Aetherfade/Sonata Luna
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Serenity permeated the still air. He walked slowly, deliberately, the translucent white stone cool to his bare feet and giving the illusion he was walking on something invisible, floating above the surface. Starlight filtered through the leaves of unmoving trees, and he surely would have lost his way if he had not walked the path a thousand times.
The end of his path lay ahead, a dais, its thin silver rim holding back a serene pool. No ripple marred its surface, or current its depths. Before it he knelt, casting his eyes downwards. In the stillness he waited.
It could have been moments, or it could have been days, time was irrelevant. He did not move until he felt her touch. Slowly, he raised his eyes and beheld her beauty. The pool shone silver as its rim and above it, she reflected its light, the purest white robes flowing over her skin, pale as the stone beneath him.
"Why have you come?"
Her voice was soft, gentle and kind. He felt shame and bowed his head. "My Lady, I come to ask a boon of you, as your faithful champion."
"What is it that you would have of me, my chosen?"
His thoughts turned to where he has come from, the modest house that smelled of clay, or the dark haired woman who lived there, and her gracious smile. "I...I wish, My Lady, to take a wife."
The pool rippled as the lady looked down sadly. "You would take this woman as your own, and for a time, enjoy and cherish her?"
"I would, My Lady, by the vows that bind me."
"Very well. In time you shall be as one, as husband and wife. This I will allow, but there is a price for what you seek, that must be paid in your blood and hers."
The man paled, fearing the worse.
"You shall cherish and enjoy each other, and in time she will bear you a child born not of your love, but born of your oaths. This child is mine and I will put my mark upon her."
"Your mercy has no equal, My Lady."
She smiled gently. "Rest my chosen one, the time you ask for is not yet here." She touched his shoulder, and he slumped, the life drawn out of him and cupped in her pale hands. A ripple rolled over the pond and a woman lay sleeping in her bed. The lady dipped a finger into the water, and drew out a silver strand. This she drew into the life held in her hands, and gently let it slide down to the pool. With a look of sadness, she yanked the silver stand, snapping it in two. As one half sank back into the pool, the other insubstantiated just as the lady did, fading away as the pool turned dark once more.
"Anthony!"
A haggard looking man looked up at the sound, surprised. "Ma? Ma what are you doing here...you know the doctor said you shouldn't be driving." Anthony waved his hands in frustration.
"Nonsense, nonsense, Dr. Benton's a curmudgeon, besides, your father drove me, now how's Padma? Is she doing that natural childbirth thing still, you know that doesn't work, why ask your father, when I had you-"
"Ma! Please! What do you mean Dad drove you here, Dad's not supposed to drive! And Padma's fine, really, the doctors with her now."
"Oh, hon-nee, how could we not be here? You are our only son and at your age, this will be our only grandchild! We had to come! Is she in labor already? Why's the doctor with her?"
"No, Ma, there are some complications-"
"See? What did I say about starting a family so late, I said-"
"Ma, we've been over this..."
"Tony!" A loud voice bellowed. "Minnie stop pestering the boy. How are you son?"
"Hi Dad, okay I think...look, I'll be right back, gonna check on Padma, okay?"
Anthony breathed a sign of relief as his parents nodded, and headed back to the room where his wife lay. Knocking on the doorframe, he stepped inside.
"Padma, I understand your feelings, but I really feel to try and deliver this baby would be hazardous to your health."
"So what?" Padma's thickly accented voice was laced with anger. "You would have me kill my own child I have carried 9 months?!"
"Padma, I understand, but the ultrasound shows-"
"I know what it shows, and we are willing to raise this child no matter what is wrong with it." Padma looked to Anthony for support, and he nodded, the image of the ultrasound still clear in his mind, the child had proto limbs, vestigial arms they thought, there was the possibility of brain damage, because of the crowded picture, they couldn't tell sex.
The doctor sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose. "It will have to be cesarian, the baby is positioned wrong, and if we induce labor more complications will develop. I'm sending you to surgery to be prepped." He turned to leave.
"Wait, now?!" Anthony looked back and forth between Padma and the doctor. "I need to be there, and my parents just got here..."
"Your parents came?!"
"Yah, get this, Ma got Dad to drive her."
Padma tched in disgust and exasperation.
Anthony held Padma's hand as the staff wheeled her down the hall on the bed. "Are you sure? Really really sure? If its dangerous maybe we should listen, we're a little old, but hey, we did it once, right?"
Padma shook her head. "An'tony, dearest, there is no way I am giving up on our baby. It will be fine, I promise."
Anthony nodded and let go of her hand as they came to the door for surgery. He wouldn't be allowed in, only allowed to watch. "I love you!"
Padma smiled at him as the doors shut behind her.
"Why won't they let him in there, they let you in when I was having him.."
"Minnie, its surgery, she's not popping the kid out, its unsanitary to have people in there who aren't doctors."
"What about nurses, hmm?"
