Reincarnated (REMAKE)

[pudding]

"Great!" Xeix replied, the same smile from earlier never leaving her face as walking over to the same door Larrsin had gone through. When she pressed her hand against it, it opened as well, allowing the three of them access into a long hallway leading towards the back of the ship, lined with similar, closed doors. Turning towards the first door on her right, she pressed her hand against this door as well, causing it to slide open to reveal a pristine white room with two beds mounted to the floor. "These are for you," She said, chatting idly as she approached a screen built into the wall. "Pick whichever one you like, there isn't any difference. We'll do a short scan here of injuries before submerging you in the tanks for the actual healing process. Its a bit ancient but since you aren't any one of our units, you won't be compatible with the newer healing devices." She glanced back at Lucida at this point, eyes narrowed slightly. "Although, the arm we can't salvage. I'll have to ask Larrsin if he'll allow it but we could work on a replacement for you."

 

 

Several moments later, the door back to the lounge area opened again to reveal Larrsin. He had replaced his dirty jumpsuit with a new one and had apparently left James somewhere since he was nowhere to be seen. Ranaghar, however, was still being dragged behind him and with very little effort he tossed the spirit onto one of the couches nearby before settling down himself on the opposite side. "Relax already," Larrsin snapped as Ranaghar rightened himself up on the couch, squatting uncomfortably as if he didn't know how to properly sit on it. Perched uncomfortably near Phineas, the spirit was obviously displeased at being dragged along with the rest of them. "We still have a few days journey back to the main fleet. I won't have you throwing a fit and tearing apart all of the furniture like some kind of rabid dog. Keep it together or I'll muzzle you for the rest of the trip."

Leaving him on that ultimatum as the spirit continued to bristle, Larrsin turned his attention to Phineas. "So what's your deal anyway?"

[shadow_claw]

Clarence, although initially receptive of the idea of help, immediately shut down at a familiar sight. They looked just like the tanks he has awoken in days before. Fear coiled in his gut and, with little success, he turned to leave the room. The door had already closed.

"Is...there anything other than that?" He asked feebly. Just glancing at him made him feel as if he was drowning again.

Lucida, however, didn't look concerned. She pursed her lips, before throwing her satchel on one of the two beds.

"I don't need to strip, do I? I'd rather not get naked around two strangers." Okay, Clarence wasn't a stranger, but he was pretty close.

 

---

 

Phineas balanced upon being looked at and instinctively shied away. Larrsin scared them, and for good reason. He was dangerous. The Mage straightened up nonetheless, swallowing before trying to speak.

"I...am Phineas. Teacher and...now companion, to princess Lucida." They admitted. "Although my initial job was to train her skills in magic...the King, she eventually had me spying on her. That is how I stumbled into your party, I'm afraid."

He was a lousy spy, that was for sure. Muffling spells and temporary invisibility kept them hidden, but they had a guilty conscience.

[pudding]

"Hmm?" Xeix asked, looking up from the screen as she turned her focus on Clarence. Another option? She glanced at the tanks in the corner with a small frown before her eyes widened. "What's wrong with the tanks?" She asked, typing her head to the side. "We have two other healing options on the ship but the first is reserved for familiar lines of DNA or troops of our own. The only other option other than the tanks is manual care by the ship itself but with a different system, this would pose a significant number of risks to your health." Turning around completely, she looked at the human next, shaking her head.

"Oh, no," She replied with a smile. "Your clothes will just be a little wet after the tank and the scan doesn't require any clothing removal."

 

 

"I see," he replied, crossing one leg over the other one and stretching out his arms over his head. "That's very interesting. I've been curious about what you creatures refer to as magic since I arrived here, but my attempts at experimenting with it produced no significant results." He sighed softly, his gaze shifting to Ranaghar briefly as the spirit twitched uncomfortably on the couch before he closed his eyes. "Either way, I'll be headed out now. Do make sure he doesn't try to maul Tom for me." He added gesturing loosely in Ranaghar's direction. He was silent for a few more moments before his eyes snapped open and he suddenly doubled over, coughing loudly. When he looked up again his eyes were much softer and he took a moment to hold his head. Looking up, he frowned before finally looking at Phineas.

