{IC} Home Burnt Down, Nowhere to Go... {IC}

[Visas]

It was gone. It was all gone. And what had she done? She had perched herself in a tree like some coward. As she watched the remainder of the fire go out, she clutched her pendant. She would avenge them. Somehow, someway. She would avenge them for the greater good. She was tired of the people. The people who called them outcasts. Those that wanted them dead. She could smell the smoke still lingering in the air. The fire was well out by now, but the smell of death still filled her nose. She sighed, spreading her large, beautiful wings. Down she swooped and off she went. She heard faint crying and stopped. So, Talon was not the only one. That was good to know.

As she sat perched upon the oak tree, she noticed the crying stopped. She heard someone coming her way. Then, she heard the voice and could tell that the girl was not so sure as to who was looking down on her. It was Mikae, she was sure of it. Talon's heightened sense of hearing allowed her to tell different inflections in the voices of others, "Relax, Mikae." her voice was smooth, soothing. The winged girl swooped down, hovering in air for a moment, "It's me." she said before letting her feet touch the ground, her wings folding a bit, "So...where do we go from here?"

[Visas]

Talon sighed, "Our only hope is that we are not the only two survivors." she would not let this go un punished. What the Capitol had done to their home. She could hear them, even down where they were, then listened to Mikae. Her wings stretched out and flapped a couple of times, "Guess we have a search on our hands." she said as she took flight.

[F_is_for_fabs]

Anarchy. Carnage. Destruction. All caused by a hatred of those who were different.
'The outsiders', Garion almost spat out from his perch in a tree on the outskirts of his now ruined home. Everything he had ever known, everyone he had ever loved, was gone... Obliterated in one cruel blast of hatred, and only the ashes remained, blowing north with the now gentle breeze. It had all happened so quickly... Garion had heard loud, angry voices, seen a dull, sooty orange glow from his window, and then all was lost. As he considered the events immediately after the fire began, Garion's mind continually refreshed one image. His home ablaze, the angry hues of the flames flickering in his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek. And then the screaming began. First quietly, but gradually building with a great crescendo as the cries of his friends, his neighbors, united in the face of the fire and soldiers. beyond that everything was a hazy blur, as, upon seeing armed men rushing towards him, Garion had turned and fled. Seeking refuge in a tree, he hid and watched as all before him fell to the hungry fire. All of a sudden a noise distracted him from his thoughts. A quiet rushing, similar to air being forced through a space quickly.
'Talon!' he breathed to himself, his heart beginning to race. Her wings were surely the only thing capable of making that noise. If she was alive, he must go and find her, and others, if they were alive... He moved, slowly at first for fear of alerting the Capital soldiers who had remained to find and kill those who had survived, but after a few nervous branches later his movements became more assured. At the base of the tree he listened hard, and heard quiet murmured voices from a short way away, then caught a flash of auburn hair descending from a near-by tree, followed by a streak of silver white. That, surely, was the direction he needed to head. Calming himself for an instant, he prepared to sprint towards the two colors he had just seen descending the tree, praying they weren't Capital Scout Soldiers...

[Visas]

Talon couldn't exactly stop on a dime, so she turned, best she could in the thickness of the forest before landing, "Shhh." she said to Mikae. Heightened senses were always good in situations like these, but she had to be able to concentrate to find just one thing in a forest which probably had many animals. The smell of the ash still filled her nose and made it impossible for her to smell anything else, but she heard it. The sound of the stressed branches, "Someone is coming this way." she said to Mikae, "Quickly."

[F_is_for_fabs]

