The Cost of Freedom (Open)

[Saeriea]

Deep within the canyons and ravines of this barren world, trekked onwards a small faerie. Saeriea was her name, and shorn of her wings, the world was looking to be a much more fearsome place. Certainly, it would be known that this was a far better fate than dying at the hands of the monster who brought her here. Still, ever onwards she stumbled, towards a fate which she knew not.
The glow of the masses of rock and the malformed ravine walls served only to further the alien feeling that this world began to radiate. Her uneasiness was aided on by the knowledge and feeling of the creatures that called this place home, ever watchful and ready to assail her in an instant. The dagger she used to carry was lost to her, not that physical weapons seemed to have any effect on these beings, if what she'd witnessed before had been any indication. No, it was stealth that would be her tool today.
She pressed onwards, her legs unused to the constant strain only being supported by the lingering adrenaline from her escape. She continued to observe, this was certainly not anywhere near home, and the total alienness of it gave her pause. She skulked on for hours, evading creatures along the way, often narrowly. Between the blood loss, her strained legs, the hopeless feeling, and the early signs of starvation, she was finding it very difficult to proceed on.
She stumbled, falling face first and colliding with the soft but firm matter that made up the ground below. Her thoughts turned to her family, her friends, her home now long gone. Would she die here?.... She started to cry softly, though no tears came to her.
"Enough."
A voice spoke to her, the same as from before.
"I will not die here. I have to carry on."
She didn't realize it before, but these thoughts were in fact her own. They seemed different, like they were darkened beyond her control now, as though something within her had snapped. She decided to heed the voice, perhaps in delirium, perhaps out of fear, she couldn't tell, nor did she care. After some time she mustered the strength. Pulling up on the rocks nearby, she heaved herself to her feet, and began to stumble further on.

[Holly Hallow]

The End of the World was exactly what it was, the end. This was where all good worlds came to rest, in chunks, after the Heartless successfully devoured a world's heart. Lost in perpetual darkness, they come here in malformed pieces, like a disastrous jigsaw puzzle without any of the pieces connecting correctly. Besides the Realm of Darkness, this too was a place where the Heartless came in an abundance. They worked on a hive-mind and their loyalties changed based on who can usurp control over that mentality. The reason why they haven't killed that lost, bewildered creature, was mostly due to the presence that lurked there already. Rather, she simply played with her like a toy and allowed them to strike at her, but deal nothing fatal. Her blood that dripped onto the ground of broken worlds, was enough to satisfy some's dark desires. The observer who decided that she wanted to do more than just observe.

Holly san Hallow, or just Holly for short, was a girl who had been near the end of her days of living. A wretched creature whose heart and ideals have been steeped in darkness for many years. A darkness so powerful that it tore away at what made her, her. Much like how her teacher saw a great light, ready to be tainted and turned into a great darkness, Holly found a budding darkness, ready to be cultivated and nourished. Thus, when that pathetic creature pulled itself up on a few rocks and trudged her way forward, she'd be met with a figure dressed in all-white, sitting in a black, regal in design chair.

"Stop." Her voice came as a hiss, the white veil covered her facial features and would serve as a proper barrier, from how far the two women were from one another. Her dried white locks draped over her shoulders and down her chest, in a ragged manner. Holly's body itself appeared thinner than normal, as if she was malnourished. She didn't move a single muscle and simply sat in her lifeline. "You're on a thin line between life and death. Why have you come here?"

[Saeriea]

Regaining her composure, Saeriea stumbled ever so slightly forwards once more. It took immense effort to heave her legs, still unused to the constant strain, forward even a millimeter. Before a thought could even properly form in her mind, she was given an order to stop. This caused her to pause, before she realized she was being spoken to by another being. Looking up, and up, and further up..... She saw another person, one with the size to match the man who'd just caused her so much pain. This was clearly a new person, but given her dealings with gargantuan people she was loathe to trust the voice. Even so, there seemed to be little else to do now.
The voice then inquired, her purpose it wished to know. The voice carried a sort of hiss to it that unsettled Saeriea even further. In her current state, she was almost about to welcome death. She'd been mutilated, bled dry, and was aware that she was mildly delirious. It took all of her willpower to stand as it was, and was not in the mood to chat, most especially with one of those ilk. She simply stood, resting one weak arm against a rock, leaving the other to hang.
Perhaps it was because she was so ready to just end the pain that she defied the voice. Or maybe it was because she simply hadn't the strength.... Her vision started to fade some, she was losing consciousness. There was a mixture of fear, peace, anger, and pain that swirled into an emotion unlike any she'd felt in her life. And yet, she was still unable to summon the strength to reply. Even so, she stood defiantly, unable to make sense of her own actions.

