We Start at the End [Inactive]

[Lillian Gray]

Lillian Gray submitted a new role play:


We Start at the End - A private 1x1 for Lillian Gray and MidnightPhoenix1123

"She was killed before I knew it. Deep inside the catacombs, we never found what was said to be buried here. I believe in my heart that it was all a lie. Every time she dies in my arms, we begin anew at the alter, just before she touches that cursed thing. An innocent looking totem, with eyes of rubies so red, I fear they were made of blood. And every time, I scream for her to stop, but it's always too...

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THE FIRST 2 PAGES ARE IN THE CHARACTER SECTION.

 

[Lillian Gray]

"Well, if we're careful, maybe there's something at the end of the mural tunnel..." She named it on the spot, just in case they ended up down that path again. They had to be careful about what they touched on the walls from then on.


Tessa cautiously took the lead, this time with a dagger in hand. Although it wouldn't save her from falling rocks, it could help her get out of a bad situation. Be it some other curse, possible undead, or vines. Truly, it was useless, but it had saved her many times before, so holding tight to the handle of her dagger brought her some calm.


"Here." She decided. A second hallway, just to the left of the mural tunnel, was lit with torches. They must have been burning for years. "It's lit up, so, something interesting must be this way."


As she walked, she examined the walls. The paint was still on the walls in a dingy, faded out hue. Either no one traveled the path enough for it to disappear, or it was more important, lasting. She liked to think there was significance in the dull colors on the walls.

 

[Wishfully]

"Hm, okay. I guess it makes sense." Lance followed Tessa down her choice of tunnel. He noticed she had her dagger ready. He didn't really consider what other sorts of dangers might lie in these ruins. All he had was a pocketknife, and he doubted that would do them much good. At least one of them was skilled with weaponry. Lance remember how Tessa had saved their lives a couple of times with that dagger.


Lance noticed the torches on the tunnel walls and scratched his head curiously. It was indeed very odd that they were lit- either they had somehow been burning for years, or they had been lit not too long ago. He almost reached out to take one and examine it but stopped himself.


"No touching anything," he said aloud as sort of a reminder to both of them. Well, so far everything was going okay. This tunnel did look promising, Lance had to admit. Though...that's what he thought last time. Lance felt his heart sink a little. He had to stay optimistic, though. He definitely wasn't giving up, and he refused to let Tessa give up either.


"This sort of reminds me of a time my mother tried to repaint our house," Lance said, trying to lighten the mood a little. "I mean, I bet this color was vibrant back in its prime, but my mom picked this color just as dull as you see it now. My father thought it was terribly ugly, and all three of us spent the next week repainting the house," he said with a slight laugh.

 

[Lillian Gray]

"I bet he was none too happy." Tessa responded quietly, trying to let herself be calm.


The tunnel seemed to go on, and on, she saw no end coming up. Once more, she turned to see what was on the walls. Besides the faded paint, it wasn't anything too spectacular this time. Farmers working fields, women holding their children. A large section of the wall was covered in a river. This seemed to only show their daily life.


"I've explored so many ruins with my grandfather, they never look the same." She admitted with a content look in her eyes. "You think they would, but, they're never the same."


The traps though, that part was similar.





"There's gotta be another way out, Lance." She gave an exasperated sigh. "But I don't know how long this tunnel goes on. What if it never ends?" Tessa threw her head back and groaned. She was hungry, tired, and a little dizzy.


I did just eat...but, I'm starving.

 

[Wishfully]

Lance shrugged. "Well at least he helped repaint." He didn't go into further details on the subject since that was basically the end of the story anyways. He started to notice the difference in the mural's subject matter. The scenes were a lot more peaceful. That was comforting.


"No, you're right," Lance agreed when Tessa mentioned how the ruins were never the same. "But that's why these kinds of adventures never get old."


Lance realized they had been walking for a long time. But apparently, Tessa had noticed too. But the tunnel had to end at some point, right? Technically, it would be impossible for it not to end. Though, there was no way of knowing how long that would take. They didn't want to be lost in here when night came, he figured.


