Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:05 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Simone was caught off guard and she smiled at him. He loved her too? That was a surprise. Their resonance that Angela had felt before they had left was in full effect. She hadn’t told them just in case that Lewis had wanted it broken. The goddess had a feeling that they would need it and they would need each other.

Lewis had always been a weird one. “I’m here. Her voice filled his mind as her soul hugged his and enveloped herself to him. ”With you as one. I don’t know how but I will not complain.”

The fey lord was getting pissed at Rhenakos who was far too durable for his own good. “WHY AREN’T YOU DYING,” the fey lord was shanking Rhen but was completely caught off guard by the newly healed Lewis.

“What,” was all the fey lord could get out before Lewis killed him.

The magic that was binding Simone blew up. The shock wave of the ancient spell coming off causing the buildings to collapse and even the castle started to crumble behind them. Simone had managed to get up and run to Lewis. She put her arms around his waist and looked up at the castle falling.

“It’s finally done… I’m free.” She whispered to Lewis and smiled up at him. “Thank you… but I have one more request for you if you would be up for it. It’s completely up to you.” She kissed his cheek and snuggled her head into his shoulder.

“Perhaps… Though…” Her eyes went to Rhenakos. “We should probably get him down off the tree first.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:53 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

There was that word again.

Love.

I don’t understand. He was feeling something fluttering in his chest, a feeling that was familiar. The guide, the aspect of Simone that had survived to meet him. The younger Simone who had trusted her life to him. The older Simone who had just expressed her love.

I really…don’t understand. Tears were welling up in his eyes. He knew she wasn’t dead, and that she could come back. So why was he feeling these things? I just don’t get it. He stood up, feeling the burning emotions spread through his body. He could feel the magic in Simone, flowing through into him. He could feel her ragged breathing, and her emotions of love and caring for him.

“How dare you make me care for you…” he uttered, turning to see Rhenakos get stabbed by Alvaro.

“Simone…I love you too,” he said, feeling her overwhelming emotions flow through his heart. “I didn’t understand it. Hell, I still don’t understand it, but I…” He pulled the bone dagger out of its sheath, holding it steady. “I feel you now…this bond…whatever it is. You’re here with me…aren’t you?” He slashed his hand with the dagger, and as his blood coated it, one slide flared with a dark red flame,. The other iced over with a pale blue frost.

“Avlaro Mistweaver…may your name forever be cast out…” He moved quickly and quietly, the fae lord distracted by Rhenakos’ snide remarks.

And then his dagger was at the fae’s throat, catching Alvaro by surprise.

“In the name of the Goddess of Life and Love and Simone Aucliar… Alvaro Mistweaver, your life is forfeit.” The dagger slid across his throat, slicing deep. He could feel Simone moving with him, the two of them ending his life together. They were one, and they finished it as one.

“It’s…it’s over…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:39 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

“And it looks like I touched a nerve of yours,” the fey lord threw back in his face.

The fey lord was pretty much playing with Lewis like he was his food at this point. “There are more of you?” The fey lord was caught off guard by Rhenakos. “I’ll deal with the broken one later.”

Simone was trying her best to catch her breath but she couldn’t figure out where she was and she was scared. She felt Lewis approaching before she noticed him though. Her gray eyes looked towards him as the scenery became clear.

Fix me? It hurt but there was a sharp chuckle from her. “I think…” She hissed a bit as she pulled herself towards him. She had a bit more movement and she winced as she fell at his side just enough. “That we might have both fucked up.” There was heavy breathing.

“I’m so sorry Lewis. I wish you had never gotten involved with me. I didn’t ever want to see you hurt like this,” this was the older Simone talking. A part of her had been lying that much was true. “If you can heal yourself over me I would want that a lot right now. I wouldn’t forgive myself if you died here.” He was honestly trying to set her free. She scooted her face closer to his and nuzzled against his cheek and her nose to his.

“It was fun though I will admit. Loving you that is.” Her head fell down as she ran out of energy.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:28 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

As his rage grew, Lewis’ smile did so as well. “Oh? I touched a nerve?” he started to giggle like a mad man, but was cut off when he kicked Simone into a pillar, shattering it. That sent a spike of rage through Lewis’ emotions, and he lunged forward. Alvaro sent a powerful gust of magic at Lewis, however, which launched the assassin back into the castle wall. He hit hard enough for the wind to be knocked out of him, and he hit the ground hard, gasping for air.