[Holly Hallow]

No answer? Either she was scared shitless or... No, that wasn't the look of someone who was scared beyond their wits, but the look of someone who wished to put up a bitter fight to the end. Amusing at its utmost. "You've your wings cut and your tongue cut too? Here, let me help you speak..." Her tone remained in that hissing, ominous nature. The defiant, broken figure before her was right if she thought of not conversing with Holly. The decrepit young woman had a forked silver-tongue and knew how to use it. She preferred action above all else, though, because it usually solidified one's personality.

She raised a shaky, bony hand and pointed a sharp finger towards the pathetic woman in front of her. The very darkness seemed to swirl underneath her command and misty tendrils traveled forward towards her. Harmless in its approach, there wasn't anything malignant behind this attempt at gaining the woman's trust. Already, she had a heart that was swimming in darkness. There was light in there still, but it could be cut away with proper slices. This was the first cut.

Darkness healed darkness and due to how this woman oozed it in her current state, the chair-ridden creature had an idea of how to assist her. Normally, the necromancer took life and only reanimated husks or bones to serve as a companion, but that didn't mean she didn't know how to heal. After all, she had to keep her weakened body alive all this time, so she knew a few good spells for aid. They had a darker twist on them, obviously. The fairy would feel the tendrils enter her body but it produced a warm, comfortable feeling (if allowed to enter). They'd clot her blood and prevent anymore from falling, bringing what was salvageable and implanting it back into her body. Her fatigue was met with newfound energy if the darkness was able to course further and soon, she'd be away from the brink of death, though, not to her full strength. Probably to about 1/4th her natural health? Holly needed to keep her weak just in case she tried something.

"There. Now tell me. Why are you here?" That was the trade off. Health in exchange for information. Holly rested her hand back onto the armrest and shifted only slightly, her low hung head slowly raising itself further up.

While it appeared that it was just the two of them, that wasn't entirely true. Anyone who knew the nihilistic young woman would know that her companions weren't far off from her...

[Saeriea]

That dark feeling, the one she'd felt before, as though all of life was her enemy, it had returned to Saeriea. But this was different, the feeling was external and not her own. She glanced at the tendrils of darkness bearing upon her, looking less like the mist they were made of and more like predators waiting to strike. She wanted to react, but her own darkened inner thoughts convinced her to pause for only a moment. It was long enough of a pause that as she finally began to react, it was too late to do much about it. The darkness writhed and swirled, and for a moment in time, she attempted to struggle against it. She fell forward, both for lack of strength and as a ploy to shake it off. But soon she came to realize this wasn't just some mere shadow puppet. It crawled around her skin in an eerie, but non-hostile manner. It knit wounds, and replenished her strength.
A moment had passed, the darkness had it's way with her, and left her. She wasn't feeling wonderful, but it was significantly better than she had been. Slowly, she climbed from both knees, to one, and then to standing. She stumbled again, while healed in body her weariness was yet to fade, and her legs threatened to give way again. The woman before her spoke again, repeating her question. She was loathe to trust anyone right now, even if she had healed her. The darkness this woman commanded both unsettled her, and made for a serene peace. This contradiction bothered Saeriea, and it could be felt in her words as she replied.
"I am here, not of mine own will."
She paused, and considered how to move on. She was getting some very malevolent vibes from it all, and this above all else caused her alarm. Still, she had been warm enough to bring her from the brink of death. Saeriea decided it was best now to ascertain what exactly this person wanted before taking action.
"I was taken from my home, and kept prisoner for days. I do not wish to be here."
She paused again, deciding to allow her words a moment to pass before continuing on.
"And, if I may, to whom do I owe this kindness?"
She felt like her own words had stung herself, kindness wasn't the word, but she wasn't about to share that sentiment. Nay, if there was a reason this woman would keep her alive, she would find it. The longer she lived, the better her chances of survival. Running was not an option, so diplomacy would have to win this day.

