[IC] Artifacts of a Lost Civilisation - ( Kitsune & NuttsnBolts )

[NuttsnBolts]

By morning the paralysis in Alyon's legs had worn off and as she got up for the day she took great care to make sure that her feet found their grounding. Her head felt fine but her legs felt a little like jelly considering that for several hours they didn't even move an inch. She collected all her stuff together and checked off to see what it was that she was missing. Great... No cooking pot, tent, and half the food has gone. Looks like we'll be hunting animals for a while. It wasn't Fraya's fault for leaving some of the items behind as without her Alyon didn't know what her fate would have been, but it was frustrating that due to the recent events they were now tighter on money and lacking some of the important essentials for their survival in the wilderness. They needed some coinage soon and from the sounds of it this next Artifact would not necessarily be the answer that Alyon was after.

Looking around she noticed that the Woodland Spirit wasn't anywhere to be found. Alyon didn't blame it since during the night Fraya was demanding all these little tasks from it, and with every new request Alyon could see the Spirit grumbling like like a child. Still it helped provide them a shelter and kept them safe for some rest. It didn't help Alyon though as she felt like she hardly slept during the night.

"Hey Fraya?" Alyon spoke to the sleeping creature as she put her hand on Fraya's shoulder and gave it a little shake to break her out of what dream she was in. "We'll be leaving soon."

As she waited for her companion to rise to the day she decided the best thing for her to do was her usual practice session. She had been laxing off for a while and considering the craziness that happened the previous night, she thought that t would be best to hone her abilities once more. Picking up her sword she casually walked over to an area that was free of trees, shrubs and stones and stood as still as possible in the open land. Holding her sword in front of her body in a vertical position she raised it out of the sheath and watched as it's silver body glistened in the sun. Slowly she moved her body around, gently swinging the weapon and making sure that each movement flowed gracefully into the next, practising blocking, parrying, and forward thrusting. Her legs felt stiff from the movement but as time went on she felt the flexibility that she once had begin to return to her lower body.

The two had no idea what it was that they would be facing when they eventually reached the Crypt, but with the right preparation it would ensure that they weren't walking into a situation that they couldn't handle.

[Kitsune]

"Fraya my child... I am sorry this..... You will be....."

Her vision was hazy, she could barely make out the being before her and yet she felt such a huge sense of loss and loneliness when she peered at its form. His words cut in and out from the sounds of the machine she was laying in rung her dazed mind, but as she reached out towards him with her clawed hand to try and grab at the man the pod slowly started to enclose around her. She could feel panic, she didn't want to leave, not like this and at such a time when she was truly needed! She tried to get out but her body was already heavy, and with the pod door closing in on her she had no chance of escape... Small tears started to form at the sides of her eyes as she stared at the disappearing form who had a sad grin across his face, his final words catching her breath right before it was stolen by the darkness of the machine...

"This is the only way Fraya, to save what will be... Be a good girl ok?"

...
.....

"Hey Fraya?"

Fraya's eyes shot open as she was shaken awake, the feeling of the warm hand on her shoulder calming down her body and the reassurance from Alyon that they would be leaving together soon. "Ok. I'll get up in a moment." She didn't want to turn around to face the girl, after all the tears in her eyes were still wet from the dream. She didn't understand it but her feelings were certainly real that much was for sure.

However they had to get moving at some point so Fraya stood up from the bed of rather comfy planets and stretched, taking the time Alyon was training to fix herself up. Slapping her cheeks twice she smiled away happily to try and get herself back into her normal happy confident mood. Dashing off to find Alyon she soon discovered the girl training, she stood there to watch for a few moments, watching her graceful movements before finally speaking up "If you are back in fighting shape we have a big trip across that wasteland. It wont be easy, but once we are at the ruins we should at least be able to find out something heh."

[NuttsnBolts]

When Alyon heard Fraya's voice she stopped her movements and placed her sword back into the sheath. "Yeah, I should be a lot better now compared to last night. Legs still feel a little like jelly but that's mostly gone anyways," she was speaking as she crouched down and bounced on the balls of her feet, ensuring that she was indeed ready for the continuation of their journey. "Oh and I'm sure we'll find something." I'm just not sure what it 'is' that we'll find.

