The Vagabond

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"Lily." A hand shook her shoulder. "Lily" The voice and hand shook her harder. "Damn it Lily, Wake Up!"

Lily slowly groaned and rolled over. As she did she mumbled "Go away Ann, I don't want to go to school..."

"LILY! WAKE UP NOW! We arn't going to school, we're going to get killed!"

Lily eye's poped open when that sentence registered and she quickly scanned what she could see of the area. She slowed her breathing down and listend, her body going into instant Battle Mode. Slowly her mind recovered her memory, the events of the previous night, or what she assumed had been only one night. As she remembered the encounter with the Great Mother she noticed a rock digging into the side of her cheek, and her right hand felt odd, like it had been burned.

She finaly recognized Jane's insistant voice, never cecesing in her wild babble. She whispered "Jane, calm down, what is it? Whats going on?" Jane didn't hear her. Lily spoke again, slightly louder. Jane looked down at her and whispered "Attack by the Light Demons. Their the visious sort, remember them? From the battle of Angelo Faltz. I think its the same group, but no matter, the point is their hungry, and we must look pretty tasty."

Lily let out a sigh, and for some reason she didn't feel afraid. This time when she spoke she didn't bother lowering her voice. "Okay then. Come on and lets kick some Demon butt and banish the bastards back their home plane." She rolled over and slowly got up, as if she had not a care in the world. She looked around for her short sword and her quiver and bow. She found neither. Oh well, iIve been against worst odds. I'll just be quick about this and I wont have to worry about them for a thousand years. This odd thought slightly startled her. A Thousand Years! Whoa. Okay where did that come from. I'm not going to be alive then. Okay, creepyness. I wonder what that Mother actually did to me. She brushed her tunic off and glanced down at her nails. Thats when she noticed the mark burned into her right hand. It was an odd symbol, looked to be in an ancient language. She dismissed the mark and started taping into the local node. Searching for the raw power she could feed through her focus stone. Her favorite stone, Onyx, was her focus, she had a giant one inch piece of it hanging around her neck on a silver cord. As she fed the raw power through the stone it was amplified and changed into her own colors, a blue copper.

The power slowly built up inside her, then when her vessal was full, it formed a mist around her, whirling slowly, but picking up speed as she fed it. Faster and faster it went, until it was vortex, with Lily in the center. If she had been aware of it, she would have been amazed at the amount of power she was handaling. Never before had she controlled so much. To an outsider's eye, she looked very strang, with the mists twirling around her, flapping her skirts, plastering her tunic to her, her hair whipping wildly behind her. The mark on her hand glowing brightly.

When she decided she had enough power, she opened her eyes and glanced around. She met Jane's eyes for a second, suprised at the expression in the other girl's eyes. Was that fear she saw? She would consider it later. For now she had to deal with the Light Demons. She lowered her shields, normaly a very dangerous move, but with the mists she was safe. She sensed the area, and found Jane with her mind, she shielded the girl from harm. Next she sought any other innocents, and found none. Now finialy assured that no one would get hurt, she searched for the Demons.

Light Demons were born in the dark of night, born of the blood of the animal and the light of the stars. They fed on souls; the weaker of the two types killing their victims before devouring the soul, the stronger of the two leaving the victim alive. Leaving a burned out husk to wander around the land until it died. And possibly gave birth to new Demons.

The only way to kill a Light Demon, is to fill it with pure light or energy. While possible to wound a Light Demon with swords and arrows, mortal tools can not kill it. Very few have the ability to kill the demons, most of them being Clerics. Until now. Until Lily.

Lily found the Demons, behind a stand of trees to her left. They were planning ambush on the two girls, so they did not notice the change in Lily. Lily slowly crouched down, and like an animal, moved towards the grove. She move as silently as she could, until she reached the outer edge; she stood up and walked bodly into the grove, in plain sight. She could hear Jane gasp in horror at what she was doing; she was confidant in the out come of this battle.

"Well. What have we here?" With a mocking bow Lily bowed to the brightest and most powerful demon. "Sir Kamoche, I am Lily, I believe we have met before. If you remember, a few months ago at Angelo Faltz."

Clearly off gaurd and uncertain by this mysterious young human, the demon muttered something unintelligable. "What was that, sir? I'm afraid you will have to speak up" Lily insisted. The demon must of decided he didn't care about conversation, for he rushed at her, trying to knock her down. Lily simply shook her head, and held her arm out, finger out streatched. Power flowed out of her fingers, the mists breaking down, and straight into the Demons. All were shot with the power. They let out a final Demonic wail before disolving into dust, and falling gently to the ground.

