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Fable : Fall of the Guild	By : Samson Category: +A through F > Fable Views: 8222 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Bianca’s Return.
Fable : Fall of the Guild

Part III - "Lychfield"

By: Jesse Racine AKA Samson

Original Date Written: May 6, 2011

Timoteo and Darrah reappeared inside the Guild, near the Map Table. They stood by the Cullis Gate of the Guild, the Gate taking the form of a beam of blue light set in an alcove by the physical entrance to the Guild. The two felt sick to their stomachs for a moment from the teleportation, but they quickly got over the sensation. Replacing their Guild Seals into their packs, they glanced around for a moment. The Guild was quiet at that time of night, and it didn't appear as if anybody was walking through it's passages. Heading through the dining hall, they made their way out into the Guild grounds. As they headed down towards the nearby Guild building with spare beds for grown Heroes, Timoteo and Darrah suddenly heard a loud "caw" coming from their lefts, towards the small stone bridge that spanned the small creek to run through the grounds. Timoteo and Darrah stopped walking, the both of them looking over.
Timoteo had never seen a crow before. They never flew into Dattebayo, and he had never seen one on the Guild grounds before. The black bird stood on the nearby stone bridge, it's dark plumage causing it to blend in almost perfectly in the darkness of the night. It's beak wasn't black, but was very dark, the same visible to be true for it's feet. Darrah narrowed her eyes when she saw it. "A crow? What's a crow doing here?" Darrah said curiously. The crow kept staring at them, letting out another caw. Timoteo smiled with almost innocent amusement. "I've never seen a crow before. Always liked birds." He said. Darrah's face was cool as she said "I wouldn't get close to it if I were you. Legends say they're the eyes and ears of Skorm. At the very least, they tend to look disturbing." Timoteo slowly began to approach the bird, Darrah yawning as he did so. As he neared the bridge, the bird took a few small hops backwards, going farther back on the bridge.
"It's weird seeing a crow anywhere but Lychfield...Or Darkwood. Sometimes you can see them in Witchwood, but never for long, that place rains all the time." Timoteo continued to slowly and peacefully follow the crow, causing it to take several more hops backwards, letting out a mellow and fairly quiet caw. Darrah yawned again, asking "Tim, are you gonna chase that bird all night? I'm exhausted, I can't stick around. I'm going to bed. You won't take long, will you?" Timoteo yawned gently, stopping his walking as he did so. When his yawn died, he glanced over his shoulder to Darrah, saying "I won't take long. The bird's either going to fly away, or relax enough to let me look at it closer...Either way, I should be in bed soon." Darrah nodded, saying "Alright, then." She left Timoteo alone in the dark Guild grounds, heading on her way towards a large building situated beside the Head of the Guild's tower. Timoteo, meanwhile, continued to follow the crow.
It let out a soft caw as he followed it to the end of the bridge. The crow walked on the grass beyond the bridge for hardly a moment before it spread it's black wings, taking off for flight. Timoteo was disappointed for hardly a few seconds as he watched the bird fly off and land nearby, landing on one of the wooden posts making up the fence around the nearby combat pen. Walking over, he had a little smile on his face as he gently asked "Where're you going, crow?...Pretty bird, probably hungry...I have some pie left..." The bird continued to stare at him, not making any sound. Timoteo slowly and calmly slipped his pack off, continuing to slowly approach the post that the crow stood upon. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out his piece of unfinished pie, which he had planned on finishing before being approached by Blossom the slime. When he pulled the piece of pie out, the crow perked up, letting out a gentle caw.
Timoteo rested his pack down and slowly walked over to a nearby post, the bird keenly watching him and the food in his hand the whole time. He rested the piece of pie down on the nearby post, the crow flying over a moment later, landing on the post by the pie. It ducked it's head down and began to jab it's beak into the soft and tender apple pieces within the pie, beginning to mash it up for eating. The crow seemed relaxed, and so Timoteo slowly brought a hand to it's back, lightly running a finger down along the bird's soft and smooth feathers. The crow didn't seem to notice, beginning to feast on the apple pie. "Darrah wasn't quite off in her words. Crows can be used as eyes and ears by those with the Will. Messengers, too."
The soft and gentle voice made Timoteo jump slightly, the young man being startled. The crow continued to eat the pie calmly. There was something about the voice that Timoteo recognized. It was older, more mature, more womanly, but he knew that he had heard the feminine voice before. He turned around, seeing a figure to be standing in the darkness. The figure had a feminine shape, going with the womanly voice. The figure was wearing a long black cloak, the hood to the cloak pulled up over the figure's head. The edges of the cloak and the hood were lined with some sort of dark gray fur. The inside of the cloak's hood was cast in total darkness, making the figure's face invisible. The cloak was close together at the front, and so Timoteo wasn't able to see underneath it. The cloak reached down a little past the figure's knees, leaving the majority of their body a mystery. Timoteo stared at the figure for a few moments before quietly saying "I know your voice from somewhere..."
