Rebuilding the Troys [MiMo FC and Associates Only] COMPLETE!

[Martsia]

Dearest Melody,

 

 

I went to visit my room at the inn and found it completely destroyed and ransacked. Most of my axes have been destroyed and anything I once held dear is gone or broken. I fear my family has found me, so for everyone's safety I will not be returning to the Moogle anytime soon. I am going to Coerthas to hide away. Do not come looking for me...it's not safe around me anymore.

 

 

Sadly and Sincerely,

 

 

Martsia

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Martsia wrote the note hastily, and set it on the couch where she normally slept. At that moment she thought she heard something outside, and after making sure no one was watching, she took off out the door, locking it behind her and rushed the stables, where Nicodeme was waiting. She took him out and made way to the nearest aetheryte, tapping into it and transporting herself and Nico to Mor Dhona. She'd traveled a dangerous route and ended up in Mor Dhona a week or so ago, and it was the closest road to Coerthas. 

 

The ride was harsh, with tons of enemies and monsters flanking her and her chocobo, but through harsh blizzards she came across an Astronomer's Observatory colony. Well...if it could be called a colony: It was a tiny settlement with a few buildings around. Not making any eye contact of the sort she hitched Nicodeme at the Chocobo Stables and went inside a nearby house. It was full of beds, each curtained off for privacy, and one man seemed to be shaking from some sort of fright. She felt like she was sharing a similar situation at that moment, and settled on a bed in a far corner. If someone told her to leave, she would...but for now she just wanted to sleep.

 

It was shortly before dawn, when the sky was lightening slowly, that she woke up to a shifting sound around the curtain. She felt ill, and terribly weak, and tucked her knees up to her chest. Everything was awful now. she missed Melody...and Brio. She missed Ana and Wil, she missed Jig. She missed everyone now, and it made the sick feeling worse, so much in fact that she couldn't help but sob. The shaking man was gone by now and so she felt at least a bit secure to cry here. She wouldn't do it otherwise. After a few minutes she wiped her eyes and was shocked to find that someone had peered around the curtain and was staring at her. Since when was she, Martsia Troy, caught off guard?! Then again it was the Troy's she feared, and this young man looked grimly familiar to her.

 

"Hello there, sister." She heard him say, and at first she felt she was dreaming. it wasn't a dream...he was there, staring at her, standing in front of her.

 

"Ye are dead Mort...I saw ye die...this is some kind o nightmare?" She said, trying to come to terms with the event. He shook his head and glared at her, stepping toward her bed.

 

"I've been alive this entire time Martsia...you never saw him kill me did you? Father will be pleased that I've finally found you. Now, if you don't mind..." In a flash he reached over and grabbed her by the neck, and sent a pulsing shock into her body. She was out in a moment and he hoisted her onto his back. It was a fairly short trip to the nearest aetheryte and soon enough, she woke up in Gridania...in a familiar house...one that used to feel safe and warm, but now felt tainted, with darkness in every corner.

 

"Welcome home." Her brother said from above her, and before she could protest he slammed the cellar door shut, and she heard the sound of chains rattling. She was tied up, and placed on a small bed of straw. Martsia had never known fear like this...and now more than ever, she wished someone would help her. 

 

But she knew no one was going to find her in time.

[Mortine]

Mortine had known it would be difficult to find his sister. After an exciting and painful battle with her friend Jig, he knew to be wary. If she kept a magic user around, either she had lost to him, or she had defeated him and she chose to let him stay around her. At least that's what his sister used to be like: Bold, daring, and sometimes cruel. But from what he'd noticed from raiding her room at the inn, she seemed to have calmed down a lot. She smiled more openly, let her guard down, and even collected things like axes. The old Martsia never had use for older things that she no longer needed. Once she got a new weapon, the old one was trash to her.

 

To his surprise, and disappointment, she was a lot weaker than he thought she would be. An easy jolt of electricity was all it took to down her. Although his scar had reopened in the battle against Jig, he chose to carry her to a nearby village and tap into the aetheryte there. Moments later they were in the misty morning forests of the Shroud, and he set her body in some brush, making a mad dash for their home beneath a grand tree. After a few minutes he came back with  a chocobo drawn wagon, and picked her up, setting her in the back, and making his way home. Their father, Kershaw, was very pleased that he had finally found her, but was frustrated when he noticed the slightly burned flesh around her neck. 