Lily beat her hand against her leg, trying to stop the tingling. She laughed and said to Jane "Come on out now, its okay, their all gone. Lets go eat, I feel like I could eat a pegassas."

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked, half afraid of the answer, half intrigued.

George sighed and leaned against a tree. He thought for a few moments before slowly stating "I'm going to take you to my camp. And your going to heal my friend."

"And after that?"

"Well I can't let you go, so I guess you'll just have to stay." He pulled out a piece of dried meat and offered half. She refused.

"what's wrong with your friend? Who is he? Better yet, who are you?" Alina's questions all came out in a rush and confused him slightly. After a long pause he slowly started answering in a very confused and mangled speech.

"My friend was hit with an arrow in the chest and simitaniously hit with a mind blast. It was made all the worse because both hit their marks. Even though neither were meant to kill, together we fear for the worst. Its been 5 days, and he has yet to wake. As for who we are, you don't want to know." He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword for a second before pulling out. It was a magnificent piece or work, and no one else could have done a better job. Jane's work was perfect, the blade could cut through anything and the magic embedded in it kept it sharp. The surface of the blade danced with runes and spells, shimmer and impossible to focus on. He pulled the sword out and used it to help him stand. Once standing he held his hand out to Alina.

She tilted her nose up at the hand and scrambled to her feet by her self. She looked George up and down, and carefully laid a hand on his. She closed her eyes and casually started chanting a melody. George recognized it for what it was, healing, but he had to fight himself from pulling away. He also had to fight himself to keep from touching her long black hair. Finally the chant came to an end and she sighed and pulled away from him. He looked down at her in a most puzzling fashion.

"Well, Where are we headed?" Alina demanded the answer more then asked; George assumed she didn't want to feel like the prisoner she was.

George practically grunted the words "Follow me." Before striding off into the woods once more, she had to run to keep up with his fast pace. But luckily for her she was up to the challenge.

***

Come ON! Damn it! Lily was on her wits end by this time. Jason had woken up earlier that day, but only long enough to reach for a dagger and attempt to begin the death ritual. She didn't know what to do anymore. It all depended on the Healer that George was supposed to fetch. She slowly rose from her seat and started gathering the logs again, and arranging them for the fire. Her teacher, Master Chi, refused to communicate with her until she contacted him via a magic-created-fire. To say the least, she was having problems with the fire.

She stood over the logs and glared at them, and to her dismay they didn't catch fire, they melted. "SHIT!! Why does this have to happen to me!!" She finally just made a fire using the traditional methods of Flint and steel. Deciding to try the magic fire later. As she relaxed and stared into the hypnotic rhythm of the fire, she didn't notice the creature walking to her.

My child, Why so angry? The voice boomed soundlessly in her head. The voice nearly overpowered her, her head was filled with, it sounded as if a thousand whisles were being blown in her head, while making distinct words. She fought with all her might to keep from fainting, and she struggled to raise her head. She desperately wanted to see who the creature was when the voice boomed again No my child. You must not look upon me until you are strong. You are weak, for all that you pretend otherwise. Heed my words child. You Must Strengthen Yourself. You Must. For only when you do can you fight the evil of this world. Lily gave up trying to look at the creature, still wondering what it was, though. She slowly spoke "Yes, but I would ask, who you are. And why you have chosen me to hear your message."

FOOl! Do you not know? You are gifted with the most powerful Gift this world has ever seen, yet you NEGLECT it! You and your companions must learn to master all of your powers. You must unite them together. For only when you have done so will you win. But for now, dear child, know this. You have three tasks to complete. You must learn love and trust. You must learn your gift. And you must go to Island of Gods.

"THE ISLAND OF GODS?" Unable to comprehend how to get there she started to weep. Her despair was complete, for the three tasks set before her were impossible. "I can't do that! I'm a mere mortal! Please NO! This is almost as bad as saying I must fight and defeat a God. Please No!" Her cries of anguish were ripped from her throat, her wails rising in the night to the stars. Any one that would have heard those cries would have been driven to their knees.

The Creature looked down upon Lily, precisely so, child. You will defeat a God. But not for a while yet. Until then child, know that if your need is great, and your purpose pure, just call for me, and I shall come. The creature started to dissipate. But before it was gone totally, Lily asked one last question. "Who are you?"

