Lu pushed Alistair off the bed with an annoyed look on her face. "Get up. It's time to leave. There's no way Lucifer doesn't know I'm here. I'm surprised he hasn't come down here and killed you himself yet. You're fortunate but I'm not waiting for him to wise up and do so, so let's go." She got out of bed and dressed herself quickly. From what she had been hearing around the palace, big things were happening today. It helped that Mali was constantly feeding her information. The child was loyal to her, no one else. "And get Malignavérunt. She will be of use to us as well. I want to beat the Morning Star to his goal." She sat down in a thick chair giving Alistair a 'go' look. She couldn't just walk out of his room. If some of the others saw her then it would mean exhausting unnecessary energy on fighting them so that she doesn't die and Lu didn't have the time to waste on such tasks. Nope. There were much more important things to be done. Ahranna stood in front of the doors leading out of the palace with her hands in her back pockets. She rocked on the balls of her feet and glanced around nervously. "So Adam, you're like ready, right? 'Cause I'm not really a fan of the whole, 'getting in trouble by the Lord of the Dark Angels' thing, and I know those people were like your friends and stuff so if you're not ready it's going to make this a lot more difficult." She absolutely did not want to come back empty - handed. That would just look terrible. They had one job. One very simple job -- collect Azazel. Adam looked at Ahranna with a little uncertainty for a moment before he put on a serious face and replied, "Honestly, I am as close to ready as I am probably going to get right now." She nodded at him once. "All right then. Time to go get Azazel. It'll be a long walk by the way. I don't have those magical teleporting powers so I have to take the stairs out of here." Ahranna pushed open the doors and headed out into the depths of Hell. She kept a firm hold on Adam's arm so that he wouldn't get snatched up by anything. The stairs weren't too far, but when monsters were always trying to fight you on your way to them, it became a hassle. Not today though. Everything was strangely motionless. "Okay, so these stairs are kind of like that whole portaling power Dark Angels have in the sense that you gotta know your destination, so just leave it to me, okay?" She smiled at him eagerly as they came to a stop at the base of the stairs. They were earthen with no railings and seemed to go on forever. The steps seemed as if they disappeared into the rust colored clouds above them, though there was no sky. There was never a sky in Hell. Ahranna slid her hand down from his arm to lock with Adam's fingers. She heaved a deep breath and started to ascend the winding staircase. "You should be fine as long as you don't look down. Most monsters can't safely make it up these stairs which is why the humans don't have more of a demon problem on a day - to - day basis. It's usually the more humanoid ones and dexterous ones that make it to the surface."
[/url]❥ Everyone walked in silence -- careful and quiet. This garden gave her the creeps. Marina was not sure how much longer she could stand being in this place, but they did not have much of a choice at this point. Everyone had agreed that going forward was their only option if they wanted to get to the linguistics city of Twercania. No one that lived within the walls of this maze were willing to help them which was not much of a surprise. If the 'Lady of the land' did not want to help them, then her subjects would be less than willing as well. Believing otherwise was pointless. She was pretty sure they would never find their way through this. The outlook did not seem good and weird things were happening. Not only was it dangerous to get too close to the walls of the maze, but she was starting to feel dizzy and was pretty sure that one of the times she fell forward was brought on by a vine purposely tripping her. That was just rude and uncalled for. Marina got to her feet and brushed herself off. She clutched the book tighter against her body, afraid something might happen to it. It was a magical golden book that literally wrote itself. Losing it was not an option. Tch. Fucking maze. Things grew darker as a wall toward in front of them and the scent of flowers became so overwhelming she thought her nose might explode. Marina stumbled forward into Johnis when a root wrapped around her ankle. She kicked at it repeatedly until it let go with a few promising threats about cutting it off and burning it. Leaves and flora and bramble parted in front of them until light peeked through and it arched upwards. A decorative cottage that looked as if it was made out of living trees and foliage stood proudly in a clearing. A small rock garden encircled it and patches of wildflowers popped up in every direction. Laying flat on her back, surrounded by honeysuckle, was the pearly - horned woman that greeted them in the entrance to the maze. She did not look in their direction, but seemed to know of their arrival anyway. ⦇ It would seem you have all made it here well intact. That is most unfortunate news. ⦈ The honeysuckle surrounding the Valen curled in on itself and morphed into those really ugly Dendrobium Orchids. ⦇ We did what you said, ⦈ Marina snapped in annoyance. ⦇ So will you just get up and take us, please? ⦈ She put every ounce of desire into that word and already loathed herself for doing so. There was a moment of silence before the woman sighed heavily and rose to her feet. ⦇ Fine, ⦈ she said flatly, ⦇ Let's go. ⦈ At least they were finally getting somewhere.♕ XX XX XX