He started to smile lightly, his eyes going warm. "You were younger. You never talked much, but I recognize your voice, anyway. Bianca?" The cloak parted, twin arms reaching out and heading upwards. A twinkle came from the figure's left wrist, and Timoteo spotted the same bracelet that Bianca had been so protective of as a child. When the cloak parted, Timoteo saw underneath. Beneath the cloak, she was wearing a lace shirt that was transparent in many places, but black designs like flowers, specifically roses, reached all along her sleeves. Roses also went across her chest and stomach, but there was a blank patch that revealed her navel. She wore a black skirt that had thick crimson stripes going down the sides, just below her hips. She wore stockings on her legs, the stockings mostly transparent while just gently adding their hint of darkness to her skin, but at various parts, black roses were designed into the stockings, standing out against her skin.
Timoteo could just slightly see the dark clips of a garter belt reaching down from under her skirt, keeping her stockings raised. She had black boots on her feet, which were laced up tight. The boots, while having a wide front perfect for powerful kicks, had elevated heels, like stilettos. The heels were only about three and a half inches long, however, so they weren't ridiculous. She had a ring on her left middle finger, and another on her right thumb; Timoteo knew this because he saw them glint in the soft moonlight. It was too dark for him to see any details beyond that, and he was left only with his suspicion that the rings were polished silver. She raised her hands to her hood, pulling it back all the way, letting it rest down by the back of her neck. She looked to his eyes, and a cool tremble ran along his skin from her piercing gaze. She wasn't as tall as he was anymore, but was close to it, only being an inch or so shorter.
The irises of her eyes were completely and totally red, like fresh blood. Her hair was long and completely black, a little more neat and tidy than it had been when he had last seen her, but still a little unruly. Her bangs were parted, brushed to the sides, leaving her forehead mostly clear. The only exception was a short plait that had been done with some of her bangs, the black locks not only braided together in a thin string of hair, but also kept together with a very small ring of what looked like dark gray metal. The plait hung down above her left eye, resting against her forehead, the bottom curls of the tied together locks coming close to her eyebrow. Her hair had grown a little curly since she was a girl, and now the ends of her hair curled slightly in random directions. Her skin was still deathly pale, being beyond creamy. She was wearing a necklace, the necklace being made of a black cord with several small, round pieces of red stone.
The very center stone at the bottom front of the necklace, which hung down against her shirt and between her collar bones, had wavy black lines in it, sparkling softly. On the inside of the cloak, Timoteo could see many pockets, some small while several were large. She was beautiful, she had grown into a stunning young woman, taking Timoteo's breath and whisking it away to the pale moon that watched them. Her face was the prettiest Timoteo had ever seen; her black eyebrows created a stark contrast to her almost snow-white skin. Her eyelashes were long and plentiful. Slight dark circles had developed around her eyes, her fiery eyes gazing into his with a soul-searching intensity that mildly intimidated yet enthralled him. Her lips were plump and covered in black lipstick, slight sparkles showing along her lips in the pale moonlight, her lipstick created with sparkles inside. She had developed into the curviest woman Timoteo had ever seen; her cloak had done a very good job of hiding it, but she had developed an immense bust that shocked Timoteo when his eyes ran across it.
She wasn't slim, and yet wasn't quite chubby; she had a healthy weight to her, as if she didn't gorge herself on fatty foods, yet didn't deny herself treats that she enjoyed in an attempt to keep her waistline down to a ridiculous degree. She had shapely hips and lovely thick thighs, but because she was facing him, Timoteo couldn't see what her backside was like; because of her lovely hips and thighs, however, Timoteo felt certain that her rump was just as voluptuous. He felt a little ashamed about it, but as he drank in the sight of her, he grew aroused, his stiffness pushing against the inside of his pants. He felt grateful that it was so dark, not wanting Bianca to see his physical reaction to her appearance. His heart was beating a little quickly as he barely said "B...Bianca...It's you..." Her face was calm as she nodded gently. A moment later, she surprised him with a small smile. "I'm glad I got to see you again, Timoteo."
She slowly approached him, Timoteo spotting her eyes to trail along him like his must've just a few seconds before. "You're not the young boy I remember you to be." She said. Her voice was just as soft, quiet, and gentle as it had been when she was a child, but was obviously more mature, more like an adult's voice. Timoteo smiled, raising an eyebrow, saying "And you've certainly grown since I last saw you. Aren't you worried about what people will do if they see you here?" Bianca simply shook her head, still smiling a little. When she wasn't all that far from him, she stopped walking. Gazing into his eyes, she said "Darrah's certainly grown, as well...Marst or any of the others around?" Timoteo shook his head. "Gibbons went to Bowerstone...Stealing stuff to make a living. Calvin...I don't know, actually. Doing Quest Cards, I think. Brute said he wanted to go home for a bit, and he mentioned a boat...Don't remember where he's going, though. Marst's doing Quest Cards, I think...I haven't seen her in a little while, since a bit before my graduation."