 

"You should no better than to do that to her Mortine. She will be your wife soon enough, I hope you don't treat her so roughtly." He grunted, tying her up and carrying her down the stairs of one of their many cellars. He set her on a straw bed and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'm glad she's home...finally we can rebuild our family. The Troys will reclaim their fame and fortune for being one of the strongest bloodlines in Lalafell history." He smiled at Mort, and walked past him, up and out of the cellar. Mortine felt a small tinge of something, and he hated it. He had no reason to feel guilty for anything. She'd had her fun...and her 'freedom' but now she owed it to her family to become his bride, and once they had a child...hopefully a boy, they could finally change the fate of the family. The Calamity had destroyed all of her sisters, her mother as well. All that was left was Mortine, Kershaw, and Bortun...her brother in law. 

 

He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard her begin to wake, and slowly he made his way up the steps of the cellar. She finally woke and when she did he looked at her and calmly said "Welcome home." before shutting the cellar doors and locking them with chains. She would eventually break...and then he would make her his bride. Until then, she would rot in the cellar. Yet the guilt still gnawed at him, and a few minutes later he had written a letter and sent it to the Moogle.

 

Dear Moogle Residents,

 

 

Do not bother going to Coerthas, to find her, for I have already retrieved her and brought her home. Thank you for all cooperation. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

 

 

Mortine.

[Desu Nee]

Being one of the only adventurers of the tavern was in many cases a very lonely job. She has received many invites over her time and not more than once considered packing her stuff, wishing them well and sailing new winds, because that's what an adventurer would do after all, not bound by anything, as free as the wind that run over Hydaelyn's realm, but she really couldn't bring herself to that, they were almost as kin to her. Her head dancing in said thoughts was her situation when she opened the door to the place, smiling. She probably knew Martsy was around, and she enjoyed her company more than she should be but really, no need to dive on that, do we?

 

"Marty I'm here! Brought some ququirn Firewater!"

 

Silence.

 

"....Marty?"

 

She looked around quite confused, waiting a reply from her and finally noticed two things. One, the mailbox had letter. Two, a paper left on the table...curious, she went first to the letter. Maybe the tax-

 

"...What."

 

Incredulous, she rushed towards the paper and readed...

 

"...WHAT?!"

 

Know, she didn't claimed she really knew Marty situation she really did not. But she knew kidnapping when she saw one. Grabbing the two papers, she rushed down the hallway, finding Brio's room and knocking with all her strength...it isn't much, barely a louder knock but her voice fills the urgency

 

" JIGUMUNDO WE GOT A PROBLEM. AGAIN "

[Melody]

"Almost there..."

 

Melody was nearly out of strength and breath as she reached the huge set of stairs right outside the Moogle, dragging a completely incapacitated Professor with her arm around his waist and his arm over her shoulders. Lucky for her, they were close to the same size. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, she whistled for Clef. Her loyal and trustworthy bird was down in a flash.

 

"Good girl, Clef. Down."

 

Following the command, Clef nestled down in place and watched her master obediently. It took a minute, but Melody managed to lay Jig across the back of the bird, albeit haphazardly. He was still shaking uncontrollably, so she kept her hands there to steady him. He groaned and mumbled incoherently as Clef stood up.

 

"Back home, Clef. Easy now."

 

Once they reached the house, she opened the front door and had Clef lay down again. She got the professor inside and layed him down by the front desk.

 

Jigumundo had let himself go much too far in the fight with Mortine. He lay on the floor still shaking, though not as much as before but his breathing was ragged. Melody took off her gloves and tossed them aside to untie his ascot and open up the top of his shirt to allow him better air flow. She then started assessing his situation by feeling his forehead. He still felt hot to the touch and was still sweating profusely, so she started letting her aether cool down her hand and let it rest there.

 

Silently asking his forgiveness, she had no choice but to remove the glove from his right hand. She pulled up the tattered and charred sleeves of his coat and shirt to check his electrified arm. It wasn't pretty. She needed to get her kit from her room to help further, but she wanted his body temperature to cool down first, so she left the arm for now and placed another cold hand to his exposed chest, near his neck. She heard him mumble and groan again between his breaths.

 

Seeing Jig like this was tearing her up inside. Not to mention the fact her best friend was still very much in danger. Melody didn't think she could ever feel so much hatred for anyone, but right now it was all focused on Mortine...she prayed Mar could get away from him when he found her. She bit her lip to keep away some tears.

