Brink of Delusion; Crystal's Shine ((Full))

[Scythe de Zaran]

Rodrigo heard his younger brother's every word, including the apology, even though the wind masked much of it. His brother had gained a habit of apologizing. Gio clearly knew what Rigo was doing. Rigo had failed in that respect because, at first, he had tried to hide what he was doing. It became increasingly hard once Gio realized what he was doing. "No need to apologize, Gio. That's what brothers are for. We stick together," Rigo said with a smile.

Behind that smile was a silent semi-annoyed retort at the wind that was blasting them and making their travel all the more difficult. Tylem... Sometimes, they really just had to stop or hide out when the winds became too harsh.

Rigo almost sighed in relief when he saw the village, the thought of it being a human not really mattering to him when the wind was being such a hassle. However, if they entered, he would be just as cautious. He didn't know how obvious it would be to the humans that he wasn't a human, even if he didn't have his wings out.

"Gio, why don't we stop at the town for tonight?" Rigo suggested. Luckily, despite their travels and the loss of their entire family and possibly town, the brothers still had money. If they ever ran low, Rigo would find some work or some way to earn more for them to survive. Still, beginning as a noble did have its advantages since they had a lot of money and influence... in Terminus at least. That didn't mean anything in places such as Lamina.  

[Draconia Crystalis]

Gio nodded in feigned agreement, his eyes to the rough, flat ground. He really didn't feel like that was true. Sure, Rigo was always around for him, and always protected him, but Gio felt like he himself was utterly useless. In a fight, in sparring matches, or even just in being there for his brother as a support, he failed on all levels of helping and being of use to his brother. The bite in his sword was gone, his fear dissolving away what meager lessons he had had before his personality change.

It wasn't more than two hours before they reached the village, a quaint one, even by Tylem standards, on one of the outer limbs of the entire canyon system, nestled into a little cove in the cliff-face. From the flat lands above, they reached a set of stairs that would take them in a tight spiral down into the village.

Gio stopped at the entrance and looked to Rigo, "You first, brother." He looked exhausted when the wind blew his hair out of his eyes, the many miles of walking in ungodly winds, over rough, bramble-ridden grasslands, and then over the rocky, stone-flinging flat-lands, it was more than a weak human like him was used to, even with two years of traveling under his belt now.

He waited for his brother to go ahead of him, and was about to go down to the village after him, but suddenly felt as though he couldn't move. For a few long seconds he felt completely paralyzed, and he inexplicably felt his gaze drawn off to the far distance of the flat-lands.

Suddenly an ear splitting shriek filled his ears, but it wasn't coming from anywhere around him, it was filling his head and clouding his brain. Whatever it was, it was in his mind. A split second later pain exploded in his chest, and he collapsed forward on his hands and knees, the screech in his ears dimming away as though it were transforming into pure agony. He had never felt anything like this before. What was this torture being inflicted upon him? It felt as though his soul was being shredded to bits from within, the pain went so deep.

Finally, it was too much, and he lost consciousness, his eyes still open, his body still shaking with the pain, until finally it disappeared back into the depths of him from which it had come.

The moment it ended his mind returned, but his whole being seemed to throb in undulations of pain from the occurrence. He stood to his feet, his legs shaking uneasily. It felt as though a war had been waged inside his body.

---------------------------------------------------------

Far away, in the country of Lamina, far away from the current events, a man swathed in majestic robes, with old, graying hair, looked to a tiny sliver of translucent stone in his hand. The sliver pulsated and shook with a life of its own. This man was Jolyre's superior, the one who helped her to find the path to her father's killers. "Be careful, Jolyre, depending on what comes to pass, even the Shard of Fate I gave you to amplify your power may not be able to protect you.  

[Scythe de Zaran]

The human realm of Tylem was a very different environment from the Nero Angeal Termina. While in the Land of Darkness, there were massive overgrowths of wooded areas, the Land of the Wind had winding caverns and ravines of stone and cliff. Rigo took the lead as Gio asked of him and would have offered him his hand for support, but decided against it. While Gio wasn't himself, it didn't mean that he didn't have the stamina or skills from his previous training. Gio just didn't seem to know how to use them or have the confidence to.

The elder brother started down the twisting steps to the human village. If wind wasn't such a problem, Rigo would have simply flown down and taken Gio with. However, if that had been plausible, the villagers definitely would know Rigo wasn't human, and they even might suspect Gio as well.

The dark haired Nero Angeal suddenly felt his younger brother falter behind him, sensing that Gio wasn't following. He turned around to see Gio's body shaking in what appeared to be a combination of fear and pain, and the boy in confusion with blank eyes.