"Sorry, ah, he doesn't show me much. What happened?"

[shadow_claw]

Glancing over at Clarence, Lucida shrugged once more. She didn't see the harm in the machines. Though, there was the whole...drowning...issue. Even for someone tall like Clarence, the tank was well above his head. It was likely this that made him so anxious.

"Are we supposed to...breathe...through that stuff?" She asked, approaching one of the smaller tanks curiously. She tempered seeing these before. The King had hired men to haul them into the castle. She'd seen them for only a few moments before they were hauled to a part of the castle that was guarded from prying eyes like her.

Clarence, resigned to the fact that he'd have to get into the tanks once again. Had he been in a healthier state of mind and body, he would have put up much more of a fight. But he was so cold and so tired.

 

---

 

Alarmed at the sudden change in personality, Phineas opened their mouth in surprise. They closed it quickly, in fear that the others would notice. The dragon growled softly, hissing air through her teeth.

"Anarchic beasts of men. Fortune may favor the bold, but the foolhardy such as yourselves will all face an early grave."

Of course, she had been spitting insults for quite some time now. Irritated that she had been dragged along, she had no hesitation in vocalizing her displeasure. Not that anyone could understand her or communicate back.

[pudding]

"Of course not," Xeix replied with a loud snort and a shake of her head. "That gel has no business getting inside your lungs. While it wouldn't hurt in the long run, it would be incredibly unpleasant when there is absolutely no need for it." She gestured to her own face, mouth somehow not moving when she spoke again. "We have breathing apparatuses designed to fit over your mouths and noses. You'll receive a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide to relax you while in the tank that will encourage you to rest while recovering. But we're jumping ahead a bit now. Lie down on the beds so I can run a scan to see where we need to focus on."

 

 

Tom sighed slightly when the dragon...lizard....person didn't answer him, instead just hissing softly. What, was it like a cat or something? Did that mean it didn't like him? What had Larrsin done while he was kept cooped up for so long? "Right," he said, slowly rising to his feet. "I'll just go somewhere else then, I guess." He didn't take one step towards the door, however, before on the opposite side of the room, a separate door opened and a purple woman stepped out. Her coat and boots were similar to the ones that Xeix was wearing, however instead of a navy coat and black boots she was wearing a white coat and black boots. She was also considerably taller than Xeix and, by extension, Larrsin, and the huge horns sprouting out of her head barely made it under the door. A thick tail dragged across the deck behind her but somehow she managed to move silently as she quickly crossed over to Tom and placed a gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Recovery bay," She replied coldly, her voice monotone at best. "Now," She added poking at the dried blood around his eye. Tom frowned slightly but complied and quickly walked through the door, leaving the purple lizard alone with the dragon, the spirit and Phineas. Glancing briefly at all three, her eyes lingered on Phineas before she started to walk back towards the door she had come from, heading towards the front of the ship.

[shadow_claw]

Lucida was never really one to fight. At least, not this time. She gingerly lay down on the bed, before sprawling out entirely. Some princess, huh? It was no wonder she and the King never spoke. They were completely different. The King had to keep up appearances; Lucida didn't.

Of course, her casual air was a ruse. She was stressed out of her mind with her expectations. She didn't even know when she started to resort to stealing. It gave her a rush, stealing and not getting caught. By now, she did it without even thinking. Which was why, when she sat on the bed, she held a fistful of metal feathers.

 

Clarence didn't seem to notice. He lay down on his stomach as to not crush him wings, legs dangling over the end of the bed. He was tall. Much taller than what the beds were meant for. His wings, too, extended well onto Lucida's bed. It felt good to lay down on a bed. After a day on naught more than leaves, it was a godsend.