 

Jumping when she heard a banging sound in the hallway and a familiar voice, Melody called out. "Quki! Is that you?!"

[Jig]

Darkness. Unspeakable void. The cold. Jigumundo felt only that. He was warned about this. He was warned about consequences of overusing it. He thought that if justified, it will not do him any harm.

 

"I was... so wrong..."

 

Protecting Melody was top priority. Everything other was meaningless. His health, collateral damage, random victims... nothing else was more important than her safety.

Even if he used Mortine's aether against him, he'd still had to pour in some of his power. He's drained. So exhausted... His body is shaking. The fever so high...

Near death experiences certainly are traumatising. Yet they engender some lesson. Valuable knowledge that Jigumundo treasures so much.

 

How could he be so stupid...?!

 

"Jig!" - Jugumundo heard Melody's echoing voice, as she's trying to reach him through the void. Professor didn't felt anything. Only cold.

 

"I... I... underestimated him..." - Jig mumbled, regaining his conciousness slowly. He was shaking. His right arm felt... like he'd lost it. No feeling at all. It was limp. He closed his eyes to loose it again and fell to the void...

 

His palms for the first time stripped of gloves for everyone to see. Filled with scars and poorly healed traces of burns and cuts. Not really a pretty sight. Regaining conciousness again he'd reach his left hand towards Melody.

 

-"M-Melody...? I'm.. glad you're safe..." - last thing he said befoere the hand fell as he lost it again...

[Martsia]

Martsia had no idea what to do. She hadn't been in a situation like this before, only in training by her family many years ago. At the time someone had been abducting children from the Shroud and they had been sold into slavery. Her uncle had trained her, stating that if she ever was in danger, that she could use those techniques. She checked her back...Mordecai was gone, she checked her side holster and any knives she had were also gone. She groaned, her throat stung and burned from the shock he'd given her. She didn't know how well she would be able to speak...but she wasn't going to be doing much talking at this moment. 

 

Her uncle had taught her a way to modify any boot with a blade, and luckily she was wearing a pair she'd modified. It was tricky with her hands behind her back, but contorting just enough she managed to have the blade snap out. Rolling onto her back and lifting her legs she stabbed the knife into a wooden support beam for their house, and it popped out of her boot. She had designed them to do so, in case the blade became embedded in a body, she'd be able to make a quick getaway. She rolled over and stood up, then carefully backed up into the blade and began cutting away at the ropes. After what seemed like an eternity they fell loose, and she let out a hoarse sigh. If they truly wanted to keep her captive, they should have used chains.

 

She began looking around the cellar. It was small and reeked of decaying wood and plant matter. The window, which used to be large enough for her to get out of, was now barred off. Other than the door, there was nothing in the room except the straw bed. If they had intended to just capture and kill her, they would have done it already. Troy's were ruthless and at times heartless. The fact that she was alive worried her more now. And when she realized that she was the only Troy female left, she felt ill. After vomiting in a corner she began to panic. No logs, sticks, or anything she could use as a weapon. Her only option was to wait. The cellar door was solid and sturdy, and the chains would make things harder for her. And so she sat in a dark corner, watching the door and waiting.

[Mortine]

"Sit down son." Kershaw said, motioning to a oak chair in the dining room. Mortine knew better than to decline, and sat where he was told. Their father was a very dangerous man. Behind the exterior of a jolly miner, was a cruel monster with unbelievable skills in Dark Magics. When Mortine had been slashed in the back by Kershaw's axe, he felt his life ebb away, but he was not fortunate enough to die. Kershaw nursed him back from the brink...and now he owed him. Owing this man was torture in an of itself, not as bad as the actual tortures the man had inflicted on him after the attack. How could he have been so stupid...suggesting that he and Martsia run to family in Gridania to escape from Kershaw's clutches. Of course Kershaw knew where his brother was hiding, of course he would find them. And of course he would split his brother's wife in two with an axe and then eliminate his own flesh and blood. 

 

"Mortine." Kershaw said in a dark tone. The young man quickly focused, not wanting to incur his father's wrath any further. "Ye know why I kept ye alive...ye know why we must do this. Do not be weak with me livelihood boy. When she is awake, you will go down there...and if she does not agree to my demands, you will make her agree." Mortine felt ill, and could feel the blood draining from his face. He didn't want anything to do with this at all. Forcing Martsia into any situation where she did not want was like forcing a rabid Coeurl to fit into a tiny cage. Martsia was free spirited, and although her friends did not know of this...she was not one to make angry. Her wrath was known by many neighbors they'd had in Limsa. People assumed that the red streak in her hair was blood that had stained her locks. 