Running was one of Garion's favorite things to do. It cleared his mind, and above all else, made him feel safe. The images of his home being destroyed seemed to melt, and gave way to a clear reassurance. He was safe, alive, and so, he felt, were others. It had only taken a few moments to get clear of the younger saplings on the edge of the swamp, and he now moved with more care around the ancient oaks of the deep swamp, their huge trunks concealing large portions of what lay deeper in. He stopped for a moment to gain his bearings, and saw in the distance, illuminated next to a magnificent oak tree, the silhouettes of two female figures. He inspected them with caution for a few moments, but upon seeing wing-like shapes suddenly erupt from the back of the smaller of the two figures, he knew that these were people he could trust. He ran at a pace he would consider a jog in order for them to be able to see his approach, and was almost instantly standing in front of the two people. Talon, her silver hair shimmering in the light, smiled at him, while Mikae reviewed him with a slightly stunned expression. Garion's returned both with a momentarily steely gaze, but then immediately moved to hug both girls, his expression melting to that of happy relief.
"Talon, Mikae... How did you escape? After the explosion and the fire, I thought I was only one to make it out...' His voice caught for a moment as images from the earlier destruction flashed before his eyes. He composed himself and continued, 'I climbed the highest tree I could find and hid. I couldn't bear to watch what was happening. The sounds were bad enough. After it was over I thought about going back and searching for anyone who might still be alive, but there was nothing. Just ruins and soldiers. And then I saw and heard you two! I'm so happy that others made it out too'. He stopped for a moment and wiped his brow with the back of his hand, then looked into Mikae's stone grey eyes. 'But what now, Mikae?'

[Visas]

Talon crossed her arms, "I'm blind, remember? Not like I can see where 'here' and 'there' are on the map." she said, "I'll just have to follow the sound of you two." she said.

[F_is_for_fabs]

Garion laughed as Mikae disappeared beyond his line of sight. Her expressions and actions were often unreadable, even to him and he had known her all of her life. He considered the map for a few more minutes, agreeing that, though it was not altogether impossible for him to run all the way to East Contrarietas, it would be impractical, seeing as there was no food and the journey would take at least two days. He sighed, staring blankly at a space just above the map, then folded it and placed it in the pack he had almost forgotten he had. He looked at Talon, who was listening hard to her surroundings, and said 'Talon, I remember seeing a large bush of blackberries on my way here. It will just about suffice for the time being, but I'll also stay on the look out for something to hunt.' Unthinkingly he had removed his intricately carved hunting bow from over his shoulder and knocked an arrow to the string. Then, with an agility second only to Mikae, he too descended the branch, vanishing in the opposite direction to his acrobatic friend.
It did not take him long to find the patch of blackberries he had spoken of earlier, and with a relief that stemmed more from his stomach than his mind, he rapidly went about gathering all of the berries he could see. Once stowed in the safety of his pack, Garion turned and prepared to run back to the safety of the great oak when he spied a flicker of movement off in the distance. A buck, it's antlers suggesting it was not yet fully matured, was padding through the undergrowth some 50 meters in front of him. Holding his breath so as not to alert the animal, Garion drew his bow and took aim. He had always been a good shot from distance, and today was no exception. The arrow he loosed ghosted through the air with a deadly speed towards its target, the red and black fletchings ensuring the arrow flew straight. The thud as the arrow struck the beast was quiet from a distance, and Garion watched as it fell instantly, the shaft of his arrow protruding from in between the animals two front legs, directly where its heart was. As he made his way towards the now still buck, a familiar rushing sound that could only mean one thing came to his ears. He looked up, grinning at Talon, 'Could you give me a hand carrying it back?'

[F_is_for_fabs]

Garion returned to the tree they had all met at, the medium-sized buck bobbling limply over his shoulders with each footfall. he was satisfied with his hunt; at least they would not go hungry. He only hoped that Mikae had found a place that they could rest for the night before they began the difficult and dangerous journey ahead of them. As he approached the great oak, it suddenly occurred to him that he had been thinking of it as home. But you have a home! He wanted to scream to himself, anger and frustration welling up inside him at the Capital and everything it stood for. He was so caught up in his own thought that he did not initially notice Mikae sitting on a low branch of the oak, a smile that exuded self-satisfaction brightening her face. It was only when he heard her call to him that he snapped out of his temporary daze and looked up.
'What did you say Mikae'? He asked, tossing the carcass of the deer onto the ground with a satisfactory thud.

