Walking Through Fire

[Aleu]

No one took mind of the midnight stop - trains like this often made stops like these to take on fuel, food, or water. Most of the passengers were asleep, anyway, and the ones who had roused sat by the windows, admiring the moonlight lying placidly upon the still lake water.

"Sakuya, remember - we don't want a mess. Don't bother with the ones that will put up a fight, and don't try to make the most out of it -- more will always be along." The teacup didn't make a sound as she set it gently upon its plate on a small table in front of her. Behind her high-backed armchair, a silver-haired woman, presumably a maid, to judge from her garb, paused only long enough to give a curt nod, before disappearing - simply vanishing from where she stood.

The first indication that something was wrong was a chorus of screams from one compartment of the train, cut off in a fraction of a second. Then, two cars down, another -- another three cars, another. They were sprouting incredibly quickly, just short of simultaneously.

At least everyone was awake now. Eori and Saelyr both woke at the first scream, as it was just a car down from theirs. The car on both sides of Dante had been full of cries, and Aleu and Serene, two compartments away, had woken from the same.

As for Askala -- She'd woken at the first signs of danger. Regretfully, that was a swarm of at least fifty, maybe more, silver knives floating above her body and just beginning to fall.

((For convenience's sake, this is what it looks like: E/S -> Eori/Saelyr, D -> Dante, A/S -> Aleu/Serene, A -> Askala, SC - Screaming car.

[Engine] [SC] [E/S] [ ] [ SC ] [ ] [ Dining Car ] [ A/S ] [ SC ] [D] [ SC ] [ ] [ SC ] [ SC ] [ SC ] [ SC ] [ ] [ ] [ SC ] [Caboose]))

[P-chan]

"Hey, Eori, you should go check out that noise," Saelyr called out loudly above the screaming. She was still sleepily in bed, her pillow squeezing her head closer to the mattress at an attempt to block out the shrill voices. "And grab something to eat on your way back. I have the midnight munchies again."

Eori glanced up at Saelyr from the captivating pages of his book. He hadn't been able to sleep through the night because of the haunting waves outside, every crash they made making him shiver. All he could see of her body huddled under her sheets was the strands of green hair that messily protruded from the gap between the blanket and her pillow. The screaming had struck him as peculiar, but he had just been patiently waiting for it to end since it was bound to, right? It seemed like that wasn't the case, however. "I have a different suggestion," Eori began, grabbing his bookmark from the bedside table. He slipped it into the crevasse his pages made, and shut the book carefully. "I propose that while I indeed do go search for that screaming, instead, you go acquire your own food. You're not a baby."

Saelyr moaned, sitting up in her bed, her pillow falling into her lap. She had fallen asleep with her hair still tied, and now it was a messy array of tangles. "I'm too tired," she grumbled, but was forced out of her cozy bed either way when Eori stomped over, grabbed her wrist, and impatiently pulled her out.

"You head out in that direction and search for your food," Eori stated bluntly, giving Saelyr a slight push in the direction of the caboose while he started for the incessant screaming the other way.

The green haired mage sighed, dragging her feet as she trudged towards the dining car. To her dismay, when she reached the car one away from the car with the food she so longed for, there was voices wailing inside of it. Just her luck; more screaming standing between her and satisfaction. Saelyr groaned loudly, rolling her eyes. She was going to find whoever was making these annoying noises and give them a clean punch. Grabbing the door, she pulled it open.

With his staff in his hand, Eori pulled open the door at the other side of the train between him and the screaming car. He braced himself for what he would find inside, hoping he could take care of it quickly so he could get back to his book...

[Moses]

Beads of sweat dripped from Dante's forehead as he woke with a start; until just moments ago, he was getting paid for a job. He remembered, very vividly, being handed the wad of cash. The dream had started peacefully, but something went wrong somewhere. He didn't know why, but in the distance some people had started screaming, and the dream had quickly turned into a nightmare. Sighing, he laid himself back down into his seat to try and catch a few more hours of sleep.

