Kyngdom Survival Guide

My feet slammed

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My feet slammed

My feet slammed into the ground, kicking up mud and dirt as I ran through the heavy jungle foliage, leaves and branches scarping against my arms. I could hear shouting and yells from behind me, getting closer, closer--

I leap over a fallen log and the ground slipped beneath my feet as I landed, and I tumbled, my vision flashing between the green canopy far above and the mud below as I fell, and the moon was blocked by the leaves so I couldn't see where I was going--

And suddenly I hit level ground and the wind was knocked from my chest. I laid there, gapsing for air, listening to the sounds of the soldiers marching through the woods. Their flashlights passed overhead, but thick bushes covered me. After the soldiers finally left, probably on their way to Paralia, I sat up. My body protested in a chorus of pain and aches, so I moved slowly. Carefully, gently, I removed the pack from my back. The instrument inside was undamaged, and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least one thing was going right.

This did mean that seeking refuge in Paralia was no longer an option, though I still felt going to the Resistance was the best option. I could travel north, through the Varie Badlands, sneak across the Crimson Fields, and to the Drifter Outpost--no, that would take far too long and be far too dangerous.

Perhaps Mer, then--the city was still recovering from the events of the Flea Market, but it was the most pro-Resistance city there was. And yet, that would be equally dangerous--Catastrophe's soldiers clogged these woods like a plague in a hospital. Going north would only mean being blown to bits by bombs, or freezing in the night. 

There was nowhere, nowhere at all that was safe. 

 

submitted by Kosomi R., Kyngdom
(March 25, 2021 - 7:51 am)

back to the KYNGDOM™ RP Board
See "The dice clattered…" thread for context leading up to this post.

Kit~~

"My name is Kosomi Ramabasa," the Homo Aquarius replied, voice even and steady, commanding strength and power. 

Angel's eyebrows raised. "Pur Ramabasa? You're a Nobyl?"

"In another life," They replied. "I was once queen of my people. I no longer hold that role."

Angel tilted his head, but said nothing. I felt awkward to be silent.

"Thank you," I finally said.

"You are welcome," Kosomi replied. Her eyes focused on Angel's badge. "So you two are Resistance?"

"I am. They aren't." Angel gestured towards me.

"So who do you serve, cyborg?" Kosomi asked. 

"Nobody," I responded, hoping she wouldn't dislike that answer.

"Smart choice." Kosomi seemed to be impressed. Her tone relaxed me. Something about her seemed genuine, trustworthy. I could respect someone who made their own choices without influence from others--and still make the right choices. 

Judging by how Kosomi carried herself, she was strong and confident, certain in herself. I'd guess she'd made mostly good decisions. 

“What are your names?” Kosomi sheathed her sword, though her hand still rested on its handle.

“I’m Angel.”

“Kit.” 

Kosomi examined us for a moment longer. I felt myself shrink under her fearsome gaze. 

"So, where are you going?" Angel asked, saving us from another awkward silence.

"Mer," Kosomi replied. "You?"

"Also Mer," Angel replied. "We should travel together."

Kosomi once again examined us. "Hmm. I suppose that would be fine." I noticed, however, that she pulled the vine bag tighter against her body.

