Liberation (Faye/Closed)

[Marigold Darkson]

The Lancelot had touched down upon the a forest some distance off from the main castle of the Enchanted Dominion. They had to be discreet and the fact that a giant red-on-black ship would have raised a hell of a lot of awareness, the queen utilized its stealth system. When it landed, Marigold, alongside Faye and four Assassin Saviors had been among the ships confines. After everything had powered down, the silvery-haired woman stood from her captain's chair and turned her golden orbs over to the sorceress.

"Alright, dear, we're here." Her voice remained as calm as ever and those ruby-red lips of hers formed into a devious smile. Truly, she felt the energy run through the rest of her being, for it had been a while since she entirely separated form her usual group and traveled with someone unrelated to the Darkson's. Needless to say, Mari was happy to have accompanied Faye and her dragon companion, Wysteria, on the quest to liberate her land from the clutches of the Heartless. "So, Faye, I imagine that the plan is still the same. However, much to my own dismay, my excitement has caused it to grow a little funny. Shall you brief me of it, as to not lose myself entirely to the thrill of the mission?" She asked with a light giggle.

Her gear had been nice and packed, which only included the essentials for herself. Clothes and weapons. The Queen's scythe was nice and tucked away in her own being, which she'd likely call upon at the first sign of trouble. The Savior units, their robotic tones showed that they had registered and connected with the Darkson database. Once they had, their safeties were taken off and they brandished their weapons. Twin daggers, anti-personnel guns, and stealth systems used to hide from the naked eyes. They had also used a form of energy core, made from a new magical source in prototype with the Darkson Company. These Savior units appeared as hooded grim reapers.

[Faye]

Hand up against the glass, Faye peered down below through the window of the Darkson airship. It had been so long since she had been home and as many times as her heart had ached to return, she had made a vow that she would not come back without help, and so here she was. A barren landscape lay before them, the once lush green fields now trudged with muddy trenches and abandoned artillery. Military weapons lay strewn about either left behind or still being clutched in the hands of their fallen owners . Vultures, crows, and others scavengers circled the battlefield, taking great pleasure in the generous feast man had so foolishly given them. Some of the animals appeared to be so fat and bloated it looked as if they could pop at any moment. So much carnage, and for what? This entire war was nothing but a four sided game of chess for the Heartless to play with.

The sorceress prayed that their theory was correct, that with Malazon under restrain, the berserk leaders would regain their sense of self. And if not? Well, she had already come to terms with spilling their blood if it was necessary. Not that it would be too hard, regardless of whether or not they were being influenced by Malazon, she couldn't help but harbor resentment for them. The dark desires hidden within their hearts had caused so much suffering--their weakness. If only they hadn't been swayed by their greed for more this could have all been avoided.

Hearing Marigold's voice, she stepped away from the grisly sight, turning her full attention to the queen. Finally she--they--could fix this, just as she had promised. Perhaps she did not have the Keyblade, but help was finally here nonetheless. That's what mattered. It's all that mattered right now from the look of things. Wysteria rested on her shoulder, letting out a comforting musical trill that soothed Faye's rapidly beating heart, though on the outside the sorceress kept up a calm and determined appearance. Unknown to her, however, the Darkson Queen would be able to sense the anxiety coursing through her easily. There was no room for failure.

"We delve our way through Malazon's lair, destroying whatever advarseries and obstacles may block our path, and then once he is in our sights you will ensnare the fiend with your experiment, correct?" she looked at the white haired woman. "Allow me to concentrate a moment and I should have his location." I hope, she secretly thought.

Placing a hand over her heart, the sorceress gazed out into the distance where she could see the peak of the damaged castle tower, littered with holes and broken stone. Closing her eyes, she took a moment trying to home in on the Heartless lord, though it was the first time she had ever attempted to use their strange connection.Wincing slightly, she remembered the horrible agony that had ripped through her body, Malazon's claws slowly wrapping around her light touched heart, beckoning to the darkness within. The question was, could he sense her as well? Did he know she was here? They would find out soon enough.

