x
The others huddled around Moryuu in the foyer of the library we had taken refuge in. Ignatius worked despite Talon’s hovering and Magpie stood by for assistance if needed. Ravage watched as she absentmindedly stabbed at a Level One Umbra that had strayed just a tad bit too close to the group. She hadn’t said a word since Moryuu had conked out so perhaps that was her way of handling the situation. Whatever the man had said to Vandal also seemed to have him out of sorts as he sat on an overturned bookcase.
“Worry about yourself,” Cordis chided quietly as I dragged myself into a darkened corner upstairs. “We have bigger issues right now.”
I exhaled slowly as the adrenaline wore off before taking a seat. “Cordis,” I muttered as I touched the exposed core, “can you fix it?” He was silent. “Cordis–”
“I heard you.”
He sounded exhausted.
“Can you–?”
“I don’t have the energy to do it,” he replied irritably. “Some dumbass used it all up.”
My body ached too much and I really didn’t have the energy to argue with him.
All I could really do is try to get some sleep.
Something downstairs clattered to the floor.
It grew silent before there was a loud clatter followed by footsteps and shouts.
The faintest sense of unease plagued me into a semiconscious state though it was the sudden pull in my chest that jolted me from sleep. My gaze panned towards the hole to see a long tongue lodged there before I swung my hand down to sever the thing. The remainder of the appendage reeled back into the mouth of the Umbra before it growled angrily at me.
I glared at it before noticing several other Umbra watching from the dark crevices. They eased forward, bringing me into an upright position before one grabbed my wrist while another grabbed at my ankle. I snagged the third tongue that made an attempt for the core before growling under my breath as a book fell on my head.
I looked up to see another Umbra peering down at me. “Food?”
“Damn Two...” Cordis muttered.
Its tongue lolled out its mouth before my attention darted towards the bookcase that had fallen over.
“You’re not untouchable now that Gideon and Four are gone,” a Level Three growled. Its eyes panned towards the hole in my chest before I noted the growing smile. “You seem to be having some trouble~”
“Damn opportunists...”
Its tongue shot forward to wrap around my neck before I grabbed a hold of the second one that aimed at my chest. I ignored the way it burned my palms as I reeled the Umbra forward. It growled when I didn’t let go and screeched when I ripped the tongue out.
“We’re in a library,” I murmured as I slammed my clawed hand through the back of its mouth, “so be quiet.”
It bit down on my arm before reeling back to tear it off. I got to my feet once the other tongues were ripped off.
“No running away~”
A tongue snagged my ankle and another wrapped around my waist as I tried to summon my scythe.
Nothing happened.
When another went to wrap around my neck, I tried summoning the scythe again though nothing appeared in hand. I tried again before being reeled back towards the Three. I watched as its teeth gleamed in the light filtering through the holes in the ceiling before being lifted and thrown into a nearby bookcase. I vaguely caught the tongue tightening before being slammed onto the floor.
Growling under my breath as I started to pick myself up, I noted several tendrils stretching out of the shadows behind the creatures before one of the tongues whipped across my face.
“Dammit...!”
My eyes burned before I was dragged forward.
I wasn’t completely sure with what happened next though the burning sensation around my neck and waist lessened as growling followed by ear-piercing screeching rang out. The tension finally went lax before I was sat up slowly.
“I’ve finally found you! Jayden, are you alright?!”
“Birdie?”
There was this electrifying feeling that lingered in the air.
“I don’t want to cause you harm,” she said slowly, “but I will if you don’t stop right now.” I tilted my head in the direction of her voice. There was the sound of static but I could hear footsteps soon after before something touched my shoulder. “It’s alright. It’s only – your arm!” I could hear her shuffling to get to my other side. “What – how –?!” I flinched when she grabbed my face. “Your eyes! Jay...” She then grew silent before I felt her fingers touch the fractured core. “Jay – call them off!”
That electrifying feeling was back again. It was accompanied by an audible crackling sound before I heard what sounded like the lights surging.
