Reincarnated (REMAKE)

[shadow_claw]

The girl puffed indignantly at the question. If not for how short she was, it would have likely been frightening. The priest who hovered behind her blanched, rushing to fix the problem they had started.

"You Highness? Oh, that must had been a slip of the tongue! You see, this little miss is-"

"Shut up." Jaw set in irritation, the teen pushed the robed being out of the way with her single arm. Brown eyes bored into Tom's, narrowing with both irritation and hostility. She was only slightly taller than him, and yet, she could tell they were far from standing on equal ground.

"I am Lucida, sister to the King and heir to the throne. Does that satisfy you, monster?"

 

Never mind the fact she had been assumed dead for quite some time. When the previous queen and king had been killed, they had been on holiday with their two children. The younger of the two girls had been an infant at the time. It was easy for the current King to leave her in the hands of another caretaker.

 

The exact nature of her rediscovery had been shrouded in secrecy. She was never really lost. In fear of persecution, Lucida was raised by a cobbler. She techincally still was being raised by the old cobbler. It was only a week before the festival was she plucked up and thrown into kingdom life. Things were getting more dangerous. It was easier to watch her within the walls of the castle.

 

---

 

Suulis looked down at the stuffed dolls in his hands, his gaze distant. A child had given these to him. A child. Too many memories of children flickered in his memory. Bloodied orphans screaming on a battlefield that was once a village. The children he had slaughtered to escape his magical chains. Guilt rose to his throat as he thought about it.

"They...they were gifts." He murmured, ears angling backwards. He didn't deserve them, but that child had believed in him. It was a new feeling.

[pudding]

"Is that a fact?" Tom replied, resting his hand on his chin thoughtfully for a few moments. "Well, I suppose this makes my life much easier then." He shrugged slightly before snapping his fingers at the girl and gesturing towards the gate. "You too, then. Same conditions, ect." He seemed very disinterested in the entire thing as he turned around, motioning for her to follow as he walked over to Suulis and James. Almost like she wasn't even worth his time. Pulling a small device out of his pocket, he held his thumb against the front, waiting as a glowing blue circle honed in on the finger. There was a small beeping nose before the circular device turned purple with a click. In one fluid movement, Tom snapped the round device in half before placing the two half circle near James' wrist. In a quick motion that seemed almost too fluid for what appeared to be made of some kind of metal, the half circles latched onto his wrists, forming small, purple bands.

"Sorry, friend," Tom muttered as he looked apologetically up at James. "It's protocol. I can take these off once we get back to base, okay?" Pulling out a second sphere identical to the first, he placed his thumb against its smooth surface before looking at Suulis, ready to put a pair of the bands on him as well. "You too, big boy. Just stand still."

 

Looking at the bands around his wrists, James frowned and experimentally moved his arms. They didn't seem to actually be doing anything, since there was no wire between them and nothing that would actually restrict his movement in the slightest. Prodding one of the bands, he frowned ever so slightly before leaving them be, instead looking at the girl Tom had wanted to come with them. From what he gathered they were meant to be heroes. Tom was someone from the other side of this war, though he didn't know who. Or why he had been called, for that matter. But taking the enemy champions hostage was something he could understand. Why the girl, though? It wasn't even like she was the King herself. Sure the next in line could be a good political prisoner but the King could always have kids herself, right? Why bring along the girl?

 

[shadow_claw]

Suulis remained still as he was cuffed, but his eyes said enough. He hated Tom. He despised the man's actions. When the glowing bands appeared on his wrists, he tucked the dolls into his belt and sneered.

 

At that exact moment did Suulis slip back into their shared mind. Clarence came forth immediately, fear and betray shining in those shimmering golden eyes. "T-Tom?" He stammered, taking a step backwards. His eyes darted about as he tried to get a look around. "What's happening? I...You're our friend..." He whimpered these words faintly, and they were hardly sounded. Lower lip quivering, he turned to instead focus on something. Anything.

 

His eyes lingered on the girl. Bloodied and unrecognizable, her left arm was swollen like an overripe plum. He swallowed the rising blue in his throat and steeled himself. He was training to be a doctor. He could help her.

"Let me help her before we do anything else. Please." He didn't wait for an answer. She was going to lose that arm at least up to her elbow.

 

If Clarence was anything, he was resourceful. Grabbing the broken spear, he unraveled the rope from the spearhead and let the blade drop to the ground. He approached Lucida carefully, his gaze concerned. "You helped us earlier. Let me try to save the majority of your arm."

Recoiling as she was approached, she bristled as Clarence approached.

"I'm...I'm..." She wasn't fine. Her arm felt heavy and throbbed with every passing second. "It can't...be saved?"

Doing the only thing he could, he snapped the stick in half and offered it to her. "Please sit down. Put the stick in your mouth. I'm going to make a tourniquet."

