Nila had never been on a train before, though she never had a reason to. Being a bat demon she could fly where ever she wanted and for free too. However the child-resembling female always liked to give a chance to new ways of transportation; she was always amazed at how non-flyers would get around and this train was no exception.

Currently she was much too busy pressing her face to the glass, looking out the window at the sights that past her, eyes full of awe and glee. It was quite lovely that forest, and she couldn't help but think how nice this rde was. She was careful to appear as human as possible though; for one thing she didn't need people thinking she was trouble (which she really wasn't it just happened to follow her) and she also didn't want people to find out she wasn't human; for some odd reason they'd always assume she was a vampire...

Nila quickly pulled away from the window, shocked at how cold it became. Actually come to think of it, did it get colder in here?? Was that normal?

Arashi raised an eyebrow before nodding minisculely. He turned his face to bury it in Shay's hair, before murmuring, "I go by the name Arashi." into her ear.

His eyes swept over the other occupants of the carriage and they came to rest on two others sitting near the exit of the carriage. He narrowed his eyes slightly at them, before recognizing the auras coming off of them.

"There are two by the door, I believe they may be of some help." He didn't think it would be important to mention what they were exactly. "And the one by the window, who just pulled back."

Shay couldn't help but shiver as he buried his face into her hair and briefly she closed her eyes to hide what she was feeling so she'd seem to just be a woman enjoying herself. The one who broke her heart had always done that... he loved her hair. Hell, she loved her hair too. It was one of her crowning features, even for a fae. It was soft as water and often moved like ocean waves, even without her full magic it could never be truly human. As he spoke she nodded, having sensed something strange about them.

"We have to be careful gathering everyone... there are many humans and children on this train. A mass panic would kill many and endanger us as well as what we are doing. Do you know any of them Arashi?" She said quietly as she turned to look at him, even if much of him was hidden by her hair. She only opened her eyes once she was sure there was no trace of pain in them... even if they were left empty and dead.

She looked towards the child demon then. She was dark like the attackers... perhaps similiar enough to be of help. Still, she looked truely childlike and even a little nervous. She didn't seem to like the cold any better then the fae woman did... Could she really involve a child? When her primary reason that got her onto this train was nothing but her desire to fly just one more time...?

Arashi took a few moments to marvel how soft her hair was before pulling back slightly. It was obvious she was not human when one got as close as he was to her.

"I cannot say i do... though the one by the window feels familiar." he continued to respond in a soft voice, his lips barely moving as he traced them down her jaw before choosing to rest his head on her shoulder. Maybe he was taking things too far... but who was he to judge? His own judgement had been skewed quite a while ago. Maybe when he had decided to pick up on necromancy.

"A mass panic will be inevitable once that thing pulls the first move. Unless we can come up with a preemptive strike... I'd say we are all sitting ducks at the moment."

((I hope you don't mind if Nila and Arashi know each other Shadow?))

(( I just have to read through all the postings then I'll post. :sweat: ))

((MAYBE? yeah maybe he's taking things too far *giggle* >.>))

Shay whimpered at the tracing, emotion finally breaking through her act. It was a soft, pained, lonely sort of sound. It was the kind of sound an animal made when it break and she flushed. She looked away to hide the pain as she turned her body a little away from him though she allowed him to remain on her shoulder. She hadn't felt someones lips ... in a very long time and it had taken her by surprise. She had not expected him to take things THAT far for the act.

"we... likely need to bind the shadows somehow since power seems to focus there... perhaps if we found which car it is trying to manifest at I could at least slow it down. " She mused quietly. She didn't look at him now, he was too close... and he had managed to make her heart pound. It was a little exciting but painful too. He really could touch others so ...familiarly and feel nothing? the gentle fairy could not understand such things, then again she had always been far to serious.

----------

((okay <3. tell me when and we'll have the shadow try to latch on the kitsune <3. *huggles Wrenji*))

((okay, ready... suddenly murder romance :lol: ))

Arashi's ears caught the whimper and the eyes he had allowed to close reopened as he picked up his head and removed his arm from around Shay, suddenly sitting straight in his seat again, as if he had never been wrapped around the fae in the first place. He picked up his cup of now cold tea and finished it off, setting the cup back down with a sharp clack.

he had no problems with making others hurt, with torturing them. He had no problems making them feel completely uncomfortable until he took what he wanted from them. ...but that was only when he wanted something from them.

