Complete Private Western Brisshal [Reaping Season] A History of Blood

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

100/100

She reeled back from the anger, not out of fear, but out of guilt. For a few breaths, she stuttered, her words failing her as she tried to say something, anything, that would explain. Explain what? Why you massacred animals for...for what? What was there to gain? What was I doing

"I...I saw something...a shadowy...figure...something that they were scared...some that made them scared...and I just...I wanted to figure...I wanted to help..."

Her eyes caught sight of the bloodbath around her again, taking in what she'd done. The horror that she had created. It struck her suddenly, and she felt the revulsion spread through her instantly, tears welling at the corners of her eyes as she fought back against the feeling. It was the horse, all over again.

"What...what have I done..."

The words were whispered, barely audible - but Kyra knew that the other beastfolk would pick up on them no problem. Not that it mattered to her, not now. Her hands dropped to the floor beside her, almost as lifeless as her eyes were slowly turning as she seemed to shrink inwards in response.

"I...I just wanted...I just wanted to...help...not this...I didn't want..."

She suddenly looked up at Ruby, a hopeless, desperate look in her eyes as she seemed to beg for something.

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Shadowy-? And do you think-- Do you think it is right to--" The grip on her Jian tightened at Kyra's answer, with a scowl growing further on Ruby's expressions until she realized what she was doing herself. The grip softened for a moment, with the tears forming in Kyra's eyes snapping Ruby out of it.

Ruby made her own mistakes before, and her friends didn't come going for her throat.

Besides, that wasn't Kyra. At least not the Kyra she knew. Something was definitely wrong, and those tears and eyes showed it in a plea.

"... Sorry. I... That shouldn't be like this." Ruby muttered, kneeling close to Kyra and releasing her hold of the sword, instead, it held the beastfolk's shoulder. "I shouldn't have done this, but you were going out of control, Kyra." She frowned. "What happened?" Ruby asked, with a hint of concern, frowning while looking deep into her eyes.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

100/100

She shuddered as she looked around her again. She'd seen blood before, she'd seen massacres - that came with the job, both inside the game and outside of it. She'd seen horrors unspeakable. Yet somehow, this small collection of squirrels, innocent creatures that had no say in what just occurred to them bothered her far more than anything else she'd seen. All of this horror caused at her hand, no less.

"I just wanted...to find answers...I...I don't know...what happened...what have I done??"

She felt the tears again, welling at the side of her face as she tried to make sense of it all. She'd never lost control like this, not once since she entered this game had she done anything like this. It wasn't her. Wasn't who she wanted to be.

All this darkness...is this what people fear, so much? She looked down at her hands, the left palm still dripping blood. She felt a sudden revulsion as she stared at it. Not from the blood itself, but from what had come of such a simple thing, something she was so used to seeing. I thought it could be used for good...I hoped that I was right...but...

"...was I wrong...? How could I...be this wrong..."

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby frowned even further at the reaction of the girl. It seemed that she truly didn't notice what she was doing... But what exactly was doing it to her? The magic? Something else? Ruby had a good grasp of the hemomancy, and at least she never had an issue with it. Never really losing control like it seemed that had just occurred.

"That's not a way to find answers." Ruby said, reaching a hand to Kyra's cheek to wipe away the tears, while the other went for her bloodied hands, holding them firmly to avert the girl's gaze from them.

"I will ask you this once, Kyra, and I want a true answer." She frowned her lips. "You did it willing, or this just happened? What did you feel?" Ruby inquired, locking her eyes on Kyra's, the only thing that she could use as proof that her friend was being herself right now.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

100/100

Her eyes were wide and wild as she tried to figure out what was happening. She heard the question, knew what she should say, what was expected of her to say. Yet she found herself hesitating.

"I...I didn't...I didn't want this...I..."

She fumbled, her words a struggle as she tried to explain herself, tried to make sense of it all. Tried to express herself.

