In the Darkness.... Yin & Alexandrya Samheen 23rd (Close

[Yin Lorin]

Yin slowed his step as they approached the purple crystal ball. “How do we know? How will we know that we have reached the heart of this evil?” He asked.

He checked himself for wounds, looking for anyplace a thorn or a vine may have cut him. His warm clothing changed to his regular clothing to look for any wounds. He was relieve Alex made it as well. His worry was not for his own life, but if he failed her. That he would carry on after letting her down. It just felt wrong to him.

[Alexandrya L`handriel]

Alexandrya was catching her breath as they slowly made it into the inner circles of the glow. Her eyes open and ready for any vines as she continued to hold onto the torch that was retrieved after Yin had cut away the vines. "Honestly, I feel slightly uncomfortable..." She murmured softly.

She stepped a bit closer, "It is as if this is the only 'safe' spot, but how could such a center of evil be so calming...peaceful?" She frowned as she examined the crystallin purple orb. "It seems that things that are so lovely and pleasant are soon corrupted and reveals its true nature. Do the vines fear what we have now stepped into or do they work for this new power that we have before us?" She continued to speak softly as she walked around the small pillar.

"Stand ready, Yin, despite all this light and warmth...a-and normalcy...it maybe what I fear the most." She drew closer to Yin. She will guard his back and he, her's.

[Yin Lorin]

Yin stood looking at the sphere. “Perhaps this is what the darkness tries to keep hidden. Perhaps this is what will return this place to it’s purity?” Yin told her. “I do not think this is evil, I do not think it should be feared.”

He reached out to pick the sphere up from the stand. “Fear nothing for the One is with us, and he will protect us.” He whispered his assurance to her.

He would take the stone with one hand, while keeping his sword ready with the other. “I am sure this will help cleanse this place. Do you know magic, My Lady?”

[Shaeliana]

While the vines had not punctured skin, the grip of the verdant and alien plant life was very strong. Those parts of the body that had been grasped still ached and would certainly show some bruising in time. However aggressive, the growth did not come into the circle of light cast by the violet stone, hovering back beyond its reach as if ready to pounce on the first unwary soul that stepped out of the circle of light.

Cool and smooth, the stone continued to glow brightly after Yin picked it up and yet wasn't painful to the eyes. Nothing else happened that the two could tell, although a sense of peace and calm settled over the young paladin.

[Yin Lorin]

Yin held the ball in his hand and smiled. “I want to test something.” He took a few steps closer to the vines, watching what they do, testing to see if they pulled back to allow them through.

He held his sword ready to slice at any that attacked, and hooked his arm with the orb around Alex’s arm to keep her with him.

[Shaeliana]

Indeed, the growth did receed back from the violet light, opening a path for the two to walk, though the vegetation did not completely give up, hovering just outside the wall of light as if waiting for the right moment to pounce on the two.

[Alexandrya L`handriel]

The achadhiel's eyes were scanning their surroundings and then to Yin as he asked his question. "I do not have any formal training, sir. Perhaps, each of us has a little something special but I do not know if I should label it as magick, Yin."

She continued to rub her ankle and massaged a bit more blood into them after the struggle with the vines.

Alexandry stood up quickly but gasped as Yin started to pull them towards the outer circle. She tried to ready herself for another onslaught her torch as her only protection. A raised brow appeared as she watched the vines almost scared of the violet light of the orb. She looked around to see if there was another place similar to the one they were at. "Where do we go next, Yin?" She asked as she looked about still close to Yin and bathed in the light of the orb.

[Yin Lorin]

Yin looked around hoping to see a path, a way to go. What to do now, the question echoed in his mind. He had the stone, and now where did they want to go? “We need to take this to where it can be safe. It was hidden here for a reason.” He said to her softly.

He continued through the forest of wicked vines. Helping her along if needed. His hand tight on the sphere, his sword ready. “My Lady, I want you to know how lucky I consider myself to have you at my side. With out you, I know I would not have made it this far.” He told her, hoping his words could express his thanks. He was thankful for her, she was more then helpful and had saved him more then once. “We should try to get back to the throne, get out of this mess.”

[Alexandrya L`handriel]

Alexandrya looked at Yin. Her face shone of fear, but gratefulness. "There is no need of thanks, Yin, I believe you have done your fair share of saving." She even flashed a sweet smile and walked closely to Yin.