 

He let himself imagine a simpler time, when her hair burned red in the sun, before all the trauma and terror she had gone through. All of the stress she had endured when her father started all of this nonsense caused her hair to change, and within a few years it was mostly a grayish silver. Now it was almost completely gray, save for a few tendrils of red. He knew that if she lived through this event, that it would go completely silver. He was startled awake when Kershaw slammed a fist on the table. He'd lost concentration again....this tended to happen when he'd used too much magic...and also when his flesh was still newly ripped open. 

 

"I'll do what I must, Father." He responded, and thankfully it seemed to soothe the man before him. Kershaw smiled and left the room. After asking his brother in law to put in some stitches on his back he ventured round the yard and approached the cellar. He looked around: Gridania was so peaceful and calm at this moment. But he knew that Martsia's friends would come for her. That night when he was sure that Kershaw was sleeping, he sent an envelope to the Midnight Moogle. Within it was a single leaf and some berries, of a berry plant that only grew in one area. If Kershaw ever found out that he'd sent it, he would be killed. But he was willing to take that risk.

[Desu Nee]

Out of the frying pan.

Into the fire.

 

That's how Quki felt when she followed Melody voice and found the sorry state Jigumundo was, and Melody too...she felt a clump go on her throat as she grasped the papers tightly, sweating a bit...this wasn't supposed so happen what was happening, this was possibly the worst situation possible for that!

 

Quki took a deep breath and coughed. She couldn't soften up the impact, they were already between a rock and a hard place. The professor looked awful, so he was probably attacked trying to defend her or something? Conspiracies conspiracies...this whole moment made her feel sick. She was weak, even after this short time where she improved so much, she was still weak. Trembling a bit, she simply loosened her hand, letting the two papers fall on the floor. Looking to the ground, she muttered

 

"Marty got kidnapped Mel. Someone took Marty..."

 

She looked at the elder Lalafel with teary eyes.

 

" WHAT'S HAPPENING MELODY?! "

[Melody]

Melody took a deep breath and hardened her gaze. It wouldn't help anyone if both girls were to break down right now. Seeing the two letters drop from the younger one's hand, she could guess who the second one was from.

 

'That gods-damned prick...' She thought as she felt her temper flare at the thought of Mortine...that creepy bastard. Then her heart dropped into her stomach. "Kidnapped...he already has her?" she mumbles the words to herself, making the truth feel real. She gritted her teeth and explained the situation to Quki.

 

"Some time before you arrived here, Mar started sleeping on the couch because she'd gotten a letter from her family at her room in the city. They wanted her to know they'd found her and were going to forcibly bring her back to Gridania. They have some sick plan to use her to 'rebuild' their family line since the Calamity nearly wiped them out."

 

Melody grimaced and stopped to check Jig's condition again. He was starting to cool down now and his breathing was evening out. The sweat left him feeling clammy and damp. Feeling a bit relieved, she looked at Quki, "Behind the bar are some small towels and an icebox. Can you bring a couple over here and wrap some ice in one?"

 

As Quki did this, she continued to explain, keeping her cold hands against the professor. "Mortine, Mar's assumedly dead adopted brother, was the one sending the letters to her. We unexpectedly met him just a short time ago while we were taking a walk...and then..." she trailed off, biting her lip once more at the watery sting in her eyes.

 

"M-Melody...? I'm.. glad you're safe..."

 

She looked down at the hoarse sound of the professor's voice and saw his hand trying to reach her. She caught it just before it fell and squeezed it as she watched him slip back into unconsciousness. She glanced at his chest to make sure he kept breathing and let out a shaky sigh.

 

When Quki came back over with the requested items, Melody slipped into her 'get shit done' mode. "Help me keep him cool. His temperature is still running too high." she took the ice-filled towel and rested it against his forehead, brushing back his hair so it's against the skin. "Try to dry him off with the other towel. I need to go get some things from my room."

 

She stood and walked down the hall, picking up the letters on her way so she could see what Mortine could possibly have had to say. Hate boiled in her gut at his words. Her pace picked up considerably as she barged into her own room and grabbed her box of first aid supplies and her grimoire. She stormed back out towards the other two Lalafell, eyes gleaming.