[Holly Hallow]

Ah, she was someone met with an unfortunate fate and brought to a dark, dark place. Yet, her being stranded here was a bigger darkness than whatever hell she arrived from. The poor thing had arrived at the End of the World. A hub for creatures like Holly and Heartless. This fairy woman was a simple bud of darkness among this garden of chaos. And here the sickly creature figured she might have found the source of dark unrest... How disappointing.

"You owe the kindness to Holly san Hallow." She spoke her name with a more... Dignified hiss. Almost as if she commanded absolute authority, while trying to retain her more modest tone. Of course, when one was in the presence of the Heartless Queen for all their life, that was a little difficult to do. Holly had a small coughing fit, before she settled herself and sat up straight once more. "I believed you to be the great darkness for which I searched for, but I see you are nothing more than a broken shell..." Her voice trailed momentarily. "However, your broken self has gave way to something rather beautiful inside of you. I'm sure you feel it guiding you right now, no? The way how my own beauty mingled with yours and aided you?" Holly, of course, was speaking about their inner darkness. A light snake-like chuckle left her lips. "Would you like to learn more and leave from here?"

A simple yes or no question, but it was also a false dichotomy. There was really only one choice for the fairy woman and that was to accept Holly's invitation. Why? Well, because most people in the woman's current state either accepted life or death, however, the chair-ridden woman gave her a sliver of hope in the form of restoring some of her strength. Psychologically, that would bring about the unconscious instinct to live. Holly preyed on this and knew that most, if not all people had that urge to continue living deep down and would do anything necessary to survive. Even if it meant making a deal with a devil. But above all, the white-clad woman could see how the darkness festered in the green wearing creature, it's own will of wanting to survive definitely gave Holly a more manipulative edge.

[Saeriea]

Saeriea shifted her weight often while listening to this woman prattle on, she had quite a lot to say for someone who had never met her before. But there it was, mingling beauty or whatever she tried to play it off as. There was always a catch, especially with these larger people. She knew well enough that this wasn't safe, and her instincts told her to flee as soon as possible.
However, something else was bothering her now. This power, this dark feeling, something was wrong with this whole idea. She knew consciously that the woman's words were ought but an attempt to create allure, but a stirring within her was intrigued at the idea. In an instant she had an inner debate, with her mind finally making an excuse to go, if only for a moment. For even if this was dangerous, which it clearly was, how much longer would she survive here on this collection of rocks? There was no food to speak of, and without water dehydration would set in first. This woman, while looking malnourished, certainly would have better things to do if food were as scarce where she came from.
It did occur to her that maybe she ate things she lured in this way, that slithering way of speaking lent weight to the idea of a snake preying upon the weak. she could certainly make for a free meal herself. No, her desire to live was too great. She had to stall, she needed proof that this was going to be safer than wandering the endless void. She would agree, but only so long as she knew there was an escape route available to her, as soon there were signs of no escape coming, she would be ready to flee.
"Well then, Holly san Hallow. Pray tell, what exactly do you have in mind?"

[Holly Hallow]

No movement was unseen. Those milky "blind" eyes of Holly never once left the wounded woman before her. Body language spoke just as loud as actions, or words, so she had to make sure everything was being recorded. A dry lipped smile cracked upon her features as she watched the figure struggle with her dilemma. Given that she had been assaulted beforehand and her earlier defiance, it was obvious the fairy had a high flight risk. Malleable and vulnerable, something the necromancer took into consideration. There was, however, a fair bit of surprise when the green-clad woman spoke up. She inquired about her intentions. Holly decided to tell it to her straight.

"You're new here, confused, battered, beaten and weakened. Your darkness beckoned to me and while it was a case of mistaken identity, I find that this is a chance meeting. I will clear your confusion, heal your wounds and replenish your strength. Then, I will let you go, with my knowledge imparted to you, unto this new universe you've seemed to stumble upon and from there...? Well, you can do whatever it is you want." She stated and made it clear what she wanted. "You may choose to come with me, or to walk your road alone from this point on, but do know I will not help you should you choose to go it alone."

And there she was, playing at the strings of the woman's survival instincts again. A person or animal desperate enough to live, will do almost anything in order to do so. People have the added advantage of swallowing their pride, so that's what Holly aimed for. The already broken were easy to to bring in, as they were to lose. All she had to do was play her cards right until the fairy was nice and primed, for the cultivation of her darkness.