"You know what I mean!"
Anthony sighed and joined his parents in the observation room. His heart hammered in his chest. He watched as they put Padma under and began the surgery.
"Be prepared with the ICU equipment, the ultrasound didn't tell us much, but this baby will have problems, if it survives."
"Harrison?"
"I have no intent to kill it Dalsham but the fetus is breech and deformed and the mother is a small woman, if we take too long extracting the baby, we put the mother's life in danger, we'll do our best, but we have a hard limit on how long she can stay under, and the fetus has to be removed before then, alive if possible, yes, but I can't discount the possibility that we may have to amputate parts."
"Understood. She's fully under and stable, let's get started."
In silence the doctors worked, while Anthony watched and waited. In time, he put his head in his hands and prayed.
"Dalsham, we're out of time we need to close her up."
Dalsham worked intently, staring at the tiny white infant. "Almost got her." Carefully, he turned the baby, extracting her a little at a time. "Give me a hand, I can't get the vestigial limbs." Harrison nodded, moving them in position to let the baby be removed. Nurses rushed to grab the child, wrapping her in blankets and clearing her airway as Harrison cut the umbilical. Anthony looked up at the cry of a baby at the same time the monitor on Padma started to beep.
"Blood pressure's dropping, I don't see any blood, cavity's clean!" "Check the placenta!" "Doctor..."
Harrison looked up to see Padma bleeding out of her nose and felt his heart skip a beat. "Dalsham, close her quickly, I need neurology, someone get somebody down here! Her brain's hemorrhaging."
"Padma..." Anthony stood at the glass, face ashen. "Padma!" Banging on the glass he called her name again. Nurses raced to inject things in her as the child cried off to the side.
"Dalsham, are you done?" "Yes, Stemmons is getting gloves on." "Good, go talk to the husband." "Where is he" "standing on the other side of that glass." "...good god."
"Padma!" Anthony turned as the door opened admitting on of the doctors. "Mr. Lucent-" Anthony grabbed him by the shirt. "What's happening?! What did you do to my wife?!"
"Mr. Lucent, you're wife is suffering from hemorrhaging in the brain, we don't know the cause, the woman you see entering is Dr. Simmons from neurosurgery, we're doing all we can to save her. Your daughter is being taken to infant ward to be checked over. Please, you shouldn't watch this, come with me."
"No! I won't leave when you're operating on my wife's brain!"
"Anthony.." his father laid a hand on his shoulder. "You don't want to see this, son." Anthony shrugged his hand off. "This is my [i]wife[/i], I'm not going anywhere!" His father nodded to the doctor. "We'll stay."
Dalsham nodded. "I'll get what I can to make you comfortable."
Minnie prayed in her husbands arms while Anthony remained glued to the window. He watched as they shaved Padma's long dark hair, and cut into her skull, and strained to see what they were doing there. After several hours exhaustion took over, and he collapsed into a chair. Minnie covered him with a blanket, and spoke quietly to the doctor a few hours later.
"Anthony..Tony..."
Anthony woke up with a start, events crashing back into him . "Padma! Ma, how is she?!"
Minnie shook her head. "She's in a coma honey, they say she has maybe a couple hours. She's not going to wake up. I wanted to wake you...so that you could say goodbye."
"No...Padma..." Anthony's gaze went to the now empty surgery room. Numbly he let himself be led down the hall to a sterile room where Padma lay, looking asleep for all intents. The hiss of machinery filled the air as he sat on the stool next to the bed. Tears fell as he gently brushed her hair back on the side that wasn't shaved. "Padma..." His parents closed the door and gave him time. He stayed at her side until the nurse turned off the flatlining monitor.
"Mr. Lucent" Anthony turned numbly at the voice of the nurse. "Do you want to see your daughter?"
"My daughter..." Athony imagined a tiny girl with his eyes and Padma's smile. "My daughter, yes..." He followed the nurse to the infant ward, scanning the children almost on display there. "Where..." The nurse smiled sadly. "Follow me."
Anthony followed her into the backside of the ward. "Is something wrong with her? Is she okay?" The nurse looked concerned. "Mr. Lucent, she is healthy, but she has vestigial limbs, and has a condition known as albinism. With treatment and corrective surgery-"
"No! No surgery...please, can I see her?"
The nurse nodded and led him to a small enclosure in a dim area. A tiny white infant lay there with big blue eyes, and behind her arms, two protrusions. "She is sensitive to light, but as long as you stay over here, you can hold her if you want." Anthony nodded dumbly as his vision of his daughter in his mind vanished.
"Had...had you and your wi-, your late wife decided on a name yet?"
"No..." Anthony stared at the tiny baby as the nurse placed her in his arms, seemingly not heard him. A momentary image of a silver pool of water crossed his mind. "Selene. Her name's Selene..." He didn't know why, but he knew it was right.
"Daddy, why does everyone stare at me?"
Anthony looked up to his daughter, sitting on his shoulders. "Because you're special."
