Fantasy ~Magistone: Western IC Group~

[SkyGinge]

"That's proper deep, that is," Joachim smirked at her clever response, "but I feel ya, I feel ya. I guess it might make me a bit of a weirdo, but 'ol Joachim works the other way round. Cause I remember that the darkness works both ways. True, you ain't seeing anyone, but ain't anyone seeing you either. Unless they're, like, half-cat-half-human hell-demons." Given the grand list of all his other fears, he did consider it slightly bizarre that cramped darkness lacked the spine-tingling affect on him of the multitude of other fears. but to him the dark felt like the comforting embrace of a mother, blotting out the problems of the world.


"Looking for meager supplies?" he smiled, though the darkness masked the gesture, "Mate, I'm looking for a ruddy feast. Probably ain't gonna find one, but it won't harm to try." Let's hope this lighthouse keeper was a greedy dastard, eh? Squinting, Joachim stumbled into the cellar. The only light in that claustrophobic chamber was the slight glow of the doorway, which made fine foraging a mighty meticulous affair. Once or twice, Joachim found himself bumping into a shelf which he hadn;t seen, sending spasms of prickly pain up his broken arm. "You know all that stuff I just said about darkness being comforting and all that?" he called loudly, as if the darkness were a thick substance capable of blotting out sound, "I'm beginning to eat those words; it's hell trying to find anything in this light. And that'll be my only meal too at this rate. You found any candles or anything, Bubbles?"


Joachim fished blindly for something of use, running his hand over the dusty shelves. If this was what blindness felt like, that Joachim pitied the poor fella's. Figuring out objects by shape alone was pretty difficult, and he could only discern the odd obejct here and there - an old, cracked lantern, an empty jar, more firewood. The layer of dust were thick, and he felt them tickling at his nose, much to his aggravation. And still no food, or even a candle - ruddy typical! "I'm not having much luck - this is like trying to find a nun in a tavern." The odd squeak told him there were rats here too, his old buddies themselves. "Hmm, yeah, tried eating a rat once," Joachim said, unimpressed at her suggestion, "tasted like gargling a glove. And they probably have the plague or something."


"How 'bout you, you found anything?"


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Hearing that Joachim used the darkness in a rather smart way, which surprised Leandra considering the way he always talked and acted (she really hadn't thought he was the brightest guy in the bunch). Nevertheless, Joachim had a point with using the darkness as almost like a cloak, in a sense. At the mention of a half-cat, half-human, half-demon, Leandra rolled her eyes, but realized that Joachim wouldn't be able to see her doing so in the dark. Smirking, Leandra then said to him, "I'm rolling my eyes, by the way."


Hearing the mention of a feast, Leandra let out a short laugh of disbelief. Yeah right, like they were going to find a feast of all things. Hearing Joachim fumbling about while she waited for a response from him, Leandra couldn't help but giggle at his misfortune. It was amusing to say the very least, especially knowing she could light up the room in a heartbeat. Yet, upon remembering why she refused to use her fire magic, the grin from Leandra's face faded and she became rather forlorn for a bit. Hearing Joachim now cursing the darkness, a faint smile appeared on Leandra's face and upon hearing his question of candles, Leandra shrugged...and then realized Joachim couldn't see her shrugging. Shaking her head at her own mistake, Leandra then said, "No, I haven't found any. Doubt we'd have such luck down here anyways."


Upon hearing the remark of finding a nun in a tavern, Leandra rolled her eyes twice and then muttered, "What does a nun have to do with anything?" With the mention of rats, Leandra was slightly amused to hear that Joachim didn't approve of such an idea. It was true that they'd probably end up killing someone with the diseases they carried and all. But if they skinned them and cooked them right, then would they be safe to eat? Regardless, Leandra wasn't feeling that desperate just yet and she'd rather avoid eating rats if she could help it. She'd never had to before and she wasn't about to resort to it now.


Hearing Joachim's question of whether she'd found anything, Leandra grinned and then set all three cans down on the shelf beside her before saying proudly, "It's not much, but I did find three canned foods. I have no idea what's in 'em thanks to the lighting though." Picking up one of the three cans, Leandra then squinted in the darkness and was pleased to be able to just barely make out Joachim's form near a shelf across from her. Grinning to herself, Leandra then hefted the can towards him while shouting, "Hey, catch!" Chuckling to herself, Leandra paused to see if Joachim would catch it or fail to do so. After all, Leandra shouldn't have to carry everything back up those stairs. Meanwhile, Falarion had landed on Leandra's shoulder once more and she decided to pick up the other two cans before shifting her gaze back to Joachim to see if he had succeeded or failed to catch the can thrown towards him.


@SkyGinge

 

[TheDragonMoon]

Before Xaus climbed his way into the upper rooms of the lighthouse (if there were any in the first place!), he gave a weary nod to Rue. He need all the help he could get in his pain-infused, dreary, and drained state. It would be an exciting adventure to see if he could even make it up the stairs. With nothing more to say, he slowly started making his way up the creaky staircase. One step at a time. This was silly. It was just going to take them up to where the actual light was; there wasn't going to be anything useful there. Alas, he still wanted to try it out before making his way down to the crazy chatterbox between the two downstairs. As he expected, there wasn't anything for a while. Just another step for him to climb.


Right before he reached the top of the lighthouse, there was a small wooden door adjacent from Xaus and Rue. Rusty knob, a few small scratches on the front, but otherwise appearing to be in okay condition. There must be something good in there, he thought, twisting the unlocked door open with a jerk. There was an awful creak as it swung open. Xaus limped his way inside. It was dark, so he had to feel his way around the small closet. There wasn't much there except for a couple crates, plenty of dust, and a few miscellaneous scraps of junk. He immediately went to one of the crates, hopeful that there would be something in there for him. Another creak as he opened it with his remaining energy. Inside, it was packed with tools for repairing the lighthouse. Next one. Snap the lid open, and there was a score for Xaus. A bunch of old worker clothing, along with sailor suits. He rummaged around, finding one that was a little small but would do. Xaus slipped it over himself, ready to shut his eyes once more.


"Got what I needed. Did you find anything else laying around, any rooms that I might have missed on the way up?" he said.


If there was nothing else, and people weren't going to be a bother, he was happy more or less right now. He still felt a cloud of dread being prominent, but sleep heals all emotion's agony for seven or so hours.

 

[SkyGinge]

"Oi!" Joachim cursed, flinching as the can clanged hollowly off of his arm. Of course, the freaking darkness now force him into a good minute's worth of awkward scurrying just to retrieve it. Man, Lady Luck really was handing him a stern come-uppence! "Don't worry Bubbles," he called, after a minute's worth of scavenging sounds, "just finding the projectile dinner you discourteously launched at me. Man, if there ever was a time where a fire mage would come in handy, this would be it." With a nickname like Bubbles, his companion surely wasn't a Fire Mage - if she was, she'd have graciously illuminated their search. Least, that was presuming she wasn't in on Lady Luck's giant pranking...