"Should we head back then?" Lance asked. He paused a bit hesitantly, thinking he heard something unusual, but maybe it was just his imagination.

 

[Lillian Gray]

"Yeah...it's probably best." Tessa nodded her head. Had he heard it too? She brushed the noise off as her active imagination. Better safe than sorry when her lifestyle revolved around stealing.


She turned around, back towards Lance. As she did, she pulled a short blade from her waist. Not quiet a dagger, not quite a sword, it was her weapon of choice just after her crossbow. Tessa held it out, the hilt towards him.


"Take it, just in case." She insisted. Her eyes locked on his, green and filled with fear. Deep inside, it was there. "It'll save you in a bind, reinforced metals, tough."


Just in case I happen to die...again.





Lance wouldn't make it on his own, not with his little dagger. He didn't have it in him to kill, that's at least what Tessa had to assume. The man was a scholar, not a killer or a thief.

 

[Wishfully]

"Um did you-?" Lance trailed off, shaking his head. "Never mind. It was probably nothing." He shrugged it off. Noises weren't exactly unusual in ruins anyways. It was just like any old, abandoned building he would see back home- things creaked and shifted on occasion. They hadn't touched anything, so he didn't think there was any reason to worry about impending danger befalling them so suddenly.


Lance drew back instinctively when Tessa pulled out the blade. "Oh...ah, okay. Thanks." He cautiously accepted the weapon. Although the two were rather used to each others company, he still hadn't expected her to be so trusting. then again, Lance couldn't exactly pose a threat to her, or anyone for that matter.


"If you feel anything slightly different, let me know. Perhaps a breeze would point us in the right direction, if we happen to feel wind or even a temperature drop." Lance tried to think rationally about the situation. When panicked, it was always easy to overlook even the smallest details. He thought about the river in the mural. Obviously there had once been water somewhere accessible. Maybe the river was very close, or it was in a different part of the environment they hadn't seen when they made their way here.

 

[Lillian Gray]

"I haven't noticed anything different really." Tessa murmured. The air was still in their current tunnel. It wasn't damp, not exactly cold or warm. Just flat.


Her stomach made an unpleasant noise and she grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry, I'm starving." Maybe it was being dead, or maybe it was how long they'd been walking, but the girl needed to eat. She continued back the way they'd come, waving Lance along with her.


The first thing that caught her attention was that the walk back was about ten times shorter than the walk into the tunnel. She whipped her head around and stared back onto their path. It was lit up with torches all the way down, and yet. Something was wrong.


"I could've sworn we walked for at least an hour down, but, the room where we found the artifact is right here." Tessa exclaimed. She stepped back into the room with the lone pedestal, staring in amazement at the anomaly.

 

[Wishfully]

Lance shrugged. It was a thought. He heard Tessa's stomach growl, and then it dawned on him that they had been down here for quite some time. He frowned a bit and sifted through his pockets, quickly pulling out a wrapped item.


"Here," he said, tossing it lightly to the female. "It's an energy bar. Not much, but it's all I got." Lance wasn't very hungry himself. He wasn't sure why, but he wouldn't complain. Lance started to worry- it had taken them a long time to get down this tunnel. What if they were walking for another hour and still hadn't found a way out?


Then again...they were already back at the start. "Huh?" Lance scratched his head, clearly as confused as Tessa. Had they been walking in circles this whole time? Lance groaned. "I can't believe it... how is this happening?" He rubbed his temples in attempt to focus, staring at the tunnel entrances they had seen several times before. Now what?

 

[Lillian Gray]

"Was it all just a trick?" Tessa groaned and approached the pedestal. As if it would solve her problems she jammed her dagger into the center of the stone. It bounced back to her with a clang and she hit it again.


The night didn't go very well. Tessa was increasingly hungry as time passed, out of the normal for the nimble girl. She lit a fire in the room, seeing as it was large enough where proper ventilation wasn't needed. No one was around to see it anyways. The thief sat close to the fire, warming her hands in the room.


"What's the next plan then?" She asked glumly. "Do you want to try going back the way we came, or, pick another path?"