[pudding]

Tom stopped short when Clarence reemerged as the dominant personality, his hands curling into fists. James had reacted very well to everything, likely because they were roommates and he trusted him. But he had completely forgotten about Clarence. Since the original hero had entered the fray and acted so differently, he had completely forgotten that deep down inside there, Clarence was still present. Gripping the arm of his injured shoulder tightly, he frowned, watching as he was easily distracted by the injured girl from earlier.

Oh, right. Clarence was studying to be a doctor, wasn't he? What a good humanitarian he was. But things changed here, didn't they? This was a war zone. He had seen his friends collapse at home and have to bring them to the hospital, only to wake up in this strange place. But they had been called in together. He hadn't had that luxury and it was terrifying. But for some reason, they had only just appeared. How had that worked out anyway?

 

Either way, it was irrelevant. They had ended up this way anyway and he knew there was only one thing he could do to save them both. From what he knew this planet was already doomed. They had only delayed the inevitable and the fate of war was one side would lose. At the very least he could save his friends, right? This was the only way. Play the villain and make sure they were safe. Work on a plan to get them all back home. These were the only people who really cared about him and he was going to make sure they were safe.

"Just hurry," He snapped, his hand moving to his shoulder. He'd...he'd have to get that looked at eventually. Maybe his lackeys could look at it when they got back to the base. He couldn't ask Clarence at this point. Even if he was doing what was best for them, they probably wouldn't like him much at this point. Which made sense. As soon as he was outside the city he could explain himself.

"Do you really think they'll believe you? You did shoot a man in the face."

That was you, not me, Tom responded to the voice in his head. A small laugh was the only response before he was silent again. Honestly, sharing his mind was so taxing. It was frustrating having someone able to always hear his thoughts. He wasn't even safe inside his own head. And it wasn't like Larrsin was a nice person in the first place. Of all the individuals he had to deal with, a homicidal maniac was one of the worst.

[shadow_claw]

"Okay, okay. You're gonna be fine." Clarence sucked in a breath, trying to calm his nerves. He had operated on cadavers. On cats. On tons of dead things. But never living people. He took blood from other med students to learn how to do it, but this was...very different. He was going off medical knowledge and not experience. Once someone dragged a stool over, he led the young teen to the chair and sat her down.

"You'll be fine, I know what I'm doing."

It sounded like he was assuring himself more than himself. Clarence tied the rope to both ends of the stick, and then slid the rope through her arm up to her elbow. This was where the hard part began. Turning away, he began to twist the rope in coils. What crowd that had the gall to watch dis so with morbid fascination. Lucida groaned through her nose, and the stick strained as she bit down on it.

 

There. Okay. Clarence secured the tourniquet in place and sighed. Now came the worse part.

"I...I need a bone saw."

Silence. He glanced up to see partygoers and nobles, not doctors.

 

He cleared his throat once again, standing up straighter. "I need your sharpest axe, one especially suited for battle!" That sent people scrambling. Soon, a heavy, sharp axe was placed in his hands. Okay. Here went nothing.

 

The tourniquet did some magic, he had to admit. Though, the poor girl passed out. His white clothing now spattered with red, Clarence tightened the tourniquet further. The wound would likely need cauterized. Looking worn, he lowered the axe with a sigh. "That's...That's all I can do for now."

 

 

[pudding]

Tom was silent throughout the entire...procedure, staring in morbid fascination. Despite wanting absolutely nothing more than to look away, he found himself unable to. What was more, a small, foreign part of him seemed to enjoy the entire ordeal. It was only after the feeling faded and the procedure finished that Tom was able to peg down the sensation as from Larrsin. Of course he would get some kind of amusement out of this. Shivering slightly, he turned to look at James, only to find the man had sit down at some point, turned away from the group. His head was in between his knees and he looked like he was shaking a good deal. Oh. He looked like he might be sick. Kneeling down next to him, he gently patted the man reassuringly on the shoulder before looking back at Clarence and the girl.

"Alright," He said, rising up again and looking down at the passed out girl. "This is the part where I insist we leave now." Looking over her injury, he frowned before lifting her up carefully by the other side, draping her arm across his shoulder so he could carry her without touching the site of the surgery. Since most of the people were scrambled after that sudden ordeal, there wasn't all that many people to oppose him taking the girl. Moreover, who would? He had shot a guard in the fact earlier over a slight shoulder injury. It was clear he was armed and dangerous. "Are you coming, Clarence?" He asked, looking briefly at him before walking over to James. Gently guiding him to his feet, he started to move down the path leading away from the castle. Hopefully now they could get out without any interruptions. Or another impromptu surgery.

[shadow_claw]

Clarence felt detached. Like he was floating. He had never imagined this would be his first operation. He had just hacked a girl's arm off while she was still conscious. She had passed out from the sheer trauma. He knew the symptoms of what he was feeling, and was certain he was in shock.

 

The majority of the walk across the city was in silence. He was dissociating. That was a common symptom of shock. Largely, he retreated to his thoughts. There, a soft voice comforted him.