"Come along then, let's not get too cosy here," he called again, and then lead them back towards the light, shielding his eyes for a long moment as he reacclimatised to the joys of actually being able to see. "Long time no see," he greeted them, throwing the cans over to Rue. "Found these little beauties in the dark depths of the dungeon. Proper adventure, that was. Myself and Princess here fought off all sorts of malicious terrors - rats, shelves, heck, even darkness itself. Hardly a good night's meal complete with free drink at The Queen's Legs, but I'm sure you'll work it into something better than eating rocks."


Food dispatched (and of course, Joachim had no intention of supporting the cooking), Joachim strolled over to the window and peered out. The rain was still chucking it down, spewing giant blobs of liquid across the beach. Summer resort this was not, he thought, though the idea of snobby posh vacationers getting drenched was worth a good chuckle. Still, it meant his plans of a late night dip were well and truly off the cards, and he'd be resigned to sleeping in clothes which smelt like a tavern privy. Which called for some classic JC inprov'!


Well, this is gonna make me feel all dirty hypocritical , but duty calls. With a sigh, he ripped off his shirt. Only the mental image of a hundred ladies swooning gave him consolation from the overwhelming embarrassment he now felt. If Three-Storey-Xaus says anything, I swear... He was painfully aware that whilst he was hardly an unattractive weed, his chest was hardly as toned as Three-Storey's. 'sides, he'd always considered it somewhat of a cheat card, stripping off to appeal to the ladies. That, and it always attracted the wrong kind of crowd.


"Hey Bubbles," Joachim said, indicating towards the window with a flick of his head, "reckon Birdbrain's smart enough to set me up a washing line out there?"


@Lioness075 @Epiphany @TheDragonMoon (because Xaus might want to acknowledge his shirtlessness and offer to show him where he found the sailor's top)

 

[SilverFlight]

A shadowy figure made its way carefully down the sodden beach. The hellhounds had long been drawn off. By what Reyna had not been sure, but she was thankful for the distraction. She was tired, hungry and the beasts brought back far too many painful memories to cope with on a night like this. The rain had drowned her scent thank the heavens, and was drowning out the footfalls of her horse Farren as they went. Another blessing she supposed, even though it came with a bone-chilling cold that seeped into every nook of her thick, Northerner clothing. Not even the wool cloak she had found had been able to keep her warm.


“I give up boy,” She told the horse in an exasperated tone. “Maybe I could just have you stand over me for tonight…” Not likely to be much better than sleeping in the full rain.


She lifted her head and squinted to see out into the misty gloom. A shape, tall and almost ethereal in the thick sheets of rain appeared before her. There was no light, but the form of a lighthouse could clearly be seen as she drew nearer.


“That will do!” She said brightly, dismounting her horse and leading it over to a pile of boulders that had come away from a short sea cliff. She bade the animal kneel, which Farren did without a fuss, the wet sand squelching under his weight. She draped her cloak over the saddle to keep most of the water off it and made her way through the darkness to check the area for danger. As she looked back she was satisfied to see that Farren was near invisible, his black coat melting into the darkness of the night, and shielded by the torrential downpour that continued to bucket from the sky.


The lighthouse, upon approach seemed simple, and sturdy and was the only sort of human structure that seemed to be out here and still intact, more or less.


Reyna was about to go to the door when the sound of voices made her freeze. She wasn’t alone. She ducked instinctively, sliding next to a pile of broken old crates that had been left to rot on one side. A window stood not two paces away and to this she crept silently, raising her head just so and listening to what was said.


From the sounds of it they were introductions. Reyna noted a jovial, confident drawl that seemed to be central to much of what was said. The voices of woman and men both (and mages all), names were offered and exchanged. She committed those and their owners’ voices to her memory.


The crunch of stone under boot made her jump as she did not hear it until it was nearly too late to dive back amongst the crates. The labored flap of a bird, bedraggled by the rain reached her ears and she waited patiently as the new arrival was admitted. Whoever these people were, they didn’t seem hostile. After a little thought, Reyna decided to try her luck.


She lifted her hand to knock on the frame of the door, pausing only momentarily, a cautious hand resting on one of the daggers at her belt.


“Hello? May I find shelter here? Please, I’ve food if you need it only let me in from this blasted monsoon!”


It was true, Reyna had a brace of hares. Two fat, forest leverets that she had caught only that afternoon, gutted and cleaned. As she knocked she pulled her hood a little further down. Suddenly conscious that she had not seen another person in weeks. Caution would be her ally here she decided. She untied the hares from her belt and held them in her hand to present when she was admitted...if she was admitted. Without another word she held her breath and waited.

 

[Lioness075]

Chuckling when she heard Joachim cry out upon the can striking him true, Leandra then had to lean against a shelf, as she covered her mouth and began laughing upon hearing Joachim struggling around in the darkness, trying to find the stupid can. When Joachim spoke again, Leandra did her best to stifle her laughter just so she could hear what he was saying. Yet, the moment he mentioned her having thrown it at him, Leandra was giggling and struggling to control her breathing. Upon hearing the mention of a Fire Mage though, Leandra's laughter immediately died off and she found herself quickly gathering the other two canned foods before quietly sighing to herself. Falarion was still on Leandra's shoulder and in the moment, he realized something was amiss with Leandra. Letting out a small chortling sound, Falarion then nudged Leandra's cheek and she quickly faked a smile for the bird before whispering to him, "Don't worry about me, buddy."


Hearing Joachim saying for them to not get too cozy down there, Leandra rolled her eyes and then felt her way through the basement and back to the staircase, glancing up at the receding light and then carefully following after Joachim. Blinking when it became lighter, Leandra's eyes soon readjusted and she was able to see once more. More than relieved at this, Leandra sighed as if she'd been holding her breath for an extended period of time. Hearing Joachim greeting everyone, Leandra soon joined his side and walked past him to put down her two cans near Rue as opposed to throwing them at the woman. Hearing Joachim refer to her as 'Princess', Leandra turned around sharply and then raised an eyebrow at him before saying, "Princess? Really?" Shaking her head at his emphasis of their lowly adventure, Leandra then said sarcastically, "You have quite the knack for telling stories, don't you?"


Once Joachim wandered off, Leandra shifted her gaze to Falarion, who was still calmly perched on her uninjured shoulder. Seeing the bird beginning to nod off a bit, Leandra then whistled in a low tone, which quickly woke Falarion up again. He chirped at Leandra and then nuzzled up against her cheek, bringing a grin to Leandra's face. Not too long after doing so, Falarion suddenly spread his wings and lurched off of Leandra's shoulder, gracefully flying back up to the rafters of the lighthouse and settling for the night.


Hearing Joachim calling out to her, Leandra turned in the direction of his voice and blinked in surprise when she saw he was now shirtless, much like the man who'd greeted her earlier. Raising an eyebrow now, Leandra listened to what Joachim had to say before rolling her eyes and saying, "First off, I have no idea who Birdbrain is. Second of all, why in the world are you now shirtless? Is that a thing around here or something?" After she was done speaking, a faint grin appeared on Leandra's face, as she knew all too well, already, that her teasing was going to rile up Joachim without fail. Reasonably, she knew from the topic of the conversation that his shirt was no doubt too dirty for him to wear any longer, but it was still plenty of fun to tease him for it.


