[IC] The Narrow Path

[Skinner35]

"Well, then I guess I'll be waiting to finally kill you. Later on." He said as Nigel walked away. He then broke Maggies chains and helped her stand. "Jesus. What happened to you?"

[Gardevoiran]

"Dad got tripped up during the raid... we both got snagged..." Maggy chokes out her words as she stands up, feeling her eyepatch for any significant damage. "What happened to... you...?" Maggy asked you as she stumbled from her stand, catching herself on your shoulder.

Jen looks around your group before she quickly speaks to you. "Tobias. Talk later. Move now."

[Skinner35]

"I will tell you as we walk." He says as he looks at Jen. "Where to now?" He says as he helps Maggie stand. "Where could they have taken Aith?"

[Gardevoiran]

"I-I dunno... a bear like him could've gone anywhere-"

"Did you say bear?" Eve snuck her way into the conversation as Jen lifted up Maggy and carried her, letting you stand free from having to help Maggy around. Her heel looks pretty bad off.

"Y-yes... a werebear..."

"Dude, there's a circus on the outskirts right now! You know how those go, they're always looking for animals to perform a routine with!" Eve chirped happily as Jen stares at her.

"... Eve... are you certain that Aithwale is there?"

"As far as I'm aware, there's no zoo in this city, so yes. It's our best bet anyway."

[Skinner35]

"Well, then it's our best lead for now. If we don't find him there, there's bound to be someone who has seen him." He says as he looks at everyone. "Also... That Nigel guy, I feel like he has friends. So we need to be mindful of that, we also need to get Maggie clothes."

[Gardevoiran]

"We also need something for her heel. It's not doing so... oh," Eve landed on the ground as she saw Maggy's face drop. "She passed out."

Gobbo leaps up as you all begin to move towards the way you came. "I-I can help! I know how to heal woundsh! I don't know mucsh, but I know shome!" He had been spending time with Maggy, so this was pretty beneficial in the long run.

Jen spoke up, too. Damn, everyone's getting involved. "I think I have some clothes in my tent. They will be too big for the gnome, but they are better than... this."

[Skinner35]

"Good, let's get her in the tent and bandage the wound. Gobbo, your magic will be greatly needed." He said as he carried Maggie into the tent and gently layed her down. "Jen, do you have any bandages in here? Also, the clothes may be too big, but they'll work for now. This is a delay on our plans, but we leave no one behind. If needed, we can send a group to the circus to search for information." He says as he looks for bandages.

[Gardevoiran]

"... I have an idea," Jen speaks up as she begins pitching her tent in a nearby alley, lowering Maggy to the ground as she does so.

"Tobias, you are familiar with how my tent functions, correct? How it can hold people inside it for an indefinite period of time?" Jen finishes pitching her tent as she picks Maggy back up. Eve is standing guard behind you, making sure nobody gets involved with the group while Jen explains. "I believe that Magdalene and the Goblin would be best suited staying in the tent as Magdalene heals and the Goblin refines his magical aptitude. We can carry them around easier that way by deconstructing the tent."

"I guessh that'sh okay? I promishe I will take good care of Missh Magdalene."

"While Magdalene heals, me, you, and... Eve... will go to the circus to rescue Aithwale. Once he is back with us, we focus all of our efforts on that undead swordsman whom I refuse to name. Does that sound favorable?"

[Sorry for a later post. Got a bit caught up with life and stuff.]

[Skinner35]

"Sounds good. As long as we can assure that this indefinite pocket won't collapse." He says as he looks around, assuring himself that Aith is indeed at the circus. "Only problem, is that we will need to keep the tent protected." He says, looking at Jen.

[Gardevoiran]

"Keepin' a tent protected seems easier than keepin' an injured girl and a goblin protected, though," Eve chimes in as she helps Gobbo move Maggy into the tent, leaving just you and Jen on the outside of the tent.

A few seconds pass before Jen finally speaks to you.

"... I am worried about the order. I think they might be on to my ruse."

[Skinner35]

"Well, if they are, then they'll have to get over it. Quite frankly, I don't give a damn about the order. This is about your team, not your boss." He says as he prepares everything. He was more worried about Aith than he was the order.

[Gardevoiran]

"Tobias, you do not understand. If the order receives information about my true identity, then I will be condemned by the order and proclaimed a heretic. I have worked to earn my rank since we have left Hell, and I am not willing to lose it a-a-a-" Jen stops talking as she sees an authoritative figure standing at the end of the alleyway, behind him one of the paladins who gave you information.

