[CRP] Pasts Forgotten, Lives Remembered

[Aishe]

The thud rang in her ears as she froze, eyes widening. Her gaze shifted past Serendipity to the door, which came crashing down. Listening to Serendipity's orders, she remained on the bed. She really didn't get to see the visitor's face as the woman jumped at the attacker and quickly had him pinned to the floor. But once she stood, Aishe's eyes fell on the man's face and she could feel a small blush as she gave a shy wave. Hi William.. She wasn't sure if he actually remembered her, they had only met the briefest of moments before her and Akos left the tavern days before.

Aishe looked at Serendipity, confused as the woman talked. The name of Sethos sent chills down her spine and her heart skipped a beat. But.. You said we couldn't move Akos. And we can't leave her!!

[Serendipity]

A frown creased her lips for a quick second before she gathered her thoughts, waving a dismissive hand, looking at Aishe. I know what I said. But this is what I'm saying now. Keep up. Serendipity beckoned Idris to follow her as she went to the bed. As she wrapped a sheet around Akos, she spoke coolly, but a bit in a rushed manner. If we stay here, we're cornered and trapped. I thought that perhaps this room was built better than it was. This boy over here proved me wrong with his little magic show. Sethos would burn us alive, easily.. If we were lucky.

Serendipity straightened up and stepped towards Aishe. I need you to do something. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. You need to calm down.. She paused as Aishe's eyes closed. Now, imagine yourself and Akos in a metal room. Like a box. Firmly locked and sealed, with no way of getting in or out. Serendipity was silent for a moment. Don't worry, the box is protected by me. Just imagine it and keep breathing.

It was silent for another moment until Aishe's eyes opened. The woman gave her a smile. Good girl. Now gather your things, quickly. Leaving things behind will only make things easier for Sethos. Don't forget anything of Akos's, mind you! Aishe started around the room to gather her things. Eying the unconscious Akos worriedly, Serendipity bit her lip. Her eyes fell on the wedding band on Idris's ring finger. Married already, Idris? That's one lucky girl.. She know how much trouble you are yet? Serendipity winked with a quiet chuckle to herself.

She looked over at Aishe. Now how are your fighting skills this time? Aishe shook her head, mumbling something about fair. Don't know how well fair is.. But stay close to me, alright Miss Gypsy? Serendipity picked up Akos gently and slid her into Idris's arms. Carry her for us, will you? And be careful, mind you. No sudden jolts. And don't drop her this time! She crept to the doorway and peered out into the hall. Looking back at the group, she grinned. Now, if we're lucky, we can get out of town or to Soka, before Sethos gets here.. But he'll be on our pretty, little tail. Idris, where is Soka?

[William]

William was unsure of why he had stopped struggling. It wasn’t as if it would take much effort for him to throw off the girl and pin her onto the floor and see how she liked being pinned. Nor was it the fact she had that laughable excuse of a dagger held to him. It was the eyes, it was the words… something about it rang with a resonance deep within his very soul. Which was why he now lay on the ground staring up into the ageless face hovering before him as the anger drained from him, and pondered why she was so familiar as she patted his face and spoke.

Getting up though with her help, everything once again seemed to become a rush as she spoke briefly to him and referring to someone called Idris. Confused, William was going to query her more about who this strange person was and what he had to do with him when he finally noticed the other lady in the room. As his eyes locked onto that of Aishe all thoughts of Sethos and old enemies and strange men disappeared as a knowing smile split his face. Now it all made sense, and as William looked quickly between the still form of Ako’s and Aishe, Will wondered why the idea had not occurred to him right from the beginning. Giving a slight wave to her as she greeted him, William turned to look once more around the room before the most unexpected thing happened to him.

Draped in only the bed sheets, Ako’s was suddenly dumped into his arms. Her warm smooth flesh left no need for imagination beneath the thin sheets. Gulping suddenly as his face turned beet red, William tried to avert his eyes at the form of one of his oldest friends and wondered to what god had set him into this strange situation. Wishing he had the use of his arms – as it is now occupied in carrying the naked comatose form - William wish he could smack his palm on his head. During his contemplation of Ako’s and his own little world, William turned back with the girl in his hands as he watched the others making ready. Shaking his head bemused William finally answered the question which had been directed at him… or so he thought was him.

