TSW - Chapter 8: Process of Elimination (1) - Blessing

With the help of the pale figures under the strict command of Lina, the group trudged up the stone passageways to the surface with the near catatonic Raneaux. The route up had been obscured by a hollowed out barrel of ale, large enough for a person to stand in and as soon as the group could smell hops and stale alcohol they knew exactly where they were. They wondered how it could have been kept a secret from them and how long it would have been until they had discovered it by themselves. Xera took a quick glance over at Mhaast who was carrying Raneaux and looked down at the floor. This was not what he had wanted for her and looking back, it seemed Danton was taking it far worse than him. In the process of exiting out of the barrel, the pale figures had vanished, leaving the group in the locked cellar of the Drunken Talon. There was no way they could easily explain their sudden arrival to Mavis, nor their reasoning for being behind a door she had most likely locked herself. Danton threw himself into the opportunity to pick the lock which he did without warning and without a sound.

In the bar area and completely alone, Jarvan and Mavis were finally free to enjoy each other's company without the fear of customer or employer. Their passionate kiss was soon cut short by Jarvan's realisation he had not prepared Danton's room and soon a lovers' quarrel ensued. In the brief moment of distraction, Danton managed to slip himself over the bar and to the front door. He stumbled in with a limp being as loud as he could. Jarvan rushed to his master to tend to him, full of constant apologies, while Mavis went to helped prepare a place for him to sit.

Danton had already worked out that Jarvan and Mavis were romantically entwined and a burden now weighed upon him. Things were changing far too rapidly for him to control and for the best part of it, would take him away from Darkperch. He had never known life without Jarvan and the thoughts running through his mind scared him a little. As he was tended to, he told them they he needed to talk to them privately which sparked fear in Jarvan. Guilt now riddled his concerned face. He helped his master upstairs and into his room before diving straight into fixing up the place. All Danton could do was sit there for a moment and take stock of what had just happened and swallowed his daily Nastrond. The effects were a little more potent but it didn't deter him from what he had to do and summoned Mavis in.

She seemed older today or perhaps Danton had not really taken stock of her. She seemed slightly older than Jarvan, perhaps in her early fifties. She had been bolstered by her lifestyle here but she was greying slightly almost a match for Jarvan's slowly silvering hair. She looked down at her feet as she entered. He couldn't really tell why she seemed so demure now, she had always been so boisterous. Perhaps she knew? Mavis spoke up before Danton could and asked him it was this to do with what they had spoken about earlier, about Darkperch. He  told her in a yawning tone, that things would change around here but not as expected. He explained in-part the agreement he had brokered underneath the village, about how Lina would relinquish her control and wouldn't contact the Hawk-Eyes for a replacement to safeguard the area. He didn't tell them about the price of what this cost, nor the terms of the contract or Lina's sinister nature. She asked why the young Hawk-Eye wasn't returning to Auspar and again Danton dodged the question. Jarvan looked on at his master puzzled knowing full well he was holding back. He knew how the Hawk-Eyes worked and it was strange to him that Lina would not return to her superiors but it was all washed away by what Danton said next.

He said to Mavis that although she had not wished it, she was now in control of Darkperch to run as she saw fit. She raised an eyebrow at him,  expecting him to say he was in total control of the village and not her. Out of his breast pocket he took out two of the crystals he had scavenged from the light field matrix that had kept him locked up. He offered one to each of them and made sure he clasped their hand with his other as they took it from his palm. He smiled at hem with one of the first genuine smiles he had had in a long while.  This did not sit right with Jarvan, nothing about this made sense. Danton exhaled a little and again smiled while looking at them both. He told them they had his blessing and this was a token of his good faith in the matter. It all finally clicked in Jarvan's head and wave of embarrassed relief washed over him and an outburst of gratitude ensued.

With Mavis and Jarvan upstairs and confined to Danton's room, it allowed the others to find rest upstairs.  Xera told the group to sleep  and recuperate and he thanked Mhaast after he tucked Raneaux into bed. He told him to talk to Willow in the morning about what had happened but by the look on his face he could tell Mhaast was unsure. Xera had a throbbing headache but couldn't tear himself away from looking over at the hopefully sleeping Raneaux. His eyes and thoughts were never taken off from her as she had yet to speak or move since leaving Lina. His mind refused to let him sleep but his body called for slumber and hearing the outburst from the room next door gave him the nudge he needed to fall into bed.

Willow didn't bother to light candles as she went to sleep. Her eyes were too tired to read and in part, she didn't want to look at herself. She could write without light and within a few moments scrawled a sign that read Yes, I'm fine. Keep out, which then adorned the door to her room. In the brief glimpse she had gotten while scampering upstairs, she saw that he skin was in part translucent but was becoming a a darker shade of sickly green. Her dreams gave her no respite. She saw a man dressed in ornate purple robes hang from a statue. She was haunted by the laughter of the pale figures and of Lina's. She tossed and turned not wanting to dream and yet not wanting to be awake.

Mhaast walked past her room and noticed the message and shook his head. After everything that happened he needed to repair himself and that, he knew, would have start with a stiff drink. He heard murmurs coming from Danton's room and he caught the eye of Mavis who was peeking out to see whose door had just shut. She gently pushed the door back and whispered some more before Mhaast startled her by coming right up to the door and asking for a drink and for Danton. Danton motioned to her to let Mhaast in and as she opened the door she stumbled back into the arms of Jarvan. In the light of the hallway she had not noticed his tail and it was apparent to everyone that she had not seen a mutant before. Danton firmly kept his jaw shut. Mhaast on the other hand had other ideas. He wanted to speak to him alone, preferably with a drink in his hand. Mavis bit the bullet and tried to question Mhaast on where Lina was. She said she needed to know as Silas had been here during what was now just shy of a day of chasing after her. He looked over at Danton and saw his shaking head and tried to avoid her questioning. He countered her inquiry by asking why he had visited so soon. It was explained that Silas had had a falling out with Jethra over the killing of two of his followers and his recent discovery of how Jethra was using Silas' money to fund some sort of automaton search party. He had seemed overly agitated when he had come to the inn, which was probably compounded by the fact none of them had returned in a time scale he saw fit. This was definitely the Silas Mhaast knew and in fact this was even more of a reason for a drink.

With Mhaast turning the conversation back onto whiskey it sent Mavis into a panic. Neither Danton or Mhasst had any idea where Lina was but they were both calm about the fact. It shocked her that they were so relaxed when it came to Silas's threats and soon her fear started to spiral as she went pale. Jarvan knew she definitley needed a drink and offered for Mhaast to accompany them downstairs for one on the house. He agreed but tossed two shins to Mavis as a tip. She threw them back as if they were cursed, telling him plainly she wanted nothing to do with Silas' money. He looked at her cockeyed for a moment as they left in front of him. When they had gone Mhaast turned to Danton and told him to check on Willow in the morning as she wasn't looking well and her skin was turning a darker shade of green. He replied he would look into it before shutting the door behind Mhaast.

Willow sat bolt upright jolted awake by her visions and unable to sleep any longer. She rationalised it all by blaming the footsteps on the stairs for waking her up. She lit a candle on the bedside table and pulled her most cherished book out from its hiding place in her room. She looked at the one tale that was hers. The tale of the witches the king and the shadows. She didn't want to read it again, just glancing over it gave her comfort. She had no idea how long she had spent lost in it and was only brought of it when a stumbling Mhaast came back upstairs to flop into an empty room. She looked one last time at the prints n and in the dim light and in her half sleep deprived mind, she swore she could make out the same door as that of the one she had been locked behind in the room of broken toys. She shook the notion from her head not wanting to worry about something so tiny and luckily the book had done its job, it had given her calmed her mind and allowed her to sleep.

TSW - Chapter 7: Remnants (7) - Chambers 9 & 10

Her body lay on two separate floor panels. It was a clean kill and the nature of the creature had left no traces of blood. Below the lower half of her torso, the hexagon was green. Xera was a little confused. In the fight that had ensued he had not seen anything of the sort and so went in for further inspection. His orange hexagon butted up against the green and then disappeared as he stood over the corpse. Whatever was causing it had masked his own. He thought this might be possibly due to her carrying a marker that allowed her to pass through certain security measures and with his body half turned away, he reached into her cavity. The insides were still warm but dry and dusty .Most of the organic material had dried out, leaving her skin as a husk. A small hard and flat piece of material lay distinct from the rest of her and he immediately  withdrew his hand and breathed a sigh of relief. The card now changed his orange hexagon to green and with this, it also allowed him to remove the barriers back towards the river.

As Mhaast followed Xera through however, he felt a brief pulse of energy and heard a rattling coming from the storage room. This clatter turned into an almighty crash, supported by the hum and buzz of jets. The dormant machines covered in blood had now woken up and repeated an indecipherable phrase over and over. Bones, body parts and blood were all soon mopped up and placed into the shredder on their backs. They quickly analysed the bloodied body of Mhaast as their next task. Mhaast yelled at Xera to run. The pounding of feet on the stone echoed in the corridor, both of their hearts now racing. Neither of them were ready for another fight but that was not their choice. Two machines blasted forward towards Mhaast. One was quickly dispatched by the blade of his great axe. The other however, with its scissor like pincers, lodged themselves in his flesh. Its curved tail wrapped itself around his body and within a blink of an eye, he was thrown backwards and into the clutches of two more.