 

[Wishfully]

Lance could feel his spirits sink, but he hated being so glum. There must be something they could do- something they were missing. But what? This civilization was clearly smart, but there was no way they went all the way back on the same path from this room, was there?


"There must be something," Lance said firmly. "I mean, if you had this treasure, wouldn't you want t be able to move it quickly in case of an attack? There has to be another escape route! I just...don't know where it could be." Lance sighed and joined Tessa by the fire. Lance was normally good at coming up with solutions, but this was just mind-boggling. He did like a challenge, but at this point he would prefer their ensured safety.


"I feel as though there should be another way out. However, if we got in, then I suppose retracing our steps should take us out," he concluded.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Tessa nodded in agreement. "Let's go after we get some rest." She declared. Her whole body ached, begging for her to stop and sleep. "No use going anywhere tired, especially not in here."


She spread out her thick blanket, nothing compared to a sleeping bag, but she preferred it to that. If she needed to burst up at an instant, she didn't want to fumble with zippers or strings in order to defend herself. A blanket she could throw. A bag was like a cocoon, keeping her trapped inside and useless.


"And no touching anything." She added slyly. "We'll get out of this damn place, you can have your skull. I don't want anything to do with it when we're gone."

 

[Wishfully]

Lance laughed slightly. "Well, you don't have to keep it for my sake. I've been convinced enough of its power." Still, no one could deny its beauty. But safety was more important. Though, at this point, Lance wasn't sure if leaving it would make a difference or not. He didn't know all that much about curses.


He was tired too, but doubted he would be able to rest much. Lance shrugged and smiled a little at Tessa. "Well, I'll keep watch," he said. He wasn't sure what there was to watch out for, but it seemed like the thing to do.


Lance only hoped that they were alone in the tunnels, and that nothing dangerous was lurking around at this time.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Tessa tossed and turned in her sleep, haunted by a ghostly figure in her dreams. Even as she rested, she clutched at her stomach in pain. She knew something was wrong, but what?


In her dream, the figure tried to reach out to her, but every time she got too close, it would disappear. It was like chasing a mirage in the desert. The figure seemed so desperate for her to keep moving, to just keep going, but she always had to start over again. Tessa would be at the start, and the figure at the end as it constantly moved away.


...g...ou....





She chased the figure, her legs grew tired and her will started to drain. Just when she gave up, it reappeared before her and extended an ethereal limb.


...you....t..





Tessa didn't know what it meant. Nor could she understand what it was trying to tell her.


She awoke in a panic, sweat covering her brow and hands holding her stomach. The fire still burned, less brightly than before.


"How long have I been asleep?" She asked.

 

[Wishfully]

Lance kept warm by the fire, poking at it every now and then to keep the flame going. He looked over at the sleeping woman and thought to himself about all of their travels. Every time, it was different- new and exciting. Sometimes, it was even dangerous. But this- this was unlike any experience they had ever had before. Not in a single encounter before had either of them died...and come back to life.


Lance yawned a little, realizing that he was indeed, a bit tired as well. Although sleep might not set in, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to close his eyes for a few moments. He let his eyelids drop and felt relaxed, just breathing slowly and peacefully for a moment.


He heard Tessa stirring a lot and opened his eyes. Lance frowned- she didn't seem to be sleeping well at all. Though, he didn't have it in him to wake her. He was no doctor, but he figured that at least a little rest must be better than none, even if their sleeping conditions weren't ideal.


The silence was eerie and honestly a bit unsettling. It provided room for memories- memories of rocks crumbling, memories of reaching and searching for each other but to no avail. Lance tried to block it out but when he looked down, he noticed his hands trembling.


Lance scooted closer to the fire, extending his hands toward the warmth. There was something calming about the fire- the warmth and light made the tunnel seem less lonely and less intimidating, even if the flame was dimming. He had no idea what time it was, or when the last time was that they had actually eaten a decent meal. He prayed silently for a moment, pleading to anyone out there for safety.


"Not sure," Lance replied when Tessa asked how long she had been asleep. "Nothing happened though. I'm relieved about that, but I guess we should get moving whenever you're up and ready to try again."

