Julius's audible sigh made Alice relieved as well, it was contagious. But something struck her - it could have meant he'd just leave her in safety with Charisma after a while, she suddenly felt a small shock in her stomach which was a sign of a sudden worry for her, and soon a burden of fatigue came over her. However, it became obvious it wasn't worry that was overcoming her, the air started tasting sweet, things were starting to become a yellowish blur which mixed with the already-blackened surroundings by her blindfold, a loud ringing noise in her ear started, and it seemed any kind of smell nauseated her.
Trying to hold this in was a problem, it was painfully obvious Alice was going through something.
She couldn't hold it longer, and suddenly collapsed to her knees, and was forced to supporting herself with her arms. As it turned out, the bright-red starched stain on her back was starting to become a deep red again, and she suddenly found out why. The stress from fighting the lizard and fatigue from the walking just several hours after she acquired the injury was catching up.
Before the spare moment's time gave an opportunity for anyone to react, her shoulders gave out when her back made a shock strained along her entire spine, and collapsed sideways, managing to still land on her right arm.
Alice's left arm fell to the floor, bent upwards, and her legs were slightly curled in pain.

OOC: Yeah I'm ok now I'm just stuck with the basic sore throat and cough

Windy was alarmed by the sword's sudden appearance before her, without waiting for the two crazy people on her back to settle themselves down she lunged into the air with a frightened "neigh". She flapped her wings wildly and powerfully as if both of them were not on her back if they fell off she would never know she was returning to her mistress the magic sword was quite frightening.

---

Violet's blank gaze turned to one of wonder and curiosity as she stared at the woman and the room she sat in. She brushed her long bangs from in front of her face to behind her hair so she could get a better look at the mysterious woman. She stepped into the room and felt a strange sensation within her body of perfect peace and balance. Violet stared at the woman for a few seconds not knowing how to respond to the woman's welcoming, until she awkwardly curtsied. "Umm...thank you" said Violet "But...who are you?" she asked while standing a bit of a distance from the lady.

---

Tania saw Rana smiled down at her, she closed her eyes and nuzzled him then abruptly stopped, realizing that such a gesture was unheard of in the civilized communities, and looked down on by ladies. She opened her eyes and looked around the garden, Tekun and Anna were nowhere to be found. Tekun's absence meant that something had to be vitally important to take him from her side. "Umm...Rana" she said softly while sliding out of his embrace "Where's Tekun?"

---

"Tekun!" called out Anna worriedly as the boy was flung to the ground. She raised both of her hands while running towards Tekun and away from the demon. "Oh sweet Light, I pray that this will work" Her right hand which was facing Tekun shot a wave of light at the boy "Morale!" she yelled, as the rays reached him. She looked behind herself and saw the demon in all its horror. She pointed her index finger at it and from it shot a beam of light, noticeably weaker than if she had focused on that spell alone.

"I apologize, I tend to merit that reaction from most of the people I meet.." The woman replied, failing to meet Violet's gaze. "I had heard a bard checked into this establishment, but I never expected a lovely young woman. It will be nice to speak with you, a fellow musician. Especially if you were able to gain access to my suite. If you knew what chords to play for the keeper, surely you know where they came from, correct? The notes, I mean." Her head silently and slowly lifted up to waist height and the lids of her eyes glided open. The pupils were as white as snow, able to gaze into the hearts of any that veered into their path. They were the eyes of a sage, an immortal being of great power. Violet, being the virtuoso she was, could easily recognize a member of the Coeur Chanson.

The guild that was mainly rooted in France - but recently spread further into other territories - had always kept its secrets well hidden. When a member died, their eyes would immediately dissolve due to a chemical balance maintained by the beat of their hearts. The "chord" that ran from the heart to their eyes always vibrated, giving off a certain tone that rang as long as the beats persisted. When the person's heart rate increased due to strenuous exercise, such as battle, the ringing of the chord would become more intense, causing the user to exert more energy than a normal human. The energy would then gather in the manipulated eyes to be used for various functions. The user would be able to see an opponent's actions in a sort of slow motion, enabling them to act with inhuman precision. Another option would be to spend the energy on healing certain wounds the user has been inflicted with by merely staring at the wound for a while. The third option has been a closely guarded secret as no other who has experienced it has survived to analyze it. A truly fearsome enemy to have, not many have tried to anger the sages of the Coeur Chanson Guild (Heart's Song Guild).

Common knowledge for bards it may be, others would have foolishly acted rudely in the presence of one, incurring their wrath. Luckily, Violet knew better.

"Please, sit." The sage motioned to a kneeling pad in front of her.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Lex shrugged. "Please try not to refer to me with such a withered sobriquet." The hooded figure did not budge or sigh exasperatedly, yet questioned him again in the same way.