They held him fast trying to dissect him, inject him with chemicals, clearing the stain of his existence from the laboratories. Xera prayed that Shatterstone wouldn't kill Mhaast and fired indiscriminately down the corridor, hoping to damage as many of the machines as possible. One fell almost immediately, the crystals gumming up the jets that kept it afloat. As it tried to gain altitude the engines overheated, the clink of debris whirred inside. They overloaded, sending a shard of crystal at speed towards Mhaast. He managed to wrestle one of the machines that kept him restrained into the path of it, allowing him a brief opportunity to free himself and to fight for his life. It was a battle he barely won. He was now a broken man, his implants burned in his flesh and sparked in the darkness. His breathing was laboured and he tried desperately to stem the flow of blood.

Danton for a brief second witnessed where the cape had taken him. A enormous writhing mass of flesh surrounding a singular orange eye bared down on him in the dark void. He had no time to react, no time to save himself. He shut his eyes and braced. There was nothing. When he opened his eyes he was back in the cavern, a good few feet away from the exit of the tunnel the laser had created. He called out for Deanna but there was no reply. He bit his lip and continued onwards alone. He could hear old mechanisms buzzing, the juddering of a chain against cogs and the roar of water and then there was silence. She shook his doubt off and searched the room. He found a small metal disk which he thought had little significance. He rubbed his forehead while still holding it and it attached itself to him. It was as if he had been struck over the head with a metal bar. He found himself in a corridor. A stout but well built man who was carrying books was knocking at the door at the end. He pleaded for his daughter to let him in. He told her he had brought new books on fairytales for her. A young girl quickly opened up the door and there was s something in her eyes that Danton recognised. The man's voice turned sombre before telling her that she had been found out by the family and like every young girl, must now marry the man the family had arranged. She cried out and grew angry before slamming the door and the vision faded from view. He woke up with a pounding headache and more confused than he had ever been.

He staggered out of the cavern and was about to take the opening to the right, until he saw a group of tall figures lit by firelight. Their arms were longer than their legs and their skin was pale. He backed away slowly down the left passage. Danton soon started to hear voices, Mhaast's and Xera's. They had obviously crossed the river somehow but he had no idea how or where. They seemed to be getting along but the conversation was about him. Xera spoke about how he distrusted Danton and Mhaast said he had good reason to believe the same.  Danton was perplexed. He had never met Mhaast before today so how could he have reason not to trust him? Perhaps it was Silas' influence but Silas didn't know Danton would even be here, or did he? He interrupted them before their defamation could go any further and he found them soaked from head to toe. They explained that as they tried to cross the river, laugher filled the air and a flood of water surged through, washing them downstream to this opening. However they quickly turned their attentions back onto Danton, questioning why he was alone, and how he could have lost both of his compatriots.

Danton tried to explain himself but they wouldn't listen. They blamed him for Raneaux's and Deanna's disappearance and demanded to know what happened. As he opened his mouth to defend himself, his jaw unhinged and split apart, his fangs protruded and his serpentine tongue hissed. Both Xera and Mhaast took a step backwards while Danton tried to push his jaw back to where it should be, his hands were shaking. There was no time for an explanation, a song now drifted in the air. A female voice coming from further down the cave system. Danton tried to defuse the situation by telling them to follow him and soon the source of the voice was found. It was Deanna, trapped behind a thick wall of metal that spanned the entire width of the cave. They could see she had already started to try to melt the metal with her beams of light but the process was slow. Aided by the three of them, she was quickly set free and Danton rushed to her side. She was exhausted, dirty and scared of the pale men that abducted her from the cave. The floor lay littered with broken toys.  She tried to find out where Danton had disappeared to, to which both Mhaast and Xera raised an eyebrow but he again shifted the conversation over to another topic, this time Lina. He told them he had seen the creatures that took Deanna further back and told them to prepare for a fight.

As they approached however, they heard the giggling of Lina and Raneaux. The pale figures parted, revealing that Raneaux and Lina were playing with toys on the floor next to a fire.  Danton gently asked her if she was okay and that her Uncle had been worried about her. He tried to convince her that Silas had come all the way from Auspar to see her, to which she coldly replied he did not. She was different now, her age belied something older, more powerful. Her voice was stern with an edge of disgust but it was still the voice of a child. She bluntly told Danton that Silas had not been in Auspar, he had in fact been in Qi for quite some time with Mhaast. A flood of desperate and panicked thoughts flooded his mind. He asked Mhaast why he was in Qi, and why he had associated himself with Silas. Mhaast's posture rose, his tail scratching the floor. He told Danton he had heard rumours of what he had done in Qi after he had escaped from Danton's clutches.

He  told Danton that he was Tahmas Marish, the man that he had had kidnapped for extra traction in the city of Qi against his family. He had returned to find his name written on a tombstone and his family were against his reinstatement. He was told to seek a new name and told him to alter his appearance, resulting in his metallic state. Danton may not have killed him but he had taken his life. He turned to Xera and told him that Danton had had him captured on way to meet a woman he was betrothed to, although both of them had known they did not love each other. Deanna started to cry but it was not for Mhaast. She was angry and insisted that Willow had loved him and demanded to know why he didn't love her. He took two steps back before his jaw opened wide. She nodded in recognition of his realisation and confirmed she was Willow. All eyes now fell upon Danton. Down in the dark underneath Darkperch, his legacy was now in front of him. The sins he had committed against these two now laid bare. Mhaast admitted that he expected Danton to be worse, ruthless, uncaring but that was not what he had seen. He had his doubts about what he should do and asked Danton what he would do if the positions were reversed. He swallowed his pride and bowed his head for execution.

Lina then started to laugh. It pierced the tension and brought the focus back to her. She told them all how funny they were with their petty conflicts and told them they needed to play more. She offered a place to sit with Raneaux which sent shivers down their spines. Raneaux had not said a word, she had not moved and perhaps not even blinked. Her expression was blank and her movements repetitive. She batted a ball between her hands on the floor while never taking her eyes off the wall behind the group. Danton tried to reason with Lina but she was in control. He asked her to return to the surface to see her uncle and she agreed, only if she could keep Raneaux. They had no room to argue. He asked about the control of the village, to which she said she hated the idea. All she wanted to do was play with her friends down here. If he sought to take ownership he could, in fact she gave the responsibility of the safety of the village to all of them and in turn would suffer if Darkperch was to fall.

TSW - Chapter 7: Remnants (6) - Chambers 7 & 8

Danton sighed for a second and tried to comfort Deanna. She was now sat on the floor her knees brought to her chest, her arms wrapped around them. He could hear her sobbing and wandered why the woman had left. Deanna was unresponsive, she gently rocked forwards and back her eyes turning red with tears. He shook his head to break away from the sight of Deanna. It was now down to him to get them out if he could. He patted himself down to look for the mechanist's tools he had taken from Coe and pulled out a screwdriver. He examined the panel above and below seeking a weak point. There was an obvious panel below him and steeped gingerly to the side, knowing the dangers of coming into contact with wall of solid light.

Below him lay a matrix of crystals and beams of light. They reflected in different crystals, changing their paths before exiting the box that the crystals were housed in. He toyed with the idea of removing one or two to see where the light would go, and found that removing one allowed the beam of light to continue to the casing, which started to smoke a little. He then tried to place the crystal in the field of light. It was like forcing it through treacle, the barrier buzzing as it was being pierced. Eventually the crystal was partially through but the light did not seem to part like falling water. It enveloped the crystal leaving Danton no room to escape. He removed two more and with the same difficulty forced them through. They reacted almost instantly when the last one was placed. The crystals focused light, as he had already seen and now they were doing the same to the barrier. A continuous beam of light, much stronger than that below him now started to burn a hole into the side of the control panel. It was a slow smoulder and with what he thought were a few spare moments he tried to pry the rest of the crystals out, the beams of light now causing them to overheat.  With the beam unwatched it had gathered power and had soon burned through the outer casing and was now causing a fire inside the machinery. The barriers soon dropped only moments before the contraption erupted in a violent explosion of metal, rock and flame. Danton had at least a notion of what he was doing in the back of his mind and was prepared for any event but Deanna had been face down and curled up. She was caught in the explosion, her skin sliced by the debris. She yelled out in pain and clasped at her wounds, her blood felt tacky between her fingers.

Danton dived over to her to tend to Deanna's wounds but she recoiled. She was angry that he hadn't warned her and blamed him for the injuries she sustained but most of all, she didn't want him to notice her blood. He didn't know how to react but the felt the blame in the pit of his stomach. Part of it was from her but most was caused by his own guilt. He had lost Raneaux and in his mind had nearly killed Deanna.  He swallowed his emotions and turned his attention to where had had been standing. The crystals had survived so were pocketed for future use. The control panel completely destroyed but the beam had not merely cut through it, it had also tunnelled its way through the cavern wall to the other side. With a little coaxing, he convinced Deanna that this was perhaps their best bet for survival and went in first. His idea fell short as a few feet from the other side, the tunnel narrowed and he became stuck. One hand lay in front while another was stuck behind him. Without thinking he awkwardly reached for the cloak and tried his best to cover himself with it. Deanna looked on in frustration before he completely vanished from view. Seconds past and panic set in, the fear of going back to the chamber before was nearly outweighed by the fact Danton had left her. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe calmly. He still did not return. In the darkness behind her a pale spindly hand hesitated over her ankle before grasping it tightly and dragging her out.