❖ MAP ❖ OOC ❖ WEARING ❖ ❖ DAY ⟡ 71 ⦙ 4/4 ❖ DATE ⟡ Monday ⦙ December 02, 2013 ❖ ❖ LOCATION ⟡ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [Church] ❖ INTERACTION ⟡ Richard & Co. ❖ She sat there in the pew with her head lowered. There was a lot to process and not much time left; not much time at all. The had less than three weeks to go. Three weeks and this would all be over for either the better or the worse. They had to succeed, somehow. ❝ Morning. ❞ She looked up to see Richard walk in. Hana forced a smile on her face. ❝ Morning, ❞ she greeted solemnly. ❝ I take it you didn't have that great of a night's rest? ❞ ❝ You could say that, ❞ she sighed. He looked to the door and her eyes followed. The scratching continued on the roof. ❝ So, what's out there? ❞ Her eyes stayed locked on the ceiling for a long moment before returning her gaze to Richard. ❝ I'm not sure, but it's not good. ❞ Footsteps sounded and the others started to file in. First was Will, whom she met very briefly on the Falkland Islands. He greeted them and she returned it with a smile. He was followed by some boy she didn't recognize, obviously one of the new recruits. Then Sam. Then Sal with two other new faces. There were so many new faces and one she couldn't bear to look at. Leon walked in with the others and a new found sense of despair washed over her. Ariel lost Uriel, again. Hana rose to her feet and pressed her lips together. Her blue eyes flicked to the statue of the Virgin Mary praying and then back to the others. ❝ Um, I know a lot of you are wondering what is going on outside and I'm not exactly sure. There was something important that I needed to share with everyone and couldn't risk doing so over the phone. My name is Hana -- Xathanael -- to those of you that do not know me. Things have been hard for everyone, I know. They have only been getting worse as time went on and will just continue to get worse. We have less than three weeks until the Winter Solstice. It's December and we're running out of time. We've lost a lot of people already which is painful and taxing, but I still believe we can do it. Right now, we have -- where's Adam? ❞ She stopped mid - sentence and looked around. There was a face missing that she had not been informed of. Joslyn didn't say anything about Adam dying. Will stepped in. ❝ ...he left with that Alistair character...whether he was kidnapped or left on his free will is unknown, but from what I heard the chances are highly in the latter's favor. ❞ Hana took a deep breath and swallowed forcefully. Of course. She nodded at the weirdly - aged boy and continued. ❝ Right then, anyway; we have an advantage. I don't know what kind of creatures are lurking about outside the walls of the church, but I do know what. Beneath us, like waaaaay down deep beneath us, rests the prison of the beast Leviathan. The Dark Angels want access to it. The monster is a guaranteed victory should they get to him. No one has ever been able to defeat Leviathan. Michael was barely able to detain him long enough for Jehoel to make the ultimate barrier around him. Unfortunately, with Jehoel's death, the prison has been weakening -- not enough to prevent Jun Tae from dying, but a great deal none the less. In time, it will fall apart completely. I have no idea how long exactly, but it will be soon. If you all feel, rather than listen, you will be able to sense it as well. This land is losing it's strength, that's why the demons outside these walls are able to make contact with the building in the first place. ❞ She stepped out of the pew and moved to the spot on the floor where the trapdoor would appear if ruins were drawn on it. ❝ We need new barriers. I can only do so much on my own. I know a lot of you are still extremely inexperienced or have yet to receive any sort of training, but I need everyone's help. We need to strengthen the barrier to buy us more time. If everyone could pair up, those that relatively know what they are doing with those that have no clue, it would help. It's easiest if you just think about something important, something worth protecting -- you would do anything and everything for that something or someone. Those thoughts are what makes the barriers the strongest. ❞ Her eyes went from face to face and she nodded. Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes. ❝ Repeat after me while thinking those thoughts. Pater, da mihi, qui conantur, ut spiritus et tutela contra me. Ut tegere sim defensus est.1 ❞ She just needed to have faith. They could do this. There was a possibility they could still win. Hana repeated it over and over again. She could feel Luria burning against her calve. It was working. The barrier was only a temporary fix, but it would help. 1Father, give me spirit and protection against those that try to hurt me. Shield me so that I may shield others.