Fuck. He scrambled up, coughing. “Looks….looks like you…might need to work on…hitting harder, you fucking worthless trash!” Lewis darted forward again, completely against his usual style. The result was the same, and he was sent flying back again, this time hitting the wall even harder.

Pretty sure something is fractured, he thought to himself as he struggled to get up the second time.

From behind Alvaro, though, came a second presence. Out of the forest, Rhenakos came dashing out. In his hand was a flaming blade, and a wicked smile across his face. “Sur-fucking-prise!” he yelled, coming down hard with a flaming slash. He didn’t let up, immediately letting loose a flurry of swipes and slashes.

Lewis gave up on trying to get up, and instead crawled over to Simone. It took him forever to do so, but as he approached, he could hear her raged breathing. She had survived the hit against the wall. He tried to pull out the memory necklace, but it tumbled out his hand and fell against his chest.

“Damn…damnit,” he said as he tied to get out the bone dagger. “I’ll fix you…just….just give me a second.” Like with the necklace, his hands seemed to not be working. His vision was swirling, and he was sure he had a concussion of some kind. Nothing seemed to want to work right.

“Simone…I…might have fucked up…”

Rhenakos was not accustomed to fighting the fae. Whatever tactics worked against demons did not tend to work against the fae, and as such the hunter found himself impaled against a tree, a sharp branch protruding just above his right hip. “Fucking hell…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:16 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

The dagger barely missed the fey lord thanks to his quick reflexes. He was boring holes into Lewis with his death stares. “Yours?” There was a laugh. “I’ve chased this girl through centuries and you’ve known her what? For what amounts to seconds in the sands of time? Do you think I’m stupid?”

The fey lord stopped seeming to be a bit shaken on the fact that actual gods had taken notice of what he had been up to. Angela had a reputation and he knew her. “So she wouldn’t help me but she would help this whore?” He screamed down at Simone.


The final straw of it all was when Lewis had said his name. “What? What did you just call me?” His eyes flashed up at Lewis then back down at Simone. “You are full of quite a bit of surprises my dear. Just when did you find out my name,” he growled and kicked her hard into a pillar nearby. Thankfully she had woken up just yet but the sickening sounds of her snapping bones filled the air.

“Now, I have to clean up an entire mess AGAIN because of you,” he was screaming at Simone. “I’ll kill you a thousand times over, sell you to the brothels, and then it’s right back into the lake with you!” His face was turning red from the screaming. “And you!” He looked at Lewis.

“You are a nobody and you will not be claiming what is rightfully owned by me.” He sent out a strong gust of wind magic towards Lewis. “I’ll just kill you and take the girl. Destroy the fucking castle if I have to. I’ll leave no trace she even exists.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:09 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Lewis produced a second dagger other than the bone one, and threw it as well as he reached down to try and claim Simone. Whether it hit or not was beside the point. Lewis wanted to make it known that she wasn’t to be touched by him again.

“Oh, that’s quite the sob story you’ve got going on there,” Lewis chimed. “I think I should make this clear. I have no intention of letting you touch her. She’s not yours…” There was smirk on his face now. “She’s mine.” That was sure to get a reaction. After all, the fae lord seemed so very keen on ownership.

“I have a few holes to punch through your little…tale,” the assassin said, continuing on. “As I happen to know a few of the Gods…I can go ahead and say with quite confidence that if Lady Angela were here…she’d probably rip your still beating heart out and shove it so far up…” He was going to say Rhenakos, but then he realized that perhaps, just maybe his rage was a bit…out of touch.

“Well, never mind that…what I’m trying to say is…I’m pretty sure the Gods care….they’re just busy. So they sent me instead.” Lewis took another few steps forward. “Oh…and as for the girl…I have a contract to end her life. And I have quite the reputation on finishing what I set out to do….I’d hate to sour it. So, Mistweaver, I think you’re underestimating the position you’re in…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:00 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Simone was dead within seconds and the fey lord twisted his smile into one of disappointment. “So you know then?” He would have had to if he just so carelessly threw the knife into Simone like that.

“You are irrelevant to all of this boy. What do I have to pay you to leave? Do you want a final farewell fuck from the girl? You can have it. She won’t remember it. She can’t get pregnant. She is useless to you. She is nothing more than a toy and a broken one at that.” The fey lord unstuck his sword and ripped out the dagger from Simone’s neck so the magic took hold.