Suddenly screaming broke out in the car in front of Dante, causing him to jump out his seat. Before he could even think, more screaming erupted behind him. He now knew that he was definitely not dreaming; he could also tell from the type of scream that it wasn't just a shriek from seeing a mouse, or something of that nature. Running over to the window, he yanked the shade up, hoping to see something that could tell him what was wrong. All he saw, however, was the lake, shimmering in the moonlight. As the screams continued, shivers went up Dante's spine. He grabbed his gun out of habit, checked to make sure it the clip was full, and quickly stepped into the aisle.

He paused for a moment, trying to decide if he should head up or down the train. Because, as far as he could tell, the screams seemed to continue breaking out all the way down to the caboose, he headed that way. He had a gun, knew how to use it, and thought that he might as well head the more dangerous sounding way. Putting his hand on the door, he double-checked his gun by eyeing it. Then, after taking a deep breath, he shoved the door open and aimed his gun into the next car.

[Arynielle]

Askala had been sleeping peacefully in a world of her own, with no thoughts to plague her young heart. It was her haven-- to sleep was to forget all else in her life. Dreams kept her going when she felt that she was too mentally exhausted to continue with her journey. This one had been particularly pleasant. She had dreamed of a woman, a beautiful, blue-haired woman, who Askala believed to have been her mother. They hardly had the chance to embrace before Askala was ripped away from her fantasy and tossed with a start into the real world once again, somewhere she was not ready to see again. The young girl shook her head in disappointment and a small sigh escaped her dainty lips. She brushed a hand across her forehead when she finally opened her eyes. The sight before her caused her muscles to tense automatically.

Knives. That was far from normal. In the blink of an eye, she sprang from her current position which happened to be lounging across two seats. Askala flipped so that she dropped from the seats and then used her hands to allow her to spring away from the site with the knives. She automatically drew her javelin-- she planned to fend off the knives by diverting them with the javelin. It was true that she wasn't all that physically strong but in this case, she believed that she could deflect them with simple speed and accuracy as opposed to force. She knew that she had to remain careful, however, seeing as there was no one around the save her should she mess up. Her wings slowly spread out, though Askala wasn't sure what good that would do. After all, there was hardly any room in the train to fly, though her wings may giver that extra boost with dodging.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice revealing that she was, indeed, as young as she looked. Askala was not yet a woman; she was entirely a girl. She was not helpless as many others would think, however, and she had faith in her fighting abilities. Still, this was strange to her. It was the first time she had been on a train and she was sure that this was not a sort of norm that she should have been expecting.

[Aleu]

((I'm going to divide it up so that you can all reply to your own sections -- Mo, you're next to Aleu and Serene, so Dante's section is smushed with theirs.))

.:Eori and Saelyr:.

Eori jerked backwards on reflex as something silver darted past - on the other side of the car, Saelyr had done the same. The two knives that had shot into the room thunked in unison in the woodwork, and for a moment the two stared at each other in blank surprise. The view of each other's faces, however, was abruptly cut off, in less than a blink of the eye, by a sudden storm of metal -- knives, hundreds of them, arranged in spirals: almost florally. As one they turned, turning gracefully, like a flower unfolding, towards the two youths.

.:Aleu, and Serene:.

Aleu jumped from bed, pulling her sheathed sword from its place above her mattress and gripping it ready at her side. Her trio of Chimes Next to her, a sleepy, feathery bundle fwumped to the ground. A pair of thin arms emerged, patting around on the floor as if looking for something. Aleu gently lifted one of the arms and set it on top of a bundle that had rolled under the seats. "There, Serene."

A muffled "thank you" floating up from the feathers, and Serene slowly tottered to her feet, leaning against the mattress frame for support and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She unrolled the package to reveal a set of blades, which she strapped between her wings on her back. She wriggled her shoulders a little to settle them in place. "So what's up?" Aleu nodded towards the door.

"Something's back there?" Serene asked, walking up and peering through the glass, trying to see past the gap between the cars into the next room. "It looks empty. Here, let's open the door." She proceeded to do just that, stepping gingerly across the gap and pressing a shoulder against the opposite portal. "Ready?"

.:Dante, Aleu, and Serene:.

The two doors slammed open simultaneously. Serene stepped in quickly, halting abruptly when she saw the gunman on the other side. Aleu darted in beside her half-froze at Dante, but quickly threw a Chime in front of the two of them to act as a shield.