DAY 71 Monday, December 02, 2013 ❖ MAP ❖ OOC ❖ WEARING ❖ ❖ DAY ⟡ 71 ⦙ 1/4 ❖ DATE ⟡ Monday ⦙ December 02, 2013 ❖ ❖ LOCATION ⟡ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [Abbey/Church] ❖ INTERACTION ⟡ ✖ ❖ Sam hadn't come back after going to eat. He must have found somewhere else to sleep. It left her feeling a little empty inside. Hana was forced up all night. Even with how exhausted she was, sleep did not come easy to those that were constantly on high alert. She hadn't been wrong about everyone's arrival drawing attention. There were scratching noises at the window. Every time she thought it possible to rose off, the scratches would have her up again. Between that and tending to a newborn on her own, she was significantly more exhausted come morning. Hana almost fell over as she pulled herself out of bed. Her blue eyes landed on Reuben and already he looked bigger. She was going to miss out on the entirety of his youth. All these years without ever bringing forth a child and now of all times had to be when he was born. She had never experienced the full growth of a Nephilim, only heard about it second hand. This was different. He was hers and she was going to miss it. It had already been discussed with Sister Marie about his living arrangements. The nuns would raise the boy. They would raise her boy. Her boy that Samuel, the man who asked her to marry him, didn't want anything to do with. It was just too much. She bent over to give him a kiss and stroke his soft reddish - brown hair. He probably wouldn't even recognize her the next time they met, if they met again. That was what hurt the most. If she didn't make it back for him, then she really was a failure. Hana changed into fresh clothes, her blue eyes never leaving her son's sleeping face. She pulled her unruly red locks back into a ponytail and heaved a heavy sigh. She had to stay composed and continue to keep this from the others. It had been a mistake sharing the news with Sam. She knew it would be, but some small part of her wished to be human for once and live like a happy human family. The idea of that was severely flawed. She could never be human and those sorts of ideals would never be possible for angels, let alone fallen angels. She rubbed her tired eyes and exited the room, shutting the door behind her softly. It was time to meet the new recruits and prepare for what was about to come. Thanks to Raziel, the Dark Angels knew of the location to Leviathan's tomb. As she walked the halls, Hana could hear the ominous noises coming from outside. The abbey was small and without the right forms of protection, would not last long. She did what she could, but she was tired and worn out. Not to mention, only one person. They had a whole group now. Together they could do a much better job at protecting the place. Still, nothing would stop the Dark Angels now that they knew. She followed the hall until she reached the short tunnel that connected the abbey basement to the basements of the church. Through it, she made her way to the sanctuary. There was no turning back now. Sam was scared. Her baby was alone. She needed to do something to help the others she had abandoned on Falkland Islands.