Across the underground river Mhaast and Xera had started to hear buzzing noises from the cavern behind them. Mhaast was a little apprehensive, the fact that the automatons ns were still alive and the security measures were still active meant that this place could still be in use. He told Xera to stand back as he fiddled with his shoulder augmentations. A small hatch opened from his left side and to Xera, a small cannon somehow, almost impossibly folded out from the aperture. It moved with his head movements, tracking his eyes to his intended target. He approached the shadows cautiously and rolled a glowglobe across the floor for light. Five winged mechanical insects were stabbing into the corpse of a dead monstrosity like he had seen earlier. Upon noticing him they rose into the air and were greeted by a barrage of pellets that had been fired from Mhaast's shoulder mounted artillery. The shells burst into a brilliant flames a spectacular light show that melted the metal of the creatures until they were nothing more than molten puddles.  This was met by the synthetic shriek of a woman which sent shivers down Xera's spine. 

The woman covered in black hexagonal scales emerged from the crack in the wall. Her body twisted and contorted in inhumane ways but her dark orange eyes always fixed forward. With unnatural speed and obvious anger she lashed out at Mhaast slicing into him over and over with her claws. Xera had hardly any time to react, only able to fire off a few bolts of Shatterstone before Mhaast's body blocked his aim. Mhaast soon felt himself slipping, his augmentations were slowing him down. He had upgraded his body for a purpose, to be faster and stronger than any human. He felt betrayed by his own body which fuelled his anger. He was desperate to prove to himself that all he had sacrificed had not been for naught and channelled his rage into his great axe. Moments later, with his wounds bleeding onto the floor, the woman fell to ground. She had been cleaved in two. 

TSW - Chapter 7: Remnants (5) - Chambers 6 & 7

Deanna was loosing control of her composure. Faced with the hideous laughter and silence from the other side of the cave in, she did what she could with reckless abandon. A beam of light pierced the rubble and blasted it away. The dust quickly settled in the chambers, Raneaux had disappeared. Danton knew what he would find on the other side but did not want to admit it. The laughter and the memories of the shifting house from weeks ago played in his mind. Nothing there had seemed real either. They had been pawns in a game they were forced to play and here again they were being toyed with. He tried to calm Deanna's nerves to no avail and felt the only way to do so now, was see it to the end.

He pressed onwards trying to find a semblance of Raneaux. The cave gave little clue as to where she had gone. A shadow on the floor ahead left a lump in his throat. It was a body, he was sure of that, covered in a cloak. Raneaux had not been wearing such an item but couldn't rule out the possibility that she was underneath. He left Deanna to explore what she wished as he silently investigated. His hand trembled as he lifted the garment and sighed with relief as the body underneath was not hers. The figure had been preserved in the dry air down here, a man much older than himself covered in puncture wounds. The skin was dark around them, blackened but not charred. It had started to spread across his skin in a geometric pattern of hexagons, plate like but still his skin. To the side of the body, an unmarked canister lay on the ground. He took it in hopes that it may be valuable and with that, he turned his attention to the cloak. It was covered in circuits with wires laced into the fabric connecting them. He pulled it up around his neck and for a brief moment and Deanna was now alone in the cavern. He appeared again moments later as if he had never left but now breathless, aching and with the cloak covered in blood. He had no memory of where he been. If Deanna saw the marred cloak it may panic her further and he quickly bundled it up around the canister and stowed it out of sight.

He grabbed her by the hand, noticing that she trembled in his grasp. His words failed him so he gently lead her through the opening at the other end in hope for answers. Another body lay in the next cavern. He tried to steer her away but her curiosity drew her to it. He had no qualms in letting her satisfy this notion, presuming the body to be deceased. It too had the same geometric skin as the body before but this time the woman here was covered head to toe. She wore no clothes and had no hair and the extent of whatever transformation had befallen her was easily seen. The body however was not a corpse. In a blink of eye it was stood on its feet, its eyes a glowing muddied orange. Deanna's grasp tightened as she stepped backwards.

The woman addressed them both, with eyes scanning every inch of skin. Her voice was synthetic and vibrated like an insect's wings. She denounced them as human and coldly catalogued them. Danton tried to converse with the woman but she answered no questions, she only posed them. She noted how their hearts were racing and from the walls, the woman summoned five wasp like creatures almost a foot long. They circled the two of them adjusting their flight as Deanna shifted on her feet. The woman tilted her head in what seemed to be confusion. She told them both that their existence was inconclusive, their forms masking their inhumanness. Deanna argued that she was human, nothing more nothing less but her appeals were refuted. The woman told them that modifications were needed for conversion and they were escorted by the buzzing drones further into the cave.

It seemed that the stone had not changed most of this cavern. The metal plated walls were unmarred and the floor rose half an inch from the stone with hexagonal plates. A hum of machinery was now distinct from that of the wings of the creatures that flew around them. They passed a fenced off fissure in the middle of the room which dropped down to only darkness. They were forced  up a small set of stairs and around the corner towards a faint glow of light. In front of them was a machine set in-between two large hexagonal platforms that were raised from the floor. Above each was the same, lowered from the tiled ceiling above. Wires passed from the central contraption  along the wall to the bottom of the platforms. Danton and Deanna were  separated and stood on each platform. The woman turned her attention to control panel in the middle and started to operate it. A solid light, just like the barriers from the room with the stone table now caged them in. A few seconds passed before three beams of light crossed above their heads from corner to corner. They generated an intense heat and buzzed louder than the wings of the insects and the machinery put together.

The hexagonal cross started to lower, which instilled panic in both of them. No matter how much they pleaded, the woman did not respond.  The insects crawled in the walls again and disappeared from view. In a brief moment of composure, Deanna tried to reach into the mind of the woman, hoping to find a semblance of humanity. What she found were confused and conflicting thoughts, a mind that held many voices all in conversation. Only one was the woman's and she was angry. Their scans were inconclusive, they were neither human, nor inhuman or beast. The woman's voice then responded to calls for her attention. Two humans had apparently entered another laboratory and their scans were far more conclusive. One was augmented with meta but they were both ripe for conversion. She stopped her scans, the beams however still left over their heads and contorted her body in unnatural ways to fit into the crevice in the rock to the left of Danton and followed her insects.          

TSW - Chapter 7: Remnants (4) - Chambers 4 & 5

With the first creature dead, the other was now bearing down. Xera could only look on as the creature battered Mhaast again and again. With its form now fully flesh and metal, it was harder to hit. Its movements were unpredictable as it constantly gained strength and stamina. For every second it was still breathing its mass increased; the valves and tubes pumped more chemicals into its body, the electronics stimulated more and more muscles. Mhaast tired to match it force for force but found himself outmatched. Not only could it hit harder and faster, it was able to somehow split its concentration between the two effortlessly, striking with one movement, then dodging the blasts from Shatterstone.  Even with Mhaast's great axe it was a slog of a fight, it wore down his systems and his endurance. A few lucky strikes against its enhancements debilitated it but it still kept coming. With one last swing Mhasst tried to hew into the flesh of the creature, only to miss. In such close quarters however he managed to head butt the creature and with all its other wounds, it fell to the floor dead.

They were both drained and exhausted. The security measures down here, wherever here was, were nothing short of devastating and they hoped that the others were faring better. Xera tried to contact Raneaux but his thoughts were unanswered. He didn't know if she was dead, alive or perhaps the caverns were preventing their communication but they had to press forward. He didn't mention to Mhaast about Raneaux, it was probably best he didn't know. As they both looked down at the bodies of the two hulks, they came to the conclusion that they had nothing of note to take. Mhaast had considered trying to remove their augmentations for himself but not knowing much about anatomy and due to how foreign these creatures were to him, he did not want to damage the implants let alone try to enhance himself with broken pieces. Like the table before, the stone slab in this room also had a port that he could interface with. More undecipherable information streamed through his mind. He found what possibly could be a way to change everyone's hexagon to a neutral white but in the process he was blasted away from the console by a bolt of energy. As he crumpled to the floor in pain, he found both he and Xera were now upon dark orange. He rubbed his head with what he thought was his hand but found that was instead his new tail and the shock brought him to his feet. It was decided then by both of them that messing with the ancient technology was a stupid idea and was not to be repeated.

They turned left as they headed out of the room, a little more cautious of the stonework around them. The passed the bend in the pathway and it opened up into another forked path. To the immediate left was  what seemed to be a workshop. There were shelves and tables, more metal than stone around the outside of the room. They were covered in scraps of paper, broken machinery, pieces of metal and most disturbing of all, rotten body parts. There were four, almost pristine white machines that lay littered on the surface of the tables. They seemed to be the source of the rot, splattered with dried blood that had once pooled underneath them. In the dim light, one started to spark and shudder. Its mechanical limbs whirred, pincers on one side sliced through the air while the other, fluids and dust were sprayed against the wall. A rumble came from what seemed to be a hopper at the back of the machine between the two jets that were built into it. This was where the blood was most obvious and soon the reason became clear. A warped and mouldy foot was spat at their feet before the machine faded back to its original state. Mhaast could sense these machines were still functional on some level, perhaps sleeping in some powered down state. They backed away with fear slowly gripping them. This was a mistake. Unbeknownst to them they passed another set of pillars, setting off another security measure. The corridor they had entered from was now closing shut, five sets of foot thick metal rose up from the ground with a heavy echoed thud. They were individually blocking the way back from a few feet away until one by one entrance was no longer discernible from the walls of the cave. 

