Private Tales The Crux of the Problem

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Maliyah Molinari

Maliyah Molinari

The 'Not Really A Pirate' Pirate
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There were certain jobs that Elodie hated taking and being the bodyguard to a noble was high on that list. It wasn't just the guarding a noble that irritated her, it was the fact that most of the time they didn't have an end date and she missed out on other jobs. The upside was that she was set as far as funds went for a bit and she had a place to stay with meals included. Give and take, she thought to herself, give and take.

Elodie had to admit that this job was not too terrible. The noble, Lord Maunchi, was nice enough and he really didn't do too much so it was a lot of sitting around. He was paranoid that something was out to get him so she spent the majority of her day with him. The only time she did not spend with him was when she needed to sleep and she had had him post multiple guards for those 6 hours. She also limited his movement during that time. No need to take the chance if someone was indeed after him. Elodie had her doubts.

At night, she patrolled around the house while he slept. That was the prime time for an assassin to sneak in and she knew that prime time well. Of course, she had not seen anything in the three weeks that she had been working for him, but he was paying her a substantial amount so she indulged his paranoia. Elodie was dressed in tight black pants that led into a similarly fitted black shirt and a hood fell over her red hair. Her sword rested on her left hip and her dagger rested on her right. This had become her night. Walking around the manor and the grounds, slinking in the dark.

Crux
 
Crux hated Alliria. It was too crowded, too loud. The streets were almost constantly swarmed with vast crowds consisting of all manner of species and creed. The mutant didn't give a damn about diversity or unity, but all these different energies played hell with his ability to sense magic. He was essentially blind unless he was tucked in an empty alley or up on the rooftops. It was no wonder the dreads were headed this way with all this food, but Crux knew they had a specific target in mind.

He'd realized as soon as he'd seen the empty dread nest that somebody had taken an egg, and whoever it was had signed their death warrant. Dreads were powerful four-legged beasts that resided in only the darkest of places, venturing out in the blackest of the night to prey on the unwilling by sucking their bodies dry of anything and everything, leaving only lifeless, empty husks. There weren't many deaths by Dread because usually, people knew better than to travel on foot without some source of light; Dreads had an aversion to any light and would avoid it like plague.

To think that somebody would be so moronic as to steal an egg right out of a nest... either they didn't know what they were doing, or perhaps... Well, that didn't matter. The well-being of the idiot who'd stirred them didn't matter to him so much as the slaying of the Dreads did. Filthy, disgusting things. He'd be happy to see them withered and dead at his feet.

That was what Crux did, he hunted and slaughtered. To quell the countless horrific visions that plagued his mind every hour of every day and sate the taste of blood they left in his mouth.

He'd done his research; every sign was pointing to a wealthy aristocrat named Maunchi, who left in East Alliria in a lavish little manor. Maunchi wasn't very popular; those who'd been under his employ were vocal about how strongly they loathed the man and his tastes. All it took were a few free drinks to get them talking about this weird egg he had on a pedestal in his foyer, displayed proudly as though it were some rare commodity.

The manor wasn't hard to find, and Crux cared not for any who might see him with a suspicious eye as he approached the wide iron gates to the grounds with a look of contempt on his face and his hands resting on the steel cable wrapped around his waist.

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie was really tired of this job. Every day and night were the same. She just had to keep reminding herself that the money was good and the job was easy. Money is good, job is easy. Money is good, job is easy. Tonight had turned out to be no different than every other night. Silence. The occasional drunk nobles kid would walk outside the gate with friends, but the sound would soon trail off again.

She had gotten tired of walking around when she decided to take a break and practice some with her sword. She focused on her footwork while parrying the blows from her imaginary opponent. She did those for probably an hour until she made another few rounds.

It was on one of those rounds that she caught sight of a figure at the front gate of the manor. She placed hand on the hilt of the dagger as she approached the gate and the figure. He was only a bit taller than her and even in the low lantern light she could see that his hair was the color of the darkest void. He did not look like a common drunk.

