It would not be long now. She’d hear the crackling of the bonfire from within the sanctuary, indicating her brother’s return. So few did the pair separate — twins seemingly inseparable for all these horrid reasons. But a soul could take but so much before it crumbled beneath the weight of even an aura. And Kia could no longer prevail beneath Carlin’s toxic attitude. So he’d gone on his own ( spitting about how useless she was anyway ).
With mumbled words coming from her lips, Saskia traversed the crumbling tombstones outside the shrine. Fingertips blindly feeling out the inscriptions — nothing. No names. Pitiful, truly. To be forced into such a task with not even a name. How she once wished to provide them ASSISTANCE she now gave her empathy instead. Sighing, the sorceress rose to her feet, hands clasped before her as thumbs twiddled.
Silence had hung in the air; abruptly dispersed by heavy metal clambering towards her. The shock jolted through the petit girl, her small frame collapsing to the ground as she attempted to crawl along the gnarled roots. Oh there HAD to be a hiding spot here! Somewhere! Death was a permanent fixture for she — not a thing she wished to greet just yet.
SIMMER, dear iudex. feel the fire stoked to life again and let it send radiant spears up through a body kept cold as the grave for years unending. the coiled sword has left its mark on you, dear iudex, twisted up and intertwined with those dying embers, so every bonfire set ablaze sears you to the bone. even the one settled, now, in the graves--especially that. it is what drives him out, away from ash-stained stone, away from familiar undead piecing themselves together after the unkindled ran them through. out and away. seek the shrine.
AND at first he is as blind as the stranger, his own death and resurrection too recent to remember how everything works. the iudex stumbles and staggers and picks himself up before his armor can pin him to the dirt. how shameful, such inelegance, and on the heels of such a sound defeat. too soon yet to forgive himself the weakness. but--he sees her, soon enough, a slight little thing scratching around between the graves, folding in on herself like a frightened animal, and--the iudex stoops, crouches with some effort near her hiding place, watches with dulled-down eyes.
"IF you are seeking shelter--a little to the left, and forward. the graves are empty, there, and the roots make a clever canopy."