 

---

 

At the appearance and disappearance of a similar figure, Phineas blanched. They were a generally shy sort, and seeing one so similar to himself was no exception. She was much larger than they. A hand rested self-consciously on their own horns. Unlike her's, Phineas's horns curved backwards gracefully. They were actually a little difficult to notice. The color of slate and dyed partially green, they blended perfectly in with their scales.

[pudding]

If Xeix noticed the feathers, she didn't comment. Instead, with the same smile as always, she nodded her head and quickly pressed a button on the screen that bathed the room in a dim, red glow. After just a moment, outlines of the two appeared on the screen, accompanied by various markings in some kind of clearly alien script. Different areas were highlighted in various colors, with Lucida's body being mostly blue but areas around her arm being green and yellow. Clarence's body, on the other hand, was mostly green with areas around his eye being more yellow. Frowning, Xeix tapped a few places on the screen, allowing her to focus on Lucida's arm briefly before turning her attention to Clarence's eye.

"Alright," She finally said, turning back to them with a grin and a small nod. "I've uploaded the data into the tanks. You can keep your clothes on or take them off, either one is fine. When you're ready I can help you into the tanks. The healing process should take about an hour for the human and a minimum of three for the Spira."

[shadow_claw]

Hours? Huh. She figured it would be closer to weeks. Dropping the feathers in her hands, they clattered to the ground as she stood back up. Given these were her only clothes, she decided it was best not to get them wet.

"Look away, pretty boy." She teased as she began to unlace her shirt. It took longer than expected to get all her clothes off. Under her shirt and riding pants were long johns, and under that was a bra and her underwear. It was all difficult to get off, after wearing it for so long. But, it felt good. Kicking her riding boots and socks off her feet, she stretched. Finally, she untwisted the bun on the top of her head. Brunette hair cascaded down, resting a little below her shoulder blades. It was incredibly long. No wonder she kept it up all the time.

"Feels good. Should've brought an extra change of clothes."

 

Clarence, however, soundlessly climbed up the tabk's ladder. Hesitating only until he was given a mask, the young man settled into the tank.

 

---

 

It has just seemed like she had settled into the tank when she was roused awake. She hadn't really fallen asleep; it was more like a dreamless haze. She could hear and see but felt oddly detached. However, when given the signal, she clamored up to the surface and pulled herself out. It was strange; she felt way better than before. She still didn't have an arm, but that was expected. The pain was no longer there. In fact, the remaining stump looked...fine.

"Do you have a fresh change of clothes. Mine are...eugh." The very look of them was sad and dirty. She would really rather not put them back on.

[pudding]

"Actually, I've already taken the liberty of getting you new clothes," Xeix replied, looking up from the screen she was holding. The device wasn't actually solid, but rather a projection of some kind that allowed her to interact and look over data. Sure enough, a white jumpsuit similar to the one Larrsin wore on a regular occasion was lying on the bed. She had decided they would be about the same size so the jumpsuit shouldn't be too big or small on her. Of course, since she had no idea how to use their technology, giving her a jumpsuit wasn't that big of a risk so she had left it untampered. "The doors are very simple to operate and I've already given you access to the relevant ones. Just place your hand the door and it will register your hand and let you pass through. You don't have access to the main cockpit or the engine room but most of the other doors will open for you. Do you remember the way back into the main room?"

 

 

James' eyes opened as he wordlessly sat upright. Looking down at his hands silently, he slowly made a fist before relaxing his fingers again silently. Lifting the white covers off of the bed he had been laying in, his padded feet silently touched down on the cold floor. At some point someone had changed him out of whatever he was wearing before into a simple white shirt and plain, navy shorts. His old clothes were nowhere else in sight. Sighing softly, he slowly stood up from his sitting position and approached the door. Reaching out, he gently pressed his hand against the door, waiting as it opened and stepping out into the hallway.