 

[Lillian Gray]

"We should go soon." Tessa suggested. She sat up from her spot on the ground and instantly felt sick. There was a horrid taste in her mouth and she spit on the ground to relieve it.


What the?





Blood. Thick blood, the color of the deep of the skull's ruby eyes. She didn't remember doing anything that should have made her this sick. How long had she been asleep for?


"Did you nod off, too?" She asked, worried. "Lance, look at me, tell me, what color is my tongue?"


A strange question any other day, but black tongue was a curious thing. It took a full day or two in order for it to turn black. They'd traveled down that strange hallway, maybe something got screwed up along the way. Then they'd fallen asleep, it left a lot of time to pass.


Tessa stuck out her tongue at Lance, waiting for the response she knew it would be. Black. Dark, ill, and black as night.

 

[Wishfully]

Lance felt all the color drain from his face as he stared at Tessa's tongue.


"Black," he barely managed. Lance started to feel a little dizzy, just thinking about what was happening. Focus, he told himself. He couldn't clock out now- he had to stay with it for Tessa's sake.


"I closed my eyes for a few moments, but I didn't actually sleep," he replied, not sure why it mattered but not questioning.


Lance started to panic. He had no idea if his tongue was black too, but he wasn't gonna ask. This was probably that poison Tessa had talked about before, if memory served correct. There had to be a way to fix this. "Okay, so I know you said that this Black Tongue stuff is rare, but there's a cure for this, right? How much time do we have? I'll do whatever I can to help you! What do we need to make it? Herbs? Water?" he babbled quickly.

 

[Lillian Gray]

"I don't know." She admitted, tears welling up in her eyes. Would this be her death? Is this how she was really going to die? There was no way. "The cure is just so rare, I don't know how to make it, it just wasn't worth the time."


Tessa rummaged through her bag as fast as her hands would allow, checking every pocket for the vial she carried on her. It was sealed, twice, in glass. But she had to know how she'd gotten black tongue in a ruin. The only thing she'd eaten came out of Lance's bag, and she trusted him enough to know he wouldn't poison her.


When she found the vial, she was surprised to find it unbroken. Just the size of thumb, the dark blue liquid moved as she whipped around to show it to Lance.


"I don't understand." Tessa stuttered. "How? How did this even..." There was just no way. Two days had passed already? It wasn't possible. Unless the tunnel they were in...


Every possibility only gave rise to more questions. The only answer was as mythic as unicorns and dragons. Although they did exist.


"The curse." She blurted. "It's the only reason, it's gotta be. I picked up the stupid thing, now I'm cursed."

 

[Wishfully]

Lance shook his head when Tessa said she didn't know the cure. No...no, this couldn't be happening. Not again. It just seemed so impossible- even more so when Tessa revealed the unbroken vial.


"I don't understand," Lance said. He knew that neither of them did. Honestly, Lance didn't even remember everything Tessa had said about the poison- he just remembered the basics enough to know that this wouldn't end well at all. Things were just going to get worse and progressively more painful for her.


Lance was only half paying attention as Tessa talked about how many days had passed and such. He was truly baffled- what could they do? If Tessa was cursed, maybe there was no escape.


But Lance wasn't going to let her go without a fight.


"Come on, pack up. We're leaving," he said decisively. If there was anything that could fuel his pace, it was a life-or-death situation. Lance started hurrying to pack everything up. "I'll carry you, but we're getting out."

 

[Lillian Gray]

"No, that's fine I can walk, Lance." Tessa waved her hand in a dismissive manner and tried to stand. Instantly she keeled over and spat up another thick stream of blood. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to keep down another clot.


What's going on? What the hell is going on?





She knelt down on the floor and rolled up her blanket, it was all she could do without her stomach curdling. That was the first thing to go, her stomach. The poison turned it to slush. Next were her other organs, her hair, nails. Then there was nothing.


"Just go, Lance." She begged him. "I'm going to die in a few more days, it doesn't matter, just leave me here."


Tessa curled up on the ground and held her stomach. She'd already died once, but black tongue? Being crushed was easier. It was faster. This was gruesome and slow. As soon as Lance was gone, she could end it herself.