❖ MAP ❖ OOC ❖ WEARING ❖ ❖ DAY ⟡ 70 ⦙ 4/4 ❖ DATE ⟡ Sunday ⦙ December 01, 2013 ❖ ❖ LOCATION ⟡ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [Abbey] ❖ INTERACTION ⟡ ✖ ❖ Her hand ran lightly over Reuben's sleeping face. He was perfect. He was a perfect little boy. She breathed in deeply and there was a flutter in her chest. They were here. She was already out of time with her perfect little baby boy. A tear ran down Hana's cheek and she pressed her lips together, breathing heavily. She had to say good bye to him already. It hurt. There was an ache in her chest and she sat upright, sliding her legs off of the bed. Her lips pressed lightly against his forehead. He was wrapped up into a small thin blanket with reddish - brown hair peaking out the top. Hana licked her lips and walked tiredly out of the room. Her hair was a mess and one of the nuns approached her from the side hall, coming to Hana's assistance. ❝ Senhorita Angel, há pessoas na porta.1 ❞ She nodded. They were here. She knew that. A strong part of her didn't want to leave Reuben alone in the room. ❝ Será que você poderia fazer algumas camas para eles hoje à noite?2 ❞ There was a smile from the nun before she disappeared back down the hall. There weren't many rooms in the abbey, but there were plenty of beds. With everyone here, there was no doubt that tomorrow would be trouble. Someone had been watching the church, and now the whole group was here. It was like a danger magnet. Hana made her way to the entrance with a smile on her face to see everyone. It felt like an eternity had passed. She didn't want to keep leaving everyone like this. Each time it felt more and more tiresome. Hana had never really felt loneliness until a couple of months ago -- true loneliness. It was because of these people. She opened to door to the abbey with Sister Marie at her side before a knock could sound. Front and center was Sal. Her smile widened and she ran her fingers through her messy red hair. ❝ Hi Sal. ❞ ❝ Why hello Hana. A pleasure to see you once again. ❞ She stepped out of the way and opened up the entrance for everyone to come in. ❝ It is a pleasure. Everyone come in. The Sisters are making up beds and there is food in the dining room. ❞ Hana moved and leaned against the wall. Sam made his way up to the red - haired girl standing against the wall. ❝ Hey. It's been a while. ❞ She smiled up at him and tucked a lock behind her ear. ❝ Hey. There's something I want to show you. ❞ This was a bad idea, but everyone was staying here for the night. There was no way to hide it. He should know, but it could make him angrier. This was ... this was difficult. Hana grabbed him by the hand and lead him down the hall. ❝ Huh? Hey, whoa, slow down! ❞ He managed as she pulled on his arm. Hana stopped in front of the door and turned back to him. ❝ This is - I've been keeping something from you and it's really a big deal. Samuel, ❞ she inhaled sharply, ❝ there's someone I want you to meet. ❞ She pushed the door open behind her and stepped into the room. There was a murmur from the bundle on the bed. ❝ Sam this is Reuben. ❞ Hana moved to the bed and carefully lifted up the bundle into her arms. ❝ Reuben. Holt. Riveria. ❞ 1Miss Angel, there are people at the door. 2Will you please make up some beds for them tonight?
@Skyheart Spoiler: Preview Code: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Dyq8HhX.png[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Dyq8HhX.png[/IMG]
Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes it was great. Had an awesome skype call, all things considered fucking crap leeched internet and I did in fact have margaritas so whoop ~ tequila. ;]
[color=crimson][size=12px]Thanks.[/size][/color]
... Thanks Jake
Craig, you clearly don't know me well enough because tequila comes before everything, but thanks guys. I snorted pretty loud at that spoiler TB.