On the other side of the labyrinth of caverns; Danton, Deanna and Raneaux had been following what seemed to be signs of Lina. A scrap of cloth had been found next to a narrow pathway in the rocks. Raneaux had ventured in first, being an experienced caver and delver for artefacts. She told both of them to wait for her to return. It seemed to her that the pathway had been much larger and a possible cave in had nearly blocked the entire path although she was unsure how recent it was. She presumed it was safe enough for her to crawl through but for both of them to follow her. She knew  she would have to secure it first. Reneaux soon disappeared from view, slipping in between the rocks. A minute or so passed and she could still be heard trying to scramble through. Another minute went past and they could hear her swearing at the rocks, a side of her Danton hadn't seen before. She seemed more open and honest, perhaps being in civilization had closed her off, shut down her true self. There then came a sigh of relief as she seemed to have made it through to the other side. Danton then waited for her to call them through or at least offer them guidance on how to proceed. There was nothing. Another minute passed and the cavern was still silent. He thought about calling out to her and as he parted his lips to speak, a shrill scream deafened him and Deanna, followed by the ever present laughter.

TSW - Chapter 7: Remnants (3) - Chamber 3

The fog soon dissipated, sucked through the cracks in the walls. There was a brief moment of confusion as the group gathered their thoughts as they regained their sight.  Although Danton, Xera and Raneaux had presumed Deanna had been in similar circumstances; her initial emotional breakdown and continuous sobbing proved otherwise. The dim light provided enough for Danton to see her clearly but he constantly blinked in disbelief. Her skin was turning pale and translucent. It was similar to the creatures they had encountered but there was something different; her skin did not have a pinkish hue, it was in fact turning green. She looked at the group and saw their eyes staring at her and she instantly withdrew into herself. A curled up against the wall and huddled, pulling her knees into her chest. Danton went to go comfort her but the conversation was awkward at best, he fumbled over his words and she seemed unable to stop crying.

Mhaast looked down at both of them, a little confused about the way Danton was reacting. It was not until Xera shouted at him that he broke his concentration. He seemed frightened, although intrigued. The fog has left its mark on Mhaast as well, although he did not feel it at first. It was only when Xera pointed out a biomechanical tendril that he felt the change. It was a composite of flesh and metal, the same as his own body but it seemed to resemble a scorpion's tail protruding from his lower back. With hardly any effort, he found he was able to control it as instinctively as his own limbs. Raneaux was not concerned with any of it and was back with the stone table. She had been trying to work out what the room was used  and if she could deactivate the field that blocked their way.

Now a little more confident in his walk, Mhaast strode over to the table and plugged himself back in. He gave a wink to Raneaux as he did so. The language that had initially confused him was slowly forming into words he understood. There were snippets of  brief phrases, 'containment lockdown', 'experiment chambers' and 'security protocols'. Xera assumed on this information that the hexagons beneath their feet were a kind of identification and presumed that the colours all of them bar Raneaux were sporting were not in their favour. Mhaast found more information, a possibility to change their status via a security panel but the map he had found within the stone systems resembled nothing of their surroundings. He was thankfully however able to remove the light barrier but other than that, he was stumped.

Deanna, with a lot of coaxing, had finally calmed down although her mind raced with what she was becoming. She desperately wanted to escape and led the way back to the central chamber, grabbing Danton's hand so he kept up as they passed the creatures that were still losing their minds. She breathed a little easier being by the water and hardly noticed Danton's hand lingering a little longer in her grasp. Xera coughed as he looked over to them both and Danton quickly pulled his hand to his side. For a split second Lina appeared to Deanna, in a room full of toys surrounded by tall pale figures. The room was dim and the figures were  illuminated in the darkness. She had a smile on her face, seemingly content. Deanna  dared not blink in case this was real but her eyes succumbed to dust and as she blinked she found herself being helped up by Danton from the floor. They were all concerned now.  She had fallen without speaking but her eyes remained open for more than a minute, staring blankly at the cavern ceiling. Danton was visibly shaken, a side Xera had not seen which made him nervous as well. His bravado tried to cover it up, telling Mhaast and Xera to search the side of the cave system where they were currently, while he and the two girls crossed the waters to the other bank to explore.

This didn't sit well with Xera but seeing how well armed Mhaast was gave him comfort and the man's ties with Silas would hopefully mean he was seasoned fighter. After Raneaux  re-established her mental link with them, they left the three and headed to the second pathway. The stone floor gave way to more metal plates. The walls too resembled that of the cavern with the stone table. To the right of them they found another set of pillars opening out into a smaller chamber. The path ahead  wrapped around to the left and blocked their view so they decided to take their chances on the room. There was a stone table inside, angled facing the back wall. Flanking this were two statues. They were similar to that of the creatures they had encountered before but far larger. Every muscle in their bodies were nearly bursting out of their skin casing. The sculptures were similar in composition to that of Mhaast; with tubes, wires and ports at every angle, as well as a myriad of implants and plates.

Xera hesitated for a second before Mhaast pushed him through into the room. Their light orange hexagons beneath their feet darkened. An audible crack of stone came from the back of the room, as the wires shook, and the tubes started to throb with a grey liquid. Mhaast launched into the left one as soon as he heard the sound. He cleaved his great axe into the creature, dismembering an arm before it was able to fully gain consciousness. The stone-like quality of both of them were slowly fading into flesh as Xera fired a bolt of energy from his Shatterstone. They pummelled the creature again and again as it was brought to life, turning from rock and flesh to body parts and crystal.  The last bolt fired by Xera finished off the creature. It's body fully crystallised on impact and it explosively shattered, sending shards of crystal towards Mhaast. As he took cover to avoid the shrapnel, the second statue had come to life. It loomed over him, breathing heavily with the sound of pistons  and pulsing liquid echoing in the chamber.

TSW - Chapter 7: Remnants (2) - Chambers 1 & 2

The laughter sent shivers down Danton's spine. There was something all too familiar about it. He turned to Xera to see if the look in his eye confirmed his suspicions and the returning glance had the same tone as his. He swore to the walls of the cave over the rushing water before the movement of his arm quelled them into yelps of pain. Xera offered his assistance to help with Danton's shoulder, him being the only one who had read anything remotely about medicine but his utter inexperience with such things only made things worse. It was Raneaux in fact who managed to restore Danton's shoulder to normal, although even she admitted she had never had to do it herself but had suffered the same way before.  With Danton now  not feeling up to finding Lina in his present state, he demanded that he should rest and the others should follow suit or at least dry off. The rest was backed by the sound of the river running through the cavern but it masked a drum beat. As they recuperated, the group could slowly begin hear it. It was a hushed rhythmic  tone that slowly grew into a forceful beat.  The group drew their weapons, the rest would have to wait.

From the shoreline, this side of the cavern held two pathways. One was to the left and one to the right, each was carved out of the wall in front of them.  The drums were coming from right hand side and with Danton's leadership, they sought out what was causing it. Shadows danced on the walls of the next cavern by what was presumed to be  firelight. They were grotesque and misshapen. None of them were exactly the same but all were stood on two legs, almost human. Mhaast was the first to venture forward and saw the reality. The casters of the shadows were pale brutes that might have once called themselves humans . They were hairless and almost featureless apart from their overly developed muscles and  pinkish hues of veins under taught skin. Each carried a large metal object, all of which were taller than Mhaast himself. They were not drumming but banging their clubs against the ground around the fire in some tribal dance. His first instinct was use explosives but was stopped by Danton as the rest of the group spied onwards. The cave these creatures were in was carved out of what seemed to be the side of the passageway and with careful footsteps they could easily bypass.

Danton had a plan already in his mind when he suggested the stealthy option. He had a device he had picked up from Coe but they could not be in range when it was let off and they needed to move quickly and quietly. However neither happened, which included himself.  The ground was soft and stony and each footstep crunched. It soon turned into a mad dash as the abhumans turned towards them pounding the ground. Their grunts and sniffs made it clear the group was not welcome or perhaps may be their next meal. Danton yelled for Xera to throw the shoes he found at the ranch to distract them with light and sound, giving Danton time to arm the device. He told the others to keep going as he lobbed a small squat wooden orb riddled with holes towards the creatures. As it hit the ground, a thick cloud of gas poured out enveloping the brutish creatures. Their grunts soon turned to cries as they started to panic, they turned on each other with savagery, while some shivered in the corners staring at the blank space in front of them and others turned their clubs against the walls in a futile attempt to win against it. As exactly as Coe had promised, madness had taken their minds. Danton could see now that their clubs were not just lumps of metal but pipe work and what seemed to be parts of machinery. There was something familiar, very familiar about it. As he caught up with the rest of the group it hit him, it had the same hallmarks of the place they had found in the Feldspar Maw, technology and craftsmanship not created by living man. He couldn't tell Xera in case it spooked Deanna and Raneaux or alerted Mhaast to ask what really happened to the citizens of Darkperch.

Mhaast congratulated Danton with a pat on the shoulder that he had dislocated. Danton glared over and tried to stop his fangs from protruding and he winced in pain. Mhaast apologised, seemingly innocent of causing pain intentionally. Ahead, the pathway split in to two directions. None of them knew which was way would find Lina but opted to take the same path again as before, sticking to the right hand side. The cavern at first opened out into a room that contained musty furs, gnawed on bones and the remnants of a fire. This was presumably was where these creatures slept and ate. Curiously though, the settlement didn't pass two  pillars encrusted with moss and silt. They were barely noticeable, jutting out opposite each other from the walls barely three fingers thick. The group neither noticed the pillars nor the deliberate end to the sleeping arrangements and went further into the chamber.

