Empire of Starland

[SaphireTsuki]

Draconic burial grounds. The thought came unbidden, and unexpectedly. Where had it come from? She shouldn't know anything about it, and there was no way she would be led by them to them. Not if they wanted to end her, or otherwise influence her... and yet she was certain.


"I don't know, their presence is Blind." She took out a book from her own bag, this one black with dark-blue, sickly looking runes on it's cover. "But... I have a book of theirs." She opened it, Saphire recoiling from the feel of it, and turned until a certain symbol was in view. "This... is their identifying symbol. Saphire, what's wrong?" The girl couldn't answer, she just held her hand over her mouth, looking completely terrified.

Spoiler

 

[kevinhdobson]

"Saphire, please is something wrong? Hinata, where did you get the book," Kevin said looking at the book.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

"I... that..." She couldn't think, or even make a coherent sentence, all she could do was stare in horror at the symbol, and the book. There was something about it... it drew her in and repulsed her at the same time. She wanted to read it, she wanted to burn it in purifying fire...


"I found it in one of their old bases. This was the only thing left." She closed it obligingly, giving the younger girl a look of pity. "You must be very sensitive to the lines. This is a symbol of great evil, and if it were not necessary I wouldn't have let it leave the seal." Once more the book was put in her bag, which was left under her desk. "It is cursed to terrify the pure and draw in the wicked."

 

[kevinhdobson]

"Let's get rid of that cult. I wanna purify Saphire Tsuki," Kevin said walking out. Seeing Cenarius, he said, "Let's find those bastards who tainted moonlight magic."

 

[SaphireTsuki]

Saphire walked after him, but Hinata held her back. "I wasn't finished. There's one thing I discovered from their writings... they sacrifice humans of power. Never Pureblood Arcana, but anyone with human blood in them. If you rush in whatever hostages they have might die." A sharp nod from the blue-haired girl, and her arm was released. She shot off after Kevin.


"Wait for me! Do you even know where to look?"

 

[kevinhdobson]

"I just have to listen to Cenarius," Kevin said as Saphire landed on Cenarius behind him. Sighing he saw a group of people.


"That's them," Cenarius said looking at them. Kevin jumped off Cenarius and began to massacre them.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

Saphire closed her eyes, but she felt... a surge. Like something... opening her eyes she saw two or three women at the sword.... and she took in a deep breath. They sacrifice humans. They enslaved my people, but... humans still don't deserve this. "Hikari to Daichi, onegai, waga no koe wo kike. Mamotte kudasai, kono hito wo." Wings flowed into non-solid existence, and a ring of light surrounded them, right where she focused on them. She prayed it finished forming the dome before they were attacked.

 

[kevinhdobson]

Kevin finished killing the members of the cult with only the sacrifices still alive. Cutting the sacrifices free he said, "Go home."

 

[SaphireTsuki]

The sacrifices nodded, running from the blood covered man in fright. Saphire creeped over to him, staying away from the corpses which still oozed terror and allure. They must all have a copy of that books, or symbol, because she both wanted to cut them into pieces and... something she'd rather not think about, if she could avoid it. It wasn't all of them, but... she chanted a silent flame spell, hoping to destroy them all at once.

 

[kevinhdobson]

"Saphire, it's going to be alright, I promise," Kevin said holding her gently.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

He's wrong. Where had that thought come from? No, she was better than that. It felt like something was wrong with her now, being so close to them, to that altar... and she didn't deserve to be in his arms. No, no... that wasn't right, but it felt like it, like he was something better, and... but she had saved them. Had prevented them from hitting the children, and the woman. She'd done something good, at least. "How can you promise that...?" She whispered.

 

[kevinhdobson]

"Because I can do my best to make it so. I love you," Kevin said picking her up and jumping onto Cenarius' back.


"Back to Moonlight Village huh," Cenarius said smiling.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

She let him carry her, not at all complaining or saying anything about it. The farther away they got from that place the better, in her mind. Because that place was doing this to her, it had to be. She didn't need the knowledge, didn't need the pain, didn't want to be drawn to the information... no, the propaganda in those books. Something like that couldn't have anything worth paying attention to. Stop fighting it. No, keep fighting... I need to stay like myself.

 

[kevinhdobson]

"Saphire, focus on me," Kevin said as Cenarius flew to the village.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

Focus on Kevin... that was an order. "Yes sir." Her eyes shot open, looking up at him with almost supernatural focus. He wanted her attention, he would have it. For a bit the thoughts stopped, she wasn't thinking straight, even she knew that, but even in her current state she was forced to follow his orders. Probably a good thing, because that was what stopped the dark thoughts for even a little bit.

 

[kevinhdobson]

"Is that better," Kevin said as they arrived back at the village. Smiling he had eradicated the cult.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

"Yeah, thank you." It wasn't easy, she could... feel whatever it was digging into her, but he was there. He had broken her out of whatever had been wrong with her, and... they were going farther and farther away from the source of the problem, so the sense of wrong was fading.

 

[kevinhdobson]

"Saphire, do you want to train in Moonlight magic," Kevin said looking at her gently.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

Moonlight magic... that town had held it. Before it was sent away to the Arcana Library. That meant, of course, that the methods for casting such spells were often forgotten, and that if she could learn it... she would be one of the most powerful Arcana in the world. More importantly, though.... that taint. Maybe a Lunar Arcana could remove it permanently? 
"yes, I think... I think I would."

 

[kevinhdobson]

"Talk to Hinata-sama about it," Kevin said smiling gently before he looked at the children and began to play with them.


"He's always like that. Kind to others and wanting to protect them," Cenarius said to Saphire.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

"I can tell, Sir Dragon." Never call him by his first name until asked. That was key with dragons, according to her studying of history. Still, a small smile fell across her face as she watched him play with them. A soft sigh, they wouldn't get near her... most of the cultists had been Arcana, and her people were feared in general anyway.

 

[kevinhdobson]

"He loves you so much. That's why he did what he did to the cultists," Cenarius said looking at Saphire.


Kevin smiled at Saphire before becoming a human jungle gym.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

He loves me... right. But... would he still... She closed her eyes, thinking about what she had read. The true nature of Arcana. The reason why they served the Fey, and not something else... why Moonlight Magic was so rare, and why most Arcana only knew of Sunlight Magic, which everyone else used. "I know, Sir Dragon." But I'm not sure if he'd still feel the same after I did what I was created to. What all Arcana were originally meant to do. Still, she had felt it... the secret may lie in Moonlight Magic. To change their nature... She would have to defeat that thing.

 

[kevinhdobson]

Kevin looked at Saphire tenderly as the children climbed all over him. Smiling he mouthed, 'I love you'.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

She looked away, a small blush and what could almost be a sense of embarrassment, or shame, visible in her eyes. There was a tiny nod, but she didn't bother returning his words... not when she wasn't sure how she felt about him just yet. For him, who can see the threads, maybe it was enough... but for her... she didn't know.