[Saeriea]

Clear her confusion, salve her wounds and strength?.... This woman was all give and no take. No, that simply did not add up. It's true, there were those who would be willing to help should the need arise. But this was no such person, something had been off since she first chanced this meeting, and it began to click. How did one of her size stay here and escape detection from the creatures for so very long? The only answers that made sense were that she was either very skilled in evading them, was a skilled combatant, or they ignored her (Or worse, allied with her).
Were she their ally or simply ignored, that would imply that she was Saeriea's enemy, or at the very least was not her friend. If she was simply skilled enough to fight them, then that made her a predator. There was no reason for someone so skilled to take interest in a ruined husk of a person without gains to be had. And on the very very off chance that she was only skilled at evading them, which her body language did not seem to convey, then she must have a way out of this wretched place.
The woman did promise to take her, and a small part of her mind told her to accept the invitation. But then there was that final and obviously well placed cutting remark, she would deign abandon her should she go on alone. This comment was clearly not made without purpose, nay, this was something that gave her the evidence she needed that this woman stood to gain something... All of this thinking was well and good, but one thing yet nagged at her, why then would she heal her wounds? It might've been a predator's farce, but a meal was easier to claim when wounded, it made no sense to grant her life only to take her. Sure, it might grant sport to some, but this woman did not seem like she had the patience, nor the endurance to fight with her food for pleasure. She needed her alive, and that alone was key enough to tell Saeriea that she was in no immediate danger.
As though to act as a catalyst for action, she heard then the telltale jittering of the heartless abound. Given her choices, her odds of surviving another day in this place seemed less and less inviting. Spurned on only out of need, she reluctantly gave a curt nod.
"Darkness huh? I see. I fear I've had enough of these creatures, Holly san Hallow. Let us be away, before they cause us trouble."
This was as much statement as it was ruse, she wanted to glean a last bit of information from the woman. With any luck, she would absentmindedly slip any affiliation or knowledge about the heartless to her there as a passing statement. The more information Saeriea had, the better off she would be. Though now, she knew this woman was after darkness. Was that the feeling that nagged at her so as she fled her captor? If that was the case, this was about to become a whole lot more complicated. Wincing at both the thought and the pain, she stepped forward.

[Holly Hallow]

Holly noted the time it took between responses and bodily movements, after each of her statements had been made. Sometimes being too forward scared the skittish ones away, but in a situation like this, even the fairy knew that escape was no longer an option. The metaphorical gun being held to her head, loaded with a bullet that could end her life, allowed her to take up the offer. Good. The gray-haired wretch would have hated to kill her off before her true potential could be realized. Though, there was doubt and skepticism within the injured woman's words and Holly was able to pick that apart real easily. Another smile creased upon her lips, though, when she saw that nod come from the wanderer. "Yes, let's. These creatures run purely on instinct alone and can be a threat to anyone."

There'd be a snapping noise, as Holly made the noise with her fingers. Once again, her allies were never really far from her, it was just a matter of how far. This one in particular, her guardian, seemed to just appear. Out of the darkness, a tall, bulky figure clad in great, onyx black armor, stepped forward toward his Mistress. He gently reached his armored arms out to her and cradled her like one would their bride. The chair the necromancer sat upon had dissipated into the dark. Another snap of the fingers after that, brought for a dark portal, which had no visible exit. "Through here, you and I will go. Go through first. I must cover our exit and will join you soon, okay?"

Her voice once more came as a hiss and she ordered her knight to stand aside. A dark salvation was this woman's destination and even if she knew it, was there any other choice? Holly may not have known her name, but that'd all be in due time.

[Saeriea]

With a snap and a brief moment, something emerged from the darkness behind the woman. Seeing it caused Saeriea to hint at recoil, but she caught herself and maintained composure. She observed as the woman was scooped up like a doll, her limp appendages not lending themselves to dispersing the serpentine feeling this woman radiated. She issued command to venture forth into a void that just manifested before them. And there it was, that sickly darkness threatening to drain hope from the eyes of any observer. The portal swirled and coalesced in a rather unsettling, but strangely nostalgic way.
Would she, Saeriea, willingly walk into this death trap? Was trying to eke out a living amidst the debris of a ruined husk of a landscape truly a better chance at survival? No, what silliness. Yes, this darkness was sickening, and even more dangerous now that she recognized it had touched her in a way to influence her judgement. Despite this, however, she reasoned out that she would rightly be dead now without this woman's aid, did it truly matter where her corpse was? No, she wouldn't deign owe this creature a thing, and instead cited this one leap of faith as her repayment. It wasn't without extreme hesitation, and she had to will herself so very hard to move, but she did walk towards the portal. She turned her head, ready to drop this farce, and called out over her shoulder.
"As though I ever had a choice, huh?"
This was her acknowledgement that she knew what was going on, and that she was willingly accepting this path, regardless of the coercion. She stepped again, and again, finally crossing the threshold into this blackness. And as she did, a part of her betrayed to her a new feeling, one of power and joy in the presence of dark.