"You have likely saved her life. Blood washes away, friend. Leaving her to fester and die would have clung on our back or a lifetime."

 

And the voice was right. Clarence couldn't sit by and watch someone suffer. He would have stayed behind until she had been taken care of.

 

If not for the soft voice encouraging him, he never would've made the short trek. Once a few blocks away from the city's walls, Clarence's legs gave out. Hunger and exhaustion from his recent revival was finally beginning to take its toll.

[pudding]

Hearing a thumping noise behind him, Tom paused and turned around, moving somewhat awkwardly thanks to the fact he was more or less dragging James along and carrying the girl on his back. Seeing Clarence crumbled on the ground behind them, he stopped short and drew back before sighing. Oh boy. Even if he was physically strong, it didn't mean he wanted to exhaust himself. Moreover, there was no way he could carry three of them. Since the girl and Clarence were unconscious at this point, he'd have to make James walk on his own. At least when they got far enough from the castle he could set up camp somewhere and let them all rest.

 

"James," Tom said gently, looking at his friend. He looked pale, or at least paler than when he had first seen him. Very flushed and pasty, like all the color had drained from his face. "I need to pick up Clarence, do you think you can walk?" Frowning at the shaky nod but unable to do much else, Tom gently let go of his friend's arm and set the girl on the ground. Clarence was bigger so he'd have to carry him on his back. If he hunched over enough he could probably still hold the girl then too. Nodding but not looking forward to this all the same, Tom huffed slightly as he lifted Clarence off the ground, shifting him onto his back before making his way slowly back to the girl. He could do this. This would be fine.

 

----

 

Several hours and several miles outside of the limits of the castle, Tom finally stopped. James was lagging far behind him at this point and the moon was rapidly rising overhead. Not only were they running out of light, but monsters were starting to shuffle out of hiding. So when he found an outcropping of rocks that could act as cover and seemed deserted, Tom had taken the opportunity and quickly dumped Clarence and the girl on the ground before nearly collapsing himself. Stretching out the stiff muscles of his shoulder, he grunted softly as James took a seat on a rock nearby. Honestly, he didn't look any better and likely didn't feel any better, but whatever he was feeling at that point in time he didn't comment on as he immediately laid down a fair distance from the group with his back pressed against a rock. Good idea, honestly. If they made good time tomorrow they could likely make it to his ship fairly early. Provided none of them threw a fit along the way. Leaning against a rock, Tom lifted up his arm and began typing silently into a pad infused in the sleeve of his jumpsuit. The blue light kept him away several hours longer after James fell asleep but he eventually ended up falling asleep with his arms crossed over his chest during the early hours of the morning.

[shadow_claw]

When Lucida woke, she screamed. Not at first, of course. The misty haze of sleep had initially hidden the previous day from her thoughts. When she was greeted only with a stump for an arm, however, she shrieked.

 

The only other waking member of the group looked up quietly, his ears perked up. Suulis was back, this time doing something quite useful. Skinning what he had caught the night before. Although weak with hunger, he had managed to take down a massive beast. Looking something similar to a deer and a buffalo mix, both arms were thrust into the carcass as he separated the meat from everything else. Some food was already roasting in a small fire, where the fire pit seemed to have been made part of the ground. He was silent until he finished.

 

Once his mess had been cleaned up, Suulis left with a flap of wings. When he returned, he looked cleaner than before. He must have washed.

"I was told to cauterize your wound. I am unsure of the logic behind it, but the boy said he trusted me." He fell into silence for another period of time, this time concentrating. Silver feathers from his wings flew into his hands, melting into a flat object with a handle. Some sort of makeshift iron. Setting it in the flames, he settled down once more.

 

"Where...where have you taken me?" Lucida demanded, her face pale with fear. Suulis merely shrugged, reaching forward and picking up one of the hunks of meat. Those sharp teeth extended once more, and he tore into the food.

"I...have not taken you anywhere. I am as bound as you." For emphasis, he shook one of his wrists where the violet cuffs remained. Unfazed by this accusation, he continued to eat.

"Eat. You may not have lost much blood, but food will do you well."

[pudding]

Honestly speaking, a part of him was expecting them to all be gone when he woke up. Still, when his eyes did finally open and he sat upright with a start, he heaved out a small sigh of relief to find none of them had actually tried to run off. In fact, Clarence and the girl who had broken her hand on his face were already awake, talking to one another over some kind of roasted animal. His hands curled briefly into fists around the legs of his jumpsuit before he slowly eased himself to his feet. James was still sitting in the corner a fair distance from the group, curled up. It didn't look like had moved since last night except to grab one of the smaller rocks and hug it close to his chest. At least he looked like he was breathing. He was probably just worn out from the day before and the journey to the mountains.