What in Kyngdom was inside it?

~~~~~
submitted by Sybill , age He/they, Ikea
(April 19, 2021 - 10:34 am)
Kosomi Ramabasa~~

So far, Kit and Angel hadn't asked any prying questions, which was good. I didn't trust them very much, but one was a Resistance member and the other at least helping the Resistance, so I figured they probably wouldn't try to attack me. 

And anyways, both were injured pretty badly. I would be able to easily beat them in a fight, if I had to.

We approached the gates of the city. There were four guards, but none of them seemed to be paying close attention. The three of us ducked behind a storage crate.

"We should be able to sneak past them," I whispered. "There are crates stacked against the wall--we can walk up them and climb over."

Kit glanced down at their side, looking worried. Now I noticed there was a patch of dried blood there, and a tear in the fabric of their clothes. 

"Will you be able to get over with your injury?" Angel asked Kit in a low voice.

Kit looked at him for a moment, before finally nodding. "I think so."

I thought so too--even if it was a bad injury, I had the feeling Kit was resilient enough to deal with it. And anyways, Angel and I would be there to help them. 

I peeked over the top of the wooden crate, grabbing a pebble in one of my hands. I tossed it down a side alley, where it crashed through a window. The guards rushed towards the sound of breaking glass, abandoning their post.

The three of us darted forwards, making it to the crates. I helped Kit up and in turned they helped pull Angel and I up. I could see them wince, but they didn't say anything. Hopefully they wouldn't reopen whatever wound they had.

When we got to the top of the city wall, I realized I hadn't quite thought out the plan. I could probably just jump off the side and be fine, but both Kit and Angel had damaged ankles. 

"Um. Okay, I have an idea," I said, noticing their worried expressions. Clearly they also saw the flaw in my plan.

I didn't actually have an idea, so I prayed that I would come up with one before the guards came back. Thankfully, I did.

There was a tree growing on the other side of the wall that I was fairly certain both Angel and Kit would be able to climb down. I pointed it out to them, and they agreed with me.

We ran down to the tree. Angel climbed down first, then Kit. I gingerly stepped onto a branch, beginning to climb down when I heard a shout from the guards. 

"Run!" I shouted to Angel and Kit, who hadn't heard. I dropped down from the tree, grimacing as I landed on my bag. The stone xylophone wasn't soft, that was certain. 

A metal hand--Kit--pulled me to my feet. There was a gunshot from the wall. Kit ran just ahead of me. 

Angel shouted to us from ahead. "Follow me!"

We did, though there wasn't really any other choice. He guided us into the tropical forest surrounding the city. We were soon lost amongst the thick foliage, but still Angel kept running.

Eventually, we slowed, and I saw what Angel had been leading us to. It was a small cave on the side of a cliff. There were a few mostly empty bags and boxes of supplies.

"How did you know about this?" I asked.

"It used to be a camp for Catastrophe's soldiers. I was sent with a group to ambush it, though I mostly hung back to stitch up gunshot wounds," Angel explained.

The cave was much bigger inside than I had expected. Kit gathered some sticks and lit them with a match, lighting up the cavern. There were still some weapons, food, and sleeping bags from when Catastrophe's soldiers had been here.

Kit sat down next to me at the fire. They pointed at my anklet--the one with a moon on it. The Nocturnal one.

"Where'd you get that?" They asked softly. And this was what I feared. Questions.

"Oh. It was a gift from some friends of mine," I answered vaguely. 

"It's pretty," Kit said. Angel seemed to notice it for the first time. There was a spark of something in his eyes. Recognition, I think--did he know what it meant?

But he said nothing.

Good.
~~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(April 19, 2021 - 11:05 am)
submitted by TipTopBop
(April 19, 2021 - 2:40 pm)

Kosomi~~

I had offered to take first watch, and both Angel and Kit seemed thankful for that. Both were clearly exhausted--I wondered what they'd been through. 

I sat near the entrance of the cavern, moonlight washing over my skin. The vine bag sat in my lap. Tenderly, I opened it and looked inside. It didn't look like the instrument had been damaged at all when I fell.

I wondered if it could even be broken.

I looked back at Kit and Angel's sleeping bodies. Kit seemed to be the more trustworthy one-- I didn't think they knew anything about the Nocturnal, and they weren't working for anyone. Angel didn't seem like an enemy, but the way he looked at my anklet earlier was going to keep me from ever trusting him.

I turned back towards the moon. The woods were silent. Peaceful, even. It felt nice to finally have a moment of tranquillity.

"So, you're Nocturnal, aren't you?"

I jumped to my feet and spun around, only to see Angel. He took a cautious step backwards and held up his hands.

I eyed him, carefully debating my next words. "Yes. How'd you recognize the anklet? You don't seem like one of us."

"I'm not a priest. But I know somebody who was," He replied.

"Who?" I asked. 

"Sitaara pur Keteque." My eyebrows raised in surprise. Sitaara had been a legendary warrior of the Nocturnal for many, many years. We used to call her "Lunee's Claw." 

She died when I was three.

"How did you know her?" 

"We were very close friends," Angel said.

"But you look--"

"Far too young to have known her for long? Yes, I'm aware." He laughed, and tapped beneath his vivid blue eye. "But shapeshifters age a little differently."

Well, that explained his eyes. "How did you meet?" 

"We had to work together," Angel replied. "We slayed a dragon together. It was attacking the town I was staying in--Qar Evi, specifically."

"I remember hearing about that. The locals called it 'Frostbite'. Don't remember what name the Sanukans had for it, though." If he was really friends with Sitaara, then he could probably be trusted. But, there was a good chance he was lying about all of this.

"Yeah. It was vicious, that's for sure," Angel continued. He glanced over at Kit for a second. "Can I trust you?"

"Well, I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you mean," I replied. But I could tell that's not what he'd meant.

"How loyal are you to the Nocturnal? Tell the truth." There was a serious look in Angel's eyes.

"...Not really, to be honest. I'm not sure I like how attached they are to the Powers."

"Good," Angel said, to my surprise. "Listen. Right before Sitaara...died, she told me something.

"She said that she had learned something that could change everything. She told me that, when he was an adult, to bring her youngest son to the cave of Frostbite," Angel replied. "And I need your help finding him."

"Why would she want her youngest son to come?" I asked. "Doesn't her older one have all the power?"

Angel shrugged. "I have no idea. But she seemed dead serious the last time I spoke to her. And, I needed someone who knew about Sitaara's Nocturnal affiliation to know. I hoped you'd be able to make more sense of it."

"I… well, there are some books in the library that are off-limits to almost everyone, even some of the High Priests. I know Sitaara had access to them. Maybe she learned something from them?" I suggested. "Even so, I don't know why she'd want her son to be the one to know, if it was something really important...Oh!"

"What?" Angel asked.

"Sitaara was...well, she was kind of a psychic. She could see things--I think it was because she'd gotten lost in the Decoy Forest once as a kid," I explained. "At least. That's what the High Priests always said."

"So, she could have learned something with her powers?" 

"Maybe. It might explain some of the weirdness. Her sons might also have some sort of connection to the Decoy Forest--maybe her younger son's got a stronger connection and that's why she needs him. Or maybe she just likes him better," I said.

"Yeah, maybe," Angel agreed. "What do you think we should do next?"

"Well, first, we've got to tell Kit." Angel's eyes widened in alarm.

"Are you sure? I mean, Kit is nice and all, but they're… a little...odd. And they don't really like anyone," Angel said.

"I'm sure. And we also need to find Sitaara's younger son and bring him to that cave."

~~~

submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(April 20, 2021 - 10:46 am)
Kosomi~~

So far, Kit has taken things well. They sat silently and listened, never interrupting, never saying we were crazy.

"So. Yeah," I finished. "I'm part of a secret cult and we have to find some Nobyl kid whose mom has a secret."

"It's unbelievable," Kit said after a long pause. Angel sighed, sounding defeated.

"But hey. The nurses said it was unbelievable I managed to retain my ability to speak, so… Why not?" Kit shrugged. "It's honestly not the weirdest thing ever."

I glanced over at Angel, then at Kit. "So, are you going to help us?"

Kit thinks for a moment, then shrugs again. "Sure. I haven't got anything better to do."

I was almost shocked at Kit's calm understanding, but it was much preferable to them laughing us off. 

"So, who even is Sitaara's son?" Kit asked. The rising sun shone on their face, revealing a curious look in their warm brown eyes. The browns and greys of their clothing seemed to blend seamlessly with the rocky cavern walls.

"Sitaara had two sons--Darius and Aakash pur Keteque. Aakash is the younger one," Angel said. "He's not the heir of the Keteque Nobyls but he's still definitely got power. I doubt anyone is going to take kindly to us forcing him to leave his fancy manor, including him."

"The Keteques were hosting a masquerade or something, weren't they?" I asked.

"I saw a poster about it in Paralia," Kit said. "It was last night."

"Oh, darn. I was hoping we could have snuck into that," I said.

"We'll figure something out," Angel said. "But for now, we should keep moving. I'm sure Catastrophe will have soldiers pouring into Paralia and it would be great if they didn't find us."

Angel was right, we needed to keep moving. Kit had some crackers in their bag, which they shared with Angel and I. We took some of the supplies from the cave, including weapons. Angel found a revolver with some ammo, though it seemed to be the only gun the soldiers had left behind.

"Where exactly are we going?" Kit asked once we'd finished packing. 

This was an interesting question. Before learning about Sitaara's request, we were supposed to go to Mer. But now there was the added possibility of searching for Aakash.

"We should go to Mer," Angel said. "Maybe we can find another Nocturnal member in the city. Someone who knew Sitaara better."

"Sounds like a plan," I said. Kit nodded in consent. 

Angel led the way once more, following a mostly overgrown path. We were heading north, as far as I could tell. I suggested walking along the beach--mostly because I wanted to be near the ocean--but Kit pointed out we would be more visible there. And so we continued to travel through the woods.

It started raining around noon and Angel requested we take a break. I think he mostly said it for Kit, though--their injury seemed to be giving them trouble. I leaned some sticks against a tree branch, and we sat down under the makeshift shelter.

Kit sat down and started to clean the dirt off their metal arm. I checked inside my bag, making sure neither Angel nor Kit could see the contents. Angel gave me a strange look but said nothing.

