My Legacy lives on...

[Culaki]

Culaki had crept into the blackness while Abigail and Ellin went ahead. He heard soft rustling in the shadows, and turned his head, motioning for Feynya to flank over to the other side. Catching fleeting glimpses of some slight, dark figure moving about, he kept to the side, ready to pounce if need be.

His nostrils twitched, picking up the odors of something distinctly female. It had a certain sour, dark quality to it as well. Coppery and slightly sweet. It was the scent of blood, Culaki was sure of that. He opened his mouth to warn Abigail to take a few steps back, when the mysterious assailant struck!

It rushed forward, hissing lightly as it sunk its fangs into Abigail. Culaki's muscles bunched, his entire body roaring into action. He completely ignored the fact that the creature screamed out in pain after it bit Abigail, and the fact that it was crying tears of remorse. He simply rushed forward, enveloping the woman's body with a massive paw, his back arched as he roared loudly in its face.

[Ellin Destroix]

Ellin had walked forward, hoping to face the trouble head on as Abigail continued to speak. She had been quiet all this time, trying to find the right words to tell the mage of what she felt. She gulped quietly, and stopped when she heard the scurrying in the darkness, "Miss Lilith?" she asked to the shadows in hopes for an answer.

"Lilith, honey, it's Abigail. You can come out now, everything is alright. We're all back, so come on out for me?"

The mage spoke, and she could only sigh happily. She seemed to always be in charge-- far more than Miss Beatrix as of late... it was... very attractive. The dark knight shook out of it and kept a close eye on the shadows, not wanting to be sneaked up upon.

...but then... it attacked Abby!

Ellin turn to face the creature, but too late! It had sunk its teeth into the white mage's neck, and she could only stare in disbelief-- her blood boiling, her mind racing.

"Abby....abby...!" She found the breath to whisper out, her eyes shrinking to the sizes of pinpricks. A loud pulse could be heard and suddenly those soft lavender eyes began to swirl and turn a bright, familiar yellow... The dark knight began to lose it, "ABBY!!"

Ellin began to charge forward, but something happened that caught that little attention span she had left... the vampire began to cry out of pain, and suddenly the blue blur that was Culaki came in to pin the creature. The blackest knight walked forward and looked to the sweet Abigail with menacing eyes. She began to breathe heavily, almost... hyperventilating, trying to calm down. She got to one knee, and then the other, and still in that berserker like state she was in, was able to pick the girl up in her arm, and try to call "Abigail."

Something...she really admired...she really liked... was hurt. She tried shaking Abigail a little, paying little- to no attention to the vampire or the Ronso.

Destroix was frightened... why did it feel like the world was crumbling around her?

[Abigail Crescentlight]

So fast things can turn on you. So quickly you can go from being a savior, to being a victim. A wise man once said that there is a fine line between being a hero, and being a memory. Abigail Crescentlight... was walking that light right now.

She didn't even remember the attack. She just knew one moment she was lowering the light to allow Lilith to make herself known, and the next she was being pinned down and drank from! She gasped, her eyes wide with terror, but as soon as it had happened... it stopped. The woman was atop of her, crying and shivering like a lost child. In that moment, Abigail was between terror... and pity. She reached up to hold the vampire... then suddenly a rush of blue like a waterfall moving horizontal to the ground took the vampire away.

Her vision was getting fuzzy. She didn't understand why at first. Lifting a hand to her neck, she felt something wet and warm there. Her mind didn't place two and two together just yet, even as she pulled her hand away to look at the crimson on her palm. It's a common misconception that a vampire bite is clean, small, and bleeds little. The reality is that it is a massive injury, and because it is generally located on a major artery, it bleeds like crazy. Right now, Abigail had a cut big enough to pour blood over her clothes, which could only barely be contained by holding one's hand over it.

She looked to the side somewhat, still detatched from reality, when she saw Ellin there, her eyes glowing like... well, she hated to even think it, but they were glowing like his eyes. She held her hand to her injury, vastly slowing the flow of blood, yet it still came. She lifted the other hand to Ellin, her fingers already feeling cold. She needed to focus... she needed to think.

