The Ruins of Alexandria

Aubresiah stayed quiet and did not move, the tears flowed freely from her sapphire eyes. Her hands work over the stones that were polished with the dead names on them. She kept cleaning the tombstones off, plucking weeds from the earth around them, tossing the weeds behind her. Rearranging the flowers beautifully, with trembling hands. Grabbing some plants from her pack she dug up the soil around the graves with her hands, then gently planted the flowers. Dirt was caked under her finger nails, dust covered her hands from what she had just done. After it was clean she still stayed there looking at the graves.

He stepped out from hiding and stepped up within 5 yards of her, reading the names of the grave silently in his head. Some seemed familiar to him. In a low and quiet voice he spoke. "Friends of yours?" He stepped back quickly, realizing his close proximity to her and how he treated her yesterday might cause her to implant a blade between his ribs. He went over the names again and waited for her to respond.

Aubresiah stood and turned so quickly it was just a blur to him, her sword was drawn.Realising it was Luka she sheathed it and nodded. "Yes, a friend and a child i adopted. They were your friends as well" she said softly to him, angrily rubbing her tears away. She turned her back to him and checked the graves over again.

He looked down. "I have no friends that I can remember. All I can remember is the slavers whips, working day and night, barely having enough energy to move, eating only enough to keep us alive so we can continue working." He held up a hand to stop her from saying anything. "I apologize about yesterday, I had lost consciousness and was startled when I awoke to someone that close to me. You said they were my friends too, that means I am from these parts, and that would be what drew me to this place. It all seems so familiar, and it scares me." He kept his hand up. "No doubt you know more about me than I do, but you must not share anything with me." He did not tell her why, he did not tell her about the man he had seen in his dreams who claimed to be his father. Nothing made sense and until it did, he did not want to overload his mind with information. Once he had the basics figured out, then she could maybe help him fill in the blanks.

Aubresiah's skin started to heat up in anger of what them had done to him. 'They wiped him...' She thought to herself, she just wanted to hold him, tell him now sorry she was for his pain. If what he was saying was true, Aubs knew introducido information and memories to fast would harm him. She nodded in understanding. "I knew what happens when memories and infromation are introduced to quickly." She grabbed a ring out of her pocket and handed him it "that is yours" she said softly. She breathed out softly. "It hurt my feelings more than it hurt me yesterday."

He looked down at the ring and saw His name and a name he did not recognize engraved upon it. It was silver, with a sapphire surrounded by diamonds. His hand shook violently and he dropped the ring, following it he fell to his knees and tried to grip the stone ground he was now kneeling on. His brain was pounding, the fog was clearing from a part of his mind. Images ran through him so fast, his body began to spasm and he started banging his head upon the ground. His body was wracked with physical pain as his mind tried to process the images. He saw a beautiful crystal lake and two people swimming in it. He saw himself and the woman who stands in front of him sharing an afternoon in the grove of trees nearby the lake. He saw himself giving the ring to her. He stopped spasming, blood trickling down his forehead into his mouth, the taste was acidic. He spat it out and stayed kneeling there, willing the pain to subdue and his head to clear. His eyes looked up at her, they were wild, but they were not threatning like when he pinned her. They were wild with pain, blue lightning shooting across them. His eyes were locked onto her, and he realized she was the woman in his dreams that haunted him, she was the one in the forge with him. His eyes watered and he looked down at the ring, shaking slightly.

As he fell to his knees, she noticed he was trying to grip the ground. Placing one of her hands in his for him to sqeeze, she used the other to rub his back, while she rubbed his back soothingly, she was sending calming energies in to help him calm down, to make it easier on him. Tears started leaking from her eyes agin as she held him close "Shh.. You'll be alright" Her smell was like home, it was like metal being forged at the moment, but under it was a sweet smell of honeysuckle and strawberries. Her skin has so soft, her hands felt so delicate as she held his and rubbed his back. "What did you see angel"" she whispered softly trying not to hurt his head from any noise. Her voice was so soft, so sweet, loving. Highly unlike yesterday with her growls that could stop a man in his tracks.