The last words Lily heard before she blacked out were simple. The Mother of all Gods.

He walked as silently as he could through the wood, and he came upon the House of Healing run by Alina. He crouched down at the edge of the woods, blending in almost perfectly with his clothing died green. He surveyed the house, it was made out of cheap stone with a thin layer of marble overlaid until the second floor, and then whitewashed pine for the second. The ceiling had one of the new flame-resistant shale roofs. well there goes that idea, I can't burn them out, but maybe I can snag her when she goes into the garden.

Startling him, a girl in light green, the color of full healers, walked out of the House. She was about 5'4'' and wasn't what one would typically call beautiful, but she was by no means ugly. Just awkward, with a chin a bit to square, eyes a bit to far apart, and a nose a bit to narrow. But she seemed to shine with an inner light that made all the nuisances in her looks become trivial. She grabbed a basket from the pile and yelled back into the house "Jorjina! Come on stop teasing me! It wasn't that big a deal." She didn't wait to hear the retort before running to the garden. Unfortunately Jorjina yelled back, loud enough that she could hear, "ALINA! I TOLD YOU HE LIKED YOU! WHAT COULD PROFESS HIS LOVE BETTER THEN A COW!" The girl, who was now understood by George to be Alina just shook her head and went back to her weeding.

No way, there is no way! That can be Alina.. George stared in disbelief at the girl who couldn't be more then 18 years old. He was astounded, and sat watching her for several minutes. Finally he gave himself a mental kick and got back to the purpose at hand. He had to kidnap Alina. George studied Alina for a little longer before coming up with a plan. Slowly he walked back to the woods and circled to the other side of the House. Once there he continued to watch, studying her, trying to figure out if she had any weapons under her robes. He adventured convinced himself there were none serious, and that once he had her, away from the House, he could convince her to come willingly. Her weeding was a steady rhythm, a rhythm of bending and straightening. He soon started to be able to predict her movements, and just as she was half way through a row of herbs, she bent. He ran. And he grabbed her by the waist, and with a calculated movement threw her over his shoulder, belly down, with out ever slowing. His momentum carried them into the woods. Her screams leaving a clear trail behind them.

Her screams weren't dyeing down, and he was quiet annoyed. He slowed from his prolonged race through the woods, and stopped by a tree, with out putting her down he wondered how he was going to keep her from running off, until he realized he could use his belt. He started unclasping his belt.

***

Oh no! He's not! Oh my this can't be happening! Alina's mind was franticly working, trying to find a way out of this impossible situtation. He could clearly catch her again if she ran, and she wasn't armed so she couldn't fight. Suddenly she felt the belt go over her feet and it was pulled tight on her ankles. well I guess I'm not running.. George slowly bent and set her down as gently as he could, before collapsing himself. He didn't realize he had that much energy.

Slowly Alina got her mind working sensibly after he set her down, wondering what was going on. She curled up into a small ball, wondering what his plans were. Was he going to Ransom her? Kill her? Something else? She had no clue and could only pray to what ever gods were listening.

With only a slight tremor to her voice, Alina started to ask the strange man "Umm, Sir?"

He looked at her with suspicion, as if wondering what she wanted. As he scowled in her direction she couldn't help to notice that his eyes seemed to be pleading her for something. What it was she didn't know. She almost felt compassion for the strange man when he ruined it by snapping "What?" rather sharply.

“Can I scream yet?”

“Don’t you think you’ve done that enough Lily?” Jane stated more then asked as she pulled the bandage tight on Lily’s shoulder. It was an awkward wound in an odd place, luckily not more then a flesh wound. But there was always the danger of infection.

“Yeah, yeah, what ever you say. I’m going to complain about this a lot you know.”

“I know, boy do I know.” Jane was currently in her dwarf form, needing to finish her Smithing before changing back. Damn, I hate being in this form. Oh well not for much longer-I hope.

Lily chose to ignore that sarcastic remark, and asked, “How’s George and Jason doing?”

“Well George is still pretty pissed, as he should be, but he’ll live. And Jason, well he’s not doing so good. Both our attacks hit their marks, and alone would have been enough to stun him, but with both at once, I don’t know how he’ll do. Hopefully he will make it. Either way we need to get him to a Healer.” Jane sighed at this last remark, knowing full well Lily would hate it and it would give up their cover. Nothing could be done otherwise though. Jason had to have a Healer, Jane had understated when she implied that he was in Critical condition. Jason is on the brink of death; only George’s minimal earth power that was now going to Jason, kept him from dying. And soon it wouldn’t be enough.