“To be fair, I don’t know what they’re even doing,” I growled before reaching down to remove her hand.
“Just call them off!” Her voice sounded strained. Even more, the hairs on the back of my neck started to stand. “Don’t make me hurt you, Jay–!” It was silent before I heard her coughing. “Th... thank you.” I heard shuffling somewhere in the distance before tensing when something touched my hand. “It’s ok.”
“Easy to say when you can fucking see,” Cordis grumbled, “and have both your arms.”
Magpie grew silent once more before I felt her touch my chest. The lights surged before it grew silent as she withdrew her hand.
“Jay –”
“Put two and two together and stop touching me,” I growled. “I don’t know what’s happening or what they’re doing so just stop and leave me alone!”
“Look, you’re going through somethings but being alone will not help you. I understand that struggle all too well.”
“Do you now?” Cordis questioned. “What struggles could you possibly have, huh? Is there trouble in paradise with Iggy? Or maybe having daddy issues?” Magpie grew silent before Cordis sucked his teeth. “You’re making this too easy, Birdie. Animae...”
“Birdie, just go already,” I muttered as I massaged the side of my head.
“I don’t think leaving you alone is a good idea,” she said as she looked around. “Maybe you should let Ignatius take a look at your injuries.”
“I just need rest,” I said as I tottered.
“We need more than that.”
“I’m just tired –” My stomach growled soon after. “– and starving.”
“I can bring you something to eat.”
Cordis sucked his teeth. “Can’t –”
“Sure; that’s a great idea,” I interjected. “I’ll be right here.” I heard shuffling on the stairs after she said she’d be back. “Cord –”
“You’re not going to eat whatever she brings you, are you?”
“You know I won’t be able to keep it down.” I touched the stump from where my arm once was. “Cordis–”
“I already told you I can’t fix anything.”
I held it tighter before touching the cracked core in my chest. “That wasn’t what I was going to ask,” I said as I traced one of the fractures. “Do you know how Gideon or Four took care of their cores?”
“Oh, yes, we also shared beauty tips too.”
“Cordis, could you stop being an asshole for like five minutes?” He grumbled something. “What?”
“I said they didn’t, ok?” he groused. “You forget that we weren’t exactly friends, Animae. Even if we were, what makes you think that they’d even tell me? That’s not information you’d share in Rift.”
I shifted in place before touching my arm again. “I’m going to need my eyes and arm. We need a solution.”
“I could make a suggestion but you probably won’t - no, you won’t like it.”
“What –”
“Jayden.” I tilted my head in the direction of her voice as I heard Magpie hurry over. “I brought you something to eat,” she announced before waving something in front of my nose.
I sniffed at it. “Chocolate?”
“Ravage had a few bars,” she replied as she carefully coaxed the unwrapped candy into my hand, “that she has saved for Moryuu. It’s not much but it's something at least.”
“Yeah,” I muttered as I bit into it.
“You’re making a face. You don’t like it, do you?”
“Of course, I do.” My stomach gurgled in protest before I covered my mouth as the sweet smell of chocolate nauseated me. “I –”
I gagged then spat out the candy. A sharp pain in my chest had me doubling over soon after. There was an audible cracking sound before the pain increased again.
“Jay!” I heard her scoot closer though she refrained from touching me. “H-Hold on,” she stammered as she got to her feet. “I’m going to get Ignatius!”
Her footsteps echoed as she ran downstairs.
“Animae.” I curled up as there was another cracking sound. “Animae, you need to get downstairs.”
My body ached at the thought of it. “She said she’d bring Ignatius,” I ground out through my teeth.
“If you’ve forgotten, he was working on the walking battery. They’re not coming up here.” There was an edge to his voice. “We need to go downstairs now.”
“Just g...give them a few minutes.”
“Switch with me.”
I made a face. “We have a deal, Cordis.”
“That doesn’t mean shit if you’re dead,” he growled. “If you die then I die and I need you so we can go home, remember? That being said, go downstairs!” Something sat me up carefully before coaxing me to my feet. “If we stay here, we could be attacked again and we are not in a position to counter – especially after you got our damn arm bitten off.” I felt a push but my legs wouldn’t move. “Animae, switch with me.”