[Holly Hallow]

When the woman passed by the cradled wretch of darkness, she'd be able to see through the veil just a bit. A face which held nothing but utter contempt for all life, within the grooves and lines of her wrinkles, was darkness in pure form. Her conditioned had worsened. Holly's eyes clouded over completely, a sign that someone died or went blind. Either way, she had grown worse. Ragged, wheezing breaths left her lips but were only heard as the green-clad stranger continued past them. Before anyone left, there was a moment of amusement.

Holly stared her down for a moment, before she broke out into a shrill, hiss-like laugh when questioned about her choice. "No, you never did, but you played your part well." She'd say after laughing and having a small coughing fit. But once everything had been said and done, the wretch followed behind along with her several companions, who were never too far away...

---

The Shadows Citadel... It had been years since they had left, with her teacher, Ophelia, leaving for reasons unknown. She renounced her claim on the land and everything, but Holly began to expect it had to deal with their mutual "enemy."

A dining hall was where the woman in green found herself. The interior decorated with hues of purple and blue, with shades of white and black. There was a very regal and elegant design to the place as a whole, which despite being called a citadel, was more or less a castle. A castle of darkness. Holly preferred the lavish appearance of this place, as opposed to traveling the other worlds, but never spoke out that opinion for her own sake.

"Take a seat. I was in the middle of dining when you came." Her statement true enough, as the table was set with food that could only really feed two people. Usually, she'd have portions for two just in case some of her acquaintances came to visit. This was no different.

Her chair appeared at the end of the table, where a plate of half-eaten food was laid. The knight figure sat her down and remained at her side ever since, keeping a close eye on the fairy. Without waiting much longer, she just decided to begin. "Tell me, what is your name? From the looks of the wounds on your back, you once had wings, your frame is rather lithe and your garbs are very nature themed... You're a fairy of some sort, correct?"

[Saeriea]

Played. That word rang well in her mind, not because of the meaning, but because of the tense that implied her role was done. Upon crossing over she would find herself amidst a great hall, sized well beyond that which her people had ever managed, or needed. It was difficult to tell from her lower angle, but it seemed that the woman had no need of vaulted ceilings well over thrice her height either, especially with no wings of her own. As this thought came to her the woman emerged from behind, carried by the golem from before. She continued to speak in that wheezing hiss that so markedly stated her failing health with such clarity, but weak or no a predator was still a predator.
The decorations were generously scattered about the room, varying in hues but mostly adopting a purple or blue colour. She carefully observed the room, looking for all potential exits. At this she noticed she was being observed by that brute. The woman was already seated and eating a meal. She had been offered a seat, but she wasn't sure if it was intended as an insult, or a very honest slip of the mind. She stood on the floor, glaring upwards as though she were on some sort of trial. Truth be told she wasn't in a situation so far flung from the idea.
She was barraged with questions that would've been mere banter at a true party or with friends, but this was no jubilation. Saeriea shifted her weight to just one leg, to allow the other to rest a moment. She had been used to standing, but walking for miles was something her kind almost never had to endure. Her legs cried out to her mind that they had hit their limit, but Saeriea dared not show weakness.
"Saeriea. And I am a faerie, yes. Pray tell, what are you?"
She knew not how her people's chosen name came to be outside knowledge, their contact with the world outside was very limited. Nevertheless, she dared not betray her shock, wit seemed to be keeping her alive, and that is what she would rely on.

