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« mini manta board log: abductions finale »
ABDUCTIONS FINALE
This mini log is for the Special Quest listed on the April 2025 MANTA Board. All threads are worth 12 points.
Somewhere far out in the ocean, many days away from where the leviathans currently drift and settle, rests an "island" that can only be described as a beautiful abomination. Completely manmade, at first it looks to be an island of crystal and mist, its colors shimmering in the moonlight to give it a mystical aura. But every so often, when the mist moves and the light happens to pass through the crystal, large shadows with large fins and tails can be seen trapped within. Moving in closer will reveal even more than just crystal—large curved bones protrude here and there, but they are still placed carefully, supporting the crystals that make the island. In the front the bones arch around to look like the skeletal form of a massive whale, the tail deep into the water and a magnificent palace made of crystal and bone on its back. More bones curve around the tail with floating crystal lights illuminating the path down towards the island, the waters stained red.
Several luxury yachts are docked along the pearl studded pier, the sound of music, laughter, and other party making sounds drifting through the wind and echoing throughout the island. Inside the mansion, a number of rich, elite members of society are reveling in the ambergris wine and staring up at the numerous crystal statues of people and animals lining the walls and even hanging from the ceiling. Their eyes sparkle through the clouded haze created by the sweet fragrance that permeates throughout the building.
A stark contrast to the groans and cries that drift from deep, deep down beneath the island, where the crystal and rock form numerous dungeons and caverns housing those who were taken in for one reason or another. Whether they were arrested or kidnapped, they had been rendered unconscious and found themselves in these dungeons for the past few days, even weeks and months. Their tattoos wiped clean and stripped of their powers, the trapped are contained in all different ways: locked in barred cells, sometimes chained to the wall; locked in small isolation rooms, crystal from the walls slowly creeping closer towards them as if to swallow them; hanging in cages over tanks of water where others struggle in their water confinement. Humans, animalfolk, animals, riftfarers, and locals alike—all scattered throughout a giant dungeon and all in some process of being crystalized to become the next grand centerpiece to be put on display. It all seems hopeless…
…Until an ominous song echoes throughout the island, a sound so deep and raw that it rattles both the giant bones and those of the living. A song of no words yet sings of death and doom as the waters around the island begin to recede, making the structure suddenly sink down and slam into the ground. The seafloor, now exposed, reveals piles of bones and barely decomposed bodies of untold numbers of whales of all ages and sizes along with other remains of the victims that were once held on the island over the past few months. As the waters continue to recede and reveal the ghastly graveyard, the waters begin to rise and rise and rise to form a giant ocean wall, a massive shadow slowly passing before disappearing.
And riding at the top of those waves is a fleet of ships, Corsair and Paladin flags whipping in the wind. It is a partnership formed by the renowned Stormbringer and Royal Fortune captains, Fiona "Redbeard" O'Malley and Miranda "Wavebreaker" Thorn, both of whom are ignoring orders from the higher ups to work together, with Miranda leading the fleet through the violent tides, living up to her reputation as the "Wavebreaker". Lines are dropped, row boats surf down the wall to land on the wet sand, and people rush out towards the doomed island.
The raid is thorough and brutal, more and more of the island rumbling as it is gradually destroyed from within and without, ships firing cannons to chip away at the structure. However, they cannot stay forever. Once more the seafloor and the waters start to tremble as a high pitched shrill call pulses through. It's enough to knock anyone off their feet, even stun them for several seconds before there is a whisper of hundreds of voices. Voices so low and eerie, filled with a hatred that claws directly into the minds of all who are there:
"Drown."
That is the final warning before a large red eye glows from behind the waves, so large and bright it could swallow the island itself. Then the once high walls of water start to tip forward, a slow drip before it all starts to cascade downward and rush in to flood and destroy the island completely, crystal and bone shattering into oblivion.
As everything is flooded over, whales and dolphins will rush in to rescue those they can while orcas will move in to hunt down any criminals who managed to escape the first time, biting into their limbs and throwing them high into the air like toys before breaking them with their weight. The fleet of ships that had remained behind will sail in close to pick up those still stuck in the water.
It will be a long voyage home, and those who are injured or have the crystalized effects will receive immediate treatment with Eltrut able to provide more full treatment.
If you have any questions, comment here.