“I don’t know who Idris is… I think… but Soka is close by. She is suffering or she would be here now… So I was sent to find Ako’s…”

[Sethos]

The swirl of grey mist clung despairingly upon the hooded cloak of the frail looking man, grey oily and seemingly despondent; passerby’s avoided him giving the man a deep personal space without a second thought. It wasn’t even a reaction based on thought, but something deeper and more animalistic as they realised on a subconscious instinctive level, that here was a man no matter what manky appearance he might choose to take was in one word... Evil. Under the shaded hood, the pale wrinkled face stretched wide in a rictus of a grin, death’s grin that boded ill for whomever it was for. The squawking of carrion birds sounded all of a sudden from a building spire close by, and other street goers stared up upon the black birds in distaste at the ill omen.

Stalking onwards though, the shadowy man passed through the bright streets which turned dull and grey at his passing. A mist of black followed his very steps , covering the stores and people within in deep dark desperation and fear. A dog with its tail between its legs whimpered and ran off with sharp yaps of fear to the laughing caw of the carrion birds and a dry mirthless chuckle rasped between the parched lips of Sethos. He could feel them now, the sound of their souls drawing him ever closer, the song of their very life a sweet music and nectar for his parched soul. How many lifes? How many times had he been denied in absorbing them... How many times had they killed themselves... how many times had they tried to kill him?!

But now... if all things were right, he would be there before that meddling crow of a woman who seemed to step in his way every time. Cursing her name Sethos dreamed of the day that he would put Serendipity to the knife and draw her life force to his. Then she would beg for her life and know the suffering he felt. Coming to a stop, Sethos looked out from beneath the cowl at the Inn before him as a souless chuckle escaped him once more... He could feel them now... three of them from that oh so troublesome group who had flaunted his grasp these few centuries... but he had them now this life. Distantly the aged wizard thought he should reward his Bandit gang for this information, but quickly dismissed it as unnecessary to focus on the moment at hand. Now was the time. Now was when he would get his revenge.

“Come mighty Idris; come dainty Liuva; come feisty Kalei... I see you here now and you cannot best me. I have come to devour your souls...” he laughed hollowly staring eerily at the wall which hid their room.

[Serendipity]

Close by, close by.. She trailed. You're going to have to lead the way then. And be careful! No droppi-- Serendipity stopped mid-sentence as she could feel the dark presence outside; he was here. She cursed under her breath, she was getting messy. Serendipity took a deep breath as Sethos words reached them, but realized with relief that he didn't know she was here yet. Glancing down at the blue pendent stone ducked into her shirt, she had forgotten about her old necklace. With him unable to sense her around, it'd make things easier.. If he knew she was here, he might just blow the place up without a second thought.

Okay, Aishe, Idris.. Don't listen to him.. We can best him, we've bested him for over three centuries already. This is just a walk in the park... Keep imagining you and Akos in that box, Aishe! Let Idris into the box too.. Now then.. He can't actually see you, so stay away from the window. He just knows you're here.. Listen closely.. Hurriedly, she began to explain her plan. She knew Sethos didn't have much of a patience for anything, he never did.. Idris, give Akos to Aishe. Here's how this is going to happen.. My horse, Rose, is outside, waiting patiently like the good thing she is. Aishe, you're to take Akos to Soka. Akos's signal is weakening and once I give you this necklace, he can't sense yours anymore either. Problem is, you're going to have to move quickly, because once he realizes I'm here, there's a problem. I'll attempt to blast my signal to mask Akos's at first, but it's been a while since I've done that, and last time didn't work too well..

She took a breath, glancing around the room. Idris, you stay here with me. We'll hold him off so the girls can make an escape.. They'll go out the front, Sethos is in the back. We'll give the girls ten seconds once they exit the room, and then blow out this outer wall here. Think you could manage that? She nodded her head towards the wall she knew Sethos stood on the otherside of. We're on the second floor, so that's an advantage.. Are we ready? If we are.. Idris, tell Aishe where Soka is. Close by doesn't cut the cake and certainly doesn't save the day. Serendipity's fingers curled around the silver chain, ready to pull it over her head and put it around Aishe's neck.