"I'm...fine..." her voice came, raspy from a dry throat brought on by fear. "Help me stand up..." she whispered, trying to sit up on her own. "The human body... has 10 pints... of blood. It can survive on... less than half..." she tried to explain, using this as a way to both calm Ellin and to keep herself focused. "I've lost maybe... 3?" she said, shakily.

"Please... take me to Lilith... I have to... purify her..."

[Secondary Characters]

Wall-E was looking quite agitated. The doors had not yet been opened, but the tenseness in the air could certainly be felt already. Every soldier was on high alert, while from inside noises could be heard. Noises like Culaki's attack and voices yelling. This made Wall-E bounce lightly in place, looking nervous.

He glanced back to Oeilvert and the others, then looked to the doors again. It was clear that he wanted to do SOMETHING, but it wasn't quite clear what. For now, though, all he could do was wait for word from General Beatrix or someone else on the inside...

[Ellin Destroix]

"No, you cannot... function well like... this!" The dark one tried to reason, reaching into a metal pocket to reveal the elixir from before. She uncorked it, and dripped a few drops on the girl's wound to help it heal and stop the bleeding. As Abigail stood, she held on to her close, and rested the mouth of the glass against her lips, "D-drink... restore yourself... first." she spoke between breaths, trying her hardest to keep in control. The white part of her eyes had turned dark, similar to that of Heartless.

"Please... I ... really hate" she accentuated there, "seeing you hurt...!"

Ellin, to be honest, wanted to KILL Lilith for that little stunt she pulled... the only thing keeping her sane, was Abigail's words: "I have to... purify her" ...It is what she wanted after all, to save this creature. Abigail wanted to show mercy to the vampire, just like she has shown mercy for the dark knight. What a beautiful creature that exists in the light...

"Purify her... after... you are better..." she pressed it softly against her lips now, holding her in an embrace as she tried to control her rage, "...drink... be safe..."

[Lilith]

Lilith continued to scream even after being tackled by the giant cat, it roared in the vampires face, but there no reaction, she just continued to scream.

the vampires screams were unending, without pause, every blood vessel, every artery, every vein was burning, her healing was halted, every time she healed even a tiny bit, the holy blood would burn it to a crisp, the pain would have devoured a lesser being, but Lilith was no lesser being, the screams would echo through the Rose and resound over the savannah, it would shake anyone, even one such as Beatrix, to their very core.

the vampire's screams continued and her dark tears still flowed...

[General Beatrix]

That scream...

A most blood-curdling, ear-splitting sound if she ever head one. General Beatrix had been witness to similar sounds in the past, when they hunted down vampires for sake of protecting the people of Alexandria.

She set off at a run after Culaki, knowing full well that his senses would lead them to Lilith much quicker...and since he'd run off before her most likely he'd found the creature. Vaulting over a railing here, passing a corridor there, she finally came upon a most terrible sight, in the form of the slight battle that had taken place...

"Lady Abigail!" cried the shaking general, stepping forward with quivering legs and staring down the battlefield. Soldiers flocked here now, even Oeilvert had come running the moment they'd heard the sound, Wall-E in his arms and Brass at his side, who for some reason had Locke sitting on his shoulder.

She stopped only feet away from the chaos and stared, awaiting what would come next, her shivering sword held tight.

"Is...everything alright here?"

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail blushed a little at Ellin's concern for her. She could have simply healed on her own, really, but the way the woman cared, wanted to safeguard her... it was so touching. With a little smile, she graciously accepte a very small sip of the elixir, augmenting its healing ability with her own to give the impression that the sip which would have at best been able to heal half of the wound did much more. She pulled her hand away, and while it was still wet and crimson from the mess, the wound itself was gone.

"Thank you..." she whispered, and was about to walk away. She paused, thinking a little, before looking to Ellin once more. The Dark Knight still had that look in her face... the one that reminded her of... Abigail shook her head slightly, smiling. That was nonsense. Besides... she wanted to thank her properly. If there was one thing she'd learned from the whole Agrias crush affair, it was that if you didn't make a bold move fast, then fair lady's heart might be swept away. So, Abigail stood on her tip-toes, and placed a tender kiss on Ellin's cheek before walking over to where Lilith was being held.