Somewhere far out in the ocean, many days away from where the leviathans currently drift and settle, rests an "island" that can only be described as a beautiful abomination. Completely manmade, at first it looks to be an island of crystal and mist, its colors shimmering in the moonlight to give it a mystical aura. But every so often, when the mist moves and the light happens to pass through the crystal, large shadows with large fins and tails can be seen trapped within. Moving in closer will reveal even more than just crystal—large curved bones protrude here and there, but they are still placed carefully, supporting the crystals that make the island. In the front the bones arch around to look like the skeletal form of a massive whale, the tail deep into the water and a magnificent palace made of crystal and bone on its back. More bones curve around the tail with floating crystal lights illuminating the path down towards the island, the waters stained red.
Several luxury yachts are docked along the pearl studded pier, the sound of music, laughter, and other party making sounds drifting through the wind and echoing throughout the island. Inside the mansion, a number of rich, elite members of society are reveling in the ambergris wine and staring up at the numerous crystal statues of people and animals lining the walls and even hanging from the ceiling. Their eyes sparkle through the clouded haze created by the sweet fragrance that permeates throughout the building.
A stark contrast to the groans and cries that drift from deep, deep down beneath the island, where the crystal and rock form numerous dungeons and caverns housing those who were taken in for one reason or another. Whether they were arrested or kidnapped, they had been rendered unconscious and found themselves in these dungeons for the past few days, even weeks and months. Their tattoos wiped clean and stripped of their powers, the trapped are contained in all different ways: locked in barred cells, sometimes chained to the wall; locked in small isolation rooms, crystal from the walls slowly creeping closer towards them as if to swallow them; hanging in cages over tanks of water where others struggle in their water confinement. Humans, animalfolk, animals, riftfarers, and locals alike—all scattered throughout a giant dungeon and all in some process of being crystalized to become the next grand centerpiece to be put on display. It all seems hopeless…
…Until an ominous song echoes throughout the island, a sound so deep and raw that it rattles both the giant bones and those of the living. A song of no words yet sings of death and doom as the waters around the island begin to recede, making the structure suddenly sink down and slam into the ground. The seafloor, now exposed, reveals piles of bones and barely decomposed bodies of untold numbers of whales of all ages and sizes along with other remains of the victims that were once held on the island over the past few months. As the waters continue to recede and reveal the ghastly graveyard, the waters begin to rise and rise and rise to form a giant ocean wall, a massive shadow slowly passing before disappearing.
And riding at the top of those waves is a fleet of ships, Corsair and Paladin flags whipping in the wind. It is a partnership formed by the renowned Stormbringer and Royal Fortune captains, Fiona "Redbeard" O'Malley and Miranda "Wavebreaker" Thorn, both of whom are ignoring orders from the higher ups to work together, with Miranda leading the fleet through the violent tides, living up to her reputation as the "Wavebreaker". Lines are dropped, row boats surf down the wall to land on the wet sand, and people rush out towards the doomed island.
⚔️ Insignias. Due to the distance, the effects of the insignias on everyone will be lessened a little to allow cross-Armada interaction for longer periods of time. Otherwise, the effects are still active and while there may be some remedies around the mansion, it's still so new there wouldn't be too much.
🏃♂️➡️ Escape. Due to the sudden drop of the island, some doors may have broken open or sealed even tighter. Chaos will have erupted so the guards may also be scattered and confused, making escape attempts much more viable. Just be wary of the crystal golems and mechanical sentries that will be roaming through the lower dungeon.
💎 Crystallization. The crash has activated the magic system that will seek and target anything that appears living and try to fire a blast of cold air that will crystallize the area hit, similar to ice freezing over. Some fire more concentrated "goop" of crystal that will quickly solidify and start growing to encase the target.
🤖 Defense systems. Defense systems outside the island are still active. The "underwater mines" are now settled on the ground and while easy enough to avoid, some may still detonate. There are also sharkfolk mercenaries that will rush out to fight anyone they see. For those who may try to sneak through, there are some hidden entrances now made available, many of the larger crystal structures cracked to reveal ways in and out. However beware of the leeches that might attach to those not careful. They're mostly harmless, but instead of blood they will drain one's energy if not removed quickly.