Alyon had a quick thought about what the two would encounter trying to imagine what it was that could have tarnished the vast landscape with such a curse. Her right hand clenched for a second, possibly out of fear, or even anger, but just as quickly as her hands closed they opened back up as she pushed herself up off the ground and turned towards her friend and asked one final question before they embarked.

"Ready?"

The two of them ran across the open landscape on a direct route to the rocky formation in the center. With each step they took their feet kicked up a small cloud of grey dust and in turn left a series of clear footprints. At one stage they even passed an old carcass that was little more than just bones in the sand, a clear indication that anything that tried to live here was not destined to survive and even unable to supply nutrients into the soil.

Ahead of them, and at their destination, was a large doorway at the base of the towering formation. A double door entrance that stood about 5 metres tall and was made of solid steel, yet the hinge mechanisms were so well crafted that as the doors swung open they felt as though they were gliding on ice. They could see the detail of the Crypt begin to come into focus as the sun raised itself higher into the sky and they both closed in with each passing step. A question that Alyon was beginning to wonder was if there was indeed a Crypt within this formation, for what purpose was the tower standing directly above the underground labyrinth?

"Almost there, Fraya!" Alyon called out to her companion as the subtle excitement and fear began to build within her body. Maybe, just maybe she would have the chance to finally see what a true artifact was, but knowing the possible devastation that it was capable of was beginning to sink in. With each step forward she could feel her stomach start to tighten more and more.

[Kitsune]

Fraya had sharp determination in her eyes as they made their way across the wasteland, her eyes only ever focused on the towering structure in the distance that was to be their target. Making their way up to the huge steel doors Fraya wasted little time in pushing them open, she was not expecting them to be so well made so the strength she put into it caused them to slam against the walls, sending out a loud echo into the crypt. She stood there for several moments, staring into the darkness and wondering what awaited them...

"Almost there, Fraya!"

She could not help but smile at the excited nature of her companion as she also stepped into the crypt "Yep, shouldn't be too long now. Just be careful, we don't know what remains down here." With that they entered into the crypt, a place where the dead were to be laid to rest and undistributed for all of time.. However their slumber was anything but that for the silent hum of the artifact pulsed at the arrival of what it had been waiting for, one of the beings from long go, it shall light your way.

"Where is this stone anyway?"

She asked this as she truly did not even know what they were looking for, she had never even heard of such a device or had she and yet just forgot it? It was while they were waiting that several of the stone monuments suddenly had the cracks in their formation pulse a sickening green. "What the?"

[NuttsnBolts]

The two companions analysed their surroundings in confusion as the room they entered into began to faintly light up from the green lights. Each pulse seemed to be timed perfectly with a faint hum from what would be the mysterious object of desire. As the time passed it became very apparent that the lights weren't going to stop and the Alyon began to push forward away from the entrance. She pulled her sword out of it's sheath and held it in front of her like a guard. With each step she took it slow and steady, ensuring that she had a proper grounding before the next step was taken. Alyon let her foot land on a paver below and felt a slightly unusual amount of pressure pushing up. Before she could determine what the unusual feeling was her boot fell completely flat and a quiet, yet clear sound echoed throughout the hallway.

*CLICK*

A sound of rushing air could be heard from above her and to the right and before she had a chance to determine what it was that she had done, Alyon took a leap forward and somehow managed to roll onto her side. A large boulder wrapped in rope swung down like a pendulum from the corner of the hallway and passed over the trigger plate before swaying back and forth and eventually coming to a complete stop.

"Holy Hell!!" she bellowed out, realising how close it was that they came to becoming a human pancake. Her heart raced as she picked herself up and dusted herself clean. "So we have to deal with traps as well? Just what 'is' this artifact?"

Alyon took a step back towards the stone boulder and examined it. For some reason it didn't seem to fit in with the architecture of th Crypt. It seemed to much like a throw together job. Something that would have been made in the more recent years. Could it have been something the Woodland Spirit manufactured, but it looked too complicated for a being of the wilderness to put together.

==========

A cloaked figure watched as the two girls entered through the doorway into the Crypt. He looked down from his hiding spot above them, on the edge of the rocky formation, through an old fashion spyglass. While he watched their movements a second person's voice could be heard asking in a very inquisitive way, "Would they be the two you are after?"

