Shadowwalker - Under Review For Now

17. Questions

After a slightly awkward moment, they continued at a hurried pace, each of them lost in thought within their individual minds. 

Raven pulled her hood up, not wanting to risk anybody recognising her. It wouldn't do for her to be seen following another the way she did. Or to be seen to often around this area... Her skin crawled at the state of the back alleys, and at some places she had to fight the urge to gag.

These streets were wretched places to be .The houses were crumbling down, with wooden panels hammered in front of broken windows, and in some cases the roofing had visibly collapsed, leaving with large, gaping holes.

The chilling wind was filled with the sickening stench of rot and decay, rats crawling over mud and rotting food and who knows what else. The air felt grimy, dusty and grim. They were forced to tie their handkerchiefs in front of their faces as to be able to breathe normally.

The place seemed abandoned, desolate- yet flashes of movement inside the buildings told her that it wasn't.

The mere thought that people could live in such poor living conditions horrified Raven, let alone the knowledge that they actually did. She had never before encountered poverty even half as bad as this. These streets sucked the life out of people, taking away every single grain of hope and dreams, leaving them as empty husks.

Suddenly, Venarius stopped- causing Raven to stumble against him. She was about to apologise, when the words died in her throat at the view in front of them.

She saw a small, misty clearing, and, behind that, the most magnificent forest she had ever seen.

The trees were thick and tall, with dark green leaves. Fireflies buzzed between the branches, and moths danced all around. Raven caught glimpses of a bat flitting above their heads, and for a moment she thought she could hear a nightingale sing it's song to the moons.

She hesitated, and looked closer at the field afore her- instantly taking a step back in shock once she has.

The ground was gleaming and sticky, a strange slime covering most of the floor, with seemingly ancient gravestones littered all about. Tenderly, she touched one of the stones, and withdrew her hand with a look of horror on her face as the green stuff tingled and some of it seeped into her skin.

"Well, we're here," Venarius murmured.

Raven sent him a puzzled look. "This? This looks like the theatre at Halloween if they tripled their already large budget, except for the forest behind the graveyard. It looks like a child's worst nightmare. And, frankly, one of mine too, to be honest. Then again, as of late, most of my dreams are nightmares, so I'm not entirely sure if that statement is quite accurate. In any case, How come I'm talking so much? What on earth did you do to me? I seem to be having trouble being quiet. Did you slip me a truth serum of some sort?" she grabbed his wrist, spreading the stuff to him before he could step away.

He let out a dry laugh, and then turned to her with a strange smile. 

"It's the slime. I didn't expect you to willingly touch it. These graves are all from Talenteds with Knowledge based Talents. You know; Seers, Truthsayers, white witches and the like. I have no idea where the slime came from, but it soaks up the magic in the air. It might actually be the physical manifestation of their Talents, mixed together with the dew... or something like that. When touched, it seeps through the skin into the blood. Besides the blabbering, it's quite harmless, and wears off after a while. And yes, as you can see, you grabbing my hand 'infected' me as well. I didn't realise you'd touch it before gripping me you know. It just kind of.... happened? I guess? I meant to milk you for information and go from there. Backtracking, how do you know my names?"

Raven froze. Her eyes flashed green as she looked into his, and she slapped her hands in front of her mouth before she could answer. She mulled his response over for several moments. "I can't lie, and once I start talking I really need to watch myself or else a word vomit will come out. But that doesn't mean I need to reveal everything, correct?"

"....That is correct," Venarius answered begrudgingly.

"Well then, let me tell you exactly how I know your names without revealing too much about myself, shall I?" she said. "Well, it's simple really. I know because you told a girl who at times calls herself Raven. Sort of."

"But... that's not really telling me anything?!" he protested.

"Ah, ah, ah! My turn. But I guess so. How did you escape?" she demanded.

"I used my powers," he responded mysteriously. He bit his lip before he could say more. She growled, and questioned: "What p-" 

Suddenly, three pale blue wisps appeared. They looked like floating balls of ice fire: blue, with white ghostly flames.

"Hurry!" they spoke, their voices high and in harmony with one another. "Danger! Hide!"

The two sprung up, shocked that the wisps would reveal themselves in such a brusque manner. "Where?" Raven asked, an icy clarity coming over her as Amber took over the effects of the truth slime. The wisps hovered in the air for several strained moments, before moving through the gravesite. As they moved forward, the fog cleared, revealing large stepping stones which were free from Truth Slime. They paused a third of the way in.

Raven shot Venarius a look. He stared at her, confused.

"Go! I wasn't aware that the slime made you stupid." 

He blushed, and then jumped onto the first stone. He then leapt onto the next one, wobbled, then found his balance. Raven followed him, not trusting the look of the murky grass. Who knows what other magical goo lay in store for her there.

As they moved inwards, the wisps also moved forwards, leading the way. Behind the two, the mist closed in on them, hiding them from sight.

They had barely entered the forest when they noticed three Enforcers and a young girl dressed in a ragged pale blue dress. She was frightfully thin, and covered with dirt and bruises. Her hair matted, and they could just hear her heart-wrenching sobs from across the graveyard.

Raven was about to jump back into the fog when Nequitios dragged her back, his hand over her mouth as to muffle any sounds she might make.

Raven could feel Amber trying to surface as they struggled to free themselves from his grip. A familiar heat started burning inside of their core, and Raven momentarily panicked. She didn't notice the tears run down her face as the three figures surrounded the small street rat. Neither she nor Nequitios was able to hear what they were saying, yet they had a front row seat for the moment one of them drew their sax knife and when, barely a heartbeat later, the fragile thing collapsed, her dress rapidly staining red.

Raven, rather uncharacteristically, sobbed, burying her head into the strange boy's chest, her heart cracking at the sight of the unknown girl's untimely demise. Venarius was unsure what to do, but then held her closer to him, and worriedly tried to soothe her. At that point she could hold Amber back no more. Red hot fire roared inside of her. The girls within a girl shuddered at the burning sensation of the sudden change, fighting the urge to scream, as black hair turned silver and violet eyes green.

Nequitios glanced down and instantly  dropped her, his expression one of utter shock.

"What are you," he whispered, his electric blue eyes struggling to comprehend stunning green.