He held a sigh, “I am Caellach Sealbhach and you are interrupting a very sacred ritual. She is mine and you will turn and you will leave. Whatever you think you have with this girl is nothing but a damn illusion. Her soul is so filthy that even the gods wouldn’t help her. They don’t care about her screams or her cries. Even when I killed her children and raped her they wouldn’t come to help her.”

But that wasn’t true and Lewis knew that. They just didn’t know. “Now, I suggest you leave.” He moved to pull Simone up over his shoulder. “I have a girl to break and she’s been quite stubborn.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:54 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Lewis glared at the fae lord as he stabbed Simone. There was something boiling inside of him, an emotion that he knew very well and had quite a few times channeled. Anger. He could hear Simone screaming in pain, and that was only feeding it. His eyes widened.

Don’t give in. Stay focused. Stay composed. He could hear his master in the back of mind, a lesson in how to utilize rage. But…I don’t want to control it… The edge of his lips twitched. Without hesitation, he threw one of his precious daggers into Simone’s neck, ending her life before the fae lord could do anything else.

“Now, now…” Lewis said, his voice deranged as he started to walk towards his mark. “That’s quite the rude thing to do to a guest…I’ve only just arrived, and yet you seem to want to ignore me….” He pulled the bone dagger out of its sheath, and held it in a reverse grip.

“Would you do me the honor, dear Lord, and introduce yourself…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:46 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Snap out of it. SNAP OUT OF IT! She was screaming at herself but it was like a leash and she was being drawn in. She had to be stronger than this… So why wasn’t she?

She was making her way through the bog again. Splashing through the water and the mud. Her breath was so sharp as she panted. His arms, they caught her and held her tightly.

“My, my. What have you been doing out and about?” The fey lord was quite a bit taller than Lewis. He had brown hair and piercing silver eyes. His fingers were stroking Simone’s cheeks as if he cared about her well being. “I left you in a safe place remember?” He cupped her face.

Simone’s stormy gray eyes looked up at him as he forced her head up. She didn’t reply to him. “Have we changed our mind?”

The haze broke and Simone looked angry, “Fuck you and fuck changing my mind.” She was screaming at him but he lost that compassionate look.

“And here I thought we had made some progress. Maybe three hundred years wasn’t enough… Though I am wondering just how long you’ve been out.” He smacked her and took out a sword. “Let’s play a game… You tell me what you’ve been doing… and I won’t rip you to shreds.”

“Do as you will,” Simone spit again before he skewered her through the stomach. Simone let out a painful cry.

“I’m not going to kill you, my dear… That might make this too easy.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:39 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

As Simone jumped, Lewis reacted with lightning speed and launched himself off the side to follow her. As he hit the ground, she was already several yards ahead of him, as if possessed by some magic that granted her a far greater speed than she would normally have.

Rhenakos dropped behind Lewis, cursing that the fae lord had come faster than he had expected. But that didn’t matter. Lewis darted after Simone, who was traveling back towards the ruins of Auclair. If this was happening because of that damned fae, then he had a general idea of where she was headed.

Only this time the magical presence was almost unbearable. Rhenakos cried out, grabbing at his eye as he entered the outskirts of the city, as if bouncing off a wall. He cursed, falling to his knees. From underneath the eye patch, Lewis could see blood freely flowing.

“Lewis…go on ahead, I’ll…” He gasped again, yelling as the magical pressure grew stronger.

“Useless,” Lewis yelled as he went on ahead, ditching Rhenakos. He remembered the way, and now that they weren’t traveling as a group, found himself once more at the gateway to the ruins of Auclair Castle. “Found you…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:30 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Simone was groggily snuggled into Lewis. Her stomach was practically yelling but she had been too upset to even eat, not so sure why she was upset, to begin with. She rubbed her eyes when he woke her up and she stared at him. “Probably,” she stretched and pulled herself up. “I can try to eat something small.”

Rhenakos’s knock scared her a bit but she calmed down when she realized it was him. Her heartbeat slowed back down and she found herself getting dressed. She was stable enough to walk again on her own and managed to get a fruit or two for her stomach to leave her be.

She waited for Lewis and followed him up on deck. Munching on the fruit they waited for what Rhenakos had to say or Simone would have had she not dropped the fruit right then and there.