Her calming energies were helping, but they did not stop the flow of silent tears streaming down his face. The tunic made by the Atsuatoshi Forest Elves soaked it up, and dried out instantly. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat and a shudder went through his entire body. He stayed silent, staring at the ring through blood and tears. She smelled familiar, looked familiar, even felt familiar as she gripped his hand. He composed himself, when he opened his mouth this time his voice had cracked, and there was sadness, sorrow and shame in it. "I saw two people, swimming in a beautiful lake, and I saw...." His voice caught again and he searched for the strength to reiterate his vision. He picked up the ring and slipped it onto her finger. "This ring is not mine, not any longer. I gave up ownership when I gave it to you.....Aubresiah...I'm sorry." He broke down again and could not stop the sobs from wracking his body as it shuddered and heaved. He leaned away from her and gagged, vomiting up a black and green liquid of strange origin that quickly turned clear and disappeared.

She pulled him closer after he coughed up the vile smelling goo. Pulling him into her lap so he was leaning against her torso with his back, her fingertips lightly moved over his arms. "So you saw what happened before you disapeared.." She sighed softly and held onto him lovingly, caressing his arms still. She brushed the tears from his cheek and kissed the top of his head so gently, so softly. She wanted to tell him so much, about everything that had happened. Tears continued to fallfrom her eyes as she looked at the ring then at him. "I don't even know what happened to you Luka.." She whispered softly closing her eyes tightly. She didn't know if when the time came, that she could tell him what she had done to herself and others after he dissapeared. On her hands and arms, he noticed so many new scars from his last memories he did have with her. She needed Mandelyn, Tox, Sivad. Someone to talk to her, to ask questions and get answers. Luka's mind was far to unstable to be asking any questions from him. "I have to go soon Luka...Linares will be worried, and Janier may want to kill me for coming here alone without his protection." The words she had just spoken were painful and forced from her mouth.

He felt like he had found where he belonged. He knew know that this was where he was supposed to be, the memories he had just experienced had proven that much. He felt like curling up into a ball and just remaining with her, but he knew he had work to do, and he knew she needed to get going, else there might be more people looking into his presence here, and not just the man from the last night whom he discovered was Janier. He composed himself and regained control. He stood up and pulled Aubresiah to her feet, and cupped her face in his hands. "I promise, I will do everything I can to remember who I am, for I know now where I am supposed to be, and that is here, with you." He leaned in, not wanting to scare her and pressed his lips softly and gently to hers, fighting back the pain of the memories it threatened to surface. "Wait for me please, Aubresiah."

As he looked in her eyes he realised why the ring was sapphire. Her eyes were just as deep blue as the gem in the beautifully thought out ring.She opened her wings and wrapped them around him, closing her eyes she placed her arms around his neck holding onto him tight. 'Don't strain yourself. It will make it hurt a lot worse and you could end up going insane. " she whispered in his ear. The feathers were soft, gentle on his skin. She kissed him softly back wanting more, wanting to scream and cry. She felt horrible. Lex was nice to her, a good man, and here she was right back where she started the pain she had felt for six years. She pulled herself away with a large ammount of effort. "I'll be back." she said softly to him as she extended her wings taking off before she had no right mind to do so. The wind whipped Luka's face from her strong powerful take off.
She gasped in air and cried her eyes out on the way to Sati. She cried for Luka's pain, she cried for Lex, she cried for herself, in happiness she cried for Luka's return. Landing at the entrance to the castle she knocked. Realising how much of a mess she must look like with the dirt, from being on the ground, her fingernails and hands covered in dirt, to her face having tear stains upon it.

He touched her cheek with his hand, rough and calloused from endless hours working in the dark dank of the place in which he was imprisoned. "I will be here, I promise I am not going anywhere, ever again. These Ruins are my home." As she took off, he kept his eyes on her, bathed in the blue light from the castle which now shown brilliantly. He dried his face and turned towards the castle, drawing his sword he set off across the bridge, pushing the doors open so enough light could shine through he screamed through the corridors which echoed his voice magnificantly. "COME OUT, I KNOW YOU ARE HERE REVENANT." The words rebounded in all directions as he searched for the mysterious apparitions that had plagued him the other day in the throne room, he would start there, and he would have his answers. The revenant materialized in the throne room, hearing the voice and the ultimatum, and waited for him patiently, at his back were two new creatures, lithe and tall with arms and claws that glowed. Their position here could not be compromised, and if forced to, they would destroy the one who had come home.

