Tavern28 Chapter 4: Aftermath (Closed)

[Belethiel]

This is simply the falling action after the conflict resolution of the story.

Previous chapters:

Chapter one:
http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=17164747&page=1
Chapter two:
http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=18754167&page=1
Chapter three:
http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=18999083&page=1

Themesong Playlist:
http://www.mixpod.com/playlist/59265442  

[Belethiel]

Eh, you all should know the rules by now. -o- Be nice and follow the T.o.S, no god-modding, no sexual content above a PG-13 level.  

[Belethiel]

"That. Was. EPIC!!!" Applauded the Gatekeeper as they left. Apparently, they had been watching the whole time.

"Uh... thanks." Rafeal adjusted his hold on Aleta. Her sleeping form lay in her arm, lifeless to the untrained eye.

The battle had left them a little beat up, Duri was still limping, looking depressed. He had just lost June, Rafeal could symapthise with him. Aleta almost died... but they were lucky, she was saved, and June was not.

I don't know what I would do without her... Rafeal studied her sleeping face. The girl looked truely satisfied, and at peace now that she finally had her revenge.  

[Duriono]

"I remember when you used to act like that!" Anna smiled, trying to brighten his mood. Duriono's pace had quickened slightly, as if his healing was beginning to restore itself. He shot another dark glare towards the mechanic, surprisingly lowering her spirits as well. Snipe appeared to be frustrated with the attitude of thier leader, he remained as silent as anyone else. Brig was being Brig, Key at his side, and next to him was a slumbering Kagura within the arms of her mother.. Everything seemed to tie iteslf up in the end, Kagura had her familly back, Bishop was now engaged to Mary, Aleta had claimed avengance, Duriono had defeated Zephyr and now his army would crumble, however there were those things that were still unfinished... Bishop now carried the corpse of June, deciding they would bury her later. He seemed unphased by the corpse in his hand, having done this type of thing several times before in his life.
"So, is there going to be any sort of shortcut back to the surface?" Mary asked, her eyes darted around, looking for any potential enemies.
"Move aside.." Duri shoved Anna away, moving forward to crouch down low to the floor a little while ahead fo the group. A grand design flowed thoughout the path, and a large door rose up from the ground.

 

[Belethiel]

There were no enemies, the walls of the cave glowed a pale white now, instead of the muted grey-blue.

Senseing something within the cave, Aleta stirred and opened her eyes, briefly. I thought something was there... It was as if she had been here before, she knew this place.  

[Duriono]

Duriono began to spew again, blood spread across the ground in a large splat. Snipe walked along to support him on his shoulder, Surina running up to help out as well.
"Anything you'd like to do before we leave?" She asked, turning to Rafeal.

 

[Belethiel]

Rafeal shook his head, "Nope, there's nothing here for me." He looked around for a minute, taking this place into his mind, forming a memory of how it looked and felt. His thoughts wandered to Duri, he didn't look so good right now. "Hey.... are you going to be okay, Duri?"  

[Duriono]

"Yeah... I'll be alright..." Brig went up to open the door, Lucifer helping out with the other side. The others escorted Duriono through, "This had better take me back to Lida.." He mumbled. Summoning the gate took alot out of Duriono, however it's transportation capabilities could only be used inside of the pathway, and could only direct him to places he's physically been before.

 

[Belethiel]

"Well... lets go already." Rafeal stepped closer to the gate. Aleta stirred again, opening her eyes wearily.  

[Belethiel]

She spoke in a weak, sleepy voice. "... Where is that going to take us?"

((Don't forget about this... I know its done, but we have to wrap up a few things, and write a transition to the Gunmetal RP guild. I think of that as a follow-up. The group could be seperated here, I think it will be. This chapter is going to be short, two pages or so.))  

[Duriono]

((*Was about to type here U:* ))

Duriono nodded, "Guess it's so long for now." He cracked a sad smile, but that disguise dropped quickly.
"I'll remember to stay in touch." And with that, he, the Shiontes and the other mercenaries walked through the gate, when they all past through, the color scheme of the doors swapped colors.
"Just think of where you wanna be when you pass through.." Lucifer explained, as he and his daughter headed into the door.

 

[Belethiel]

((Oh... just reminding you.))

Rafeal nodded, "So long guys..."

Aleta was more alert now, "Perhaps our paths will cross again one day. It was an honor to fight side-by-side with all of you." She got to her feet, and followed them through the door.

"Duram..."

"Yeah... home." Rafeal agreed.

((BRB))  

[Duriono]

~two weeks later~

Bishop walked into the apartment with Mary, covered in dust. Snipe was on the couch, a pissed off look on his face, reading the newspaper.
"How is he?" Mary asked, approaching him.
Snipe lowered the paper to give a silent glare at Mary... Snipe seemed to have changed alot in the past months, he had grown a distaste for Duriono's recent failure to accept what's happened. "He's still in his room.." Snipe answered simply, Mary nodded. Heading towards Duri's room. Cold airs blew in through the window, on the television was a newsbroadcast about the restoration of Lida and some new political figure who has taken over the city in the gunmetal's absence. Lida had been victim to Zephyr's attack a few weeks ago, it drew demons to the land, guided by the sent of blood. Anna and Surina had removed themselves from the group, refusing to put up with all the arguing.
After three knocks on Duriono's door, Mary entered to find Duriono, hunched over a desk with his elbows on the table and fingers in his hair. His hat was on the floor beside him, along with an assortment of old images of he and June Malatesta. He was mumbling franticly under his breath, about times lost, what he could have done, what should have happened, how much of a failure he was..
"Duri.." Mary crouched down to retrieve his hat, and set it down on the table beside him.
"Please Duriono.. talk to me.. you haven't come out in days..." She tried to reach towards the demons face, only to have him claw at her face, leaving a light, bleeding wound and toppling over a framed image of him and the other mercenaries, full and larger group rather than the ones the Elves knew very well.. There were three images on Duriono's desk, one of him standing over June's grave. Another one of him holding a live June close to him, and a third of June's smiling face.
"It should've been me... I said I'd protect her..."
Snipe entered the room soon after hearing the frame shatter.
"Just forget about this b*****d! Leave him behind! Were being exiled from the city, you know that! If he wants to live in sorrow then let him rot" He shouted. The mercenaries were shattered without their leader, uncoordinated, anarchy in the apartment. Brig was smoking regularly, left one night and wouldn't come back until the next. Kagura was haulled off to live with her parents across the ocean, Key was always locked inside of his room, lonely and fearing for the sake of the others and Bishop was the only one trying to hold everyone together. Ontop of that, they were being blamed for Zephyr's attack on the city.