⛓️ Arrests. While some may be quite happy to just stab their captors and those operating this island, taking a few back for questioning would also be worthwhile, especially since clearly a number of powerful people are here. But there are also some well-known riftfarers in the mix…
🪦 Underwater graveyard. As the tide recedes, it will reveal an underwater graveyard. Anyone rushing in to help with the rescue efforts or escaping might recognize partial or whole remains and bones of not only countless whales, but of animals and people who had been taken as well. The Captains are asking people to find and take back what they can find, whether they are remains or mementos, so that they can have a proper burial.
🏃♂️➡️ Escape. Due to the sudden drop of the island, some doors may have broken open or sealed even tighter. Chaos will have erupted so the guards may also be scattered and confused, making escape attempts much more viable. Just be wary of the crystal golems and mechanical sentries that will be roaming through the lower dungeon.
💎 Crystallization. The crash has activated the magic system that will seek and target anything that appears living and try to fire a blast of cold air that will crystallize the area hit, similar to ice freezing over. Some fire more concentrated "goop" of crystal that will quickly solidify and start growing to encase the target.
🤖 Defense systems. Defense systems outside the island are still active. The "underwater mines" are now settled on the ground and while easy enough to avoid, some may still detonate. There are also sharkfolk mercenaries that will rush out to fight anyone they see. For those who may try to sneak through, there are some hidden entrances now made available, many of the larger crystal structures cracked to reveal ways in and out. However beware of the leeches that might attach to those not careful. They're mostly harmless, but instead of blood they will drain one's energy if not removed quickly.
⛓️ Arrests. While some may be quite happy to just stab their captors and those operating this island, taking a few back for questioning would also be worthwhile, especially since clearly a number of powerful people are here. But there are also some well-known riftfarers in the mix…
🪦 Underwater graveyard. As the tide recedes, it will reveal an underwater graveyard. Anyone rushing in to help with the rescue efforts or escaping might recognize partial or whole remains and bones of not only countless whales, but of animals and people who had been taken as well. The Captains are asking people to find and take back what they can find, whether they are remains or mementos, so that they can have a proper burial.
The raid is thorough and brutal, more and more of the island rumbling as it is gradually destroyed from within and without, ships firing cannons to chip away at the structure. However, they cannot stay forever. Once more the seafloor and the waters start to tremble as a high pitched shrill call pulses through. It's enough to knock anyone off their feet, even stun them for several seconds before there is a whisper of hundreds of voices. Voices so low and eerie, filled with a hatred that claws directly into the minds of all who are there:
"Drown."
That is the final warning before a large red eye glows from behind the waves, so large and bright it could swallow the island itself. Then the once high walls of water start to tip forward, a slow drip before it all starts to cascade downward and rush in to flood and destroy the island completely, crystal and bone shattering into oblivion.
As everything is flooded over, whales and dolphins will rush in to rescue those they can while orcas will move in to hunt down any criminals who managed to escape the first time, biting into their limbs and throwing them high into the air like toys before breaking them with their weight. The fleet of ships that had remained behind will sail in close to pick up those still stuck in the water.
It will be a long voyage home, and those who are injured or have the crystalized effects will receive immediate treatment with Eltrut able to provide more full treatment.
If you have any questions, comment here.
no subject
But it's probably because of how similar this is to the fate of so many unfortunate Bearers that this all strikes a stronger chord in, how he is reminded of others who had sacrificed themselves or lost their lives in futility that makes something snap.
And in the next moment, Cid has rushed past Benedikta and slammed his crystalized fist into the face of one guard and stabbing them through with his sword.]
no subject
[She shouts after him when he rushes past her, a pang of fear desperately tugging at her. But Benedikta doesn't wait. She goes after the one that is holding the woman by her hair, wings and claws already out by the time that she reaches him. She lands a kick to his face and takes him down to the ground, and she plunges the end of the talons into his torso, ripping him apart from the inside while the woman sobs, pressed to the wall as the crystal consumes her quicker than Benedikta can do anything about it. How is it...?
For a moment, she is too distracted to notice anyone else moving, but there's a blur beside her as a guard lunges at Cid with a bludgeon made of the same crystal.]
Shit. Behind!
[And he swings—]
no subject
Because he is distracted, he doesn't notice or hear Benedikta until it's too late. He's hit squarely in the back and sent toppling forward, tripping over the fallen bodies. He can hear the laugh over him, the words shouting that he will join them soon—their fate.
