She closed her eyes appreciatively at Arden's touch, a sound almost like a purr rising from deep in her throat. Help is appreciated.
Malachi watched the beast and the girl, his smile returning. "I've got friends in high places," he said mysteriously. Then the mystery was dropped. "But seriously, one of the rebels I know is a gifted hacker. I believe they could navigate their way through the '6 prison databases and files until they found something on you. They have to have a record of the human mercenaries and soldiers and experiments they recruit somewhere, right?"
"Well let's hope this gifted hacker of yours is truly gifted, i know it's not exactly easy to get into the database. oh and, we should also see if they have any logs for her, any experiments related to her."
She turned away from malachi, not being able to stare at his face for more then maybe a minute or two for some reason, she turned back to female, stroking her once more and softly smiling at the purrs.
“I mean, the fact that they can understand the alien writing system alone should be enough to show how talented they are. They’ve gotten us out of some sticky situations,” Malachi said emphatically, beginning to reminisce. If the rebellion didn’t have Emery on their side, where would they be now?
Then he nodded, stroking the creature’s neck as well. “Oh, of course. Mademoiselle, you certainly must have an interesting past.”
I want to remember. The beasts eyes fluttered. I’ve been remembering more, but not enough. Maybe I can be whole.
"Hm, well then they must be a real asset for the rebellion."
no, don't even start
…
She turned towards the spinx.
you've been remembering things? What have you remembered so far?
Her eyes widdened a slightest bit.
Images, pictures. Faces. Pale, gaunt faces. Dark, ashen faces. A familiar voice… I think. A child. Children? So many familiar things. Blood. Blood on the floor. On the walls. Being contained… controlled. Feeling afraid. And angry. I think that’s it. The creature’s eyes became unfocused. A word, too. A name? It slipped away…
The ground leveled out, and there was a break in the trees. They were now crossing a small clearing.
Malachi stayed quiet, growing tired. He began to doze on the sphinx’s back.
well glad to know it's coming out…do you remember what the voices sounded like?..
She looked ahead at the path, before noticing no comments from malachi and looking back to see him sleeping.
"hopefully he doesn't fall off..'
He was at least partially conscious, so he heard her and said, “I won’t.”
It had vaguely occurred to him that the other two seemed to be communicating telepathically again. About what, he couldn’t guess, but he didn’t want to ask just yet. His eyes felt heavy.
Rest assured, I’ll keep the youth mounted. An echo of a smile appeared on her face, but only for a moment. It was familiar… not like I’ve just heard it before, but like I’ve heard it for a long time… before… she paused. It sounded scared… a child? Calling for their mother, perhaps. I… she stared straight ahead, lost in thought.
(Okay so, to double check, i said that Kali couldn't remember anything from her past? So maybe i could like, have her think about her past because that sounded familiar and either it hurts to think about it or it's very clouded.)
She frowned at that, knitting her brows together at the last few phrases, she seemed to be trying to think about something and struggling.
Why does that sound so familiar?…
She tried to think about it, truly think about it and she let out a gasp, wincing.
"dang it." She put a hand to her head, trying harder. She was so close…! She could feel it, she as if she was reaching out to touch it and then-
"gah!" She let out a cry of pain against her will, "Dang it..! Stupid lab!'
Malachi’s eyes shot open and his head snapped toward Arden’s voice. The beast halted. “Are you alright?” He asked.
Caution, the sphinx warned. I have also experienced moments like these. It will only worsen if you try further, but I think… I think it will come to you in time. Are you alright? She echoed Malachi.
"im fine, im fine." she let out a sigh, looking at the spinx. it felt like i was close for once…i just wanted to be able to remember something for once from before the lab, espcially with how familar what you said was. she continued to walk ahead, knowing they would follow. im fine maybe physically,but not mentally.
(i refreshed notebook five times and its just now saying i have a notifcation shfdjsfd)
The sphinx continued walking after her. You were child once. Of course it is familiar. So many familiar things.
“You think the drugs are wearing off?” Malachi wondered aloud. “This would be your first day without getting them, right?”
He just assumed that she had been drugged like he had been when he was still in captivity. While this was partially true, Arden would’ve had her memories directly altered.
"…..it wasn't just drugs ..i can tell that much.." she spokex her voice seeming to have a more serious edge to it then normal, just for that one sentence.
"I haven't had a vision in a while though, so that's new."
She continued to walk shoving her hands in her pockets.
By now they were back in the trees, the dappled golden light making everything look soft and warm. Malachi coughed a bit, but then relaxed again. While it was good that Arden wasn’t experiencing those traumatic flashbacks, he wondered why they had happened in the first place. How had the drugs and whatever else had been done to the girl not kept those memories from resurfacing? If anything, her brain would have blotted those memories out completely. Étrange…
He was too tired to respond, and gradually dozed off again.
(right lemme respond, when my brain works)
She shoved her hands in what pockets she had, staring ahead as they walked side by side with the sphynx. she glanced at them every once in and while, figuring how Malachi probably dozed off again.
she let out a soft sigh as they continued to walk, she knew nothing about herself and she couldnt learn it if she tried, and she really tried, it was better than visions but at least she could live the memory instead of not at all.
a small figured knocked on the door, they placed the book down at the door, with a note on it. when the time is right, you'll know what to do. wait until you see the girl with the raven hair. page [number wiith the trigger words] then the figure left.
Alister was high on adrenaline and anxiety; he didn’t notice Noel and Trent veering away from the path. He ended up steering the group to the abandoned building. He jumped through the hole, the others coming up with or behind him. He thought he felt or heard bullets whistle past his ears and inhuman growls in the distance. Inside were dusty cardboard boxes scattered randomly about, and a few really old rat traps with bones and rotting flesh inside. Alister decided to breathe through his mouth. August crouched against the wall just beside the hole, and Alister and the others followed her example. About half a dozen armed aliens thundered past, some shouting orders, most likely to search the area. August motioned everyone to touch her shoulders or arms, and they all became invisible.