[/url]❥ Marina stood around watching the others with a bored expression on her face. What was the likelihood of them actually reaching this Twercania place? The odds seemed even more slim with the whole hedge maze surrounding it. That was dumb. It was mildly embarrassing making a gameboard based off of a labyrinth and then they come to someone's kingdom that is entirely made up of one. Tch. It was a mockery. At least this 'Akantha' person did not show up to join her game. That would have been the end of her had this other woman known. Her manicured fingernails rapped lightly on the hard golden cover of the book. Marina had decided to dispose of her game plans given the fact that there was clearly not going to be a gameboard today, if ever. The only item left on her from before entering the Hall of Games was the letter tucked inside of her dress. Her blue eyes rolled. They were wasting their time sending messages to the 'Lady' of the land. She had looked pretty pissed upon departure and clearly had no intentions of helping them. She watched the doll - bear - thing be commanded by the quiet girl. Marina did not find it terrifying by the sleepy girl Morji, but it was creepy. She heaved a heavy sigh and walked forward. Morgiana was whispering something to Asterion, but she did not care to stop and listen. Marina marched on until she was standing directly under the archway. Another step forward and she would be inside of the maze. It would be reckless to walk in unprepared, she learned that much during Days. They needed a plan for everything, but this Akantha did not seem to be interested in their patronizing. ⦇ What is the point of patronizing the woman? She made it pretty clear that she was not going to help us and I do not see brown - nosing as anything but anno -- ⦈ Marina had taken a step forward while talking, but a wall of vines blocked her path. It webbed together and flower buds blossomed into a strange pattern. The rainbow flower Johnis created stood proud on the ground directly below it. Marina stumbled back and knit her brows together. The flowers formed some sort of intricate pattern and it took her mind a minute to process that it was a message. She bit down on her bottom lip and glanced back at the others before reading it out loud. ⦇ If you can find me at my home, I will bring you to the place of tome. ⦈♕ XX XX XX
☙ WEARING ❦ OOC ❦ INTERACTION: ❀ ❧ [/url]The sweet sounds of life within the maze came to a halt. It was all eerily quiet to those that did not live within the kingdom. The rosebuds at the entrance allowed for their Lady to see and hear everything that went on. She scowled at the image shining in her mirror and rose to her feet. The little cottage in the maze surrounded by flower beds gave birth to its Lady as she stepped outside into the fresh air. The edge walls encompassing her property separated into an archway. The land only bent at the will of its residents. What would normally take travelers hours, if not days, to go from the west entrance to her cottage, was just a matter of minutes for Akantha. she smoothed a lock of dark purple hair behind her ear and progressed onward. She doubted this group of Valen had any interest in her garden. The looks on their faces before she left the safety of her home showed one thing and one thing only -- Twercania. It was all anyone ever wanted. No one came here to enjoy her beautiful world of flora. They only ever wanted safe passage to Twercania, that god - forsaken land. Those in search of the linguistics city always got what they deserved. A nice lonesome journey through her maze until they went mad or were eaten. The residents -- mostly those with plant affinities or humanoid plant creatures -- were under strict orders to help no one without her permission. The last wall separated and arched open, revealing the woman to the group. She stepped out with a smile on her face and stood at the entrance. Akantha was always willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe someday someone would actually be coming just to take a safe walk through her glorious kingdom. Her mud - caked knee high boots dug into the grass and she made a whimpering noise. Even grass deserved respect, but since she could not fly, she was forced to walk on it anyway. ❝ Welcome travelers, ❞ she greeted as sweetly as she could, ❝ I am Akantha, Lady of this land. What brings you to Silva est Herba? ❞ ❝ Greetings, my name is Asterion and along side me are my fellow companions. We are on route to the land of Twercania and we need to cross this labyrinth to do so. ❞ Her smile fell quickly. Figures. It was no surprise. No one ever came for her plants. Twercania this, Twercania that; not today, not ever! She pursed her lips and took a step back into the maze. ❝ Unfortunately for you, that is not allowed. this labyrinth was set up to keep people from getting in and out of Twercania. No one ever comes here for my land, only safe passage to his land. Not anymore! If you want to get there, you must do so on your own. My people only guide those that come to take a leisure stroll through our kingdom, not to travel to that awful city. ❞ The wall opened up behind her. ❝ Turn back now or suffer the fate of so many before you. ❞ Akantha took a step back and it closed in front of her. Pathetic. This was a waste of a trip. Her flowers needed her. She should never have bothered coming to the entrance in the first place.