"No, I ain't interested in the creature," he replied in a throaty, deep voice as he collapsed the spyglass within his hands and placed it within his charcoal cloak, "Only the human."

[Kitsune]

Fraya reacted to the click faster than her brain could process, her movements were based on pure instinct to step back and avoid the boulder as if it was nothing more than a passing person, though that did not mean she was surprised! "Whoa! does the building itself wish to stop us?" She had confidence in Alyon and her ability to avoid that simple of a trap, still it made her happy to see that her companion was unharmed. Reaching out she let her claws dig into the rock a little, pulling it to the side as she made her way past.

"It is unlike the rest of the crypt... Maybe others do not wish us to see this stone as well?"

She questioned that other factions may be involved but what could have ever lived out here in this wasteland? "I shall go ahead for now Alyon." Flexing a little she ruffled her feathers and clicked the scales of her armored hide "I think I can take a rock or two we don't want your trip ending before it has even started right?~" Without even talking about the danger she was placing herself in she started to make her way forward, her arms at the ready to deflect anything that may seem truly dangerous as despite blunt attacks had little effect on her such things as arrows and spears could still REALLY hurt.

[NuttsnBolts]

"I shall go ahead for now Alyon."

Fraya began to move forward through the tomb as Alyon lightly dusted herself off and straightened up her clothes. She began to follow the girl's lead, noting that Fraya was now in a particularly strong defensive mode for both of their protection. With the possibility for more hidden traps Alyon made sure to never let their guard down, and by not letting her guard falter her sense of hearing picked up something that seemed rather out of the ordinary.

A set of faint footsteps was following them down the pathway and Alyon spun to faced the darkness behind them in preparation for what was coming. "Hold up," she whispered to Fraya, "If I'm correct, you may need to find that Artifact on your own." She lifted her sword up before her body and positioned her feet into a strong stance just as the cloaked figure stepped out of the darkness and into the green light emanating from the walls.

The cloaked male stood for a moment and watched the two girls make an evaluation on the situation. He stood taller than them and as if to try and reinforce their expectations on what to think of him he crossed his arms and reached for his sides, grabbing two decorative sword hilts and pulling them out to expose their full glory. Within his clenched grasps were two large scimitars, a set that reflected the green hue of the Crypt and announced simply death.

"Fraya, Go!" Alyon yelled to her companion as the assailant leapt forward with his attack, releasing a dual overhead strike. Alyon lifted her sword, placing both hands on the hilt and with as much force as possible, blocked the downward blow. As he moved in for a second swipe, Alyon stepped back and countered it with a parry before taking a step to the side in order to break some more distance between her and the unknown male. With each new attack she made an effort to block it with a move of her own until she had an opportunity for an opening.

She saw her chance, an opening in his stance and using that time carefully she lifted up both arms in front of her chest and went in for a thrusting attack. Her straight sword closed in on the man who was now facing towards the side and crouching down on his knee just as he glimpsed the incoming needle. He reacted instinctively by swinging the scimitar in his right hand around his wrist and shielded the side of his body, forcing the sword to be deflected past his back.

Using that moment of up close and personal, Alyon managed to get a peek at the man's face. His left eye was a brilliant turquoise colour with fair skin, but the beauty was covered by a thick mask on the rest of his face and a right eye that glowed a blood red colour. Wrapped around his hands and his neck were thick bandages and through some of the gaps was heavy, visible scaring.

"Brilliant attack," he addressed with his cold rustly voice, "Except for leaving yourself exposed."

Alyon eye's opened into a state of fear as she saw the tip of his left scimitar appear from below his right elbow as he advanced with his sneak counter attack. It came straight for her stomach and with her sword in such an inopportune position she had very little space to defend her body.

[Kitsune]

Fraya could smell it on the air that they were not alone, this entire wasteland and even the crypt had smelt stale and lifeless until they had reached this point and the difference was very clear. However she didn't know just how close the enemy was until they were already walking up from behind them, a action that caused Fraya to shift in place and get ready to fight! It was only one person, how could he even hope to stop the pair of them in such a tight space like this? No, there were more somewhere, but where?