Bianca kept smiling gently as she said "I figured that you'd be graduating some time around now. I tried to contact your Guild Seal, and I know I contacted someone...But you didn't speak back to me." Timoteo felt curious. "What did you try to say?" He asked. Bianca leaned her head to the left slightly, saying "I tried telling you that I was in Darkwood...Staying with an older woman I had met when I was just a girl. I was trying to tell you that, if you wanted me to, I'd come up and see you..." Bianca's face grew calm as she reached her hands up over her stomach, holding her own hands, playing with her fingers. She looked down from his eyes, looking to the middle of his chest. "I...Must confess. I missed you. Both you and Travis. Aside from Weaver and Grizelda, you two were the only Will users I ever knew." Bianca's face never went sad as she spoke her next string of words, but she did look off to the side as she spoke.
"I acted hastily. I overreacted. Travis didn't deserve to die, but when my bracelet disappeared, I panicked a little." Timoteo fearlessly brought his right hand to Bianca's left, holding her fingers slightly as he raised her hand up. She didn't recoil or pull her hand away, looking down to her hand at the same time he did. He looked to the bracelet on her left wrist, twinkling slightly in the moonlight, clinking slightly as it moved along her skin. For the first time, the bracelet was close enough to Timoteo that he could look at the trinkets and charms on it to properly make them out. Disturbingly enough, most of them appeared to be little metal bits formed into skulls with loving precision and care, half of the skulls having lower jaws attached, every other skull lacking a lower jaw. Other little bits looked almost like an animal's fangs, yet were made entirely of metal. Other bits were shaped like the traditional depiction of a heart, some hollow and looking like outlines, while others were full and solid.
"Why is this so important to you? You said it was your dad's?..." Timoteo asked. Bianca allowed Timoteo to continue to hold her hand up as she softly said "Yes...It was my father's. I feel you must've been curious about why I did what I did, so I'll tell you the story." Bianca gazed in silence at the bracelet for a few moments before beginning her tale in a gentle voice. "...My father was a good man. I want to make that clear before I go on. He could be blamed for nothing, which makes my mother's actions all the more puzzling...And frightening." Timoteo quietly gazed into Bianca's face as she continued. "I came home from school on a breezy Wednesday. I remember it all perfectly. The sky was dark, and it looked like it'd rain soon, so I hurried home. When I did, I found the house dark....I called for my mother, for my father. But nobody answered." Bianca suddenly shut her eyes then. "Forgive me, but I've only ever told Grizelda and Weaver. I'm not used to putting my memories into words."
Timoteo smiled gently, saying "No, you're doing good...I've never heard you talk so much, in fact. I like it." Bianca smiled gently, opening her eyes a little, still looking to her bracelet. "Thank you...Grizelda taught me to be more social, to open up more. I resisted for a long time...A few years. But eventually, the lessons began to sink in." Bianca slowly took in a deep breath, exhaling through her nose. "There was blood all over the floor of their bedroom." Her face went cool and lifeless. "He was lying on the bed. My mother had not only disembowelled him, but had pulled out his heart. I went into shock, but I remember seeing my mother jump out the bedroom window, still clutching my father's heart." Timoteo's face went sad. "I'm so sorry..." He mumbled, sounding a little sleepy. A little more life came to Bianca's face as she very softly, almost in a whisper, said "...Thank you..." She took in another gentle breath before saying "I haven't seen my mother since then. Not long after...I was found by a Guild scout of sorts."
"How did he know you were a Hero?" Timoteo asked. Bianca looked to his chest, a second later saying "...As my mother fled, I attempted to catch her. I ended up casting a spell. The Guild scout saw me, and took me to the Guild." Bianca looked up to Timoteo's eyes. "I obviously haven't seen my mother since that day, but since I'm out of Darkwood, I feel I should search for her." Bianca's face grew a little cold as she said "I loved my father, and my mother killed him without any rhyme or reason. I don't intend to let her live after what she's done." Timoteo raised an eyebrow slightly, incredulously asking "You'd kill your own mother?" Bianca calmly said "She ceased to be my mother when she killed my father and ran away with his heart." The two were quiet for a moment before Bianca slipped her hand out of Timoteo's, asking "I have to say, Timoteo...My eyes aren't as strong as they were when I was a child. Can I have a closer look at you?"
Timoteo felt curious. "Um...Sure." He said. Bianca smiled lightly in appreciation. "Thank you." She said simply. She raised her hands, lightly touching the sides of his head, by his ears. Timoteo's breath caught in his throat as Bianca came closer to him, bringing her face near his. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he had flown into full arousal. Bianca's face near his, he saw her eyes scan along his features, a soft smile coming to her. A few seconds later, she released him, taking a step back. "Thank you, again. I'll remember your face." Timoteo lightly asked "Weaver revealed you had some kind of eye problem...Remember?" Bianca slowly blinked as she nodded. "Yes. I was born with an eye condition..." Bianca shifted her weight to her left leg as she explained.