 

Turning his focus on the two sitting by the fire, he watched them for a moment before sitting down on the rock he had fallen asleep against. Opening the datapad on his arm again, he tapped it a few times with his fingers before closing it again and looking up. "We'll need to move by noon. Try to relax until then, alright? I don't want anyone getting hurt." He looked briefly at the girl's arm, or lack thereof, before turning his head away and focusing on the mountain. He couldn't seem to get a proper signal back to his ship. Maybe if they moved away from it or went around it he could reach them again.

[shadow_claw]

Suulis stared at Tom for a few moments, his ears angling backwards. He neither liked nor trusted Tom, for obvious reasons. He was just the fresher version of Larrsin. As he looked away, he lifted both hands. The now red hot metal lifted with it. Before the princess could squirm away, Suulis had already struck. Burning hot metal wrapped around what remained of the girl's arm, lingered for a few seconds, and then returned to the Spira. Tears ran down Lucida's face but she remained stubbornly silent. She would outlast the pain.

 

Functioning without her dominant hand was another story. Although a generally crafty person, it would be difficult to do anything without her left hand. Suulis was silent for a short while, twisting the metal in his hands as he thought. There was no way to replace a hand with flesh. However...

 

Rising, he carefully approached the girl. "I can replace your arm. Not yet, but...When your wound is sufficiently healed, I can replace what has been lost. Until then..." He blinked, and he was gone. The metal wrapped placidly up his arm and hardened into a band of some sort. When Clarence emerged, he was much calmer than before. Still not well, but calmer.

 

"Tom?" He asked softly. That same tone of betrayal remained in his voice. He didn't understand what was happening. Why was Tom doing this? He didn't understand. He couldn't understand.

[pudding]

Tom flinched ever so slightly as his voice was called before turning to look at Clarence. His friend was back again, then. It was strange how often Clarence flickered away to reveal the past hero. James never seemed affected by the same issue and in his situation, Larrsin wouldn't be an issue either save for the fact his personality had been reintroduced back into his body. And even then he could keep him in check.

 

"Clarence," Tom replied, a small smile forming on his face. "Its good to see you again. We did not get to talk much earlier, did we?" Crossing his legs together, he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. Looking at Lucida, he smiled as well, trying his best to seem civil. "I am sure you both have many questions. I can try to answer them now, if you like. James is asleep but I'll catch him up later. He was up much later than you two and we should let him sleep, yes?"

[shadow_claw]

((Here we go

 

Username: shadow_claw

Name: Aisling

Age: 30

Appearance: Aisling is a show breed, used primarily for its flashy colors and elegant plumage. However, most are just as tempermental as standard dragons. Aisling's colors range from a pale yellow to a deep, forest green. It flows from color to color smoothly, where the darkest color begins on her back and faded to a lemon yellow underside. Between her front legs rests a large pouch, of which she carries a single, large egg in.

Personality: A new mother, Aisling is both

Species: Domesticated Dragon-

Although wild dragons certainly do still exist, most dragons today live in barns or stables. These ancient creatures have evolved warm blood and feathers, though remains of their scaled ancestors are still occasionally found. A swift and sturdy sort, dragons are used for nearly every sort of transportation.

History: Aisling is a specific breed of dragon simply known as Royals. Bred for nobles and the royal family, they're show dragons. Although strong, they cannot carry the same weight as their standard cousins. They are, however, much lighter and faster than standard dragons. Their long, showy feathers and bright colors make them easily distinguishable, and incredibly expensive.

Aisling is a first-time mother. As such, she is both anxious and stubbornly possessive over her first clutch. With her small hips and thin body, it's no wonder she is able to carry one egg at a time. The egg, of which, remains securely in the pouch on her chest. Other than this, she is used to a comfortable life. The work most dragons experience has never been put on her shoulders.

Other: ))

 

Clarence ended up having to carry the girl. Lucida was understandably weak from both pain and shock. She lagged behind the trio no matter what Clarence tried. Perhaps it was due to the fact she was the only human. The trio of them were surely faster than the average man. Worried she might get left behind, he lifted her bridal style and let her rest in his arms.

 

The first city they visited was a rather large one. Most cities close to the capital were heavily populated. People and animal alike crowded the cobbled streets. The first clearing Clarence found was a large stable. Sighing heavily, Clarence set Lucida down in the grass. He leaned against the fence and tilted his head back.

 

"People are heavy...I'm surprised I got this far."

[pudding]

((Username: pudding

Name: Ranaghar

Gender: Male

Age: Unknown (Appears as an adult)

Appearance: Ranaghar is built identical to a human but with some key differences that offset him from normal Tiadorians. Most notably, his ears are actually bear ears that jut out of the top of his head, though slightly at an angle. He also possess a small, rounded tail, though it is usually hidden beneath his clothing. Both of these are the same color as his natural hair, which is a medium brown color and very shaggy looking. His teeth, additionally, possess four massive canines with a gap between these teeth and his molars.

Ranaghar also possesses unexplained, permeant tattoos. These red marking appear in bands around his body, most notably around his arms and legs, although he does two markings on his face. The first of these two lines form at the sides of his mouth and quickly arch to beneath his chin, making the lines resemble blood as if he had just eaten something raw. They loop around to touch beneath his chin, forming a small circle. The second of these bands is not complete, instead forming two small points on his cheeks that extend into his hairline where they connect.