“...ok.”
“Ok.”
“Ignatius, we have to go upstairs,” Magpie urged as she pulled on the man’s sleeve. “Jayden’s badly injured.”
“He’s taking care of Moryuu right now.” Magpie turned to Talon. “Can’t he wait a moment or just heal himself?”
The woman scowled before looking at the caster. “Ignatius, please?”
“Alright.” Giving Moryuu a once over, Ignatius took a step back before being halted by portal maker. “I will be back, Talon. I just need to go check on Jayden.”
“He knows first aid. Moryuu got hit with an Oblivion spike,” Talon pressed. “Oblivion.”
“I am aware and I’ve been working on him for hours,” Ignatius reminded him. “Even during the little surprise ambush. Consider ourselves lucky that Magpie and Vandal took care of the Umbra while Ravage stayed close to provide additional cover. That being said, Moryuu should be ok if I leave him for a few moments. I doubt Ravage would let anything happen to him.”
Talon looked over at the girl to see her angrily stabbing the remains of an unfortunate One that had gotten much too close to the man.
“Ig-”
“He’s upstairs,” Magpie said as she stepped around a toppled bookshelf. “Vandal, you can watch the others, right?”
“That’s not going to be necessary.”
Magpie looked up the stairs to see the reaper carefully making his way down as he held his chest. Several tendrils coiled around his waist tethered themselves to the railing to act as a guide until the man was at the base of the stairs. It remained silent before footsteps had the tendrils going rigid to point at the source.
“Jayden.” Ignatius took in the sight or lack of after seeing the man’s eyes before he stepped forward. “Jay--”
“Do not touch him without warning,” Magpie warned as she rubbed at her throat.
Ignatius simply nodded as he stepped closer, raising his hands up to show no harm. “Jayden, is it alright to get a closer look at your injuries? ” The tendril lowered slowly but not by much. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Well, that depends. Do you want to know what happened before or after the ambush, Iggy?”
“Cordis.” Ignatius looked at the missing arm before focusing on the injury over his eyes. “Is Jayden alright?”
“Do you think we’d be talking if he was?”
“Well, you not making an attempt on anyone’s life at this time is a nice change.” He watched the tendrils bristle. “Cordis, may I ask you to lower your arm?”
The reaper made a face before he obliged.
Ignatius stepped closer to see the hole in his chest.
“Do not touch it,” Magpie warned as the caster reached out to touch the fractured core. She pointed at the tendrils aimed at him. “Can you fix it?”
Ignatius waited for the tendrils to lower before leaning in to get a closer look at the golden prism. “Have you always had this?” Cordis tilted his head. “...right. You can’t fix this yourself?”
“Do you think I’d be standing here having this conversation with you if I could?” Cordis growled under his breath. He sighed heavily soon after. “Can you fix it or not?”
Ignatius looked at him then at the injury. “I can see what I can do but I’m going to have to touch you to do so. Will that be alright?”
Ignatius took the silence for consent before lightly touching the crystal. He noted the smaller fractures before studying the larger fissures running down the center. The caster observed a moment more before getting to work.
His attention started with the tendrils looming ominously before they gradually retreated as the cracks beneath his hand knitted themselves together. Smiling at the progress, he suddenly pulled his hand back when the larger fracture splintered with an audible crack.
“Ignatius,” Vandal called in warning before one of the tendrils slashed at the man.
“Cordis-!” The reaper clutched at the hole in his chest before another one of the tendrils grabbed the caster by the throat. “I- I’m trying to help you!”
“Cordis, let him go!” Magpie ordered before the familiar static filled the air. “He’s trying to help you!”
The hold slackened almost immediately as Cordis turned towards the woman. “I tried Animae’s method and it didn’t fucking work,” he growled as oily liquid ran from the corner of his mouth.
“We’ll think of something,” Magpie said quickly. “Just give us a moment to think of a solution.”