Tensed as they were, no one noticed that the car was empty, and spotlessly clean.

.:Askala:.

Askala caught a glimpse of someone standing at the door, turning towards her - the glint of an eye, red, and framed in blue-silver hair, and her vision once again filled with knives. There was no floral pattern as Eori and Saelyr had witnessed - these floated all around her in a sharp, silver sphere. All the bladed tips were pointed inwards, where Askala stood, javelin ready, hands going just a little lax from the show of power.

As they started to dart in at her, Askala could see through a gap her enemy's red eyes staring in at her. "I don't want anything from you," said a voice, feminine and mature. "It's Mistress that wants your blood."

[Moses]

Despite his mental preparation, Dante was slightly startled when the door across the car opened at the same time his did. He wasn't sure what he expected, but he sure didn't expect this. "Women?" he thought, "They can't be more than twenty years old..." He kept his gun ready and aimed on the two people, just to be safe. His finger tensed as the younger-looking one threw something towards him; he stopped himself from firing when he realized it was some sort of orb, thrown to shield the two. "Who are you?" He asked, keeping his voice down at a normal volume. "Surely they didn't cause those screams... but then again, I’ve been wrong before."

Suddenly, he realized that something wasn't right. Why was it so quiet? He kept the two women in his peripheral vision as he quickly glanced around the train car. It was completely spotless, without a person in sight. "I know I wasn't hallucinating before. There had been screams coming from this car, which meant there had to have been people and something had to have gone wrong." He snapped his eyes back on the two figures opposite him. "What happened? Where is everyone?" He said, The intensity of his voice increasing. Pressing lightly against the trigger of his gun, he pointed back and forth between the two women. If either of them made any sort of hostile move towards him, he would be ready to fire.

[P-chan]

Saelyr immediately raised a wave of wind between the knives and her, condensing the air into a thin, unbreakable wall. She held it up, bracing herself for when the knives would make contact with it, praying that it wouldn't shatter. Pressing her eyes shut in slight fear, Saelyr was relieved when the blades landed in her temporary wall, stopping in their tracks. Once they all stopped, she released her hold of the wind, and the knives fell one after another to land on the ground with comforting thunks.

Eori wasn't so quick with his magic, however, and as the flurry of knives shot at him, he had no choice but to flee from them. Dashing into the compartment behind him, a knife sliced through his thin cloak, planting itself in the wall nearest. More followed, proceeding to tatter his robes even further as he managed to twist around their arcs. Once he was safely inside the car, he heaved the door shut before any more knives could fly at him. “I wish my magic was faster,” he grumbled, hearing the knives jam themselves into the closed door between them. “Saelyr, this one is all you!” he screamed as loud as he could, hoping that his voice managed to make it through the thick door to her ears.

“Stupid Eori and his never being able to do anything fast,” Saelyr muttered after hearing his words, and readied herself and her wind magic for whatever was going to come next.

[Aleu]

.: ? :.

"She's taking a while," mused the woman with the teacup, a note of confusion, but not yet worry, in her voice. Taking a last sip from her cup, she gently tipped it upside down and emptied its contents in a sticky red puddle on the floor. She watched, her face showing boredom, as it silently crept towards the drainhole in the center of the tiles. "I hope she hasn't found trouble..."

.:Aleu, Dante, Serene:.

"Be nice if you could tell us," said Aleu evenly, turning her blade slowing into a defensive position. She could deflect bullets, but it was hard, needed a touch of luck, and wore down the blade on her sword badly - she hated doing it. "Because we've not a clue ourselves."

Serene, looking thoughtful, ran a hand across the aluminum floor and on the bed posts. "It's wet," she said, then touched her hands to her nose and sniffed. "Smells like..." Her nose wrinkled in confusion. "...like lemon. Like some kind of detergent... or scented soap."

.:Askala:.

"But I think I've wasted enough time," said the same voice, as the knives vanished from the air. Askala, confused, opened her mouth to ask what she meant when she suddenly felt two sensations at once - her lance torn powerfully from her hands and thrown skittering across the floor, and a strong blunt impact to the back of her head, that sent stars spinning and her mind to dip off into darkness.