"Can I help you, sir?" Her voice was low and she narrowed her golden eyes at him.

Crux
 
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Only vaguely did Crux seem to realize somebody was addressing him directly, his attention pulled towards the ludicrously lavish building behind the iron gates. How appropriate that somebody harboring the egg of a Dread would have such poor taste. Well, it didn't matter. These bars were far from enough to keep him at bay. Grasping the handle of the long whip tied around his waist, he pulls back on it, causing it to slide free and come to rest on the ground with a sharp crack.

Oh, right, somebody had been trying to say something to him. Crux's eyes briefly flick over the young woman glaring at him from the other side of the iron bars. She didn't look very strong; nobody worth his time had skin that smooth, clothes that clean. Was she supposed to be some type of bodyguard? Crux furrowed his brow in some measure of confusion. "Unless you want to open the gates, then no, you may not." Not that it mattered, Crux drew back his whip and swung it towards the top of the gate.

The end of his weapon found the tip of one of the bars, the momentum causing it to swing around the iron far enough that Crux could leap up and easily grab the end, hooking the whip and providing him leverage. "Could you move, lady? I don't want to knock you over when I land..." Clearly, he was absolutely disregarding her, as if she posed no threat whatsoever to him.

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie stared at the man like he had lost his damn mind. He was not seriously going to come over the gate like he owned the place. He also was not taking her seriously in any capacity whatsoever and that had been the downfall of many people before him. She used her looks to disarm, both physically and mentally.

Elodie reached out with her magic and watched the man pull himself up and over the gate, he then landed about three feet to the right of where she was currently standing. Perfect, she thought. "Oh, of course, let me just get out of your way..." her voice trailed off as she watched the stranger.

Once he landed on the ground, he would find her dagger at his throat within a millisecond. Perks of seeing a little bit into the future. She knew where he would land and exactly how long it would take for him to stand up once he landed.

Crux
 
Crux flashed the little woman a rather ornery smirk before gripping the whip tightly and bringing his boots to the iron, the leverage that it offered him enough to help him easily scale the gate and climb over. Crux was a big more agile than people oft gave him credit for, but normally he would have just broken the gate open. The only reason he opted for the less violent method of entry was to retain some element of surprise. Of course, he didn't expect that to last very long; Crux had a knack for making noise.

It was almost disappointing to him when the woman whom he'd could only guess was supposed to be guarding the place seemed so keen to let him in. Puny as she seemed, he was always welcoming of a fight. The thrill of pitting his will to live against another's, his spirit and passion... It made him feel so damned alive. So when he felt her against his back the second he landed, cold steel against his throat ready to put an end to him right where he stood, Crux smiled. He had to give this lady credit, she was fast.

Almost too fast.


"This how you treat all the guests?" He muttered back to her as he raised his hands in the hair in a display of submission. "You asked if you could help me and I gave you an honest answer. You don't even know why I'm here." A low, amused cackle would briefly escape his lips before he boldly turned his head even against the knife. "You don't let me go and there won't be anybody to pay you. I'm trying to save your poor excuse of a boss." Once again, Crux didn't really care what happened to the rich and fat that lived here, but she didn't need to know that.

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie kept her knife at his throat as he spoke and even turned his head. She felt the tension against her knife and it cause her to grimace. He was clearly insane. End of discussion. He had information about her boss and she was curious since her boss did seem to be afraid of something. Elodie did not move her knife as she weighed her options. She could let him go and hear him out or she could kill him him. Okay, there was not that much to weigh.

She very slowly removed her knife, but she did not put it away. "Turn around slowly and explain yourself, now!" Her voice was a low growl and she glared at him as she waited for him to turn. She was fast enough to attack if he tried to attack her. She was fairly certain that he was not here to assassinate anyone...he did not seem like he would make a good assassin.

Crux
 
Of course, Crux wasn't nearly as defenseless in this position as he seemed. The two of them were awfully close right now, it would have been nothing to suck out every drop of magic from the woman and leave her helpless. Of course, wouldn't help with the knife on his throat, but he wasn't particularly worried about that. Better had tried to slit his throat and failed. Crux was... very stubborn when it came to people trying to kill him. He wouldn't be taken down easily.