"Johnathan- oh what am I saying, Jennifer Light."

"H-Hello, my lord. W-what is the reason for such a meeting...?"

"... they know. I'm here to deliver you this parcel." The paladin figure walks forward and places a small wooden crate on the ground before proceeding to walk out.

"For what it is worth, I'm sorry."

You see Jen's face melt with sadness. Her eyes are already tearing up.

"... T-Tobias..."

[Skinner35]

"What... Is going on?" He asked Jen, looking at the new Paladin, then to the box. "Jen, I need you to explain. Why are they here? What's in the box?" He said softly as his hand gravitated towards his pistol, and another new upgrade in his arm from the Shop begins to activate, a string of electricity springing between his fingers.

[Gardevoiran]

"... the crate holds within it my things that were kept within the halls of the Order's keep, along with an excommunication letter... I had to write one of those, long ago..."

You see Jen walk over to the crate and pick up the lid before she pulls out the small piece of paper within, reading it slowly. Just barely you can see some tears drop from her face onto the page. You can also just barely see Jen smile.

"... heh... heh heh..."

[Skinner35]

While Jen is reading the letter, he didn't know what to do, so he fully opened the new upgrade, his arm coursing with pure electricity and he grips his pistol. "I don't like this." He is mentally aiming for the new Paladin.

[Gardevoiran]

The new Paladin vanished in a flash of light while Jen simply falls to her knees, laughing.

"A-HAHAHAHAHAHA!" You hear Eve step out of the tent while Jen is laughing undeniably loud. Eve stands behind you as you watch Jen open her palm out, the golden glow of the familiar Light showing it's radiance to you and Eve. "So this is what you meant by my downfall, my guidance. This is what you meant when it was brought upon by the one closest to you in blood. This is what you meant when you said I would have my chance at redemption."

Jen clenches her hand as she grabs the crate, chuckling to herself. As she puts the crate in her tent, she quickly steps out and looks at you.

"Tobias Skinner. Had I known you were still alive in this world, I would have stayed at least four hundred miles away from you at any time, however, the Light said our paths would cross some day, and it would lead to my downfall. I have been excommunicated from the Order, and while I want to gut you like an animal right now for being the goat of my downfall, I am leaving you where you stand for a single reason." Jen steps up to you and grabs you by the neck, her hand feeling incredibly warm from the heat of the Light illuminating her entire body.

"You and that skeleton are my one ticket to redemption."

"And I am not going to die like the sorry fool the Order thinks I am."

[Skinner35]

He thought... Shit. He knew something like this would happen, he kept Eve behind him. "Jen. I have had no part of your downfall. They lie that was destroyed was created by you. You were your own downfall, I only set the flame." He said, realizing how insane she had become. "If you are keeping me alive for any kind of redemption, then you may as well kill me now. I will not let you redeem anything. You don't deserve the Light, nor the Order. I see directly through your throne of prophetic lies. Now, you can help me find the rest of my team, or kill me." He said as he wrenched himself away from her, and began to walk away, with Eve following closely.

[Gardevoiran]

You see Jen's face creep into an angry smile before she drops you to the ground, chuckling all the while.

"Ohhh Tobias. You forget that I have had the Light before I joined the Order. It has been my guidance even before I met you. It has never led me astray, and today, I trust it has not either." You see Jen walk over to the tent as she begins dismantling it.

"Our fates are intertwined, Tobias. There's no helping it,"

"You have become my road to redemption,"

"And I will be your shield until that book is destroyed."

You see Jen hold the book of necromancy in her hands, her face straightening back out as she puts it back in her bag. "That circus is on the Southwestern side of the city. We head there, we find Aithwale..." You see Jen hold her hand out as she lifts her tent back up. "... and someone closer to Death than even you."

Eve is hugging you out of fear, looking at Jen with eyes that reek of sadness and pure torment. "I went in there for no more than a minute! What the hell did I miss?!"

[Skinner35]

"You will not be my shield. Our fates are not intertwined." He said as he refused her hand and stood on his own. Trying his hardest not to look at the book. "It's okay Eve. We're okay."

[Gardevoiran]

"You will learn in time. Come on... Toby." Jen smirks as she leads the way, Eve holding you back so she can talk to you in private.

Once you're far enough away, Eve nudges you slightly, namely on your metal arm. "What... what did she mean by the blood thing, Toby?" She nudges your arm again. "... also... can I see a flame? I'm a little cold..." That last part is hard to believe considering it's easily 80 degrees outside.