DAY 70 Sunday, December 01, 2013 ❖ MAP ❖ OOC ❖ WEARING ❖ ❖ DAY ⟡ 70 ⦙ 1/4 ❖ DATE ⟡ Sunday ⦙ December 01, 2013 ❖ ❖ LOCATION ⟡ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [Abbey] ❖ INTERACTION ⟡ ✖ ❖ It was exhausting -- long and exhausting -- but if it was worth every minute of it. If it wasn't for her being who she was, the body would not have been able to handle it. The whole thing had already almost been too much. It helped that all the available nuns in the abbey stood over her with prayers. She felt invigorated by the prayers, like Father's will was soully keeping her going. It was good. She sat upright on the bed, exhausted and covered in sweat. Her back pressed against the wall and stringy, damp, red hair fell in her face. Hana stroked the baby's face, her blue eyes never leaving the sight of him. He was beautiful. He was beautiful and she would have to say good-bye. Her heart ached at the thought. They would have little time together before she had to leave him. He was safest here in the care of the Sisters. They understood what was so special about him. The blessings, along with Xathanael's powers, would keep the abbey secure. So long as he didn't go outside he would be fine. ❝ Já o nomeou?2 ❞ She looked up to see Sister Marie standing over her. Hana smiled softly and stroked his hair. She nodded once and placed a small kiss on his forehead. ❝ Reuben, ❞ she whispered. ❝ Reuben Holt Riviera. Ele vai ser forte, como seu pai.2 ❞ There was a pat on her shoulder then Sister Marie turned to leave her alone in the room, with the door shut. 1"Have you named him yet?" 2"He'll be strong like his father."
[/url]❥ They had been pointlessly looking in this crap - tastic library for some way to translate this flashy, shiny, golden book. They were not getting anywhere. The people of Fairwyn did not care about education. Back at Brookridge, they had the most excellent of libraries in the school. She had never seen one nearly as nice until the Hall of Games. It actually looked a lot like it. The library made her wonder if that was the inspiration for the one in Days. It did not matter, but the thought still crossed her mind. They were all becoming demotivated by this endeavor. That was until Annalynne mumbled something about a linguistics region. She could not clearly make it out. Marina reached just below the neckline of her dress with pointer and middle fingers, feeling the letter tucked safely within. She blew out a deep breath after and sat down. ⦇ Do you think we'll be able to leave Fairwyn, though? ⦈ Marina looked up to see it was that sleepy Morji girl with the ever - changing eyes. She tried not to sound shaky and Marina could not help but be reminded of those cheap mood rings that always changed colors depending on your mood. In reality, it depended on warmth. If it was cold, the ring usually stayed blue, black, or purple. If it was warm, then a yellow or greenish color usually dominated the rings. Those that believed in mood rings were dumb, so what was up with Morji's eyes -- did they really change with her mood? ⦇ We would have to take the book, too . . . The others would come with us? ⦈ No. She did not want more incompetent fools joining them. They others that stayed behind at the bar should be at the bar. Their purpose was best served there. They would be out of the way and it was not like the others had anything good to contribute. They were a bunch of clueless wastes of time -- aside from Crestatia. Even the ones present seemed like a bother, but at least they had taken some sort of initiative to figure things out. ⦇ We should not bring along the others. They will just slow us down. ⦈ she said flatly. ⦇ Mimi-mistress, in her travels, recalls the realm Twercania as a center for studies, of the linguistic kind. ⦈ She looked at the bear and then up to the little girl. ⦇ I, Gotterdammerung, am in agreement, from my limited, memory. It is possible that information on the book that the Deviant Demoness had uncovered may be found in the realm my Mimi-mistress, had previously, mentioned, however, it is to be warned that the immortal in control of that particular territory is someone my Mimi-mistress, considers very inappropriate. ⦈ Her brows furrowed together and she nodded at the others. ⦇ We should go. ⦈ Marina got to her feet, gathered up her things, and headed out the door of the library.♕ XX XX XX
⦇WEARING ❦ OOC ❦ CLASS: ✱⦈ ⦇INTERACTION: ✱❦ DAY: Thursday Night / Friday Morning ❦ MOOD: Indifferent⦈ I carried my tray over to one of the tables and sat down beside Lilliana. My blue eyes flashed between the three at the table and he gave them all a slight nod while mumbling, ⦇ Merry meet. ⦈ My fork dug into the bowl of salad on his tray. I refrained from eating meat of any kind. It went against my beliefs. All animals are sacred, some more than others. To honor these animals, I choose not to eat them. The change will be an adjustment, going from not eating animals to drinking human blood. There is nothing wrong with others eating them, I just choose not to. I like it this way. The carrots in my salad crunch in my mouth. My gaze occasionally flicks from face to face, listening quietly. There was a mewing at my feet and I looked down to see Chilam looking at me. My back pressed against the booth, making room, and the small orange tabby hopped into my lap. Stroking the cat once, I returned to eating and watching -- eating and watching, eating and watching. A forkful of spinach was shoved in my mouth and I looked up at the others blankly.