Ranaghar wears a very primitive outfit made of what seems to be leather and lined with the fur of what was once a large brown bear. It has a pair of pants and large, fur-lined boots, as well as two cuffs that cover his forearms. He wears no shirt but does have a cloak made from bear fur held together by a latch with a simple, black stone as decoration. The cloak covers his back and also possesses a hood-the head of the bear used to make his outfit. This hood is usually worn to cover his head and is rarely removed. This fur is notably darker than his hair.

Personality: Rp'ed

History: Ranaghar is a forest spirit however, instead of being like a dryad and inhabiting a singular tree, he is tied to the entire forest. While he is not sure of the exact nature of how he came to be, Ranaghar has been dutifully protecting his home since his birth several thousand years ago. However, like many living creatures, he started out much smaller. When he was born, he appeared as a child for several years. During this time, he was adopted by a large brown bear who had taken it upon herself to protect the forest herself. He lived with her for several years until her eventual death. Immediately afterwards, he closed the borders of the forest permanently and has kept almost all intelligent life out of his home to prevent any damage to the forest from humans or other species. This worked for many years until the invasion several hundred years ago, during which he and his forest were caught in the crossfire and most of his home burned. Ranaghar died for the first time back then and was only recently revived after his forest grew back to a reasonable level.

Species: Forest Spirit/Being of Magic

Species abilities:

-Ranaghar possesses an incredible amount of strength, speed and stamina

-Ranaghar is functionally immortal. While he can be seriously injured and killed, as long as his forest remains he will eventually revive. However, if his forest is instead targeted, Ranaghar will feel the effects of the attacks and will permanently die if it is destroyed.

-Ranaghar is able to communicate with trees and animals, however, only those native to Tiadoria.

Other: Ranaghar can neither read nor write, though he can talk. However, as a man of few words and with no formal teaching, he tends to only grasp the bare minimum of language and makes many errors.))

 

As they arrived within the city, Tom had taken it upon himself to wear a cloak, hiding his face and unusual jumpsuit from sight. Keeping his head low, he led the way through the city, slipping easily through the crowds in a way that was clearly practiced. However, he stopped and looked back when Clarence abruptly stopped to set Lucida down on the ground. Walking back over, he looked around briefly before lowering his hood with a sigh. "You did well. I'll handle it from here, yes?" They still had a fair distance to go and he didn't feel like carrying the girl that entire way. His back was still sore from having to drag both of them the night before. "You three stay here. I'll be back shortly." Lifting his hood up, he quickly darted through an alleyway before slipping into the crowds on the other side and vanishing from sight.

 

James watched as Tom left them alone at the stables before turning to look at Lucida and Clarence. Sighing slightly, he stretched out his arms, trying to wake them up properly. After such a long sleep he felt very well rested, however, he still was trying to wake himself up. His body seemed to insist that it wanted to go right back to bed. Did he need more sleep in this form? It had already felt like he slept for well over twelve hours.

"So," he said, sitting down and looking up at Clarence from his seat next to Lucida. After a long pause of trying to sort out the right words to say, he frowned and looked towards the alley. "What do you make of everything? It's all been going so fast and I'm not really sure what is going on anymore. I mean, first being summoned here, some magical quest, Tom showing up. It's all so strange. We haven't even been here more than two days and so much has already happened."

[shadow_claw]

A young farmhand waddled to the stable, hauling a goat over each shoulder. The animals bleated loudly, and unable to move in the boy's grip. The smaller of the two goats was dumped into an individual stable. It bleated loudly once, twice, and then immediately tried to escape.

 

Scrabbling against the fence, the goat cried out as it tried to escape. This noise attracted a beast who slept in the shadows of the stable. Darting forward, a bright green dragon caught the animal between their claws. A firm stomp onto their neck, and the little beast was dead. The dragon picked the goat up between her jaws.

 

Clarence arched his back, stretching as James talked. He propped himself up against the fence, his wings shivering as he settled down. He was tired. This walking would be the end of him.

"I...just want to go home." He admitted. This place was chaotic. "My parents must be worried sick. I want this to be over with so I can just...go back. If I can."

[pudding]

James nodded solemnly. While admittedly this entire thing had hit him hard at first, there was some strange kind of acceptance of everything now. He couldn't afford to be caught up in being sad, not when his life was on the line. And the lives of his friends as well. If he let this sort of thing overwhelm him, there wasn't going to be much of a chance of him making it out of here alive. He would have to fight and struggle to survive. And while he didn't know what Tom was doing or planning in all of this, he couldn't believe that his friend was bad. Maybe it was denial but Tom was... Tom. There had to be a reason for all of this.