Aubresiah just waited outside of the castle paitently, she would not just walk in. This was not her home and it was most certainly not her place to just walk in. Leaning against the door frame she looked over herself. "I look like I just rolled around in the dirt for an hour..." She muttered. Looking out at a feild she saw a large dog running up to her, when the beast got to her it knocked her off her feet pinning her down, licking her face. "You needed a hug didn't ya kid?" Desix said. When aubs realized it was him she smiled and hugged him. "I missed you." she cuddled her face into his fur. Standing up after she had her fill of cuddling Desix she smiled at him softly. Desix nuzzled her side. "Rough day?' aubs just nodded closing her eyes

"I should say it has been for her." Janier strolled out of the main gate, dressed in his heavy war armor, it was silver, but a blood red dragon was inscribed on it going around his right shoulder. "Aubresiah, may I have your counsel?" His voice was firm and hard, and there was a hint of anger in it as he glowered at her. He knew where she had been, he knew about her encounter with him, and he intended to have words with her. Linares stepped up behind her brother, a disapproving look in her eyes, but with none of her brother's anger. She was dressed similarly, in a battledress made from dragon scales. She looked beautiful, but an intimidating figure as she approached.

Aubresiah sighed and nodded "Of course you can have my counsel." Looking down at Desix she shook her head when he stepped forward. "No, stay. I'll be fine." Aubresiah really did not break her promise. She had said that she would not go during the night alone. If they could not respect that she needed to go to those graves, then that was not what she needed.She had not sought out Luka. All she sought was to pay her respects. Following Janier she kept her head held high, she had done no wrong. She had told Linares she was going to pay her respects today.
Desix just watched Aubresiah worriedly. His hackle was raised at Janier with the angry tone he used with aubs. Looking at Linares, she took a step forward, lowered his hackle, and licked her hand "good to see you again Linares" he said stepping back beside Aubresiah again. When they were starting away, Desix stepped forward to follow, until Aubresiah told him to stay. He grumbled something and sat there.

They lead her up to Janier's Chambers. Hanging on the wall were weapons of all shapes and sizes, armor ranging from heavy to light, it was a warrior's room for sure. As the door closed, Janier turned to her. "Foolish girl, what were you thinking going there alone? Are you so eager to die you would risk it?" Linares cast a cold glare at her brother and scowled. "Janier, control yourself." She said in a commanding tone, enough to make even her brother cower slightly and obey. Linares stepped forward and hugged Aubresiah. "He is only angry because he cares about you, we both do. It was everything we could do to resist sending the Sati Army after you to make sure you were safe. We know you did not intentionally seek out Luka, knowing how he fights and what he learned from his father, no doubt he would've been keeping his eyes open for people." She hugged her tighter, tears welling up in her eyes. "That must've been a rough encounter, tell us what happened dear." She sat her down on the bed, as Janier paced around the room, impatient, but now with a more level head.

Aubresiah growled low as her turned to her and said that, it didn't help that she was so close to the door. She stood taller, and looked him right in his eyes "If I wanted to die I could have stayed with Mandelyn and threw the fight to become the next leader and trainer of our genetically fucked up experiments. If I wanted to die, I would have gone at night alone. If I wanted to die, while I was at the crystal lake reflecting I would have jumped in the shadow infested water and let it be done. " Her voice was cold and sliced him down a few notches, it made him feel bad for saying it and that is what she wanted. She leaned against the wall. "I wanted to pay respects to my dead friend and my dead child. If you cannot respect that, and respect I wanted to be alone while doing so, then I do not belong here." She said directly to Janier As Linares stepped up to hug her she hugged back sighing, closing her eyes that were so heavy from crying. "I care about you both as well. I told you I was going to pay my respects and that is what I did. I din't seek him out, I didn't look for him. I smelt him. I knew he was there watching, I was aware, I was not about to go throwing myself at him for a conversation, because he is not him right now and I am aware of that fact. Im smarter than you gave me credit for five seconds ago when you were yelling. If I wasn't belive me, I would have gone to him. I wanted to. I just didn't. " She hugged Linares tighter with a sigh. "It was, but he's retriving memories now." Rubbing her temples she closed her eyes tighter. "I don't know what to even say. If i say the wrong thing, if anyone does, then his mind will be overflowed with incoming memories and it will drive him insane." She sighed "From what I have seen so far, his memory was wiped. Someone from Council, or anyone who has that power could havee done it. Im going with someone involved or like council for the simple fact he was talking about how they put him in slave labor and did not feed him or the others often. His mind is starting to become more open. He coughed up this foul smelling goo after he remembered me..and the reson i say memory wipe, is because it is causing him physical and mental pain to remember. He fell to his knees when the memories hit. " Shaking her head she sighed and showed them by touching her hands to their temples so they could see it for themselves, they saw, heard and smelt everything that went on. "It was hard to explain and I was jumbling my words...Sorry for invading your space." She looked at them with tired eyes.