The floor rose a little before opening out into a wide room with a large stone table in the middle. Around the edges of the cave were sporadic plates of crystal in the slow process of being claimed by the rock. Xera could feel a hum in the room which no one else could sense. It drew him to the centre and the table. He saw it was made of rock but his senses convinced him it was machinery. He tried to force a corner off and found the shard of rock riddled with holes and strange indentations, this convinced him further of his own theory. He looked over to Mhaast and asked if his implants allowed him to interface with machinery and he nodded back a little sceptically. Xera traced over the surface of the table with his fingers and found what the thought could be a port or a socket covered by lichen. He told Mhaast this was the entry point and with reluctance Mhaast removed the upper part of his left hand index finger and plugged in. His body was flooded with a language he could not understand and it burned in his mind. His eyes were soon scrunched tight and his teeth became clenched. The table criss-crossed with lights as thin as a width of hair and ran down to the floor, changing at regular angles like channels up to the walls and to the crystal panels. Fervently, Xera chipped away the side of the cavern and found the stone to cover metal plates. He peered through the crystal and found misshapen bones  in hidden alcoves behind. 

Above them, the stalactites that roped together where cracked open by Deanna with the help of Danton. They revealed them to be tubes of liquid white light and not rock as first thought. Danton swallowed his apprehension and turned his attention to Mhaast. He was still connected and seemed to be in pain. With a sudden yelp he yanked his finger away, curled in whisks of smoke. He blew on his fingertip and as he looked down, he could see that where he was stood was a pale orange hexagon of light emanating from the rock beneath his feet. The rest of the group all bar Raneaux, had the same colour beneath them. Raneaux's was in fact pure white but equally unexplainable. With each step they took, the hexagon moved with them in a tiled fashion.  This was something that excited Xera but shook Danton to his core. He thought back to what happened in the mines, in whatever place they ended up in and the deaths that it caused. He told them the room was most likely a danger and ushered them out. As they reached the pillars, a curtain of dark orange light barred their way. It was solid and when struck, rippled out in a tiny honeycomb pattern like a drop of water on a pond. Not one of them could pass through barrier. They pounded on the wall of light again and again. From behind them a thick yellow fog poured in from back of the cave. It rolled over the stone table obscuring it from view. None of them could escape it.     

TSW - Chapter 7: Remnants (1) - The Decent

Although Raneaux could not pick up even the faintest of emotions from Lina, she was able to clearly find Xera's. She ran back down stairs and called for help. Mhaast and Willow followed her out to the domed building but they were all overtaken by Danton's determination. They abruptly stopped when they reached the closed brass door. Mhaast boasted to the group that this was an easy task but his strength failed him. They all then tried to move it with the door still barely moving. Without warning, a beam of light blasted from Willow's direction. They jewel she carried around her neck was channelling light to a focal point, which was now eating away at the metal doors.

Within moments the brass slab was cut from its hinges but as it hit the ground it fell towards them. Mhaast was taken unaware and was left shouldering the door, his mechanisms in his joints audibly straining against the weight. Danton acted before he thought clearly and dove in. He managed to hook Mhaast around the waist and tackled him clear along with himself.  On the other side stood Xera in shock. Everyone's eyes were centred on Willow, although she denied any involvement. For a moment or two Xera could only see the doors falling upon himself before he shook the vision out of his head. He urged them to find a way down the schism in the ground. They could all now hear the feint murmur of running water. Raneaux untied the length of rope around her to use as a rappel line. Mhaast was too involved with repairing himself to notice Danton's scheming eye. He thought to himself that saving Mhaast might be the first step in eventually turning him against Silas if things were to come to a head with  himself and Lord Lyathra.

That train of thought led him to that of saving Lina and he beelined for Raneaux  who was setting up the rope. He grabbed it out of her hand and demanded for a set of spikes to jam into the rock face. He tied off the rope around the handle of the brass door and lowered himself down.  With his serpentine eyes, the darkness yielded a surprise. The running water was actually a subterranean river. He dangled over the thirty foot drop into the water from the tunnel above and dropped a glowglobe into the water. The current swirled it around for a second below him before it was pushed out along the river at speed. He knew the current was dangerous but he had to brave the water. Above him, Raneaux threw down more rope so that Danton could lengthen the line, allowing him to partially submerge himself while remaining in relative safety.

Next down the rope was Mhaast. It was obvious to everyone, including himself that he was far too big for the crevice but he had no choice in the matter. He forced himself down, scraping his skin and metal on the rocks. The screech of the latter covered for his low grunting at the pain. He too eventually emerged and clung to the rope above the water. He had kept away from any large sources in case he ceased to function. With Danton on the other end of the rope he managed to swing himself to shore. With relief he looked up towards the crevice and a brilliant white light pouring out from it. Willow's glasses were emanating a dazzling light, allowing her to see clearly through the dark. It was like nothing Danton had ever seen. He had been admittedly attracted by her demure beauty and apparent raw power but her glasses caught him off guard. His hand slipped on the rope and the currents took him.

He fought back against the raging waters. His strength only bolstered by sheer desperation. The rope now started to sway and under Willow's tentative grasp she cried out for help. Mhaast immediately jumped into the water. He had little concern for his own safety or the preservation of his mechanical parts. The water however took hold, his body started to feel sluggish. Danton was fighting against being swept away from the chamber. His fangs protracted, his blood started to burn him as he forced himself to the side of the cavern and to desperately held onto an outcrop. Mhaast had now succumbed to the currents, falling short of catching the rope. He too suffered like Danton, although weighed down by his metal. Danton could clearly see Mhaast coming towards him and he needed to make a split decision. He could either save him, or let him drown down the river. The latter could have been useful if Silas was  to wage war, he would have one less asset, however down here, the more people the better. He gritted his teeth and held out his hand for Mhaast to catch. He felt his strong grip and the weight of him and the water trying to pull him downstream but held fast. Willow, seeing both men in danger, took a couple of deep breaths before commanding the rope to tie to the other side of the bank, to which it obeyed.

As she carefully descended down, her lack of concentration on her task and  the focus on the two in peril condemned her to the same fate. She too was buffeted by the waters before she grasped onto the chain, desperately clinging to Mhaast. Raneaux quickly scrambled down the line to help but in the desperation to survive, Danton had clawed his way up onto the sandy side of the cavern with Mhaast and Willow. He had managed in the process to dislocate his shoulder and was now hunched up in pain.  Xera, now hearing all that had gone down, was now visibly shaken. He was not the adventuring type and with only Danton's pained words of advice to guide him down he started to descended. He was slow and methodical, however his carefulness, it lead him to hold onto the rope for too long. His grasp faltered under his own weight and he plummeted into the water and straight below the surface. The  laughter of hundred voices echoed.

TSW - Chapter 6: The Past (7) - Folktales

Back at the Drunken Tallon, Silas' niece Lina, was blissfully unaware of her Uncle's arrival. She had been drawing more of the same pictures, a figure of royalty, three figures of magic and their beast like shadows cast by a candle. Raneaux was a little troubled by what the girl was drawing. There didn't seem to be any picture of the pale figure she was rescued by, only the looming dark beneath the feet of the figures. Raneaux tentatively asked where she had got the inspiration from. The next thing she knew, Lina had lead her upstairs to a room that sat between hers' and Danton's. Without even asking Raneaux, she knocked on the door and lady peered out.

She was a woman who hid behind thick rimmed glasses. Her hair was unkempt but it made Raneaux jealous. Lina bluntly asked where she had seen these figures before and showed her drawing. Through bleary eyes, the woman peered at it for a moment or two before they shot open. She hesitantly said they were figures from fairy tales although she was intrigued as to why Lina knew them. It was at this point Raneaux stepped in with a formal introduction.  Lina had disregarded the woman's personal privacy and walked in, in the meantime. She was called Deanna and what Lina was drawing was from a tale of three women working for a king who were tasked shut away dark and treacherous shadows behind magically sealed doors. The tale made her eyes narrow. Deanna seemed to live her life out of the trunks she was travelling with, that at the large volumes of books she kept. Raneaux looked at her a second time, trying to figure out the woman behind the glasses. She had a blemish free completion and lips that hadn't cracked. The two images didn't fit but Lina was happy enough and was rifling through her books while Raneaux could only apologise again for her behaviour.

Danton arrived back with lead in his stomach. He was tired of his plans being complicated by one person or another and was seriously considering doing something drastic. Xera pointed out that both Lina and Raneaux had gone and presumed the worst. They asked Mavis and Jarvan where the girls were and they pointed upstairs. The pace of his footing was heard from the door of Deanna's room. Raneaux peeked out and saw both of them panicked in Lina's room. She called them over and introduced Deanna. Danton was a little distracted, the only women he had in his life were either too young, too volatile, or were related to him. Deanna seemed an innocent, someone free of preconceptions. She reluctantly invited them both in as well. Her books were found to not just folktales but were also on history and geology. She was intriguing to Danton, which made him deaf to Jarvan's message of Silas waiting downstairs. Xera accompanied him in Danton's stead. He was feeling a little claustrophobic and a little out of his depth. On the way down the stairs he asked Jarvan if Danton was okay. His reply was solemn. Everything was fine at the minute but he seemed to be falling back into his old ways with people he should know not to get involved with.