"There." she said, feeling a deep foreboding as she continued to stare at the castle, one that made her chest feel with pressure. "Beneath the castle he lies in wait, toying with the lives of my people..." a growl crawled up her throat, a very unladylike thing to do, she knew, but for once she was too angry to care.

The sorceress would lead the Darkson Queen and her sentries across the desolate battlefield, meeting a number of Heartless along the way, but nothing they couldn't handle. There were no soldiers to contend with thankfully. It seemed this battle had been over for a few days now. The smell of grotesque carrion filled her senses, and more than once Faye found herself gagging to the brink of vomiting until she started holding her breath and breathing in through her mouth only when necessary. Wysteria, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind. Though Faye had been feeding her a diet of clean meat and fruit, she had stolen more than a few kills from other predators on her own world.

The sight of the bank leading down into the moat below was a welcomed sight. Anything to dampen the horrid scent of death made her want to squeal with delight if it didn't make her look silly, however, she could not hold back the sigh of relief that slipped past her lips. Lifting her skirt a few inches, she slid down the muddy bank and splashed down into the water below, nearly soaking her from head to toe. To be so filthy nagged at her relentlessly, being the kind of proper lady she was. "It will probably only get worse from here." she said more to herself than to Marigold. The thought sent a tingle down her spine. Icky, slimy, grime coated all over her body. She was already looking forward to a hot bath.

The sensation in her heart continued to pull to her left. Using a hand on the stone wall to keep her balance, she followed the waterway down, moving through the muddy water with great displeasure until they came across a faded oval crack in the stone.

"These blocks do not appear as old." Faye said, touching the wall. "An old escape route for the royal family, perhaps? It may lead into the undercroft." she would look to Marigold and her sentries, hoping that they had a means of opening the passage. "By the way, will Malazon need to be weakened for your experiment to work? And speaking of which, what is it exactly? You gave me a brief description when we met, but I am not sure I completely understand."

[Marigold Darkson]

The sight was that of true carnage and death, one that befit an actual battlefield. Reminded her much of her homeworld where she destroyed much of her own opponents. Unlike this world which has a significant amount of time to go, before they're able to effectively end a war without much damage to the land. That was a different thought for a different time, however, for they had a journey to complete. Once Faye had been given vision of the Heartless Lord's location, their path was set.

To traverse the beaten land and be exposed to all the carrion and stench of the scenery only caused flashbacks for the queen. These didn't upset her stance and balance as a queen, though, for when the Heartless showed up, her scythe danced beautifully around her body and cut through the air with ease. Each and every creature that came up to fight them were promptly put down with finesse and grace. The Savior units were doing well in quickly silencing any resistance. Roy and Lily designed them well, much to the Queen's pleasure.

Unlike her exceptionally lady-like companion, Mari wasn't a stranger to the foul smells that accompanied the area and hadn't even reacted negatively to it. She didn't prefer to be around it, but she wasn't at all weak to it. "Will you be fine, Faye?" The silvery-haired maiden asked and turned a cautious eye over to the sorceress. There were several physical cues that Faye had dropped, ones that showed discomfort. A gentle hand had been placed onto her shoulder and Marigold offered her a smile that beamed. "You're doing fine, dear. Don't push yourself before the final fight is at hand, okay?" She urged and attempted to raise the overall morale of her comrade, while also giving her the words to soothe her anxiety.

Much like the woman at her side, though, she detested the idea of having to soil her own clothes but understood the severity of the situation. Luckily for her, she had a large enough wardrobe that the stains weren't too much of a travesty. Along the way, the woman admired the ancient architecture that had been used in the castle walls. Brick and mortar, still a favorite even in most advanced worlds. The vampire preferred the fusion between modern building code and the old to begin with. Helped against sieges and the like.