Janier sat down next to her on her other side and took her hands in his. "We just want you to be careful, to make sure you are protected. You say Luka is regaining his memories, which is good, but what if he hadn't, and something happened to you, we would be forced to destroy him, an all out attack for just one man." His voice was sad at the prospect. "Before Sivad left on his final journey, he asked me to keep an eye on his son, it would kill me if we would have to destroy him, Sivad was like a brother to me, I see his son as my own nephew." Grief was evident in his voice, something that rarely ever happened and Linares nodded. "You both mean so much to us, and yes we understand, but it would've been nice to at least know where you were going, you know you can trust us, we wouldn't have tried to stop you."

Janier stood back up and started pacing around again. "I wish I could get a sample of that vile crap he vomited out, it may be able to help us in our search for answers as to who did this to him, but we must be careful and wary around him, if not it could all go to hell in a handbasket faster than a nug into a stewpot." Linares hugged Aubs tighter. "We want him back, as much as you do Aubs, so we will wait, and we will learn, and when we are sure of a course of action, we will act, and what is this about invading our space? Didn't I tell you last night you have a place here whenever you need it." She laughed and kisses Aubs on the forehead. "His return means a lot to a lot of people, and someone is going to realize that a member of the royal family of Alexandria is back, the castle is certaintly making it no easy secret to keep." She glanced out the window and looked towards Alexandria, wishing she had Sivad's strength and counsel.

Aubresiah sighed. "I am always careful Janier....I can protect myself from others quite well." her voice was soft and filled with exaughstion. Aubresiah rubbed her temples mosre tryin to get rid of her headache. "I will let you know where I am going from now on. If he had attacked me, it would have been different this time, I would not have let him get the jump on me. I would have incapacitated him, flew around in circles, covered my tracks, and come back here to talk to you about it and see what we should do." She looked up at him. "As you saw it dissapeared shortly after it left his body, so it must have been introduced to his body." She grabbed some items from her pack. A needle, and a vial of black goo, it looked thick. Filling the syringe up she stabbed it into her arm, pushing the plunger. they had seen her do it a thousand times to keep her body in check from the genetic alterings. "Now if i were to introduce, right after that shot, a counteractant to said shot I would get roughly the same reaction Luka did to memories and his mind opening." Sighing she disposed of the syringe and vial appropriately. Looking at Linares she replied "I meant invading your mind Linares. I should have asked first." Looking at Linares she closed her eyes "We can always call Sivad to us if we need help or guidance you know that. If you wanted I could call Mandelyn here." Rubbing her head more she looked up at Linares and Janier "I do need to go and think soon. If Im not in my room Im at the lake." Continuing to think she pulled the Shaodw Project file out of her bag. "Found that at the Council compound last night, picked up anything to do with shadows since so many are hanging around Alexandria. Figure you'd want to read it" She handed it to Janier "Its not pretty. I was up all night reading it for the most part. It's...aweful. It's the next abomination since the Experiment Program.