"Fraya, Go!"

A small amount of shock was clear on Fraya's face when Aylon told her to get going! She didn't want to leave but she knew full well that if there were others in this place like she suspected then it was possible that they too were after the stone of blight. For what purpose she may not have known but it was very important that nothing else obtain that artifact apart from her! With a curt nod Fraya dashed off with incredible speed once again as the sounds of clashing swords got weaker in the distance.

As she started to approach the glowing marks got more intense, enough so that the light lit up the walls and what she saw caused Fraya to slow down just a little... "What, is this?" Murals of old decorated the walls depicting the cube being constructed, the old ones were not shown in whole in the first few murals only their guiding hands to aid in the building. However when both converged on the same door it showed the cube in the center and the 'old ones' just like Fraya running as if in battle, the cube at their backs as they went to face something and yet the picture for the something was rather formless.

"I don't understand.."

Reaching out she touched the door, which caused the cube within to react violently the ones dull green lights in the crypt burst to life just at the moment Alyon was about to feel the cold steel of the blade. The cracks started to give way to show the metal and glowing lines under the rock. The doors before Fraya opened and the cube pulsed in her presence it had been awaiting for a very, very long time...

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon did the only thing she could, she lifted her leading foot and let her body fall to the side so that she would eventually land behind the cloaked attacker. It was just enough as the sword came straight past her hip penetrating the air where she was standing... but their fight didn't end there.

When Alyon landed on the floor she hit her shoulder with a heavy thud, as she watched the man repositioned his grips on his swords and swung around with a wide arc, spinning his body towards her. In order to defend herself she lifted her blade with her right hand and created a block by placing her left palm on the flat edge near the tip. The two scimitars landed on the obstructing long sword with a violent clash and she could feel the weight of his swing against her own strength.

"Who are you?!" she demanded hastily as she held up against the onslaught of an attack, "And why are you trying to kill us?"

His glare pierced into her eyes as if to try and comprehend the complexity of such a simple question. "A daughter of the Pyres and yet you don't know nothing?" He chuckled as he leaned in so that his face was closer to hers. "It was your father's own foolish fault for why your mother came to this Crypt those many years ago. Hahaha, She had no idea what she was getting herself into."

As if to break the moment, the Crypt began to rumble the moment Fraya entered the Artifact chamber. Dust and dirt began to fall from the ceiling, allowing Alyon a good distraction point for her to break away with a roll from her enemy. How does he know about my parents? she wondered as she stood up into a crouching position with her sword ready for a possible round 2.

[Kitsune]

Fraya took a step forward into the room, the dust that had collected over the past ten years was pushed back by her heavy steps which only continued to slow and grow more weighted as she finally looked on the artifact that they had sought. The device was so much smaller than she could have every expected, its smooth cube like shape simply floating within a stream of that same green light that shone down from above. So many questions filled the females head that it almost hurt! However....

"It's this way!"

With a wide sweep of her body Fraya turned around to face the door where the sounds of voices and footsteps approached the chamber, in all likeliness seeking the very same thing that she was. She dared not touch the device without Alyon's aid it seemed like she would have to hold the line here for the time being. She would have to fight and she was sure that these people were not going to just play nice and let her live if she lost...

"Huh?... Why am I?"

"Heh, good we got here just in time before she touched it. Ok everyone, take care of this thing and we can-,"

The masked man was about to draw out his short saber when suddenly he no longer had any sort of feeling on the handle, in fact he no longer felt his arm at all! Standing in front of him was Fraya who wore a fanged grin across her face and in her clawed hand she held a familiar thing to the man; his own right arm. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The man screamed as blood sprayed across the wall, but Fraya could only state one thing "Why am I.... Smiling?"

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon was kneeling over at the side of the corridor, panting from the exhausting fight as she watched the enemy place his swords back into their sheaths. Lifting his fingers to his lips he gave a short blow, resulting in a high pitch whistle. Three ropes fell from the ceiling with three men rappelling their way down. One of them held a rusty Blunderbuss in his hands and had it aimed straight for Alyon. It was clear that this fight had turned against her and she was at the mercy of this man.