“Wait, where’s Pike and Noel?” She asked.
Alister was ready to cry. Of all of the things that could go wrong, why did it have to be being separated from his sister again?
"I think I saw them earlier, they may have taken a wrong turn," Vixen said quietly.
August sighed. "Okay. We have to believe they can handle themselves. Are they gone yet?"
Judging from the shifting of cloth, Vixen seemed to move to look outside the building. "Not yet, but they're leaving and have their backs turned."
"Alright, then. The back entrance is over there. I say we go for it."
"I'm with you on that."
August made everyone visible again, and they dashed through the back entrance.
Noel almost wished she could kick Trent in the nuts. Everything was happening a little too fast, but she knew clearly where to go. But Trent took her by the hand before she could say anything about it, and the stupid oaf didn’t even know where he was going! She tried to steer him in the right direction, but he was too strong. She could hear a hoard of aliens behind them, and bullets whistling dangerously past. It seemed that since they had separated themselves from the others, they were easier to track down.
By the time they crashed into the wall, it was hard to see a route they could take to join the others. Noel let out a small squeak of surprise when Trent laid on top of her. She then took offense to this. Her wind abilities were stronger than his wolf instincts, she should be the one protecting him!
The aliens had figured out where they had gone. They moved toward the wall, guns at the ready.
Noel heard a gun being loaded. In one quick movement, she used all four arms to grab Trent's torso and switch places with him. Then jumping out to face the dragon-like creatures, she made a sweeping motion with her arms, redirecting the volley of bullets sharply to the right, blasting coin-sized holes in the wall there. Quickly she ducked to avoid more bullets and swung her leg to the left, sending wind to knock the aliens over like a set of dominos. While they were down, Noel sent a gust of wind to lift Trent and herself into the air and up to the roof of a nearby building. Once she'd set them down, the aliens were up and already firing.
"Go, go!" she shouted, running across the roof. "Follow me!"
From here, she could see the alleyway she thought they were supposed to go, and the gate beyond that, so she went in that direction.
Trent just watched in helpless awe as noel did all of that, he managed to punch a few of the aliens to at least help out. Then when noel lifted him onto the roof he followed after her as fast as he could.
Evan followed ALISTER the best he could, with the little boy clinging onto ALISTER as they ran.
After a various instances of outmaneuvering the aliens and going invisible, the rebels all made it to District 6. Noel and Trent had to eventually travel on street level, since running on the roofs was too conspicuous, and August and the others were in a continuous loop of hiding and running and hiding again. The aliens that were still pursuing them stopped once they crossed the border, though it sounded like they had contacted allies on the other side. Navigation got easier though, after they made to familiar territory. Noel and Trent managed to reunite with the others in a back alley.
‘6 was quite the opposite of ‘7. The former was steeped in poverty, and one could say it had a steampunk feel to it. Several areas were so grimy and rusted and sad, it was no wonder the aliens didn’t really care about the humans here. Unless of course, they thought some humans could be used for scientific research and other such purposes, or if the humans turned against them. These mini revolutions and riots happened often, though they were short lived. The rebel force here persisted quietly though, in the underbelly of the mess of dirty streets and rusted buildings. The district was like a large, old machine that had been running for too long, used and abused, yet it still worked… sort of. Home sweet home.
Alister’s arms were now free of the small peculiar boy, who was now toddling beside him. His sister walked just ahead of him, and he stared at her in subtle awe. We’ll say Trent had told the others of their excursion, Noel occasionally adding that Trent was an idiot who should’ve let her lead from the beginning, and August scolding Trent for not listening or being aware of his surroundings. Trent described Noel’s various feats in attempting to evade the aliens, and it changed the way Alister saw her, in way. For a long time, all he knew was the version of her from three years ago, the Noel that had been helpless when the alien monsters took her away. But clearly, three years can change a person. Noel wasn’t an eleven year old anymore. At the same time, it was strange, as if he was meeting her for the first time. Alister’s gaze drifted to a small bruise on her arm. By now, everyone was covered in cuts and bruises. For Evan and Alister though, it was rather embarrassing, as they also had the flowers and blooms to match.
After a few twists and turns, they approached the prison. The book that had unknowingly been placed at the front gates was now gone.
The trio crossed long stretches of woods and meadows, crossing over fallen trees and large rock formations and rivers. A few times Malachi attempted to walk, and eventually he got the hang of it. Despite this, his pace was rather slow, and so he continued riding on the sphinx so as to not slow them down. After some time the creature announced that they were in the final quarter of their journey.
They were now wading through a river, which wasn’t too deep and came up to somewhere between Arden’s hips and waist.
She had to swallow her pride and her fear and just go rigiht into the water, sure she genuinely knew how to doggy paddle at most in the water but that was about it otherwise she couldnt even dare to swim.
she tried not to think about all the ways that this could go wrong and focused on getting across, though every time she would get scared she would grab onto the beast for extra support.
she hated being short.
The little boy no longer in alisters arms sure, but he never left alister side and a little while after he set him down he walked over to him and clung to his arm, almost as if he was scared. if he you asked him though he would say that he wasnt scared and then turn it back on you. the little boy did look around at all the different people, messing with the flowers whenever they appeared on Alister.
Evan let out a soft chuckle, reaching and giving the boy soft headpats, the boy tried to be tough but you could tell he was like 'i deserve these' and happily took them anyway.
Trent was still in complete awe and shock about noel even though they had been together as like friends for a while she never thought noel could do such awesome stuff like that.