Sat the centre table, straddling a straining wooden chair, was Silas. He was flanked by what seemed to be his body guard. A tall figure with his flesh fused with metallic implants. His clothes did nothing to hide his mechanics, nor did the holstered axes and swords belay Xera's fears what may be in store. The man's face was barely human, his form was unnatural and imposing. He was a perfect counterpart to Silas. Mavis was flying around the room tidying up everything in sight even if she had just cleaned it. Jarvan left Xera to go help her, or at least calm her down. Xera shook Silas' hand but pleasantries were not given, he demanded for his niece, and why Danton had not come down himself. Xera's excuses bought him some time to dash back upstairs to grab Danton and Lina. When she heard her Uncle had found her, she grabbed both Deanna's and Raneaux's hand and would only see him if they came with her. They both agreed, with Raneaux apologising again.

Downstairs, Silas greeted her with open arms, lifted her up and swung her around the room in a tight embrace. She didn't seem as frightened as she had upstairs and Raneaux could find no trace of it in her mind, no matter how hard she tried. Lina told him everything about her recovery; Jarvan looking after her every day and the tall pale figure than brought her flowers and woke her up. She was put down pretty quickly after that and told to go sit with Raneaux. He brought Danton over to where his drink was and clicked his fingers as he sat. Mavis almost fell over herself as she arrived at the table and took Danton's order. Silas had no qualms in insulting the selection he had been given here. He was even vocal about his distaste for what he was drinking but Danton ordered the same in hopes that at least, mimicry would help.  Silas was unhappy about the details of his niece's recovery. He suspected this to be a power play by one of the other families and tasked Danton to figure it out.  If he was wanting to reach Ickwell then solving it would certainly help towards how he was viewed. His reviewer would be Mhasst, Silas' bodyguard and head of personal security to which he gestured to the mechanical man. Danton swallowed heavily. This was perhaps the best Danton could hope for and provided him with at least some  way to influence Lina into handing him over control of Darkperch.

As Danton walked Silas out, Lina had gotten hold of the book she had stolen from Deanna. She had been in the midst of ordering a drink after hearing the tale told by Silas, Lina and Danton. The drink was to bolster her courage to ask to join but was that interrupted by Lina rifling through her book.  Her heart felt clamped as she saw Lina turn the pages and she called out in despair when she noticed how close the paints were to it. Xera managed to grab it off of her in time, knocking down the vial of green paint onto the floor. Xera sighed and gingerly handed the book over to Deanna before starting to clean it up. She on the other hand was almost vibrating with anxiety even after she clutched the book to her chest. Lina didn't seem to care much, her mind was in another place. She muttered under her breath that the pale man had returned and she bounded upstairs without warning.

Raneaux quickly followed and found her room empty, although the flowers had changed. She could no longer sense her but caught her voice on the wind by the other end of the landing. It was Xera however that followed the voice. Raneaux was now too confused about not being able to sense her. From the balcony of the upper landing he saw a slender pale figure slip past the heavy brass doors of the domed building across the road. Without thinking, he jumped down and raced across. The door was still open and he slid inside into the darkness. There was nothing there, only the dark, the fissure in the ground, and the hushed echo of running water. Under his feet were parts of rat, synth and metal junk. He turned around a couple of times to make sure Lina really wasn't there. He called out to her, his voice the only reply. With his back to the sliver of light, he heard the laughter of many voices before the brass door slammed shut and he was plunged into darkness.

TSW - Chapter 6: The Past (6) - The Lyathras

Raneaux belted through the inn doors and sidled up to Lina. As she skidded on the bench as she sat, Danton was walking down the stairs. She tried to compose herself as much as she could before he reached the ground floor. His first words to her made it clear that he knew she had most likely left the inn while he was upstairs.  She admitted that she had left Lina to go exploring, although protested that she didn't leave her alone. Danton's reply was a little out of character, she told her that he was just glad she was safe. Lina had, in the meantime, been painting pictures of women, crowns and dark black patches that looked liked spilled ink. Raneaux was a little patronising to her, praising her on her paintings. In her mind she told Danton that they needed to go to the domed building as soon as possible. They were interrupted by Lina who cried out at both of them to stop leaving her out. Danton did a double take before asking Raneaux  in her mind if she had heard what Lina said. The girl now started to pout and angrily told them to stop treating her as a child, she was a Hawk Eye after all.

The revelation of Lina's abilities and the fact that this young girl was a Hawk Eye was impressive to Danton. He told her that she was incredible, although she did not take to well to the compliment. Raneaux apologised to Lina and went over to hug her and as she did so, Mavis approached. She saw Lina's red eyes and Raneaux comforting her, then blamed Danton for whatever had caused her to be upset.  Danton tried to tell her that it wasn't his fault but soon came unstuck when Lina asked where her best friend Javis was. Mavis cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head at Danton expectantly, relishing the fact he was about to try to lie to her. What came out was in fact the truth. Lina started to cry again but Mavis backed off a little, confused at why Danton had suddenly changed his tone. Mavis then took Danton to one side and asked about Eryn, to which he told her about the kidnapping.

She looked at him a little dumfounded. She told him that the line of succession as leader and protector of the village fell upon the Hawk Order. Feral Hawks held positions outside of the main cities and if they were to become incapacitated in some way, the nearest Hawk would be next in line. While Lina was unconscious, Mavis had been taking on the mantle but she couldn't rightfully hold onto it and Lina was far too young. She said that she feared for the future of the village. Danton tried to keep his tongue pressed lightly against his cheek and his mouth firmly shut as his fangs grew and retracted. He offered his assistance of looking after the village but Mavis had reservations about a member of House Ethis taking over the village once again. She had suffered through their exploitations of the villagers for their private mining business and had vowed to never let another take root. He winked at her, telling her that he wasn't Ethis and Darkperch had now become his home.

She sighed, knowing that the resources Danton could provide could rejuvenate the town and perhaps keep the Oraea in line. She told him that he needed to make sure Lina was okay with the line of succession. If she wasn't happy, then she would have to return to Auspar to consult with the City Hawks to install another Feral. He replied with a smirk that if he stayed, Jarvan would too and with that she went bright red and slightly smiled.  This was now his new task, to make sure Lina was on his side so that she wouldn't find a replacement. His first instinct however was typical of his family. He offered a little money for her to buy food and drink but Lina refused. She bluntly told him that Mavis had and always would look after her out of kindness and no money could change that situation. She tutted at him. Danton hated the fact he was being judged by a young girl and bit his tongue not to say something. He picked out of his pocket the pot of green paint that had managed to keep from overflowing or staining his clothes and placed it on the table. He offered it as a gift before there was a knock on the inn door and a member of the Oraea stepped in and walked out with Danton.

Xera had now regained consciousness and had no idea on how much time had passed. He found himself in Lina's bed in an empty room. He rubbed his head trying to dissipated the migraine he had woken up to but it didn't leave him. He plodded downstairs to see where everyone was and saw Lina and Raneaux painting. He asked her where Danton was and she said he had already gone to meet with Lord Lyathra. Xera shook his head, he knew that he would have better luck with Silas than Danton would and made for the door. Before he left however, Lina said she was sorry about the child to him, to which he stared back at her for a second. He shook his head, believing he had misheard her and headed for the Oraea.

When he arrived, Danton seemed to be in a quandary with Silas. He was questioning Jethra as to why a member of House Ethis was even present and Xera quickly acted by tapping Silas on the shoulder. He didn't know how well this would go down but he needed to take the focus of Danton. Silas shuddered and turned on his heels and a faint smile grew. He gave a warm reception to Xera, to which Danton seemed to not have received. Within moments of the greeting, Jethra was ordered by Silas to provide hospitality for him and Xera and soon both were given wine and the best of the leftovers.  It was now as if Danton did not exist. The two of them talked about the escape from Auspar, the binary code from the holographic creature and the search for Morianna. Xera admitted that his lab had been broken into and his notes on both Morianna and what Silas was interested in - the research by Melvile - had been stolen. This riled up Silas. He told Xera he knew something like this would happen and told him they needed to quicken the pace. He offered passage to the home of House Morianna, Ickwell Manor, in a day or two after he had visited his niece. Xera's mouth was left wide open.

A little confused by Xera's reaction, Silas tried to change the subject by asking why he was travelling with a snake from House Ethis. Xera bit his lip while Danton let out an accidental hiss. Silas said to Xera that inviting a member of House Ethis into the Manor could be disastrous, with his plans most likely to become compromised. Xera replied that if he was to go find Morianna, Danton would have to come too. Silas shook his head and turned it to face Danton. He addressed him in a sever tone. If anything was to go wrong, if his plans were jeopardized, then Danton would bear the soul responsibility on pain of death. Xera bit his lip again and tried to draw away Silas' attention.  He mentioned that the Oraea monks had threatened both him and Danton at the lake and accused them of murder and thievery. Within an instant, the large frame of Silas was up on his feet and stomped towards Jethra. He demanded to see the two responsible. They were both soon thrown to the front. Their heads bowed, Silas asked them to join in prayer for the Vessel. They closed their eyes and recited until the slash in their throats from Silas blade drowned their words in their blood. Danton took a step backwards, he never considered the rotund man to be of any threat and now the warning he had given Danton rang in his ears.  Silas demanded to Jethra that he was to apologise to both Danton and Xera for the monks insolence and for someone to take the bodies away. His next question made Danton's stomach churn, he asked Xera if heknew where his niece Lina was. 