"It looks like your friend has opened the chamber for us," he spoke calmly, "Why don't we pay her a visit so you can see the Artifact before we take another as our own."

==========

The screams of agony rang throughout the chamber with the masked man dropping to his knees and holding the shoulder of where his right arm used to belong. He looked up to see the demon that caused this pain, to see her smiling with joy as she held onto the arm that belonged to him.

"You little bitch," he spat at Fraya, "I'll god damn ki..."

"Toskin!" bellowed one of masked man's henchmen as he lifted up his blunderbuss and aimed it straight at the duo. Toskin, the man in the cloak and mask, turned his head and glared at his partner with his rich blue and glowing red eyes realising exactly what the gunman had planned. Reaching up towards his face he dug his fingers deep within his left eye socket, painfully pulling out the glowing eye to reveal that it had glass surface with an red, electric center. As soon as it was clear of his body, Toskin threw it towards his crew. The cloaked man's expression suddenly changed into a state of fear from what looked like a different person as soon as his touch left the sphere but any screaming was suddenly cut short by the sound of a gunshot that shattered through his skull.

The ball flew through the air and one of the men reached out and caught it before it was able to shatter on the ground. The trio then quickly turned and began to run out of the chamber, leaving Alyon and Fraya to the Stone of Blight.

Throughout this whole ordeal, Alyon watching in horror as Fraya turned into the demon that she appeared to be and her enjoyment in this bloodshed was simply terrifying. Until the other men decided to run, she had simply stood there as pale as a ghost. Watching the girl that she helped to save become an evil that she released. Alyon tried an attempt to follow the men, but as she lifted her feet they felt heavy from both the fight earlier and the paralysis the night before. A couple steps into her sprint and she fell to the ground, making every effort to get up and continue her escape.

"She's an animal, a monster! She's gonna kill me!" She took a few more steps before collapsing again, her right leg loosing all feeling this time round. Alyon rolled onto her rear and pulled out her sword, pointing it straight at Fraya and yelling out, "Stay the hell away from me!!"

Tears began to fall down her face. She didn't want to die, not to a wild wildebeast like Fraya.

[Kitsune]

Fraya inspected the twitching am in her claws before tossing it to the side, the impact causing the blood to splatter across the near by mural, the crimson hue coloring the depiction of her kind as it dripped down to the floor below. She didn't know why but her body was excited, she felt like this was where she belonged, in the middle of a fight... Why? That didn't matter right now, all she had to do was protect the stone from these people right? It was good that she was feeling good in doing this deed... right?

*BANG*

The sound of the weapon echoed out in the chamber, drawing Fraya's attention to her next batch of pray which she turned too and continued to grin even more when they started to run away~ Her tail beat against the ground like a happy dog as she took steps forward towards the hallway, her claws clacking against the stone below as she was about to break into a sprint but something suddenly caught her attention.

"Alyon?"

Her senses had started to return to her as she entered into the lit up hallway, the green light turning the crimson blood that was splattered across her side a sickly black color. Her words, why was she saying such things? Peering down to her bloodied claw she soon came to the realization that it was her and what she had done that the girl was afraid of, but it was only confirmed when she looked up once again and saw Alyon, the only person she knew in this time had her weapon pointed towards her. Yet despite all that, and the sinking feeling she was getting in her chest she could only speak a few words that just seemed to slip out.

"I'm glad you're ok..."

The manic grin that Fraya had wore across her face but a moment ago had been replaced by a softer and kinder smile, the very same one that she had in the village with the children. She couldn't say anything else but she was truly happy that the girl was at least ok and alive, even if she feared her now it didn't matter right? She was safe, and as long as she took care of the stone then she would remain so. Turning her back to Alyon her tail barely brushed against the girls feet before she made her way back towards the chamber, her eyes set on the cube which now slowly opened itself as she got closer.

[NuttsnBolts]

Fraya looked down upon her partner and her words caused Alyon's heart to stop for a moment.

"I'm glad you're ok..."

As Fraya turned towards the cube her tail swung past the soles of Alyon's feet, to which she quickly retracted them in surprise. Fraya's sudden movements weren't something Alyon was prepared for and she watched as the girl walked over to the cube as it began to open, revealing the interior mechanics and energy that couldn't be explained by normal logic.