[shadow_claw]

Ah, good. Wringing her hair out with her only hand, Lucida walked over to the neatly folded jumpsuit. She unfolded it and, with little difficulty, wriggled into the suit. For her arm, she rolled back the sleeve's fabric and folded it over. It gave her stump some breathing room. Initially fumbling with the zipper, she eventually accommodated.

"Is...he alright?"

Brown eyes flickered to the slumbering Spira. With his bandage and eyepatch gone, his face looked much, much worse. Larrsin had really done something awful to him. And he generally looked...unwell. His dark skin seemed chalky and pale, and his face was contorted in discomfort. Her eyebrows drew together as she watched him rest.

A new issue quickly came to her attention, however. "Where...where are my boots? Or the rest of her clothes, for that matter. The haphazard like they had once been in was gone. "I, uh, I guess I'll come back later." Walking barefoot now, Lucida placed her right hand on the exit door and watched as it slid open. Huh. Crazy stuff right there. Maybe she could find her clothes.

[pudding]

"He's recovering. Slowly." Xeix glanced briefly up at the slumbering form in the tank before making a small adjustment in her notes. Hmm, this was going to be frustrating to deal with. For some reason his fever didn't seem to be subsiding. "He'll be fine, it will just take much longer." She smiled before shrugging slightly. "Your previous clothes were beyond repair. We had them disposed of."

 

In the hallway, James paused as a door was opened next to him. Turning and looking inside, he took in the scene of Suulis in the tank, Xeix holding a holographic pad before turning her attention to Lucida in front of him. There was a small moment where he paused, the corners of his mouth starting to move before they finally twisted up into a bright smile. "Oh, hey!" He declared, looking at Lucida with a grin. "You look a lot better," His gaze rested briefly on the tanks behind them before he looked at Lucida again. "Is...is Clarence alright?"

 

"Suulis is fine, boss," Xeix replied with a grin as she stepped forward and patted James on the shoulder. "We're just fixing him up right now so you two can go relax while he heals. I think everyone else except Larrsin is in the lounge so you can just head on over there, okay? I'll take care of him, don't worry."

[shadow_claw]

Pff. Anything could be repaired. She often had the habit of endlessly patching up her clothes instead of buying new ones. "They just needed washed." She mumbled with a snort. There was really no point in arguing, though. They were probably long gone by now. It was a shame. Those boots were comfortable.

 

Lucida seemed to brighten up as James entered. It was good to have someone else to talk to other than Xiex. She seemed nice but she was...unnerving. Turning once again towards the tank, she placed her hand on the glass and closed her eyes.

Can you not feel it? His soul...the abyss shattered it.

She could feel it. She could feel his very essence leaking out. His body must be working so hard to fix it. She hesitated about what to do. Phineas didn't like her using her abilities. She didn't have them under wraps like her sister did. But she was stronger than her sister. She could sway emotions and amplify power with her magic. All the King could do is quiet slaves and rebels.

 

But Lucida, she could give her magic to others.

 

She could feel his magic. It was warm and soft. Like a sunbeam. The feeling of it reminded her of fuzzy childhood memories. Happy stuff. Slowly, she peeled back her usual, natural containment efforts. Her own, unused potential began to seep into his invisible wounds. Hopefully...hopefully what she could give would be enough.

 

When she removed her hand, she looked a little worse for wear. Her pale cheeks had flushed, as had her ears. Her eyes, however, remained bright. "We should probably check up on everyone else. Come on James, let's go."

[pudding]

James watched with a slight frown as Lucida walked over to the tank where Clarence was, pressing her hand on the glass. Remaining in the door way, he watched her stand in silence for a few moments before finally pulling away, looking absolutely exhausted. Exchanging a small glance with Xeix, his frown shifted into a smile yet again. He didn't know what had transpired in that few seconds of silence but whatever that awkward situation was, at least it was done now.