“Damn-damn-damn. What are we to do?” it took great effort for Lily to resist screaming in frustration at this moment. They had just spent months hiding and adapting themselves to this world, and now they have to blow their cover again. She didn’t know what they would do now. The reasonable thing to do would be to split up, but could they do that? Or would it just ruin them? They had come so far along by now, yet they still had far to go. George is still wrapped up in Shannon, Jane in her old Irish- Guy, who is god knows where, and who knows how far away. While Jason, he just never did seem like the same guy that he was before. Maybe it was the world change, I just don’t know. And I can’t help him any more then I have been. She gave a dispirited sigh. Not knowing what to do. As Jane finished the last knot on her bandage she leaned against her bedrolls and tried to doze.

***

George nodded as Jane finished explaining her plan. “Okay, gotcha. I can do this.” He knew he had to do it if Jason was to have any chance at living to the next week; he was wounded horribly. And George realized that he was the only one that could save him. I can do this. I know I can. I hope.

He slowly walked to the other side of the clearing and put his sword in his back sheath. He had set a very strict pattern to getting ready, and he followed it faithfully. He also double checked his boot knives, making sure they were hidden completely before rising and leaving.

As he walked through the woods his mind wandered, never fully setting on any one topic. He thought about Shannon, and he thought about his family, Jason, Lily, the entire crew, but most of all he thought about what he needed to accomplish. His goal was to get a healer. How he was to accomplish that he did not know, he figured he would use any means possible. Since the fight he had studied all the healers within a day’s march through a Scry Mirror and he thought healer Alina would be best. She was very powerful, yet a recluse with out many friends. Often she would go days at a time with out human contact. That isolation was about to end with a guy named George.

Huh? What the hell? Jane heard the ear piecing scream and dropped the sword she was working on. “What is going on!” She asked the empty air. Not understanding the source of the scream nor why. Slowly she lowered her shields and ‘looked’ around. When she found the source of the scream, now known to her as Lily’s she took off running.

As Jane ran through the brush she kept stopping to check her berrings, but she kept having to stop and back track due to blockages in her path. Finally when she tried to push her way through she got stuck. “Well damn” guess this is as good a time as ever. She imagined herself again, exactly what she wanted, and felt the change, it was excruciating, but she needed to change if she was going to help her friends, she had no choice. She felt herself shrinking, her hair becoming finer, her bones reshaping, her shoulder blades growing wings. She let nothing stop her change. At last she was changed, she was no longer a dwarf, but a graceful creature, full of beauty, a creature with out a name. She had an odd yet intriguing mix of human and Elvin characteristics, but she also had wings. She was no longer then someone’s forearm.

She was no longer tangled in the bushes, quite the opposite. She was hanging on for life. She couldn’t reach any of the other branches so she tried her wings and felt herself life up just the tiniest bit. She beat them harder, and had enough momentum to take herself off the branch altogether. Slowly with the most care she could, she lowered herself to the ground.

***

She screamed, and screamed, and screamed until her voice was lost to her, and she could do nothing but silently scream. She didn’t even realize that George was in danger. Lily was lost in the pain.

***

Sweat broke out on his forehead as he tried to keep the sword away from his throat. It was inching ever closer. He fought it ever inch, but he just couldn’t turn the blade aside. He was certain that he would die. He struggled against the sword though, George didn’t believe Jason was truly doing this, he didn’t understand. He tried to twist away though, but Jason just pinned him down again, this time trapping one of his arms.

He concentrated his entire will and mind on fighting the sword. Every bit of energy he could spare was going into his arm, pushing with all his might. Pushing it upward, away from his face. He wanted to use the blunt edge of the sword to push Jason backwards. To get him off, but Jason was just too strong. The blade slowly sank. Inch by painful inch.

***

She had to get to the clearing. She just had too. The scream had stopped and she wasn’t sure if it was because Lily was dead, or just unconscious. She didn’t know so she just put on an extra burst of speed. Determined more then ever to arrive before it was too late. She ran and leaped through the woods, as fast as she could. Occasionally getting a couple seconds of airtime.

She didn’t know what she would do when she got there.