That was a better death.

 

[Wishfully]

"What? No way, I'm not-" Lance stopped when he noticed her coughing and spewing more blood. His face scrunched with worry. Maybe he had no choice. He had intended to carry his partner, but now...


Lance had to stop himself from shaking Tessa to keep her up and conscious. But that definitely wouldn't help right now. He was afraid that touching her at all might cause her a lot of pain. Lance ran his fingers through his unruly hair in frustration.


"Okay, I don't think you're going anywhere right now," he said. "I don't want to hurt you by making you move." He paced for a moment, glancing between the tunnels and then back at Tessa.


"Here," he said. "You just stay here and do your best to keep still and calm. I'll hurry and check all of the paths that we haven't yet. One of them has to be the exit, right?" he said.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Tessa shook her head. From the ground she turned her head up to lock eyes with Lance. Filled with fire, she ordered him, "Lance, no. Run. I'm not gonna make it."


She willed herself no to cry as her panic levels increased. Maybe, just maybe there would be something inside the ruins that instructed someone how to make the antidote, but it was a stretch. Tessa needed time to make it anyways, and that was a luxury she didn't have left.


That tunnel. Whatever possessed that tunnel sped up her curse. Was it under some sort of spell? It was the only explanation. Under any other sort of circumstances, she wouldn't have advanced through the stages so quickly. That tunnel was a mistake.


"Just leave me behind. Don't come back." She cried, on her hands and knees now, she begged him to go. "You don't want to watch me die, not again. I can see it in your face. Take my weapons, take anything you need to get out."


I don't want to die this way.





"Just go, Lance."

 

[Wishfully]

Lance felt a knot forming in his throat as he continued to watch her. Tessa was always so strong, and it was painful to see her like this. He bit his lip when she ordered him to leave her. He hated this.


"Okay," he managed to whisper. "I'll go."


He could see the fear and anguish in her eyes. She probably didn't want him to see her like this. Lance stepped forward and bent down toward his friend. He kissed the top of her head endearingly, hoping to be of some comfort even in her last moments.


"But if I survive and find the way out, you'd best believe I'm coming back for you," he murmured.


Lance kept the knife that Tessa had given him but took nothing else. It didn't feel right to do so. With one last look, he stared into her eyes and smiled as if to say, "It will be okay," even though they both knew it wouldn't be. Then, he turned and ran blindly into one of the tunnels, Tessa's form quickly fading from his vision as he ran alone in the darkness.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Time didn't pass well for Tessa. She pulled everything from her body save her clothes, which clung to her with her own sweat. Shoes, weapons, everything. Her body was eating itself from the stomach out, and she didn't think she'd last much longer.


She was surrounded by her own blood, scared something else would come up. At least it was only blood for now.


I don't want to die like this.





"Lance." She called weakly.


Come back.





Tessa looked around the room, realizing this would be the last thing she ever saw. That, and the cursed golden skull. She fell to the floor, curled up on her side and began to cry. Tessa hated how weak she felt, how this place had made her anything but her normal self.


She shouldn't have let him go. Now she'd be alone.

 

[Wishfully]

Lance ran through the dark tunnel. That probably hadn't been his smartest move. But he wasn't thinking straight right now. He had no idea where he was going, but he refused to stop. He had to find a way out before it was too late. Before...Before Tessa...


He felt something wet hit his cheek and realized it was his own tears. He quickly wiped his eyes, but the silent tears didn't stop. Not until Lance hit a wall. Literally.


His fingers touched the surface first, but it was too late to stop himself from slamming face-first into the stone. Lance cursed loudly, quickly grabbing his now-throbbing head. He stumbled backward, slowly lowering to the ground. He sat for a moment, catching his breath. When he was more stable, Lance looked up, trying to make out anything in the dark tunnel. As he felt along the ground, he noticed grooves- the floor was made of cut stone, it seemed.


"Ouch!" he winced as his hand grazed a sharp edge. He drew back, feeling blood on his hand. Lance put pressure on the wound and used his foot to find the edge of the wall. Soon, he was turning around another corner, advancing deeper into the unknown.