[Holly Hallow]

Holly had to stop herself from letting out a laugh, from the sheer simple fact of how silly her offer looked. While it was an honest slip of the tongue, she didn't intend for the fairy to be offended. Sure, her wings were broken from her body but the ivory wearing necromancer figured she could still muster basic wind elements, to aid in flight. Seeing as just stood there, glare on her face, Holly stopped eating for a moment, to will her darkness into play. The tendrils of anti-light had swarmed beneath her feet and rose up, like a mobile platform. Based on the fairy's height, it was simple enough to just place on the top of the table. There wasn't any indication of when, but there was a small plate of food made for Saeriea.

Saeriea, the fairy who was far from any world that could possibly house fairies, held a great a darkness within her. That was very different from the creatures who normally aligned with light, but then again, there were stories of fairies who had gone dark and became great, malevolent forces. Maybe that was something the sickly woman could bring out in her guest?

"I am human, obviously." Holly answered with a shrill chuckle. "Doesn't my broken, weakened body just scream human?" She asked, almost as if it should have been an obvious thing. "But let me ask something... Are you curious about the strength that kept you at the brink?" Her question came as she continued to size Saeriea up. Sure, there wasn't much to look at when a creature of that size was before you, but the woman knew that appearances were very deceiving. The tact and wit she showed, plus her cautious nature when handling conversation, showed Holly that her broken guest hadn't been far gone. She was still there, just on a high flight risk. Which is why she noted the way how the fairy observed the room.

[Saeriea]

That disturbing cackle of a laugh only served to punctuate further Saeriea's distrust of the situation. It was now open knowledge that she was little more than a mere hostage to this woman's whims. After allowing herself to be lifted onto the table, she noted the plate of food placed near her, clearly intended for another guest, likely her. She was notably hungry, it had been a long run for many hours, and her stomach openly complained aloud. Still, she resisted the call, her nerves and wariness keeping her from the food, lest it were poison. The woman spoke of being human, calling it obvious for her form. So all humans looked frail and sickly then did they? Saeriea had never met one, likely because no such creature existed where she came from. The only other species that she was aware of looked nothing like this.
Her thoughts were interrupted, the woman cut to the chase, albeit in a rather 'beat-about-the-bush' manner. She wanted to speak more of the darkness that kept her alive, and clearly powered this woman's talents. The faerie wasn't unaware of the powers of dark, and many of her people told the tale over and over again of the fallen ones. Darkness brought with it nothing good, so she was told. She did always wonder why that was, but now that she'd felt it for herself, she began to understand.
....
Or so she'd thought. It was in this instant a thought betrayed her, like many others before. What exactly was so bad about darkness anyways? It did keep her alive, surely it wasn't as bad as she was told... She pushed this idea from her mind, and focused back on getting out alive. She'd deal with these thoughts later.
Turning to the woman she guised her curiosity in stoicism. She allowed the topic to continue, lest it upset the woman, and maybe in some small way to entertain the thought she'd just fought out of her mind. But mostly, it was more stalling. The more she knew, the better.

"Can't say I've ever heard of a human before.... But to answer your question, I won't deny my curiosity, and you did tell me you'd wished to enlighten me. So by all means, do go on."
She turned her gaze back to the plate before her, pretending to be interested in a particularly round fruit she'd never seen before. Of course, pretending to be interested in the food might not have been the best choice, as her stomach audibly made sure she was aware that she was still very much actually hungry.

[Holly Hallow]

Her knowledge of humans was next to none? How was that even possible? A perplexing thought that gave rise to Holly's next conclusion, which was she truly wasn't from this universe at all, so the fact she managed to pop right into the End of the World, was astounding at best. This thought was so grand it caused the woman to stop eating, as she stared hard at the fairy Saeriea. A curt young thing who had no idea the prospects she stumbled upon. To Holly, this was like a gold mine. A light laugh left her lips once more.

"Darkness, is the absence of light and its polar opposite by nature. Much like nature, there needs to be a proper balance of things, or you have a domino effect of things going awry. You, Saeriea, have both light and darkness, but it seems you've awakened to the darkness that stirred in the pit of your heart. With it, you found salvation and a power to continue the fight, despite your..." Holly trailed off, so that she could get a better look at that wound. "Affliction. Beaten, bloodied, tired and hungry, which by the way, you should eat. Why would I go through all of this trouble explaining things to you, if I were to poison you?" A rhetorical question, noted by how she continued to speak. "Anyways, your power and affinity to the dark is... Prodigal, at best. Such a bright beacon of darkness attracted even me, under the guise you were the one who I searched for, but alas, you weren't." The necromancer began to cough again, so she took a glass cup next to her, filled with a thickened red liquid that she drank down to about half full.