"Could you make sure to tell me when he is awake?" James asked hopefully, looking at Xeix with a smile, his tail flicking across the ground behind him as he spoke. The movement was hardly of his own will since James usually kept the stupid thing tucked away or coiled around his waist like a belt, but with the shorts on instead of pants his tail was free to swish back and forth like a whip.

"Sure thing, boss!" Xeix replied with a small salute and James nodded gratefully before following Lucida out the door. It slid shut easily behind them and, without asking anyone for directions, James quickly crossed over to the door nearby and placed his hand on it, causing it to slide open and reveal the lounge area. Ranaghar was perched on top of one of the sofas there, having holed himself into a corner to watch everyone else.

"Oh, we brought him along?" James asked, looking at Ranaghar then back at Lucida. "Why did we bring him along?"

[shadow_claw]

Lucida followed silently alongside the hero, puffing her breath out through her cheeks. She didn't like this place. It was all cold and dark. The winding paths and security panels made her head spin. But James seemed to know where he was going. That was a comforting thought. Without him, she would have easily gotten lost in the labyrinth of a vehicle.

 

As soon as they reached the lobby, she settled into one of the smaller chairs. They were very soft. Such softer than the stuff in the castle. Yes, she likes this. It wasn't stuffed with straw and sewn with burlap. It was plush and actually comfortable to sit on.

As James spoke, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Larrsin was a...he was a character.

"As far as I know? Larrsin wanted a pet." She embarked sourly. That poor spirit must feel so out of place here. There wasn't even a potted plant in the room.

[pudding]

Ranaghar snarled at this but otherwise didn't move, instead seemingly trying to just fuse with the wall itself. Since his hood had been knocked down earlier he had not bothered to lift it up again, making it much easier to see not only his features, but the two, rounded ears sticking out from under his hair. An occasional twitch was the only indicator that they were, in fact, real as every other fiber of the spirit's being seemed focused on trying to blend into the wall despite the clear difference in color. Someone very used to being hidden was obviously put on edge in a situation where there were no places to hide.

 

"Where is Tom anyway?" James asked, looking around the room but not finding his shorter friend anywhere. Xeix had mentioned he wasn't here but why? What could he be doing? Sitting down near Lucida on the opposite side of the room from the bristling spirit, he sighed softly. He couldn't hear or feel the ship moving but this wasn't exactly a plane. He had no idea if it was actually going anywhere or not since there were no windows to speak of. And what were they going to do after this? If they were on a ship headed back to the main fleet, they were going to come face to face with the final boss, so to speak. But Clarence and he... they had zero experience, no skills and no plan. Sure Clarence could apparently hulk out as Suulis but what could he do? From the start he had never felt overtaken by other person. Viziel-whoever he was-didn't seem to be present at all.

"Do we...have a plan?" He asked, glancing at Lucida. "I mean, we have to just go along with this but what are we going to do when we get there?"

 

 

 

In the cockpit Tom sighed as he looked out over the huge, glass window. He was seated in a platform above where Aeqae was piloting. In long distance travel like this, it wasn't even really the pilot who was in charge. The ship handled most of the data itself.

"Did...Did Larrsin tell you anything?" Tom finally asked, prompting the purple lizard woman to turn around and shake her head.

"No, sir," She replied, her face as impassive as ever.

"Alright. I just want to make sure that no matter what, you two are on my side."

"Always, sir," was the monotone reply, allowing Tom to heave a sigh of relief. He could do this. All of this would work out fine in the end.

[shadow_claw]

Lucida sank back into the chair, marveling at the fact she was nearly swallowed in the soft seat. She was grinning like an idiot. That was, until James brought her back to reality. They were prisoners. They were likely being taken to be killed. Her smile quickly faded, buried away for another time.

"I...Don't think there's a way to get out. Not any more. We're a political bargaining chip, for lack of a better term. If we do anything to escape, war is immediately reinstated."

She sighed, pushing wet hair from her face.