[Sethos]

He could feel them even from this distance; priming with power, an abundance of life! Life force so familiar yet tantalisingly different from the past cycle of birth and death; like a different flavour and yet all pass this near 400 years it had been denied to him. Now was his chance though, all penned up in that little room, he could sense their vibrancy and they would be his. Cackling madly to himself, Sethos could feel the building defiance from within at the sound of his words, but what was there really to it... they would die to be his meal, and that was all there was to it. His dried lips peeled back then to reveal a deaths grin as thoughts of wasted chances and his query escaping him was quickly banished. The lack of reply was all the answer he really needed. In the end, the hooded character laughing his evil laugh probably preferred to kill them with his own hands and watching with his own eyes, merely so he could savour the moment and rub it into them

So as the sky darkened and the clouds gathered to block out the golden rays, Setho’s laughed all the harder as he felt the end approaching to the accompaniment of flashing lighting and roaring thunder. Holding up his palm to face where the room was Sethos cackled once more and spoke in his raspy voice, loud and drained of all emotion.

“Fine little mice... hide behind your wall if you must... but i have come for you... and you shall die.”

With that said, the dark mage lifted his hands towards the wall of the building. A misty grey ball began to shape in front of his hand, rapidly spinning and growing larger and larger. A breeze picked up and began blowing and whipping the air heavily in a dance of mad destruction. A flash of lightening, and the thunder roared loudly reverberating through the air now accompanied by an eerie how., The ball of power in Setho’s hand ha d just sped off to the wall... and as Setho’s watched in evil amusement the ball of power smashed into the wall blowing it into tiny shattered wooden bits.

“There you are mice... I see you now!”

[Serendipity]

It was during that brief silence of gathering wits Serendipity felt the gathering power outside. Her eyes widened, time was too short for debates and discussion. Confident that Sethos's attention was on creating power and destroying them, she pulled the necklace over her head and quickly put it over Aishe's. Aishe, you gotta go! Now! She searched Aishe's frightened eyes for a moment, offering a small smile of encouragement.

Serendipity watched Aishe carry Akos out of the room, bag slung over her shoulder. She turned around just in time to hear the cracking of the wall. Flinching away, she threw her arms up, to shield her face from the flying splinters and bits of wood. As she could hear Sethos's words, she lowered her arms from her face, and peered through the space that once was a wall to reveal her presence. She waved with a flirtatious wink and grinned, chin held high. You're getting a bit slow at this, now, aren't you Sethos? Her grin widened and she shrugged dismissively. You're too late, dear. I've already killed Kalei and Luiva is dying on the floor as we speak. Serendipity motioned to the spot on the floor at the end of the bed, as if they were there, knowing Sethos wouldn't be able to actually see if they were there or not.

With a tilt of her head, she arched an eyebrow, her grin growing a bit taunting. Now then, old man.. Are we going to go through the whole, 'I'm going to try to kill you again even though you can't die!' thing again? Because you trying to constantly kill me gets very, very annoying.

[Aishe]

She followed Serendipity's instructions as she was ordered about. Imagining the box was easy, though she was confused about the importance of the box was. Trying hard to resist asking questions, she went about the room, gathering clothing and other items and stuffing them in her bag. Putting the bag over her shoulder, she returned to the group, while her eyes scanned the area briefly to make sure she didn't miss anything.

As Will slid her unconscious lover into her arms, Aishe began to chew her lip nervously, listening to the plan. Giving a faint nod to the plan, the girl tried to remember to keep breathing calmly. She looked down at the soft face of Akos, the question of whether or not they were ready hanging in the air. But without warning, a pendent was thrown on her and she was urged to leave. She was far from questioning Serendipity's orders at this point, so she quickly made her way out of the room and into the hall. Halfway down the hall there was a blast, coming from the Inn room she had been calling home for the past few days.