"Believe me when I say, I can teach you how to use that power sealed inside you... But I won't. One, because I am far too frail and near the end of my days in this shell, to try and teach. Two, because you must explore this universe beyond this world we're in. There are many other places out there and you'll see the strife between the light and the dark, man against man, plus so much more. Saeriea, you must be acquainted with the concepts of these new worlds before your heart is opened to further training." The woman explained and with her last words, Holly wiped her hands in a cloth, before she placed them at her lap. Her gaze never faltered, never left the frame that was the green-clad fairy.

She outstretched a hand, willing the darkness to her again and allowed it to swirl around the woman. A gamble on the necromancer's part but she figured it was fine. After all, even if the young thing ran off, how would she ever leave the world, if not through some sort of freak accident...? What she did, was heal Seariea back to her full strength. Of course, there'd be nothing she could do about the little one's hunger, so that much would have to do. When the process was finished the darkness released the caressing hold it had on her.

[Saeriea]

So there it was. This woman sought to open up the darkness within her, though one must wonder why. She spoke of this being "The end of her time', this "Human" was dying was she? That was quite interesting to know, perhaps moreso than any of the other things she gleaned from this conversation. Often it was, that creatures near their end behaved in ways that were vastly different from their nature, so the hunters had taught her. If this was true, then all the signs that this was a predator were certainly accurate, but a predator knowing it's end has come might not care to eat any longer.... Finally caving to desperation and burgeoning starvation, Saeriea reluctantly broke off a piece of food and ate it. The sweet taste of meal after over a = day of not eating filled her senses, putting her into a state of relief the likes of which she hadn't felt for an age. There was no way to know the effects of the food now, as she'd never eaten it's like before, but she cared little anymore.
She needed to continue eating, and did so with haste, keeping a wary eye and ear on her "Host". When the woman stretched her hand out, she stopped stuffing her face for a moment, and put herself on the defensive. The tendrils of dark had returned, and they seemed as dark as before. Her reasoning called on her to away at once, but that same burgeoning instinct told her it was of no harm. Instinct had carried her this far, no sense not trusting in it anymore. She lowered her stance, as the darkness restored to her most of her strength. She felt both enlivened, and violated. With a mixture of disdain, soured gratitude, anger, fear, and that looming strange peace, she she bit down on her lip and shed a tear, refusing to look up at her host.
"Thank you..."
She muttered only somewhat audibly, as it took every ounce of her will to summon up gratuity for a captor, she cast her gaze to the side, avoiding eye contact with anything that even resembled a face, opting to look half-heartedly at a nearby chair. Now that she was fed, her wounds mostly restored, and her adrenaline nearly faded, her priorities shifted. The weight of everything that happened, all of her feelings came to bear. She was on the verge of crying now, it was too much. She held back those tears, but only barely. Any further talking now was going to prove extremely difficult, but that wouldn't stop her from trying.
"If it will help me find my home again, I will do what I must."
Her voice broke some as she said this, fighting back those tears took it's toll on her speaking, She said this to imply that she would willingly accept the darkness, but this commitment was only half true, she wanted to find her family and home again, but she actually wasn't certain she'd delve into darkness to do it. Still, rather than fight it, right now it was in her best interests to 'allow' this for the time being. The alternative wasn't very pleasant to look at.

[Holly Hallow]

Ah yes... Sweet, sweet sorrow that had dripped down from the woman's eye. Holly found herself feasting off of the sorrow and pitiful state the fairy had found herself in. She watched the way she avoided eye-contact, not wanting to acknowledge that her very life, was saved by something that could only be described, as evil. By this time, Holly guessed that her guest was going on cool down and had been burning out, like a flame that desperately clung to its embers. The woman watched closely, waiting for the broken creature to speak further. It did.

And when it did, the necromancer could hear the way Saeriea choked on her words. Delectable, so very delicious with how the defeated fairy tried to save face. Despite all that was in front of her, the anguish and sorrow she felt could be tasted a mile away, especially by someone like Holly. A shrill laugh left the woman's lips at the sound, her eyes closed and she took a slow, deep breath. Exhaled, she opened her milky-white eyes slowly, before she turned them over to the guest once again. "So eager so willing, but your emotions betray you, Saeriea. Your tear was all I needed to see, in order to discern that you're just saying what will please me..." She hissed.