She looked down quizzically. "Like how?"
Anthony fumbled a bit. "Like you have wings." Indeed the vestigial limbs the doctors had wanted to amputate had grown silvery white feathers just as her head had grown hair of the same color and were now full fledged wings. Not that he would tell her her her hair and pale white skin was another reason, it wouldn't make any sense. The doctors had diagnosed last year that Selene couldn't see color at all, just shades of gray, black and white.
"Did people stare at Mommy because she had wings?"
He laughed as they walked through the airport terminal, heading for baggage claim. "No, Mommy didn't have wings, she a special in a different way."
"Like Mister Gellen?"
"Yep, like Mister Gellen. In fact, Mommy was good friends with Mister Gellen a long time ago." Anthony ducked for the doorway and Selene leaned over his shoulder, eyes wide. "Really?"
"Yep, you bet, and he'd love to meet you, I'm sure!"
"Tony!" Selene sqeaked at the booming voice and hid behind Anthony. A tall muscular man smiled widely from the other side of the door. "Come in! Come in!" He eye caught a flash of white and he peered curiously around Tony. Selene stared up, wide-eyed while clutching tightly to Tony's pants.
His expression softened and he crouched down. "And you must be Selene." She nodded mutely, staring with her still bright blue eyes. He stood again and backed up, opening the door wider, allowing Selene to scramble to the left, keeping her father between her and the man, and they entered the house.
"I was so sorry to hear about Padma, you know I would have been there if I could Tony." Tony nodded. "I know, Chase."
"So what brings you all the way to Paragon?" Chase headed over to a table with some fruit, cheese, and a few pitchers. "Something to drink?"
"You, actually. Water's fine for me. You want anything kiddo?" Selene shook her head no and he smiled. "Okay. Why don't you play with your puzzle over there, okay?" Selene nodded and grabbed the bag Tony held out for her, going over to a low table to play.
"Me? What can I do for you that needs to be done in person?" Chase arched an eyebrow at his friend and once-rival for the affections of Padma and he handed over the glass of water.
"I want you to check Selene." "Tony, at her age, even if she did-" "Chase, those aren't costume, her wings are real. If she has talent you know I can't train her..." "That's not all, is it?" Chase inquired expectantly. "No...no she needs to start school, and I thought maybe here..."
Chase turned to look at Selene. "I fear her wings would cause a stir anywhere, but perhaps you're right that here is better than some places. So you want to check out prospective school while you're here I take it?"
"Yeah, maybe find a nice apartment in the city, I can get a job as an editor somewhere I'm sure." Tony watched Selene play and sighed. "I want to give her everything I can Chase, and I just can't back home. Being here...I'll see her everywhere, I know, but she'd want the best for Selene too."
Chase nodded and set down his drink. "Well the least I can do is test her. I doubt with Padma being severed that the connection would form for her daughter, but it is worth checking out."
"Selene?" She looked up at the sound of her father's voice. "Would you come here? Mister Gellen would like to play a game with you." Chase chuckled as she eyed him warily but came over. Tony picked her up, her wings fluttering a little, and set her on his lap.
"Do you like games, Selene?"
She nodded.
"Good! I like games too. We're going to play a game where I'm going to draw some pictures, and then I want you to arrange them like you think they should go, okay?"
She nodded again, she liked puzzles.
Chase picked up a sleek polished stone and took several sheets of vellum out of a drawer. With barely audiable incantations, he traced the runes and symbols onto the vellum sheets, the polished stone leaving faintly glowing black marks. After the tenth, he set the stone down. "Now, which one goes first?"
Selene stared at the marks and hesitantly pointed at one. Chase quirked an eyebrow. "Could you touch it for me?" Selene looked to Tony who nodded. Cautiously she put a finger on the rune, and it faded, then disappeared. Chase raised the other eyebrow. "Would you...would you touch the next one you feel like, Selene?" She nodded and touched another. As before the rune faded and disappeared.
Chase looked thoughtfully at the blank vellum and waved his head, causing the rest of the runes to vanish. Staring at Selene, he placed his hand palm up pointing towards her and uttered a minor incantation, a gossamer web of red strands forming above her. Turning his hand over, the web fell, but faded before it touched her.
"Chase...?"
"One moment Tony, one moment." Bringing his hands together he said a single word, and drew them apart, revealing a small red globe of light. "Could you touch it for me Selene?" Selene stared in awe and with a quick jab, poked it. It did nothing, so she poked it again, this time a little more forcefully. Still, nothing happened. She looked at it curiously as Chase brought his hand together onto it, making it disappear in a poof of sparks.
"Well. Most intriguing."
"What? What is intriguing?"
"I can't test her."
"But you just did!"
"No, I just tried. did you see the runes fade out when she touched them, and the web disappear? Those are analysis and detection spells. They are supposed to tell me about their target when they come in contact. When she touched them, they simply unraveled, the energy was gone."