His eyes darkened slightly. he was disgusted with himself. What had he been doing to the fae that she'd make a sound like that? He scowled slightly before running his tongue over his lip-ring once more, tugging on it with his teeth as was his habit.

"I apologize." he mumbled around the ring. "I went too far." So as to keep from looking too suspicious he had made sure not to move too far away from her, still within her personal space, but not quite touching her anymore.

((ooh finally some action? :D))

((Shadow's gotta eat a fox?! But Shadow likes fo--ohhhh not me right? XD;
LOL jk and I totally don't Aoi if they know eachother :D ))

Nila looked around, a feeling of dread surrounding her. She may look rather young, but she was usually good at picking up the feelings of others; she heard that made someone an empath...wait was that right? Eh, either she could sense something wrong. Her focus went back to the window where she now noticed the frost; well now that was strange...she was pretty sure that wasn't normal. She pouted a bit, looking around; was something about to happen?

((Yup xD. ))

"It's alright.... you simply... reminded me of someone. It is hardly important to consider now" She said quietly, back to her usual self outwardly. She gave him a soft smile then, the kind of truly angelic smile only a fae or angel could give. It suited her in a way few other fae could claim, however, and it was this smile that had made one faithless man fall for her before. Still, there was a soft touch of sadness in it.

Unknowingly he had chosen the one form of torture that could ever harm Shay. She had always been uniquely able to bear physical pain, that was why she had chosen to take the court's punishment in her mother's place. She knew she was not one of those who would die or like many survivors denied their flight collapse into depression and pass away quietly. Yet for all the strength of her body and will, her heart was fragile as glass.

Soon, however, she was filled with pain and gripped the table. The shadows were being split apart, torn asunder by some force of true evil. If she had been simply of her father's mysterious shadowy pixie race she would not have felt such pain but the race of fairy her mother was, born of a child's pure heart could not bear such taint. Something was happening, and softly she whispered 'we're....we're too late'.

***

As if to confirm her words the fox's shadow seemed to bubble and run. Shadowy black tendrils, solid and thick like tar spread outward. From the center of the shadow more of the strange substance formed and then flew outward. the lines became thicker into the air and sharp as knives. They sought to slice through the fox woman's back and cut through her organs. Easily they'd cut even bone if she did not move, embedding themselves in the roof. The only thing they seemed unable to cut would be the peculiar metal of the train ...

((^.^ dodge or die time Wrenji-chan :P))

The fur on the back of Mara's neck stood on end. She sat up straight in her seat. Something was behind her. Impossible she thought, then she felt something colder than ice touch her back. She leapt up and screamed. She felt like she was being ripped in two. She fell too the floor gasping, she couldn't take it anymore. She shifted into her full fox form and ran under the seat of the white-haired woman. She looked up in time to see a shadow, her shadow crawl into the ceiling. It was as black as tar, and seemed to have the same consistency.

((OMG DODGE XD;; ))

Bats were known for their good hearing; it what made up for them having terrible sight. This was also the case for Nila, her ears picking up something...strange. It was barely making a sound, it took a lot of concentration to listen. She tipped her head in the direction of the sound, straining herself. She sat up on her seat, peering her head over to see where it was coming from. Her eyes soon locked on something black...morphing? She couldn't really explain, but watching it petrified her; just what was that?!

He reminded her of someone? That wasn't new... but to the point where it hurt her... that definitely was. But then again, he'd normally had research done on his targets... she wasn't a target. She just happened to be another passenger on this god-forsaken train. He took a deep breath and leaned back slowly, muscles tensing as he felt the familiar surge of darkness that ran through his veins whenever something particularly dark happened or when he used magic.

As if to prove his point, Shay whispered that they were too late. So that darkness had made the first move...

Arashi turned swiftly in his seat, his eyes flashing as he stared at one of the people he had pointed out before. He watched with a sharp gaze as she jumped, screamed, and exploded into a furry fox before she made a beeline for the table he sat at and dived under the seat Shay occupied.