Aishe rushed down the stairs, taking careful steps so she didn't trip or drop her love. Pushing the front door open with her foot, she looked up at the darken sky that was darkening still. There was a horse there, just as Serendipity had said. There were actually two.. She assumed one was Will's as she sat Akos up in the saddle before hoisting herself onto the horse. With Akos secure, Aishe gave the horse a nudge and that was all it needed before they started away in a gallop.

[William]

The sound of the raspy voice sent shivers down William’s back as he stood rooted to the floor inside the sudden quiet room. Flashes of a disfigured face ran through his mind, cackling and laughing with evil intent. Dregs of dreams long past swum up from hidden rooms deep within his mind; dreams and nightmares of fear of defiance. Each time the face laughed and he would die, a stab of a rusty knife into his heart, thrown bodily off a cliff by lightening, struck down by fire and burning in pain, crushed beneath befouled trees… it was all him dying, all the same mage of ill repute that plagued his nightmares as a kid killing him night after night cackling like a madman and gloating over his still form. Shaking his head disbelieving William turned to face the strange woman with the strange haunting voice that sounded so familiar too.

“I don’t know who you are… I don’t know who Idris is… and I very well don’t know who that creep is down in the street.”

Staring into her eyes with defiance and denial William swung around turning all about with Ako’s in his hands still banging her off inconsequential’s like bed posts, pillows, upturned drawers and such as he dumped her unceremoniously into Aishe’s arms. Turning back to Serendipity William stalked forward until he faced her again before speaking grudgingly…

“But if this guy wants to hurt my friends… he’s barking up the wrong tree…”

Standing beside her now, William heard the scrambling feet behind him as Aishe rapidly departed the room. It was all a mess from their brief struggles a moment before, but William realised now how much further it was to be trashed just as the outer wall blew in. It was like a premonition his thoughts a moment before, as the blast of power blew him back across the room to slam against the wall. Sliding down it limp William glanced blurrily about as a trickle of blood ran down his forehead and into his eye tinting the world red. An endless ringing buzzed in his ears as he rolled his eyes around the room to see the bed shredded by the flying detritus of the wall. He could feel the stings of cuts along his arms and legs, and the stings on his exposed face. It was a wonder he was alive as he had been so close to the now absent wall. Sitting as he was he watched the silent opera as the woman with ageless beauty stalked towards the gap with lethal grace.

Distantly he wondered how come she looked so familiar… how come her words when she said before seemed like that of someone he should know… not that he could hear right now. He was taunting them… whoever it was… with elegant grace but stalling for time. Struggling up onto his knees, William gasped in pain and coughed weakly getting up. The enemy was before them (well technically below them down in the street) and he would not bow before him and let him hurt his friends. Stumbling forward on weak knees and the earth shaking still and ring abuzz, William sheathed in a faint glow of angry red stalked forward to stand by Serepidity…

[Akos]

There was a storm outside, there had to be. It was the only explanation for the loud crashing and bright sparks of light. But then again, what of that constant bumping, and the motion that makes my stomach feel as though it's jumping up into my head and back again. A ship, that was it, clearly we're on a ship. In the middle of an ocean. Surrounded by a storm. Wait... when did I board a ship?

Akos lay limp, the life slowly draining from her body as she was passed from one person to the next, a kind of scantily clad pass the parcel that no one really wanted to win and unwrap...

Heh, unwrapping. Aishe could unwrap me. Wait, where is she? She was here a moment ago...but not on a ship...what the cuss am I doing on a ship? oOOo sparkly!

The wall exploded and Akos was jolted around in Aishe's arm's before being thrown onto a horse...

A bright ray of sunlight broke through the clouds, bathing Akos in warmth. It shimmered happily off the droplets of water on the deck of the ship, and Akos leaned forward, her hand outstretched to touch one. OOOOWWW! she declared loudly, the spell of the sparkling water was shattered as she was pushed roughly to one side. She had no time to regain her balance before she was pushed again, with much greater force, and she fell heavily and painfully on her side. Akos looked up as a figure slowly emerged from the golden rays of the blinding sun. She blinked once, then three times more and her brows furrowed heavily as her mystery assailant finally came into focus, Soka! What the hell?!