The light is our strength...and protector through this... She thought to herself as she nodded to Yin. She did not really have a direction to go so the throne was a good a start as any. "Quick, light steps, faster to get out of this place..." She said clearly as she kept in step with Yin.

[Shaeliana]

OOC: Okay, enough resting.. let's see if we can finish this?


IC:
Outside the circle of tame vegetation, paths radiated through the alien life, out from the circle like spokes on a wheel. Those paths headed northward quickly ended at a wall of dark windows. Outside the windows, a silvery full moon cast its light on a swampy landscape heavily populated with weeping willows, their long wispy fronds lightly drifting to and fro in whatever breeze played across the night landscape.

Those paths to the south, would carry the pair back to the giant empty room with the thrones. Vegetation stretched to the east and west, into darkness and much further than Yin and Alexandra could see without considerable walking. As they traversed through the wild flora, it pulled back, away from the lavendar light of the orb.

[Yin Lorin]

Yin held fast to the young girl, headed back to the throne. The traveled slowly, his sword in one hand ready to cut at any of the vegetation that tried to move close to them. His gaze moved back and forth over the evil vegetation. This place seemed full of suprises.

“You can climb on my back. You should not be walking on a hurt foot.” He said stopping to allow her to climb up on him like giving a piggy back. He figured he could carry her and still fight, and her limping was slowing them down.

[Alexandrya L`handriel]

A shake of her head indicated to Yin that it was a negative, "No, I shall be fine!" She cried out as well. "It did not sprain my ankle, I think it is just sore." She put her foot down on the ground and held onto his wrist that held the globe. "You will need your strength." Alazandra said quickly. "Do you want me to hold that?" She asked about the light-bearing orb knowing it would be difficult to hold his hand, his sword already in his other hand.

"I think the lavender light is keeping those overgrown weeds at bay," she whispered as she continued to follow Yin even if he decided to pick up the pace.

[Shaeliana]

Indeed, the writhing plant life did pull back from the light of the lavendar sphere, clearing a generous path for the pair. Occasionally a vine would lurch forward as if to try and snatch them, but before it managed to reach them, the sickly flora began to shrivel and quickly made a retreat back into the shadows.

As Yin and Alexandra neared the area where the doors to the throne room were, the sound of a multitude of voices reached them. Unhappy voices. Shouts, of both male and female persuasion, rang through the vast meeting hall on the other side of the curtains that covered the entrances. So tumultuous was the noise, that no individual words or messages could be understood. However, the underlying tones of disfavor were clearly obvious.

[Yin Lorin]

He handed her the orb, nodding to her. “Ok, you are correct, they seem to fear the light, like all evil.” He was filled with hope, in this dark place. If this light that was so faint compared to the glow of his god could protect them, then how much more would his god offer when he comes?

He walked with her, hand in hand until they reached the curtain. He was shocked to hear the court was in session, or at least there were people there now. He reached out his sword to push the cloth aside and step out of this dark place and back to the evil throne room.

[Alexandrya L`handriel]

Slender fingers accepted the precious orb making sure the lavender light shone around them, protecting them both from the wild foilage. Her grip on Yin's hand was strong and she followed him as quickly as she could. When they were closer to the throne room, she paused hearing the loud voices coming from behind the curtains.

She hesitated as she looked at Yin but no words would form about how this all felt wrong. She noticed that he was using the sword to push the cloth aside and she held her breath as she held on tight to the orb that seemed to be their life line in these dark times. Alexandrya's other hand squeezed Yin's hand as she readied herself for any possible assault that might happen because of Yin's action.

[Shaeliana]

As Yin pushed the curtain aside and the pair stepped out onto the platform, the clamor of the crowds assailed their ears, drowning out any normal conversation between the two. Voices shouting "WITCH" in unison, could be made out among the general roar of anger.

Yin and Alexandra were standing only about ten steps from the thrones, and thus the face of Balthasar, ruler of the Western Kingdom, was clearly visible to them. The golden haired king was aggressively addressing someone or something which, seated upon the throne, was hidden from the duo as was whatever seemed to be causing the commotion at the bottom of the platform's steps.

The chorus of "WITCH" was growing in volume and strength as more and more took up the cry.


OOC: This thread will now merge back in with the others. This, this post is repeated there.