His eyes stayed glued to the darkness while the fox did that, taking in the consistency of tar that it seemed to possess. He felt like he'd encountered something like it before. once maybe. but he couldn't pinpoint the memory, couldn't recall it. Damn it. How could he have made that mistake back then? He was definitely paying for it now.

So much for keeping panic to a low...

He breathed in slowly, something in the air... it tasted distinct. But... he just couldn't place it and that frustrated him more than anything.

As the fox became a blur beneath her chair Shay was already forcing herself to stand. She was in her element now... for there were some things even the court could not take from her. As the shadows began to boil all over and the passengers began to scream they could hear screams from the other cars. There was the smell of blood in the air and the cars seemed to be growing closer together so the train could become one long snake... or perhaps shadows were simply forming between the cars to create the illusion.

She ignored none of this as she held up her hands towards the roof that was now dripping with the tar like shadows. It moved like it was alive as it stabbed downward at them. Before it could peirce anyone, however, shay's lips were moving. The language of the fairies came from her lips, it's power dripping from them as she cast her spell. If she had her wings she could have simply willed the light to do what she needed instead of casting the spells like a mere witch. Stilll... it would be enough.

Around her a bubble of light formed and then filled the car. The light would drive back the snakes of shadow until the disappeared under the door and the car grew slightly warmer. The shadows hissed and screeched but human screams still came from other cars. Shay then fell back into her chair, panting. It had been harder to drive the shadow out then expected... and she could only protect this car for now until they found a way to break the seals on the exits....

"We should be safe for now but the source is still out there somewhere.... there has to be a source controlling the shadows, we need to get out there and find it..." She said matter of factly. She didn't even glance at the people whispering about her, or the panicking humans. One woman was pounding on her window and screaming, another man was frozen in his seat with fear. She wondered if she could lull them into sleep... Her father's people were suppose to have such powers and spells but she was raised by her mother....

Arashi watched Shay's... performance quietly, flinching back from the light only slightly. He observed the shadows retreating and then got up only after Shay had sunk back into her seat. he could already feel a headache building from the noise the normal humans were making.

"Excuse me." he murmured before getting up. He stepped into the aisle and cleared his throat. When the noise did not stop, he glowered and clapped loudly. "Listen up!" he said in a clear voice. Heads turned. he offered the people a kind looking smile before holding up a hand where dark-purple and black flames danced. He brought two fingers together with his other hand, muttered something, and then snapped. The sleep spell was instantaneous.

Task done, he brushed his hands together before slouching again. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, eyes wandering the length of the carriage to see who was still awake. If any of the passengers had even a drop of blood within them that wasn't human, they would have been immune to his improvised spell.

"Now... if any of us wishes to survive this... vacation, I propose that we work together. Anybody oppose me?"

Nila paled when the black sticky thing was right above her; the thing was in fact spreading over all the cars' ceiling. She didn't know what to think when the sticky blackness suddenly poised over them to strike and she covered her head in a feemble attempt to protect herself. She didn't want to die yet she had so much she wanted to do first!

However when something warm was felt, she bravely opened up an eye, and was surprised to see such a light surround the car. She wouldn't lie, it was a bit too bright for her taste, but it drove away...whatever it was, and she was happy for that. She looked from the side of her seat, peering at the white-haired lady standing. Was she a witch? Though she never met one like her.

However Nila couldn't concentrate properly on her; there were so many panicking humans and their screams were getting too much for the young bat demon; even covering her ears weren't helping! She almost let out a sonic scream, which would've knocked out pretty much everyone in the car if it wasn't for the man; Nila blinked in surprised as she recognized him as a necromancer...though he seemed more familiar than that.

At the very least she recognized his purple eyes from elsewhere.

Mara shook under the seats. First her shadow was ripped apart, then the lights became blinding, then the male who's seat her tail was under had done something to the humans. She wondered if her father had some part in this horror. It was certainly his style of torture. She whimpered slightly and crawled out from her hiding spot.
"Excuse me?" she muttered still in her fox form. (Though she is a fox, she can speak as if she was human.) "What happened to me?" She directed this question at the woman with the white hair.