"I don't know what it's called, but as I grew older as a child, my eyes slowly began to weaken...My vision lost focus. I can still see shapes and colours...But I can't see details. If something is small, I simply can't see it. My eyes weren't as bad as they are now when I was a kid, but...Since then, the condition has gotten worse. I don't know how bad it's going to get, but I assume that it's going to keep going until my vision is so out of focus that I can't even see general shapes, and I'm as good as blind." She calmly said "Say someone held up a piece of paper for me to read from hardly a meter away. I would see that the paper is rectangular and white, but I wouldn't be able to see the words. At best, I'd see a black blur where the sentence is, and at worst, I'd see nothing at all. Things have to be very close to me in order for me to pick up the details." She smiled a little. "I saw the colours of your eyes...How many eyelashes you have...The real look in your eye...The full shape of your nose and lips...The blush in your cheeks..."
Timoteo, who had been blushing since he saw Bianca, began to turn even more red. He was at a loss for words, but it didn't matter. Bianca raised a hand past his right side, and there was a flapping before she pulled her arm back. Keeping her hand raised, Timoteo saw that the crow from before, which had by then finished his piece of pie, was perched on her hand. Bianca looked to the crow, saying "This is Abel. He is but one of the many crows and ravens I keep as my eyes and ears. Having undetectable scouts in Darkwood always came in handy, in case a balverine or troll decides to wander towards your home. He followed you when you brought that strange man his slime. When you teleported to the Guild, he flew for the building and made it in record time. He kept me informed...He kept my eye on you. His eyes are so much more keen than mine." Bianca held her hand out, and the crow took flight, flying off into the dark night.
Bianca looked to Timoteo's eyes just as he asked "Wait, you said you tried to contact my Guild Seal...How could you do that? The only thing that can contact a Guild Seal is another Guild Seal, and you never graduated from the Guild. How did you speak to me?" Bianca raised an eyebrow gently, saying "Where there's a will, there's a way...I made my own Guild Seal." Bianca held her hands over her stomach once more, saying "I've killed a few Heroes during my life...All of them sent to kill the "witch of Darkwood". I never knew if they were coming for me or Grizelda, but in any event, I was always the one to kill them. Their Guild Seals ceased to function after they perished, as they had died in combat instead of peaceful natural causes. Because of that, I was never able to simply take one and use it. But after seeing a bunch, I was able to fashion my own...And after a jolt of Will energy, it activated in the same manner that a regular Guild Seal does."
She reached into a pocket on her cloak, and pulled out an item, showing it to Timoteo. He was amazed. The Guild Seal was the same object he had seen during his nightmare on his first night out of the Guild, the one made of black rock and red stone. Bianca smiled a little, showing him for a moment longer before replacing it back in her cloak. Timoteo smiled, asking "Speaking of Will, what branch do you follow most?" Bianca lost any warmth in her face as she quietly said "...Grizelda, my teacher, was very well-versed in many forms of Will manipulation that the Guild has long branded as "dark". By calling it this, it has discouraged mages for ages now from seeking such knowledge, and has refused to keep books on such magic in the Guild library. Over the years, I've mastered a few dark paths of magic...The one I am currently practicing is necromancy." Timoteo's brow furrowed. "Necromancy? Bianca, that's-"
Bianca raised an eyebrow, saying "Ghastly? Yes, many people would use that word, I'm sure. But if you understood necromancy like I'm beginning to, you'd see that while it may be disrespectful to the remains of someone, you're not actually defiling them. Anyone resurrected into your control has no memory of who they were when they were alive. They do not struggle. They do not wish to be freed. They awaken from rest, do as you bid, and then you release them back to the earth's embrace." Timoteo raised an eyebrow gently, saying "Weaver certainly wouldn't approve of necromancy." Bianca raised her other eyebrow, saying "Weaver also exiled me from the Guild." Timoteo said "Of course, you killed Travis! Over a bracelet!" Bianca narrowed her eyes for a moment before she relaxed. She looked down from his eyes, looking to his chest. "...I know. I killed him, and while exile seemed a little harsh, it was the punishment he saw fit...And I accepted it."
She looked back up to his eyes, saying "This bracelet means the world to me. It reminds me every day about why I do the things I do, why I follow my paths in magic. Will is my way...As it was my mother's and father's. The day I kill my mother...That's the day I'll take off this bracelet and return it to my father's bones. If I lose it...I can never follow through on that." Timoteo was silent for a few seconds before saying "...I was planning on going down to Darkwood. When you contacted me...I had a weird dream. I saw your words, they made images. But since you're here...There's no need for me to go down anymore, sounds like you were the witch, anyway. So...I'm going to be going north. To Lychfield. Travis' grave is there." Bianca gently asked "You wanted to visit his grave?" Timoteo nodded. Timoteo softly said "...And I want you to come with me, Bianca." She gazed into his eyes. She was silent for several seconds before she, in a murmur, said "...Okay...I'll come. When are you leaving?"