Yet, before Leandra could get an answer from Joachim, she heard someone knocking at the door. Problem was, with the pounding rain outside and little conversation inside on top of the cooking, Leandra found it hard to understand what the person was saying and thus, she missed everything that was said. Deciding to check who it was since most everyone else seemed to be enjoying sitting down right now, Leandra walked away from the fire and soon was at the door. Cautious and wary of who may be just beyond it, Leandra slowly and quietly unsheathed one of her twin swords and held it at the ready by her side. Taking a deep breath, Leandra then slowly opened the door and then blinked when she saw a woman standing just beyond with two hares in hand. Shaking her head, Leandra then said, "Sorry, I couldn't hear you over everything. What'd you say?"


@SkyGinge @Epiphany @SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Reyna was almost surprised when the door opened for her, but gratitude was painted plainly on her face and readable even in the gloom of the night. She stepped into the doorway, holding up an open palm of the hand that had been on her dagger, to show she meant no harm.


“I said, as long as you’re not hell hounds, I could use a few allies. I have food, about as much to feed as many voices as I heard. Creator’s holy knickers it’s awful out there!” She held the brace of hares up.


In the light of the fire she began to survey the faces in the room.


From a glance, most looked like honest folk, hard-done-by in recent weeks--as was she--and the majority also did not look much older either. Two of the men were quite blatantly trained fighters and Reyna didn’t need to see their weapons to assess that. The woman who had opened the door (Leandra by her voice) also looked skilled. There was no doubt Reyna would be at their mercy should things have gone badly, but she had cast her die now. That being said, for all her time spent with animals she felt she could get a fairly good read on people from their posture and stances, this group seemed more relaxed than she had witnessed in some time.


The other man in the room was…shirtless. Reyna stared for a small moment before remembering herself and averting her eyes, glad the tinted light of the fire hid the colour that came to her cheeks. She was certainly not used to that particular view, growing up where it snowed six months of the year. He wasn’t injured, and she eventually decided it was best not to ask. He also didn’t seem dangerous at the moment, though Reyna was happy not to offer him a second look. The owners of the final two voices were not visible, though a creak on the stairs told her they had gone exploring up into the darkness above.


“I-I’m Reyna, Reyna Blackwood. A hunter from Boarsfell, small village in the North. I’m an earth mage too, sort of anyway.” She stammered at first, recovering from the surprise of seeing Joachim half-naked in the firelight.


She offered the same information of herself that she had stolen from the others under the window.


“I can have the meat ready in two shakes if I can use that fire. I’m sure I can't be the only one with an empty stomach.”


Reyna said this but remained where she was. She would wait to be permitted to do more. Manners had never been a priority in the past month, but they were coming back to her now. Her father had made a strong point that good conduct was vital to humans as a species, what separated them from beasts. She had taken it to heart.


As the flames illuminated the faces of her new acquaintances so too did they reveal her own. The flickering light played on her fair skin and caught in her delicate, green eyes, which regarded them carefully from under the hood. She pulled the fabric back a bit so they could see her face more clearly, shifting with unease at being in front of this many strangers. Good relations, she told herself, began with trust.


Another thought crossed her mind and she voiced it with curiosity: “I came across the trail of a pack of those demon dogs, I think I only managed to avoid them because someone else drew them off…was that you?”

 

[Sparkstorm1000]

A man walked silently in the rain, trying his best to avoid attracting the wrong crowd. He felt as the cold, harsh, rain pound on top of his scalp. His blond hair was stuck flat to his head, and his clothes obviously drenched by the water, and any dry food he had on him was as soggy as the insides of his maroon boots... He gave a low sigh of annoyance, and continued to look ahead to see where he was going. He'd rather not walk straight into a tall object, and alert any unwelcome company. He'd had enough of that today, just wanted to find a good spot that was dry and warm.


"This blasted rain is driving me crazy, and you know it's bad when a water mage is saying that!" The man, started to complain in aggravation. He had enough of all this Shadow Creatures nonsense. He would much rather enjoy snuggling next to a woman, by a warm fire with a good old glass of fine wine. But he knew that wouldn't happen anytime soon.


Looking on ahead, he started to see some type of light. It was dim, but welcoming. Obviously surprised, he started to pick up the pace, trying to get to the light as soon as possible. He started to think to himself with the different meanings of that light. "Alright, so, there's light. Light means the possibility of fire. Wait, no, it's raining, that would be impossible outside... Unless it's a shelter! With shelter, that means people. Which means the possibility of women!"


A giant, cheesy smile entered his face as he picked up the pace of his movement speed to an almost running speed. As he got closer, the light started to get brighter and brighter. "Am I seeing things? Is this real!?" He wondered. Then, without a moment notice's, he sprinted towards the area where he saw the light. He wanted to believe it, he desperately wanted to believe what he sees is real and not a figment of his imagination.


He had enough of being alone in this God forsaken world. At this point, he didn't care if he had to share a room with big smelly men. All he cared about was meeting up with allies he could just and talk to... The words "Please let it be real!" kept popping in his mind nonstop. He wanted to believe that what he sees real.


Finally, after he ran himself tired, started to see something, It was a lighthouse. Amazed, he got to him knees and let loose a giant sigh of relief. He figured if there was a light, it be at a lighthouse. Smiling a joyful glee, he got up and walked towards the lighthouse and some strange folks. he paused,not knowing what his next action should be. After running all the way here, he didn't stop to realize that they could be hostile. He observed them for a bit, "They don't seem to be hostile." He thought to himself with a very puzzled look. Finally, after determining it was safe, he started to celebrate in his mind. "I did it, I actually managed to find some other people!" He thought to himself with relief.


He started to walk up, just to try to get a better look at the and say hello. But he quickly realized that the people in the doorway were none other than woman. He smiled with a grin that the devil would be proud of. He rushed his fingers through his scalp to straighten the hair that had been messed up by the rain. Then, he proceeded to approach the two mysterious women. "Hello there fine woman, I'm not sure what you fully look like, seeing I can only see the back of you. But I'm sure Mother Nature herself is jealous of your beautiful looks. That must be why it's raining, Mother Nature herself is weeping by your beauty." He has the smile of someone who was full of them self. "Before you ask who I am, I'll tell you... My name is Drake Rin; The Handsome Hero..."


@SilverFlight

 

[Epiphany]

Exploration of the upstairs of the lighthouse didn't yield much, unsurprisingly. While it kept some supplies too troublesome to carry in repeated trips, the relative nearness of the fishing village of Haearn Awyr Newydd meant the people here had probably just walked to 'town' for meals and such. More clothes, fuel for the lightouse light, not much else. At least the fabric would be useful for bandages. Given their experience so far, those would be useful!


Rue walked downstairs with Xaus and made it to the fire just in time for Joachim to toss her cans. She quirked a wry smirk in the roguish man's direction at his depiction of their adventures.