I don't understand, Alyon thought to herself as she shuffled herself over to the side of the room, Just what is Fraya? What kind of species is she? And how is my family wrapped up in this?

She placed her hand on the cool wall surface and felt her breathing begin to return to it's normal state. Lifting her sword, she sat it within her lap and watched as the girl she once awoken played her own part in the quest for these unique Artifacts. It was slowly coming to her realisation that Fraya had no actual intention of harming Alyon and perhaps the events that happened earlier were more in the path of protection, as opposed to bloodlust.

Alyon watched, and wondered what this Artifact was created to do.

[Kitsune]

The artifact pinged with power, each pulse as powerful as the next as it almost seemed to be trying to communicate to the being now before it. Despite Fraya being unable to understand what the blinks meant her hands instinctively moved to the sides, sweeping over its smooth surfaces to cause the floating segments to twist and turn in the air. The more she worked the further away the segments got from the glowing core of the device until finally they simply dropped to the ground like useless pieces of metal.

As the pieces fell away the core seemed to pulse violently as if it was threatening to explode, however before it even had a chance to pulse once more Fraya snatched it out of the air, causing the power that radiated from it to burn her hands right before it died out into nothing more than a engraved sphere. Lowering her clawed hand she allowed it to drop to the ground.

"There... I have deactivated it."

She peered up towards the green light that was very slowly starting to fade, its power source having not been striped it was now a bunker with no purpose. Looking back towards Alyon she awaited for the girl to speak, she was still worried that she was afraid after all so she didn't want to be too forward.

[NuttsnBolts]

"How did you..." Alyon started as she just witnessed Fraya deactivate the Artifact, "...know what to do?"

The air around Alyon began to feel fresher, almost as if the Artifact was originally radiating an invisible toxin that the girls could not see. It was reassuring to say that the two of them were currently safe even if Alyon still had her doubts and fears about Fraya. Carefully she got up and looked up in wonder at the chamber that held the cube. For the first time she was able to admire it's design and the architecture.

Something caught her eye and it was the artworks that were placed all around the columns. She examined them, trying to understand what their story was, and yet sensed a bit of familiarity with them as if she had just seen something similar recently.

"Fraya's Chamber!" she whispered, placing her hand on the artwork. The same designs had been scattered throughout that small room. The biggest difference was the amount of images that this chamber held. Not only did they depict battles and what looked to be ceremonies, but there appeared to be other Artifacts. Items that were praised by the people around them, and a few that looked as if the people were fleeing.

"Fraya?" Alyon swallowed hard, hoping that she wasn't alerting the demon side of the girl as she called out. "What does all this mean?"

Alyon's fingers ran over the edges of the carvings as if touching them would help her understand them more. She could feel the cold, dusty edges that hadn't been touched in many, many years.

[Kitsune]

Fraya peered down to her claws as she thought on Alyon's question about just what the heck did she do in able to turn off the device... "I don't know.." She truly did not know what she did, it was as if she was following a pre set path of instructions of some kind, pulling her along to turn the device off forever as if she was always meant too. "I know that it won't be able to be used again." That much she was sure of at the very least, the device was now nothing more than a pretty artifact of the olden days, and no longer what she suspected...

"It was a weapon."

Making her way closer to where Alyon was touching the engravings she made sure to stop a few meters away as to not scare the girl again, but she did gesture to the main piece of the room where her kind was seemingly fleeing the device but if one looked closer it was more like they were charging. "This was some kind of weapon that was design to battle against our enemy... I don't remember what but that is likely what these depict. Yet something worries me on that matter... Have your kind ever found evidence of another civilization?"

With a ruffle of her feathers she just remembered something she wished to ask, something she had heard before hand while they were in the middle of battle. "Your mother came here correct? Do you know why?" It may have been forward but she was only able to enter the chamber because of what she was so if Alyon's mother came here too.. How did she even enter?

[NuttsnBolts]

Fraya asked a series of questions in response to seeing what it was that Alyon was examining on the wall. "The only history we have about another civilisations is written down in the old manuscripts that are stored away in monestaries and libraries or within these isolated landmarks, like this crypt," Alyon explained softly, "Most of these buildings are hard to come by unless you know the area or venture deep into areas long forgotten by the people."