It was a song that was playing. It wasn’t loud but she took a few steps forward in a daze. Taking hold of the side of the airship she began to pull herself up onto the ledge holding onto the ropes. She was looking outward and her foot moved to go forward before letting go of the rope.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:23 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

With Lewis taking care of Simone, Rhenakos focused his efforts on using the name to track down the fae lord. The process wasn’t overly complicated, but it did require focus and time, both of which Rhenakos usually struggled with. The rest of the day passed with nothing eventful happening.

It was late at night when Lewis woke up. For a moment, he was disoriented and confused. He felt a weight against him, a sleeping girl who looked ever so innocent to the world. Simone. He let out a soft yawn, and held her for a moment. Why am I doing this? he wondered. She was warm. It felt nice.

“Simone,” he said softly. “Wake up. You need to eat something.” Lewis wasn’t sure why he cared. It wasn’t his fault she hadn’t eaten. So why?

There was a knock at the cabin door. “Get dressed and meet me on the deck. I’ve got news. It’s….not great.”

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:04 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

“That’s good… I trust you.” She offered Lewis a smile but still, she was so much more tired probably from the crystal and the process.

Simone tried to stand on her own but she wasn’t strong compared to normal. There were slight consequences for having her memories back it seemed. “I am too tired,” she looked at Lewis with sad eyes but he lifted her up easily enough.

“I smell like bog,” she realized that she had been wading in the swampy water. “I’m an idiot.” There was a laugh but she couldn’t remember why she had walked through the bog, to begin with. “Are we making our own rules yet?” She looked up at Lewis. She didn’t know why he had told her that but it made her feel better.

Once back on the ship she took a bath and got changed into another set of clothes that had been given to her. Lewis stayed with her just to make sure she would be alright by herself. Her energy wasn’t rebounding the way it should have but she was more awake after the bath. “Maybe I just need sleep,” for some reason she just wanted him to be reassured.

She let out a yawn and leaned into Lewis. “Maybe what we’re looking for isn’t that far~” The fey lord as it was had just noticed something of his was missing at the bottom of the lake after all.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:55 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

It worked. Lewis knelt down, feeling her head. She felt normal enough, and seemed normal enough. “Yes, you blacked out again. The magic up there was too much for you to handle, so don’t go back.” He helped her stand up, but she seemed wobbly still and ended up leaning into Lewis for support.

“We managed to get a lead on him. I won’t bother you with the details,” he said, giving Rhenakos a stern look. “It shouldn’t take much longer to track him down. Isn’t that right, Rhenakos?”

Rhenakos had the overall gist of what Lewis was trying to communicate. Something about the details not needing to be said and the fact that he went as far as to kill her. But that magic, whatever it was that brought her back…it had a familiar scent to it. It reminded him of Os.

“Yeah, that’s right,” the hunter replied. “But there isn’t much else we can do right this moment. Let’s head back to the airship and figure out the next move based on our lead.”

Lewis nodded in agreement. “Can you stand?” he asked Simone. “If not, we can carry you.” This earned a sly smirk from Rhenakos, meaning that the demon hunter would most definitely leave the task entirely to Lewis. The assassins wasn't sure he liked that idea, but didn’t protest.

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:47 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Simone’s face went white as she looked not that far from where the name was. A skeleton but that necklace. Her eyes got wide and her mouth went dry. “Dad-” Lewis shoved the dagger through her back and the curse reset itself.

She didn’t wake up immediately almost waiting for Lewis to say it was alright. The crystal glowed a bright purple for a moment as the circle of magic formed. Everything that Lewis had witnessed up until that point that he wanted her to know she would know.

There was a stirring from Simone as she felt like her head was splitting open. “Lewis?” Her eyes were glazed over for a few moments before the crystal stopped its glow and fell still. “What happened? Did I blackout again?” She felt drunk almost as a hand came up to her head.

“Where are we? Did we find what we needed?” Her limbs felt so heavy as she laid there. “I’m so tired Lewis.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:40 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

It was all starting to come together as they ascended to the top of the tower. There was something powerful up here, and Lewis was hoping it was what they needed. Rhenakos was obviously in pain from the magical density, and even Lewis could feel some kind of pressure from it, despite his inexperience with magic.

As Simone moved crates out of the way, and discovered the name, Lewis let out an audible laugh. There it was. Right in front of them. The true name. With a true name, they could do a lot.

Rhenakos clapped his hands together. “So this is it, then?” He smirked. “From here…it should be smooth sailing.” He looked over to Lewis, and his eye widened.