"It's more like a stalemate anyways. Larrsin's going to kill us, and without any other opposition, wage war without a problem."

 

She was getting fidgety again. She hated when it happened. She had to have something in her hands. Anything. The girl played with a stand of her hair, twisting it between her fingers.

"This isn't our war." She growled softly. "This is a war none of us should be in. You, me, Clarence, that Tom fellow...We're all just taking the place of faces that have been long dead. Or in my case, my sister."

[pudding]

"War is already reinstated," James replied with a frown. "Tom...Larrsin... they shot a soldier in the capitol. I don't actually know why we're still alive at this point. I mean, from my understanding, the war from before never really ended. It just was paused." He sighed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. His tail wagged slightly over the edge of the couch, occasionally flicking the fabric. that the couch was made out of.

"I don't know about Larrsin. I mean, I don't trust him at all obviously. But my friend is in there too. I'm positive if we try we can still get him to join us. Or at least help us or something. He's....my friend. I trust him." He sighed again, resting his forehead in his palms now. "And it doesn't matter if its not our war. We have to fight to survive at this point. I just want to get home and if the only way to do that is to be a hero, it's the only path I can take. It's the only path any of us can take."

 

"If you try to stay out of it, you still get dragged into it," Ranaghar commented from his perch, having listened to the entire conversation. "Ranaghar tried to keep his home safe. He didn't care about anything else. And his forest was still burned to the ground. It doesn't matter if you try to avoid fighting. It will find you."

 

[shadow_claw]

Lucida looked down at her feet as James talked, her single hand twisting through her hair. What hair she wasn't messing with fell over her face. Her expression was shaded with hopelessness. "At least you have a place to come home to." She muttered sourly. Her adopted father was ailing. At the age of fifty, he was one of the oldest people in the city, and it showed. Nobody ever said a word to him when she was taken to live in the castle. She could venture with some certainty that no one had told him she was kidnapped. Tears stung at her eyes as she thought about it.

 

And her sister...she didn't even know the King's real name! The King didn't care for her. She was just another distraction. But it had been ruled necessary to raise her to be a proper young adult. Which meant she needed to be groomed for marriage. The best way to build an army was to unite kingdoms. Luckily, no suitors had seemed that interested. Yet. But there were both men and women from other kingdoms to drive off.

 

Sniffling softly, Lucida wiped her face with her hand.

"Look...I know it's a lot to ask, but...If you find a way to return home...is there any way I could come with you three? I don't...I don't have a life here. I don't want to live here."

[pudding]

James snorted softly at that. Yeah, sure he did. He had an apartment where he lived with his best friend who was currently his enemy and the entire thing wasn't even on this planet. For some reason, home started to seem very far away recently. Even Clarence was different now. Nothing was the same and it was apparent that they couldn't ever go back to the way it was before. But at Lucida's request, he offered up a small smile. "If we can find a way to go back, I'll try to bring you along. I still don't know about how magic or anything works here but if we came here in the first place, hopefully there is a way back. Back to our original bodies, too." Glancing down at his tail, he watched as it wagged back an forth, completely against his will. He couldn't even feel the stupid thing properly. As if his feet weren't bad enough. And the claws. And the eyes.

 

"I mean, we're in this together, right? We need to stay positive and just work on getting through this." He smiled before looking up, his attention distracted by the other door in the room opening. The purple lizard woman stepped into the lounge area, scanning the room quickly before turning her focus on Lucida and James.

"We have been informed that when we arrive at the main fleet, you will be escorted to stand before our Leader. Tom wanted you to be aware of what was going to happen."

[shadow_claw]

Lucida blanched as the lizard woman entered, sinking into the couch to try to hide herself. She didn't like strangers. Especially when strangers were purple alien monsters. It was an odd reaction, to respond by wanting to hide. But enemies never needed to see her weaknesses. They didn't need to see her cry. She remained stiff as a board, curled tightly into the couch cushions until the alien left. Even then, it took a while for her to uncoil.