And in the next moment there's the sound of the guard's scream as Cid reaches back and grabs the front of the shirt to slam their head against the wall, right where crystal was slowly spreading. It doesn't take long for it to take and Cid just leaves them there as they struggle to free themselves.
It's around now that Benedikta, or perhaps Garuda, may feel it. That despite not having the tattoo and having his aether repressed, they will feel that particular force, that storm now more present than it ever has before.]
no subject
[She screams his name when he's knocked over his back, and she's about to rush in, to take the guard down just like his comrade, when something else happens. She watches as it all plays out, but what he does to the man is not the most shocking thing of all.
It is that little pinprick in the back of her mind that grows and grows. She recognizes it, but more importantly, Garuda recognizes it as the Eikon stirs again, as if drawn out by the invisible storm that is brewing around them.
She stares at Cid for a moment, her brow furrowed in confusion.]
...Cidolfus? What is...?
[And she doesn't notice the guard that comes swinging at her from behind. He nicks her wing with his sword, slicing the feathers clean from the limbs, and she feels it like a slash against her back. She staggers forward with a cry of pain, turns around, picks up the guard...
... And throws him into the sentry with a CLANG.]
no subject
[It's her cry of pain that snaps him out of whatever daze he had been in, and seeing her feathers fall there's another notable snap in the air, one that could have been more tangible and devastating were his aether not sealed. As the guard is thrown into the sentry, they fall with a groan, but the sentry takes the impact as an attack, making it move. Quickly the guard tries to move, the direction putting it in Benedikta's path.
Seeing this, Cid rushes forward and just before the sentry releases the blast he grabs the guard and lifts him up to take it completely in full instead. The guard screams as the crystal immediately encases their front, some of it splashing onto Cid's shoulder and back, but he remains in position until the attack is finished. By then although the guard twitches, only their back is clear and he throws them down with a rough breath.
Feeling the new splotches of crystal taking hold onto his skin, Cid hisses from the sharp pain that follows, clutching his already encased arm as he staggers. This of course leaves him vulnerable as the sentry readies another attack...]
no subject
Wait—!
[Crystal shards scatter as the sentry's blast comes bearing down on the guard and it encases his body, some hitting Benedikta's cheeks as she tries to shield herself from the blow. But then it wastes no time in rearing up for another...]
Don't you fucking dare!
[A heavy wind blows everything and everyone aside, including Cid, and in a flurry of feathers and dust and crystal pieces, Benedikta flies across the corridor and tackles the sentry before it can get that second blast off. It staggers back, its arm rearing upwards and hitting the ceiling instead, covering everything that it touches in crystal. Several loud clangs echo up and down the tunnels as it stumbles over its own feet, but Benedikta holds on, gripping its head between her claws.
She pulls and pulls and twists and pulls, and she can hear the steel groaning under her grip. It hits the wall, another blast firing off into the ceiling, and in an explosion of oil and magic, she tears the head of the sentry from its shoulders. It winds down immediately, sparks of magic flying every which way from where the head once was, and she shoves the rest of its body down to the ground.
And just for good measure...
There's a loud screeching noise beneath her screams as she tears open its front at the neck, gripping its insides with her giant claws that only feel like they have grown larger since the last time she used them, and rips out the gears. Steel rains around her, and she turns around, almost out of breath, her entire front now covered in black oil.
Her glowing eyes pulse yellow as she stares at Cid, and then at the carnage around them...]
no subject
He just stares up at Benedikta, the pulse of her eyes pulling him more back from whatever mindset he had been from either. Grimacing, he tries to stand.]
Benedikta—I'm all right.
[He tries to call out to her, to make sure she doesn't lose herself completely.]
no subject
There's a loud CRACK beside her as the crystal spreads further, covering those that had been remaining, but she barely hears that, or the cries of help that are suddenly drowned out. All she can hear is the sound of Garuda's voice, Cid's ragged breaths as if they are right there in her ear, and the roar of the winds as they pass through the tunnels. Her eyes flick to the crystal on his arm, spreading up to his shoulder.]
... No, you're not.
[She crosses over to him, each step like a roll of thunder, and just as she is about to grab hold of him, a strained voice cries out from the ground.