"I...I didn't mean to...I just started, and it...it just...I wanted answers...I didn't want this...didn't want anyone...anything...to get hurt...I just couldn't stop...I couldn't..."

She looked up at Ruby, her face full of fear, of sorrow, regret. Her ears had pinned to the top of her head as she tried to figure out what she had done, why she had done it. She hadn't wanted to do anything like this.

"I wanted to help...to save everyone...to help. I didn't want to hurt anyone! I didn't! I swear! I just wanted to help! To save them from the dark thing that sits in the centre of the forest!"

She'd begun to shake as the emotions washed over her. There was no anger in her voice, a mixture of horror and desperation covering the words as her voice rose ever so slightly in response.

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby listened carefully, frowning at the mention of the strange creature of the center of the forest. Something dark in there? They had to investigate... but for Ruby, there was something that needed a higher priority.

Fidgeting closer, Ruby tugged Kyra in a hug, rubbing her back and then her head in an attempt to soothe her. "Calm down. What is done... is done. We can't change it. I believe it wasn't you that did this." She squeezed Kyra softly, looking at her eyes.

"Sorry for hitting you back there. I didn't know what was happening. All I knew was that something wasn't right." She said, looking apologetic, reminding that she did way more actions than questions before things went to this.

"... We can't change what happened, but we can change what is and what will happen." Ruby pointed out, trying to give a small hope for this situation.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

100/100

She'd begun to calm, ever so slightly, as Ruby's steady voice repeated the words. Reminding her that it wasn't her fault, that it had happened, and they needed to move past it, to focus on what's next. Words that Naomi herself had said to many of her clients in the real world. Words that she now knew worked, at least a little bit.

Her eyes left Ruby's face, a sigh escaping her lips - before being caught as she glanced right at the pool of blood spreading across the cave floor. The calm, the collected mindset that had begun to settle in and take over disappeared almost instantly as she felt herself shaking again. The horror of the entire scene taking over her again.

"So much...blood...why is there so much blood...I...I didn't mean for this to happen. Ruby I'm so sorry...so sorry...I didn't mean for...I wanted to help...I wanted to make things right...I didn't want this...I didn't want this!"

She could feel herself getting hysterical again, quickly losing control as her mind flashed images of horses, ridden by squirrels, all leaking blood as they charged towards her. She felt herself starting to recoil, pulling away from the other girl as she tried to escape, tried to get away from everything.

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

It felt like everything was calming down, but as soon as the beastfolk started going nuts, Ruby scowled and frowned, shaking her head. "Calm down woman!" Ruby shook Kyra's shoulders, letting out a sigh and releasing the girl if she continued to struggle.

"I already said nothing will change from the past. I already know it wasn't you." She said, looking at Kyra directly and fiercely. "I trust you. I already said it." She leaned away.

"You can make the rest right. We just need to make the right call." Ruby said, rubbing her chin and pondering.

"You said about a dark figure... Try to focus on it." She muttered, waiting for Kyra's reaction, one that she knew that could go more wrong than right.

There was obviously a lot going in the girl's mind, especially considering how things were escalating. So perhaps a firmer objective would be the perfect distraction, solution... and redemption.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

60/100

The dark figure appeared in Kyra's mind again, a mere flash as it seemed to hide at the corner of her consciousness. She tried focusing on it, tried bringing to the centre of her awareness, to give her something that would identify it for them.

"It's...I can't see it...I can't...it's just a blur, barely visible at the edge...I...think it's deep in the forest...somewhere."

She felt like the information was useless, giving them nothing to go on. The only thing she knew for certain was the way that the creatures had felt, their reactions when Kyra had dragged the image to the forefront of their minds.

"They were terrified of it...so scared...and not in a natural way. There was something about it, something about the...aura, that it gave off. It horrified them all. More than I did..."

She felt the well of emotions again, threatening to rise up and overwhelm her. She needed out. Lunging forward, she made a dash for the entrance of the cave, trying to get free from the scene around her, trying to leave it all behind.