 

"Well, we'll just have to try," He replied with a smile. "I mean, if there's anything I've learned from every video game I've ever played, you can't just leave a quest halfway through. I guess if there is a way to get home, we'll have to do what they want. If they managed to get us here in the first place, there has to be some way to get back."

 

 

What are you doing?

"We need some kind of transportation," Tom replied softly, his voice barely a whisper as he looped around to the other side of the stables. "I wanted to see if they had any horses."

Horses?

Tom flinched slightly and smacked his head as a dull headache formed as Larrsin rummaged around in his head before pulling up a memory that apparently suited his needs. So neither the aliens nor Tiadorians actually used horses? Then what the heck did they ride?

These beasts certainly look....unusual. But here, they use something else. Tell me, were you planning on stealing a ride? If so, you're going about this all wrong.

"Fine, you do it," Tom hissed back, his eyes closing briefly. The blue orb on his jumpsuit turned yellow as he opened his eyes again. Slipping around the sides of the building, he pulled out his gun and fiddled with the buttons on the side before climbing up a few stacks of hay on the outside of the stables and slipping in through a raised window.

Landing in an empty stall, he paused in the hay before looking up.

"Things are going to get loud," He whispered, more for Tom's benefit, looking into the stall across the way. It looked occupied. A perfect target. Targeting the door first, he blasted the door of the stall he was in off its hinges. It smashed to the ground with a large booming sound. Not wasting any time, he darted across the way to the stall across from his, quickly grabbing the reins and throwing open the door without any kind of fear. Staring up at the yellowish green dragon within, he smiled before tossing the reins at it's head, trying to get them up over its neck. He didn't think the beast would be able to carry him but it would work for Suulis or at least the girl. After all, he was significantly heavier than any normal creature. As soon as he caught the stupid beast, he'd have to rejoin with the group and pass over the reins before busting out of the city. He knew where they were, at least. He could get them to the forest nearby. In the past, nobody had ever gone there. Hopefully a few hundred years hadn't changed anything and people still thought the stupid place was haunted. After all, he had landed his ship there.

[shadow_claw]

Unfortunately for Larrsin, the beast wasn't as dumb as he initially planned for. The beast had been in the middle of eating, and as such, had been distracted. An outside noise made her raise her head, as the creature moving nearby was much larger and heavier than any of the farmhands. Perhaps it was another dragon? The green creature chattered softly, swallowing another chunk of meat. It was at this point did she realize something was wrong.

 

The man was much faster than any my hung she was used to. Flaring her wings up as the man raced towards her, she hissed and backed away. It was at this point were the reins caught around her neck.

 

Dragons, although domestic, were still violent creatures when threatened. This, naturally, was perceived as a threat. The beast pulled away, thrashing wildly upon being ensnared. A shrill shriek escaped the creature's nose as she struggled, her wings beating frantically. Although the man was fast, so was she. The dragon turned on her tormentor, snapping and growling. She was under attack!

 

---

 

A noise not far off caused Clarence to stop talking he had initially prepared to reply, but something happened. A huge crash, followed by a scream. Immediately standing, he raced towards the noise to see...Tom...causing trouble. The poor thing he had gotten by the neck. It was a mess of feathers and blood, though he couldn't tell from what. Had Tom hurt that animal? No, there was something else on the ground.

"What are you doing?! Let that poor thing go!"

[pudding]

Larrsin dug his heels into the ground, using his heavy weight to his advantage. This was why using living animals for any type of transportation was ridiculous. They were wild and unruly and never did what they had to. Still, when it came to a battle of stubbornness, he would win any time. Flicking his arm slightly to coil the other end of the reins around his arm, he grabbed the rope with both hands, trying to keep the beast under control and get the reins tighter around its neck. Thankfully, despite having large feathery wings, it didn't seem like it would be able to fly off while still inside the stall. Especially not if he was holding onto it now. Wild creatures and the inhabitants of this planet were all basically the same. He just needed to get it under his boot and it would eventually settle down. If not, there were probably plenty more. He could always shoot it and try for another one.

 

Tom retook control for barely a moment when a familiar voice called out to him, turning his head to see Clarence there. However, his shock quickly turned to a snarl as Larrsin yanked control back from him and gave the reins a rather harsh tug. "Shut up," He hissed, turning his eyes back forward as the beast began trying to snap at him. Grunting, he quickly raised an arm up, letting the yellow and green creature snap its teeth around his right arm instead given it was the one that the reins were not currently coiled around. Sharp teeth sank into his arm and the alien hissed as purple blood welled up to the surface, flowing freely over his arm. "I'm trying to get you something to ride on," He snapped, looking absolutely furious at this point. Winding the reins around his left arm one more time, he gave a sharp tug down, trying to drag the dragon to the ground. "I don't need two people yelling at me when I'm tying to work." Trying to ignore both the winged man and the yelling voice in his head, he tried to grab at the dragon's neck with his left hand so he could drag it down and try to get a muzzle or something over it's mouth.