"Well fought you two. Thank you for not dripping darkness, shelf splinters or other bits of the corpses of your enemies all over our nice clean floor." Rue glanced over the lighthouse interior, likely bespeckled with blood from the dozens or so of wounds on people in the room, and she chuckled.


"I'll see what I can do with this," the healer added as she spied 'beans' on one and got to work on prying it open.


Reyna's knocking was initially addressed by the other newcomer, Leandra, and Rue was content to let her at it. By the time Reyna made her introductions and offer, though, Rue had already finished cleaning out an iron pot, had collected some rainwater for a base and was in the process of heating up the till-now sealed beans. The offer of meat, though, caused her to scoot backwards and yield half of the firepit to Reyna. Thankfully, the lighthouse was large enough that its base firepit size was rather substantial, which also had the nice benefit of quickly warming everyone in the room.


"Come and dry off, Reyna," she offered, gesturing to a spot. "I'm Rue. You should be as safe as anyone can be here."


Drake Rin's introduction lifted both eyebrows and Rue simply chuckled and waved the man in. "Get in, get the door shut and warm yourself up. I don't know exactly how much food there is to go around but you're welcome to share it. Sit down and relax for a minute. Reyna's got rabbit, I have beans, and once we've all had a good meal in us, there'll be time for conversation then."


True to her word, dinner was rather quickly served. During that time, each person in the lighthouse had the opportunity to dry out from the monsoon outside, find a comfortable spot to sit/bed down in and at least size up everyone else there. For her part, Rue's leather coat and sword marked her as a soldier as perhaps did her air of authority but she didn't seem to have much interest in ordering anyone around. In fact, she doled out equal shares of the food to each person herself, ensuring everyone had the chance to eat before she tucked in herself.


"So, we have some newcomers. But aren't we all." She looked around at the motley crew and chuckled. "For those who missed it on the first pass, I'm Rue. I'm a healer from the Order of the Wise Ones. We're local, most of you have probably never heard of us. I'm also the only survivor I know of. I'm good with a sword and quite handy with wounds, thanks to studying Light magic with the Order. For those of you still nursing injuries, hopefully a good night sleep will store me up enough energy to get to the rest of you. In the meantime, come see me after you've eaten if you need bandages; I found some extra cloth upstairs that I can soak and boil in water over the firepit here to disinfect it so I can wrap your wounds before you sleep on them."


"Now that we're all together, how about each of us just speak up, say your name, where you're from and if you have anything to bring to the table for our continued survival."


In a somewhat more hushed tone, she adds "And if you know of anywhere that might be safe for us to go to other than here."

 

[Lioness075]

Seeing Reyna at first, Leandra narrowed her eyes in distrust, though she didn't move her sword from her side or shift her grip on it at all. When Reyna made it clear that she meant no harm, Leandra sighed and then stepped back before sheathing her sword diagonally across her back with the other twin sword. Listening to Reyna's introduction, and the mention of actual meat to eat, Leandra began to like her more, though her distrust in everyone here still remained. She'd let her guard down once before and it had been a fatal mistake for her to have done so. She wouldn't allow anything to happen again because of putting trust in someone who didn't deserve any to begin with.


Hearing Reyna's question of the shadow dogs, Leandra merely shrugged, though she quickly realized that Reyna wasn't looking at her and so she probably wouldn't see her shrugging. Clearing her throat, Leandra then replied, "Personally, I wasn't with this group when it happened, though a stray mutt found me regardless." At the mention of this, Leandra suddenly recalled her bitten and mangled shoulder, thus making her wince when she felt a throbbing and painful sensation coming from it. Exactly how was she expected to fall asleep with this pain again? Then again, it wouldn't be the first time Leandra had fallen asleep injured. It just sucked every time it happened.


Hearing a man's voice just outside of the lighthouse, Leandra turned to face him and then immediately frowned upon hearing how he spoke to Reyna and herself, Leandra. Scowling at his introduction, Leandra immediately balled her fists at her sides and her eyes became a darker tint, as she wondered just how she should show this man his place, but her thoughts and plans were interrupted when Rue welcomed the two strangers and invited them inside. Blinking in surprise at how easily Rue trusted others, Leandra was left wondering how she's survived so long in this world. Shaking her head at this, Leandra decided to stick by a female's side for now in case she were provoked again to take action. Men. She was trying to stick with this group for now so she supposed that kicking the new guy in the groin probably wouldn't sit well with everyone present. More so Rue than anyone else, if anything.


Letting out a frustrated sigh, Leandra moved over to join Rue and Reyna by the fire, leaning against the side of the fireplace where she could have an eye on everyone present. Folding her arms across her chest, Leandra then listened to Rue, as she suggested everyone introduce themselves again and then also mentioned the idea of a potentially safe place. With her mood temporarily ruined by Drake's rude, and rather sexist introduction in Leandra's opinion, Leandra remained silent and instead shifted her gaze from the group to the food in the fireplace being prepared. When Rue was done cooking, with Reyna's aid, Leandra nodded at Rue as a way of saying 'thank you' before she took the food from her and began eating it while remaining leaning against the fireplace and not saying another word. Why did men always have to ruin moments by being so arrogant like Drake?


@SilverFlight @Sparkstorm1000 @Epiphany

 

[Sparkstorm1000]

After hearing Rue's acceptance, Drake paused with wide eyes. He couldn't believe it, he honestly couldn't. He's been fending off the Shadow Creatures all by himself expecting to see no one again. Thankfully, his judgement on that choice was wrong, and he was grateful. However, realizing he looked like a wide-eyed idiot, he quickly went back to his old persona and walked inside the Lighthouse seeing all the different mages as he walked in. He smiled, looking onto the different members of the group and started to open his big mouth. "In the case that no one could hear me while I was getting drenched in the rain, my name is Drake Rin; The Handsome Hero." After his little introduction, he sat down next to the campfire. He felt the warmth of the flame rushing into his body immediately; the red flame making his skin feel like a warm blanket was covering the front of him. It was a nice feeling he severely missed.


After feeling the warmth get to him on the front side, he turned his back so that it would be facing the fireplace. He listening to Rue's introduction intensively, he felt it was his turn to give a more 'proper' introduction. Clasping his hands together, he stood up to face the group, and began to speak. "Now then, if no one wishes to speak, then I shall." Pulling a fake rose out of his vest, he hands it to Rue as a gift. "First of all, I wish to thank you for allowing me to join your humble abode. If the sky was clear, then I would have the hardest time deciding whether your eyes are prettier than the night sky. He gave a charming smile to Rue with a wink as he gave her the fake rose. "I'd be careful with that by the by, it has a retractable blade on the bottom, while the button is to the side."


"Now then, I guess I shall start. I once came from a small village; the village that wasn't even on the map! It was a rather enjoyable and peaceful place. However, I assume you're all aware of the end result about the villages big or small, so I won't dabble on that." He paused for a moment, trying to smother any memories he had of that event. I use Thunder and Water magic,and I mainly try to stick to close combat; though I do have some ranged moves. Finally, I do feel like I hit it off well with the ladies. Wouldn't you agree? Don't answer that, I already know..." Sitting back down, he looked around and smiled, even chuckled. "Even though it will be harder in a group on certain thing, I can't lie when I say I'm truly happy I've found people.

