Without another order, Denzell thrust himself forward with ease to grasp the back of the carriage and swing his crunched form forward, latching on with a leg to keep himself steady as he lodged under it. As usual, it frightened him what he was unlocking. With rescuing Emma on his mind, his usual wonderment on who he was before the days of Theodore were muted. This...couldn't possibly be normal...

Dominic pushed off of the dirt to try and grab the back of the carriage, grasping at it but it wasn't enough. It rocked slightly and forced him to let go, tumbling back with a grunt.

It took mere seconds for those of the tribe to realize there was someone... an outsider, in the walls of their city. They quickly apprehended Dominic, and while he struggled a bit, he knew he'd be killed if he fought them. He could feel it in their grips.

When he was asked why he was there and if he'd come with others, he told them they'd taken his sister from him and that he'd come alone in an attempt to get her back. That would give Denzell some time hopefully, he just prayed the man could get Theodore out. Even if Dom was stuck there.

The carriage pulled up to a building and it creaked as they carried Emma from it's confines, stairs inside creaking as well as they carried her to the upper level of the stone structure.

The city was large, the word village used in public was an understatement. An illusion of sorts. The Tribe knew that if the outsiders thought it was a village, they would not be looking for somethin like this. It was extra protection to their secrecy.

The ceiling was stone and flame posts lit the area, though they did not smoke or burn down, it was probably created by one of the elder leaders long ago. The carriage moved a moment later to pull around the corner into a stable for the mare leading it. It was unhooked from the beast and parked there, left alone in the dim lighting of just one wall bound torch.

Those of the Tribe laid Emma in a bed, treating those wounds and they took her clothes from her, leaving her nude with a mere sheet to cover her, leaving it at the waist however. They left her alone, one window in the room, however the room was guarded at the door, two members of the Tribe standing outside of her room. There were no clothes in the room, either.

Denzell stayed, clutching the carriage. His eyes watched the Tribe move, taking Emma away. He kept his breathing low and barely audible. It was growing difficult to stay calm. Dominick had been caught...and who knew what would become of him?

He searched around. Was it safe? He waited for the sounds of footsteps. These people were so powerful, he was growing more nervous by the moment...

The footsteps faded into the distance and it became apparent that Denzell was definitely left alone there. Just upstairs was Emma, unconscious still and she would be for another hour or so.

Dominic stared at the wall in the room they had locked him in, tying him to a post on the bed, kneeling on the floor at the end of it. They had beaten him some, but it hadn't done them any good, he hadn't given up anything else. He wouldn't ruin Denzell's chance to get Emma out of there,

When Emma finally woke up, there was a bit of a commotion. She had tried to get away, wrapped up in the sheet out of the window, but her luck had been poor and someone had been opening the door to check in on her as she was climbing out the back window. All that was below were the feilds that lead to the gardens and water the Tribe lived off of.

Dragging her back in, they moved her to a different quarter across the road, taking her over the bridge and down to the end of the city where the main building sat where she'd be trained again. She tried to struggle, she didn't want to go back in there, it was so horrible, just the thought made her want to cry, she liked feeling emotions! She liked being able to care for someone or cry without feeling such gut wrenching shame. She prayed that someone would come save her as the stronger members of the tribe dragged her into a windowless room and locked her behind a barred door, it was more like a cell, cold and dark. She gripped the sheet tighter and curled up in the corner while they were there. Perhaps her abilities to conjure fire would help her out, the bars were only metal... and she did not recall them being charmed to withstand that sort of magic either.

Denzell explored the building slowly. All seemed well, and he was beginning to breathe. And then he heard the clutter as the Tribe pulled Emma away from the window and out of the building. He wasn't sure what it was and feared finding out. Crouched in a corner, he waited until the noise and struggling past. His breath was held and his eyes squinted as his tense arms held his legs. Once silence descended upon him, perhaps a good thirty minutes, he rose and continued on his way.

In the second floor, he noticed the rooms. Finding them of little interest, he backed up and headed out. They must've taken her, he realized.