What was wrong? Was it that from two years ago? "Gio, brother! Talk to me!" Rigo, concerned, vaulted back up over the few steps he had taken and hugged Gio. The younger brother seemed dazed, but Rigo didn't sense any dangerous aura emitting from Gio.  

[Draconia Crystalis]

Gio's eyes glazed over, and it felt as though he were being pulled, body and soul, to something far off in the distant barrens, far away from the village. His head throbbed a few times, making his thoughts cloud even more, making him act without rational thought or reason. He stood and turned about to face the direction of the pull.

"Two..... close......." he whispered to himself, then began running off without a word to his brother. With the wind at his back, instead of in his face, he moved faster than he would have otherwise.

As he ran, he began to gain his senses back, but still did not stop. Panic was setting in, and he had no idea what was going on. All he felt was that there was danger where he was headed, and that was he last thing he wanted. What was happening to him? First the overwhelming pain, and then this? What was wrong with him?

"B-Brother.... help," he whispered to himself, unable to yell from the running making his breathing ragged. "Help."  

[Scythe de Zaran]

Rigo's brother didn't respond. Instead, his eyes took on a blank look again and then suddenly, he began running in some random direction, which luckily wasn't off a cliff. Yet.

What is going on? Rigo frowned. There was a lot of confusion in the situation, and Gio wasn't making sense. The younger brother didn't need to even ask for Rigo's help for the Nero Angeal to act and start chasing after Gio. In Gio's state, it could be detrimental letting him run off along. Rigo couldn't let that happen.

"Stop, Gio!" he yelled. Unfortunately, the wind wasn't as lenient with him as Gio, so he had a harder time catching up to the brown haired human, but he would catch up at some point. Something was wrong, and he couldn't help but think back to the catastrophe two years ago.

As Rigo charged after Gio, he attempted to make note of where they were and what direction so it would be easier to retrace their steps and not become lost. I thought he was tired. How is he running like this now?  

[MadameDPomp]

Just walk.
How hard is it, Jolyre?
Forget the wind.
Go.
Jolyre berated herself for her weakness.
It took all she had in her tall, slight, Angeal body to keep her wings from exploding into sight and kicking hard off the ground; her usual means of escape from reality. But to kick off and fly here would mean imminent death by the face of a cliff. and if Jolyre was to die here, in this forsaken nation, it would be fighting her fathers murderer. Not blunt trauma from a ravine.
How did the people of Tylem even exist in these conditions? It was silent but for the angry wind. Everything was bleak and there wasn't so much as hut or stray animal. The emptiness of the place was overwhelming.
"I'm not leaving." she stated simply, to no one but the gusts.
"I'm not leaving until I got what I came for." she said, through a clenched jaw.
She often did this, reminding herself of the reasons behind whatever unusual circumstance she underwent. It helped maintain her self-assurance. But even Jolyre's ocean of confidence was shaken by this lifeless plain.
Up ahead, one cliff side rose higher than another. She could make out the silhouetted mass against the failing sun. Once she got there, this horrendous wind would let up.
Maybe.
It was a worth a try. She started a strong sprint against the wind, looking a safe place with some trace that life had inhabited it, even if long ago.  

[Draconia Crystalis]

With stamina that he had never had before, Gio bolted across the plains with the wind pushing him along. He didn't know where he was going, but by this point, it didn't really matter. What could he do? He couldn't make his feet stop, so he was utterly helpless. He just gave up and let his feet carry him to where they would.

It wasn't that much later that he saw where he must be heading, a part of the canyon where a huge section of cliff rose high above the rest. The cliff-face was cast in deep shadows, so he couldn't make out anything on its surface, but it definitely seemed like there was something there.

What was he going to encounter? Was he going to die? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to die, seeing as how he'd be able to rejoin his family. Maybe he should just let go and let things happen how they will.

Maybe it was that he didn't have his brother right next to him that he was thinking this way. He rarely considered things like this, and it was always when he was alone. His depression worsened when he had no one around to cheer him up and encourage him to keep going.

------------------------------------------------

Deep in dark shadows, black reflective eyes glinted in the faintest rays of light that reached them. A presence was approaching. Prey was coming. This body hungered for food. This vessel would be perfect for killing those who would intrude upon this place. Disgusting mandibles licked over a green, razor edged blade, and a low screech emitted from its fearsome maw, not so high though as to alert its prey of its presence.  

[Scythe de Zaran]

Gio really was moving faster than Rigo expected, and Rigo found himself wondering what possibly could have triggered Gio to run this quickly, even if he was propelled by the wind. The dark haired brother was dashing as fast as he could to catch up to Gio and fighting the wind at some times.