"What about the ball?"
"A minor summon. It wasn't targeted at her. It seems she dissipates anything that is, however, simply bleeds the magic off."
"Is something wrong with her then?!"
"No, no...I've just never encountered such a thing...would you mind staying here on your visit? I'd like to research this, but I do not think the Midnight Squad would appreciate an old bookworm carting a small winged girl around ancient artifacts, I'll have to do my testing here."
"Sure, sure we can do that...I'll get the luggage from the car."
Selene watched TV and ate a sandwich, arcane paraphernalia cleared from the low table to make it somewhat kid safe . Chase eyed her cautiously and hrmed to himself. She turned around and smiled as the door clicked open, admitting Anthony.
"They didn't have any...however you say this one here, but I got everything else you needed, want me to put it up?" Anothony jerked his head towards the kitchen, arms full of grocery bags. "Hi honey, Daddy will be right there."
"No, that's not necessary, I'll see to that, leave them on the counter there." Chase made a few more notes and muttered another incantation as sounds of bags being deposited occurred in the kitchen.
Anthony returned and walked into the room, picking up Selene and twirling her around. "How's my girl? You didn't cause Mr. Gellen any problems, did you?" She shook her head no, and Anthony looked to Chase.
"She was a model of decorum, if too curious for her own good." Chase smiled. "Have you had any luck job hunting?"
"Got an interview tomorrow with the Times, actually." Anthony set Selene down and walked over. "You ah...find out anything?" Chase shrugged. "I have some working theories." Anthony looked askance. "No offense Chase, but it's been a week, isn't there...well a faster way?"
Chase stopped writing a looked up. "Frankly, yes, but I assume you would take offense at me throwing lightning and fire at your daughter to see how much she can dissipate and at what rate before it hits her. Passive spells have longevity, it takes time to measure her rate of drain with them, for instance this locater spell lasts a fortnight, though by my calculations, it will be dispersed by sunset tomorrow."
"Oh..." Anthony scratched his head clearly out of his depth. "Well, okay, I'll just-"
His statement was cut off abruptly as the door was blown inwards. Selene screamed and Chase turned, holding a palm out and speaking in a strange language. The perpetrators hung suspended off the floor in a sickly red fog. "Anthony, take her and go. Anthony!" Chase spared a glance to where Anthony lay on the floor bleeding. Cursing, he backed into the room and tried to shield Selene. The magic flickered and died as she cried and clung to him. He gritted his teeth and prepared a volley of spells.
Four hooded figures entered, their faces shadowed. Searing red arcane energy slammed into two from Chase's hands. The other two shot crossbows at him that burned up in yellow flares near him. Looking around, he muttered another shield spell as he realized all his materials had been moved aside so that Selene might not get into them. A fifth figure appeared and the other two still moving deferred to him, moving towards the unconcious Anthony. One pulled out a dagger and brought it to Anthony's throat.
"Daddy!"
"No!" Chase grabbed for Selene as she let go of him, her small form running for her father. The fifth figure pointed a finger at her and uttered a gutteral syllable. Dark energy burst forward from him and tried to engulf Selene. She screamed and flinched. As it reached her an invisible force seemed to drain it away, but not enough, the force flung her backwards into the bookshelf. Selene fell to the floor unconcious. Chase gave a roar of anger, sending waves of arcane damage at the fifth figure, who countered it at every turn.
"You will pay for this affront!"
"I don't think so." The figure, its eyes glowing a sickly green pointed. Chase stared in horror at Anthony, his throat cut, laying lifeless on the floor. The two who had been near him now held the unconcious Selene with a knife over her heart. "You will come with us, Chase Gellen. We have need of you, and perhaps her as well. If you chose to fight, however, she will die." Chase wavered, but in their arms, Selene reminded him too much of a fight he had lost long ago where it was Padma who lay helpless. He nodded slowly and lowered his guard, letting the three surround him, blindfold him, and lead him somewhere.
Mystic Researcher Missing
September 14th, 1997
Chase Gellen, formerly Aetherflare of the Midnight Squad, was reported missing last night after friends found his home in Baumton in a state of disarray and a man police identified as former Midnight Squad member Padma Unari-Lucent's husband Anthony Lucent dead on the premises. No details have been released at this time, but many in the mystic field speculate Gellen has become another victim of abduction by the mysterious Circle of Thorns despite MAGI's insistance that these Thorns no longer pose a significant threat. Neighbors say Lucent was visiting with his five year old daughter Selene, whose whereabouts are also unknown at this time.
"Mr. Gellen?"
Chase pasued in his writing, the slow, steady strokes needing all his attention these days. His hand shook as he moved it from the page and looked at the girl, no, young woman who shared his incarceration in the depths of Orenbega. "Yes Selene?"