The particular building the man was in now was empty after everyone dragged Emma off, but Denzell would be able to hear most of the members of the tribe in the walls of the city. Within these walls, their guard was down, they felt safe and it was their home, they did not worry about intruders as it was a very rare happening, and usually taken care of at the gates before they got too far into their homes. Even then, it was impossible for them to leave without someone noticing. They were always found in the long run.

He'd find that he was on the second level of the buildings, a wood deck outside and bridges crossing. The darkness in the city helped for cover, but it would still be best to stay in the shadows because he didn't look the part of those found within the tribe's walls.

Emma waited until things settled down and she was left alone for a long enough time she felt it was safe to begin moving about again. She chose a discreet place to melt the bars, she predicted in her state, they would take alittle longer. They were thick and strong, well enforced due to the fact they were meant to hold those with unbelievable, raw strength. She kneeled down by the small bed that was shelved against hte wall, partially under it as she began to use her powers on the bars hidden by it's shadow, they wouldn't notice it for a while she hoped, stopping and curling back up against the bars whenever someone seemed to be coming.

Denzell paced down the hallways for awhile, pondering over how he could find the girl. His eyes shot out a window to a room. Entering it slowly to keep an eye out for anything that might jump out at him, he peered out and investigated his surroundings. Honestly, he had never seen such a place. The dim atmosphere lit by lights. The bridges uniting buildings. The stone ceiling. He searched for the entrance - and presumably the exit - of the Tribe's village. To his dismay, he couldn't find many locations with a plausible exit.

First things first, he thought. He had to get Emma and Dominick out.

Carefully, he stepped out onto the wooden deck. He surprised himself, yet again, at how nimble he was. Just the hunger gnawing at his stomach annoyed him. The moment he felt comfortable, a child's voice almost sent him tumbling down to the lower floor.

"Who are you?"

Denzell had admittedly not noticed the young child when he stepped out. The kid watched him move with ease and grace. A peculiar person who looked nothing like him and the rest of the Tribe.

Where there was a child, it usually meant there was an adult nearby, however everything seemed quiet--by the looks of it, the child might have been on his way to the lower level markets to get food for the family, as Denzell was between him and the bridge that crossed to the other side, where in fact the stairs were that lead right in front of a little market on the street level of the city.

He stared at Denzell however, curious. This man didn't look like the rest of them, was he an outsider? The children were taught that their fortress was impenetrable however, so it couldn't be, right?

"Are you lost, mister?" It looked like the child might have been debating running back to his family to tell them there's a strange man on the walkways.

Denzell stared at the child, swallowing hard. He kept his voice soft to not draw attention to himself nor to frighten the little boy.

"Sort of," he started, praying in his head the child would not run off to alert the others. "I lost my friend, and I cannot find her."

"Ohhh, what's she look like?" He gave some sort of a childish smile when Denzell spoke to him, he looked like he might have been looking to make him his playmate, though looking for someone seemed like it'd be a fun adventure! "I'll help you find her if you want~"

Denzell smiled. "She has red hair." He was sure that that alone could place her apart from everyone else. "Her name is Emma." Feeling vulnerable in his position, he edged closer to the child and had a seat on the ledge. Softly, he continued to describe her.

"If you could help, I'd be very grateful. I don't know my way around, and m'afraid no one will help me."

"Her? I heard they had her in the main hall in holding... Mom said she did something bad and they had to retrain her. I don't know if i can take you there... I'll get in trouble." He said softly, fidgeting a bit. "But.. The main hall is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy down there." He pointed off in the opposite direction of the large doors they'd come from in the mountainside. There was a large building at the far end of the city, somewhat castle like, but because they were firm in their beliefs of being impregnable from outside forces, their security was lax. After all, even the kid could probably kill an outsider in an instant, who needed guards when they could protect themselves?

"I can get you that way... part of the way. But mom will have me limb for limb if I don't get back with dinner soon. Oh.. and I think they... keep people like her in the basement."

Denzell smiled. "M'thankful, little one." From his pocket, he produced a carved trinket - a locket - to offer the child. He had swiped it from one of the cities they had traveled in. "All yours for your help. I'll understand if you can't take me there. Your guidance is enough."

He rose carefully, not wanting to make noise. His legs were stiff from where he had crouched to converse with the little boy.