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby nodded quietly at Kyra's reveal, pondering for a moment and shrugging. "In this case, our destiny is very clear. We should go as deep as we can in the forest and try to investigate anything that is different from the ordinary." Of course, the reveal didn't really tell them what to expect, only that it was scary and supposedly dangerous.

A frown crossed her face as she tried to muster what it could possibly be, tossing a few suggestions as she considered: "Maybe it is just a foreign predator. A creature that shouldn't be there, but it is anyway-" She then paused, trying to think a bit more realistically.

"Ooor... It could be a hunter, or something similar. A hunter is very scary at the point of view of a squirrel." She supposed, reaching for Kyra's hand and tugging it tightly.

"... Come on, we won't find answers just standing here."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

100/100

Ruby had only begun to mention the need to head out of the cave, and Kyra was already steps ahead of her. As she pushed through the covered area that made up the entrance, Kyra felt herself shiver slightly - relief found in the cool breeze that signified freedom from the cave, from the darkness that it had covered her with.

She gave a harsh, shaky sigh as she looked around her - images flashing through her mind like memories as she recognised some of the trees in the area. Lifting her left arm, she pointed off deeper into the forest, her mind melding together with the memories that she had managed to pull.

"It's...that way. Deep. Deep in the forest...lair...there's a lair. I...I don't know what it is, but it has...claws? And on its head are branches, with leaves...like a tree...it's...huge..."

She closed her eyes, her breath coming quickly as she remembered how she had received these images, these memories. A flash as she saw the squirrels all around her, twitching as their final moments were lived. She shuddered, pushing herself forward, trying to drive the images from her head.

"It's this way..."

Her pace was quick as she began leading them through the woods, ears twitching at every single sound, tension in her body causing her to jump at everything that seemed to move.

It didn't take long before they found the location that Kyra had seen in her mind. She stopped, staring at the place for a few seconds before shaking herself.

"This is the place...this is the place I saw.."

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby took the path along with Kyra, listening attentively to her explanations and reveals. It was clear that Kyra was still affected by what had happened, and while Ruby couldn't blame her for it, she couldn't continue like that. Or at least shouldn't.

Maybe it would've helped if Ruby didn't outright tackled her awake from the berserk she was going through.

"Claws... huge... Maybe it would be a giant wolf or a bear, but... I doubt those come with leaves and branches." Ruby wondered outloud. "... Lead the way."

Taking Kyra's hand, if she allowed, Ruby moved along, with ears and eyes darting around to spot any possible danger.

As they neared the area, and Kyra revealed it was the place, Ruby took a warier and more protective stance, using her free hand to place her blade forward ready to shield Kyra from front and shielding Kyra's side with her own body.

"And that big face over there." She gestured with her chin. "Is that what you saw?" Ruby asked.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

30/100

Her eyes lingered on the face in the side of the rocky terrain, the image blurring with those from the memories she had stolen. It didn't take her long to respond, her head shaking in disagreement just seconds before she gave the negative aloud.

"No...no that's not it...it's different. I...don't remember seeing the face in the wall, but this is definitely the cave. I can feel that this is the right place. I can't explain it but it feels right..."

She glanced again at the thing in the wall, before deciding to simply lead on, hand in hand with Ruby as the other girl reached out to grasp her. The touch was comforting, bringing her back to her normal, calmed state. A state that allowed her to think, drawing her back to reality more fully.

"This is the place...the smells...the sounds...all of it are familiar..."

Her nose twitched as the scents of rosewood, lilac and something sweeter reached her, mixing with the sounds of something clinking in the distance, echoing through the tunnels towards them. Kyra felt herself shiver as she stepped forward, trying to be brave.

---

They had reached what appeared to be the end of the tunnel. Kyra felt the shiver down her back again, everything so familiar even though she'd never been here before. Her eyes roamed the cave, lit by a bare amount of moonlight filtering down through holes in the ceiling of the cave itself.