 

'That boy is going to pay...'

[Jig]

"Q-Ququki?"

 

Professor murmured hearing his student's voice. Not exactly concious... yet that seemed enough to talk, or at least moan.

 

"Don't ever... use it..."

 

Cryptic message, to be sure? Don't ever use... what? Professor reached his hand to his student. The hand was covered with scars and disgusting traces of burns, that didn't got enough treatment and hasn't healed really well.

 

"P-Promise me..."

[Martsia]

~~NEXT DAY~~

 

Martsia woke to a sharp pain in her shoulder, and after a few moments recognized the kitchen of her uncles house. She also noticed a very unbecoming dress on her, all of her armor had been taken away. Even her boots were gone. Her father walked in from the doorway that lead to the living room and grinned.

 

 

"So the legend lives!" He said with a brilliant smile. She knew what all of this was about now, and she felt the hate build up in her. "So, daughter, I'm going to ask nicely...and then I'm going to just do what I want!" He took a step forward and slammed a hand on the chair, pinning her hair. "As you know...we need you...so just agree and we can all just live on happily! We will even set you free after the child is born!" Martsia scoffed and glared up at Kershaw.

 

 

"How cute...you expect me to believe you won't come searching for me to do this all over again? One child does not make a family rebuilt...and no child should be left to your care." She said in a sharp tone. "Also, why not find other women for Mortine and Bortun to do this to? It'd be easy!" Kershaw didn't like her retaliating, and threw the chair to the floor, stomping a boot into her stomach.

 

 

"You ran...that's why it has to be you. No one leaves this family." She swore she could feel a magical presence that felt a lot like Jig when she fought him. To her surprise it was her father. This negotiation was pointless.

[Mortine]

Mortine wasn't pleased when his father dragged Martsia into the house and changed her clothes. The constant disgusting comments from Bortun about not seeing the bride before the wedding made him want to light the house up. He was taking a walk when he heard shouting. He came running to the house to find his sister screaming, his father roaring back. Kershaw had Mar pinned to the floor by her stomach and she had managed to get one arm free. She grasped a knife from the wreckage of an overturned table and stabbed her father in the calf. 

 

 

Kershaw shouted in pain and kicked her in the head twice, knocking her unconscious and limped over to the living room to sit down. Bortun came running with a medical kit to tend to the mans wounds. Mortine looked down at her and sighed. After untying her he took her back to the cellar and locked her in again.

[Desu Nee]

Quki blinked a bit, and saw her professor, the closest figure she had for a father since the death of her real one struggling to leave a message and asking for a promise. For some moments she just kept staring, a little mortified by both his wounds, his fever, and his struggle to relay her such message...what did it mean, use what...?

 

Did he mean...?

 

"I can't promise what I am not sure it is, Professor. But one thing I know is that you need rest."

 

She silently whipped her own staff and charged a sleeping spell...it wasn't very strong, as that was not needed, it was merely a more strong push to uncosciousness.

 

"What I promise you is that me and Mel are going to make whoever did this pay..."

 

She casted the spell on the good professor, sending him to a more stable slumber. She didn't need him waking up and putting more stress on his body as he did already. After sending him to sleep land she turned and opened the door of the tavern and gave a cute, loud whistle. In minutes, Cookie, her lovely chocobo ran from the Makeshift stable on the back of the FC to her front. She gave it a scratch on the head...

 

She was utterly out of her depth, she felt defenseless, useless and angry. Angry beyond belief, to both herself and the professor. She felt useless...weak.

 

She HATED feeling weak. After a while she returned to keep the Professor with the cold bag on his forehead and making sure he was safe, applying a soft physick on his hurt wrist.

[Melody]

The furious gleam in Melody's eye softened when she rounded the corner of the hall and saw Quki sitting there looking so dejected. Walking over more softly, she set her supplies down on the opposite side of the Professor and managed to give the girl a comforting smile and spoke to her calmly.

 

"We'll get her back, Quki. I don't know where everyone else is right now, but everything will be okay. Right now we need to take care of our teacher. Once he wakes up we'll figure everything out."

 

She opened her self-made med kit and got to work. Her tone became more serious. "He used up most of his aether...and I'm pretty sure he used Black Magic trying to kill that Mortine guy." she explained as she cleaned the wound on Jigumundo's arm, glad he was unconscious for the process.