Then laughed once more, only to enter a small coughing fit. When it had finished, she swore under her breath, before she took a handkerchief and wiped the spittle from her lips. "However, I also sense some sincerity. You will indeed find your home again, that much I'll assure you, but it's not going to be easy. You're stuck on an island, where the water's current will tear you to shreds, if you don't tread carefully. I'll help you find your home but I have to show you how to get there first."

Concluding that statement came a wave of her hand. Beside Saeriea on the table, was a pack designed for the average human height. Inside were many essentials for survival, like food, water, etc. Holly eyed down her guest, this being no joke. "Think you can resize yourself to be bigger than that? It's easier to trap a fairy here, believe me. Since you're also wingless, there is no doubt that your mobility is further restricted. Learn to use your two feet to walk and walk among the heights of humans, so that you can fit in a bit. Then explore, learn, and grow. We'll meet again... In time."

The witch finished. A snap of her fingers and just like that, she had disappeared entirely alongside her skeletal servant. From behind Saeriea was a corridor of darkness, that'd lead to another destination. Away from the stagnant, insidious End of the World. It was at this point that the fairy would have felt herself rejuvenated, her mana restored alongside the strength she had nearly lost.

[Saeriea]

That cackle, that insidious cackle, it made her even more wroth than anything else now. Holly called out her feint, leaving Saeriea bewildered at the thought. She had actually thought she was telling the truth, but on second evaluation, she was lying to herself even. Now on top of sadness, anger, and fear, she was confused. The witch then dared to insinuate that she'd find her home again. With what poison this woman had been spouting until now, Saeriea was not inclined in the slightest to hear it. However, before she could even contemplate voicing complaint, the woman disappeared, leaving another one of those "Dark tunnels" in her wake.
She was gone, was she? Without her host's eerie cackling or the stare of the golem, this place felt much less inviting. Indeed, it began to resemble a haunted mansion in her mind, with monsters ready to assail her at any moment. She wanted to break down, to cry about everything, as she had when she was a child. The temptation to give in to her feelings nearly overcame her, but the slightest bit of reasoning told her that she was probably still being watched. She let slip more tears, but choked back true crying to preserve what little dignity she could.
On the table rested a bag now, which on inspection seemed to have foodstuffs inside for humans. There was no way she was carrying this in her size, as the woman suggested. There was an old trick that the matron of her house taught her once, a way to glamour oneself in such a way that it actually had some physical form. She was told this was a right of passage, that women in her house had to learn to hold a second form, a new skin that they could call their own. They were trained to spend a year in it, and then it became as real to them as their own skin would be. While she never finished the training, she did learn the concepts behind it. Out of necessity, she summoned up the skill as she was taught. She needed to visualize her form, she never picked her second skin, this was supposed to be for her ritual, but desperate times were unforgiving, and survival was a greater need. There was no knowing if there would be food, or even air, where she was going. But anything had to be better than this wretched place.
She summoned up the will, and closed her eyes. It took her a short time, some few minutes, but finally she felt like it was complete. Opening her eyes, she found herself much, much bigger. She took the time to evaluate herself, this new form. She touched her arm, it was as though it were her own skin. It plied correctly, it was the right warmth, same held true for her hand. She found a mirror nearby, and explored her new visage in it. While some of her features looked the same, she had sprouted cat-like ears now, and her face was slightly more thin. Not notably to anyone else, but she knew her face, and this wasn't it... well... I suppose now it was. She took a hand to her face, it was a bit cold and almost clammy, thanks to the sweat from earlier. But there was no mistaking it, this was her face. She gently touched her ear, which flicked involuntarily in response. Trailing down she saw new clothing, which was just a glamour over her old clothing, and a tail that moved mostly of it's own accord. She was disoriented, there could be no lie, but now was not the time to linger.
She took her new form, stumbled ever so slightly over towards the pack, and took hold of it. Then, she faced that irrevocable darkness. Mixtures of relief, fear, anger, nostalgia, and confusion all vied for her thoughts. Her new body conjured goosebumps as she stared into this dark maw. She breathed a heavy sigh, and as though to trick her mind, she ran into the darkness as quickly as possible, before she could hesitate further.

[Sponsored content]