"What will happen to me when...when you...." She couldn't bring herself to say it, and Chase smiled sadly at her. As much as the Thorns had taken from him, they had taken Selene's whole life. When he finally succumbed to age and poor conditions, they wouldn't hesitate to experiment on her as they saw fit. He stole a guilty look at the tomes on his desk, the third of the set missing in vain hope that someone would find it. There had been rumors of heroes for years now having found a way into the ruins, but he had never seen any as they moved him place to place.
"When I die?" She nodded sadly and he did as well. "I don't know Selene. I could say that you might be killed, that they might experiment on you, that you'll live out your life here alone. I am sorry for all of this, I thought I was redeeming myself in your mother's eyes by letting you stay with me, but I've only put you in danger." He eyed the two books on the desk again. He had finally figured her out, and while the knowledge in Thorn hands could be disasterous, it needed to be recorded. She would grow into what she was destined to be given time and she would need guidance. If she was ever rescued, his former companions at least would need to know what it was she could do. He took comfort in the fact that none of the spells and rituals he had written would truly harm her, even if the Thorns attempted them they would only succeed in awakening the parts of her that slept. He coughed painfully, gasping for air.
She was at his side in no time, trying to help in anyway she could. She was very like her mother. Recovering after a time, she returned to her reading, and he to his writing.
"Azuria!" The head of MAGI turned at the sound of her name in time to catch a worn journal book tossed in her direction. "What is this?"
The tall blonde shrugged and kept walking. "How the hell would I know, was just asked to give it to you by some guy at FCHQ since I was headed this way."
Azuria turned the book over thoughtfully and walked back to her office to examine it. "It has the taint of Orenbega on it..." Several hours later, she sat in her chair, hands folded, staring at the tome in disbelief. Picking up the phone she made a few calls.
"Hey 'lindy!'
"Belinda. Have you got anything for me?"
"Me? No, been quiet lately...oh, but Azuria was looking for some heroes with Thorns experience, you've fought them, right?" Belinda Freez paid a bit closer attention to the voice on the phone. "Really..."
"Azuria herself?"
Jericho shrugged. "That's what Mom said. Probably Thorns stuff, you coming?" Amelia nodded. "Sure."
"Something interesting]!"
"I haven't got anything interesting...tell you what, Azuria's looking for some heroes about some Circle of Thorns stuff, you ever fought Thorns?"
"No..."
"It'll be interesting, go see her."
Eris nodded.
Three times Azuria pulled out the journal and spoke about Chase Gellen, Aetherflare of the Midnight Squad, of how he'd gone missing, and the journal had been recovered in Orenbega, and the possibility that he was still alive. Three times she cautiously mentioned how several of the mystics could sense a ritual of his design being performed down there.
-- "Alive?! After 10 years?" Eris shook her head "Sounds like that guy needs help. Can I get a map or something? I'll be down there as fast as I can" -- Belinda looked up from the book. "When and where?" -- "What we don't know, is what this ritual is, or how dangerous it is. You've studied the Thorns some, we need to know what they are attempting to accomplish by using a ritual they didn't design."
Ames winced as Jericho looked at the spot on the map. "If we go in, I might be able to tell what they are trying to do."
"I hope so, Chase was a good man, but delved into strange things, I hate to think what more the Thorns could be doing with his knowledge" --
"Fire Child? Lovely..." Belinda hovered a looked at the girl who eyed her cautiously. She was about to speak when she heard her name.
"Hey Eris!" Jericho landed solidly, with Amelia close behind. Eris waved. "Hey Jer, hey Ames, this is Belinda." Jericho nodded to the pale blue and white hero, Amelia waved. "Er...hi."
"Should we go see if we can rescue this guy?" Jericho had already opened in the door. The others nodded, and proceeded inside the dank cavern.
Chase wheezed, fighting for air as guardians held him down. "Selene..." One of the two mages in the small prison cell turned to look at him while the other continued to page through the book her had meant for Selene to have. They had taken the other when he had collapsed a few days ago. He had awoken here and found Selene gone.
"She is our concern now. What other notes have you written of her?"
"None. You hold all of it."
The other mage yelled in frustration and threw the book at Chase, who grabbed it and hung on tightly.
"Don't you think that was a little too easy?" Eris peered at an unconcious Thorn suspended in a block of ice. "What was?" Jericho scouted the hallways ahead. "Getting this far." Belinda followed close behind Jer, ready to freeze any Thorns in place. "Er...there usually are a few more of them..." Ames looked around slightly suspicious and nearly ran into Jer as he stopped at a doorway, the expanse of one of the Thorns prison cell rooms before them.
Above, the mages looked to Chase Gellen. "Well if you have nothing more to say, you have outlived your usefulness." One of them raised his hand, readying a spell.
Eris was the first to spot them. "Hey Ugly! Leave him alone!" Charging forward into the room, she threw fire at the guardians who had closed ranks around the mages upon hearing her. "Hang on Mr. Gellen, the cavalry is here..behind me..I hope.."