***

Slowly her mind started working through the pain, bit-by-bit she regained control. She managed to turn her head, and saw the sword held between George and Jason. She needed to help. Her brain worked faster.

***

What the hell is happening? What am I doing? We’re just practicing right? But he doesn’t look like its practice. What the hell am I doing? Am I trying to kill George? But I don’t want too… that’s it, I wont. I just wont. I’ll let go now. Let him push me off. That’s the most logical thing he could do. But wait. Why isn’t my hand letting go. What the devil is happening!

***

Damn bastard, he’s not SANE. I can’t die here. Not here I. I have to get home first. I must.

George lowered his shields slightly, and attempted to pull power from the earth. He only got a trickle, but it was enough to keep the sword from inching down anymore. For another inch and the fight would be over.

***

Finialy Jane reached the clearing. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and strung it. She let go as soon as she reached the clearing and identified Jason as the enemy for this round.

***

Just as Lily let go with a huge Mind Blast, meant to stun and knock him unconscious rather then kill him.

***

Suddenly there was no fight in Jason anymore. Just a grunt and the sword angling before crashing down upon George’s throat. With Jason’s considerable weight following.

“Damn it George! What did I tell you?” Yelled Jason.

“WTF are you talking about? I did everything you said too…”

“Like hell! You fucking missed one! Now that potentially Good kid will fall has fallen into the Darkness and its one more thing we have to fight and deal with. That town had 7 potential ones. You only got a hold of 6. And 3 of those are doomed to die in training. WTF were you thinking when you left him?”

“It wasn’t a HIM! That’s why! It was a little girl, not more then 5.. what was I supposed to do? Yank her away from her parents”

“Yes damn it. The parents didn’t stand a chance, and now neither does this kid”

George threw up his hands in frustration and stormed off, Probably to join Jane.. I’ll never understand why though. Jason vented his anger by throwing a tree across the meadow. “DAMN!” the tree only went 25 feet. His wounded arm still wasn’t healed all the way, that’s why he had to send George, someone who wasn’t full trained yet.

“Jason? Are you there?” He always hated when she did that, she would walk up behind him silently, she always knew when something was wrong with him, it was creepy.

“Yeah, what do you want?” He tried to be mean, but just couldn’t get his tone right, he could never be mean to her.

"I just wanted to tell you that its not that big a deal. The kid being lost, yes its sad, but with the current situation the 6 we got was better then we hoped. And you need to give George a break, he didn’t do anything wrong. He just couldn’t tell. And besides, you’ve forgotten kids before too. We all have.”

Jason then cried out in anger “Lily, go AWAY! Why do you insist on bothering me!? And another thing, why the hell did you bring that oaf here. He’s nothing but a pain in the ass.”

“Why do you have to think so loud? I taught you the Barriers. Everyone else has them up- why the hell can’t you get them up? That’s what our problem is, every time we settle for a few days, you start thinking loud and blow our cover. Jason, we aren’t in the same world anymore, get used to it! ”

“Just cause you lucked out and became your perfect being when we were warped here doesn’t mean I did. Hell I’m far from what I wanted. I wanted to understand things, I wanted magic, I wanted new things. Instead I’m a fucking barbarian that’s only use is fighting. While your this elf-thing whose graceful as hell and can do everything I wanted!”

Lily walked calmly to the ring of stumps from where Jason cut down firewood, she touched one and whispered a word filled with magic, and the stump reformed to a chair. She did the same thing to the one next to her, making it slightly bigger. “Jason come sit down and have a cup of tea. Calm down, relax”

“Why the hell should I? So that you can just show off your powers like hell! I’m out of here.” Jason then proceeded to storm through the woods, making all sorts of noise and scaring away all the game.

Lily sat down in the smaller chair and slowly lowered her shields. Damn he’s out of range. Why the hell does he have to be so stubborned? He’s only the way he is because that was what he desired. In some portion of his mind, otherwise he couldn’t have become what he is. She raised her shields again and hunched over, elbows on her knees, hands hanging down, head drooping. Just brooding. She still didn’t have the knack of being the new Lily, it was draining on her to continue to keep her balance and not revert to her old self. For if she did the team would fail, and the Darkness would prevail and destroy the world with them trapped on it.

***

“I just don’t understand those two. Why do they always bicker so much? I mean their best friends aren’t they?”