Not that Crux wasn't somewhat impressed by her speed. He'd expected her to jump him as soon as he touched the ground, but somehow she'd moved so quickly that he hadn't even had time to prepare. Nearly inhuman... It made one wonder... Bah, no time for such idle ponderance, he had work to be doing and he was wasting time. It was awfully gracious of her to lower the knife. Gracious... and a little stupid. If he'd had any desire to he could have killed her right there, when she'd so slightly dropped her guard.

Perhaps he normally would have, and yet the raven-haired man slowly stepped away, turning to face her as she asked. This woman had done something so very few were able to accomplish, and that was make him curious. So he would play along, dance in tune with the beat she played for the time being. "Your boss has something that's going to get him and a lot of others in this city killed if I don't take it from him." He rested his hands on his belt, one of many that wrapped around his waist and held the red cloth on. "Anybody gets in my way, I have no qualms about killing them. What's a few lives to many, right?" Crux didn't really care about the lives of the people here; he just wanted to kill the dreads. This little firecracker didn't need to know that, though.

"If you want to fight, then we'll fight. If not, get out of my way. Either way, you aren't stopping me."

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie studied the man with a raised brow. He had to be crazy or, perhaps, she was crazy for even entertaining such a notion. "What is the object and why should I care if anyone gets killed? Whether my boss gets killed or you take the object, I will likely lose any money that would have been paid to me." She had already made quite a bit because she required continued payment for jobs like this, but she was not going to tell him this.

"How much is the object worth to your employer?" Her voice had lowered to little more than a growl. She would go where the money was and if his employer would pay her then she would gladly remove herself from his path. If not, she would have to fight him since she did not work for free. Elodie had the advantage on speed and seeing the future on him.

Crux
 
Why should she care if anybody gets killed? Now she was getting into the spirit of things! Reaching out with one hand, Crux gives the bold woman a satisfied pat on the shoulder, a flash of what seems like a genuine smile flashing across his face. "I admire that attitude. Really, I don't care either." He admits. The man was letting his guard down, if he were to be attacked, she had more than one opening.

"But I'll indulge you. He's got an egg that was stolen from a nest of creatures called Dreads. Real nasty things. They suck everything out of your body, blood, bone barrow, basically leave you an empty sack of skin." Almost like me... He briefly thought to himself before continuing, straightening out his whip and wrapping it back around his waist. "They also have some incredible senses. Can track things better than any hound you'll come across. So ask yourself, what would a nest of these monsters do to such a busy town?"

Crux was certain he didn't need to spell it out much more than that. Whether she truly didn't care, or was making some attempt to bluff, the cards were on the table now. The dark-faced man crosses his arms, head turning towards the manor. "I could care less about his greed, or justice or whatever. But I want those Dreads dead." Her mention of an employer was meant with a small laugh, his eyes flickering back to hers for a moment. "I work for myself. The day I take orders is the day I lay down my weapons and submit. That is to say, never."

A pause, Crux's smile fading. "What was that earlier? You're more than fast, you're blinding. There's nothing ordinary about that level of speed. Magic, perhaps?"

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie was thinking about what he said about the Dreads. She had never heard of such creatures and she was a little happy at that fact. They did not sound like the type of things she wanted to mess with and according to this man, they were about to be her problem. She did always enjoy a good fight.

"What was that earlier? You're more than fast, you're blinding. There's nothing ordinary about that level of speed. Magic, perhaps?"

It was Elodie's turn to smile at Crux. She had quickly figured out that it did not matter if she told people about her magic, because even if they tried to trip her up, the future would just change for her. It had become a game sometimes to see if they could trick her. No one had yet. She considered if she wanted to tell him and figured that it didn't hurt especially if it would get him to let her come kill the Dreads with him. Of course, Elodie hadn't asked that yet.