Belinda was quick to throw her ice at the mages, but not quicker than Jericho and Ames as they lept up onto bridges and ledges to get there. Draining and disorienting them, the ice held fast, and in no time they faded out, teleported away to the Zig. Chase looked up at the heroes, bleeding from a knife wound in his side and coughing blood.
"How do you know who I am?" Another fit of coughing besieged him, and Eris ran over, pulling out her medkit. "It doesn't matter, my time is done, you have to save Selene."
"Who's Selene?" Belinda asked, as Eris checked his pulse and injuries. Jericho bit back a curse, and looked ahead, a vision of a big ritual circle in a deep cavern appeared to him, below and ahead of here, runic symbols drawn in white chalk surrounded a pale white winged girl, chained to the center with some sort of white crystal chains. Without a word, he took off for the cavern. Eris scowled. "Guys, we might have another hostage somewhere, but this guy's lungs are going. I need to get him to the hospital now!" Ames looked back and forth between him and Eris tending Chase, and then followed Jericho, while Belinda tried to help Eris.
Chase waved Eris off and shoved a book at Belinda. "Padma's daughter...and so much more...here, take this. She will need it in the future." Belinda blinked and nodded as he passed out. "Great..." Eris patted down her pockets for a hospital tag and attached it to him. Belinda watched as he faded from sight, and looked at the book before tucking it into a jacket pocket . "As you wish..." Looking at each other, Eris and Belinda ran towards the direction Jericho had gone.
The sight was as Jer had seen, though the runic symbols glowed an bright silver white instead of the Thorn usual sickly yellow-green, and the circle was ringed with mages, the lead one reading from a book that looked like both he one Chase has handed to Belinda and the one Azuria had shown them all.
"Is that the right color for these things?" Eris hugged the wall, trying to look down into the room without being seen, as Jericho tried to quickly discern he purpose of the circle. "I think I see a kid down there! I can't believe these punks would do something nasty to a kid..." Eris muttered and Belinda edged in to look, seeing a girl as white as she was. "Jer?" Ames glanced at him. "How should-"
"Get the mages." Without giving anyone else time to follow, Jericho jumped into the circle, feeling the wave of energy being pushed towards the girl, who knelt unmoving. Belinda wasted no time dropping the temperature in the room, slowing the confused mages as a stopgap, heading straight for the lead caster. "Storytime's over..."
"Those sick pukes, what were they doing?" Eris flung smoke and fire into the faces of the Thorns as Ames tackled one, his sudden gasp evidence that he didn't know that touching her was a bad idea. Jericho grabbed the girl from the circle, easily breaking the crystal chains. Selene woke from her trance and went wide eyed, clutching Jericho's vest as he ran outside the circle, scuffing symbols as he went. The book dropped to the floor as main caster fell, and everyone looked around for anymore Thorns.
Eris ran over to Selene, and started to check her over in a first aid fashion. Half wanting to bolt, and half wanting to not let go, Selene stared at the four nervously. "Who are you?" Her voice was very soft.
"I am Belinda...you are Selene?" Belinda hovered a few feet off the ground, looking at the pale girl with blue eyes. She was likely albino. She nodded slowly in response, and then looked to the one who was holding her. He looked down. "I'm Jericho. We're here to rescue you, I think." Belinda nodded. "Indeed."
Ames tried to help Eris check her over, but Eris was ruthlessly efficient. "She's got a few minor cuts and scrapes, nothing major. Should we start getting out of here?" Jericho nodded. "Did anyone grab the book the mage was using?"
Ames darted back to where the mage had been picked up the book gingerly. "Er, got it." Belinda smiled at Selene. "Would you like to stretch your wings?"
Selene looked back and forth between Belinda and Fire Child. "We....we can go outside?" Belinda nodded. "Of course." Eris grinned encouragingly. "Yeah, come on, let's go!" Selene looked up to Jericho. "We probably should. We're going to have a lot of Thorns showing up if we stay here."
Selene nodded and reluctantly let go of Jer, standing barefoot on the stone. Dressed only in a simple white shirt that came to her knees, she twisted at it as asked, "What...what happened to Mister Gellen?" She tried to sound hopeful, but it was obvious to the others that she knew what was going to happen to him. Eris answered tactfully and Belinda nodded along with her. "I sent him to the hospital."
Eris headed towards the exit, keeping an eye out for more Thorns. "The sooner we're topside the happier I'll be." Jericho looked at Selene, "Can you walk, or should I go ahead and carry you?"
Selene nodded no, and hesitantly followed Eris, her steps meticulous and careful. Eris flicked little tongues of flame into dark corners, and Selene jumped at nearly every shadow. Jericho followed along, keeping close to Selene so she didn't fall or get grabbed with Ames behind and Belinda at the rear, watching.
Finally noticing Selene's skittishness, Eris stopped the flames. "Oh sorry, Didn't mean to scare you." Selene looked sideways. "I'm not supposed to go anywhere by myself...." Ames blinked. "Er, you're not really by yourself. We're all here." Jericho nodded.