 

[SkyGinge]

As frustrating as this chick was, he couldn't help but return her smile as he saw she was only teasing. "Ain't you heard?" he smiled back, hands on hips, "Shirtless is the New In Thing, gurl. These... magnificent guns just can't be contained." Joachim didn't mind being the butt of the joke, as long as there was a joke in the first place. And there was no way he, Joachim Crowe, the comedic criminal himself, was gonna allow himself to be out-bantered by this barmy bird! His spirits had been drenched in the storm, but with this new and welcome company, JC found his joviality returning to optimum levels. Problem was, a tall tower full of wry, weary warriors was about as funny as a plank of wood.


There was another rap-tap-tap at the door. "That'll be the feast I ordered," Joachim said, to no-one in particularly, and then instantly regretted it. Ah, brain! Why do you have to tease so much with luxuries we can't have? Bubbles took the call, and over the storm's wailing tantrum he could just about make out another female voice. Well, well, well, Joachim my lad, seems your image of countless Hotties flooding to see your abs wasn't too far from the truth! He also decyphered the key word 'food', and any stranger willing to feed him didn't deserve to stay a stranger for long. By the standard Joachim code of conduct, this would be the start of Article 3.0, whereby he'd throw them all off guard with some well-timed banter, sneak some supplies to himself and then run away. Not today however - his arm's temporary man-down-ness meant he'd instead allow himself the pleasure of being coddled, especially in the warm and welcome company of so many females.


Then Bubble lead the newcomer into the room and OH GODS YES IT'S A BLONDE! DINGDINGDINGDINGDING! Congratulations, stranger, you've just hit the hottie-o-meter jackpot! And she was blushing and everything too - yes! Lady Luck, you've served me well, my dear lass! Joachim cast a subtle, sympathetic glance at Leandra. My sincerest apologies, fair Bubbles, but in this cruel world, it's survival of the hottest. And then there was Rue too, and she was hardly a damp squib. Spoiled for choice you are, Joey-Crowy, spoiled for ruddy choice. For the first time in his life, Joachim found himself wishing that at least one of these women were a bit less hot, and a bit more boring. Wait, Genius Moment #46 incoming; why share? With the rest of the male company as exciting as a dim library and as romantically inclined as a scientific textbook, Joachim could use his boundless charisma and witty charm to entice all of them into his loving arms.


Life is like a pendulum, Joachim's mother always used to say. Well, no, not 'always'. 'Always' would be 'Go to your room, you ruddy rapscallion!', and 'Joachim, manners, please'. Nevertheless, Joachim had ignored all of that advice - he didn't even know what a pendulum was at the time. But now he did, and it was a principle he very much lived by. Life was constantly swinging between 'Yay' and 'Nay'. If things seemed great, they'd soon head south. And if things were rough, optimism was the ideal medicine cause happy help was on its way.


When a man outwardly titles himself 'the handsome hero', you know he's an ignoramus. All of a sudden, the ruddy storm had summoned up some kind of wannabe dandy with all the tact of a mewling kitten. And what's more, his outward buffonary, a sign of some kind of inner delusion, would innately alert the lovely ladies to any attempts at flirtation, rendering his subtle smoothness worthless! Abs, you got the wrong gender, mate. Please send him back. As the man closed his horrific discourse, Joachim was already gnashing at the reigns to leap up and criticise him. Fortunately, Rue was on hand to shut him down in a far more respectful way, so instead, Joachim pretended to clutch at his throat, and sank to the floor, landing beside Xaus (who had now since ditched him in topless gang - fantastic). "Excuse me," he whisper-coughed, "just choking on the cringyness."


The arrival of Drake Dimwit, and the subsequent scuppering of his admittedly idealistic daydreams, sent Joachim into somewhat of a grumbly retreat. No matter what magnificently melodramtic scenario his comic mind devised, the punch would always been interrupted by this blonde bimbo barging through the metaphorical curtains and uttering a pick-up-line so cheesy, even his unwitting players grabbed their invisible scripts and tossed them in the sea. Given his inadvertant ridicule of Three-Storey earlier, he imagined the gentle giant was quite enjoying the site of a disheveled, quieter Joachim.


Food is the ultimate ice-breaker, and silently (but very thankfully) taking his plate from Rue, Joachim felt his spirits begin to rise. The topic of introductions had already been done to death, but he figured there was no harm in just playing along. He sat himself down next to Reyna (whose name he made sure to remember), and ate fairly quietly, as did they all. Rue kicked off their proceedings, as their de-facto leader ought, but before anyone could shut him up, Dimwit opened his gaping pie-hole once again and began to spout the vilest drivel ever to be drivelled.


"Oh yeah, we already know," Joachim muttered, though he knew what they know was likely a completely different truth to what Dandy Dimwit had in mind. Then again, the truth was overrated, and Joachim damn well wasn't going to declare himself a criminal. "The name's Joachim Crowe. I was gonna declare myself camp joker, but it seems our dear friend the gentlemanly Rin has already taken my spot. I was a saddle-maker from Aliak itself - ruddy shame none of out glorious stallions escaped the great Doom. " That was a lie, of course, but a well-constructed one. It was a profession which would provide decent cover in many ways. Firstly, it was so dull that nobody would ever bother to question him. And secondly, with no horses, he'd not be dragged into doing any chores! Win-win, and another genius stroke from JC.


"As for fighting, I'm the sickest fighter you've ever damn seen," he grinned, the sarcasm obvious, "That said, with this ruddy thing royally bladdered-" he indicated to his arm, "-seems I'm just gonna be talkative baggage for the time's being. I'm an Ice Mage too, but to be honest, I'm pretty awful." That was all he planned to say - honestly, he was well tired, and the idea of counting metaphorical sheep was a prime alternative to listening to everybody's egotistic monologues. "Oh, and just to warn y'all, those dogs don't do nothing unless they're scouts. Not to dampen spirits any further, but there's probably more Shadow-Meanies on the way."


With his regretful monologue well and truly monologued, Joachim sat back and half-tuned out, only allowing Reyna's introduction to come to ear. Then, with all introductions said and done, Joachim decided it would be best to dip out before he was shoehorned into doing the dishes or something else utterly boring. "Well, I'm gonna catch some winks," he yawned. Their shelter was hardly the best sleeping spot ever - the clue was in the name; 'Lighthouse'. Light-ruddy-house. Not dark-nice-sleepy-house. It was proper weird, but Joachim had always found claustrophobic places the comfiest sleepy-slabs. Wrapped in the tight embrace of darkness and brick, he felt protected, safe. An illusion, maybe, but a welcome one nonetheless. So, plopping himself down underneath his territorial windowsil (damn the blaggard who would try to sit on it!), Joachim tried (and failed) to get himself comfy. They'd discovered after dinner a few old wraps in the keeper's closet, most tattered and unpleasant, and whilst some people probably had bedding stuff with them, Joachim did not.