"I can see up to a minute into the future..." She let the words hang in the air between them. Her magic had served her very well as a mercenary. She had used that advantage to save her life a few times.

Crux
 
The indifference on Crux's face seemed to fade quite quickly when the woman shared her true strength with him. A minute into the future? On the surface it sounded like a useless power, with no practical application, but if one took into account how many split-second decisions needed to be made when danger arose, in the heat of a battle...

Well now, that certainly changed things a little bit.

That smirk on her face said that she knew just how that would catch his attention. Crux couldn't hold back a growing smirk himself. So she wasn't the pushover he thought she was! "Isn't that convenient? You must be a pain in the ass to fight." He chuckled. Crux wasn't particularly worried about whether or not he could take her on; as long as he was careful to draw out his actions, to leave no opening for her to escape to, then future sight wouldn't cause problems. Though admittedly that was far easier said than done.

This in mind, Crux casts another glance up towards the manor, clicking his tongue impatiently. If she chose to fight him, it wouldn't be an easy fight. Very likely it would alert Manuchi and make the entire operation far more trouble than it was worth. Crux didn't back down from a challenge though. "So, are you going to stop me?" he didn't look at her as he spoke. "Or are we done here? Of course, I know now that running isn't an option. You'd be two steps ahead of me." Bringing his hands to his hips, he stretched backward with a groan. "Of course, you could stick around, try and bag yourself a few kills yourself."

Elodie Rahlyn
 
"Some have said that, others have tried to test my sight." Elodie had his attention now. Was she going to stop him? No. Were they done here? No. He fascinated her and she was okay with giving up this boring bullshit for some more action. Especially with this weird man.

She started to walk towards the manor. She may as well help him if she was going to tag along. What a turn of events that she hadn't expected. "Are you coming?" Elodie turned and smiled at him. "If we are going to be fighting together, I should at least know what to call you."

Once she reached the front door, she opened it slowly and stepped inside. Getting the egg would be the only easy part of this whole things, she suspected.

Crux
 
Crux was always adamant that he worked alone. Human connections had never been his thing, and even those few people he had somewhat befriended ended up thinking better of the whole arrangement when the what he was came up. For when the time came when Crux's true colors came through, when his true nature was revealed, Elodie would run too.

Until then, why not have a little bit of fun? The violent man made a show of sauntering past Elodie to enter the manor with a smirk, his heavy boots sounding off against the solid floor of the entryway, expensive and gaudy tile. "Oh, I will be testing you, rest assured. Not when I have something much more important to tend to, though." She was interesting, but not as interesting as seeing a pack of Dreads coming at him.

Nevertheless, Crux narrows his eyes and looks around the first room of the ridiculous manor, looking for any trace of magic in the air. Well, not magic, per se, but the thin trails of energy left by the Dread mother. It should still be sticking to the sides of the egg like a thick adhesive. Yes, there it was, up the stairs in the center of the room and down a hallway to the right. Without waiting for a word from his new 'friend', Crux begins to ascend.

"You can call me Crux, but do so quietly. I don't wish to wake anybody else up and have more blood to spill before my work is done."

The trail he'd found wasn't too difficult to follow; it seemed the rich idiot hadn't even bothered to wash the egg before putting it proudly on display on a room that took up a large portion of the right side of the second floor, what seemed a trophy or display room, with weapons, corpses, and all manner of old junk placed on pedestals as if they meant anything.

Front and center was the egg, underneath a clear case and placed on a pillar of marble.

"Don't suppose you put any traps in here? No magic or trickery?"

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie smirked at his words about testing her. Lots of people have tried, only a few had succeeded. She was curious which category he would fall into. He was right, though, they had more important things to worry about right now.

Crux, she mused. It was a strange name but that is what he was called so that is what she would call him. She would introduce herself to him after they had gotten out of the house. She followed him up the stairs in silence. She knew where the egg was but he wanted to lead the way so she let him.