Timoteo's eyelids, which felt like they were made of lead by then, were drooping dangerously low. "...In the morning. I'll tell Darrah about the change in plans. Can you meet us outside the Guild gates a little past noon?" Bianca nodded gently, saying nothing. Timoteo smiled, saying "Thank you...I'd appreciate it. Having you along will be great, I'm looking forward to catching up, talking. I've missed you, Bianca. Really." Bianca looked down to Timoteo's chest, smiling a little. A moment later, she raised a hand inside her cloak, reaching into a pocket. A moment later, she had pulled out a necklace. She reached out and took one of Timoteo's hands, bringing the necklace to his hand, resting it down in his palm. "Take it. I want you to have it...A gift from me, to you." Timoteo smiled, looking to his hand. The necklace was made of black cord, but all along it's front, there were little silver bones that hung down. While he found the necklace just a bit macabre, he still liked it, feeling deeply flattered that Bianca would give him a gift.
Looking to her eyes, he asked "Can I hug you?" Bianca smiled, looking up to his eyes. In the same way she would as a child, she silently nodded, gazing into his eyes. Timoteo smiled more, slipping his arms under her cloak and around her torso, over her arms. He closed his eyes as he stepped closer to her, feeling her slip her arms around his waist, bringing her hands to the small of his back. Butterflies fluttered in Timoteo's stomach as he felt her truly impressive bosom press against him through her silk shirt, her mounds squishing against him. He brought his head by her's, feeling her breathe, gently able to feel her heartbeat as his hands rested on her upper back. Timoteo felt a trembling wave run along his skin as he picked up the natural scent of her hair, which was very much like a fruit, a berry, but Timoteo couldn't figure out exactly which type of berry. Timoteo didn't realize it, but his stiffened member was pressing up against Bianca, pointing up between the two yet still being fairly noticeable.
They hugged for a dozen seconds before slowly releasing each other. Bianca was smiling softly as she said "You look like you're about to collapse, Timoteo...I'll let you sleep. I'll be outside the Guild a little past noon...I wonder how Darrah will react to seeing me again, though. She never did seem too fond of me." Timoteo smiled, raising an eyebrow, saying "Yes, I'm tired, but I don't care how Darrah reacts. I want you with me when I visit Travis' grave. I think it's only right." Bianca nodded gently. "Of course." Was all she said in reply. They were both silent for a few seconds before Bianca said "Goodnight..." Timoteo nodded, saying "Goodnight, Bianca..." Bianca reached into a pocket on her jacket, pulling out her Guild Seal. She continued to gaze into Timoteo's eyes for a few seconds, up until she disappeared in a shimmer of red light, fading away right in front of him. Timoteo felt like he was on the verge of blacking out, so he quickly grabbed his pack and made his way into the building Darrah had gone into. Barely paying attention to what he was doing, he simply approached the first empty bed he saw and dropped his back by it, not even undressing as he fell down on the bed, almost instantly falling asleep.
He dreamt, that night. As he dreamt, he saw nothing but Bianca. Bianca ran through his mind all night long, Timoteo having happy dreams, pleasant dreams, dreams of fantasies and of wishes.
He awoke in bed the next day, feeling fairly tired, not feeling very well rested. He groggily sat up in bed, his clothes feeling strange due to having still been on his body all throughout the night. He felt Bianca's necklace to still be held in his left hand. "Awake? About time. Slept in, even with your clothes on. Talk about lazy." He heard Darrah say. Timoteo felt a spike of annoyance flare within him, and he grumbled "Don't start, Darrah." As he got up and opened his bleary eyes, he subtly slipped Bianca's necklace into a pocket on his pants. He heard Darrah speak with a bit of surprise as she said "Tim, I, ah...I was only joking. No need to get angry." Timoteo looked to her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed to his bed's left, sitting across from him and facing him. She was dressed, and she had a pair of sandwiches in her hands. She held one out to him, raising an eyebrow slightly, smiling gently. "Blueberry jam, on this one. Want it?"
Timoteo looked to the sandwich for a moment, glancing to Darrah's eyes for a moment before he reached up and took it, smiling a little. "Alright, that makes up for waking me the way you did." Darrah raised both eyebrows for a moment, saying "I figured it would. Eat up. I guess we're starting our trip down to Darkwood, today? After all, we've gotten a lot of food and drink, and potions, too. We're both wearing armour. Guess some more food wouldn't hurt, though..." Timoteo was about to take a bite of the sandwich when he caught the scent of the blueberry jam. The night before burst through his mind, and he realized that he recognized the smell of blueberries; it was the same scent that Bianca's hair had had. That was the smell he had vaguely recognized as a berry that had come off of her. He smiled a little more, taking a bite of the sandwich. Quickly chewing and swallowing, he said "Actually, there's been a bit of a change of plans. We're heading somewhere else."