TSW - Chapter 6: The Past (5) - The Dome

Xera's eyes were no longer his own, he knew that but they felt familiar. He saw out in darkness, comforted by a crowd of hooded figures behind him. As he looked onwards the dark gave way to pinpricks of light, then to an alter and a crying baby upon it. There was the glimmer of a blade in his hand and ring that adorned it. There was the smell of a familiar perfume in the air mixed in with smoke from the torches. He turned his head to the moon and saw a large manor house casting its shadow over them all. A name danced on his tongue, Ickwell before he was ripped back to consciousness.

Raneaux meanwhile had slowly become overwhelmed with feelings of loss and guilt. She looked over at Lina and only felt failure.  Something or someone was broadcasting strong emotions, strong enough to infect her. She had three options;  stay with Lina and hope for the best, inject herself with the Guldspar drug in hopes to disconnect herself or try to walk it off and get out of its range. Although she didn't want to leave Lina, both Jarvan and Mavis where there to look after her and she didn't want to knock herself out in case she was needed. A long walk around the village would help, as long as the source wasn't following her or became more intense.

Clouds were slowly covering the afternoon sun and the light breeze carried with it a tinge of cold. The Oraea monks were frantically tidying up which made her giggle, although she kept that to herself under their watchful gaze. There had always been one building that she had never broken into. It was a curiosity in the make-up of the village. A domed building made of grey hexagonal tiles. Time had worn away any details that would have marked them out as being made of any particular material. This perhaps was as good as time as any  to investigate. She put her ear to the outside and heard  violent winds with the occasional  bang of something heavy being thrown up against the side. The feelings she had felt within the inn were rapidly being superseded by hunger in the pit of her stomach. Neither the wind nor her hunger made sense together and although it brought back memories of Braxx and the Blue Famine, she dared herself to investigate further.

The door that she could never open was somehow ajar. It was made of polished metal, possibly brass and two foot thick. She peered into the darkness staying as low to the ground as possible so that she didn't obstruct the only sliver of light piercing the darkness. The winds howled past her, as a brief flicker of an object passed within inches of her face and smashing into the shell of the room.  It felt as if the Iron Wind had been compressed into this small space, that or some other chaotic storm. She through a glowglobe into the darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Her eyes followed it round and round the room as it cast its light on shards of metal and synth and odd dirt clod. At its centre was a black void, a black ever darker than the room itself, suspended over a large crack in the ground. The hunger she felt intensified. Objects caught in the winds were quickly being swept towards the centre and as they did, they were slowly disintegrating. The hunger she felt masked a loneliness and a deep longing to be free which bubbled to the surface of her thoughts.

She darned not go closer in case she was pulled in. Luckily for her and perhaps not for Xera, she had managed to procure the set of glasses that had been found in the Ethis Manor. She had hoped they could be sold for a substantial sum but there didn't seem to be an opportunity to return to Auspar. She knew he had warn glasses before when investigating or carrying out experimentations and perhaps in some way  they would help her here.  She wanted to know more and hoped they would at least allow her to see better in the dim light. As she did so however, the arms of them sprouted wires like tendrils of a plant's roots. They burrowed through her hair and her skin. For a split second her head felt as if it was being ripped apart before it subsided. She tried to yank the glasses off but they remained firmly in place, causing her pain with every tug. She muttered under her breath before throwing another glowglobe into the vortex. Her words somehow appeared on the lenses on the glasses in a pale gold colour. She muttered to herself again, and the words appeared. The winds howled again, bashing more debris against the side of the structure. White words appeared under hers.   I hunger.

She stepped back for a second in shock. She had seen madness, she had known madness. The wind did not talk, it was not alive. She convinced herself to act like Xera, and test just to make sure. Proof was better than doubt. She called out asking what it wanted, why it was hungry, why it was lonely. The replies she got made her shake a little. It hungered for existence, matter, anything.  She could see what it was feeding on, the disintegrating metal and syth and now screeching rat. Fur disappeared from its hind, then its flesh then bones, without a single drop of blood. She swallowed with a gulp. It was lonely, trapped with only brief moments to feed. She panicked.  She threw what little she had on her; shins, Numenera and scraps of cloth into the maw of the void and ran. The winds tried to grasp her as she fled. She tripped and fell. The lenses shattered and the glasses fell to the floor. Her body was being pulled back into the crack in the door. She kicked out, she heard the sound of glass and metal bash against the door. She became frantic, violent and pleaded for her life. She scrunched her eyes and felt the earth shudder, as the brass door slammed shut. The feeling of hunger was gone but she was too scared to carry on alone. She faced the door and put her hands on her thighs and tried to slow her breathing. She turned her head left and right to see if anyone had seen her but both ways were quiet. The only thing she did notice was a small swathe of flowers outside the domed building, that had been neatly cut. 

TSW - Chapter 6: The Past (4) - The Benefactor

In light of yesterday's events, there was one obvious way to keep the bodies hidden and easy to transport. Barrels allowed the quick transportation needed without raising suspicion and it luckily seemed that the Oraea had not investigated further on the blood that had seeped out from under the doorframe. The barrel was politely sequestered from  Mavis and soon the headless body of Moma had been delivered to Xera's lab. There had been a suggestion to dump the rest of the bodies into the pond but due to the Oraea's attention and their reluctance about getting too close to the water's edge, it was better left till nightfall to dispose of them in another manor.

The Oraea monks were still at the pond and in their infinite wisdom had decided that the waters were the best dumping ground for the remnants of the festivities. Raneaux was livid and preceded to insult and antagonise the monks after they arrived back. She was trying to enforce her point of view on befouling the pond which fell on deaf ears. Although not intentionally, this allowed Danton to pick up another metallic shard and finding another crab like creature inside. He marked it to be traced and secretly threw it back into the lake hiding the fact that it had tried to burn him in self defence. Before the Oraea could ask what he was up to he demanded to see Jethra. The Grand Orator arrived although he took much longer than previously. Raneaux interjected about the littering and polluting of the pond by the monks and they soon found themselves at the mercy of their leader, who clipped them over the head before ordering them and the rest of the monks to hurry up with the cleaning up of the village. He seemed very concerned, in fact he seemed worried, which intrigued Danton.

He tried to diffuse any tension between him and Jethra by offering his services in any way he could. Jethra surprisingly accepted without much consideration as to his motives. A high ranking noble was arriving from Auspar and in order to maintain the funding for the Oraea he needed to provide the perfect image. The revelry from the night before and the current contempt for the area by his monks was making him desperate. Danton asked for more specific details and found the investor was a member of House Lyathra. It was in fact Lord Lyathra, the benefactor and founder of the First Oraea of the Vessel. Danton felt a twinge on his shoulder, he knew of the Lyathras and what they were capable of, although they were the more mediocre of families in terms of wealth and providence. 

From Jethra's position however, Danton was not presentable in his current state and demanded that if he was to help, he would need to change clothes .He further mentioned that  if Danton agreed, there would be an Oraea monk coming for him when Lord Lyathra arrived. He departed on amicable terms, which was more than what Danton had hoped for. Raneaux looked over at him, not understanding the demands for a change in attire. Xera on the other hand was now concerned. He knew exactly who Lord Lyathra was, in fact Silas had helped him escape the city before the Great Decent but he had no idea that Silas was not only responsible for the founding of the Oraea, but was also its soul patron.

He discussed with Danton what he knew about his former employer from the little he had gleamed from his time in the city; in hopes that Danton would open up about his relation to the insignia and the necklace he wore but the words never came. Any hopes of an explanation vanished when they noticed a girl in the corner of the ground floor of The Drunken Tallon, sipping on what seemed to be steaming broth. The girl that had fallen with Eryn and Xera, the Hawk-Eye Lina was somehow awake. It had been so long since they had arrived here and her illness had lasted for such a time, that it had almost faded out of Xera's memory. Jarvan was the first to speak when the group entered and steered them away from her for a time. He explained that she had miraculously recovered over night with no due cause. Mavis chimed in telling Danton how wonderful Jarvan had been, there was a look in her eye that said much more than just looking after the sick child. Raneaux immediately went to Lina's side after the briefing by Jarvis and they immediately hit it off.  Raneaux warmed to the girl instantly, seeing her as almost a sister, family that she never had.

Danton was a little suspicious about the miracle and asked if he could see her room. Jarvan obliged by opening up the room key box on the wall by the fireplace with a key he had on a chain around his neck . He handed it over to Danton and showed both him and Xera up to the room and stood outside and waited. There were freshly cut flowers although the quality of them seemed to vary. Xera had suspected  the flowers themselves and removed them from the vase, only to find them cut to the same length rather than attached to any root ball. A little disappointed, he turned his attention to the bed. Underneath he found a small pearlescent shell with an insignia scratched onto its surface. By the window, Danton found a wet handprint and in conjunction with the shell, they both came to the conclusion that the water of the pond held more than just monsters.

He thought it best that it was time to finally explain to Xera the origins of his necklace before they were interrupted once again by circumstance. He dismissed Jarvan although he was still unsure if was the right thing to do and shut the door. Danton reached under his shirt and revealed the entirety of the necklace. The chain had fused to the skin and flesh of the back of his neck to Xera's uncomfortable surprise. Danton's slow and methodical explanation of the history of the necklace was similar to his explanation to Coe. He was banished from Auspar from Qi due to his mutation of his eyes and his life became lonely and with what little entertainment he could find, eventually boring. He used his family's name, money and influence to buy and coerce his way into power but it didn't go far enough. He needed his own control and desperately wanted to not rely on his past. He strolled the streets of his territory in  Qi to clear his head and came across an old woman. He took pity on her. He assumed that she had been beaten and scarred by the Marish Clan as she mentioned the she was seeking refuge. She was peddling trinkets and keepsakes and for his kindness he was given the necklace. He put it on and felt a sense of power but found whatever it had imbued him with had cost him the ability to remove it. He turned back to the old woman for answers but she was gone. With the tale over, he motioned to Xera to look over the necklace himself and held it out for him. As Xera touched it, a burning surge like electricity coursed through his body and he fell to the floor unconscious.   