She felt herself pulled forward by...something, a feeling, a desire to make her way towards the centre. She felt her hand loosen itself from Ruby's, letting the other girl's hold drop away as she stepped forward, deeper into the cave itself. It didn't take her long to find what she was looking for, the creature collapsed on the ground near the edge of the cave, seemingly unmoving.

As she stared down at it, a flash in her mind brought forth an image from the squirrels, an image of the thing that she saw before her - standing, moving, coming at her through a dense fog, eyes aglow as it seemed to bear down on her.

Spoiler

A squeak of terror escaped her as she back peddled away from the creature on the floor, trying to get away from everything that she saw - the images in her mind, the clearly dead thing on the floor, everything blending together as she felt her heart racing.

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Familiar, yet never a certain answer, hm..." Ruby frowned, continuing to follow Kyra deeper into their investigation. For the most part, Ruby kept wary about protecting, about any incoming danger-- And honestly, aside from the spooks, nothing had truly shown itself yet.

At some point, the insistence of Kyra to keep her path forward made their hands release, and Ruby simply walked a few feet lagging behind her friend.

The sight of something... On the edge of the cave caught Ruby's attention, making her hurry up a few steps before Kyra suddenly squeaked in terror.

For a moment, Ruby's eyes widened, with her ears perking up as she prepared herself for a combat... But truth was that nothing truly happened. Instead, Kyra was running away from... Nothing. Or at least nothing that Ruby could see. Gripping her blade tightly, Ruby took a moment of trust on Kyra's judgement, as absurd as it seemed for Ruby right now.

Rushing, Ruby went straight for Kyra, running side by side with her.

"Kyra?! What is going on?" She urged to know, ready to pick up her friend and blast off that cave if it was necessary.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

10/100

It took her far longer than she was pleased to slow her breath, to control her heartbeat. The images had drifted away, leaving her in the cave with Ruby, the two of them the only living things in sight. On the edge of her vision, like a mirage burned into it, she could still see the thing that had been there, hovering before her like some sort of...daemon.

"It's...gone. A while ago, maybe...I don't know. The...corpse, is still there..."

She waved a hand at the wall in front of them, the figure barely visible against the growth that had sprouted around it - plants and vines clawing the corpse of the creature back into the ground as if taking it to its final resting place.

She closed her eyes, seeing the thing once more as it slowly began to fade, like a dream. Something about it seemed...like something she had seen before, somewhere. Another sense of familiarity, like something from her own past brought to life.

"Leshen...I think they're called Leshen...druidic creatures of a sorts...they protect the natural lands..."

Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember. Where had she heard them before? A book? A game?

"I think...I think they normally protect nature. Doesn't make sense why the creatures would fear it...unless...do you think it's corrupted? Overtaken by darkness, forcing it to do the opposite of what it normally does?"

Bringing out it's inner darkness...like what happened to you... She left her thoughts unspoken, not wanting to worry Ruby. She still felt a tingle of fear at the thought of the small cave they had left behind.

"It looks dead...maybe we should just leave it? I mean we shouldn't really poke around and disturb dead things, right? Maybe we should just go..."

She hoped the hopefulness in her voice wasn't too obvious.

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Leshen... It really doesn't make sense for the creatures to worry about it." Ruby frowned. Why the creatures of the forest would fear a druidic creature? Weren't they allies? Unless there was something bigger behind it, something that they couldn't really perceive just yet...

But judging from Kyra's following words, it seemed like there was some curse within it... But how much they could do about it was entirely unknown to them.

"It may look dead, but in this world, those who are wronged upon death linger and become a force of destruction to this world." Ruby said, looking behind her back.