"You got some sort of Nocturnal artifact in there?" He asked eventually. 

"Something like that," I replied, watching him carefully as I closed the bag.

Kit suddenly lifted their head. "Did you hear that?"

My eyebrows knitted together. "Hear what?"

"The… the, uh…." They trailed off, looking frustrated. They muttered something under their breath--a curse, I think.

"The footsteps!" They said after a second. "Yes. There was rustling, and footsteps. Did you hear them?"

I pretended I didn't notice how they forget a seemingly unforgettable word, and shook my head. "No, I don't hear--"

But then I did hear. It wasn't footsteps, though--it was voices. Several. 

Angel pulled out his newly-found revolver. Kit stood up and climbed a tree, scouting.

They dropped to the ground, silently. "Catastrophe," They whispered.

I glanced at Angel and stood, drawing my sword. We walked up to Kit, who had pulled out a wicked looking dagger with a Song of War bird motif. There hadn't been anything like that in the cavern.

"I stole it from a soldier," They told me. Clearly they'd seen the unhappy look on my face.

I decided not to worry about Kit's loyalty and crept forwards, peering through the bushes. Kit was right--there was a small group of Catastrophe's soldiers, camped around a smoking fire. I guess the heavy rain must have drowned out the smell of burning.

There were about ten soldiers total, and all of them were armed to the teeth. They didn't look human, either-- they had strange yellow eyes and black spikes all over their bodies. Some even had long, lizard-like tails and big, dragon-like ears. Homo Tenebris, then--fellow SOCS mutants, but not the friendly kind.

"Angel, can't you turn into a dragon and just murder them all for us?" I whispered. He shook his head.

"I can only shift into one form, and it's not exactly helpful in a fight," He replied. 

Kit looked at both of us with an amused expression. "Why don't we just sneak around them?" They asked.

"I don't think you understand how good Tenebris senses are," Angel responded.

"It's raining, stupid," Kit said. "They won't be able to hear, see, or smell us."

Kit had a fair point.

They led us through the woods, somehow an expert at sneaking. I thought of the dagger Kit had. Were they a spy for Catastrophe? It would explain an awful lot… 

But right now, Kit was saving Angel and I, so I said nothing. They led us safely past the soldiers, only stopping once we were far away from them.

"Where did you learn to creep around like that?" Angel snapped. Evidently he was as suspicious of Kit as I was.

Kit looked at the two of us, clearly nervous. "Well, to tell the truth, I don't really know. I lost memory in a bad accident."

My eyes narrowed.

"But, there were some people who knew me from before my memory loss. They said I'd travelled for years, and was an expert at moving silently through the forest. I think my parents were from the woods. Maybe they were hunters." Kit shrugged. "But like I said. I don't really know. If it makes you feel better, I also don't remember how to fire a gun."

Kit seemed to be telling the truth. And their memory loss would explain the things they'd said earlier about it being unbelievable they could speak. It would also explain why they forget the word "footsteps". I wondered what could have caused such severe damage to their brain.

"Fine," I said. "I trust you. Now let's get going."

~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(April 21, 2021 - 10:52 am)
Kit~~

Kosomi and Angel were both clearly wary of me, and I didn't blame them. I don't know who I used to be-- maybe I really was an awful person. The people who were my supposed friends definitely didn't seem like pacifists. I wondered how many people I'd hurt. How many I'd forgotten.

But I couldn't stay distracted for long. The rough, overgrown path we were taking forced me to pay attention or get left behind. It didn't help that the ground was still slippery from the earlier rainfall. I wished we could have taken a better maintained route, but it would have been far too risky.

Angel led the way. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, even where to hide from patrols, and where to find edible plants. Clearly, he'd been stationed here for a very, very long time.

"So, Kit, when did you lose your memory?" Kosomi asked. 

"About a month ago. Why?"

Kosomi shrugged. "No reason. Just curious."

We fell into silence again, but then Angel restarted the conversation. "Kosomi, why aren't you with the other members of the Nocturnal? Weren't you all hiding together?"

Kosomi looks nervous. She glances between Angel and I. 

"It's a long story," She finally said.

"We have time," Angel replied. Was he suspicious of her, too? I wondered if I was the only one with the capability to trust people. Maybe I was just naive.

"Fine," Kosomi said. "Our Temple was attacked by Jaaws. Most of the Nocturnal perished with it, the rest fled and escaped to the farthest corners of Kyngdom."

"By Jaaws? What would she want?" Angel asked.

Kosomi swallowed--why on Kyngdom did she look so nervous? "I'm not sure," Kosomi said. I wondered if she was telling the whole truth.

Probably not.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. I finally dared to speak. "So how likely are our chances of finding a Nocturnal member in Mer?"

"I'd assume our chances would be high," Kosomi explained. "Mer is protected by the Resistance, which makes it safer than most cities. And obviously, the Nocturnal wants somewhere safe."

"Well, good," Angel said. "Look, you can see Mer on the horizon." He beckoned us up a small slope, which rose above the surrounding forest. 

Mer could just faintly be seen, a collection of silhouettes along the sunset. It was beautiful, a shining beacon of hope. 

"We should reach there by tomorrow night. Now come on, let's find somewhere safe to sleep."

--

The night passed, and morning came. It was the sun that awakened me today--we'd slept outside in a small grove, surrounded by trees and bushes. Angel was still asleep, but Kosomi looked as if she'd been up for hours.

We woke Angel up and had something to eat before resuming our journey. Today, the trip went smoothly. We ran into no soldiers, and even strayed onto the main path for several hours. The only other people we encountered were traders and merchants.

As we neared the city, the trees and forest began to thin. The paths merged into one large one, and the ground turned from dirt to stone. Now we were surrounded by people--from the looks of it, mostly refugees from the surrounding cities and towns. Everyone wanted to go to Mer, it seemed.

"It's awfully crowded," I remarked. "Does the city have enough room for all these people?"

"Probably not," Angel admitted. "And the Resistance is too low on members to be able to help manage the newcomers. Mer's going to turn into a mess very quickly."

"Oh, Claaws," Kosomi muttered. "We're never going to get into the city at this rate." I noticed how uncomfortably slow we were moving. Up ahead, I saw the reason why. There was a group of Resistance soldiers, who were checking everyone's faces. Making sure none of Catastrophe's supporters were sneaking into the city, I'd guess.

"None of you are wanted, right?" Angel asked. "I mean, my badge alone should be enough to get us in, but… you might want to hide that dagger, Kit."

I realized the Song of War bird dagger was still resting on my hip. I stashed it into my bag, hoping nobody had seen it. 

Finally, we made it to the gates.

"Names?" A soldier asked. 