The boy smiled as he was handed something in return for his help, waving for him to follow him. "I'll show you the best way to get there. It's confusin'" He said, taking Denzell's hand to quietly take him along with him down the boardwalk--he was still quiet despite his excitement, knowing making noise would get him in trouble no matter having a stowaway or not.

He led him to some stairs, making sure there was noone around--it was the time of day everyone was getting ready for dinner, there weren'tt oo many people out and about in the city. And most of the men were training in the fields beyond the buildings, out of sight. He was too young for their training yet. He got him to a point where the directions were easy to follow, telling him the turns to make and the back passage there was to the building that was all dark, dusty corridors the kids liked to play in. "It'll lead right down to her I think! But... she might be guarded. I hear she's really strong." He smiled sheepishly, waving as he hurried off down to rush to the market for the food before his mother would start getting after him when he returned, he wanted some of the dinner he was bringing back! He was so hungry.

Emma was indeed in that dark basement, in a cell, her skin covered with just a sheet as she stayed curled in the corner. Cold, but she couldn't feel it. They'd already begun her training once that day. Only one man stood there in watch of her, and anytime her emotionless mask broke and she started to cry, he hit her with a bamboo crop that had a small blade built into the length of it like a long razor, slicing her skin open each time, and every time she screamed out, she earned another lashing. They had to build up her pain endurance and smother all of her emotions all over again. Curling up, she sniffled and got three more lashings to her exposed back, a whimper escaping. She'd never wished Aidan or Tobias were with her more than ever, she feared no one would be able to find her.

((Most likely the longest post I've ever written? 8D))



Denzell went down the the path instructed by his little guide after waving him goodbye. He moved carefully, taking his time and not risking anything. If he were caught, that would be the end of his mission. He was sure the Tribe showed no mercy to outsiders.

Once at the back passage, he felt himself over in quick pats. If need be, he would need to defend himself. He discovered he had a long, slim blade attacked to his shin. It had been a part of him since his days in the dungeon. Yet, he never quite understood its use or how it got there. And attaching it to himself was a routine after baths. He drew it slowly, hearing the metal slide from its sheath. It produced an impeccable shine. The handle was comfortable, fitting perfectly in his hold without a slip.

Now...did he know how to use it?

There wasn't time to practice nor anything to practice on. He twirled it once. It wasn't a knife to cross blades with. It was meant to stab. If this was a time to question his past, he would have. The blade he never wondered about was beginning to shed some answers.

Denzell entered the dark passage, descending down to the basement the moment he found a way. His eyes adjusted easily. He kept his steps and breathing barely audible. The adrenaline rush was there. His ears picked up a girl's cries and the thumps of the bamboo crop. The grip on the blade tightened. The doubt washed away as his mind became one tracked.

Crouching low on the bottom of the stairway, he spotted the cell in the distance where the man stood, striking the occupant. Blood. He could smell blood.

And it wasn't the blood he had spilled.

Why that thought entered his mind baffled him.

In one move, he trust forward, his soundless steps in rapid succession. The blade jerked out perpendicular to his body once he approached the man. Denzell felt his heart stop for a moment when the man looked directly at him once he was an arm's length away. Spotted! He kept going, aiming for the neck. The two exchanged blows and slammed into the ground. A head rolled and Denzell grasped his abdomen as thick, hot blood spilled between his fingers.

Emma barely had time to look over when she heard the same thing the guard had, gasping out as there was a commotion, however brief it was, she hoped no one heard it. Fingers gripped the cloth around her body, her once long red hair back to it's pale white-blond tone, they had begun to change her back, it was a shameful thing to not look liek that of the tribe, which was why it was rare they allowed those who had the talents but not the physical attributes to reside among them.

When the guard was beheaded, she rushed over to Denzell, stumbling slightly as she ignored the pain searing through her pale, bloody body. "Denzell..." She was hushed, her voice a little raw but more to keep from being heard by those just up the stairs, only a door separating them. "Oh god.." Her hands touched where Denzell's hand was grasping and she rushed him into the shadows of the room, sitting him down as she took the sheet off in an attempt to rip some of it so she could bandage him up and try to stop the bleeding.