I hope these lads and ladies are ready for some killer snoring, he thought.

New Objective!Having timeskipped briefly, you ought to have your character react to Rue's introduction, and then send them off to sleep. Bed time is always a good opportunity for character reflection, but end your next posts with your character going off to sleep. Then, I will post and lead us onto the next Chapter!

@Kharmin @TheDragonMoon @Epiphany @Sparkstorm1000 @SilverFlight @Lioness075 @Kyte

 

[SilverFlight]

Reyna liked Rue instantly. The healer’s warm and honest demeanor made her actually feel like she was more than a step away from danger. She came in and set the hares down by the fire, skinning and spitting them in moments, her hands working the knife as hundreds of times’ practice had taught her.


@Epiphany


As the warmth of the fire washed over her she felt herself relax a little more, though the underlying suspicion and anxiety were still there, gripping at her heart and colouring her view on the strangers still. The men in particular. Her father had always been protective of her, feeding her wariness. This coupled with the fact that in the past month she had fought a number of frightened and desperate people as well as the hellspawn had made her defensive, bordering on squirrely. A simple friendly gesture now would seem like preparation for something worse.


Suddenly she felt a tingle on the back of her neck. She hadn’t noticed it before because she had been so intent on not looking at him. The fellow without a shirt was staring…at her. She looked away again and calmly tried to ignore him, feeling uneasily like a lamb in the wolf’s den. Instead she replied to Leandra as she worked.


“I’ve hunted beasts my whole life, I know them inside and out but these…They’re damned hard to track, impossible to predict and the bloodlust in them…it’s like Hell itself is looking at you through their eyes…” The thought made her shiver involuntarily and she continued working in silence.


@Lioness075 @SkyGinge


It wasn’t long before the meat was sizzling calmly, just out of the flame. Looking at it with a satisfied nod she stood up and made her way back to the door.


“I left something outside. Won’t be long. If the food finishes cooking just help yourself to it.”


She turned to go and nearly ran straight into yet another new face. Drake’s comical and forward approach took her by surprise and it was all she could do to try and hide the pity in her eyes. No one could possibly be this bad at courting intentionally could they? She scooted around him, wary of but not more than embarrassed for the bold ‘hero’.


@Sparkstorm1000


The rain continued to pour from the heavens, clattering noisily on the stones scattered across the lonely beach. Reyna put two fingers in her mouth and whistled at the dark, a short, sharp note that was hard to trace unless you expected it…which Farren did. The black stallion materialized out of the gloom, his mane had crimped in the wet weather and the cloak she had draped over him to protect both him and the saddle was now well soaked through. She led him closer to the lighthouse and let him stand for a moment. Reyna had seen some sail canvas and rope, which would be perfect for making a temporary shelter. With some effort she pulled the canvas free of the old crates and sand that had covered it over time. She was in luck, this was a mainsail, with rope at both ends, which meant she could string it up and make a lean-to against the lighthouse with little trouble. The problem was there were no fixtures on the building’s exterior.


She took a moment to make a mental apology to the lighthouse keeper before focusing on the exact point where the fixtures needed to be and twisting her hand in a fluid motion, pulling on magic to bend the stone to her will. It worked well enough. No there were two crude hooks jutting out, perfect for her purposes.


In no time at all the canvas had been pulled tight against the wall seven paces up and its length sloped down to the ground where Reyna had just finished pinning it. She motioned to the horse who stepped under it with a satisfied nicker. He shook his entire body then, slapping his rider with a face full of wet horse hair…lovely.


She pulled the saddle, blanket and reigns off to the side to dry slowly, then took the saddlebags packed with her supplies. A few mouthfuls of grain was all she had left to feed him, and it was probably soggy but the horse gobbled up what was offered without complaint.


“It’s been a long month eh boy? But I think we may have just had a bit of luck running into this bunch.”


Once back in the dry and warm she set the bags down, helped herself to the food that was ready and sat herself on a low bench. Her clothes were drenched--a fact that was even more prominent now after stabling Farren—and the leather armour chafed badly. With a deep sigh she set her food aside and pulled off the tunic, unbuckling the cuirass carefully and trying not to feel embarrassed. The loose cotton shirt she wore underneath hid her form well (thank the lord) and she returned to her food once her things were drying by the fire. Her breeches were wet too but she would live with that. With Wolf-eyes and Pretty Boy ogling her she’d sooner feed herself to the hell hounds than take them off.


Reyna hadn’t eaten more than a mouthful when movement beside her told her someone had come to sit uncomfortably close.


She chanced a quick look up and was presented with a bare chest.


“God's balls.” She muttered under her breath and stared at her food intently. ‘Flustered’ would have been a good word to use if he was clothed and another foot away from her…but now, when she herself felt near-naked with her armour sitting on the other side of the room, ‘flustered’ had transitioned into severely uncomfortable.


Trying to avoid looking desperate Reyna focused on anything else in the room. Drake had gone to Rue for a helping of their meal and Reyna decided to watch him, listening to what he said and forming an initial opinion. The thought crossed her mind that this may be one of the ilk her father had warned her about, but as he sat down his sheepish confession to the healer was almost endearing. At least he was honest about his success with women. The redhead however didn’t seem to share her opinion. A quick glance caught him staring daggers at the hapless romantic with a good dose of vehemence. Despite what Wolf-eyes thought however, she decided Drake was harmless to say the least.


@SkyGinge @Sparkstorm1000


Joachim (as he had introduced himself) on the other hand seemed to be exactly the sort of man her father had warned her about. A saddle-maker eh? One look at his hands told her he was lying. She had made many of the saddles for her father’s mounts. In a village as small as her own was people had to be multi-talented. His hands were un-scarred and soft-skinned, not the type to work with hard leathers, wood and iron. After that point her expression sunk into one of knowing patience, dishonesty was trait that irked her more than most. The ‘Talkative baggage’ bit at least was mutually agreed upon. It was only when he mentioned the hell hounds that she suddenly became interested. She looked round at him then and fixed him with a serious expression.


He knew about the creatures…more than most it seemed. The fact put her on edge. She had been watching them, tracking their hunting patterns for weeks and she couldn’t determine their game. How did he know?


For tonight she would keep her suspicions to herself however. All needed rest and it wouldn’t do any good to stir trouble now. As Joachim unimpressively announced his retirement without offering to take a watch Reyna rose as well, gathering her bow from the door and stringing it as easy as breathing.


@SkyGinge


“I’ll take first watch.” She said, making for the stairs that led to the lantern room. Before she went however she noted how Leandra’s injury had pained her (an unobservant hunter was a dead one). She thought for a moment and then returned to her bag, pulling out a small pouch with a tiny piece of bark and offering it to Leandra.


“Willow bark. You chew it.” She said. “It’s not magic, and tastes hella awful, but it will dull the pain well…for tonight at least.”