"Kosomi pur Ramabasa," Kosomi stated.

"Angel Hildebrande," Angel said.

"Kit."

"Ah, Hildebrande! I know you. You and Ramabasa are free to enter the city," The soldier said. "Kit, you have a last name?"

I shook my head.

The soldier looked over me again. "Well, you're not on any wanted lists. I suppose you're fine to enter. Especially if you're friends with Hildebrande."

They stepped out of our way, and we were able to pass through the large, wooden gates. The streets of Mer were equally crowded, though.

"Claaws, I hate this. Let's find a hotel or something and worry about the Nocturnal in the morning," Kosomi said. "I don't want to be outside when it gets dark."

"Right!" Angel said. "The only problem with staying in a hotel is that we are incredibly low on money. Normally, I'd stay in the Resistance base, but with all these new people in the city the Resistance probably won't let strangers in their base."

"So what do you suggest?" Kosomi asked.

"I suggest we find that Nocturnal member and hope they'll like us enough to let us stay at their place. Any ideas on where to find them?" Angel replied. 

~~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(April 30, 2021 - 10:46 am)
Kosomi~~

"Angel, if I knew where to find a Nocturnal member, I'd have found them by now," I snapped.

"Well, maybe we can just ask around? I mean, there's got to be rumors about people in a city like this," Kit suggested.

I thought about this for a moment. "Fine. Maybe one of the merchants will know something."

Angel led us to the main square, where several market booths were. There were slightly less people here--I guess most had just stopped as soon as they were in the gates, or gone to a hotel. Kit and Angel both branched off to go talk to people.

"Hey, you!" I looked over to see a young child calling to me.

"Yes, you, the Homo Aquarius! Come over here!" They called. I glanced around. Kit and Angel were both talking to an elderly Dolor Felis selling mechanic-looking stuff. I didn't seem to be in any danger, so I walked up to the kid.

"What do you want?" I asked, crouching down so I was eye-level with them. They looked to be about six or seven, and seemed to be human, as far as I could tell. They were a little girl, with messy, but clean, blonde hair and fair skin. She wore a worn, yet nice, pink dress.

"I saw your anklet," She said, pointing towards it. "It's very pretty."

"Thank you," I said. "I got it from a very close friend."

"Miss Lilith has a bracelet that looks just like it," the girl said. "That's why I wanted to talk to you."

"Really?" I asked. "Say, where does this Miss Lilith live?"

The girl paused to think. "In the big blue house. Up on the hill."

I reached into my pocket with one of my hands and pulled out a coin. "I'll give you this if you take my friends and I to her."

The girl's eyes widened when she saw the money. "Okay! Follow me!"

"Angel! Kit! Come here!" I yelled. They ran over quickly.

"What is it?" Angel asked. I pointed to the girl.

"We have a lead," I replied. Both Angel and Kit looked confused, but said nothing. They walked alongside me as I followed the girl down the streets.

She led us on an incredibly winding path, and I soon lost all sense of direction. I certainly hoped the girl knew where we were going, because I certainly had no idea. The path began to slope upwards and I remembered what the girl had said-- "..the big blue house. Up on the hill." I began to look for a large blue house.

The little girl stopped in front of what was really a large blue mansion. From the look of this and the other houses, this was where the Mer elite lived. 

"Does Miss Lilith live inside this house?" I asked the girl. She nodded.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the towering oak doors. Not even a moment later, they swung open just a crack.

On the other side was another child, a little boy with cat-like features--a Homo Felis, perhaps. He seemed older than the girl, but not by much. His orange eyes swept over us, landing on the girl.

"Who are these people?" He asked.

"They're here to see Miss Lilith!" The girl said. "The four-armed lady has an anklet like Miss Lilith's bracelet."

"What's all this commotion about?" A much older voice said from within the mansion. The boy spun around, looking alarmed.

"Miss Lilith! Ellie brought strangers!" He called.

"Well, invite them in, my dear! Let me speak to them awhile," The voice responded.

The door swung all the way open, revealing a woman whose age I couldn't even begin to tell. She could have been anywhere from thirty to seventy.

Her hair was pitch black, with silver streaks, a violent contrast to her deathly pale skin. It was in a tight, elegant bun, though some of it still was loose. She wore a gorgeous navy blue dress which trailed on the floor behind her. There were more children inside, too. All of their eyes raised to stare at us as we entered.

"My name is Miss Lilith Tutamen. I care for the orphans of Mer...hence the number of children," She explained. "Who are you, and what may I do for you?"

"I am Kosomi pur Ramabasa, and these are my friends. I hear you have a bracelet that looks like my anklet?" 

Her eyes quickly darted towards my foot, and her eyebrows raised. "Yes, come with me. Children, take this kind lady's friends to the guest bedrooms, please."

"Wait, we stick together," I quickly said. Lilith stared me directly in the face.

"Children, take the lady's friends to the guest bedrooms, please. We have a private matter to discuss," She insisted. There was no point in arguing with her, so I simply followed her, praying to Lunee she wasn't going to have the kids murder Angel and Kit or something.

Lilith guided me into a study, where she locked the door as soon as we were both inside. There was a crackling fireplace, and on the mantel sat a large, porcelain statue of none other than Lunee. There were smaller, wooden figurines of the other Powers, but it was clear which one Lilith revered.

She sat down in a large chair on the other side of a desk, and gestured for me to sit in the small wooden chair in front of her. I did, resting a hand on my sword.

"I've heard of you," Lilith said. "Seze sent me a letter--she said you were entrusted with the Power of Claw."

"I was," I replied, instinctively drawing my pack closer.

"You were assigned with something as precious as Lunee's sibling, and yet you travel with filth." Lilith's words were dripping with poison.

"Filth?!" I exclaimed. "What do you mean by that?"

"That shifter. I don't trust him. In fact, I don't trust any shifters. Not after one of them murdered Sitaara," Lilith responded. 

"Wait, a shifter murdered Sitaara?" I yelped. "But didn't she simply go missing? I thought her cause of death was unknown…" Perhaps my worst suspicions of Angel were founded after all. Was that why he wanted to find Sitaara's son so bad? So he could murder him too?

Lilith nodded. "Yes. It was a vile act indeed. But no matter. I'm more than certain Lunee was still correct in choosing you to bear this honor."

"Yes, she's always correct," I replied. Hopefully Lilith didn't detect the sarcasm in my tone.

"You can stay here as long as you'd like, of course. Was there anything in particular you came here for?" Lilith asked.

"Yes. I came here about Sitaara."

~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(April 30, 2021 - 6:00 pm)
Kit~~

A young boy grabs my hand and pulls me towards a flight of stairs. I try to turn to see where Angel is, but the children are already pushing me along. 