 

When she did, however, she stood promptly and darted away. She needed to chill out. To be alone. Something. Maybe there was a powder room where she could wash her face. Get all the gross green stuff off.

 

Halfway down a hallway, however, she quickly realized she was carrying something. Something kind of heavy. A flower pot. With a plant inside. Although she couldn't remember how she got it, she was sure she had taken it. From somewhere. Things got blurry after a while.

[pudding]

Hours later the ship suddenly paused. While the engine still hummed softly beneath their feet, there was a small lurch that accompanied the ship stopping. It wasn't a very noticeable movement but in the control room where there were actually windows, it was clear what had happened. Tom shivered slightly as their ship docked alongside the main fleet, easily becoming part of the massive commanding ship that led the troops. However, his distress only lasted for a few short moments before a slight rush in his ears indicated Larrsin was present, bubbling forward excitedly.

"Oh we're here?" He asked, leading Tom to wonder what exactly it was Tom did when he didn't seem present. Whenever he wasn't in control he could still tell what was happening. But he had never really tried looking away. Usually he wasn't under for that long to do so. He sort of wanted to know what it was Larrsin always did when he wasn't paying attention. Was it interesting? What was he poking around at?

"Go gather the prisoners. Let Aeqae hold onto Viziel for the time being. He's too vulnerable at this point to fight."

"Do you really think the others will go along with it?" Tom asked softly.

"Of course. Even if they don't know the full plan, we can just nudge them in the right direction. All they need to do is distract it. As long as they didn't close down my old lab, I already have the supplies needed to take down that old fool. I've been plotting this for a while, you know."

"Not exactly the sparkling definition of a loyal solider, are you?" Tom replied softly, sparking a headache in the back of his head. Hissing softly, he shook his head before opening up the door to the bridge to look out at the group. He hadn't stepped out of the cabin since getting on the ship so it had been a while since he had seen everyone.

"On your feet, everyone," Tom said, inspecting those in the room. "We've joined up with the main ship and we're going to escort you to the temporary holding cells. Just try not to make a fuss, alright? I really don't want any of the guards to decide force is necessary. They always go overboard and someone ends up paralyzed or dead."

[shadow_claw]

Lucida sat with her legs crossed, a potted plant resting in her lap. She had been silent for a while, drifting between sleeping and waking. When Tom arrived, however, she was quick to drop her peaceful nature. Her hands immediately fumbled for her knife, only to recall that her bag was no longer there.

Brown eyes gouged into the short chimaera. She didn't trust him. She didn't trust Larrsin, either. But Tom...Tom pretended everything was fine. Everything was not fine, and it was his fault. Bristling, Lucida set the plant down and rose to her feet.

"Clarence. I'm not going anywhere until I know he's alright." She declared.

 

---

 

Clarence was...still not well. Better, but not well. He remained in his tube, stuck in a dull trance of sleep. Sort of. His eyes remained half open, albeit placidly. It not for the gentle rise and fall of his shoulders, he could have easily been assumed dead.

Truth is, he was working very hard.

 

Souls aren't easy to fix. Especially one as shattered as his. The repair process was slow. Sometimes nothing was ever repaired. It was just a slow, wasting death.

 

Lucida had changed those odds, however. Her own, potent magic seeped in, creating a sort of shell around the damaged soul. It was enough to keep Clarence from becoming any worse. Acting like caulk, her own magic bound the splinters together.

 

The tank had done wonders to heal his body, however. A once gruesome wound was now a thick scar, the gnarled skin pink and tender. A pit remained where a bloody hole had once been. His fever had cooled somewhat as well. He was recovering, bit by bit.

[pudding]

"He's still recovering," Tom replied gently. "We'll be transporting him in the tank until his fever goes completely down. The last thing we want is for his fever to come back again. If it makes you feel better, I'll arrange to put you both in the same holding cell. There's usually a maximum capacity of one per cell but I can try to make an exception." Looking chipper, he stepped forward, eventually singling out Ranaghar and the mage. Whatever the weird lizard's name was. "You two need to be outfitted before we open the doors. If you put these on, we can get to business." He held out four small bracelets similar to the ones he had put on Clarence and James.