She'd already asked for his help so said nothing and did not object to him taking a commanding role... as long as he didn't try to control her. She had spent her whole life being obedient to her mother, her former fiancee, and the elders prior to her fall but it had lead only to her betrayal. Now she had been forced into freedom she knew well enough to give it up for any man. She would die before she lived that way again. Still, she only reacted as the fox spoke to her. Gently she picked her up, putting in her lap so she could get a better look at her. She looked for any wounds, uncertain if the shadows had managed to reach her.

"I dont know... something is taking control of the train, something powerful and with connection to shadows. It took over your shadow and tried to kill you...It seems to want to kill every living thing in this train if the seer I spoke with is correct." She explained quietly. She could heal any wounds she found and with a whispered spell she would if they were there. She watched the fox for a reaction, worried she might panic. She wasn't sure what to think of the fox yet...

Nila listened with great curiosity and just a hint of fear; a seer (who, if she remembered corrected count see into the future) said something wants to kill everyone on the train and is using the shadows to do that? What could be so strong to control them?? She knew it couldn't be the necromancer they supposedly dealt with undead not shadows.

"So...how do we stop it?" Nila piped up, though since she was peering over the seat again you couldn't hear much.

Mara panicked a little at being picked up, if only because she hadn't been since she was younger. "So, I have no shadow now?" She sighed and laid her head on her paws and thought. At least I'm not dead... Mara thought about how close she had been to not being able to say those words. She looked at the woman and said "I am Mara. I heard by chance that you are called Shay, am I correct?"

Arashi sank into the closest seat when no objections were raised and listened silently to the conversation that was going on between the fae and the fox. When the familiar demon spoke up, Arashi finally placed her voice. Nila, the bat demon.

"We aren't sure how to stop it, but it might be good if we could figure out how to get out of this car first. As some of us have already noticed, the exits have all been sealed. Whether to keep us from escaping or to insure that we wouldn't find the cause of the shadows I know not." he answered her question slowly, mulling over his words.

Nila started to panic, but only slightly. "We're trapped??" she basically trembled. If there was one thing the bat demon hated more than anything, it was to be stuck against her will anywhere. Nila looked over to the door connecting to the outside of the car, wondering how to get out; she did notice that the door to the over car ahead was so close that it was like there was ony one door between this car and the one ahead. "I-If it won't let us l-leave the train, w-would it let us i-in the next c-car?" she mumbled, staring at the door.

edited

"Your shadow will return to you, it just used it as a portal to mount its attack... it would have already returned to you but I've temporarily weakened the shadows in this room so it will take longer. And, Yes you are correct, i am Shay. If we find the car the source controlling the shadow on the train I may be able tell you how to stop it then...but Arashi is correct, we must get out of here first." Shay finally answered after everyone else had finished speaking. Once she had healed any wounds on the fox she gently placed her into an empty seat and stood. She frowned at the exits then and walked towards one of the doors to investigate it.

She brushed her hand along the door with her eyes closed and let her senses explore it. She didn't really say anything to the group now, though her mind briefly fled back to the necromancer. She still wasn't sure she could trust him... but what really scared her was part of her wanted to. Oh well, she really had no choice. Her fears were petty considering the screams of people dying in outside cars.

Hearing Nila begin to panic she frowned, walking over to the scared girl. She wrapped an arm around her and held her like a mother might. She really was a loving soul and would not let any harm come to an innocent child, then again her mother's kind had been made to protect children... She stroked her hair, trying to reassure her quietly. After a moment she began to speak.

"Ice... It's a combination of ice and shadow magic. I can get us out, No one traps me sweet heart. Do any of you know light or fire magic?" She asked quietly, looking back towards the other two as she held the girl gently. She didn't think she could focus enough power in both elements and focus the separate spells as was needed to break it. She could do one element and the focusing for sure... but she needed someone to hold the other element and be the focus for it...

(( I have to chuckle... if Mara knew fire magic, she'd be a fire fox. :rofl: ))

((I soo want Shay to teach her fire magic now hehe))