"Alright, alright.. thy will be taken and worn with accord." The man's voice bellowed with a new force.

"Lexington, good to see you! Now, have you brought the sacrifices? I trust you had no trouble charming them?"

"Not at all, though I don't really know how you intend to get them here. Force would be awfully inconvenient and unsuccessful. That Leon fellow is quite a force to be reckoned with. I wouldn't recomme-"

"Oh, hush yourself, my friend! I assure you, I have my best agents on it as we speak. They'll surely apprehend these "companions" of yours without mishap."

Lex sighed. "Fine, but can I go now? I mean, is my debt repaid?"

"Once we have used the sacrifices for the ritual and all is said and done, you will be allowed to go on your way, free of bonds."

"Great, so what should I do now?" He looked as he wasn't enjoying their conversation at all.

"Well, I think you should return to your room, so as not to raise suspicion from your male friend."

"Yes, that would be best, wouldn't it?" He smirked begrudgingly and turned to exit the chamber.

Alice collapsed suddenly, the whole inn took notice immedietly of what happened. A blind folded girl fell to the ground, twtiching, injured, exausted. Julius looked over to her and got to his knees in a panic. This women had saved his life, he couldn't let her die. Not after all that had happened.

"Alice!" He shouted in a panic! "Alice!"

There was blood coming up from a spot on her back, a previous wound reopening.

A cleric came by paniked.

"What happened!" he demanded, wanting to help.

"I...I don't know...she just collapsed." charisma whimpered.
-------------------------------

The pegasus was flying off or about ready too with Serene as it freaked out, a magical sword appearing for Euphemia apparently. He came to the conclusion he was all alone now.

"No!" He shouted. He wanted to get on, get away from this, with Serene, but now he lost his chance. Without it, he had no way of escaping, he was sure death was certain.
--------------------------------

Tekun was unsure of what was going on with the creatrue, it reached it's hand out as though it was curious, Tekun diverted his attack and slashed some of it's flesh and jumped back, unsure of what to expect. Though the beam of light was not as strong as it could have been, it pierced through the air and burned through the creature of the darkness like a knife through hot butter. Such magic was strong against most of these entities. Tekun stood up, Anna backing him, as timid as she was, he was glad she was here. This beast needed to be dealt with.

Serene sat upon the frightened Pegasus, not caring to hold on. "If I fall, it'll be a good thing..." she muttered. The fur felt cold and unwelcoming to her, and she'd been feeling a pain in her entire body since she woke up. It was intense and Serene winced at the pain. She wished it would end, right away.
________
Euphemia stared at the sword, wrapped in fine linen. "Jay knows how to treat his little cousin so well." She turned her head slightly, so her neck wouldn't be sliced. "If you could sir, could you let me go so I can get my sword?" she began asking nicely. "It's a magical healing sword used by a now dead swordsman. They said it could work wonders." she looked at him with soft eyes. "Would you separate a woman from a special gift from her own blood relative?"
________
J exited the back gates of the small town and walked the dusty trail left there. He looked ahead at the horizon. "It shouldn't take long for me to reach my next stop..." he smirked and cheerfully thought of what awaited him at the next stop. A good meal and a drink, and maybe a cute barmaid. He flexed his large muscles as he headed along.

"That sword does not belong to you." Eton said solemly. "I know whose it was. I watched him die." He said. "He was lanced accidently by a misthrown javeline. I told you not to talk sweet with me, I know what will happen if I let you go. I can't die just yet." He said. "I'll keep the knife further from your throat, but thats it. Wer'e both theives, I know how deception works."

The response pissed off Euphemia. "Let me get that sword...or I'm calling in more bandits...." she muttered angrily. She wanted to move away and wring the man's neck. "This is your last chance, let me retrieve the sword, or you'll pay dearly..."

Eton new he didn't have much of a choice. This women was playing hard ball, he couldn't bring himself to kill like this. It was against his code. Eton released the women, lowering the knife slowly and took a step back.

"I could have killed you. But here I am, letting you go." He said. "Remember this." He began to move towards a still frantic pegasus, it hadn't taken off yet, but trying to mount it, would be difficult.

Euphemia dashed away from the other thief and picked the linen cover sword from the ground, holding it tightly against her body. She smiled as she began to run off into the forest. "I was bluffing you fool! There isn't any backup in these woods!" she began shouting while laughing. "You aren't a very good thief if you can't tell when it's a bluff or not!" She hugged the sword tightly against her body. Finally, she had the item she sought, now she could return to Endoh and see Rourky.

Eton turned his back not caring, it wouldn't have been hard to kill her, but it was not something he favored, something he was not comfortable with, even if she was insane, it didn't sit right with him to kill a women. He turned his back and began heading towards the pegasus. He needed to calm it, make it back to the inn.