Gio was in his view now, and he could see what appeared to be a tall cliff projected above the others in the canyon area. Because he wasn't close enough, the Nero Angeal did not hear the creature screech. For the same reason, and also because the cliffs were in the way of Rigo's view, he also did not notice the creature's presence. However, because of the large amount of shadows in the area, Rigo was being extra observant just in case anything was hiding in the shadows. A sword was at Rigo's hip, ready to be unsheathed at any moment. There was always the option of using the Crystal to see if there was anything in the darkness, but at the moment, he was more concerned with Gio and taking in the view. And honestly, Rigo was probably more versatile in the dark anyway.

As he continued approaching Gio, Rigo noticed another figure (Jolyre) in the distance coming from another direction. He didn't know who it was, but gathered that it was probably female because of the way it walked and the hair flowing from it. Long hair didn't always mean "female," but Rigo just made the assumption for now. Friend or foe... One person to account for. Now, there was the matter of whether there was anything else around. Gio, would you stop before you reach the shadows?  

[MadameDPomp]

It got darker the farther Jolyre ran into the ravine. The shadow from the high cliff was immense and covered a large portion of the land. But at the moment, she didn't care. About anything except getting of the winds. She hadn't had a break from the wind and lifelessness for a few hours now. Panting, but refusing to stop, Jolyre's arms pumped in an effort to gain more momentum down into the valley, which, it should be noted, was still high off the ground; more ravines gutted the earth below the "safe" place Jolyre had spotted. She decided not think about that yet; the thoughts only depressed her.
She took long and strong strides that propelled her against Tylem winds and pale hair and a dark cloak flew out behind her. She was so close. Another..300 yards maybe? She couldn't tell and her mind was too focused on running away from that dreadful plain to actually compute it. She slowed now, aware that she was no longer the only present life-form in Tylem. Her steps, although swift, became more deliberate, in case she need to run or fight. Running was rarely an option. Jolyre had a shard of the Fate Crystal, making her a formidable opponent at the extreme least. She could feel it now, on a cool chain against the skin of her cheat underneath tunic and nondescript armor. Back at the Glorion Crystalis, Jolyre adorned herself in the armor of the Angeal, all engraved wings and splendour, but here in these forsaken lands, Jolyre found it more suitable to be anonymous.  

[Draconia Crystalis]

Gasping and panting for breath, Gio descended down a ramp of earth into the small outcropping of a valley that was shadowed by the high cliff. The darkness didn't stop his body from pressing forward as the area around him was cast into twilight, not too dark to see, but still plenty dark for things to hide in. He silently prayed that if death were to come to him, then to let it be swift and painless.

It seemed like his lungs were going to shrivel up and burn away from how much they stabbed at his chest, but finally he stopped, and of his own will started stumbling forward. His legs were weak from the exertion, a run like he had never done before, pushing his body more than he ever wanted to. "What's going on?" he asked himself quietly.

He lifted his head and looked out in front of him, shakily wondering why he had run here, not understanding any of it, or what he had said aloud involuntarily.... Two.... Close.... What did it mean? Two of what? And was it here? It just didn't make sense.

Then, in the distance, he saw someone had come to the cliff-side besides him. The person also wore a cloak, and it looked like there was long hair, so maybe a woman? Gio held out a small bit of hope that he wasn't alone here until Rigo arrived. "Is there someone there?!" he shouted. He hoped it was someone friendly, but then again, if it was someone who would try to kill him, it was best to just get it over with.  

[Scythe de Zaran]

No, of course not. Unfortunately, Gio had descended into the shadows before Rigo could reach him. The elder brother carefully with quick steps slipped into the shadows. Why is he not stopping?

In front of him, he could see his younger brother, but not Jolyre yet. He heard Gio call out quite loudly for someone to answer. Rigo shook his head. There was that someone he saw earlier. Was that who Gio was calling to? Rigo huffed slightly as he finally caught up to Gio and put a hand on his shoulder. "Gio, why did you run? Please don't do that again," he said softly as he moved in front of Gio to shield him from whoever he was yelling at. It was then he saw Jolyre's figure. It seemed that they were now all in the shadows of that high cliff.

It was dark yet there was enough light to see. Still, there were enough cracks and crevices for things to hide. Something else is here... Rigo couldn't explain it, but he just had a feeling. He looked around slowly and waited for the long haired figure to respond.

((Done editing.))  