@Lioness075


She set her spare tunic down on the floor by the lantern and peered out into the gloom. As far as vantage points went the high-up, 360 view at the top of a lighthouse was about as good as it got. And there were small ports that could be opened if she ever needed to shoot something. Reyna could certainly work with this.


The night wore on and she felt her mind drifting back to the others downstairs. This was the first real group of people that hadn’t looked to rob her or worse. She was grateful for that, and perhaps because of it she began to develop a sense of protectiveness. She would watch all night if she had to. She noted that Joachim had chosen a spot by the window and recalled how she had trained Farren back at her old house to open the window latch and wake her in the morning…now that she thought about it she had placed Farren right outside that window and wondered if the latch was of a similar make…


@SkyGinge

 

[Lioness075]

Sighing, Leandra put her bowl down near the fireplace and then watched, as Joachim introduced himself as...a saddle-maker? Raising an eyebrow at this, Leandra highly doubted anything he was saying was true. He hardly looked like he'd done a challenging task his whole life and the way he'd handled that fight earlier only further convinced Leandra of this. Yet, upon hearing Joachim's mention of the Shadow Dogs having only been scouts, she frowned and wondered how Joachim knew of this. Was he hiding some valuable information from the group?


Hearing Reyna speaking up again, Leandra shifted her gaze to the female by the fireplace and listened intently to what she had to say. Faintly smiling at he mention of Reyna understanding beasts, Leandra waited until she was done speaking before she replied as well, "I'm a Nature Mage so I've got my own pet and understand a lot about beasts as well. Though I'm not too keen on killing any unless I plan on actually utilizing everything from them. You'd be amazed by just how useful everything is from a dead beast." Pausing, Leandra then dropped her tone, as she said quietly, "And yes, I know what you mean by the look in their eyes. I saw it when that mutt pinned me. Something is horribly wrong with them and I'm pretty sure they've been purposely twisted by dark magic. Unless they've got some kind of breeding thing going on."


@SilverFlight


After mentioning her pet, Leandra subconsciously glanced up at the rafters to check on Falarion, but it was so dark up there that she couldn't see him anyways. Knowing he was safe on his own regardless, Leandra looked back down in time to see and hear Reyna saying that she'd left something outside. Considering how much it'd been raining since they'd arrived, Leandra could only imagine what kind of condition whatever object Reyna had left out there was in now.


Still, Leandra was glad when the two flirtatious men seemed to shift their attention to Reyna, which was a relief for Leandra. Though, she doubted Reyna was enjoying any second of it with the expression on the poor woman's face. When Joachim sat beside her, Leandra winced, as she would've felt nearly as uncomfortable as Reyna felt in the moment. Yet, before Leandra could make any moves to get Joachim to back off, he had already wandered off to his windowsill seat and now Reyna had stood up to retrieve her bow.


As Reyna decided to take the first watch and made her way towards the stairs, Leandra gently pushed off of the fireplace with a wince and was about to sit on the ground in the corner of the room with her back against a crate. Yet, Reyna interrupted her movements, as she moved back to one of her saddle bags and then offered some willow bark to Leandra. Surprised by the friendly gesture, Leandra was silent for a moment and didn't move until she blinked and realized that it'd be rude if she didn't respond or anything. Taking the pouch of willow bark from Reyna, Leandra nodded and then said, "Thanks, I haven't been able to find any of this for a while now." Being on the constant run had its downsides and all that. Leandra could only hope that the men she'd run from had stopped pursuing her. After that fire incident with her parents, they'd pursued her inconsistently and whenever she let her guard down, they'd attack. Yet, she didn't want any revenge. She just wanted to forget what had happened and move on.


@SilverFlight


Watching Reyna retreating upstairs for a moment, Leandra then wandered over to the crate and undid the sheaths from her back for her twin swords. Setting them down on either side of her for a quick reaction if anyone were to attack her, Leandra then pulled out the willow bark from Reyna and began to chew on it, scrunching up her face when she tasted it. It tasted just as awful as she remembered, very bitter. Resisting all urges to spit it back out, Leandra set the pouch aside and then grabbed the extra blanket that had been on top of the crate she'd chosen to sit in front of. Before draping it over herself, Leandra removed her boots in the hope that they'd both dry a bit by the morning. Draping the blanket over her lower torso and legs, Leandra then settled back against the crate, intent on taking over watching the lighthouse by midnight so that Reyna could get some sleep herself. After all, nobody else seemed to have claimed taking over for her anytime soon. Closing her eyes, Leandra began to drift off, her mind dancing around the memory of the Shadow Dog pinning her down and then ravaging her shoulder, which had begun to dull in pain thanks to the willow bark from Reyna.


@SkyGinge

 

[Sparkstorm1000]

After hearing Joachim's comment, Drake couldn't resist the chuckle, it appears he already made an enemy; a rival perhaps. "I never realized I was nominated; let alone elected to become the official 'Camp Joker'.I honestly have no interest on becoming one, but I guess I'll accept it if you're not up to the plate." Drake stated in a lovely snarky tone, "And please, call me Drake. I much prefer it over my surname. While his tone was a know it all smart mouth, he didn't seem to catch on to Joachim lie too much. Only thought that a saddle-maker was a strange job for a mage. But that was his own personal opinion.


@SkyGinge


Regardless, he brushed the thought off as soon as he attempted to flirt with Rue again. "So, you're a healer? Well, I think your beautiful looks alone can heal me; even if your magic has depleted." He laughed with utmost confidence when his flirting attempt was cringe-worthy. "However, I would like to apologize about the shelter situation. In all honestly, this is the best shelter I've came across." However, taking a quick glace at everyone, he had a realization. " I guess I'm not the only one who had a run in with these Shadow Creatures. How ignorant of me..."


@Epiphany


After watching a woman walking upstairs with a lantern, Drake had an uncontrollable frown that took over his face. "Why did all of this have to happen in the first place." Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and sighed. "Well then, I think I will go on second watch, but In the meantime I'll be sleeping upstairs." As he stood up, he cracked his back and extended his arms to the group with a glorious fake smile. "Once again, I thank you all for accepting me into your group, and I do hope that I can be of some assistance for the benefit of the group." Taking a bow, walked around objects that were in front of him and started to make his way up the stairs. Pausing, he turned around and walked right back down to the group. "Before I go, would any lovely ladies be interested in snuggling with me while I sleep? No? Well, the offer is always open."


@Epiphany @Lioness075


Making his way upstairs, he placed his hand against the wall as he walked up. As his hand was rubbing against the wall, he started to get a better opinion on the lighthouse. It was an old, crusty lighthouse; the light in the lighthouse didn't even work! But, it was shelter, shelter that would keep him alive for another day, and he was grateful for that. After reaching the top, he saw the woman that had went upstairs before him, watching the area outside intently. Obviously his first reaction was to flirt with her. Walking up behind her, he placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear. "I'll take second watch, so wake me up whenever you want, you beautiful woman." With the smile of arrogance, he removed his hands from her shoulders and backed away.


@SilverFlight


Sitting down, he leaned against the wall and started to close his eyes, hearing nothing but the rain. Crossing his arms, he let out a long sigh. "This is as good as its going to get..." Taking thoughts in as he slowly drifted off into a slumber.