.:Saelyr:.

Saelyr, standing ready and watching for the next assault and looking for her assailant, was still for about a minute before she realized that nothing was coming. No more knives, no sadistic opponent to spring from the woodwork to mock her -- it was over as quickly as it had begun. That was weird.

She turned to open the door to Eori's compartment to tell him it was clear. When she did, however, he was nowhere to be found -- the car was spotlessly clean, and smelled vaguely of lemon.

.:Eori:.

A powerful strike to the back of the head was the only thing he was aware of, coming right after he had shut the door on Saelyr and called to her. As he sank into darkness, he heard a feminine voice - a little harried, it sounded. "This is taking too long... I need to hurry up..."

[Arynielle]

OOC: I'll leave the rest to you, Aleu.

IC: A ripple of sunshine spread across her memory, drizzling upon her dream like the icing of a cake. For the first time she could remember, she was happy, as happy as the doves who roamed the sky without a care in the world, the doves who could fly only higher with no restraints. They could do whatever they wanted, whatever they wished, and they would remain innocent doves, unable to harm, unable to cause hurt. If only she were a little, white dove with those lovely wings to carry her wherever she desired. Oh yes, she wanted to be able to fly forever, to soar into the distance, to explore the skies with no limitations on her small body. These wings of hers, although white and quite beautiful, were not as strong as she wished them to be, and this abnormality caused her grief. Her young heart only desired a freedom of its own-- happiness.

Her petite frame shook as Askala awoke. It was cold, damp, unwelcoming, something that she did not like. Where did the sun go? Where was the warmth? She hugged her arms around her legs, chancing to peek around with her eyes. "Where am I?" she whispered. As brave as she wanted to be, as much as she wanted to prove herself to the world, she could not help but be frightened. Askala was alone. She studied herself, noticing that she was wounded, though not seriously. Her most significant injury was upon her shoulder, a small gash which had recently spilled blood from what she could tell. Still, she was no medic and did not know how to heal such a thing. Thoughts raced through her head. What do I need to do? I need to keep this from infecting... but how? Do I wrap it? I don't have any medicine with me... She wanted to cry but she bit her tongue to restrain the tears which threatened the spill. Where in the world was she?

[Aleu]

The place in which Askala had found herself was massive beyond comprehension -- she herself sat with her back against the junction of two walls, but in every direction her vision faded into darkness. By the light of a small lantern hanging in the air over her head (it didn't seem to be attached to anything), she could see, stacked around her, hundreds of barrels and crates, reaching from the roughly polished stone floor high towards the ceiling, further, further, until out of sight it went. It looked like a massive warehouse, or, by the decor, a massive cellar.

A dim figure, at the very edge of her vision, seemed to be approaching slowly. Askala strained her eyes, trying to see, but it was in vain -- the figure had disappeared behind a long row of boxes. Alarmed by the stranger (or was it?) and still worried for her arm, she sank back against the wall and tried to think of a plan. Before long, though, a loud -whump!- interrupted her thoughts.

"Hi!" She stared at the newcomer, confused. She looked a young child, no more than maybe twelve or thirteen, with a little stick of twisted metal in her hand (a weather vane?). Dressed in red and white, with a soft hat perched atop her head and two, artificial looking wings laden with crystalline gems on her back, the girl stood up and looked at Askala, head to one side and expression slightly confused.

"Why's that coming out of you?" she asked, pointing at her bleeding shoulder, and stepping closer for a look. "It smells like... like... what did Sakuya call them? ... Cranberries!" With that, she wiped a finger across her bloodied shoulder and promptly stuck it between her lips. Her wings shot upwards in surprise and delight. "It is cranberries! Are you a cake?"

[Arynielle]

This stranger surprised her. Askala had originally thought that she was some sort of prisoner in this dark place, and perhaps she still was, but she certainly didn't expect to find anyone who was so forthright about meeting another here. "Um... hello," she replied, still a bit surprised. This newcomer was around her age, though she appeared to be slightly younger. Not that it mattered; Askala was still trapped here, wherever this place was. From what she could see, there wasn't a way out; at least, not yet. Perhaps, if she went around and searched for a bit, she would find something worth her time, like an exit. "Who are you?" Askala asked the newcomer, hoping that she may be able to show her the way out if there was one somewhere. On the other hand, she wouldn't have minded being with somewhere else in this dark cellar regardless of circumstances. It was frightening to be by herself in such a strange place.

