Sister!!

[Northen Light36]

"Of course it is," Flame replied. "I just... couldn't remember him leaving." She frowned slightly, puzzled by that even if the lack of memory didn't ring any alarm bells for her. She didn't think about it for too long though. Hamelin's music was soothing and she was quickly starting to feel sleepy as she finished her food.

[Kender Bard]

((Remember, Libre's doing a sweep for them. If one of you two could toss me a bone as to how far away they still are or how close, I'd appreciate it.))

[Skittlebug]

Libre does find something, after a time, but it isn't Flame. Instead he brushes against something completely unfamiliar. When he does, a comforting feeling seeps over him, completely unbidden. The presence seems to be five or six hours away on foot. If he reaches a little farther he'll find Flame, though she still seems to be in a sleepy, unresponsive state.

[Kender Bard]

As son as that soothing feeling settled on his mind, the ring on Libre's finger grew uncomfortably warm. Libre glanced down;t he strange writing tattooed on his finger was glowing. Libre jerked his mind back forcefully at that causing the glow and warmth to subside. A headache pounded behind his eyes.

"No question, a demon has her," he reported in a strangled voice.

"Did you get a better lock on where?" Harmony prompted.

"Several hours walk in that direction," Libre said, gesturing.

"I'll cut it as close as I can," Harmony replied, getting up. They broke down the camp and gathered up together as Harmony began making small jumps in succession.

~Flame!~ Libre called out. ~I'm coming! Hang in there!~

[Northen Light36]

Flame's head jerked up, a puzzled frown crossing her face. In her semi-trace and without Hamelin having pushed her into the deeper level of trance-sleep, she could hear Libre even if she couldn't quite make herself respond mentally. Her focus was too scattered for that. "Libre?" she murmured out loud.

[Skittlebug]

Hamelin starts at that, her brother, nearby? When he has Flame confirm the fact he seethes, no one was supposed to find them out here. Damn Minds.

He thinks quickly, getting ready to move again. "Flame, dear, could you pass a message along to your brother for me? Tell him not to rush, we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt." He packs up the bag he'd brought for her quickly. "Besides, don't you enjoy my company more than his? I'm sure you do. He doesn't want you to have fun and enjoy yourself, like I do."


((I hope you don't mind I assumed an answer from her, I wanted to avoid a one line back and forth.))

[Northen Light36]

Sounding distant and mono-tone, like someone mumbling in their sleep, Flame obediantly reaches out to Libre, ~Hamelin says not to rush. He doesn't want anyone to get hurt.~

"Told him..." she murmured to the demon.

[Kender Bard]

"Fat fucking chance of that," Libre growled under his breath. But he did have to exercise some caution. "Harmony, the demon's on to us. He said if we don't back off, he'll hurt Flame."

Harmony just snorted. "Hope he's faster than a blink, then, because that's all he'll have."

"I'll scout ahead a bit," Timble offered. "We can't be that far away. And once I see them, I'll call out for you. Just keep a mental ear out."

"Do it," Libre agreed. Timble broke away from the group and began making his own way ahead on foot.

"I'll scout a bit too, but not much," Harmony offered, and did so the best way she knew how; teleporting up high in places and looking down at the tableau below her as she fell. Forces but sometimes she envied her mother and Locket their Wind signs.

[Skittlebug]

Quickly slipping Flame back into a deep trance, Hamelin scoops her up and begins moving warily. If there was a Mind after him he'd have to watch in all directions, and keep to cover as much as possible.

[Kender Bard]

Though Harmony made a few passes, it was hard to pick out many details. Half the time she thought she saw someone it was just a long shadow cast by a large rock. She didn't want to completely wipe herself out, so after two hops she stopped and just waited, resting.

Timble had a bit more luck. He kept himself shrouded in a bit of his Wind power to silent the noise he made as he crept along, keeping low and moving from shallow cover to shallow cover. Finally he spotted movement ahead. Got you.

He sure hoped it wasn't some hiker because their day was about to become very spoiled if it was. Licking his lips, he selected two of his knives off his belt and began moving forward at a crouch but no longer seeking cover. Then, pausing to build up his elemental energy, he launched forward in a windbound glide so that he skated just above the rocks at a high speed towards his target. I think I have him! Here!

Libre's head snapped up. He reached out and grabbed Harmony's hand, sharing the image with her.

