, the magic imbedded within Kumori's very own molecular structure had responded. They were singing in harmony, on a different level, striking different note and tones, but they recognised this magic, and so they swayed as the notes do, high and low, winding this way and that, and...NO!

Mind over magic! He clenched his fists even tighter against the hilt, and flexed his muscles, feeling for something real, something tangible to hold onto. He needed feeling, human feelings, human emotions, human contact with any surface – the things he had shunned for such a long time. Abstract though they were, right now they were the most concrete things he needed to hold onto, to prevent himself from being swallowed up by dark magic.

Damn shadow magic, he thought with intense bitterness. If I could thrust it out of my essence I really would!

But, it had been so long since he had last gotten in touch with himself, he didn't know where to begin. He was a spectator, a passive traveller simply watching the world pass by rather than be an active participant. The accident had long since seen to it, that he could neither be completely with the living. Nor lie in peace with the dead.

"Hold into my legs."

"I thank you kindly, but the battle I am fighting is one that you cannot help me with." Kumori nodded once to emphasize his point.

Both he and Lazarus were at the edge of a line of old trees, so there were plenty of roots to use as anchors. He had been standing, but the weight of the magic had forced him to his knees. Kumori made himself relax, keeping a strong enough grip on his sword which was still embedded in the ground. He had to focus his mind; he had to reach a peaceful state...

YOUR PLANT CREATED THIS HOLE, NOT ME. THIS IS ME. TELL ME, WHAT HAPPENS TO A PLACE THAT HAS NO LIGHT? I CANNOT DO THIS AND HELP MY FRIEND THOUGH SO YOU MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SACRIFICING FOR Y—

Kumori's eyes snapped open. Unexpected strength surged into his body and he stood up, eyes dilated to their full blackness. That was the only sign of the rage that had suddenly gripped him.

"How dare you." He said those three words so, so calmly, and so, so quietly, but...it was as if the noise of all the destruction had been turned down, a pause before the storm, or perhaps at the centre of it where everything was silent. Nevertheless, when Kumori spoke, despite the low voice, and the distance, his words carried over to the hole in the ground where both beings lay.

"How dare you." He repeated it again, and fuelled by something he had never felt before, he took a step towards the hole, not even noticing if Lazarus tried to stop him. This wasn't his battle. But...he had gotten involved, through no fault of his own, and now it was personal.

[Anonymous]

Lazarus tried not to let the far of shriek startle him, but he hadn't been present to witness the whole ordeal, so he had no complete idea of what was going on. A blankness swept across his face, draining all emotion, and suddenly it was as if he was simply another extention of nature; a force rather then a living, feeling thing. None of his actual power changed, it was only the complete lack of emotion that seemed so profound. The voice did not startled him, nor did the second far off shriek.

Somewhere in the chaotic crashing of his mind, was a thought fighting to break the surface. Another time he had been forced to lock everything away, and simply do what must be done. Lazarus was surprisingly, quite the compassionate creature, and it pained him to shut off his emotions, his heart... but it was a reflex in crisis, even if it brought him closer to the memories he never wanted to relive again; countless dead bodies, not enough grave space.

That time he had not smiled for years. He knew it would not be so horrible this time, he only had to correct the current problem.

Kumori's refusal jostled him slightly; the man had asked for help only to refuse? Yet could Lazarus not relate to those fickle feelings? The urge to reach out aside the stuborn refusal to accept help? Yes, those were feelings he knew to well. His blank eyes fell to Kumori for a moment, who was now stewing in rage.

Ironic, Lazarus thought. The stoic one was so volitile now, and he himself hardly had the energy to panic.

Even at the mention of his home with no light. Even at the sight of Kumori raging; bordering on something unthinkable.  

Lazarus thought then of Lyra, in his calm detached mind-voice, and knew he had to do something. Because he was not wasting thought o panic, he could feel it as soon as it happened; the shift.

The tug of the darkness on his scales was not so strong; what had been a white rapid became a hurried river. There was still a strong pull, but the darkness was ebbing.

And Kumori looked as if he was about to attack.

"Wait," Lazarus said, for once sounding his proper age, youth ringing clear in his tone. He held up his dragon's claw, urging Kumori to stay put. There was a darkness surging in Kumori as well it seemed, but Lazarus was still calm under that blanket of no emotion.

"He's trying to stop it, I think..." With his dragon hand still outstretched, Lazarus extended his senses and mentally groped for the proper herb... Another carnivorous plant that was almost akin to a parasite. When placed on open wounds the tiny, thorned black vine would wiggle about, weaving into the skin and planting itself into the wound, absorbing whatever flowed from the cut (blood, infection, Lazarus knew the resilient little buggers could handle most anything). Said little vine would feast itself to death, eventually withering and falling from wherever it was applied, which was often about a week later.

His hand was still numb, and for a moment he feared he was blind of his nature sense... but suddenly there it was, the parasite vine. He called it to him and a tiny vine leapt into his hand, barely catching on the tips of his fingers; his aim was still off if he couldn't control a tiny plant.

"Here," he tossed the little wriggling thing to Darkness, "use this to close the wound." He watched them, Kumori and Darkness, feeling his panic ebb at his mask of indifferent calm. His home was so battered now, as soon as he could Lazarus would wash his hand and gain back his nature sense; spend perhaps all day helping the plants to grow back again.

If he made it through this, that was.