[Sorry about the lack of posting the past two weeks, I've been ill and needed rest]

TSW - Chapter 6: The Past (3) - The Pond

Moments after Raneaux was left trying to explain to Coe about what abilities Umbra had and in turn tried to calm his fears about having potentially been under constant watch as Danton had taken Xera aside. She had made sure that she had renewed her mental link with both of them before they left but was a little angry that they had abruptly left her. Danton had taken Xera to the back of his lab and walked down the path towards the pond. It was a crisp and clear day but the stench of booze hung in the air and refused to leave, even with the light breeze that was ruffling the trees. Danton was about to discuss his necklace when they both spotted three monks by the water. Two were nestled nearer the tree line while the third was lying face down with his hand floating in the water.

Danton rushed over the monk by the water while Xera went to see how the other two were fairing. Danton lifted the man's arm up and let it go. It splashed into the water but he did not move. He tried to gently turn him over making sure his head was supported and felt a sticky residue on his fingers through the man's hair. He knew what it was but he needed to see it for himself and as he did so Xera had managed to wake the other two up. Without paying any attention to Xera they saw Danton and his hand covered in blood and shouted at the top of their lungs accusing him of assault and murder of their fellow monk and friend, Beron. Danton immediately jumped back, resign his hands away from the body and himself in a gesture of innocence. They were adamant he was guilty but his silver tongue thankfully managed to convince them otherwise.

They both stumbled to their feet in hopes going to the aid of their friend but found their belongings missing. Accusations were then thrown at Xera to which again Danton had to step into to convince them of his innocence. Both Oraea monks were feeling the effects of the night before and visibly found each other's shouting voices  painful. They demanded that Danton and Xera stay away from the water and Beron  while they went to get help and stumbled away from the pond  through the trees towards the centre of the village and the Oraea. The request to stay away from the water's edge guaranteed that both would investigate. He and Xera tired to find out what had happened but the only things left were either the leftovers from the festivities or small discarded synth and metal. Xera called over for a piece of the metal over to him. It disappeared from the other bank of the pond and materialised in his hand. His satisfied smile only lasted a few seconds before he was nipped by what looked like a claw protruding from the metalwork. He instinctively threw it into the water and as the ripples calmed, a looming figure rose to just under the surface. It was a twelve foot long monstrosity of red hexagonal scales, two spiked front flippers and a beak like jaw vertically flattened and meshed together wish spiny teeth. It circled under the water like a beast trapped in a cage. They both decided that whatever had nipped Xera could be left until much later and called over for Coe and Raneaux to help.

Raneaux re-laid the request and he immediately turned it down. Coe's reply seemed more laboured this time but was far more curt. He stated that he was employed for a limited set of duties and then returned back to his work, removing the fangs from the Moma clone's upper jaw. Raneaux shuddered as he tore one of them out and quickly left, thankful that she wouldn't have to witness his experimentations any more. She arrived just as Jethra did, along with a few others of the monks. She kept to the back of Danton and Xera, not wanting to be noticed. There was a half hearted apology from Jethra before he demanded to know why both of them had defied the Oraea's orders and had gone near the pond. Xera mentioned the beast and threw a shard of metal into pond to try and stir it. Jethra peered over the bank's edge, flanked by his monks but he couldn't see anything. Xera muttered under his breath that perhaps his monks should go into the pond but was quickly hushed by Danton before they could hear

.

Jethra grunted. He did not want to be disturbed any longer and after noticing Raneaux, realised this whole thing could be settled quickly. He demanded that she act as arbiter, in her bound duty as  a Guldspar. She outright refused. Jethra grunted louder this time and told all three of them to stay away from the pond. He stationed two of the monks close by to keep an eye out but shook his head when he realised that none of them were in a fit state to do anything he asked. With a sigh, he ordered that Beron's body to be taken back to the Oraea and told the three of them  that he would need to speak to them later.

As soon as they had passed onto the road Raneaux looked up at the two and asked what they had really seen. They tried to convince her of the red scaled creature hidden in its depths to which she laughed. She asked how much they had had to drink the night before but was met with stern faces. She too peered over the pond  but lobbed a glowglobe into the water. As sceptical as her mind was at the thought of something so large residing in such a small body of water, the globe sank to the bottom and illuminated the rocks on the bed which seemed to scuttle away from it. She bit her lip confused and not wanting to prove herself wrong, asked if this was where they were going to dispose of the bodies they had left in shack. Danton's serpentine eyes widened to the point she was confined they going to fall out and his mouth gaped open. The thought of the bodies had not even crossed his mind. 

TSW - Chapter 6: The Past (2) - The Morning After

The morning started with another pill for Danton. After witnessing what had happened to the clone of Moma he decided that he would stop taking chances and stick to a regime. This was followed by another new part to his morning routine, stretches. He didn't feel like a new man nor did the night's sleep reinvigorate him. In truth, it partially felt like a way to prove to himself he was a better person than the blood-soaked viper he had been last night. The thoughts of what had happened started to prevail and so he stretched harder, flexing beyond what was comfortable in hopes that the pain would help. There was a gentle rasp at the door which knocked his concentration. Jarvan announced the arrival of well dressed gentleman who had enquired about him. There was concern on his face which Danton try to disperse but what was left  underneath was disapproval.

Downstairs Mavis was nursing one of the worst hangovers she had experienced. She hadn't given much credence to the Oraea but one or two of them had certainly come close to drinking her under the table. It was due to this state that Coe had received hospitality from Jarvan, who had now taken on most of Mavis' duties. In front of Coe was a half finished breakfast which Danton recognised and gave a quick glance over to Jarvan, who now trying to convince Mavis to eat herself. Coe mentioned the promise Danton had made the night before and soon the necklace and the amulet were revealed. He draped it across his hand, although he did not remove it from his neck. Coe brought out a pair of spectacles and closely examined it, noting the design from last night along with the dark wood and contrasting and almost luminescent blue substance that filled in cracks.

Without hesitation Danton explained in part what he knew of it. The necklace was almost forced upon  him by a old woman, a vagrant peddler. She was practically giving it away, owing to its supposed cursed status. She was working in his part of Qi and felt sorry for her. There were scars marking her skin to which he attributed to her working on the Marish Clan side of the city. He put it on for her to pass judgement but she had gone when he raised his head. The necklace itself gave him confidence, bravado; a belief within himself to take control like he hadn't before.  His words felt weighty even if he was whispering. His men reacted without much grumbling or objection from then on and with that, the amulet never left his side. The tale had intrigued Coe and pressed him further on what he knew about the design and Xera. An uncomfortable silence was left unchecked for only a second or two before Danton replied he would be explaining it in time to him. With a wry smile he mentioned that Xera had a slight distaste for him for whatever reason and would keep a close eye on him just to make sure nothing escalated. A little taken aback, he gladly accepted the help.

Xera's morning had blurred into the previous night. He had found himself trying to distract his wandering thoughts with the books he had been given from the Oraea while simultaneously trying to ignore Umbra's constant card shuffling and solo plays. It was a relief when Raneaux turned up. She seemed well rested but certainly hadn't cleaned herself up as much as she could have, leading him to suspect that she had declined to stay at the Drunken Tallon in preference to her own place. She instantly made a clearing for her to sit next to Umbra and started to play against him, with a few giggles and laughter as she managed to beat him at his own game. Xera sighed and slammed the book shut without Umbra or Raneaux even turning to look at him.

Danton arrived at the lab about an hour after Raneaux, fully fed and properly bathed. Coe pushed past him as they entered and he took up his perch by his bench and drowned the world out with his own thoughts and experimentations. Danton called Xera over and in the space of around half an hour, both had managed to divulge the information they knew about the Neave clones, this history of the Oraea in conjunction with Chloe the Vessel and the vanguard they were seeking to destroy. They also lamented that they couldn't help any further, the expert on the matter had been abducted by one of the clones but they were too late to stop her and her tracks had gone cold before they had even stepped foot into Darkperch. They did however offer something of a consolation. Valma. The immediacy at which it responded to its name surprised Umbra, especially from where she had come from. It asked it's never ending and perpetual question to which Umbra laughed and told it that he had a lot to teach it if it was willing. Valma spun around the room, knocking  over what Xera had at least tried to put back in some order.  Umbra was surprisingly unphased  by her unnatural existence and was quickly given a warning not to lose a game to it, otherwise it  would inflict a lot of pain. He tilted his head  and his smile widened which unnerved Danton and Xera.

He thanked them for the gift and thanked Valma for its willingness in accompanying him. He patted the flat metal top. The intricate designs on its surfaces turned a misty shade of grey and its aura faded into  muted smoke. He told the three of them  that he or one of his associates would be in contact in the future. He knelt down to Raneaux and thanked her as well, looking directly into her eyes. He passed her something heavy, metallic but away from the eyes of Xera Danton and initially even her. He whispered in her ear that he and his fellow Hawks may call upon her sooner than those she kept company with and told her to keep a watchful eye on the three men. Umbra stood back up nodded his head, Valma attached itself to his belt and they both melded into the shadows of the lab.