Darrah raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? After all of our preparing? Where could be so important, dare I ask?" Timoteo smiled at her. "You'll see. I'll explain in a bit. What time is it, you figure?" Darrah shrugged and said "I don't know, something like...Noonish?" Nobody's here anymore, the grown Heroes are either getting lunch or out with their lives. The apprentices are out training." Darrah smiled and chuckled lightly, taking a bite of her sandwich and chewing for a moment before shaking her head. "Hard to believe we used to be one of those kids." She said around her mouthful of bread and jam. Timoteo raised his eyebrows for a moment, smiling, taking another mouthful from his sandwich. When he swallowed, he said "C'mon, let's grab our packs and head outside the Guild gates. I can explain my plan to you, and you should also be getting a surprise, as well...Same surprise I got last night when I followed that crow." Darrah gave him a curious look, but stood up when he did, the both of them grabbing their packs.
When Darrah had looked for him around the Guild building, she had brought her pack with her, simply setting her pack down by his when she found him in his bed. "A surprise? Like what?" She asked. "Just what did you do with that bird?" She quickly added. Timoteo had a sort of half-grin on his face as he headed for the nearby exit to the building. "I fed it a piece of pie, but that's not important. The surprise didn't really come from the crow. You'll see what I mean soon enough, don't worry Darrah, I'm not teasing you. I'll show you. Come on." Darrah had an eyebrow raised as she said "I'd expect you not to tease me. You're not suited to it." The two stepped out of the building, heading across the Guild grounds towards the main Guild building. The sounds of apprentices training rung out on the air in a mild din, forcing the two to speak a little louder than they normally would've. "What about when I nearly died and you cried over me?" Timoteo said, not attempting to tease Darrah, yet teasing her anyway simply by bringing the subject up.
Darrah's face went red with annoyance hardly within the span of a second, and she raised a hand, smacking the back of her hand against his right upper arm, near his shoulder. He winced yet kept grinning, Darrah's voice agitated as she said "I don't know if I said it before, so I'll say it now...Don't bring that up! You can be so annoying at times, Tim!" Timoteo grinned with even more strength, chuckling lightly as he said "If I'm so annoying, then please, do tell, Darrah...Why are you still in my company?" Darrah's eyes began to grow a little angry, something that made Timoteo think he might've gone too far in his playful jesting. "Want me to leave?!" She asked angrily, suddenly stopping her walking. Timoteo kept walking for a second before stopping, turning around, looking to her. "Darrah, I was only joking!" He said with a bit of amusement. Darrah's brow furrowed as she curtly said "Don't bring up when I cried because of you, don't bring up that time when we ate those weird mushrooms in the Guild Woods...Just forget about them, alright?"
Darrah sighed quickly and loudly, shaking her head slightly as she began to walk again, walking past him. Timoteo narrowed his eyes a little. It had been a while since Darrah had gotten upset with him. After the two had kissed while under the effects of Blue Mushrooms, things had gotten much more calm and gentle between the two. Since they had become full Heroes, however, it almost seemed like their rivalry was rekindling, and even becoming more fierce. It was like Darrah was slowly becoming a bully towards him once again. When she realized that he wasn't walking with her anymore, she stopped and turned around, her voice annoyed as she asked "Coming?" Timoteo calmly asked "Darrah, do you need some time to cool off, or something?"
Darrah narrowed her eyes, shaking her head silently. Timoteo stared at her for another few seconds before he started walking again. When he reached her, she began to walk with him, walking through the Guild. Neither of them said anything to one another as they headed through the Guild. When they walked by the Map Table they saw Merlin, who smiled and held out a small satchel of gold towards them. Timoteo took it wordlessly, simply nodding to Merlin, pulling his pack off and slipping the small satchel inside. The two headed outside of the Guild, walking out into the bright noon sun.
When they walked outside, the first thing they heard was the cawing of a crow, which by then had become a familiar thing to Timoteo. Darrah looked over, complaining, saying "There's that damn bird again. Must've grown addicted to your pie, and hopes that it can get more." Timoteo smiled happily. "I don't know if that's the case." He said mysteriously. Darrah gave him a peculiar look, but he didn't even notice. Walking towards the crow, he headed over to the tree whose branch the bird was perched upon. "Are you here?" He asked. "Who're you talking to?" Darrah asked. He heard Bianca's voice speak back to him from behind the nearby tree. "I'm here." A moment later, the hooded figure from the night before stepped out from behind the tree, Bianca's hood raised to hide her face. Darrah's eyes narrowed, and her brow furrowed. She pulled her sword from her pack, saying "Tim, come on, get back!" Timoteo turned and looked to Darrah, smiling.
Bianca raised her hands up through the opening at the front of her cloak, parting it and opening it. She pulled her hood back, letting her arms rest beneath her cloak a moment later. Darrah's eyes widened, her jaw hanging down slightly. Bianca smiled a little. Even in the daylight, her skin was so pale she could almost be described as a ghost. She walked out into the sun with Timoteo, her crow flying off and soaring over a few nearby trees. "Bianca?" Darrah asked incredulously. Bianca nodded. "Hello, Darrah. It's been a while...How are you?" Darrah seemed to ignore Bianca's question as she approached the two of them, her eyes still narrow as she said "You were banished from the Guild...What're you doing here? You spoke to Tim last night, didn't you?" Bianca nodded, her smile weakening as she noticed that Darrah was greeting her with much less happiness than Timoteo had. "I did." She said simply. Darrah raised an eyebrow, asking "Did Weaver or Merlin know that you were on Guild land?"