"Where are we going?" I ask the boy. I wish he'd grabbed my metal arm--his grip on my hand is so tight I'm worried he'll damage it.

"The guest bedrooms, of course," The boy replies without looking at me. We reach the second floor and still there are more children. How many orphans does Mer have?

"Well, where are the guest bedrooms?" I ask. The boy doesn't say anything, just keeps pulling me. We stop in front of a door, which a little girl opens for me.

"Right here!" The boy says. "Miss Lilith keeps the rooms very clean."

One of the children pushes me forwards and I step into the room, apprehensive. The boy was right--the room is incredibly clean. The walls are painted a yellow-ish color, though there are no windows. There's a double bed with floral blankets, an antique-looking dresser, and a writing desk. A mirror hangs on a wall.

I turn around to speak to the children again, but the door is slammed shut. I hear a soft click, and my veins are flooded with dread. They didn't--they did. I try to open the door several times, but the children have locked it.

My heart beats, pushing against my chest. It feels like there's a swarm of bees in my brain--my thoughts are spinning wildly and I can't stop them. I don't like what's happening but I also don't know how to react. Does Miss Lilith want to hurt me, or does she just want to keep me from sneaking around her mansion? 

If the latter, is she hiding something from us?

I decide I need to do something, and so I dig through the draws of the desk, wardrobe, and vanity. There're a couple gemstones resting on the top of the vanity, which I stuff into my bag, and some pens, pencils, and paperclips in the desk drawers.

"Kit!" A voice yells--Angel. It's muffled and hard to make out, but I hear it."Are you okay?" His voice is coming from the right wall, where the vanity is. I run up to the wall and press my ear to it.

"I'm okay! Just trapped!" I reply. "What about you?"

"Are your hands bound?" He shouts.

"No, why?"

"Mine are." Well, that's interesting. Clearly Lilith trusts one of us more than the other. Maybe it's because Angel is in the Resistance, and obviously more trained than I.

Or maybe she saw the revolver on his hip.

"Can't you shapeshift and escape?" I ask.

"Already tried! They're enchanted, or something," He responds. I don't know what to do. Hopefully, Kosomi will come looking for us and realize what's happened.

"Can you try picking the lock or something?" Angel asks. 

"Um, maybe. I don't know how to, but I think I have the right tools?" 

"Get to the door, I'll tell you how. What do you have in your bag?" 

"I've got some paperclips. Will those work?" 

"Should work. Okay, now listen closely…" He describes to me how to bend the paper clips so they'll fit in the lock. I listen as close as I can, hoping that I'm doing it right. I wish he could see what I was doing.

Thankfully, Angel is good at explaining and describing things. It takes more time than I would have liked, and I'm certain any nearby children have already alerted Miss Lilith of our plans, but eventually, the door is unlocked.

"Got it!" I yell. "Okay, I'm going to look for you!"

"Right! I think I'm two doors down from you."

I go to the room he said, and knock on the door. "This you?"

"Yes!" He shouts. "Now hurry up and open the door!"

Thankfully, I don't have to pick this lock. The door has a lock on the outside, so I simply open it.

Angel is standing, waiting for me. His hands are tied together with chains. They seem to have strange engravings on them--I wonder if the engravings are some kind of spell.

I can hear footsteps coming up the stairs, and voices of children. I begin to untie Angel's bound hands. My left hand, the biological one, is shaking horribly and the process is slow going.

By the time I free him, the children are already on the same floor as us. We both freeze in the hallway, staring down the small horde of kids.

Neither group makes a move.

Miss Lilith appears from behind the children, gliding towards us. "How rude," She says.

"Rude? You imprisoned us!" Angel snaps.

"Evidently not well enough. You are...shockingly resourceful. And yet, I will not harm you," Lilith continues. Her voice demands for us to respect her, and I feel myself shrivel in her presence. Kosomi had the same effect-- I wonder if it's a Nocturnal thing.

"Where's Kosomi?" I ask, suddenly realizing her absence.

"Waiting downstairs. She, too, is entirely unharmed."

"Well, take us to her," Angel says. He sounds impatient. "We're not going to be separated again."

"Oh, really?" Lilith says. "I think you will. And children, this time, make sure they cannot escape."

Lilith steps forwards and grabs Angel and I's wrists. 

"What are you--" Angel suddenly collapses. An awful feeling, like a rat ripping through my stomach, fills me.

And then I too collapse.

----

Kosomi~~

"I came here about Sitaara."

"Sitaara?" Liltih asks. "Well, I know a great deal of things about Sitaara. Ask away, my--"

She's suddenly interrupted by a child knocking on her door. "Miss Lilith! Miss Lilith! We need help!"

Lilith sighs. "Ah, wait here, I'll be back." She leaves the room.

I have nothing else to do, so I approach the fireplace and examine the Power figurines. Each one is crafted expertly. They look gorgeous--I think the Powers themselves would be impressed.

Lilith returns a moment later, and I jump as the door closes. "I see you've taken an interest in those little figurines."

"Yes, they're beautiful. Who made them?" I ask.

"I made them myself, actually," Lilith explains. "Not by hand, of course. They were created with magic."

"Ah." I pretend to understand how magic works. I had to study magic when I joined the Nocturnal, but I was always hilariously terrible at it.

"So, what did you need to know about Sitaara?" Lilith asks.

"Well, I found out from--uh, a trusted source, that she made an interesting request before her...disappearance," I explain.

"Murder, you mean," Lilith corrects. "Go on."

"Supposedly, she wanted her youngest son to head to the cave where the ice dragon Frostbite once lived, once he was of age," I continue. "It sounds stupid, I know."

"Oh, not at all," Lilith says. "In fact, it makes perfect sense! You see, there was a Nocturnal temple in that cave. Well, not a full-blown temple, but a small sanctuary. Frostbite had taken it over in a lust for knowledge, knowledge which he did not deserve."

"So maybe she would want her son to know that knowledge?" I ask.

"Perhaps. She loved her youngest son--Aakash is his name, I think. I believe she wanted him to join the Nocturnal when he was older. I met him once. Very clever child. He would fit right in with us!" Lilith says. "Now, who told you this?"

"Um…" I trail off. I don't know what else to say, other than the truth--and so I tell her it. "Believe it or not, the shifter I came here with told me that. He claims to be an old friend of Sitaara."

A strange rage overcomes Lilith. "That's him! That's the Lunee-cursed shifter who murdered Sitaara!!"

Her cries echo throughout the room. "But, wait! Are you really sure she was even murdered? Didn't she just go missing?" I protest.

Lilith sighs and faces me. "Kosomi, this will not make much sense to you, but Sitaara and I have a...connection, of sorts. As children, we both got lost in the Decoy Forest together. And we've been different ever since.