"Culaki, please let her go..." Abigail spoke, her voice barely a rasp. Apparently she hadn't quite gotten back all her blood yet, but that didn't matter. At least she could move on her own. "Let me see her?" she requested now, holding her arms out for Culaki to deposit the vampire there. It was a major risk, especially considering she was still coated in the red stuff, but Abigail, apparently, knew what she was doing.

"By the will of Cosmos, Lilith..." she whispered before the vampire would be received. "... I forgive you..." she finished, beginning a process by which she could remove the pain the woman felt. It was her light, after all, which was hurting Lilith. There was no logical reason she couldn't take it back.

[Secondary Characters]

The little box-shaped robot would be much lighter now, and easy to lift, much to the relief of Oeilvert. They arrived not too much longer after the affair had begun, and Wall-E looked very concerned for the bleeding girl nearby. He let out a whistle to indicate this, then glanced to Oeilvert to see if there was anything he could do.

Luckily for all involved, it would be unnecessary as Abigail seemed right back on her feet in no time! Wall-E let out an impressed "wooo..." to indicated his surprise at the mage's resiliency. He then wiggled a bit in place to be let down.

Once tread met floor, Wall-E would drive himself off a bit, looking all around. He apparently was on the trail of something else, wondering what it was...

Did he hear something go "wark"?

[Lilith]

the vampire listened through the screams as those beautiful words were poured out the mage's mouth.

"I forgive you..."

the screaming slowly stopped, but the tears did not.
the vampire laid there on the cold floor of the hold... surrounded by the group she once felt a part of.
a few minutes passed, the vampire mustered up the strength to rasp out...
"I don't deserve your forgiveness..."

the tears continued to flow, even if the vampire wasn't sad or in pain, the souls of those she consumed were... condemned to be trapped in the body of a monster for all eternity.
their memories came in flashes, constant reminders of what the monster took away, and could never give back.

It broke what was left of the vampires heart.

[General Beatrix]

About to protest, he changed his mind as the tiny autamoton simply vanished through the crowd, off to investigate something he'd found rather interesting, indeed. The sorcerer rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the sight before them, kneeling by the White Mage and vampire, accompanied now by a still-trembling, angry general.

"I am no doctor," he said, running a glowing hand above Lilith's head and smiled. "but it seems your charm is working, Priestess..."

Standing, he turned to the general.

"I am at your service and will do whatever is necessary to keep this beast contained...for passage aboard your ship until Sai returns."

"No," she said simply, looking over Lilith and Abigail with a tilted head, pondering what connection there was here.

"She is no beast...she is an ally, who happens to be a vampire. We shall keep an eye on her, but I do not think your sorcery will needed to contain her power..."

Shaking her head and sheathing her sword she looked around, dismissed the soldiers and knelt to scoop up Lilith.

"Miss Abigail, Miss Destroix, please assist me in taking her to her chambers...we will need to set her up with remedies, treatment and set up protections, just in case. Master Masheck--Your Highness--and Culaki, I would like you two to head up to the bridge, please, and inform Ellis that the soldiers will be treated and that we should set our courses for...just tell them to launch us up into Hyperspace. I'll figure out a destination soon. Master Culaki, you and your brethren may stay or go as you see fit before takeoff."

She turned to Brass now, who seemed to not be paying attention, really, to anything that went on.

"Your grace, we could take you wherever you'd like, so long as you behave...but I'm sure you're not too willing to leave behind your compatriots."

He shook his head and simply thanked her for the offer and disappeared, right before her eyes.

[Culaki]

Culaki had handed over the vampire when Abigail requested, and his rage began to quell and soothe as Abigail was healed by Ellin and her own talents, along with the helping of the strange-smelling liquid in the shiny, see-though container. As the mage returned to her feet, Culaki twitched, his nose catching scent of something unique.

He wouldn't know it was the smell of metal, being mostly beast in all aspects, but the, er...metallic smell of it was certainly a clue. He loved the earthy, rich smell of it, and he knew that the robot Wall-E was covered in it! So he followed the trail, his nose to the ground much like a massive, blue Scooby-Doo, wondering where it would lead him.

Beatrix's command fell on deaf ears, and he momentarily turned back to signal to Jaglen to deliver the message in place of he. The Ronso saluted briefly, padding off with Muh-Sh-Eck and the others...

[General Beatrix]

TIME SHIFT TO "A Single Thread", in Hyperspace.