Lewis had the bone dagger in his hand, and moved quickly to Simone with every intent to kill her now. Better to reset her memories than to risk the name triggering something. He brought the dagger down, stabbing her heart through the back. For a moment, the bone dagger felt hot, and then nothing.

Rhenakos drew his blade, glaring at Lewis, “What the fuck are you doi-”

The magical powers that Simone held immediately exploded as they had before, bringing her back to her youngest self. He picked up her body, cradling her. Her head was resting on his shoulder, and for a moment he thought she looked almost peaceful.

“We need to go before she wakes up,” Lewis stated. “I’ll explain later.”

Rhenakos sheathed his blade, but was still giving Lewis a look. “I don’t like this.”

Lewis looked down at Simone. Neither do I.

It didn’t take them long to retrace their steps, and soon they were back outside, close to the spot where Lewis had witnessed the fae lord violating her. “We should be fine here,” he said as he set her down, taking out the necklace that Lady Angela had given him.

Right up until she saw the name… He tapped it. I just hope this works.

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:20 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Simone shook her head at Rhenakos. “No, it’s just spinning at this point. This whole place is making it trip but… I have an idea where I might have hid something I didn’t want someone to find.” She moved over to a tall dresser. “Lewis?” She looked over at him. “Can you help me?”

It was heavy and full of clothing she was sure. The screech from the dressed sliding against the stone was ear-shattering but once they got it clear Simone pushed some of her hair behind her ear. “It should be right here.”

She knocked on the stone walls and finally, she found the one she wanted. The click was audible as the gear work turned and the hidden passage was revealed. “See?” The hidden passage was narrow and full of cobwebs. She flipped a chair and broke the leg with some work, it took her a lot of work to get it to snap even if it was old. She let out another light pant before she took the chair leg and started to clear the passage. “These were our emergency escape tunnels should something happen. It leads to the tower.”

She put her hand to her head for a moment. “I… jumped from there. I think but that would be silly.” But it wasn’t and it made a lot of sense to Lewis. “If I were to hide something~” She led them up spiraling staircases that had largely been left alone and intact. The magic got heaviest there and it was overtaking even Simone’s scent. Someone had used this exit with her.

The tower had holes throughout the wooden floorboards and Simone was careful as she got around the rotted wood. “Over here,” she shoved a few crates out of the way and pointed at something etched into the wall. Alvaro Mistweaver.

“It’s a name.”

Author: Raize, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:11 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Lewis and Rhenakos followed behind her as she lead the way, the lantern lighting their path. Simone seemed determined to find it out, and she was ever so close to realizing that there was, indeed, a problem with her. The look of pain on her face as she touched the painting was evidence enough.

It took a lot for Lewis not to kill her right then and there. If she learned the truth again, it might cause a problem, but at this moment they needed her to discover it, no matter the potential cost. Still, he kept his hand near the bone dagger, his heart racing to match hers.

Rhenakos noticed his change, but said nothing as they ascended to the next floor. The two had no issues navigating the steps, unlike Simone, and easily cleared the gaps as they followed her to the next area.

Her room.

Rhenakos sniffed. It was a messed up, mixture of twisted magic and Simone. He wrinkled his nose at it, grimacing. “It’s definitely your room. It reeks of magic as well.” He looked to her. “It’s that very magic that kept this place from burning.” The hunter placed his hand over the eye patch and his left eye. The pain was more than he was used to. This room was something extraordinary.

“Question is…what are we even looking for,” he asked. “Lewis, any ideas?”

Lewis crossed his arms, shaking his head. He hadn’t entered the room. Whatever was in that room was making him feel uneasy. It was hard to tell if it was his own feelings or if it was Simone’s. “How the hell should I know?” he said, annoyed.

“Simone,” Rhenakos said, rolling his eyes at Lewis and turning his attention back to her. “Is the Arc reacting?”

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 12:59 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

“If we waited for me to be ready… We would never go anywhere I fear,” Simone muttered it and pressed forward with a courage that she hadn’t shown in her younger form before. She had to see this to the end whatever it was. She had bits and pieces of it but not the whole thing yet.

Simone was looking all over the castle once they were on the move. Things were well preserved even with the flow of time and the fire that obviously had rampaged through. Something was keeping this place alive. She stopped at a burnt painting. The color was fading but she could see it all past the mold. Something had kept it intact.