Linares stood up and walked out of the room stiffly. She did not object, but she hated it when people delved into her mind. Janier however took the documents and began to scan through them quickly, remembering everything written. When he was done, he destroyed the documents, soaking them in a flammable liquid he kept nearby and torched them into oblivion, not even ashes and burnt paper were left. He stuck his head out into the hall and called a guard, giving him orders he returned to the room and retrieved his greatsword. "Our armies are going to the council compound, and we are going to raze it to the ground. If the wrong people got their hands on that information, it could be the end of our world. If the Luka got his hands on it, we might lose him forever, it is a risk we cannot take."

Aubresiah nodded standing up as well. "I'll come with. Let me go in first. I know where I am going. I know where the files are. If anyone is inside, we can question them. Other than that we can completely destory it. I had set traps up as well on my way out to see if any one else may have come in after I left." Aubresiah shook her head and blocked herself from Linares mind, she felt aweful for dabbling in her mind. She wrote a qick appology to Linares and had someone take it to her chambers. "Janier, you have to understand, you will see things there that you will be repulsed by. You will. It is unavoidable. I want you to have as many people possible with Linares. I do not want her unprotected"

"Linares has her own guards, you can trust me on that." His eyes glowed with anger. "I was planning on simply sinking the building, but it would be better if everything inside was destroyed individually too, then we shall sink the compound deep into the earth, and it shall be sealed to prevent it's recovery." He double checked his armor and his pack. "By now the company should be formed up, I am not taking my entire battalion, that would be foolish." He turned to her, greatsword clipped onto his back as he fit the helmet snug over his face. His body entirely covered by the rare armor, he strode out the door and approached the parade ground. 120 soldiers stood in formation, seperated into their different platoons, there were about 40 for each formation. He nodded and they began marching out the gates. Janier mounted his horse, a brilliant white horse, beautiful and fierce. He rode out to the front of the marching formation and settled into place, his mind concentrating on the task to come.

Aubresiah flew low beside Janier. Silently she thought of what rooms to burn first, silently she thought of what she was about to do. Where she was going was no place she should ever be again. It was traumatic to her. It brought back to many memories of being tied down to experimental tables, the needles, the pain. It brought back memories of the torture. Memories of Auron flashed in her mind. 'He's dead now. He cannot return. You're safe' One part of her head said. The other laughed 'You aren't safe. You never are, never have been and never will be. Auron had many friends under his control. He had many more experiments. You left Carson alone with Marcusw.' The other part of her fought that 'She's not alone...She's with Tox' Aubs hands kept clenching, the evil part inside of her spoke up 'His demon is coming out more and more Aubresiah. Only a matter of time before yours does again. Only a matter of time before you kill again. Only a matter of time before it takes control.' Aubs clenched her teeth and shut both parts away in her mind. She concentrated on the task at hand. Burning it all and sealing it away so no one could ever touch it again. the star shot necklace around her neck burned against her skin. She retrived a few starshots from her pack placing them on her belt. She had Night Bane drawn.

Along the path to the compound everyone was silent. Janier occasionally looked over at Aubresiah, sensing she was thinking something too, but he had other concerns on his mind, the utter destruction of this knowledge, and hopefully the knowledge of something he could use against this blight that seemed to be coming to the world. As they arrived ahead of the company of soldiers, he dismounted and stopped, his greatsword quickly in hand. He approached the door and listened, hearing nothing but sensing something was wrong, something he could not place. He sensed many presences in there, some familiar, they were shadow guards and shadow spirits, but there were others, more powerful creatures he had not seen before. He held a hand up. "We will not enter until the rest of the company shows up, something is going on here, and I don't like it." His eyes narrowed as he looked through the slit of his helmet.

Aubresiah nodded and listened at the door, closing her eyes she felt the door, one of her warnings that someone had entered was missing. Looking at Janier she shook her head "Some one has been inside since last night. They could still be inside. I am not worried about the shadows, if need be we can always have a protection charm put over all of you by myself. " She said softly to Janier "I'll be a good girl and wait." Aubresiah did not like waiting on others orders, she had done it for to long, however her life wasn't just on the line so was Janier's, his troops. Aubresiah shook her wings and right before Janier's eyes, they turned from soft fluffy down, to razor sharp killing instruments. She had a starshot in her hand that her sword did not occupy. She did not want to ask Janier if his troops could handle the sights, let alone ask him if he could handle it. Desix trotted up behind the last man of Janier's troops.