“No offense but none of you have the best track record when it comes to making plans,” he replied, “and I don’t have time to wait!”
“M...Magpie.” She looked at Ignatius. “Do you think you could heal that for him?”
“W-What?” She glanced at the crack gem then at the caster. “I...I can’t –”
“Yes, you can. I’ll show you how,” Ignatius assured before holding his hand up to one of the looming tentacles. “Cordis, Magpie is going to help you but you have to calm d–” Several tendrils pointed at the caster. “– right. Cordis, Magpie is going to help you now.” He took her hand and carefully placed it on the fractured core. “I need you to concentrate.”
Magpie did as told while watching the blonde. Tendrils backed down as the cracks gradually mended themselves. Tension even eased itself until an audible crack brought the man to one knee. Ignatius was quick to pull her away when the tendrils lashed out again. The things bristled around the reaper as he clutched at his chest.
“You said you’d help,” came the low growl.
“We’re trying!” Magpie replied quickly. “I just –”
“Animae’s, plan didn’t work.” He dropped his hand to show part of the core chip off to turn into dust. “None of you are of any help like this!”
“We're fucking trying! Sorry if my first attempt is slipping like a hill full of shit! I do not have the same talent like Ignatius. In addition, Shadow wants us all dead and it’s not like we don’t have the pressure of some sleeping god awaking soon." She paused with a huff and slowly shook her head while crossing her arms. "Consider yourself lucky I'm not slapping you due to your wounds," Magpie hissed as she narrowed her eyes.
Growling under his breath as he was helped to his feet, Cordis turned in the direction of the pair. “I don’t have time for this.” He then massaged the side of his head. “Talon.”
“What?”
Cordis turned to him. “Give me that lantern.”
“Why?”
“To build trust,” came the response. “If you want me to trust you, give me the lantern.”
“What do you need it for?” the portal maker asked as reaper started towards him.
“Don’t make me say it again, Talon.”
“I can’t just give it to you.”
“Why, don’t you trust me?”
“No, I don’t actually.”
A breathy chuckle was what he got before several tendrils started to creep from the darker corners of the room. Vandal looked about before easing away from the bookshelf he had been leaning on. Ravage stopped stabbing at the One's remains and started stabbing at the things that strayed a bit too close to Moryuu. Ignatius looked about while Magpie took a step towards the man.
“Let me try again.”
Cordis tilted his head in her direction before continuing towards Talon. “I don’t have the patience or time for you to try again. Besides, I’ve already weighed the options in the event that Animae’s plan didn’t work.”
“Could your options result in you not being hostile for once,” Talon groused as he avoided the tendril “We don’t have time for this!” He then looked towards Ignatius. “Can you please get back to helping Moryuu?”
Ignatius frowned before looking over at Magpie. She glanced at him then at Moryuu and finally back at Talon.
“Talon, Ignatius has done all he can for Moryuu.”
“But –” Talon looked at them then at Cordis as one of the tendrils lashed at him. “I’m not giving you the lantern especially if you’re not going to tell me what you need it for!”
The tentacles lurking around the perimeter stopped when Cordis did. Several others came to his aid when he stumbled though he righted himself. A faint cracking had the support tendrils distort before they vanished. The blonde covered his mouth when it started to leak the oily substance before taking a knee as his chest ached.
Ravage peered from behind Talon when she heard Cordis panting. “Domino?”
“Out of the ten options, I narrowed it down to three.”
Talon narrowed his eyes. “Out of ten?!”
“Option one was to go g...gather Umbra,” he muttered, “but I wouldn’t be able to get the required amount.”
“How many would you need?” Vandal questioned. “Maybe we could assist?”
Cordis turned towards the gunner. “I don’t know how many but I don’t have the time to round them up.”
“Don’t they listen to you?” Ignatius asked as the reaper covered his mouth again.
Cordis waved his hand over his eyes. “The lil shits aren’t exactly loyal. They tried to take the core out of my chest when we were sleeping. I’m not under Four or Gideon’s... protection as one had put it.”