Vaguely the shapes and colors could be made out to be a man and a younger Simone standing next to him. She reached her hand up and just her touch was enough to make the paint chip off. “It’s been a long time since I…” She paused and looked at Lewis and Rhenakos. “Something is wrong with me isn’t there?” She wasn’t looking for an answer but she did look up.

“If I were me… where would I hide something.” It wasn’t something she should have known about but the more she thought about something. The more she realized they were here for something she could give them.

She got to the stairs going up and she looked at Lewis and then looked at Rhenakos. “This way,” The stairs were partially destroyed but Simone grabbed hold of a window ledge and edged herself up using parts of the stone that were left on the side. She only misplaced her foot once and slipped just a hair. There wasn’t a scared noise that left her lips though only a sigh as she re-positioned her foot.

She got to stable ground and waited for the two men with her before going into the hallway. The destruction was even worse but one door remained mostly untouched. She turned the knob and the wood creaked and she let go of it as the door fell off the hinges.

It was a large room with mirrors, dresses, you name it and it was there. The large four-post bed had torn canopies. She moved in and looked around. “It’s… not burned.” She looked over and came over to a desk where she touched the paper and it fell apart in her grasp. She frowned a bit. “ But… it should be. This is my room.”

Author: Raize, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 12:45 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

It was interesting watching the two interact. It was slowly becoming apparent just why Lewis and Simone held this connection, and it wasn’t as simple as it had first seemed. From what Rhenakos could observe, there was something different about Simone. Much like how the young man had formed a strange bond with that odd fox girl, he had also formed a bond with this girl that went against his very nature. If it had not been for his own bond with Osiria, Rhenakos would not have understood how it was possible, but these connections almost always formed against their will.

The way Simone spoke of a particular spot in the ruins just before the house made it sound as though something terrible happened, and from the way that Lewis reacted, or more importantly, avoided reacting, Rhenakos had a general idea of what could have happened. Still, the hunter remained unnerved. So far, everything between them seemed stable.

They approached the main part of the castle, and to no one’s surprise the path was blocked. Before Rhenakos or Lewis could start to do anything about it, Simone did her damnedest to do it herself, and surprisingly she managed to clear the larger rocks.

At her request for light, Rhenakos pulled a lantern from his belt clip. Normally, it was for magical induced darkness, but today it would have a much more mundane role. He walked forward, side by side with Simone, instructing Lewis to cover the rear in case anything happened.

He was curious how either of them would react to being separated. Lewis was easy enough to guess. Despite his fluctuating emotional state, he seemed content as it still involved protecting Simone.

“Lead the way…just stay close,” Rhenakos said to Simone. “Ready when you are. We’ll go as slow as you need.”

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 12:17 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

That tiny spark was enough to get Simone’s attention. She looked up at Lewis and gave him a smile. “Yeah, fuck the rules,” she didn’t ever use such crude language but if the rules were out the window than she didn’t have to care. Her voice was so meek as she took his hand and held it even after she got up.

“Why are people so worthless sometimes Lewis? They make promises but when the time comes they break it and go back on their word because they are scared,” she watched Lewis for a moment before looking back up at the castle. “Sweet words to get a nice title and a good wife but you won’t move to actually protect that? I don’t get it.” Her fingers laced with his. “You protected me,” she didn’t know why she said it but it sounded more like a piece of her floating through as the guide’s emotions floated freely into Lewis.

She pulled him along as she found the courtyard to the castle. Suddenly the woman was scared and she clung to Lewis’s arm. “Something… Bad happened here.” It was the spot where she had been violated and she was tiptoeing around it even letting go of Lewis to do so. “Something is here though.”

The castle was surprisingly in much better condition compared to the rest of the city. As if it were just as stubborn as she was. There was debris blocking the entrance but Simone didn’t let that stop her as she tried to move it all by herself. She didn’t look that strong but it moved for her as she flopped the stone over. She was panting before entering the ruins of her home.

“It’s so dark…” It was only going to get worst. “Do we have something to light it up?”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 12:04 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Rhenakos took a step back, looking between Lewis and Simone each. Something was definitely connecting them together, a magical line that could almost be tangible at its peak. This bond between them was powerful, and perhaps dangerous. And Angela was dumb enough not to notice? He furrowed his brow. No. That can’t be right. There’s no way she didn’t notice. What’s her game here…

Lewis collapsed, similarly to Simone, feeling the same mixture of emotions as she did. They all hurt so much. Anger. Sorrow. Frustration. Regret. They were all so intense, and so much more than he had ever felt. This was what it was to have emotions, and he hated every second of it. What was the point? It was all a hindrance.