 

"He wasn't himself...when he did that." she mumbled this almost to herself, shuddering at what could only be a bad memory.

 

Once the mess of burns and holes were disinfected, Melody applied generous amounts of a seemingly home-made ointment to the burns. "He just needs to rest. His aether should start regenerating soon. As long as we keep his fever down and everything else he should be a bit better in the morning." She looked up at a window to see the sun setting.

 

They worked for a several hours longer. Melody had Quki help her tend to a couple holes that needed closing. They cast a couple more physick spells on the worse areas to help the process along and the damage was soon being covered in clean bandages.

 

Once everything was taken care of, they made a group effort to move Jigumundo to the couch. Melody went into Brio's room and snagged an simple linen shirt to replace his tattered one. As a last touch, Melody found his gloves and put them back on his hands. She didn't need him to have a panic attack when he woke up. Melody sat down on the floor next to Jig and eventually fell into a restless sleep against the couch.

 

~~JUMP TO NEXT DAY~~

[Jig]

Darkness. Cold. Nothinge else... Void started to fill Jigumundo's mind as his conciousness slipped away once again. He felt nothing... curling himself in the void's cold and unwelcoming womb, awaiting it to swallow him whole. He laid there patiently, awaiting what is about to come. Yet a warm hand ceressed his hair. Reached itself to grab him. The Professor accepted this offer. He'd reach his own hand to grab the one that wanted to help him.

 

Jigumundo opened his eyes slowly. Everything hurts... His right arm... useless. Laying flat, with no feeling at all. He turned his head to the side, seeing Melody asleep next to him.

 

"M-Melody..." - He whispered quietly, not being able to speak louder. He wriggled on the couch to slide down to the floor. Just to sit next to her. He bumped slightly, feeling every his move. Reaching his healthy hand towards her, to feebly grab her hand. She looked so calm. All the time Jig was asleep he could hear her faint voice in the distance, trying to save him. She succeded. Was that the fabled power of love? Or Melody is just skilled enough to being able to save him regardless of their feelings towards each other? Or maybe both? Nevertheless, Jig was glad to see her. He'd lean towards her to support his head agianst her's. He closed his eyes enjoying this brief closeness.

[E'jusana]

((Excuse our dust. Ana in undergoing personality reconstruction. Thank you for your patience. -She's going from happy bubbly do-nothing, one dimensional Ana to, dun dun dun! Ana the huntress, cool girl that doesn't need no man and more info to come =D. We will be retconning some stuff but for now just use the fact that no one really knows her much as she was still calling everyone miss or mr and was very curt.))

 

Ana had told Brio almost a week ago that she was leaving and needed some time off for an errand she had to run. She promised she would be back as soon as she was finished and would try to hurry along knowing the Moogle would need its head waitress.

 

She had been riding all night and was tired, dirty and covered in a foul smelling paste that she had smeared over her clothes and skin. At least they paid well for this one she thought to herself as they approached the Mist. Terra, her trusty blue-feathered friend, was clad in iron and was also covered in the same foul ooze. The bird went straight to the ocean. "Come on, Terra. I'm tired. Let's just go home," Ana whined as the bird shook its head and went straight into the crashing waves.

 

They had gotten most of the disgusting smell off of them before heading up the steps to their home at the Midnight Moogle. It was mid-day by the time they reached the archway to the yard. Ana stabled Terra, removed the armor, gave her friend a treat, and lovingly patted the chocobo before she nestled in to fall asleep.

 

Ana fiddled with the hard leather armor on her chest and legs as she walked up to the door. Ah, I wish she'd let me just take a bath when we got home, I hate when the sand gets under my armor she thought with a sigh. I didn't even get all of it out of my fur. Hmm, what's this? I wonder who got mail. Ana spied a bulging letter in the mailbox and grabbed it to bring inside.

 

She set the letter on Melody's welcoming counter since it wasn't addressed to her and started across the quiet bar hoping not to disturb anyone who might still be sleeping. She didn't notice the lalafells on the couch until she almost reached the door to the private quarters, even then she just only caught sight of them out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head with a smile, knowing whose white and sandy heads she briefly saw but when she looked upon the scene of the wounded and weary lala's Ana couldn't believe her eyes and was instantly struck with worry.