She was curious what he was thinking as he entered the small museum that her boss had created in his home. It was ridiculous and stupid. She had spent too much time in the room and she really wouldn’t be sad to see it all destroyed. Unfortunately, they were here for the egg. The heinous thing sat the center of room looking like an expensive treasure.

“No, no traps or anything. Getting the egg and getting out of here won’t be an issue. I am the only one awake and no one on his staff likes him so if anyone does wake up, they will turn a blind eye.”

Elodie stepped around him and lifted the clear case gently. It was not heavy and once it was lifted, she bent to set it on the ground. “So where are we going with it?” She asked as she stood back up and crossed her arms.

Crux
 
It was rare he shared with anybody that single word that was the only name he'd ever been given. If his parents had meant to call him something else, had some hopes or aspirations for their son, he'd never know. It wasn't really something he thought about though, choosing instead to focus on far more single minded goals, namely killing the damned.

When Elodie assured him the room was safe, he was of two minds. This could be a very simple lure for a trap laying just inside the room; after all 'No traps or anything', everybody being asleep or disgruntled was a too good to be true scenario, and he'd learned that if something seemed too good to be true, it likely was.

On the other hand, Elodie had no need for a trap if she wished to subdue him; he'd yet to learn his way around her power and she knew that very well. She could beat him in a fight, well, a fair one anyways. Perhaps this truly was all too easy. He wouldn't know by sitting around and thinking about it all night, either way. He stepped quietly inside, a low hum leaving his lips as he approached the pale grey-spotted egg, the thin shine on it's surface speaking to just how dangerous it was. The Dreads would smell it from miles away.

His new 'partner' stepped around him to lift the case herself, earning her a small scowl from his lips. "We're taking it somewhere I'll have the upper hand. Somewhere I can fight without running into a wall." He said rather cryptically as he took the egg, pulling into his arms and turning without a word to leave. "What's the fastest way out of this wretched pit of a city?"

Moving through Alliria at the dead of night with a heavy egg in his arms wasn't his idea of a particularly good time, and by the time they were reaching the edge of town Crux was about ready to smash the damned thing and be done with it. "When they find us, and they will. I want you to smash this thing. That'll send them into a rage, and try to drain us. That's when I come in."

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie and Crux moved silently through the streets of Alliria. Crux finally spoke again and told her of the very thin plan her had. She listened to his words and two caught her attention. Drain us. What were these creatures? And why grab the egg to just destroy it? Could he not find them without it?

"What do you mean by drain us? What exactly are Dreads?" Elodie felt slightly nervous now. She was not nervous enough to turn back though. No, she wanted to see this through now. She had given up her current job so she may as well make it worth it.

Crux also fascinated her. There was something about him that she couldn't place her finger on. He was strange and gruff but neither of those were the something. "How far are we going out of the town before we stop and wait? And how long do you think it will take for them to find us?"

Crux
 
Questions, questions, questions. What was it with this woman and her constant questions? What this? What that? Crux had always been taught that questions were wastes of time; in the breath spent asking, you could push forward and find the answers for yourself. For somebody so powerful, Elodie continued to strike Crux as insufferable. Then again, so too did most. More than once Crux wondered if it wasn't him that was the repentant asshole.

Probably, but it didn't matter.

"I already told you, they suck you dry from the inside. Everything." What was she asking him? "They're manifestations of malice. When people with powerful magic and evil intent use that magic, they leave a menacing residue on all that they touch. Sometimes wildlife is affected by these residues in radical ways. The Dreads came about in such a manner." His to-the-point nature and gruff attitude seemed to hide a legitimately well-educated man, although why Crux seemed so single-minded was a mystery. Stopping for a moment, he looked down the street behind Elodie, before waving them into an alley that cut off to the side.

The narrow passage between two buildings was cramped dark, but it seemed the egg Crux carried did give off a faint glow of some sort illuminating the both of them. "I just want to get out of town so all this... stuff isn't in the way." He muttered back as they cut through into the next street. Maybe he was just paranoid, but he was carrying some serious cargo, and he wasn't about to ignore the sensation of being followed. "Look, I won't lie to you, I need your help. These things are dangerous, even for me. Having an extra pair of hands is a boon I wasn't expecting. I thank you for that."