Selene chewed on her lower lip but keeps going. "Will Mister Gellen be okay?" Eris continued on. "He's at the best hospital in the city. I dunno if they can fix him, but nobody else could do more. I took all my first aid training there, it's a nice place." Stopping and looking at the rest, Eris asked, "Anybody know a shortcut out of here?" Ames looked around. "Not me..." Jericho sighed and pointed down a hallway. "That will get us out faster."
Selene stared upon getting outside and latched onto Belinda as the others kept walking. "No fears, Selene. You are with friends." Belinda smiled slightly as Eris turned around and nodded. "It's alright kid, we won't let anything get you." Selene continued to stare, wide-eyed. "Everything's so big...." Amelia looked over her shoulder at Selene. " That's kinda how outside is."
"Listen, do you want to go see Mr. Gellen?" Eris asked. "I think you might need to check in with a real doc yourself." Behind her Jericho walked over to Ames to look at the book she was carrying suspiciously, as though it might try to attack someone. He reached out for it. "Could I look at it Ames?" Startled, Ames nodded."Er, sure."
Selene nodded to Eris, who looked her over. "Kid? How long were you down there?" Selene furrowed her brow. "Since they came and Daddy and I were visiting Mr. Gellen...um...a long time ago." Belinda hovered above, watching quietly, speaking up only when conversation had lulled. "We should keep moving, towards the hospital perhaps?"
"Oh, er, right." Ames nodded as Eris checked her pockets. Finding a candy bar, she offered it silently to Selene, who looked a bit lost, but took it curiously.
"Can you use those wings, Selene?" Belinda asked. Seeing Selene stare, Eris reached over and unwrapped the candy, taking a bite and handing it back. "Um....I don't know if I can fly Miss Belinda..." Selene flapped her wings experimentally and hovered a bit off the ground, mostly steady. "Here, it's for eating kid. It tastes good." Eris nodded as Selene took a bite and looked surprised that it tastes good. "It's good!"
Belinda looked at Selene and shook her head. "It is a start, at least, but maybe you should stick to walking." Eris nodded "Headed to the hospital then? We need to get out of the open." Jericho shut the book and nodded, "We should get going, the Thorns don't give up on people that easily." Belinda nodded and rose higher to watch the group from above. Eris moved off towards the hospital as well as Ames who quickly outpaced them. Selene stuck close and alternated between staring at things and jumping at noises.
Eris turned away from the hospital clerk with a grim look on her face as Selene tried to stick close to a wall. "I'm sorry kid, he didn't make it."
"..oh." Selene sat on the chair and pulled her knees up, yanking the shirt down over them. Belinda looked at her with concern. "Do you have... anyone?" Selene shook her head. "Mommy died when I was born. I think...I think they killed Daddy when they took Mr. Gellen and me."
Eris looked around for a nurse and started asking about spare clothes. "So she can stay with us, right? Nobody would take her out of the Rock." Jericho nodded. "We could take her back to the Rock." Ames tried not to fidget too much. "Er, yeah. It's pretty safe..." Jericho looked over at Ames. "It's safe. The Thorns haven't gotten in it yet." Eris scowled at the idea of Thorns in the Rock. "She can stay in my room if there isn't enough space too..."
Jericho rolled his eyes "There's always room in the Rock Eris." Ames chimed in, slightly distracted. "Mine's open too, but, er, I think the house'll have room." Eris shuffled her feet. "Yeah well...", she didn't finish the sentence and instead headed off to the nurses station to grab some spare jeans and a t-shirt with holes for wings cut in the back.
"Not to mention, Nick, Maggie or my Mom's'll know who to talk to..." Jericho mused. "The New Breed base is also available...though perhaps you would be more comfortable with others your age?" Belinda inquired. Eris returned with the clothes and gave them to Selene. "Here. Don't get cold. These should fit you."
Selene looked back and forth between everyone and took the clothes hesitantly. "Um...thank you..." Eris shrugged. "It's what they do. They did it for me too". Jericho nodded. "Me too." Eris looked at Jer, surprised. "Huh." Jericho looked back. "The Rock, took me in when I was on the run. Isn't that what you meant?" Eris looked away, rubbing her head with a hand. "Yeah, that's what I meant. You don't seem like the running type is all." Jericho nods slowly. "When you have entire covens of Thorns chasing you, running is better than getting caught." Eris stopped and looked at Selene. "Guess you know how she feels then."
Belinda watched the conversation with interest. "Hmm...it sounds as if the Rock is the place...at the beginning anyway." Selene spoke up, quietly, looking towards the bathroom hesitantly. Can I...change?" Eris blinked. "Sure, why not?" Belinda smiled and understood. "Would you like an...escort?"
Selene nodded and edged along the wall clutching the clothes tightly. Belinda shadowed her, but gives her enough space to be comfortable. When she came back out, it was far more apparent how white her skin was and how thin she was. She fidgeted and twisted the bottom of the shirt nervously. "I...can't tell if they look okay, I don't see colors...is it okay?"