"We.. We have to get out of here. Do you think you can walk?" She doubted it, the wound looked bad, he was bleeding so much, hands pushing over the wound to put pressure on it. "Denzell.. H-Hold on..."

"I'll be fine," he said softly, wincing some. The wound would have left a normal fellow in shock. But he was tolerating it the best he could.

"You need to get out of here. There's no time. If I distract them, you can get out. Your brother is being held captive. Get him and get out. Emma, please."

"Damn it." She cursed at the information about her brother, gritting her teeth. It would figure. "Don't die, okay?" It was all almost humorous to her, but maybe that was just from what' they'd put her through that day. A touch to his cheek all she did before tugging away, taking what was left of the sheet, ripping it once more and binding it about her to make a short dress, something that covered but wouldn't confine her movements at all.

With that, she slipped off the way Denzell had come from--she knew where they would keep her brother. From the outside, she scaled the walls, having some difficulties whenever something pained her or her blood got on herhands, making her grasp slick. She continuously dried her hands on her make-shift dress, yanking herself up to a barred window near the top in the back of the structure. Making sure no one was about, she got her brother's attention with a soft whistle, like a bird--which amazingly enough, the did have in there. THey came in now and then when the doors opened.

Dominic's eyes were wide when he saw here there, a little roughed up, but not horribly wounded. He slid over to the bars from the small bed he sat on, glancing back at the door momentarily, but it wasn't guarded. He obviously wasn't going anywhere without help. "Theo!" He whispered, relieved.

"I'm gonna get these bars off." She whispered back, slipping her hands through as she perched herself so carefully on a ledge. Working the barring off quickly by carefully using her strength to pull it off with slow rocks against it with her entire body and tugs of her hands, trying to keep the cracking of the concrete frame it was stuck to as quiet as possible. It came free and she paused a moment to make sure no one was coming, helping her brother onto the ledge carefully, getting him out of the sight of the window and helping him over to a rope that had a basket at the end, they used it to bring water and food up to the storage rooms above them. She got him onto it, grabbed the second rope and slowly lowered him down as she instructed him to get into the shadows as soon as he could.

Emma was soon to follow, holding the wall until she had a good grip on the rope and she just let go, the rope sending her down quickly now that there was no resistance. Landing, she twisted her ankle slightly, wincing at the sharp pain but she ignore it, hardly even showing the injury when she walked. "C'mon." They had to get out--at least Dom did. She might try to go back to Denzell... but she wasn't sure she was in condition to fight anyone. It tore her up inside to leave him behind--what if he never made it out? That would be yet another person close to her gone!

Luckily, the large doors weren't really the only way out--though they were the only way in indeed. She led him out into the feilds until they met another wall, covered in thick vines. Pushing them aside revealed a passageway that had a soft light at the end. "Get through there and head back to the town and see if Arturo is there. I'll follow soon, if they follow me out, i don't want to put you in more danger." That was a lie. she doubted they would follow her, she just needed the time to go back and see if Denzell was even still there. If it was too risky, she'd have to leave him--but it was always worth a chance.

Once the man was out of her sight and through the passage, she turned and rushed through the field to where she'd left Denzell, peering past that darkened passage way and she slowly headed towards the cell, mindful of those around her as she crept in complete silence, even holding her breath as her once more, blue eyes scanned the dark, bloody room.

Arturo had been scouting the area around the Tribe's land. He had portioned together what had occurred thanks to the local people. And his detective skills led him here. A place full of danger. It made him bristle with excitement, yet dawned fear upon him. He had been so lucky in his days past. Was this his ninth life?

There was a stirring near him as Dominic escaped. He had clearly not had a clue where he was or where he should head. Relieved to see someone he recognized at least - not a Tribe's member - Arturo whistled at him and waved.

***

Once Emma had left, Denzell had felt faint. Slowly, he slid against the wall, leaving a dark red stain upon the wall. His breathing became shallow. Fingers traced over the pendant he kept around his neck, held by a thin chain. He had ignored it except when he was nervous. It was habit to rub over the smooth features. He had done it the day his hands were free from the shackles in the dungeon.