❖ MAP ❖ OOC ❖ WEARING ❖ ❖ DAY ⟡ 69 ⦙ 1/4 ❖ DATE ⟡ Saturday ⦙ November 30, 2013 ❖ ❖ LOCATION ⟡ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [Underground] ❖ INTERACTION ⟡ ✖ ❖ It's like coming up for air after being submerged underwater for too long. The sensation leaves you gasping for breaths and the light burns your eyes. Everything is blurry and your feet drag. The time warp bubbles you in. You never know when you will actually break the surface. The stairs seem to ascend for centuries, just like that struggle to reach the top surf. You wonder when you'll be free; afraid that you won't make it in time. When you do, it's a rush. Hands pressed flat against the splintered wooden surface of the trapdoor. She pushed up and a combination of dust and dirt rained down on her head. Light filtered in from the stained glass windows and she blinked, adjusting to the unusual brightness. Fresh air was welcoming and a shadowy figure blocked out the immediate sunlight coming from the window across the room. Hana looked up to see Sister Marie standing over her. The woman knelt down with a hand extended to pull her out. She smiled up at the woman graciously and allowed herself to be eased out of the tunnel. ❝ Obrigado, freira Marie.1 ❞ The woman smiled back with her constant flow of kindness. Hana had only met Sister Marie one other time prior to entering the tunnel and it was many years ago. The old woman had the memory of an elephant and wrinkles to match. Her pale blue eyes were glossy with old age and laugh lines parenthesized her mouth. Her sunken eyes watched Hana with a mixture of relief and concern. Hana dusted herself off and sat down in the front pew with one hand over her abdomen. The Sister shut the trap door and the runes began to fade away. The outline and handle disappeared with them. ❝ O homem que partiu com o que aconteceu com ele?2 ❞ Her brows pinched together and she sighed. Hana bowed her head in the pew and dirty red hair fell in her face. ❝ Infelizmente, Raziel não fazê-lo.3 ❞ The nun shook her head and said a quick prayer for the lost angel. None of this came to her as a shock. Hana had been here enough times with Jehoel that the Sisters began to pass stories down in order to keep all new members informed. Hana never had to explain who or what she was. They just knew. It was convenient and refreshing for someone outside of the Fallen to know the truth. Sister Marie knelt in front of Hana with one hand on her knee. The red - head lifted her chin to get a better look at the nun. Their blue eyes met and she could tell that bad news awaited her. How long had she stayed down there? ❝ Algo escuro foi circulando a igreja por muitos dias. Temo por você Angel.4 ❞ Hana nodded her head. She knew something like this would happen. They had led Lucifer's army directly to the entrance of Leviathan's prison. They couldn't reach it because of the church, but that wouldn't stop them for long, especially if she was to walk out that front door and die. She was stuck. At this rate, it might have been better to just return underground. She would be safest there, but who knows how many more days would go by before she resurfaced. Hana frowned and pulled out the phone Jun Tae had given her upon arriving in Brazil. Her thumbnails scratched at the back of the phone over and over again. She should make a call. The others needed to know she was okay. Plus, she was curious as to what has happened on their end. There was also the whole Jun Tae thing. That wouldn't go over well. She held up a finger to the nun who