He stops, turning around to face her with a glower. It seemed offering gratitude wasn't something he was used to doing, because the slightest shade of pink barely escaped his face. "But I'm going to need you to trust me and just go with what I say. I know what I'm doing, Elodie." His words weren't quite as harsh as before, the edge lessened. Crux looked less like angry psychopath and more like a frustrated young man.
"If I don't kill these things now, somebody else is going to pay for it. A lot of somebodies. So we need to make sure we're somewhere clear of town, maybe with rock cover, but no trees. Do you know of a place?"

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie gave him a look. The look. He wanted to get short with her and then admit he needed her help. He was very confusing. Short, needing help, and now thanking her. He needed some mental help it seemed. So did she, apparently. She had wanted to assist him with getting the egg and going with him to fight. Was she that bored with life that she was willing to risk her life for no pay? Based on this decision, her answer was yes.

His demeanor and attitude changed once more as he asked her to trust him and she saw that he was not as crazy as he seemed originally. He was human and he was frustrated with these creatures.

"Trust is something I can tenatively put into you, Crux. I do not know you. I will do as you say though," she said. "and I will trust that you won't let me die on purpose." It was really all that she could promise at this point.

Elodie thought for a moment. Rock cover but no trees. Yes, she knew of a spot and it wasn't that far from here. She started to walk and hoped Crux would follow. "There is a weird hill thing outside of the city. It was like they were going to build a church or something, I don't know. They cleared the land and they brought it stones and marble but they never built it. It's the best I can do without any trees."

Crux
 
Crux was by all means less than sound of mind, but he wasn't an idiot; he saw that look she shot back at him, questioning his sanity and trustworthiness wasn't entirely appreciated. Fine, it was true enough he'd been less than forthcoming with her, and he supposed he could see where her apprehension came from. Crux didn't really bother talking to people though; he got what he desired through actions. To call this conversation a learning experience would be an understatement of massive proportions.

Taking a deep breath, and letting it escape him slowly, he nodded. "I've nothing to gain from your death. If they get close enough to kill you, then my life is just as doomed." That was no lie. The Dreads reaching Elodie, and presumably killing her, would only make things exponentially more dangerous for him; the Dreads would fly into a rage if fed, and Crux didn't have the raw power to take on that kind of threat at the moment. "If you stick close to me, and don't make a move until I say, you have my word that you won't be harmed."

It felt strange to make a genuine promise to somebody. One that he wasn't just spouting off to get around them. It seemed to satisfy Elodie though; after a moment of thought, she nodded and pushed past him, taking off in a completely different direction, promising an ideal spot for their battle. Quickly he moved to follow, holding the egg close against his chest. "Loose stones? We could move them, make cover... that sounds perfect. Take me, please."

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie huffed at his response to him not letting her get harmed. If these creatures were as bad as he was saying then she had little optimism in his words. She had told the truth when she said she would follow what he said though. He had encountered them before and she had not. At least...she hoped he had encountered them before.

"Yes, loose stones, but I do not know how well we will be able to move them. I have no idea how large they are," her reply was terse as she led them away from their pit stop.

The trip took about half an hour and the moon had started to make its descent in the sky. It was a only a little after midnight now. She held her arms out with a flourish to show the area when they arrived. The stones were various sizes but most were of a medium size. They needed someone with more strength than her to move them. Perhaps Crux could move them or they could work together.

"How long do you think we have?"

Crux
 
Elodie would only get so much goodwill out of Crux at once; he was done reassuring her of her own safety. If she still did not have faith in his words, then that was for her to sort out, not him. Once they were done with their work, and the beasts were slain, perhaps he would be a bit more open to her. For now, they'd already wasted far too much time.

Though the trip took less than an hour, each minute seemed to cause Crux to grow more and more anxious. The darker the night, the more likely they were to be caught off guard. He was more than confident in his ability to kill the creatures, but the disadvantage meant a much higher risk of injury, both to him and to Elodie, and he would very much like to avoid that.