She was careful in her examination of the wall, making sure that she didn't miss any of the details under the dim lights. Taking a deep breath she paused on the image of what looked like the Stone of Blight and continued her explanations, "I don't recall my mother ever coming here but a few weeks before she got ill she did happen to venture off to visit a distant relative for the weekend. If she did happen to come here then it would explain as to where this illness came from... I just don't understand why she would have come here in the first place."

Turning towards Fraya she looked at the creature and saw here for the caring being that she initially was, especially with the tail that seemed to wave back and forth with a little happiness. The only part that seemed to offset this innocent looking scene was the blood stains all over her body from the mysterious man that she attacked earlier.

"We are going to have to visit my father at some point. For some reason I think he knows a little more about what's going on. Afterall, he was the one that initially told me where to go in order to find your sleeping chamber."

Alyon began to walk towards the cube, admiring the object that seemed to have drawn in the attention of so many others. She lifted up her hand in an attempt to touch it but paused a couple inches away from the surface before lowering her hand to her side. "If this is indeed a weapon, what should we do with it now?"

[Kitsune]

The murals across the walls were not the most detailed as only the finely done engravings were present with no words to describe what they meant. To Fraya this made a little bit of sense, after all you did not want your enemy to know how to use the weapon that you had developed, or anyone who was foolish enough to stumble on it. Still it did not prevent what had happened ten years ago, though how that all happened was still to be answered.

Fraya did not poke any more at Alyon's story since it was clear that the girl did not knwo what her mother had done or for that matter if she had ever even come to this place at all. "Yes I think your farther should be warned as well. After all if they are after you then it is possible that they my try to track him down also." Though if Alyon was this wrong she was sure he would be fine.

Moving up a little more to the device along with Alyon she gestured to it "Whatever I did turned it off for good I think. Sort of like a safety in case our enemies obtained it and we could sabotage it." That is what she suspected anyway but she could not be sure why it had such a feature. "You may take it, It is a artifact after all, even if it is just mainly just polished metal now." Fraya could not help but smile a little when she figured something interesting "You know, if you bring it to your farther it may jog his memory, plus it would be your second artifact including me correct? Showing off your finds may impress him."

[NuttsnBolts]

The way Fraya spoke about the situation at hand did present a real possibility that the two of them should head back to Alyon's home. It had been a while since she had seen her father so taking the time to head back and bring him a souvineer would most likely make him happy. If no one was interested in the Artifact it could even be smelted down and sold off as a resource material, but it probably wouldn't fetch nearly as much in the marketplace.

"It's not going to be a short trip in order to head back home," Alyon spoke, calculating roughly how far they come and the direction that they most likely will need to take. "If we go by road it may take a couple of weeks, but I do know that there is a train line that runs from our town through several of the major cities. If we can end up at one of those stations it may make it easier on us overall." Walking over to where the hooded man's body laid, she picked up the two sabres and examined them. "We can even sell these and earn some money to afford a decent trip with a proper meal."

Alyon started to walk towards the entrance of the Crypt in order to get some fresh air. When she walked outside the entrance she shielded her eyes from the harsh sun as she sat down on a ledge and pulled out a water container from her pack, taking a sip. For the first time in several days she was able to relax without feeling like they were going to be ambushed by tree spirits, or hooded men, or any other unfavourable characters.

[Kitsune]

Fraya nodded in agreement to the suggestion of using these so called trains, she had not even seen such things before but Alyon had mentioned them once or twice before if she remember correctly. "Then let us take this train back to your home." With that she started to follow after Alyon, her tail close to the ground as if a dog that had done a bad thing, and in a sense she had done as she had frightened her companion... She even called her a monster, was that true?

After getting outside Fraya blinked a few times, the scent of blood still present on her was something she wised she could have washed off but without a river in this wasteland she had little choice but dry it off in the sun like a lizard.

"Alyon? Which way is the track you spoke of before? If the train moves along it then should it be possible to intercept the train and board it?" She waited for a moment before she started to make her way towards the gate of the graveyard. "Ah, I forgot to ask before... What is your farther like? Do you think he would be shocked by me?"