WhiteAngel25

The Dark Beyond

@Estylwen forgot that part. I’ll edit that soon!

@Days Thank you!

The Dark Beyond

---

Sabrina quickly turned around when she felt the new presence behind her. She cursed in French under her breath as she was face to face with what seemed to be a woman statue with red, glowing orbs for eyes. From her early days with Thierry, Sabrina knew that all sorts of weird shit was out in the world, and HiveMind was good at finding them. Fortunately, the mother of the de Viller children also studied creatures from time to time, thanks to hacking into the HiveMind database to keep her skills sharp. She knew that she couldn't look away from the stone creature. If she did, it could attack her. It was times like these when she was glad Theo wasn't anything more than a tour guide and curator for the Louvre. Her sweet son wanted to be like his father, bless his heart.

Sabrina moved backward around the desk. She knew that she needed two things. A mirror and a pickaxe. Coincidentally enough, there was a mining exhibit in the museum, and a few of the artifacts still being studied were on the other side of the large office. All she needed to do was to get to it.

Keeping her gaze on the stone creature, Sabrina took off her heels, mainly so she could run if necessary. She continued to back up around the furniture until she got to the table with the artifacts. Taking a chance, Sabrina glanced down at the table to grab the small one-hand pickaxe. She shot her gaze back to the creature and gasped in slight fear as the being practically had her with its right-hand inches from her throat.

A shakey exhale left Sabrina's lips as she kept her gaze on the statue, slowly moving around the being. She licked her lips softly as she needed a mirror of some kind. Without another thought, Sabrina backed her way to the door, closed it, and bolted to the nearest bathroom. Her feet padded against the floor while the creature's footsteps scraped loudly and fast after her. She stopped at the end of the hallway and smirked before quickly facing the concrete being who was coming after her. The being stopped just before the woman, its hateful red eyes stared into Sabrina's goldish ones.

"Do me a favor," the woman spoke with a mocking tone, "Tell me if the inlay of this mirror is off." Sabrina finished her sentence as she ducked down. The creature caught its gaze in the mirror. Sabrina rolled to her left out of the way before she backed up and ran at the concrete statue, raising the pickaxe above her head, and cracking it down on the head of the statue. The mother of three did the action repeatedly until the head of the creature was gone.

Sabrina bent down and picked up the two red jewels that were the eyes of the creature. A smirk plastered on her lips. "Well, Galloes, I have to say I'm impressed. It's been a while since I've had a good fight," She spoke to no one in particular and went back to the office to disconnect her feed. She had done as much as she could do, the rest was up to Thierry.

---

@Estylwen

Pain. Heat and pain. That's all the young woman could feel. The power inside her chest felt like it was burning her from the inside out. Stella went to claw her hand at her chest only to find it strapped to the table. She blinked open her icy eyes and winced with the bright light above her. An odd woman with pink hair scanned her body with a device, and then there was a flick to her forehead.

"What is going on? Where am I?" Stella asked as the fire within faded away. She tugged at both wrists and ankles. All of her limbs were fully secured to the table beneath her. How did I get here? I should be dead. Am I dead? The white-haired woman thought as she glanced around the room. It was similar to a room she'd been in before, but she couldn't remember why the lab room felt familiar.

---

@Days

Dragon had enough. He had kicked Julia out a while ago. The man burned with fury at the fact that he couldn't go in and rescue Nova and Stella himself. So, when Nova called out for help, he pressed the button. "We hear you, Star. We have your location, and we will meet you at the docks for the submarines. Don't worry, babe. I'll be there soon with medics on hand," Dragon replied, allowing Julia her chair back before heading back to his office.

Julia giggled slightly and pressed the communications button. "Star, you should know he hasn't stopped pacing this entire time. I don't think I've seen Dragon this fired up in a long time," the assistant admitted before pulling herself together. "I will stay online with you until the submarine surfaces."

The Dark Beyond

@Estylwen Swearing is allowed correct? Lol

The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

Like in DB, I'll post tomorrow. :)

The Dark Beyond

I will post tomorrow! :)

The Dark Beyond

@Days if there was a love button, I would’ve hit it. Your post was great!

The Dark Beyond

Aurélie noticed she couldn't even think it. Say it. If Thierry got remarried then, he divorced Sabrina? The woman she saw as a mother? Or did she... die? It was all too much, right now, and she could barely decipher the odd look on the man's face after his confession. A hint of shame?

@Days

The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

@Days Same. Same.

The Dark Beyond

@Lexisheeps I like your new profile pic and signature. :)

Welcome to Vradia

@jasbraq, @Jamesyco, @Damycles, @Ti, @Herald

---

Faline's gaze flicked between Gus' face and the coin in his hand. The coin was of a similar origin as the tokens the rest of them received by their predecessors. His was of the Illusionist Rogue. This rogue spoke highly of the man who was his mentor. It was clear that he was an ally of sorts. "Dorian would be better at answering your questions than I would. We have been chosen in some odd way to pick up the mantle while our mentors figure out the Duskrot plaguing Vradia," she informed as she put her bow in its sling on her back.

The half-Elvian woman arched an eyebrow at the man on a gray horse, shouting at them from a good twenty feet away. "I am Faline, obviously an archer and dagger enthusiast. This is Dorothea. Although, I'm not sure if she will make the journey in this condition." She gestured to the passed-out mage on the ground. "We weren't hired to take out the bandits. We were headed to the ruins of the Hiemaquas Dragonian tribe," Faline replied to the horse rider and turned to see Amandine holding a dead bird in her hands. She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Amandine, that is pheasant. Not Simbel," the redhead clarified with a sigh as she glanced at the sky where Simbel had disappeared. She hoped that the Elvian woman was okay. "You can eat the pheasant. Just please roast it first. You don't know what that bird has eaten or where it has been," Faline explained to the little monk woman before she turned to Torsten.

"We should rest here, burn the bodies, and send word to Dorian. Someone will need to take Dorothea back to the tavern and let him know that Simbel has gone. Plus, if any of those bandits had Duskrot in them, we'd be fighting a whole different enemy in the middle of the night," she gazed out to the slough of bandits that littered the meadow and the treeline of the woods.

The fiery woman sat her pack down on the ground. Faline placed her hands on her hips as she whistled. A snow-white owl soon appeared and landed on her shoulder as she knelt down to rummage through her pack. She tore a piece of parchment from her journal to quickly write a message to the head of the mercenary group.

"Everyone, this is Athens. Athens, say hello, and no, Amandine, you can't eat him," Faline introduced the raptor bird to the group. She peered into her owl's snowy eyes. 'Give this letter to Dorian. Let him know that he needs to come to collect Dorothea. When we leave to continue, stay with her until he arrives,' she told the bird through her connection with him. Athen ruffled his feathers and let out a squawk as a response of acceptance. Once Faline tied the message to Athens' right leg, he took off, soaring back to town.

---

As the group rested and the bodies of their enemies burned, Faline couldn't help but get the strangest feeling that they were being watched. Not in a physical sense, but almost as if someone was scrying them, watching from afar. With Dorothea and Simbel both gone, the two members seemed as if they weren't ready for the responsibility bestowed upon them. Not that Faline felt she was any more worthy of being a part of the Oath of the Concealed.

Faline saw Dorian ride up with a few extra men. She stood up from the rock she was sitting upon and strode over as he hopped off his horse. "A pretty amazing feat for a group that hadn't met each other before. My men and I will finish up here. You lot continue on," he instructed as he bent down and picked up the still-sleeping Dorothea. Dorian carefully placed Dorothea in the wagon brought by one of his men.