After some time of quietly sneaking their way through what Faye assumed was the escape route for the royal family, the sorceress inquired about the device the Queen spoke of earlier. A fair question that she knew the young woman was about to ask at one point or another. A coy smirk came to her lips. She always enjoyed showing off her newest toys and the like. "Malazon won't need to be weakened at all, but there is a bit of a wind-up of sort that is required before we can actually capture him." Her voice explained with clarity. "But as to what it does and this may seem barbaric to you, because it certainly does to me, but the device severs the user from their connection to magic entirely. Renders them as incapable as an inept human."

[Faye]

Listening to Marigold, Faye felt more than a bit uneasy at the aspect of being cut off from magic, the very center of the woman's life. A craft she treasured and worked hard to improve with every fiber of her being. "Forever?" she questioned, her brows knitting together. Was the sorceress willing to sacrifice her power for the good of her world. It was a difficult decision and before her journey, she may have firmly denied the idea of relinquishing a gift so precious to her. Now? Now was different. This was much bigger than just herself, and after her long search and meeting the new and interesting people she had, she finally understood that. What she had told Marigold in Twilight Town was not a lie or some simple poetic tripe in an attempt to gain her favor. No, she meant every word, and that resolve was solidified upon seeing the current state of her home. She would do anything to save this world, and if it came to the point of losing her magical prowess, so be it. She would survive. Whatever the answer, she would accept it.

A heavy curtain of withered vines hung down around the passageway, clinging to the bricks for who knows how many years. The willpower of plants never ceased to amaze Faye. "Hm..." she caressed one between her fingers, getting an idea as to unblock the entrance without using brute strength or causing a ruckus. The sorceress let her magic flow through the vine in her hand, and it in turn spread throughout the rest of them. The flaking stems soon became thick and green, sprouting bright healthy leaves as the vines reached out for the brick they had made their home. Like tiny hands, their thorns began to dig into what was left of the old mortar at a quick pace, loosening each block until it was ready to fall out. The plants did their job quite well, wrapping around each stone before gently dropping it down into the water, creating a convenient set of stairs. Once they completed their purpose, they settled back into their proper place alive and vibrant with tiny yellow blooms.

"Let us tread carefully. I have no idea what to expect through here." she said, lightly tapping her garnet headdress. The action activated one of the enchantments she had laid upon it, allowing her to see movement and figures in the darkness.

Following her connection, the group would make their way through long winding tunnels, some of which were completely collapsed or were on the verge. The dampness and smell of rot didn't help. There was a lot of water damage, and Faye was starting to understand why this passage may not have been favored. The deeper they went, the more ancient and primitive their surroundings seemed to become. "This castle has been torn down and rebuilt numerous times throughout the ages." she began to explain in a hushed voice. "Judging from the age of the architecture, I suspect this could be apart of the original foundation." the sorceress scratched off some dried dirt that was caked onto the wall. "Flooding... probably thought it better to create a new route rather than keep this one repaired. There was mention of a season with endless rains in one of my history tomes. It may have been forgotten by the royals."

That sensation of dread in her chest continued to grow as they moved, the pressure building up until it became borderline discomfort. It was when they came to an ivory carved  door inlaid with dark gems that she paused, letting out a pained gasp. "Here." she started, slightly out of breath. "Behind the door..." Wyseria leaped off Faye's shoulder, gliding back to hover beside Marigold and her sentries. The tiny dragon had better senses than Faye and she did not like what lay beyond. "I will draw him out. His hunger for my heart. Such... I can not describe it." the sorceress was at a loss for words, appearing rather disturb by the sensations and faint visions behind her eyelids. She adjusted the violet crystal ball in her hand, preparing for what was to come. "Tell me whatever it is you need me to do for this experiment to work and it shall be done." she said, her hand wrapped around the angel shaped handle. "If he ends my life, please protect these people." she let out a soft chuckle. "They may be completely irrational and some complete bigots, but they are good people, and I love them. I have never found the strength to hate them, even when many would claim me a witch. They are scared of the unknown. Show them that they do not have to be, Queen Darkson. That is all I ask."

[Sponsored content]