 

In a just a few steps Ana was right at their side. "Melody, Melody!" she said with quiet urgency. "What the hell happened? Melody, please wake up, please be ok." she looked at Jig with worried eyes as she gently shook Mel's shoulders to wake her. Jig seemed like he was just barely hanging on. By the Twelve, please be ok.

[Martsia]

Martsia woke up tied to the same chair she'd been in earlier, her face was bleeding from her brow and her cheekbone where Kershaw had kicked her. She was in trouble now...she had no more weapons, she was injured, and she'd lost track of how long she'd actually been here. Was it two days? Or three? She sighed, realizing it was up to her to escape. There was no way anyone would have known she was here, and after all...she didn't want any of her friends getting hurt. 

 

Wincing from the pain and constant headache, she leaned forward until her feet were on the ground, and the chair was in the air. It took a lot of focus, but she jumped, doing a very poorly executed front flip and crashed into the floor of the cellar, breaking the chair in the process. Luckily for her, they had tied her up to the chair that needed to be repaired all the time. Probably because they didn't want to ruin any of their good chairs. She writhed and wriggled free from the ropes and began using all wooden bits and ropes to make herself a kind of club. She would escape, and all of Gridania would know it.

[Mortine]

Mortine had to be the dumb one that day. He'd been sending letters to the moogle as clues so they would come and get Martsia before it was too late. He could only stall Kershaw for so long, and Martsia herself was doing a fine job in distracting him and stalling any horrid events to come. But Mortine wanted nothing more than to run away and hide...to be free from all of this. In that way he and Martsia were very much alike. He was walking outside near the cellars when he smelled smoke. Dashing around the corner he saw it seeping through the cracks of the cellar his sister was contained in. Without thinking of calling for help he lunged forward and unlocked the chains.

 

He should have known. Mar was always crafty, always clever...and at times, very very angry. The moment the chains were freed he heard a muffled yell. Reaching for the handles, he didn't realize that he was in for a surprise. Within seconds the doors broke off of their hinges as Mar, weilding a strange, mangled weapon of chair parts, smashed into it with her shoulder. She had torn a sleeve of the dress she'd been so 'kindly' given and tied it around her mouth so she wouldn't breathe the smoke. She'd started the fire to get him to do exactly what he'd just done. And now she turned on him. He didn't have time to react as she slammed her makeshift weapon into his side, feeling splinters digging into his flesh as he was propelled into the nearby brush. He heard her take off running into the woods, muttering curses under her breath. Moments later Kershaw was outside with Bortun, and just happened to see her sprinting through the forest.

[Desu Nee]

There was little she could do there. Jigumundo was already cooling down and recovering, she had no clue where one of her cru-friend was, and ultimately, she really was out of her depth to this situation. What else could she do than just wait and hope for a lead...something?! She barely noticed Ana noticing her, just dwelving on her own thoughts, holding Jigumundo's staff. It always brought her a smile on her face, seeing the small planet-esque system on the staff...

 

Black Magic. She wouldn't be lying if she said it always interested her, on the little she actually readed about. What she knew was what most knew already, Black Magic gave one limitless power and it caused the War of Magi...did that mean Jigumundo was a Black Mage?!

 

She glanced at her uncoscious professor, and sighed again, turning away to the fireplace and laying her forehead on the side of it, mentally cursing everything...she couldn't have done nothing, maybe if she came sooner she could have stopped this, stopped Marty running away, sto-

 

...

 

Was she really going over what ifs and could haves again? It didn't really change nothing, the present was here, her "father" was once again, laying on the ground, hurt...

 

 

 

This time he wasn't withering to death, like her own true father. She could take something positive out of that.

[Melody]

Melody's hand felt warm. Her eyes fluttered open slightly when she felt something go bump on the floor next to her. When she felt a nudge against her head, she turned a little to see Jigumundo. A soft sigh escaped her as she felt his forehead's temperature had gone down considerably. She gripped the hand in hers and let her eyes close once more, feeling relieved but her thoughts drifted back to Mar...

 

Next she was being shaken.

 

"Huuhwa-whatsgoing-on?" she turned to see Ana and grimaced slightly at a hint of foul odor hitting her nose. "Ana! Thank twelve you're back!" she woke up immediately and told Ana everything that had happened while wiping some wetness away from her eyes.

 

She looked around to look for Quki and spotted her by the fireplace. "Thanks for your help last night, Quki." she couldn't have taken care of things so quickly if the girl hadn't been there.