Twitching in his sleep, his old memories came rushing back into his mind. The horrors of his burnt, wrecked village stained his mind. Seeing the burnt corpses as the laid across the village, the deformed bodies. It was too much for him to handle his sleep, as his eyes quickly opened with a look that screamed absolute terror. Placing his hand on his chest, he quickly gave a sigh of relief as he looked around. It appeared he wasn't asleep for very long, for the woman never bothered to wake him up. Giving an aggravated groan, he to mumbled to himself, "The only God forsaken thing I hate about being a mage is the dreams... Or rather the memories that you don't wish to remember!" calming down a bit and attempted to get some valuable rest once more, because he needed all the energy he could get...

 

[TheDragonMoon]

[media]


​

[/media]





Xaus made his way down the stairs with Rue, now feeling better with a shirt on. It seemed like there wasn't much else in the upper floors, unsurprisingly. The way down seemed easier, even with his ever persisting pain that reminded him of the bleak situation. Joachim was having what seemed to be a lovely time with the blue haired lady. Good God, it felt like the university all over again. People chatting and being merry as he was left in the dust. There were cans of food scattered on the floor, he assumed from their grand search in the lower areas of the lighthouse. Rue was her helpful self as usual, helping getting dinner cooked and food prepared for the group. There was even a lovely fire pit that warmed their aching bones. And two new people were added to the group. Xaus had imagined that this was supposed to be the apocalypse, you know, with almost no people remaining. Looked like it was his lucky day. Shirtless Joachim was amused at Drake, "choking on the cringiness". Xaus couldn't help but smile a little at the ridiculous new life he had landed himself in. The warm food filled his body with strength. Although still quiet and very much withdrawn, he did actually feel a little happy spending time with everybody.


After they all had dinner and chatted to their heart's content, it was obviously time to get some sleep in. Another big day tomorrow, fighting for their lives, himself trying to work with other people. The even newer girl, Reyna, had graciously offered to take first watch for the group. Great. You guys can do all the watching. Maybe next night he could offer or something. He scratched the mess that was his hair, thinking about if he cared where he slept. He yawned. With a shirt that covered his back from the worst of the splinters, and tiredness that weighed a hundred pounds (he was amazed that he had made it through dinner and everything!), he simply collapsed in corner that didn't look too spider infested. He imagined that the others were wandering around to find a more comfortable place for the night, but this would do just fine.


Five seconds, and then he was gone. Just like that. The memories started creeping in almost right away. The looks of betrayal from his sister, the feeling of having everything taken away from you. Why, oh , why couldn't he have a moment of relaxation? Being alive was rough with the dark terrors on your heels, and when you finally got a chance to rest, you were faced with the haunting scars of the past. Xaus, deeply affected by the turmoil, felt lost and unhappy with his current position in the world. There must be more during the rest of his days than suffering. He needed to find where he belonged.


Now, full scenes of him on the day where his entire life changed. Constantly looking over his shoulder, wondering if he was to suffer the same fate as his parents, and reading the note several times over and over. Burning the words into the core of his soul. Wandering lost, through the dense woods, from empty village to village, with death always close behind. Now much has it changed, a teasing voice whispered in his mind, has it Xaus? He tried to run away from his dreams, his dread, and loathing, only to find himself stuck as always. Xaus knew he needed to move on, change himself and find meaning to it all. Even through the hardships, he was not one to give up, and he would make his goals a reality. He was sick of feeling lost. He wasn't going to let his emotions bully him forever.


The dream seemed to sense his feelings, and faded to a calmer scene of him helping with his family in his younger years. Xaus smiled wistfully in his sleep, remembering how good it was to be innocent. Together with everybody. This was something that he could sleep restfully on. Not everything had to be bad. He had to keep that in mind, as to not fall into the abyss.

 

[Epiphany]

@Sparkstorm1000


Drake's announcement of an actual title made Rue grin slightly. The rose, however, took her by surprise. As did the compliment. Her cheeks colored, in part from embarrassment, in part from a rising unexpected anger. She'd buried her husband no more than a few weeks ago! But was it this man's fault? He couldn't know and publicly embarrassing him wouldn't soothe her pain, it would only fracture the newborn fragility of the lighthouse's peace.


So Rue accepted the flower, said "Thank you, Drake," for the flower and set it down next to her. Only then did she blink and add "...Wait, why does it have a retractable blade...?"


@SkyGinge


Her only comment during Joachim's remarks was a surprised eyebrow and a dubious "You're a saddle maker?" But she otherwise accepted the jovial man's words without any apparent disbelief. "I'll try to fix your arm first tomorrow, Joachim," Rue said, her tone conveying a healer's long-practiced soothing empathy.


@SilverFlight


When Reyna returned from outside, she looked utterly soaked and smelling faintly of horse. Rue made sure the other woman had room close enough to the fire to help dry out. She even offered to help with whatever disrobing Reyna was inclined to do. The healer looked wan, exhausted, but also somewhat unsettled. Not quite comfortable but not quite able to put her finger on why. At least Reyna seemed to share her suspicion and the other woman's offer of first watch was welcome.


Rue herself didn't volunteer for a standing a shift watching. Every scrap of sleep she could get tonight meant another scrap of energy she could summon up to knit wounds, cure fevers and set breaks. If there were more monsters coming, her survival and theirs was tied to them being well enough to fight...or run.


@Lioness075


Leandra's comments about her abilities and her observations about the shadow hounds drew the fatigued healer's attention. Her brows knit together speculatively and she slowly shook her head. "I'm not sure they were ever natural animals. Or even animal at all. When they die, they dissolve into this kind of...gas. No corpse is left behind. I think they may be Dark Magic of some kind bound together in the semblance of a hound and given animating intelligence of a kind."


Glancing around the room, Rue hurriedly adds "Not that I'd know anything about that."


At the use of willow bark for pain, the healer grimaced slightly but said nothing. Painkiller's tended to make one drowsy. All the herbs she'd salvaged for her healer's kit packed in her backpack caused drowsiness at least. Sleep was critical to recovery but a blunted edge could mean the difference between life and death should more shadow hounds or worse come in the middle of the night. So she simply stayed quiet, neither offering what she had or criticizing those who had their own. As long as most of them weren't drugged, they should be okay.


@Sparkstorm1000


Almost drifting off as she stared into the fire, feeling her food settle, Rue blinked and straightened when she was directly addressed by Drake again. "Yes, I'm one of the Order of the Wise Ones," Rue said. The following compliment tightened her jaw, thankfully shutting down what might have come out on first reflex. At last she said "You're very kind. And we're happy to help shelter a hero, or any man or woman in this weather, under these conditions."


As he climbed the stairs and turned back, Rue just shook her head but managed the semblance of a smile. "Get some rest, Drake. I suspect all of us will need our strength in the days to come."


And with that, Rue turned in for the night. If she had dreams, she didn't remember them. The all consuming weight of exhaustion utterly claimed her.