"Help..."
In all of the chaos with the sentry, those that had tried to escape had been caught in the crossfires, the parts of their bodies that were not crystal now slowly being encased. Benedikta looks around, her fury rising, until her eyes land on the man who had been staggering about on the ground, with only half of his face remaining.]
no subject
Easy now...
[Too familiar. It's all too familiar, seeing a curse taking over one's body, helpless to stop it. If they had one of the cures, perhaps they could have helped, but...
He can see there's more to it than just the crystal. Perhaps they can't feel it, but one of their legs is bent terribly and crushed by some of the debris. And arm might even be completely shattered. Even if they were to take the man and manage to bring them to a healer...there was no hope. No hope at all.
Perhaps seeing that despair in Cid's face, they smile faintly.
"Please...kill me."]
What—
[His eyes shake for a moment as words echo through his mind. Of another time, another place, another person, another fate.
"While I...can still breathe...as a human... Please...
Inch by torturous inch the crystal creeps down. Without looking at Benedikta, Cid grits his teeth and takes his sword before slicing their neck. It's a clean slice and quick. And before the metal reached the skin, he swears he heard a whisper of thanks before it all grow silent, distant booms and tremors of cannon fire filling the void.]
no subject
"I want to die as a human..."
Old memories flicker through her mind. The feel of hard stone beneath her fingers, white in the moonlight that filters through his window. The burn of tears in her eyes. The anger that she felt at the world for trying to hurt something she cared for. Sobbing with rage into his lap as he held her.
The winds rip through the tunnels, whistling and bellowing around the corners, and Benedikta had been prepared to do it herself, her claws spreading open like she means to slit his throat with her own hands, but Cid shifting beside her pulls her focus away for just a moment. Just long enough that he can do the deed himself, dragging his sword across their neck and ending it in a single clean motion.
She stands steady as a rock wall even as the world shakes around them, the cannon fire so loud that it's almost right next to them. But her blood roars in her ears, her heartbeat like thunder growing louder and closer, Garuda laughing as if to mock those that were lost to the crystal.
Without a word, Benedikta turns on her heel and continues on, storming in the same direction that they had been heading in, kicking aside the sentry pieces that are shattered all over the floor. The crystals crunch under her boots as she moves swiftly, trusting that Cid will follow, and those bloodied claws begin to flex.]
no subject
When he finally looks up, it's when he hears Benedikta turning, and for a moment his expression hardens and eyes narrow at her. He knows she heard him, heard those words that would undoubtedly resonate through her. Seeing her barely holding it in, whatever his own thoughts and feelings on the matter are stifled as he stands. He winces, feeling that sharp prick against the top of his back and his shoulder, but he steps forward.
Those claws...
How long has she stayed in this psuedo-primed form?
With his long strides the gap between them closes, and he reaches to try and take one of those claws, to try and bring her back.]
no subject
No, you are not okay.
No, you are not okay.
It echoes with every step, every crunch of crystal, and it reminds her of what she saw in that room. Those diagrams, the needles, the tools, and then the state of his arm, as understanding had washed over her. And then when he reaches out to touch her, his fingers just barely grazing against her claws, what should have been a comforting gesture from him is anything but. His touch is colder than usual, and for a split second, it feels smooth like crystal. And then rough like stone.
How many times now has she almost lost him? How many more times must they go through this song and dance with the universe before they can finally know peace? How many times have their lives been put at risk, and for what? Was it all worth it in the end? Was losing him tonight to the crystals and the wrath of the ocean worth everything else? How long? How long until they can just live their lives the way they want to live them? How long before they can rest?
The cannon fire is now so close that Benedikta feels the blast at her side, as the walls start to crumble and crack when more come. There are shouts from somewhere, and they approach, screams and cries for help. It doesn't matter who they are or what they are doing here.
With screams that rival that of the fires, she catches the bodies in her claws as they round the corners, tossing them aside. The guards that she spots trying to make for the exits do not get far at all. Instead, she pins them to the walls, capturing them beneath the talons, watching as the light leaves their eyes before she lets them fall and moves on to the next.
And the next.
Die.
And the next.
Die.
There is another sentry that comes for them, and she destroys that with ease, too, so much of her body moving on rage that she makes it look almost effortless the way that she tears it apart from the inside out with her wind and her claws combined, the pressure upon the steel too much before it shatters completely, the metal pieces that break from it used against the guards that had come rushing down the tunnels with it as they are impaled.