 

Feeling Jig stir next to her, she got up off the floor and stretched, heading to the bar. Her joints ached from sitting on the hard floor all night. "I'm going to make some tea and check his arm. Then we need to figure out how to get Mar back."

 

As she was working behind the counter she looked up and noticed an envelope on her desk. She felt her heart drop.

 

"When did that get there?"

[Jig]

"I'm... Fine..."

 

Jig tried to stand up on trembling legs, supporting himself by the couch. His right arm was still hanging motionless. He still had no sensation in it. He noticed Ququki.

 

"Ququki... are you all right?"

 

Jig asked through his teeth still feeling pain, however she could hear concern in Professor's voice. Then he saw Cookie holding his staff, showing even bigger concern on his face, yet trying to act cool. 

 

"Mind... giving it back to me?"

 

He tries to move towards his student, supporting himself on every object he came across, almost tripping at one moment.

 

"It's not... safe..."

[E'jusana]

((Sorry, I missed that you were there Quqi >.< Sorry!!))

 

Ana sat listening to Melody with intense eyes. She was a bit shocked at the turn of events but now wasn't the time to act shocked, it was time to bring back her friend.

 

As Melody crossed to the counter Ana sat and mulled everything over in her head analyzing everything she had heard. Her old home was in the Black Shroud, she went to Coerthas to escape, Jig and Mel fought with Mortine, Martsia has been lala-napped. Where could she be? as she thought she heard Melody ask a question.

 

"When did that get there?

 

Ana turned to look at what Melody was speaking of. "I just brought it in, it was in the box when I arrived home." She paused for a split second. "Do you think it's another note about Martsia?" Ana flew across the room, snatched the envelope, and tore it open. With a puzzled look she said "There are white berries on a small branch with green leaves, that's it." Ana turned the small fruited branch in her hand examining it closely just to be sure."I know this plant! This is tinolqa mistletoe, there's no doubt about it," she said confidently. "It's only found in Central Black Shroud. Hunters use it in traps to catch anole in that area. What do you think?" she crossed the room and handed off the envelope and the small branch to Melody.

 

She hoped that it was a clue to where Martsia is being held, but who is sending letters and why? It smelled like a trap but she hoped that they could stay one step ahead of the Troy's since Ana learned to hunt in that area and knew it very well.

[Martsia]

Martsia ran as quickly as she could, darting between trees, branches catching onto her dress and tearing bits off. She didn't care at this point...all she was focused on was escaping. The plan had worked so far, and  if she could just make it around the bend and past the small creek, she would find a small village. She didn't realize that her father was in pursuit of her, with Bortun in hot pursuit. She could hear the creek water up ahead, if she could just...

 

 

The pain was so sudden, and then it dulled into nothingness. When she fell to the ground it felt like her limbs were melting away, and then she could feel no more. An enchanted arrow, or in this case, a cursed one...most likely produced by Kershaw. He was always using them against creatures in the woods...testing them. Apparently she had been reduced to wild game then...because the look on his face when he loomed over her was one of immense satisfaction.

[Mortine]

It took him a few minutes to regain his composure and climb out of the  brambles he'd been knocked into. He should have known it was a trap...he had underestimated his sister. He saw her running, and felt like it might be his only chance to escape as well. Then he  saw the bow being drawn and the arrow was loosed. He reached out a hand, as futile as it was, to warn her. He saw it hit it's mark, and saw her fall. What he didn't see was Bortun loading another arrow into his bow, aiming at him and then he felt the pain. He instantly began feeling tired, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

 

 

He was woken only a few hours later when a bucket of water was splashed on him. He found himself tied to a chair, in the same situation he'd put Martsia in.

 

 

 

"Welcome back, son." Kershaw said, stepping forward. They were in another one of their cellars, Martsia was nowhere to be seen. He worried for her, but he also knew why he was here. "Ye have been sendin a lot of letters lately, Mortine...who have ye been sendin them to?" Kershaw asked, picking up a fire poker as he approached the younger lalafell. Mortine went pale, keeping his mouth closed. He was going to stall Kershaw as long as he could...hoping Mar would find a way out of any predicament she was in.

[Desu Nee]

[ Really don't have much to do for now heh ]

She nodded, absently minded to Melody...she needed some time. She took off to the door, looking at Melody.

" I'm gonna go wind up at the beach. Call me when you have a plan or something "

She turns to the Professor and grimaces a bit...she leaves the staff at the door and walks away