Now that he didn't have to worry about the Tribe foiling his rescue of Emma, his mind wandered. How did he get his hands free from the taunt chains in the dank dungeon? It didn't make sense unless his wrists fell through the narrow loops. But one of his arms WAS still chained. His legs weren't. It didn't make sense. His eyes turned toward his wrists. How did he do it...

As his eyes closed, his mind trying to steal him away to a peaceful sleep and far away from the fatal pain, he felt warm. Not from the sticky heat of his blood soaked clothing. Hands on his cheeks. A whispering voice in his ear, but words he could not make out. He had already passed out at the feeling of a soft breath in his ear.

A light breeze whisked through his hair. He could hear the sound of running water. How long had he passed out? Denzell's eyes opened to find him in the middle of a forest, sunlight trickling down from between leaves and branches high above.

Alone. He was alone again.


((So basically...no explanations yet. ;D I needed a way to explain how Denzell survives odd situations. xD He's far away now, but he'll find his way back in the story again later!))

All Emma found left of Denzell was the blood on the wall. She'd snuck around a little more before determining Denzell was nowhere to be found--had they already gotten rid of him? It made her stomach twist horribly at the thought, but she didn't lose her composure.

Backtracking, Emma hurried out of the city, slipping through the brush shortly after Dominic. Though she was quite injured, Emma didn't move like she felt any pain anymore, her training seemed to be kicking in. Her posture was good and her face somewhat emotionless to contain the fear and sorrow she felt within over Denzell's disappearance.

Her steps were quiet but she spotted Arturo and her brother, taking her time to get over to them, though Dom quickly rushed to help her. His help was merely brushed off however, she didn't need it, nor did she want to be touched, fingers adjusting the now blood stained white sheet.

"I think.. I might need to find a way to be a boy again... I'm too vulnerable like this." She said quietly after a pause. Her arms were too short, as were her legs. She could have all the speed and strength in the world and it wouldn't matter as soon as she miscalculated how far she needed to move to strike properly. To do it correctly, she would have had to retrain completely in this body, it wasn't something she was willing to go through all over again.

The water mage approached the girl, removed his jacket and offered it to her to cover her small form.

Arturo stared at Emma for awhile as he thought about what she wanted. He wasn't fond of the idea of approaching the tower Aidan had, sacrificing a human body to help turn Emma into Theodore. There were people with arcane spells and magics all over the land who could probably do it, but he was never deeply interested to know where to go or what to do.

"If we're going to start this journey, first we need to heal, disguise, and clothe you."

"I'm sorry Arturo... I'm not much of a travel companion, eh?" She offered some sort of a smile as she brought the jacket over her shoulders and held the fabric close with a heavy sigh. She was determined to be rid of the tribe once and for all, she just wanted her life back, how she wished she could be so young again.

Arturo put his arm around her shoulders and gave it a strong rub. "Don't think about things like that. You're not a burden or anything. You are what you think you are." He had to admit there was much more fear and stress than he had anticipated on the trip, but it was an adventure nonetheless. He let her go, figuring he had crossed some boundaries that would make her uncomfortable and started back to the village. He kept his senses open for any of the Tribe members. The water mage wouldn't mind dueling one of them after what had happened to Emma, as if that would teach them not to mess with them.

Emma nodded, tensing slightly under the strong rub from the water mage, but she didn't shove him away like she had her brother--despite knowing they had both meant no harm, she'd calmed down more by the time Arturo dared to touch her. "But.. Alright." She nodded and relaxed, quieting down a bit as the three of them made it back towards the village, eventually allowing her brother to assist her in walking as her wounded ankle made itself a bit more known for her, but not really pain wise rather than just an unwillingness to allow her to step heavily on it without giving out a little.

Emma was relieved to make it to the village again without any troubles from the tribe... maybe they wouldn't have too much trouble for a while.

Arturo had sensed that tension, ever so slight, and decided against touching Emma further. After all, she was a girl right now. Her brother was also present. He needed to keep remembering to treat her like a young lady until the circumstances changed.

Once in the village, the water mage led the group to a tailor's. He had been there earlier to purchase gifts for the young woman he was wooing. His money pouch still had coins - miraculously.