Percy comes up fully from the floor, where his blundering attempt at tripping the corruptor had succeeded only in throwing Nasima's similar attempt off the mark. He nods in satisfaction as Krays helps with healing, but then rushes to Taron's side when he falls. He looks up at Kam. "What's going on? Do you know what ails him?"
Krays' hand seems to grasp something, and he jerks his hand back, holding a translucent shape, almost resembling the Corruptor, but more twisted and vile. His body's eyes and mouth are opened in horror as he feels his very soul be roughly torn from it's shell. All color rapidly fades from the corpse, and look is forever etched in it. He hears in the very core of his being 'As much as you enjoyed twisting torment of others for your own amusement, I curse you! Yours will be an existence of your eternal torment, and it shall fuel my work to end what people like you do...I hope the irony suits you!' The others then see Krays grasping his scythe, slam the spirit of the man into the blade, and be absorbed by it, the weapon turning a shade darker, the runes glowing a bit brighter...'Say hello to my Master...' are the last words the corruptor hears as he is embraced by pain and darkness...
A look of grim satisfaction passes over Krays' face, as he straightens up, and brushes off his robe.
"I think we are done here. Shall we go?"
Vai staggers to her feet, her energy recovered but now she feels a bit disoriented.
Seeing what Krays does to the Corruptor, Vai's eyes widen and she starts shaking. Who's the monster here anyway?
Nasima stands and stretches from where Percy sent her careening to the floor, and walks abashedly over to Vai. "Hey, you okay? That was good stuff you did there, back there. That was really helpful." The sylph is cheerful, but seems somewhat...faded. "Percy, can you help Vai when you have a chance? I still don't know how to heal or anything. I, uh, I could prob'ly use something, too."
Nasima watches Krays with a look of stunned horror that evolves to something not unlike interest, then joy, then grinning and lustful glee.
"HAH! YESSS! DES-"
"-TROY HIM UTTERLY! DE-"
"-VOUR HIS...his...uh..." 'Sima absently rubs the side of her head. "Uh. Did I...was...never mind." She looks very puzzled for a moment, then smiles weakly and squeezes Vai's shoulder affectionately. "So...do we go back now, I guess? Is...is 'Phebe okay?" She asks no one in particular.
"Well. That was thorough," he said with a certain amount of satisfaction. "Alright folks, looks like it's time to go home."
"Phebe's fine....well, fine-ish. Mostly. Her emotions are....not okay. Like Tare's not okay. Hopefully it's temporary."
Still shaking, Vai turns to Nasima just in time to see her lustful smile and Khoda's voice. She flinches away, taking a step back. Seeing her confusion after the outburst, Vai says: "Are you okay Nasima? You keep seeming like you're losing control."
He nods in satisfaction as Krays helps with healing, but then rushes to Taron's side when he falls. He looks up at Kam. "What's going on? Do you know what ails him?"
"It's... I think it's like backlash. Taron went back to the way he was, and now he's working on coming back. I don't know what might help, but anything you can try can't hurt." Kam slips his arms under Taron and picks him up carefully.
"How are we getting back? I can't use Taron's key."
"I can teleport us all. It's just a spell so it won't drain me that much. It's not like bending reality."
'Sima gives Vai a puzzled look. "Losing c-...? No, no, I'm in more control now than ever! I just...I had a weird kinda spaceout there for a second. I'm just real tired all of a sudden. But 'Phebe and you and Taron are the ones we really need to worry about right now, let's get back and get you all looked at."
He nods in satisfaction as Krays helps with healing, but then rushes to Taron's side when he falls. He looks up at Kam. "What's going on? Do you know what ails him?""It's... I think it's like backlash. Taron went back to the way he was, and now he's working on coming back. I don't know what might help, but anything you can try can't hurt." Kam slips his arms under Taron and picks him up carefully.
"How are we getting back? I can't use Taron's key."
Percy smiles at Kam as he stands, towering over him. "It's okay. I can carry him. Unless you feel contact with his mate would help bring him about more quickly and gently. I can keep him warm, for certain, and you can still hold his hand, at least; maintain contact. I will try what magic I have."
"It's not like bending reality."
"It's not like bending reality."
"I-I'm okay Nasima... it's hard being a dragon though. It takes so much energy. Um... he helped me though" and points at Krays, while shying away at the same time.
"Okay. Everyone gather round. And let's go home."
Once everyone is assembled Jiminy will cast Greater Teleport to take the whole group back to the school. Or more accurately back to their Uncle Ryo's house where their parents and grandmother are making a fuss over a stunned Ephebe.
Percy smiles at Kam as he stands, towering over him. "It's okay. I can carry him. Unless you feel contact with his mate would help bring him about more quickly and gently. I can keep him warm, for certain, and you can still hold his hand, at least; maintain contact. I will try what magic I have."
"Thank you, but I'm the reason he's not still like that in the first place, and he anchored himself to me, so I will carry him. He is not heavy."
Percy's spell seems to help, as Taron immediately relaxes and begins to breath easier.
"Thank you, Percy."
Once everyone is assembled Jiminy will cast Greater Teleport to take the whole group back to the school. Or more accurately back to their Uncle Ryo's house where their parents and grandmother are making a fuss over a stunned Ephebe.
Thinking now is not the best time, Kam tries to make his way up to Taron's room without being seen.
The group reappears in the living room.
"James, you look like hell," she said, hugging him fiercely. "You overdid it, didn't you?"
"But everyone came back in one piece?" she asked anxiously, looking around. She frowned. "Kam, what's wrong with Taron? Please tell me that he's okay..."