[MadameDPomp]

Jolyre approached the brothers, cautious and narrow-eyed. She had her arms raised, blades running lethally along her pale metal gauntlets. She stopped within about 30 feet of them.
Are they from Tylem?
She was excited about this possibility because maybe they could lead her to some semblance of civilization. It was dampened by the dark feeling the shadows and cliff side were giving off.
Jolyre cast off her angry fighting stance and distance and came closer. They would have to get closer eventually...
"Pray tell, what kind of traveler willingly walks into Tylem's vicious winds and dark ravines?" she asked.
Don't tell them anything...
It was Jolyre's policy to never give her name or the true nature of her wanderings. For all she knew, these strangers could be her father's murderers! They didn't look the type, though. The one looked scared to death and frail, and the other seemed a tired, weary traveler.  

[Draconia Crystalis]

Gio gulped down the lump in his throat as a the figure approached, revealed to indeed be a woman. A heavily armed woman. The bladed gauntlets she wore looked deadly, honed to a razor's edge. And it didn't look like she was too friendly of a person either. This was just his luck, always getting himself into dangerous situations that his brother had to fish him out of, except this time it was entirely beyond his control. He couldn't have avoided this if he wanted to.

Gio stood up uneasily, his legs shaking as though they would give out at any moment, and he walked in front of his brother, not wanting him to get hurt because of him. "H-H-He was following m-m-m-me, Ma'am," he said politely, unable to stop the stutter that came out when he spoke to women. His face turned a deep scarlet with embarrassment, and he was only barely able to maintain eye-contact because the twilight made him feel less exposed. "I don't know why I came here, I w-w-w-wasn't able to control my body. For some reason I ran straight here, and I've never been here once in my life, n-not in all of our travels."

He put great effort into taking another step forward, great effort both because of his exhaustion and his awkwardness around the opposite sex. He opened up his travel cloak reached for his left hip, showing a simple katana, unfastening it from his belt. He did so very slowly, so as not to make the woman think he was drawing it to attack. He held the weapon, sheath and all in the palm of his hands and out in front of him, showing that he would not draw it. "I know I h-h-have a weapon, but in my hands, it may as well be a toy. My b-b-b-brother is the one that protects me. We mean you know h-harm. Us coming here was just an accident."

He hoped he could appease this dangerous woman, but if not, he at least wanted to do something for his brother by throwing himself in her way if he needed to.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Black eyes looked down on the three intruders from above, staring hungrily at its prey. The woman had a particularly tasty morsel on her, and would be the first target. She was marginally the most powerful in its mind, and prey went down easier if the strongest went first. It was a simple hunting instinct. The one quivering in fear, with almost no strength about it, would go last. It would perhaps be the tastiest, since the creature knew its face, and knew what it meant.  

[Scythe de Zaran]

As Gio also observed, Rigo noticed the woman's bladed gauntlets and her attitude and words. She was being careful, just as Rigo would have, and Rigo suspected that the gauntlets weren't merely for show. Unfortunately, Gio stepped in front of Rigo and answered her question in a stammering tone broadly and even offered out his katana. Rigo kept his composure and for the moment, did not pull his brother back. Not allowing his brother to stand up for himself would impede his development, if any, back to his former self. However, if this newcomer made any motion to attack Gio, Rigo would interfere.

Rigo noted Gio's answer. The latter part about the explanation disturbed him. Was it a remnant of the entity from two years ago? Gio wasn't lying. It wasn't like him, and the way he was acting about it clearly showed that he was confused.

Gio was making efforts despite his exhausted features. At least, Gio's will still existed to some extent. Rigo watched and nodded in agreement to Gio's answer, although she still felt Gio had said too much.  

[MadameDPomp]

Jolyre's brows furrowed in puzzlement. How was this frail and stuttering boy even alive? The protection of the silent one behind him must be vast indeed to keep this anxious boy alive. The one behind him was obviously older and was obviously not pleased that his meek younger brother had come forth first.
"It's a strange thing indeed when you can't control your own actions." Jolyre offered, lowering her bladed arms as display of peace.
The good thing about her choice of weaponry was they were always there. They didn't need to be drawn, she only needed to be motivated.
"I apologize for my interference, as it were." She was all generous, empty words. Be kind and aloof;say nothing of worth.
"I am simply passing through." Jolyre
stated. Gazing at their dark surroundings, Jolyre felt ice run down her spinal cord and spread through her nervous system. Something was amiss, but she couldn't place it. All she could see were the silhouettes of ravine, dark against a blackening sky. "Please don't think me rude, but I wish to make away from here. The wind may not blow as hard, but these shadows offer even less comfort." she said, looking around warily.