"When Sitaara died, I felt it. And I had a dream that night--no, a vision. I saw her die. I saw a thing, a monster, shift into a huge, evil dragon with glowing red eyes, and murder her. I saw it happen with my own eyes, Kosomi! It was a shifter that killed her!"

"Lilith, I don't think you saw her die!" I continue. "I think you saw Jaaws."

Lilith freezes. "What do you mean?"

"Look, when the Temple was destroyed… I saw Jaaws. And she looked just like that. And that night… I had a dream she murdered a friend of mine," I say.

"You don't--You think I've seen Jaaws before, and that caused the dream?" Lilith asks.

I nod. "Yes."

Lilith shakes her head. "No, you've gone...I don't understand…." She slumps down into the chair, suddenly exhausted.

~~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/They, Ikea
(May 3, 2021 - 2:31 pm)
Kosomi~~

"I know. It's hard to take in." I rest a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to bury the rising guilt and shame in my stomach. Everything I'm telling her is a lie. I never had any dream like that.

I just don't want Angel dead.

Not yet, anyways--not until I know what really happened to Sitaara. Even though it's definitely better to not jump to conclusions, I feel horrible for lying so blatantly to Lilith.

"You're wrong," Lilith says, taking a deep breath. "You are a liar."

Well, that didn't last long.

"What makes you think that?" I retort. Lilith looks up at me. Strangely enough, there is a smile on her face.

"It would be impossible for me to have seen Jaaws. I mean, the only place I could have possibly seen her would have been at the Temple, and I have not been to the Temple in many, many years," Lilith says. "You think I'm being rash. Making bad decisions."

"Yes, I do think--wait, if you haven't been at the Temple, where have you been?"

"I've been here for the last several decades. You see, the Nocturnal didn't like me very much. They didn't like the kind of...powers I had control over," Lilith explains. "They found my methods too violent and dangerous. Sitaara didn't. Sitaara always understood."

"But how do you know Angel killed Sitaara?"

"So, that's his name, hmm? Well, who else would it be? What other shapeshifter could she have known?"

This is a valid point, and yet, it doesn't feel right. "Well, I'm not sure how true this is, but Angel said his other form was useless in battle. And a big, huge dragon doesn't sound like it would be useless in battle," I say. "Look, I'm not saying he's innocent. But shouldn't we try to know the truth instead of guess it?"

"Kosomi! I already know the truth, haven't you been listening?" Lilith yells, standing up. Her fingernails dig into the table. "That shapeshifter is a murderer, and you're still trying to protect him! It's you who refuses to see the truth!"

"You're claiming he's a murderer off of nothing but a bad dream, Lilith!" I also stand. "You need to think rationally!"

"Your dependence on logic and reason is going to be your demise, mark my words," Lilith snarls. "But fine. Lunee chose you and I must respect that. For now, I'll let the shifter live. But if he makes one wrong move…"

"He won't," I reply, sounding more certain than I feel. Angel has seemed friendly so far, but I've only known him for a couple days. I don't actually know how trustworthy he is. The same applies to Kit.

Lilith straightens and smooths out her dress. "Well. Let's agree to pretend this never happened. Now, I must help you on your quest to find Aakash. Come with me."

Lilith leaves the office and I follow. Some of the children trail behind us, and this time, Lilith lets them. She takes me down a set of stairs into what must be the basement of the mansion.

I can't help but gasp in awe. We stand in a large, rectangular room. The walls are made of stone, with tapestries depicting Lunee and various other Nocturnal-related symbols hung across them. The majority of the floor is overtaken by a pool of water, which glows faintly, providing light. A fountain, made of marble, is in the center.

"This is an enchanted pool," Lilith explains. "Rest beside it, and Lunee will provide you with guidance in your dreams. Hopefully, you are open-minded enough to listen."

I ignore Lilith's last sentence and walk closer to the pool, laying down beside it. I've done rituals like this before, back at the Temple.

"I'll leave you alone, now. Children, come with me. We have other guests to tend to."