"He's... I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him. He pushed himself back to the way he was before he met me in order to make the Corrupter vulnerable so he couldn't be a threat anymore. Taron needs a lot of rest while he comes back from it."
Aananda swallowed hard. That Taron would do that, go that far...what was she thinking? Of course Taron would do that. It was just like him.
"Okay," she said gently. "Just don't forget that we're all here for him...and you too for that matter. If there's anything either of you need while he's recovering, just say so."
Ephebe watched blankly as everyone came back. It was good that everyone was back. It was good that her brothers were okay, or at least not so much not okay that they wouldn't recover. But she still couldn't feel anything. Why couldn't she feel anything? It was like part of her was still wrapped up in that mist.
Seeing Vai's reaction, Krays merely shrugs.
"He will cause no one any grief again."
When they arrive at Ryo's...
"How is Ephebe?"
Once again disoriented by the teleportation, Vai finds her feet unsteady below her. Seeing Ephebe, an enormous amount of relief floods over Vai. It's okay. Everything's fine now. So why can't she stop trembling?
"Okay," she said gently. "Just don't forget that we're all here for him...and you too for that matter. If there's anything either of you need while he's recovering, just say so."
"Of course." Kam nods, then goes on, his voice sad. "I'm sorry you couldn't count on me for this."
Seeing Vai's reaction, Krays merely shrugs.
"He will cause no one any grief again."
When they arrive at Ryo's...
"How is Ephebe?"
"Physically she is fine. But she seems...disoriented still."
"Okay," she said gently. "Just don't forget that we're all here for him...and you too for that matter. If there's anything either of you need while he's recovering, just say so.""Of course." Kam nods, then goes on, his voice sad. "I'm sorry you couldn't count on me for this."
"Don't blame yourself too much, dear. We have a family history of doing mind blowingly stupid things in defense of a loved one. Before he met you he was in a fog all the time." She sighed. "Now if I can just figure out how to snap Ephebe out of what looks to be a similar state."
"Don't blame yourself too much, dear. We have a family history of doing mind blowingly stupid things in defense of a loved one. Before he met you he was in a fog all the time." She sighed. "Now if I can just figure out how to snap Ephebe out of what looks to be a similar state."
"If I knew how, I would help."
"Fire." Lysander comments from his spot in the doorway. "Lots of it to burn away the fog. A real shock to her system will help her come out of this."
"Fire." Lysander comments from his spot in the doorway. "Lots of it to burn away the fog. A real shock to her system will help her come out of this."
"If you think that it will help, then be my guest. We can't leave her like this. She barely knows where she is now."
"Don't interrupt then." Lysander walks over to Ephebe and looks her in the eyes, spectral white fire dancing all up and down his body. "Cuim Nacuhyha." He whispers.
Suddenly, Ephebe can feel him inside her head.
"You can't feed boredom and apathy to the White Fire you know. You need to snap out of it, either on your own or with help."
"Don't interrupt then." Lysander walks over to Ephebe and looks her in the eyes, spectral white fire dancing all up and down his body. "Cuim Nacuhyha." He whispers.
** spoiler omitted **
::Cold. Scared. Alone.....Drowning......relief...despair....the mists are still there, still sucking away everything.....can't get free.....::
Percy hovers nervously, sweating small rivulets of lava as he watches to see what Lysander does, and if poor Ephebe comes all the way back to them.
]
The spectral flames covering Lysander blaze much larger, filling the room. Strangely, the fire sheds no heat.
As everyone is gathered around, watching Ephebe anxiously, 'Sima shakes her head woozily and then mumbles "I...uh...'m gonna ge'ssome...sleep. I'll...I'll." She then pads lightly out the door, headed for her room.
** spoiler omitted **
The spectral flames covering Lysander blaze much larger, filling the room. Strangely, the fire sheds no heat.
The mist struggles against the flames. It's not as strong out here away from its place of power and this is too much to absorb at once. The flames singe it, burning away one piece then another. What's left of it curls protectively around the energy it stole from Ephebe, all that was keeping it alive.
Vai, torn with concern for both Nasima and Ephebe, look at Sima as she moves out of the room. She couldn't help any more with Ephebe, and so follows Nasima out of the room. "Here, let me help you." Vai will support Nasima if she needs it, ensuring she gets to her room safely.
There is an audible scream as a vile smelling gray mist comes off of Ephebe and dissipates into smoke. For a moment, Ephebe is outlined in white fire before it sinks back into her. She blinks a couple of times before all of the emotion starts to catch up to her and she starts to cry.
::Thank you. I..I couldn't get free of it no matter what I did...::
::Don't mention it.::
Lysander stands up, takes the fires back into himself, and goes back to the doorway so he can lean against it.
"She's all better now. Mostly. No hugging me."
"Wouldn't dream of it. And thank you."
Aananda quickly crossed the room and hugged Ephebe, letting her daughter cry on her shoulder. She was relieved that all of her children were safe at home, but this incident had been too close, and too costly. They were going to have to be more careful. A lot more careful.
"oh, hey...th-thanks, vai. you're so ssssweet. I'm just...s-suddenly...zzzzzzzz..." Awkwardly, the sylph rests her head on Vai's shoulder and promptly falls fast asleep while standing up.
Vai is now even more concerned. That can't be natural. She grabs Nasima and shakes her. "Nasima wake up!"
"...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..."
Vai, unable to wake Nasima, starts dragging her back towards the teachers, unsure what else to do.