OOC: As I wait for a post from Forbz.

OOC: =[ Get better! And sorry I haven't posted.


Rana's smile faltered. Tania's behavior, her obvious and sudden affection for him, he didn't mind. She was endlessly kind, endlessly beautiful. Before he had attached himself to her he had hated contact with other people; and he still did. She was different. He squinted and looked over his shoulder. "I don't know..." He began to stand up, surprised that Tekun had vanished. The demon's growling he could barely hear from the garden.


The demon reared back when the light hit it, snarled and closed its hands. He didn't understand what the light had been. It raised its hands and brought them down hard. The ground shook for a moment, then the glowing purple erupted around Tekun, engulfing him completely. The pillar pulsed and roared and shot nearly ten feet up, after which is dissipated and turned into heavy smoke. It was not a deadly move, though the magic was unique to the demon's own realm.

Tania stood up as well, and dusted off her dress, rubbing off the dirt that had brushed it when she had fallen earlier. The garden was eerily quiet, she looked around again to be sure that Tekun wasn't somewhere else and hadn't noticed that she had reawakened, but he was nowhere to be found. The girl Anna could not be found either, she felt a bit paranoid so she called out "Windy! Let's ride!" Though she did not hear the familiar ruffle of wings, the clop of hooves or an excited neigh, "Windy's gone too" she said in a worried tone. Even though she knew that it was painfully obvious she felt the need to say "Something is wrong..."

---

Anna's eyes widened with fear and worry "Tekun!" she called out as the smoke engulfed the boy. "Oh Heavenly Light guide me" she whispered to herself. She faced both of her palms outward from her body side by side facing the demon who was busy with Tekun. A sphere of living molten-like light appeared in front of her hands and a beam of light shot forth from it towards the demon. She nearly stumbled with the slight force that pushed her back. "Hopefully this will give Tekun time to strike back at the demon"

---

Violet forced herself not to stare at the woman's enchanting eyes, powered by the love of music, a gift that she hoped she would one day receive. She solemnly walked towards the kneeling pad, her footsteps making a light padding rhythm, she wanted to start playing her lute to the beat but she fought against it, deciding that she should be more respectful in the presence of the sage. She began to wonder "Do I have the right to be in the presence of one so skilled in spellsongs?" She placed her lute across her lap and bowed her head in the woman's presence after she knelt down on the pad. "It is such an honour to meet you" she said "My name's Violet, like after the flower"

---

Windy continued to climb higher into the sky, her wings reaching a regular flapping rate, feeling safer a few meters off of the ground and away from the clearing where the magic sword had appeared earlier. She suddenly began to sense a great need in herself...her mistress was calling...but the crazy people needed her help.

The light shot out and pierced through the demon, repelling the creature back. A heavy burn, despite it's control of magic, it was damaged pretty hard by the hit. Tekun stood in an extremely defensive posistion, the dark magic surrounding him, he swung his sword twice and backed out of it. Despite his ability, he was having some pretty s*** luck as of late.

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

"Windy!" Eton yelled. "Don't leave yet." He said as he saw it rising higher into the sky. He hoped it wouldn't leave. He needed the ride back, to walk would be far too much of an effort, it also meant a chance of running into the bandit again. That was something he wasn't willing to risk.

"Violet... what a sweet name. Violets foster modesty, affection, and love. Did you know?" The lady's eyes stayed with Violet, begging her to gaze into them. She reached for an odd tea kettle beside herself and poured two cups without asking if Violet would like a drink. She gracefully motioned toward the extra goblet as she lifted her own to her pursed lips. "It's fate that you turned up at this moment. I had just finished flavoring this tea with Violet essence. It's said to be good for the voice." She continued to take small sips, all the while staring.

After what seemed to be hours of sipping tea, her voice shattered the awkward silence. "I would very much like to hear some of your music, if it's not too much trouble. Your password was adequate, therefore your performances must be top notch, for what they are."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Lex slid the door to his room open and shut it behind him. "Leon, you have to see that bathroom! It's so big!" He laughed to himself on the inside and strolled over to his bed. "So, have you been making yourself at home?"

As he finished that exact sentence, a tiny fist lightly rapped on the door. "Um.. who is it?" Lex questioned, rather baffled. A timid voice mumbled something from behind the paper. It was completely inaudible. "Agh, Leon would you get that? I'm rather tired. I've wasted a lot of energy today." He flopped down face first and lay still.

Leon was too lazy to get out of the bed. Instead he propped himself up and looked at the door.

"Feel free to open the door. I wouldn't know how to lock the damn thing even if it killed me if I couldn't."

He stopped for a moment, waiting to see if the light tapping would continue or if whoever it was would make themselves known.