[dark_rain]

“Rayne something is going on outside….. I’m scared it looks like a fire sissy,” Rayne walks over to her little sister and put her hand on her shoulder and stares out the window as well. “Wow what’s going on out there.” Rayne thought to herself but didn’t let her sister know she was worried as well. From there window they watched as the sky lite up with fire and smoke. Suddenly the door to their home swings open and the doorway fills with strange men in a wired armor. “Run” Rayne screams to her little sister she watch her dart out the back door. Rayne uses her telekinetic abilities to send pictures and tables flying at the men but it was one against hundred and she knew the art of war well and knew she was out matched. She took off running toward the back door were her sister had escaped but is meet with more men and they cared torches. One of the men grabbed her hair and snatched her up and tossing her into faces first into a stone fireplaces. After hitting she stands up immediately her once brown eye’s changed into what resembled a cat’s eye, but they were a pale blue almost lifeless. The house began to shake and object began flying around the room hitting the men, but she is caught off guard when she receives a breath taken blow to her side. Her eyes regain their normal color as she gasps for breath. Seeing her opening she makes a mad dash out the back door and off into the dark forest.

Rayne sits in an old willow tree still trying to make sense of everything that had happen. She could help have a sinking feeling in her guilt worried about her little sister she had sent out of the house she only hoped she was okay wherever she maybe. A signal tear runs down her faces but is brush away before it can even fall from her eye. She undoes her jacket and lefts her tank top and reviles a bruise which seemed to cover her side. Rayne was use to the bruising and pain she loved to fight and often did. She lowers her shirt and zips her jacket back up, and watches the city she had once grown up in disappear into a cloud of smoke and destruction. She sat there silently for a couple min until she heard a strange laugh coming from the distances. She pulls out her dagger and climbs to the top of the tree and waited to see what it was.

[F_is_for_fabs]

Garion followed Mikae at a walk, the leaves and twigs crackling beneath his feet. The day was drawing to a close now, the golden sun just kissing the horizon. The light that flooded the swamp was such that it appeared to ignite the surrounding trees, while the breeze that disturbed the leaves and branches caused everything to flicker and distort. Garion was shocked at the fire-like appearance of the forest and briefly considered dropping the buck and sprinting to safely. But where's the heat? He asked himself, noticing the peculiar lack of radiance form his surroundings. As though in answer to his question, a faint murmuring seemed to reverberate inside his head. Garion shrugged the noise off and continued after Mikae, and before long he stood at the edge of a small clearing, a willow tree planted directly in the middle of it. It was enormous, by far the biggest he had ever seen. It's branches stretched out far from its trunk, the tendrils and vines drooping down in a sort of curtain, concealing that which lay within. Garion was also pleased to hear the fast rushing and splashing of water, and looked beyond the willow to see a medium size stream flowing quickly at the edge of the clearing. He made his way inside the willow's protective cocoon, placing the buck on the ground before smiling wearily at Mikae and sitting on the moss covered ground, his back propped up against the willow's trunk. I wonder if there's anyone else out there from the village he asked himself, the question voiced inside his head. For the second time he heard a quiet murmuring, only this time it was followed by a small tugging sensation inside his head.
'Mikae, did you hear that?' He asked, scratching his head confusedly. She met his confused gaze with a blank stare, and so he divulged, 'I've been hearing a noise. Not a normal noise though, it sort of feels like it's coming from inside my head...' He stood up and began pacing around, thinking hard. 'Every time I ask myself something in my head, this strange noise, it sounds like someone whispering, seems to answer. At least I assume that's what it's doing, it's too quiet to hear...' He continued to pace, considering what the noise could possibly be. All of a sudden it hit him.
'Mikae!' he almost shouted, his excitement peaking inside of him, 'Mikae I know what the noise is!' He was blurring now, his excitement getting the better of him.
'It's Rayne, Mikae! She's trying to contact me. She's a telekinetic! It has to be her!' He began moving even faster now, only this time it was not his excitement that took hold, but rather anticipation.
'If she's been inside my head, then she knows where we are. Or rather, she knows where we've been planning on going. Have you been all the way to the top of the tree yet? it could be that she's already here, and that our approach scared her into climbing to the top and hiding. Climb up and check, but be careful. This tree is enormous and could be housing some pretty dangerous creatures. I'll cover you from here with my bow, just to make sure.' With his final phrase he took up his bow and knocked an arrow to the string. He looked at Mikae, then nodded to her to signal that he was ready, then watched nervously as she began her ascent.