 

 

James started to stand as Clarence ran off, only to pause and look back down at Lucida. Biting his lip, he looked in the direction Clarence had run off to before gradually sitting back down in the hay next to Lucida. He didn't really know what to talk to her about considering they had barely exchanged a single line and the biggest interaction they had was her giving them tarts. Speaking of which, he was absolutely starving now. While Tom had woken him up late to try to let him sleep later, it meant he didn't get a chance to eat very much. Coupled with the fact he hadn't eaten at all the day before, he was was about ready to eat his own arm. Stomach rumbling loudly as if on cue, he quickly crossed both of his arms over his chest and looked away. He didn't have any money or anything to get food. Plus, he couldn't just wander off since that would leave Lucida all alone. All he could do was wait for Clarence and Tom to get back.

[shadow_claw]

The thing tasted awful. It was no man, for men were not this heavy or strong. With that being said, she was still going to put up a fight. It was a whistle to the side of her assailant that make her pause.

 

And like that, the sheer weight of the man attacking her caused her to fall. Her knees buckled and her head hit the ground with a heavy thud.

When another stranger leaped into the corral did she settle down. Her tail wrapped around her chest as she struggled to keep her egg from hitting the ground as well. A loud whine escaped her nose as she pulled away from Larrsin (and his arm).

"Stop it! You don't know anything about animals!" Clarence leaped over the wreckage to intervene. He knew nothing about horses, but knew a lot about birds. He lived in a rescue aviary for goodness sake! Although he didn't say it, being yelled at hurt. He was a sensitive person. The atrocity of whatever the hell Tom was trying to do was enough for him to push past that fact. Grabbing Larrsin's wrist, Clarence could feel his feathers ruffle.

"It'll come willingly if you make it feel like they're safe. Let go of it, and grab whatever that animal used to be."

Although not the sort to bark orders, Clarence was angry. Tom-or Larrsin, or whoever was doing this...it was awful.

[pudding]

Breathing a bit heavily and noting just how out of shape this body was, Larrsin grunted, looking down at his injured, bleeding arm with a huff. Great. Between that and his shoulder, he was probably going to need a fair bit of medical help when he arrived back at the ship. Luckily wounds like this wouldn't cause too much trouble until they got back. It wasn't like he'd bleed out from these kinds of injuries. Scar? Absolutely. But his old body had so many of those and he rather missed them.

"We could always just lose the arm altogether," He muttered, eying the bite marks dotting his forearm.

"No, we shouldn't!" Tom immediately screeched in his mind. "Don't use this opportunity to mutilate my body!"

"But is it even yours?" Larrsin asked with a frown before he was jerked out of the semi-public conversation by Clarence grabbing his arm. Blinking in confusion, he tilted his head slightly to the side before offering up a small, pointed smile. "Sure I don't," he replied, his injured hand twitching ever so slightly. "You make a compelling point." He paused, his bleeding hand having slowly moved to his side. In a silent, calculated motion, he flicked open the safety straps keeping his knives in place. Yanking the arm Clarence was holding back towards him to expose the limb, his other arm quickly grasped the closest knife to the edge. In an instant the blade turned white as it was freed from the holster and he slid the activation switch. The smell of burning skin filled the air as in a quick movement, he slashed upwards across Clarence's face, across his cheek.

"But maybe you should have considered who you were talking to before barking orders at me," He sneered, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "I'm not your friend. I'm not even your ally. We are enemies." Screaming filled his head as Tom tried to yank back the controls but Larrsin held firm, shoving him into the backseat of their mind as he smiled down at Clarence. "Consider this a warning," He replied, holding the knife like it was nothing more than a toy. "I don't take any orders from a filthy Tiadorian."

[shadow_claw]

One of his eyes had melted. It was gone. There was nothing but searing pain. And shock melted into violent, burning rage. It boiled in his gut and forced itself outwards. Immediately did Suulis tighten his grip on. Larrsin's hand. With the other, he dove for the man's face. Although his claws couldn't unsheathe like James's, they were claws nonetheless. And Suulis dug straight for the chimera's eye.

 

As soon as the anger came, it vanished, leaving Clarence to the mess Suulis had made. Staggering backwards, he snapped his wings open and gasped. He couldn't see. An injury rendered him blind in one eye; pain rendered him blind in the other.

"J-JAMES!" He shrieked, unable to hide his fear. He had just lost an eye.

[pudding]

Larrsin smiled at the enraged expression of the Spira. However, in the face of the danger, he elected to step back, allowing Tom to take control as he wished to before. However, what the man came back to was not a pleasant scene. No sooner than he had regain awareness and come to did he find Clarence's angered face staring down at him. No, not Clarence. Suulis. His eyes widened in surprise as the man's claws descended on his face and his vision abruptly went purple, then black.