 

Staring at the strange bracelets, Ranaghar snarled slightly but snagged two of them with an outstretched. Raising them to his face, he sniffed them cautiously before sliding one onto each wrist. They quickly shrank down to fit, sitting snugly on his wrists. "There," He snarled, looking up at Tom before his eyes flickered to Lucida. "What about her?" He asked, glancing down at her wrists.

 

"Oh her?" Tom asked, looking at Lucida before smiling at the spirit. "She's crippled. Besides, the cuffs don't work without both there. I guess we could put them on her ankles but it really isn't necessary, you know? I trust her."

[shadow_claw]

Lucida's distaste quickly became visible the more Tom spoke. Irritation melted into spite the more words spewed from Tom's mouth. "You speak as if this is some fun trip. I'll have you know that it isn't." He spoke of holding cells like they were luxury! Hah! They were cells. Prisons.

 

Phineas stared down at the objects in Tom's hands. Distrust flickered in their eyes instantly. This was no accessory. They were shackles. But their hands seemed to be forced here. Gingerly taking the cuffs so not to scratch Tom, they reluctantly slid the cuffs on. Well, slid might not be the word. Their hands were rather large, and as such, it was a bit of a struggle. Once they were on, however, the secured quickly. Almost uncomfortably. The mage's pupils contracted to slits as this happened.

"I...would not take my lady so lightly. To do so is to turn one's back on the sun itself. Paying no heed to the sun grants a sunburn." They declared, puffing up slightly.

 

"It's fine, Phineas." Lucida sighed, waving her one hand. "I'm not like everyone else; I'm human. And I don't even have my dominant arm." Or a weapon, now that she thought about it.

[pudding]

"Ah, well," Tom relied, faltering slightly. "I mean, its not meant to be a vacation. But I promise I'll keep you all safe." He glanced at the mage but elected to ignore his warning and him in general. Rolling up his left sleeve to expose his hand and upper arm, he walked over to one of the walls and pressed his hand firmly against the wall. A ring of purple flashed across the wall briefly around his hand before the entire metal wall rippled around his arm like it was a liquid. His hand sank into the wall, followed by his wrist and his arm up to the elbow. After a moment of pause, the purple ring flashed blue and the wall rippled away, revealing the huge ship they had docked in. A ramp extended down to the ground, landing at the feet of several dozen escorts dressed all in black. Wiping a small speck of blood off of his fingertips, Tom glanced back at the group before waving them onwards. He walked down the ramp first, taking confident strides until he reached the bottom. There he paused, looking back at the ship.

James peered out first, fidgeting slightly, his left hand nervously rubbing his opposite arm. Slowly walking down the ramp, he scurried over to Tom, coming to rest just behind him. With Clarence down for the count as of late, Tom seemed like the only person he could actually trust in this whole big ship. Lucida seemed nice but he barely knew her. The mage was even less known and even more aloof. As for Ranaghar.... Well, he seemed more animal than human. Honestly, he was happy to have Tom nearby, even if he was supposedly on the other side. It was his roommate. His friend.

 

Tom glanced down at his hand as James wiggled his own hand into holding his. Blinking at the action, he sighed softly before turning to one of the guards. "The last one is in recovery. Place the vat in a cell with the human ambassador." He paused for a moment, feeling James give his hand a small squeeze. "Harm any of them and I'll have your heads, understand?" He watched as the troops nodded before entering the ship to round up the others and escort them to the cells. As they did, Tom stepped forward, leading James along himself to the cells. He couldn't keep James out of the cells since he was technically a traitor but he could keep him away from the other aliens. A good deal of them were still bitter about that incident. He couldn't and wouldn't leave him alone.