"If it is truly corrupted as you said, we should probably try to exorcize whatever is still lingering. Or at least bring it the peace it deserves." She frowned her lips, turning to face the cave, swaying her tail. "And you saw something, Kyra. Something I cannot see, for whatever reason."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

6/100

She had seen something. That was true. But...what she had seen was the thing on the floor, wasn't it? Kyra felt her mind returning to the dark place again, the cave with the rats. The image of the thing, still alive, coming towards her returned to the forefront of her mind.

She fought against the feeling of fear that spread throughout her, trying to repress the urge to run away. Ruby was there, by her side, keeping her safe. I've got nothing...nothing to fear...nothing to fear so long as Ruby is here with me...

"Yeah...yeah you're right...it could still be here..."

She smiled at Ruby as a thought suddenly occurred to her, a realisation about what could possibly be going on. It would certainly explain the fact that it was dead...

"Maybe it died a violent, horrible death...if what you're saying is true, and the spirit does linger...well, a violent death could turn something dark, right? Could corrupt it to the point where it no longer does what it would normally do, or perhaps the entire opposite?"

She glanced at the body crumbled on the floor, an almost apologetic look on her face as she considered its final moments. A sudden, almost sad smile crossed her lips.

"Too bad Ash isn't here...he's the ghost-talker, he'd be able to figure out..."

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"A violent death." Ruby agreed with a nod, with her eyes half closing as she looked down, just before adding: "Regrets, just like the faerin from Zalra. An unhealthy obsession for staying alive, to a point your soul gain no peace upon being released." Her eyes went up back to Kyra's.

As they returned back into the cave, Ruby remained quiet for most of part, at least until they reached the 'body'.

Kyra's expressions were clear when showing what the girl was feeling, but the sad smile caught Ruby off guard, tilting her head with a sway of tail. "Ash... A Ghost-Talker, hm?" Ruby wondered. Just the reminder seemed to bring a smile to her friend's lips.

"A friend of yours?" She asked, taking a step in front of the corpse, with her eyes glowing in a negative hue, trying to see what her mundane eyes could not.

There was no fear to touch it, or to trace her fingers on the poor thing. After all, she couldn't be shy if she wanted to soon convince it out.

What could be inside of that thing?

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

0/100

"A...friend, yeah. Haven't seen him in a while, though. Not since the Caenis boy..."

Another incident involving weird things, things she couldn't explain. She watched as Ruby seemed to prod around the corpse, as if trying to figure out what secrets lay hidden within it. She felt the urge to help, to try and figure out what was going on here, but she couldn't bring herself to step any closer to the corpse.

"Sometimes I wonder if this game isn't taking too much out of me..."

She closed her eyes, focusing on listening to the area around her. She could see the purple streams that connected her to Ruby; the lifeline that she had become so normal in her experience. It signified the connection of all spirits, a side effect of her spiritual magic.

If that's Ruby...then what is that? Her brow furrowed as she looked to her right, eyes still closed. A stream, barely visible, connected her with...something off in the distance. She couldn't quite see where it led.

She opened her eyes, finding herself staring further into the cave, in a direction that she hadn't even realised it went. Perhaps the spirit of this...

"I think there's something else in here with us..."

She'd begun to step deeper into the cave as she spoke, brow still furrowed as she felt herself drawn inwards.

@Crimson Ruby​

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Caenis boy?" Ruby asked, tilting her head. She didn't know anything about the events Kyra went through, especially those that she mentioned at random, something that without context made even less sense. But Ruby continued to focus on her search, with the words from Kyra making her ears twitch.

"... I thought the same." Ruby said, looking at her friend. "... It does feel like it is taking too much, sometimes... But honestly, there are a lot of things that keep me here." Her eyes flickered, returning to normal as she leaned away.

"Like you." She said.

Her eyes then shifted around, trying to spot any potential sign of the spirit, but once again Kyra's words caught Ruby's attention, and the girl swayed her tail as she faced Kyra.

"Something-?" Ruby muttered the words, watching Kyra moving once again, and taking a grip of her sword to follow the fox girl.

@Kyra Vashtana