“Yeah, for some reason they are, I don’t understand why, Jason is such a asshole. He had no right to critzie me like that-”

“oh shut up would you? He’s just doing what he can the best he can. Give the boy a break. Its not like he’s an expert at this stuff. None of us are. Lily is the only one that seems to be getting a hold of things, but I don’t think she is either, I think she’s having trouble doing everything and keeping our efforts from falling apart.”

“Yeah but… Oh I don’t know. Its just that she always seems so competent, one never knows whats going on in her head, its like she’s an ice queen.”

“well if you believe that then that’s what she’s going to become. And to prove it, watch this, I’m going to believe and want to have green skin.” Jane closed her eyes softly, and tugged on her beard, within a few minutes there was a distinct green hinge to her skin and hair. It was rather amazing to George to see the green in her hair considering the fiery red it was.

George exclaimed “HOLY SHIT!”

Her eyes snapped open, “what?” she asked in an exasperated tone. “Its no big deal, you just have to believe it. That’s why Jason isn’t able to get his shields up, he doesn’t think he can.”

“oh” George looked away, and went to get the water skin. Maybe that’s how I should beef up my fighting skills. Lord knows I suck at it now. But what do I expect, I’ve only held a sword for a week, a bow for less… Still though. I really need to practice. “I’m going to practice”

“Okay, Refill the water on your way back” Jane yelled as she already returned to what she was doing. George still hadn’t figured out what it was yet.

***

I can not believe I turned into a dwarf. Well not for long if I can help it. I don’t want to be a dwarf. I want to be a fairy. But a cute one. With red hair, just like I used to have… I will be a fairy! I will! With glitter wings, the works! Jane thought all of that with such a force that she actually felt her beard retreat and disappear, it didn’t last long, only a few seconds but it gave her hope for a second try.

She closed her eyes again and pictured what she wanted to be with such ferocity that she felt her bone structure start to reshape. She didn’t let it last long due to the excruciating pain. But now she knew that she could do it, she would just have to find an apothecary first for some painkillers.

She couldn’t wait. But before she changed for good she would need to finish making the enchanted sword she promised George.

***

Left, right, left, right, right, left, DAMN! He got me.. Lily threw down her sword in frustration. “How the hell do you do that?”

“Watch the eyes they will tell you what the hands wont. Trust me on this.” He calmly held out his sword waiting for her to take the enchantment off. Once the safety enchantment was off he slid it effortlessly into the sheath on his back. “And besides, you’re going to be doing mostly bow work.”

“Like hell! I’m not going to sit up on some high ridge while my friends get slaughtered.” Lily glared at him after she said this before sheathing her sword. She preferred the traditional side sheath over the back, she found the back one made it harder for her to ride Lan, her warhorse.

“Come on Lily, it wont be that big a deal, you’ll learn to deal with it. And with any luck we wont be slaughtered.” He threw back his head and laughed at this, causing Lily to grab her rolled up sleeping bag, one of the few things she had left, and throws it at him.

“Oh come on George, be nice will you? This is serious. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to die out here. I want to die as a old lady.” This promptly encouraged more laughter until they both were on the ground gasping and holding their sides.

In a breathless voice while he tried to get some air, George exclaimed “I don’t- want to- die- as an –old lady- Don’t- have- right- Parts”

Lily and George were still laughing in the middle of the clearing when a shadow of a tall man fell upon them. They both looked up in shock and surprise, “Oh hi Jason.. What’s wrong? You look mad, to say the least.”

“I would think so. I got stuck here because You,” he points to Lily, and continues with such hatred in his voice she becomes scared. “You! Begged me! To come with you on a ‘DAY TRIP’ and it’s turned into how long? A month, a year? You tell me, you seem to be the wise one.”

“Jason?” Lily asks questioning, wondering if he hasn’t lost his sanity. “Jason, I didn’t mean for this to happen. Honest. I had no control. If I could have I would never have brought you. Its not fair to you guys that you got trapped in my problem.. I don’t know what to tell you beyond I’m sorry.” Her babbling drifted to stop. He didn’t seem to hear a word she said. Which was very odd, he had never acted this way before. “Jason-”

And at this moment he decided to pull his sword and try to bring it straight down on her head. It being stopped a mere inch from her scalp by George lunging, bare handed at Jason, knocking him askew so that Lily was only struck on the shoulder. She screamed in pain so that it echoed from the forest, as Jason tried to slash George’s throat with his sword.

***