Except that it all wasn’t. There were strong emotions that he knew about. The guide. Happiness. Lust. Relief and acceptance. He flushed, something brand new to him as he recalled the time between him and Simone after their ordeal. Was that…love? There was a spark of that feeling in his heart. The tiniest spark. But he knew Simone could feel it.

Lewis rose to his feet, “Fuck the rules. We make our own…” He walked over to Simone, and held out his hand to help her up. “And we’ll break every rule we have to in order to make this right.”

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:52 AM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Knee deep in the thick muck of the swamp that was once her home Simone was looking more lost than ever. It took time for this to happen and for younger Simone, she was slowly coming around to the fact that something was very much wrong with her.

She waited through the water continuing her almost trance-like state as she came upon what looked to be a huge half-dead tree. All the leaves were gone and it held a rather spooky look to it. Her mind was taken back to the time before the curse started and before her mind had holes punched through.

Her feelings intensified to a point that they were probably unbearable. It would feel like a field of fire. The memory flooding back between Lewis and her. A memory he hadn’t seen.

”Simone?” A boy not much older than Simone was up in the tree and he handed down a flower. “When I become king of Auclair~”

“When you become king?” Simone looked up at him laughing. “That means you have to marry me first,” she had been reading on the ground under the great white oak. There was a stubborn look on her face as she put her hands on her hips. “I’m not going to rub your feet every night~”

“That would make you a poor wife if you didn’t,” the boy tussled his hair and it was a very Simone thing when she managed to push him out of the tree so he fell on his rear. “Rude!” He pulled her down and they were laughing.

A carriage or two rushed past them and Simone got a worried look on her face. “It’s that lord again,” she was scared and trembling but the boy held her protectively.

“I won’t let him have you… Neither will your father. It’ll be alright.”

“But it wasn’t… and you didn’t. You betrayed me when I needed you most. You could have used armies to protect me and you just FUCKING LEFT ME HERE,” she started to scream at the tree. “You got scared and you ran away like an asshole and you even declared me dead instead of having them look for me!” She kicked the tree. Younger Simone was in complete control as the memories flickered. “Now look at Auclair. LOOK AT WHAT YOU LEFT IT AS! Some prince. SOME KING! You were useless.” She kicked the tree again. "Can't believe I was in love with a damn coward."

At this point, Simone had dropped her shaking fists and started to make her way near the castle. Her chest was rather heavy now. The stone bridge was mostly intact separating the front of the city from the back. She hopped up on the edge of the bridge and balanced her way across it.

” Simone, you shouldn’t be doing that. First off, it isn’t ladylike, and second… I don’t need my only daughter getting hurt.”

“Daddy, if I was going to get hurt I would have by now. Life is going to be boring with all these rules~”

“I just want a boring life after all… Maybe if I had followed all the rules~” She stopped herself at the end of the bridge and looked up at the castle. “No, he still would have come for me.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:02 AM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Rhenakos took note to where the arc originally pointed. It seemed as though Lewis was too engrossed in searching for threats to see it, and the hunter wasn’t about to let it be known. Right now it was far more important that they each focus on the tasks at hand. Rhenakos pulled out an eye patch, placing it over the demon eye. Whatever magics were here were far more powerful than he had anticipated, and it would be easier to dull the pain this way.

As they traveled through the ruins of the once proud city, Lewis couldn’t help but notice the reactions that Simone was having. A cocktail of complex emotions welled up, and for a moment he almost felt a tear well up. It was sudden, irrational, and threw him off guard if only for a moment.

He hated it.

Once again, Rhenakos was far more observant than Lewis would ever give him credit for. Even without his knowledge of what had transpired in Simone’s mind, he had a gut feeling that the girl was definitely affecting him in some kind of way, mystical or not. The hunter was far more in tune with his emotions than he let on, especially when it came to the things that could affect a quest of this level of importance. Still, he decided to remain silent.

“Lewis,” Rhenakos said as Simone approached the market quarter. “You said something about being able to recognize things. Anything familiar?”

The assassin nodded. “This is close to where…” He paused. To where I saw the fires. He was suddenly, overwhelmingly aware that if he said it aloud, it might cause a reaction in Simone. Instead, he pointed towards a path. “It should be that way. The main castle…if I remember correctly.”