“What is option two?” Magpie asked.
“Umbras don’t rely on magic spells to heal themselves. That’s not something you just find in Rift. Only the strongest survive out there. It’s eat or be eaten,” Cordis replied as he climbed to his feet, “and there’s only two things you can eat in Rift: Umbra and souls.”
“You want me to give you – no.” Everyone turned to the portal maker. “You want the souls out of the lantern? Do you not hear yourself?!”
“All I hear is you bitching,” Cordis growled, “and last I checked, you don’t decide who lives and dies.”
“I didn’t save you so you could turn around and eat a soul from the lantern!” Talon exclaimed.
The blonde tilted his head. “Save me? Your self-sacrificial stunt could've had us all stranded if more than your arm was hit!”
“Excuse me for trying to help you!”
“You want to help me?”
Talon stared at the outstretched hand. “It’s not happening.” One of the tendrils formed to point at the portal maker. “Don't do this. I will send you away.”
“Oh, I’m counting on it,” Cordis replied.
“Huh?”
“Domino wants to be sent away?”
“Sweetie, if I’m sent away, I’m going to tell Dark Weaver everything.”
“You’re not serious,” Vandal uttered in disbelief.
“You’re lying,” Talon accused.
“I have yet to lie,” Cordis replied as there was another cracking sound. “Go on, Talon. Send me away. One of two things will happen. I either die or I can make a deal with Dark Weaver in exchange for one of the souls running around here. There’s so many.”
“You wouldn’t –”
“Wouldn't what? Wouldn't tell them the plan? Wouldn’t tell them where you are? Wouldn’t tell them status of your friend? I willing to bet you wouldn’t leave Moryuu and it’s too dicey to move him. Iggy can’t heal anyone now and Magpie doesn’t know how. Do you even know first aid if needed?” Cordis chuckled drily. “Ravage, are you ready to see your maker so soon? Gunner, do you have enough rounds and Banfrow? Has your reload speed gotten better? ”
“Cordis, that’s underhanded, even for you.”
He turned towards Vandal as the tendril warped. “Is it really?”
“Cordis, even if Talon gave you the lantern–”
“Which I won’t!”
“– how would you know if the souls would even help?” Magpie asked. “This isn’t Rift. You can’t use your knowledge of there here.”
“This is rich coming from someone who hasn’t gone through this maddening cycle! From someone who isn’t even dead!”
“Me being alive has nothing to do with me stating facts.”
“Do not lecture me, Magpie.”
The woman stiffened at her name before watching the man double over as the core cracked again. “Let me try to help, Cordis.” One of the tendrils lashed out though it faltered before it could do real damage to her. “Cordis, please, let me help you!”
“Don’t touch me.”
“Cordis, let her help you,” Ignatius pressed as Cordis grabbed his chest. He then frowned when his request went unanswered. “You said you had a third option. What is option three?”
“Option three...” The reaper straightened slowly as he dropped his hand back to his side. “It’s...” He opened then closed his mouth several times before shaking his head. “Option three will ruin everything.” He raked his hand through his hair before scrubbing it down his face. “If I do option three then all of this was practically for nothing...” There was a moment of fleeting panic before the eerie sense of realization. “If I have to choose option three then... there is nothing left to do but watch everything burn.”
“What do you mean burn?” Ignatius asked only to be ignored. “Cordis –”
He shook his head slowly. “No, option three is...” He raked his hand through his hair again before stiffening at the pain in his chest. “No... no... no... option three is no good...” he muttered to himself.
Magpie took a hesitant step forward before stopping when Vandal flagged her to do so. “Cordis –”
“Talon.”
“What?” the portal maker griped. “You better not ask me for the lantern...”
The reaper let out a breathy chuckle as he walked towards Talon. “I’m not Animae so I’m not asking and I won’t repeat myself after this. You either give me the lantern so I can take a soul,” he growled as a tendril suddenly constricted the man’s movement while others rose from the shadows to surround the party, “or I rip it out of one of you.”
ns 18.68.41.147da2