Bianca raised her chin slightly, tilting her head back a little as she stared into Darrah's eyes. "I daresay Weaver didn't. Nobody saw me enter the Guild's property, as it was too late at night. I don't know who "Merlin" is, but I'm sure he couldn't have known, either." Darrah stared coldly into Bianca's eyes, stopping her walking, standing little more than a meter or two away from Timoteo and Bianca. "It's obvious that you've done great evil. Shows in your eyes, in your complexion." Timoteo looked to Bianca, not being sure of what Darrah was speaking of. Bianca tilted her head to the side curiously, softly saying "I've always been pale, and my eyes have always been red." Darrah shook her head. "Not as pale as you are now, and definitely not as red as they are now. And since you've always been like that, you must've done something awful before coming to the Guild. Your Heroic blood must've reacted to some crazy shit before you came here."
Bianca remained silent, staring into Darrah's eyes with a spark of hostility. Timoteo said "Look, Darrah, from what Bianca told me last night, it would seem like she, or her caretaker, was the witch we heard about. Bianca's up here now, taking care of a personal matter...While she's up here, I want to take her to Lychfield. I want to visit Travis' grave." Darrah's face relaxed, and she looked off to the side, seeming to think for a few moments. "...Okay." She eventually said. Timoteo was disbelieving. It seemed a little strange of Darrah to simply accept his words without even a single question. "Okay?" Timoteo asked. Darrah nodded, looking to his eyes. "I think I'd like to see it, as well. Never really got to pay my last respects. Didn't know the boy well, but still, he was one of us. And if Bianca wants to apologize to his grave for killing him, then all the better." Bianca didn't respond to Darrah's words, staying silent as she stared at the warrior girl before her.
Darrah glanced at Bianca before saying "Lychfield's pretty far up north, though...We have to pass through Bowerstone on our way, and since that's the case, we better stop and buy more food. We've got another person in our group, it seems." Bianca spoke then, saying "No need to worry about me. I have my own food. I won't be a burden on your supplies or your gold." Darrah said nothing, looking to Bianca for a few seconds before turning and beginning to walk down the path. Timoteo and Bianca stared at her for a moment before Darrah called over her shoulder to them. "Let's go, Lychfield isn't going to just come to us, you know! Have to start walking!" Timoteo glanced to Bianca, and she simply shrugged. The two began to walk after Darrah. When they caught up to her, Bianca softly said "Forgive me if I seem rude Darrah, but you don't exactly seem pleased to see me." Darrah raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be?" She said a little coldly.
Timoteo gave Darrah a look. He found her remark terribly rude, yet Darrah ignored his look. A moment later, Bianca spoke, surprising both Darrah and Timoteo with what she said. "...You're right. After all, we weren't ever really friends. Just fellow apprentices. I'm sorry if my presence annoys you." Darrah stopped walking, and a moment later, so did Timoteo and Bianca. Darrah looked to Bianca, her expression growing more gentle. "I'm not annoyed with you, it's just..." She sighed softly. A moment later, she shook her head gently, saying "Too many unanswered questions. Too many mysteries about you. Why did you kill Travis, what was so special about a dumb bracelet? I'm not comfortable with the things you've done, is all." Bianca raised her eyebrows, saying "I'm sorry you feel that way about what I've done, but I understand your want for answers. I told Timoteo the truth...And so, I'll tell you the same thing. But...Let me do it tonight, when we're by a fire and we're about to sleep. I do my best thinking then."
Darrah slowly nodded, taking in a breath and exhaling through her nose. "Okay. It's a deal." She said. Bianca smiled slightly, saying "Glad to hear it. I'll answer any question you have, later tonight. Until then, shake hands? Grizelda taught me that it's a good way of sealing peaces and agreements." Bianca reached an arm up and out of her cloak, causing the front to part and open slightly. Timoteo spotted Darrah's eyes to go so wide they nearly popped out of her head. Her jaw dropped. Bianca looked at Darrah curiously. Darrah grabbed Bianca's cloak, parting it on both sides, opening it fully. "Holy sweet Avo! Look at how much you've grown!" Bianca's eyes were wide, and her mouth was hanging open slightly. "Um...U-Um..." She mumbled with embarrassment. A bit of crimson began to rise in her pale cheeks. Darrah stared at Bianca's chest, saying "You've...You've gotta have the biggest bust I've ever seen! I had no clue because of your cloak-thing, but...Holy crap! That's ridiculous!"
