middleofsomewhere | The Will to Fight: Conclusion

The battles rage loud and ferocious at the gates of the city and off in the ruined wastelands of Erda, and on the walls a struggle of a different kind occurs. The team who stayed behind at the towers are small but determined as they move stoically across the walls to right the stones that have become misaligned, even as their friends battle not too far away.

The city begins to hum. It's a quiet hum, not loud enough to be heard out where the others are fighting but it vibrates even through stone. The recovering monks assure them that it is done, the wards are back up and no demon will be able to enter the city.

Eventually the battle is won, all three battles. The demons fought back and killed, a major blow to their gate system that will keep them back for hopefully a long time. Those waiting in the caverns return to the city and by the time they get there the illusions are gone. Everyone can see the world for what it really is.

But despite the ruins of their world the people are relieved, the adrenaline of the fight coursing through their veins and the mood is one of hope. They will build again, their people will survive.

All Voidtreckers please return to the Voidtrecker Express. Departure will be in a few hours

It has landed not too far from the city, cloaked to make it unnoticeable to the citizens, for all the good that does. No one has been particularly subtle this last week. People can begin regrouping, packing up the camp and getting any wounded not already healed to the train.

However roughly half an hour later another message appears on their SCA.

Passenger Persephone has requested we remain on system System #86525656412355 for an additional day to further assist the people of Erda. The Voidtrecker Express will depart on the morning of Day Fifteen of the month of Kazoo.

The train remains where it is, so the voidtreckers can use its facilities. There is definitely a lot that can be done to assist those of this world and the citizens will welcome any helping hands.

After an extra day they finally depart, returning to the void once more.

(OOC Note: Once the wards are up any characters who are demonic in nature will not be able to enter the city either!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yondu got on the train long enough to change out of his dripping wet clothes and put on some dry ones and to hose off the demon goo from his leather coat. Which, luckily, did its job. The dragonscale armor on it held, and the material cleans easy.

He's sliding on said newly dried coat as he steps out of the bathroom (where he'd decided to clean it), bumping into Raven as she's passing through.

"Hey, Blackbird. You look wore out." He's going to be heading back out, but now that she's here he's checking in.

Raven has clean clothes with her and towels, and manages a hint of a wan smile for Yondu. "That goes both ways, Yondu. You safe though? No healing needed?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Had a pretty good healer lookin' out for me." Even if she took a beating to get his head back in the game.

"You look pretty wore out." He gets out of her way, though, in case she's headed in. "I'd probably not press you for it nohow."

"I was on Red team this time. The demon-realm itself is draining just to exist in it." Sure, that'll do--no mention of her losing her temper. "I was kind of on edge this whole mission, anyways." Okay, that'll do.

She's not sure why Yondu cares, but she appreciates that he does.

"How did that go for you? We had the North. People got wore out, but not quite like that."

He ended up having an illusion hit him. He'd tried to warn people, but he couldn't find the right words in the situation.

"Y'all was in that mess from the start, huh?" He puts his hand on her shoulder. "You gonna get some rest?"

"Soon enough." Raven said, with a hint of tired smile. "Especially since with the city-wards active, I can't get in."

"Ah, hell. Even your locked out? Well that ain't no fair. I guess it's a good blanket rule for the type of demon energy that-"

He squints at her then.

"Wait, why you got demon or death energy?"

"Yes." It's as non-descript as she's willing to go. She likes Yondu, and he's been really helpful and nice to her. "I'm half-human."

Sorta explained them dreams of hers, then.

He nods.

"My boy... he wasn't completely Terran. He was half somethin' called a Celestial. It uh... It ain't a pleasant story how I ended up takin' care of him." He's still a little scared of being hated for talking about it. "But I had to keep him away from his old man. Had plans about how he wanted to use 'im.

"I won't judge ya myself, I promise."

Boy did that sound familiar, to Raven's way of thinking. Replace 'celestial' with 'demon, and you had her life. It was also oddly reassuring.

"Thank you, Yondu. That means a lot."

"Hey, it's alright Blackbird. I bet you kicked ass out there. I don't know if it helps knowin', but the city looks like hell... Which is exactly what it was supposed to. Heartbreakin' to know they didn't even know the bad goin' on around them."

The truth, though unfortunate, was the reward this time.

"I had the impression we were the last chance they had to win." She'd tried to do what she could. Usually she was far more pacifistic, but... This was almost personal.

"I think you're right, there's no way that city would have won, position it was in."

He was in there long enough. "Even when we loosed their army, they'd been low on supplies long enough that there was no way they woulda caught up. Ever'body was kinda in a sorry state."

Raven was quiet for a moment, before letting a tired smile come to her face. "So what you're saying is, I'm not missing anything good by being locked out, huh?" She was trying to cheer up.

"Yeah, you're really not. If anythin' you'd be doin' us a bigger favor of gettin' a real rest, so..."

He gestures.

"You get cleaned up I guess. Then go take a load off. An' if you don't you're gonna have to put up with me bitchin' later an' no one wants that."

He's used to threatening to make people do important stuff, but this is currently the only threat he has in him.

"The horror." Raven responded in her deadpan tone, but she was smiling. "I'm going. I want to hear about what went on with you in the catacombs later, alright?"

"Sure, but it's all borin' as hell." And he'll probably just cram his journal on a shelf in the library since he doesn't know what to do with the deeds he jotted down.

"I ran my fin so hard for the past few days I'm lucky I ain't had a stroke. Dark as hell down there. Sometimes it was the only way I could lead people unless I had lamps. It was the only way I could see cave-ins up ahead an' not make us backtrack all the time... There, that's it. I basically told ya about the catacombs."

He pats her back. "Go. Git. Get cleaned up."

The Will to Fight: Conclusion

On the Train

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