nodded and walked to the other side of the sanctuary. The woman busied herself, straightening up the room. Hana flipped the phone over and tapped the screen. It lit up brightly and she fiddled around searching for the contacts. These 'smartphones' were really complicated. Hana had purposefully never used one before and Jun Tae's was even more technologically advanced and confusing. Finding Joslyn's name, she pressed the green phone symbol and it started to ring. ❝ Joslyn? Hello, it's Hana. ❞ ❝ Hana! Oh my goodness, how are you? It's been a long while since you left. What's been happening with you? ❞ She answered, barely containing her excitement and relief that she was alive and well. ❝ I'm fine Jos, just tired. There hasn't been a lot going on here. I've been underground with Jun Tae for days. I just resurfaced a few minutes ago. ❞ Her voice was solemn and laced with tiredness. Other than Hay Sun, Joslyn would most likely take Jun Tae's death the hardest. ❝ O-Oh... Right... Umm. ❞ The girl's voice changed tone as she continued to speak. ❝ Well, the thing is... Hay Sun is... No longer with us. ❞ She sat there in silence at Joslyn's words. Her fingers tightened around the phone and sadness filled her chest. Not only had Jun Tae passed, but Hay Sun had as well. That was a cruel, cruel fate. ❝ Oh ... Joslyn, ❞ She pressed her lips together and breathed out in an exasperated sigh, ❝ Neither is Jun Tae. I'm sorry Joslyn. I know you had grown especially close to him. ❞ ❝ I... I see... ❞ The girl started to sniffle after hearing that. ❝ S-so then... they both... ❞ Her voice was shaking as she continued to speak, ❝ Well, at least... At least you're still safe. What happened over there? ❞ She shook her head. Now wasn't the time. ❝ Not a lot. I can't tell you over the phone Jos. I'm in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. As soon as you all can come get me, I can tell you then. Are ... are things going okay for you? ❞ ❝ Things are getting better. We're in Bolivia right now, in Trinidad, and we managed to recruit three more people into the group. ❞ The teenager said between sniffles, ❝ As soon as we find and recruit the angel here, we're going to come and get you, alright? ❞ ❝ Good, good. I'm glad you're all doing -- ❞ she groaned and cringed in pain. It hurt. Her blue eyes fell downwards. Hana took a deep breath. ❝ I'm glad you're all doing all right. ❞ ❝ O bebê, é hora?5 ❞ Hana bit her lip in pain. She wanted to chalk it up to cramps, but given the situation, that did not seem likely. Being in the prison messed with the length of a Nephilim pregnancy. It was coming. ❝ Freira, devemos chegar à abadia e rapidamente. I'm sorry, Joslyn. I have to go. Tell everyone hi for me. I'll see you soon.6 ❞ She hung up the phone without waiting for a reply and Sister Marie helped her to her feet. 1Thank you, Sister Marie. 2What happened to the man you left with? 3Unfortunately, Raziel didn't make it. 4Something Dark has been circling the church for many days now. I fear for you Angel. 5The baby, is it time? 6Sister, we must get to the abbey and quickly.
OKaaaaaaaaaaaay, since your image had two versions of the same person in it, I decided to make two versions of the banner. You can choose which one you prefer or use both. Up to you ~ Spoiler: Numer Eins Code: [IMGL]http://i.imgur.com/dXSVk9F.png[/IMGL] Spoiler: Numer Zwei Code: [IMGR]http://i.imgur.com/C8w1Zl4.png[/IMGR]
[IMGL]http://i.imgur.com/dXSVk9F.png[/IMGL]
[IMGR]http://i.imgur.com/C8w1Zl4.png[/IMGR]
__// Casually throws hat back in the ringer