Author: Simone, Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:34 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Simone was listening intently to Rhenakos and nodding. “This is my home…” She sounded really sad. “But I’ll be good.” She didn’t realize that it hadn’t been her home in a very long time. The fires that destroyed Auclair had long been done and barely anything but the castle and a few buildings remained.

She pulled up the Arc and looked at Lewis. For a moment the arc swung in Lewis’s direction and Simone got bright red. “No, no… NO NO… Auclair.” She whispered to the arc and finally, it swung the direction where she needed them to go. That was close. There was a sigh of relief.

Life had vacated the place and even the camps around the part of the swamp where Auclair was had campfires. No one was getting closer. Their skins pricked up from the insane magic that had been used here but Simone was still going forward. She stopped at what looked to be a wall of some sort. “This was how we would get in and out of the city. There two were other gates but this one was the largest.”

There were houses in muck everywhere and Simone was even walking through some of the muck as she looked around. “This was the merchant’s corner,” she looked and sounded really sad. If she could cry it would be now. “When I was younger we would come down here for candies.” She pointed to the leftovers of one of the buildings.

“I can’t remember what happened here but I hate it.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:23 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

As Lewis took note of Simone’s sudden change in disposition, Rhenakos landed the airship in a clearing not too far from where the Arc was pointing. It wasn’t long before the group disembarked, and were on their way towards the old city. The demon hunter took his time as they approached the outskirts. There had been a few natural born traps along the way, most of which were easily avoidable, but areas like this tended to attract dens of bandits and other undesirable creatures.

“All right,” Rhenakos said in a hushed tone, glancing back at the party. “Here’s the deal. Like the marsh back there, don’t…just don’t touch anything. Most of the stuff here is bad. If it isn’t poisonous, it’s volatile and may explode. For the love of the gods please do not use fire magic.” Ironically, he was probably the only one capable of it, but he seemed serious this time.

For once, Lewis was keeping his mouth shut and listening. Rhenakos may have been an oaf in his mind, but when it came to these kinds of explorations, Lewis was out of his depth, whereas Rhenakos was doing this on a regular basis for Raile.

“There may be bandits or other wildlife in the area. For the wildlife, just try to back away slowly. Anything in this marsh should be relatively harmless as long as we leave it be. As for the bandits…” He gave Lewis a look. The assassin smirked. That would be easy enough.

“Simone, where’s the arc pointing?” Lewis asked. “We’ll head that direction.”

Author: Simone, Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:11 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

Simone watched Lewis carefully and she spent her time around him. She had managed to get some handicrafts to keep her sanity on the long journey. “Lexi was cute,” Simone spoke up to Lewis with a smile. It was quiet for them and not a lot was said.

When Lewis finally spoke up Simone jumped up and she looked down. “I don’t… remember if there was a swamp.” She rubbed at her head a bit. There hadn’t been not in her time but she took out the arc all the same.

“Look,” she watched as the pendent started to point in the direction of the swamp. “It looks like it's in that overgrowth.” She pointed to a particularly overgrown part of the swamp. There were some ruins sticking out of the tree line but they were blackened compared to the shining white stone that had been Auclair. "That's… where Auclair City is." She looked really sad for a moment.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:04 PM, Post Subject: Return Home [p/r]

To everyone’s surprise, Rhenakos was a surprisingly good pilot, and took little effort to navigate their way towards Adeluna. It took a few stops for them to make it, but finally they found themselves sailing across the landmass south of the Vilpamolan peninsula. Down below, they could see the Moritius Swamp.

Lewis was gazing off the side of the airship, taking in the sights. It had been a long time since he had such a lull in his routine, and he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the time. Even though it hadn’t truly been a long time in Simone’s mind, he felt as though he were years older and wiser. He was so lost in the lull, that he almost missed it.

“Wait…I…” He turned around to yell at Rhenakos. “Rhen! Find a place to land down there!”

“Don’t call me Rhen!” the hunter yelled back. “And we’re nowhere near Adeluna. What’s wrong!?”

The assassin pointed, “I can’t entirely explain it…but the marsh below…I think it’s there. It has to be.” It wasn’t so much as an analytical observation, more that it was an air of familiarity. Almost two thousand years can change a lot, but Simone and Lewis saw it in her past, and the assassin was slowly learning that sometimes, going with your gut feeling was worth it.

“Simone. Take out the Arc. Let’s see what happens.”