I wonder, briefly, how Angel and Kit are doing, as I slowly drift into sleep.

~~~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(May 4, 2021 - 10:53 am)
Kosomi~~

I feel grass beneath my toes, and I slowly open my eyes, looking around. I'm in a wide, open field, flowers growing amongst the tall grass. Next to me a small pool of water. I gaze at my reflection to see that I am wearing a long, sky-blue dress. It's beautiful--I wish I was wearing it in reality, too.

"Isn't this place peaceful?" 

I turn around, expecting to see Lunee, but instead there is a woman. Her skin is dark with warm undertones, and her hair only a shade away from black, reaching down to her waist. Her outfit is a mixture of several shades of blue, and a sword rests in a hilt on her waist. I recognize her from a tapestry that used to hang in the Temple--she is Sitaara.

"So you are the one who Angel has trusted with finding my son. What is your name?" She asks, approaching me. 

"I am Kosomi pur Ramabasa. I was once Queen of the Homo Aquarians, but I gave up that position. I was not suited for it." I feel as if I could tell Sitaara anything. She has a gentle, kind aura to her. "...Were you murdered? By a shifter?"

Sitaara tilts her head. "What a curious question! No, I wasn't murdered. Not at all."

That proves Angel's innocence, at least. "How did you get here? I thought only Lunee could speak to me here."

"Not quite. Anyone can visit an enchanted poolside dream if they're skilled enough. Provided there's no spells preventing them from entering, of course," Sitaara explains. "Is there anything else you need to ask me?"

"Yes, actually-- Miss Lilith, she says she saw you being murdered by a shapeshifter in her dreams. Are her abilities… made-up?"

Sitaara shakes her head. "No, Lilith is truly clairvoyant. But clairvoyance is a messy thing. Sometimes dreams don't mean what they seem to--Lilith didn't witness my death. She simply saw that I was in danger."

"Ah. I suppose it's good to not listen closely to dreams, then," I say.

"I wouldn't say that," Sitaara says. "In fact, this is what I wanted to talk to you about. You have a tendency to ignore things that don't fit in with your more rational worldview."

"Isn't it better to rely on logic, though?"

"Yes. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to more mystical and strange things. After all, we live in a very strange world," Sitaara replies. "I'm afraid my youngest son is far worse than you are when it comes to this sort of thing. It's unlikely he'll believe that I really wanted him to do this."

"So how are we going to convince him it's true?" I ask.

"Well, my husband's  Masquerade didn't exactly go well. I'd imagine he would like to get away from his rather foolish family the first chance he got. Use that to your advantage." Sitaara's voice has taken a sour tone. I'm fairly certain the Masquerade wouldn't have happened if she'd still been around.

"Where do we find him, though? Is he still at the manor?" I ask.

Sitaara shrugs. "I genuinely don't know the answer to that, Kosomi. I would hope he's still at the manor… but as I said, the Masquerade didn't go well."

Sitaara looks up at the sky, which has taken on an orange color. "You're going to wake up soon. So I'll leave you with this final piece of advice-- There's no such thing as a perfect being."

The world begins to fade, and Sitaara vanishes. The grass beneath my feet turns cold, and hard. Slowly, slowly, the real world comes back into focus-- trees have been replaced by stone pillars, and the orange sky replaced by a dark ceiling.

There's a child waiting near the doors--the girl who took me here.

"Miss Lilith wants to talk to you."

And then I notice my bag, with the Power inside it, is gone.

~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(May 5, 2021 - 10:46 am)
Angel~~

"Ohhh, my head hurts." It's more than just hurting, though. It's an awful, excruciating pain that feels like a billion knives being repeatedly stabbed into my brain. 

"Same here. Where are we?" Kit has presented an interesting question. I slowly open my eyes only to quickly slam them shut again--the blinding overhead light only makes my headache worse.

After a moment of keeping them closed, I try again, and find that it's almost bearable. Kit's on the ground next to me, slumped against a wall. Their eyes are open as well, though blinking non-stop as they adjust to the sudden brightness.

We're in an empty room. There's no beds, no fancy writing desks, no windows--the only thing that tells me it's a room and not a large wooden box is the door on the far wall.

My hands aren't bound, but there's an incredibly tight metal band around my wrist with the same engravings as the chains. So, no shifting.

Kit stands up and slowly paces around the room. They murmur something to themself, but I'm not sure what.

"Aw, darn, the kids took my bag," Kit eventually says. Their voice is oddly calm, considering the situation. But for Kit, I've discovered that bizarre calmness in incredibly frightening situations is a norm.

I look down to see my revolver is gone, which is...expected. "So...do you have any ideas?"

Kit looks through the keyhole on the doorknob. "Not at all. The hallway is empty, though… I wonder where Kosomi is. I hope she's okay."

I feel guilty when I realize I haven't considered Kosomi's well-being at all. I hope she's alright, though. 

Before I can respond to Kit, there's the sound of distant footsteps, which begin to get louder and louder. Someone's coming. 

Kit backs away from the door. "I think it's children. A couple of them. Maybe. Not sure."

The door opens a moment later, confirming Kit's theory. There're three boys and two girls--some of them are SOCS mutants and others seem to be human. Most of them hang back, but one of the girls steps into the doorway. She looks like she's partially a sea serpent--a Homo Aquarius, I think.

The five children glance uneasily between each other. Eventually, the girl speaks.

"You two are Resistance soldiers, right?" She asks.

I glance at Kit. "Not quite. They're more of just...um--well, we're medics, actually." Something tells me it might turn out better if the kids think Kit is also a Resistance member.

"The Resistance are good guys, right?" The girl continues.

"Yes, you could say that," Kit says. I decide they should probably handle the conversation--they're a much nicer person.

"Lilith says so, too… I don't like what she's making us do. It's not right," The girl explains. "But Lilith says you want to hurt people… are you good people?"

"We are," Kit says. "We're good people. We don't want to hurt anybody."

"Does that make Lilith bad?" One of the boys asks. I think yes, but thankfully Kit is much more forgiving.

"Of course not! She's just very… She wants to keep you safe. So she's being cautious. Too cautious." Kit bends down so they're level with the kids. "Lilith is just...misguided, that's all."

The children look at each other again, murmuring something.

"Okay," the girl says. "Come with us.".

I glance at Kit, who shrugs. We don't have any other options, so we follow the kids down the hall.

~~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(May 7, 2021 - 10:34 am)
Kosomi~~

I never knew the true meaning of dread until this moment.

It feels as if a black cloud has sunken into my bones and flesh, wrapping around my muscles and organs, pressing its pointed claws into my heart and brain. It's like a snake, coiled around every nerve in my body, hissing words into my ear.

The shadows on the walls look like monsters now.

The children guide me slowly down the hallway, and now I find myself trying to remember every detail about the manor. I might need them if I have to escape.

Just as I think my anxiety will become unbearable, we reach the study. Same one as before.

Lilith is waiting inside, with the bag. With the Power. It feels like we're playing a game of chess, but all her pieces have been replaced with queens, and the only pieces I've got left are my king and a pawn.

"Who visited you in your dream?" Lilith asks. Her voice sounds too kind.

"Sitaara visited me."

"I figured she might," Lilith says. "What with you looking for her son, and all." 

There's a pause. I can feel the tension crackling in the air. Like a storm is about to hit.

"Give me back the Power, Lilith," I demand. Lilith looks unfazed.

"No," She replies. "It's mine now."

"Why?" I ask. "What do you want with it?"

"I want to serve Lunee, because I love her, and respect her. You don't. You never have. You never will," Lilith replies. "I had a dream, too. And mine told me a lot."

I swallow nervously. "Lunee chose me to protect it. You don't want to anger her, do you?"

Lilith tilts her head. "Lunee will understand that I'm more fit for this. Lunee understands everything."

"Then what do you want from me? And Angel? And Kit?"

"Angel? I want him dead. The cyborg? Perhaps they can be saved. The Nocturnal can always use more members," Lilith explains. "As for you… Well, it would be wrong of me to abandon a fellow priest. Instead, I want to save you."

"Save me? What on Kyngdom do you mean?" I ask.