She leaves a mess of bodies in her wake without prejudice, each scream growing louder and louder as she plunges her sword through throats and rips torsos apart until finally. She doesn't even know what she is yelling anymore... Or if she is coherent at all, but her voice breaks, her throat burns, and yet she still cries out for him.
...For them...
Because have they not already been put through enough!?
When will the universe finally be satisfied?
When will they be left alone!?
All things that she screams as they make their way blindly through the tunnels...
...
Until finally, she has to stop.
She doesn't know when she had started huffing for air, completely drained and out of breath, nor does she know how long she has been crying, tears staining her bloodied cheeks. The claws disappear, her wings droop, and she grips her shoulders as more of her feathers start to fall, some of them having been sliced away again by more guards.
And all she can do, as she tries to breathe, is turn to look back at Cid.]
no subject
Benna—!?
[And then whatever bit of control is lost. First it's the cannon fire that forces him to let go in surprise when the rocks loosen and crumble near the, and then—]
Benedikta, no—!
[A futile shout when she rushes off into her rampage. He tries to follow, but the discarded and dismembered bodies block him, leaving him to stand and watch helplessly as Benedikta releases her rage. And yet...
...
And yet as much as he worries that she will lose herself completely, there is something else.
Envy.
It's a...small feeling.
But it's a thorn that digs into a part that rarely sees light. A part that remains locked deep, deep down. A part of him that wishes he could do the same. To drive his sword into all the ones who tortured and killed so many innocents here, to let them be touched by the crystal and left to rot in their self made prison. To make them feel the pain and suffering, the slow deaths that many were forced into. And not even just the people here, but the lives so needlessly lost to the curse, as stone slowly ate away a their lives, their bodies, their wills.
And for what?
For what reason but cruel vanity?
Put on display for their own sick and twisted greed.
So yes, there is envy.
There is a boiling frustration that makes him wish for once that he could draw on his Eikon and level this land. To mete out judgment and let them all burn with the light of a thousand sounds, reduce it all to rubble and ash in ways only lightning can. A desire that stirs the normally dormant Eikon where the rumbling is felt through his bones, in his mind. A desire so rare it could be count on one hand he actually felt such an intense sway towards the power he had grown to resent.
So there is, for a few moments, a darkening in Cid's eyes, in his gaze, the usual clarity and clear thinking that keeps him level headed and aware of any situation gone. A sense of indifference and uncaring, a hollowness that is rarely if ever seen. Even as Benedikta destroys the last of them, as her powers recede and her gasping cries fill the air, he remains where he stands just... Watching. As if a completely different person, humanity slipping away.
But when she turns and he sees those tears, the water smearing through the blood, again he is reminded of that fateful day and something else surges through him. It makes something crack, and his legs move before he realizes it to cover the bloody, mangled distance between them until his arm is around her and pulling her to him.
He doesn't say anything, because what can he say? Envious as he had been, he had also felt guilt. An immense guilt towards her for putting her through this, making her see him like this and reminding her of his own cursed fate before his death. The guilt of being a catalyst that pushed her into this state once more.
And...
A guilt for that envy as well as a sort of gratitude that she was able to destroy what he could not. A guilt for this dark, selfish feelings that should not exist and that he will, as always, repress instead. Surely should she know she may not judge him, but she would worry more and he has already done enough.]
no subject
But then he is striding towards her, and she doesn't know why she flinches away from him, but she does. So when she is suddenly pulled into his arms she stiffens, surprised at first. Her mind reels, her heart hurts, and there are a million different emotions rushing through her all at once, but after a quiet sob, she starts to sag against him, every part of her body sore and tired. Her wings drape across the ground and her arms fall to her sides, and she nearly loses the strength in her legs, her knees buckling under her as she breathes hard into his shoulder.
Her fingers clutch at his shirt, holding on because she feels that any less and she might slip away, not just to the ground, but somewhere else. Someplace where all she knows is anger because that is the easiest thing for her to feel. It was all she could do at one point, and it would be so easy to just plunge right back into that darkness again. She could level this entire island that way, but how much satisfaction would that bring her?
Little to none. Not until it all ends.