Looking up to Bianca's eyes, Darrah asked "What size bra are you?" Timoteo began to blush a little. Although he couldn't see Bianca's chest from his position, Darrah's reaction was making him envision Bianca's bosom with his mind's eye. Bianca shrugged gently, saying "I-I don't know, I don't often wear a bra. I'm not even wearing one right now, Grizelda never kept any around the house." Darrah's face suddenly went sour, and she threw Bianca's cloak shut. "Ew! No bra? Your shirt was practically see-through all over, you could've told me I was looking right at your boobs!" Bianca's face grew a little more red, and she glanced at Timoteo for a second before looking back at Darrah. "You weren't! My shirt has dark designs over my nipples, you can't see anything important!" She said a little pleadingly. Timoteo began to blush more, and Darrah, with sudden annoyance, said "With a chest like that, you could seduce any man you wanted! It's silly! Nobody should have that much sexual power, no one person should be able to bend a guy like you could! You must have back pain like Skorm's claws are in your skin!"
Bianca simply went quiet, her cheeks beginning to turn crimson. She glanced at Timoteo again, seeing him to be blushing deeply, his eyes almost bugging out of his skull. Darrah followed Bianca's glance and looked over to him, seeing his blush, a plethora of emotions running across her eyes faster than Timoteo could recognize. She stormed past him, calling over her shoulder, her voice sounding a little worried yet also quite annoyed. "What're you blushing about, Tim?! Damn stupid mages, you're all perverts and freaks. Let's get going already, I'm not waiting for you two!" Bianca, unused to an insult directed specifically towards mages, lost all of her blush as her eyes went a little dark. Timoteo noticed this, softly saying "She's just kidding around Bianca, you'll get used to it...She's, ah...She's a fiery one. Always has been." Bianca glanced to Timoteo's eyes for a moment before shrugging, gently saying "If you say so." She reached up and pulled on her hood once more, her soft voice sounding out as she said "Let's go." Timoteo nodded, the two catching up to Darrah once more, the trio being close to the bridge to Bowerstone.
When the two entered Bowerstone, the first thing Darrah did was ask a nearby man if he knew the directions to Lychfield. "You mean ol' Lychfield Graveyard?" The man asked in a bit of a cantankerous voice. Darrah glanced at Timoteo, and Timoteo simply nodded. He had thought that Lychfield had been a city with perhaps a famous graveyard that Heroes were buried at, but it seemed that Lychfield was truly a solitary graveyard, all on it's own. The man said "Well, you get into Bowerstone North, then head on out past Bowerstone Jail, going up Windmill Hill and through the Gibbet Woods. You can cut through some forests if ya like, but the path leads to Headman's Hill; it'd be faster to go through the forests, in theory...But without any path and who knows what kinds of creatures in the woods, it'd be safer to go on the path. Headman's Hill connects right to Lychfield Graveyard." The man shook his head a little, as if with disbelief, saying "Don't know why anyone in their right mind would wanna go up there, aside from dumping a corpse. Place isn't far from the coast, and it's kind of cold up there. Not very many people are ever at Lychfield at any given time. Plus, I heard the place is filled with undead and the like."
Bianca gently said "Hollow Men. I know the creatures." The man nodded at Bianca's words, saying "Yeah, Hollow Men, that's what Hero-types call 'em. Anyway, was that it?" Darrah nodded, and the three began to head on their way through Bowerstone South, heading to the large guarded gate towards Bowerstone North. "Why're they called "Hollow Men"? What are they, exactly?" Timoteo asked. Bianca lightly said "Sometimes, when a person dies, they leave a wisp behind; a ghost of sorts that is angry at the living for being alive, while the ghost is dead. If a wisp sees a living person, it almost certainly flies into the ground and reanimates any skeleton it can find, possessing it. It comes out of the ground, and attempts to kill you. That's a Hollow Man." "You certainly seem knowledgeable about them." Darrah said in a slightly accusing tone. Bianca raised an eyebrow from under her hood. "Many people have died in Darkwood over the ages. There are many wisps in the forest, and many sets of bones lying around, waiting to be possessed. I've fought Hollow Men many times over the years, so it would make sense that I would eventually learn about my foe."
Bianca's answer caused Darrah to fall silent with annoyance. "Guess it makes sense that there'd be a bunch of wisps at a graveyard." Timoteo said. A sinking feeling came to him as he wondered if it was possible for Travis to have left a wisp behind, but he pushed the thought from his head, not even bothering to inform his companions of his thoughts. "I hope we've got enough food for the trip. If we run out, we could always teleport back to the Guild or something with our seals to avoid starvation, but that would make the trip a waste unless we came across another Cullis Gate to teleport back." Darrah said. She looked to Bianca, her eyes remaining calm as she said "Oh, wait. Bianca doesn't have a Guild Seal. Hmm. Hope you've got a lot of food on you, then." Bianca smiled from under her hood, totally invisible to Darrah. "Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine." She said calmly, not revealing that she had fashioned herself an object that acted exactly like a regular Guild Seal.
Timoteo didn't mention the object to Darrah, thinking it might've been something Bianca wanted to keep as a secret. "Whatever you say." Darrah said coolly, looking away from the dark Will user behind her.
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Fable : Fall of the Guild