"Wha-- don't touch that!" Askala quickly said as the girl turned to her bloodied shoulder. Too late. She braced herself for a sting of pain as the other girl touched her arms but before she could analyze any other sensation, she lifted her head, listening to what the newcomer had to say. "...cranberries?" Cranberries? It was blood, not cranberries! Gingerly, Askala took a look at her own wound; it was indeed blood. How in the world did the girl think that it was cranberries? And to think that she had actually tried some of it as well... Askala wasn't sure what to think of that. It was actually somewhat disturbing but she didn't say anything afterwards, afraid that she might insult or offend the newcomer. Askala couldn't afford to do that right now.

"No, I'm not a cake," Askala said in return, only to find herself smiling at the chance to meet someone knew. For the first time in her life, she felt very, very glad to meet a stranger; normally she didn't like others very much. It wasn't her fault though; they never liked her. She was always the outsider, the one who didn't fit in. Maybe it was because of her soft-spoken personality or her shyness but that didn't change anything. She was still soft-spoken and shy most of the time. In this dire situation, however, she didn't have to chance to be as she usually was; this was no time to resist someone else's cheerfulness. Askala would probably gain from having a conversation with this newcomer. She couldn't think of a reason of why she wouldn't. Originally, she thought that she was lost and imprisoned. It couldn't get worst than that. In fact, there was the chance that things may get better if she grew to understand the situation better. "Where did you come from? she asked shyly.

[Aleu]

"Flaaaaaaaaaaaandre," she said in a kind of cheery drawl, swiping at her shoulder again and not seeming to notice Askala's little wince of pain. "My name's Flandre. You taste like a cake, you know. Like the kind Sakuya makes. I'll ask her to make you one next time she comes down here." She sat down in front of Askala, legs splayed, hands on the ground and head cocked to one side. The twisted weathervane was put to one side.

"I came from here. I've always been here. Patchouli takes me upstairs sometimes, but big sister doesn't like it." Flandre twiddled with the dust on the floor, pushing it this way and that, making a little pile. "She visits me down here, though. Sometimes she makes me something to eat." She glanced around warily, then leaned close to Askala. "Sakuya makes it better, though. Big sister can't cook very well," she whispered with a giggle, and took the opportunity to wipe a bit more blood from Askala's shoulder.

"Do you want to play? I know a fun game called danmaku."

[Shiori Ailill]

((note: I'm only calling her Sasami in this post, her alias for this mission is Saeki and I'll use that name from next post on. This is how she introduced herself to everyone, including Flan

Oh and Aleu, I take it that I don't have my obvious weapons, but what things would I have?))

Sasami tilted her head at the sound. A new "guest" in this odd prison? The little girl sneaked around to get a better look. Yes, definitely a new person, she looked injured too. The young assassin-in-training stayed hidden, listening in to the conversation between Flandre and the new girl. She wondered how long this girl would last. Sasami figured that they died, but she never saw any bodies.

Sasami fingered a small pill. No, she won't use it, there was still a chance that she could get back home. She shuddered when Flandre commented on how the new girl tasted like "cranberries". Sasami knew Flandre, at least a little bit, although the child knew her as "Saeki" as that was her alias for this mission. A sweet girl, at least on the outside. It disturbed Sasami greatly with the "tea" and "cake" that she offered. "Cranberry flavored" the child said, but all Sasami could smell from both the food and the drink was the iron tang she knew well, the smell of blood. She would stick to the gruel that was given to her, and whatever foodstuff she finds in this odd prison before she accepts anything from that odd child.