Angry still, she slams a first against his shoulder—against the crystal, and her knuckles ache. And into his other shoulder, she screams.]
When will it end!?
no subject
It will one day.
[Just a quiet, almost resigned murmur that feels just as empty and hollow as it sounds. Because how many times has he had to tell her? How many times have they had to go through this...
Yes, even he can feel tired of it, especially when he never wanted to see her like this again. Never wanted her to go through such pains and desperation...to suffer.]
no subject
["One day" is not good enough. She wants it now. Today. Tomorrow. Not next week, not next month... She is tired, pushed to the edge yet again, and how much longer can she hold before she does fall? Again?
Her knees finally do break under her when the tremor is right next to them, and she can hear the broken rubble smashing against the other side of the wall. She grabs hold of him tighter to keep herself upright, but even with that, she has some trouble.]
no subject
...]
We need to keep moving.
[He'd rather not. He'd rather hold her and comfort her and tell her things will be all right once this is over, but they both know that won't be true. The aftermath of this will be staggering, and unless handled carefully it could be the powder keg that could set off something they can't even begin to imagine.
But reality is cruel and necessitates something different.]
no subject
Don't. I can walk...
[If he was thinking of trying to help her in any way. She feels like a wounded, feral animal right now who isn't sure whether she needs comfort or space, but regardless of that, what they need most is to get the fuck out.
She looks back and forth, and realizes that she's all turned around now. And in spite of the distance and the pride, she grabs his hand and holds it tight.]
Where?
no subject
...This way, should take us to where the whales should have gathered.
[And without saying much else or even a glance at her, he lead her forward, the pull on her hand not as tight or firm as it usually is.]
no subject
And what are we to do there? Is there an exit?
[Her voice is small but firm, tired but determined in between ragged breaths, but she can see a flickering light up ahead.
At some point, her hand slides out of his...]
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Regardless, they will soon enter a large cavern where voices echo along with splashing water. An otter in normal, tattered clothing suddenly jumps out, sword drawn that Cid has to quickly parry, but he shouts out—]
Wait, we're only here to help!
[Although initially wary, the otter looks them over before there's faint recognition.
"Ah you're that bloke who asked about the water channels before. Ey, I remember you all right. But what the bloody fuck did you get into, roll through a mob of corpses??"
Well. He and Benedikta were literally a bloody mess...]
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Those are the thoughts that she wrestles with as they whirl around the corner. She sees the glint of steel before everything else, and her instinct creates a wind around their feet, a wall of magic to guard both her and Cid from the oncoming blow before he is able to parry it.
And even with the familiarity between the two of them, Benedikta remains on her guard, looking like a bloody, frightened cat ready to attack, waiting with her hackles raised for the perfect moment to strike. She eyes the otter warily and he looks at her, and Benedikta glances at Cid...]
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Just a bit a clean up is all. But how are the animals? We released three young whales and wanted if check if they made it.
[The otter still eyes Benedikta warily before the topic shifts and their expression lightens.
"So you're the ones! We wondered how they got here. Ye, we got them and treated them best we could. We didn't have much of the cures for the crystal left, but we treated the worst so they will be able to swim easier. If you want to see them yourself, they're further in. Can even, uh, take a dip to wash off if you want."
At that moment there's another big tremor and there is a shout from someone else waiting by the large pool.
"But better be quick."]
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...
And she opens her mouth to speak when she's interrupted by that rumbling, the entirety of the dungeons quaking that she has to lean against the wall to stop herself from falling.]
We need to go, Cidolfus.
[That sense of dread in her stomach only grows, like Garuda is the one pushing her along with more urgency. Enough that she crosses into the room and through it, searching for them, her wings brushing past the otter that he waves a hand at her. "'Ey! Watch it!"]
We check on the whales and get out.
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...I knew they collected everything, but this...
[He had caught glimpses throughout his run around, but seeing them all in one place just reminds him of how ruthless and indiscriminate these people—no, monsters were.
But at least there is some solace that while they all still seem anxious, it's a different kind. One anticipating freedom and hope. He even sees the small whales surfacing, blowing their spouts as they seem to notice his and Benedikta's approach. Seeing them, he can finally break into something of a more relaxed smile, reaching out to stroke the top of one that had swam up to the edge.]
Not long now.
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