[Skittlebug]

Hamelin doesn't notice a thing until Timble's blade opens a gash along his head. He screeches and clutches at Flame, not wanting to lose what might be a valuable shield. Of course, he's startled enough that the disguise his aura provides goes down.

He's really not a pretty thing, this demon, quite hunched which is likely what saved him from a more fatal blow. His skin is pale and saggy, nearly hanging off of him in places where he seems far too thin to hold himself up. He seems nearly bird like and insect like at the same time, wiry, twiggy and bent but with odd lumps over his torso. His feet are taloned and his feet end in long insect like claws, while the arms he clutches Flame in are a second smaller pair that lack the claws. Worst of all is his head. You see, he never needed any instrument for his music, he provides it all on his own. Large gaping eyes, 6 in all, sit above what looks like a beak with mandibles on either side, serrated teeth running along the length. The loose skin hanging from his neck inflates and deflates with each breath.

He whirls, oozing a green ichor from the wound Timble had left, and begins to sing...or whistle, it's not quite clear. He's trying to snare Timble enough to calm him, confuse him enough to stop the attacks. At the same time he does his best to keep Flame between the two of them.

[Kender Bard]

Timble zipped by him and whirled around, sending a spray of gravel everywhere as his wind-cushion blew the debris back from his fast maneuverability. And the the music fell upon him and he started to slow. Rather than charge again, he hesitated and that hesitation just helped him to lower his guard more and more...

Libre teleported to where Timble had spotted the group, Harmony in hand, and the pair headed towards the group in a mad dash.

And then, out of nowhere, was an explosion of fire and darkness. Like a dark fireball, it came screaming out of the sky. Literally; as the thing slammed into the ground next to Hamelin sending up dust, dirt, tendrils of black fog, and embers a masculine voice from within it gave a shrieking warcry--one that Libre actually recognized faintly as Naurite in style.

"STOP SINGING!"

The cloud of darkness and fire coalesced into a humanoid being of pure blackness, like charcoal and obsidian, while two great wings of fire spread out from his back and flames wreathed both of his hands. "IT'S TERRIBLE!"

And then the angel of Soahc began punching at Hamelin in a speed that was dizzying while the foggy aura around him coalesced into wriggling black tentacles that wrapped firmly around Flame and tried to yank her from the demon's grasp. "FUCKING DEMONS!" Every word was a spew of flame and heat. "GO BACK TO THE HELLHOLE YOU CRAWLED OUT OF DAMNIT!"

Timble, Libre, and Harmony could only watched open-mouthed and shocked.

[Skittlebug]

Hamelin stops singing.

Being actually quite frail he takes the beating hard and drops Flame almost instantly. Terrified and furious, he grasps at the last thing he can, some small manner of torment. "You won't get her back without me!" He shouts out, even as he tries to throw his arms over his face and back off.

[Northen Light36]

Flame stirred briefly in the tentacles of Soahc's angel and her eyes flickered open for a moment, still blank and staring as she tried to make sense of everything. But her clouded mind simply wasn't up to such a task and sank willingly back into the deeper trance, too overwhelmed to cope.

[Kender Bard]

The Angel of Wrath gave another punch. "She's Soahc's bitch now, bitch. Speaking of which." He grinned nastily and the fire of his body flared up even higher, dancing with a rainbow hue of colors. "HE SAYS HI!"

Clasping both hands to make a large fist, he smashed Hemalin with all his unnatural strength and calling down a plume of holy rainbow fire with it.

"Flame!" Libre called out now that one threat was eliminated. He touched all his signs, prepared to fight this creature that had her now.

The angel disappeared and reappeared in a puff of smoke in front of Libre and socked him in the gut. Libre doubled over, in agony. He'd never been hit that hard. The ring on his finger flared briefly and the angel winced, shook his hand at the recoil. Thuoth didn't like the other Forces roughing up his chosen anymore than he liked the demons to be near them. "That's for trying to attack someone who came to HELP!" the angel spat.

The angel held Flame out towards Libre and he managed to straighten enough to snatch her. "Flame," he whimpered. ~Flame!~ Tears stung his eyes, and not just from the heat and ash floating around. "Flame please!"

"Did the demon kill her?" Harmony asked in a low, worried voice.

"Soahc wouldn't have bothered sending out one of his stallions like me if she were," the angel snorted, arms crossed and affecting a pose of annoyance at everything and everyone.