Ames smiled nervously. "Yeah, they look fine." Eris nodded as well. "You look fine kid, the shirt is blue and so are the jeans." Selene relaxes a little bit. "Sorry, er, I...I'll be outside." Ames left quickly. With a look of concern, Jericho followed.
Belinda smiled at Selene, brushing back a lock of hair. "When you are ready to fly, let me know. I've found it helps to put things in perspective." She handed over a card with her name and the New Breed number on it, which Selene clutched tightly before putting it in a pocket. With a wave, she left Selene with Eris.
"So, lets go pick out a room for you!" Selene squeaked as Eris grabbed her hand and ran outside towards the tram.
Selene stuck her head out of the door, looking cautiously out into the hallway. Not seeing anyone, she sighed in relief. There were so many people! Eris or Jericho or Amelia would come check on her in a few hours and bring dinner, but she had run out of books again. Eris had said that the ones she had brought were from the library, and she was welcome to get more whenever she wanted, but that meant leaving her room, and all sorts of people.
Hearing no one, she edged down the hallway and peered around the corner. It was empty so she continued. The sounds of torches made her breath catch in her throat as she tried to remind herself that there were no Thorns here. She walked as close as she dared towards the room, and saw it was full of books. Her eyes stared in wonder. Still hearing or seeing no one, she cautiously approached a shelf and read the titles of things, grabbing ones that sounded interesting. She smiled timidly and garnered six or seven before she heard a footstep.
"Hello?"
Selene squeaked and backed up into the wall. The man winced at the sound of the impact. "Are you okay?" Selene nodded as she edged back towards the hallway, and realized her couldn't see her. "I-I-I'm fine!" Reaching the hallway, she ran back to her room and shut the door behind her.
"Getting brave kid?" Selene squeaked again, throwing the books into the air and backing into the door. Eris looked at her sympathetically. "I found this book, it talks about Mr. Gellen, and your mom I think too, I thought I'd give it to you to read."
Selene took it reverently. "Thank you..."
"I want to be a hero."
Eris choked slightly and took a big gulp of soda. Selene sat across from her in the kitchen, eating dinner a bit late so as to avoid the rush.
"Kid, that's great, but you still squeak and run away in big classes, you sure you want to go out there all alone and fight bad guys?"
Selene nodded. "Mr. Gellen was a hero, and he took care of me, my mom was a hero a long time ago...you and Miss Belinda and Jericho and Amelia are heroes and you rescued me...I wanna be a hero."
Eris nodded thoughtfully. "Wanna come with me on a mission?" Selene's eyes widened. "Really?" Eris nodded. "Sure! I'm sure we can borrow a sword for you or maybe you can punch them..."
"Can I use a bow?" Selene asked hopefully. "Sure you can use a- um...why a bow?" Eris asked, puzzled. Selene shrugged. "I saw one someone left in the garden, it looked neat." Eris nodded. "Have you ever used a bow?" Selene shook her head. "Nope. Its probably still there though, should I try?"
"So you took her to City Hall and got her a hero license?" Jericho stared at Eris who shuffled her feet. "She was really good with the bow, and she said she wanted to..." Selene hugged her knees tightly in the corner as Belinda tried to reassure her she wasn't going to set anything on fire on accident.
"So what happened again?" Eris shuffled. "Well, I was setting them on fire, and she was shooting them, and then some ones ran up behind us, and she squeaked and threw her hands out, and there was this ring of fire around them. One of them reached out a grabbed her hair, and she kinda flailed a bit and then she had this fire sword, like the Thorns guys." Eris stopped and then mumbled. "And then we sort of ran away and called Belinda..."
Selene shook her head and Belinda talked. "I think something in you was just trying to protect you. You know about you and magic, right?" Selene nodded. "I kind of drain it, if its um...directed at me." Belinda nodded. "What if you have other magic you just never used?"
Amelia, standing behind Jericho blinked. "Er, Selene...did any of the behemoths, the kind of bull looking demons, ever try to attack you?" Selene nodded. "But I kept draining lots of it, it never hurt." Jericho looked between Ames and Selene, and blinked. "You think she might have absorbed it." Ames nodded.
Belinda nodded. "That would make sense." Turning back to Selene, she ruffled her hair. "See, you're fine. Do you still want to be a hero?" Selene nodded emphatically. Belinda shrugged at the others. "I think that's something you'll have to see to. I'll see you later Selene."
Jericho looked between Selene and Eris and sighed. Eris looked to Selene and back. "What?! Its not my fault!"
Selene looked in the mirror and stared. The tailor nodded approvingly. "Simple, elegant, functional. Its a pity about the color, but it can't be helped. What was your name again?"
"Se-" Selene paused, looking in the mirror and feeling like a hero for the first time. "A-Aetherfade."