Lilith smiles. "I want to help you. Just as I've been helping the children. All you have to do… is let me heal you." She reaches out her hands towards me, and I back away, hitting the door--which is locked.

This is going great.

"You're insane."

"Insane? No, Kosomi, I am kind," Lilith says. "When people's minds are clouded with fear, anger, grief, distrust… I fix them. I will make them better again."

I think of how the children follow her every command without question. I think of how their eyes seem to be without emotion, how their voices seem empty.

"You turn them into puppets!" I cry. 

"Puppets? No! I would never!" Lilith draws back, looking offended. "No, no, that is what Jaaws would do. I turn people into...saviors! Yes! Saviors who trust in Lunee, in light!"

The worst part is that I can tell Lilith truly thinks she's helping people. That by getting rid of their free will, getting rid of their very emotions--she is saving them. Cleansing them of their wrongs.

But she's really just brainwashing them.

"No," I insist. "You're evil, Lilith." 

I have no other option. I draw my sword, ready for a fight.

Lilith sighs. "Oh, Kosomi… I'd truly believed you'd be able to understand."

And then she rushes at me, eyes full of fury.

~~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(May 7, 2021 - 10:58 am)
Kit~~

The children lead us down the hall for what seems like an impossible amount of time. I try to figure out where we are, but the manor's bizarre interior design only confuses me more. I'd love to meet the architect. They must be insane. 

As we get closer and closer to the staircase, I can begin to hear noises coming from the ground floor. They're incredibly faint, but I swear I can make out yells and the clanging of metal.

The children seem uneasy.

"Do you know where Lilith put our stuff?" Angel asks one of the kids.

The girl, who's clearly the leader of their group, nods as she walks. "It's this way."

She takes us down the stairs, but we're still not in the lobby. I wonder what floor we were on. The third, I think--I wonder how many floors total there are. Probably some strange number like four and three quarters, that sounds like something this house would have.

Now that we're on the second floor, the kids take us in a different direction. The floors change from carpet to hardwood as the girl leads us into a large walk-in closet.

I can see my bag hanging on a hook on the far wall, Angel's revolver nearby. The rest of the room is filled with statues and figurines. Most of them are of Lunee, but I spot some statues of the other Powers, and even a small wooden doll that I think is supposed to be a king with a scar on his face. I realize the "king" must be Catastrophe. 

"Middle-aged tyrant" seems to be a more fitting nickname than "Boy king" for him.

I grab my bag and look inside of it--everything's all there. Angel seems satisfied with the state of his revolver, too.

The sounds of fighting suddenly rise to a crescendo. Angel gives me a concerned look, and the children are clearly startled. I try my best to swallow back my fear as I go back into the hallway.

"We need to move quickly--I think Kosomi is in trouble," I tell the girl.

"Kosomi? Is she the four-armed lady?" The girl asks.

"Yes, and she's our dear friend, so we really must help her. Do you know where she is?" I say.

The girl nods. "Of course. She was with Miss Lilith."
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(May 11, 2021 - 11:00 am)

Kosomi~~

Lilith is a much better fighter than I anticipated. Her magic is powerful, and she has perfect control over it. I can't help but feel envy--maybe if I'd paid more attention to the priests' lessons, I'd be able to do that too.

We're in the hallway, now--dancing around each other, ducking behind chairs and bookshelves for seconds then leaping out at each other. She uses her magic, I cut it with my sword; I try to cut her and she dodges. The fight seems eternal, unending. 

"You can't hurt me with that sword, Kosomi," Lilith yells. "Just give up! I won't hurt you. I only want to save you!"

"Save me? You want to brainwash me!" She's getting closer. I can hear the crackling of the darkness wrapped around her hands.

"No, no--you'd understand better if you let me help you," Lilith said. "Then you'd see! You'd see that all I do is help!"

"All you do is harm!" I swing my sword at her, and to my surprise, she grabs the blade with her hand. Her palm is wrapped in a cloak of magic, but I can still see blood trickling down her arm.

"You can't win, Kosomi. You're weak." Lilith yanks the sword from my grasp, throwing it across the room. Panic floods me--what can I do now?

"If you bleed, you can die," I snap. I step back, feeling the wall press against my back. 

"Not by your hand. And especially not with Lunee protecting me." Lilith reaches her hands forwards, which now glow pale blue. "Let me save you, Kosomi. Let Lunee save you!"

There's nothing I can do to resist as Lilith grabs my wrists. Pain suddenly shoots through my body and I cry out in pain. The edges of my vision begin to blur--I think I'm going to pass out. And then there's a loud bang--and suddenly--

It stops. 

I gasp in horror to see Lilith collapse onto the floor. There's a red rose blooming on her back, soaking her dress with crimson liquid. A gunshot wound.

Angel stands across the hall, still aiming the revolver at me. Kit is just behind him, as well as a small gang of kids. The children look horrified. I don't blame them.

"Are you okay?" Kit rushes towards me. My ears are ringing, and it feels almost like I'm in a dream. There's a nasty ache throughout my entire body, and I can feel the start of a migraine building in my head.

Kit's face grows concerned as I don't answer. Instead, I slump against the wall, reaching towards Lilith. With a trembling hand, I close her eyelids.

"She only wanted to help," I murmur.

Kit sits down next to me--Angel and the kids keep their distance. Kit says nothing, they simply let me stare into space for a moment.

It's Angel who breaks the silence. "We have to leave. Now."

He's right, as always. "Okay," I whisper. Kit helps me stand. I look at the children, who still seem terrified.

"...Someone has to watch the children," I say, after a moment. "They can't be alone."

There's a moment of uncomfortable silence, until the oldest girl standing behind Angel speaks up. 

"It's okay," She says. "I can take care of everyone."

Angel looks down at the young Homo Aquarius, his head tilted. "And exactly how old are you?"

"Eleven," she replies.

"And you're the oldest?" Angel asks. The girl nods.

"Eleven is too young," Kit murmurs. "Children, are there any other adults you know?"

All the children shake their heads--a unison of "no".

"...Maybe someone from the Resistance can help," Angel mutters. "But we have to leave. I'm serious."

"Okay," I say, my voice weak and small. "Okay. We can do that."

Kit nods. "Yes, we'll go to the Resistance base and find help. And then we'll be right back."

"Until then, I'll be in charge?" The girl asks. 

"Yes. You'll be in charge." Angel looks down at Lilith. "Kit, Kosomi, head to the Base. I'll meet you there."

~~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(May 17, 2021 - 10:38 am)
Angel~~

As it turns out, Kosomi and Kit had no intention of going anywhere without me. Both were waiting just outside Lilith's mansion. I didn't inquire as to why they'd chosen to wait for me. If anything, I was glad they did. I wasn't sure I wanted to face the generals alone. Or...him.

"I'm hoping you'll know a quick way to the base, so we can get there before night?" Kosomi says. I glance up at the sky--it seems to be late afternoon. Claaws, we've spent a long time in that manor.

"Obviously," I reply, leading Kit and Kosomi down the street. "It's not far."

I wish it were far, though. Anything to put off seeing him again.

The closer we got to the base, the more nervous I grew. I did my best to hide it, but Kit noticed fairly quickly. Of course Kit would notice. 

"Are you...okay?" Kit asks, speeding up so they were next to me. Kosomi hung further back.

I nod. "Of course I'm fine. What makes you think otherwise?"

"You seem a little...anxious," Kit explains. 

"Anxious? Please, I don't get anxious." I try to fake-laugh, but Kit seems incredibly unconvinced. Which, to be fair, I expected.

"So what's bothering you?" Kit continues.

"...It's nothing. I'm serious." It wasn't nothing, of course. It had been so long--would he think the same of me? Did he hate me? I worried he did.

A small smile is on Kit's face. "I know you're lying, but hey. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"...It's just been a while since I've been back at the base. I guess I'm a little nervous about seeing some of my old friends." Ha. 'Friend' didn't even come close to describing my feelings about Hiraeth.

"Makes sense. But I'm sure it'll be okay," Kit says. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

I tried not to think about the worst case scenario.

------
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(June 1, 2021 - 10:26 am)
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