Still, he had to commend Rahlyn on the spot she'd found; it was just as she'd described, and it would make the perfect place to hold out against the Dreads. the stones were laid out in small piles, seemingly sorted by size. Moving them around was an option, but they looked to be quite heavy, and the time it would take to move very many of them would outweigh the small advantage it would give them. No, placing behind the stones, he wiped his brow, moving over to the large pile and looking out over it.

"Not long..." He muttered. "Hard to tell exactly, but now that we've stopped moving, we need to be prepared." Slowly, his tongue ran out over his bottom lip, his gaze intensifying towards nothing, staring at what he couldn't yet see. "Elodie, as soon as you hear them, use your power to give me a minute's warning. Listen for a loud clicking sound, and be ready for a rank stench of death..."

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie was behind the pile of large stones with Crux, waiting. The mercenary was not a fan of his words by she nodded anyways. Loud clicking sound. She stayed silent and listened and listened and fought falling asleep and listened some more.

It had been at least an hour of silence when her trained ears caught the sound of clicking. She couldn't tell how far they were out but she grabbed Crux's arm. Her vision changed as she waited for them to be within the minute so her magic could capture them.

As soon as it hit, she squeezed his arm and nodded. It was go time.

Crux
 
Crux couldn't tell if Elodie had ignored his warnings and decided to kick back and relax against the stones, or if her power was truly so passive that she need not even focus it. Either way, while she quietly waited for the Dreads to arrive, Crux paced with his eyes narrowed towards the horizon. He was placing far more faith in Elodie than he was used to putting in anybody, and every bone in his body warned him of the consequences.

What was done was done. Crux needed to believe that Elodie would give him the signal at the right time. If she didn't, they were far too close for Crux to have any time to prepare for a solo effort. With the warning to give him an extra minute's time, he could shatter the egg and use it's energy to fuel his own attacks.

There it was, she reached over to grasp his arm, squeezing tightly in a silent gesture. They were approaching. Crux felt it now, that rush up his spine, that heat building in his veins at the mere idea of the upcoming battle. It was a sensation he absolutely lived for, better than any other emotion he'd ever felt.

Not that he'd felt many all too strongly.

Up until now he'd been working in uncharted territory, relying on another. Now he was somewhere he was comfortable, now he was in a battle, home. Turning back towards the egg, he raises abooted foot and brings it down hard on the shell, shattering it like glass, the sound causing the air to tremble as distant cries sound out, the voices of the creatures who'd been seeking this prize.

Crux wasn't worried; Thanks to Elodie, he had time. Time to feel the magic from that unborn Dread escape into the air around him, time to open up his pores and take it into his own body. That was his curse and also his blessing; the ability to siphon such magics into his form. His skin would begin to change to an ashen and cracked grey, like the surface of a great volcano. Burning lines would run from his eyes and cover his body as the immense power of a Dread filled and combined with his own.

They were on the horizon now, horrible beasts, as large as two horses each, with six legs and glowing eyes. They would almost resemble scorpions wrapped in shadow, but the unholy sounds coming from them, the clicking and screeching... No scorpion was so horrifying.

"Get behind me, Elodie."

Elodie Rahlyn
 
Elodie watched in horror as Crux smashed the egg. He had been so careful with it and then he just smashed it. She was in shock for a millisecond before she heard the screech of the creatures that were headed their way. They were mad now. She figured they had been mad already but now they had reached a new level of fury and that fury was heading straight towards her.

She was not sure what Crux wanted her to do so she went to ask him except he was currently changing colors. His skin was grey and fiery lines ran across his body. “What the fuck?” She whispered, more to herself than him.

Her head snapped towards the screeching and her eyes widened. “Fuck…” She said as she followed what Crux had said and she got behind him as she pulled her sword from its sheath. She was no chicken but when the big, scary man said to get behind him…she did.

Crux
 
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