[Arynielle]

What an odd name. Flandre. It sounded like a food to Askala but the thought of edibles didn't make her feel very good after seeing the newcomer lick at her blood as though it were a delectable treat. As kind and hospital as Flandre's offer to have Askala try some cake was, the latter wasn't quite sure if she would be willing to accept the offer. A cake consisting of blood and God knows what else? It was enough to send a tingle up Askala's spine. Just what kind of a place was this and who was Flandre? Askala wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to know the answer. This prison that she was being held in... why was she here? She recalled the incident with the floating knives on the train but all else seemed to be a bit foggy. Vaguely, she could remember a strange woman before blacking out, someone who she had spoken very briefly with. Yet, what their short conversation was about, she hadn't the faintest idea.

Flandre's habits were strange, even disturbing, but she had shown no signs of hostility or danger. Askala wasn't about to hand over her trust just yet but their current, lax chatting seemed to be fine. Then again, trust wasn't something that Askala passed out like free tokens; it had to be earned. And earning her trust wasn't an easy task. She trusted few, and those few she had known practically all of her life, from when she was just a mere child to... well, she was still a child but she had matured into a fourteen-year-old. Even as a pre-teen she was small. She had always been small, short, thin, etc. Perhaps it was a family trait-- no matter what Askala did, she did not seem to grow in any direction-- neither up nor sideways [Not that she wanted to grow sideways].

Askala looked at her arm. Most of the blood had been cleared away but Flandre's quick hands. The wound had stopped bleeding but there was still a sting of pain where the gash was. She needed to wrap it or find some medicine but she carried none with her. To be honest, she never expected to be captured like this-- who would? She didn't even expect this to be a dangerous mission; the council sent her on the train to deliver something, not to fight with floating knives. Askala glanced briefly at Flandre, listening to her talk about the other people who could be found in this place. The entire story was strange-- did these people lock the girl up in a cellar like this? That was abuse, having to live down here all of her life. Askala covered the gash up with her opposite hand, hoping that Flandre wouldn't swipe at it again. There was nothing left to take anyway. "You know," she said, "I'm not really up for any games..." Her voice was soft, maybe even slightly weak. Askala was tired and discouraged at waking up in a cellar.

She wasn't trying to disappoint the young Flandre but she really didn't have the strength or the spirit to learn and play a new game. Besides, this was all new to her; never before had she been asked to join in play with the other girls where she came from. "I'm sorry... maybe next time?" If there was a next time. Askala didn't know how long she would last down here. Would she be killed by her captors soon? Would they simply keep her prisoner in this cell until she died of deprivation? There were so many questions left unanswered and it gnawed at Askala from the inside. What in the world was going to happen to her?

[Aleu]

.: ? :.

The red tea had just started its slow descent down the drain when a single, quiet footstep heralded the silver-haired maid's return. "Taken care of, Mistress... I've contacted the gap youkai as well -- we've no need for another train until mid-Fuzuki." Teacup hanging from one finger, the woman turned, slowly, towards the maid and deposited it gently in her hands. The maid dipped a curtsy, then vanished again.

The woman turn around in her armchair, and, stretching luxuriously, laid herself out over it, sideways. Head dipped backwards, she stared, upside-down, at the full moon hanging in the sky. "It really is," she whispered to herself, her voice breathy and humming, steel-blue hair curling lazily towards the floor, "much, much too boring nowadays..."

.:Aleu, Serene, Saelyr:.

"Eori?" Saelyr looked around frantically, trying to ignore the overpowering lemon scent. "Eori?! Where are you?" No response. The train lurched alarmingly, moving forward again. Saelyr grabbed onto a rail to keep herself steady, but just then the door burst open, and two women tumbled in, knocked against her, and sent the whole ground sprawling.

"Sorry." Serene clamored to her feet, extending a hand towards Saelyr. "The train jumped just as we were opening the door. It doesn't look like it's leaving yet, though. What's your story?"

.:Askala and Saeki:.

Flan looked badly disappointed. "Really? Are you sure?" She pouted a little, turned away and leaped atop a high box -- she didn't need to use her wings, even though it was almost ten feet off the ground. "No one ever plays with me..." Askala could see her jewel-like wings beating angrily.

"Saeki, would you like to play?" Flan didn't even look backwards towards the girl, hiding amongst the boxes. Her voice was glum and irritated, as if she knew that a "no" would come and wasn't happy about it.

.:Eori:.

...Knives. There were knives, but now there weren't. Stars. There were stars. Still there. Cellar. What would he be doing here...?