 

As soon as he was released Tom fell down, his knees immediately collapsing inwards. His heart thumped loudly in his chest as he held both hands to his face, holding his right eye. Breathing loudly, he stared at the ground in between his knees in shock before slowly raising his head to look at the coiled dragon nearby. His vision quickly snapped back to Suulis...Clarence? Which one was it? It didn't matter. He had hurt him. "I....That wasn't me," He whispered hoarsely. But it was his fault, wasn't it? Larrsin had only regained control because he had put him there. He hadn't held him in properly. He knew Larrsin was a dangerous war criminal. He should have taken control again as soon as Clarence showed up. "I'm sorry," He whispered, looking away. He couldn't even look at Clarence.

"Didn't expect him to go for the eyes, honestly. It's fine, we can always get a new one. I will have to make an investment in shields for that. It really is a potential weakness."

[shadow_claw]

Tom. The hurt on his face was enough to break Clarence's heart. He stepped forward, steeling himself. He needed to atone for Suulis's actions. Even if the hero himself wouldn't. Immediately did he step forward, tearing his shirt off for cloth.

"Tom..."

He could help. He would help. Quickly did he tear off strips of the shirt. He tied one around his own face, before motioning to do the same. It didn't look like a deep cut. It seemed as if it was just enough to blind him.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay."

 

The dragon, in question, wriggled herself free and snorted. She wasn't quite sure of what to make of those two. Instead, she stood, and hopped nimbly over the destroyed fence. A confused, shrill squeak escaped her mouth as she looked about. It wasn't often she was let out, and she certainly wasn't let out like this. What was she to do now?

 

Lucida, feeling somewhat better, turned at the sound of a scream. At this point, she wasn't really sure what to expect at literally any time. Glancing at James, she pursed her lips. "Should we...check that out?" She ventured. Although she had faith in the past heroes, these new ones were...far less noble. And less powerful. What if that terrible man had attacked Suulis? Shrugging, she slid the waterskin from around her waist. After taking a drink, she extended it to James.

"You don't look well. Take a drink, it should help."

[pudding]

"Oh...thank you," James replied, taking a small sip from the waterskin before handing it back to her. Right, it was about time to check on them both. Hopefully Clarence had wandered off in the same direction as Tom. Either way, it shouldn't be that hard to find them, right? Clarence did stand out in a crowd now, didn't he? "I'm going to go look for them," He said, standing up. "Wait here. If I'm not back in ten minutes, do you think you can make it to the city gate? We can all meet you there. I have a hunch they got into trouble so we'll need to get out pretty quickly." With that he turned and ran towards the booming noise he had heard, deciding that he probably was going to investigate that first. Tom had probably gotten into trouble.

 

Tom recoiled slightly from the touch, moving one hand away from the right side of his face and holding it out towards towards Clarence to stop him from stepping closer to him. His breathing was shallow and rapid at this point and he quickly inched backwards until his back hit one end of the stable that was not broken. He didn't mean for any of this to happen. He couldn't trust Larrsin near his friends. He couldn't trust himself near his friends. But he had to try to get them home somehow, right? If he got them home safe and sound, none of this would matter. Clarence wouldn't be missing an eye. James.... well, there wasn't actually anything wrong with James but it was the same. He had to get his friends back home safely. He couldn't let Larrsin have the controls anymore.

"Oh, and I suppose you'll fly the ship back then?"

Not even bothering to reply, Tom looked up briefly when James suddenly entered the stables, looking down at the two of them. Holding one hand against the right side of his face, he looked away quickly as James stumbled into the room.

 

"Dude, what happened?!" James yelled as he quickly moved over to Clarence. There was blood everywhere. Not just red from Clarence but also purple. Looking at Tom, he frowned. Clarence at least had a cloth around his face. Tom was just sitting there. Looking back at Clarence again, he frowned, looking very concerned. "What happened?" He repeated softly. He could hear yelling in the distance. No doubt someone had heard the booming noise from before. They were going to have to get somewhere else eventually.

 

 

[shadow_claw]

Lucida ended up having to clean things up. When she discovered the hot mess that had happened, she decided to address the immediate problem first. They needed to get out of the city before they were caught.

 

She was surprisingly effective at rounding everyone up. She found a saddle for the dragon and had Clarence ride the beast. A simple "follow me" was enough to get the others moving. Simple commands were enough to keep everyone moving.

 

It was a mile or so from the city did she decide it was time to stop for the day. In the middle of a forest, she sighed, sitting down in the moss. A creek ran nearby, slicing through the ancient forest. "There. I'm sure all of you are tired, so we'll stay here for the night. You, on the dragon, you said you knew medicine, no?"

 

Clarence slid carefully off the fussy beast, stumbling and falling on his way down. He still couldn't see well. In fact, he could hardly see from him good eye. It hurt to move his face, let alone blink. Blood had seeped through the makeshift bandage, likely from blisters getting torn open. Even so, he felt oddly...detached. It had to be shock. The past two days had been horribly traumatic. Lucida's question, however, had him scrambling to his feet once more.

"I...yes. I am-was-studying to be a doctor."

"Great. Then you can clean yourself and the cloaked one. Viziel and I will get a fire going."