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Aksaja blinked when the new figure appeared . . . this one not cloaked and not possessing a weapon glowing with some weird power. THe lightning dragon pushed himself up slowly, wavering on his feet. He followed Sharra toward the doorway, pausing to let the nergal boil go first.

And then . . . as the new kid floated Sharra out, Aksaja caught the flash of movement as a spear stabbed upward from the floor. He opened his mouth, a cry ringing out as it practically impaled the other . . . his friend. "Sharra! NO!!" He lunged forward, stopping just at the edge of those stairs, a hand stretched out as Sharra slumped on the spear . . . then slowly started to fade ********. I hate . . . this island . . . " Aksaja muttered then, completely unaware that upset, angry tears were now making their way down his face. "Get me to the damn portal," he growled at the kid. Time to get this s**t over with, one way or another. If he got stabbed too, at least they'd end up together. Probably. Jack.

Riley felt the force of FEAR blasting it's way through the group, but it was the slivers of wood slicing into her skin that brought her down to one knee. Her arm had covered her face to protect it, and when she lowered it the skin was lined with blood. She hadn't rushed towards the portal as Mandy had, but instead took a moment to pick some of the splinters out of her arm - the appearance of the boy took her by surprise, however, as did the traps.

Nothing could ever be easy, could it?

Watching Mandy safely transported up gave Riley a spare moment of relief. At least something was going their way, for once.

She heard the whizzing sound in the air before she even saw it. Before she could blink, Sharra's body was in the air, impaled by a spike. She heard someone - she couldn't place who - scream out Sharra's name in anguish, and her breath left her as his body disappeared in front of them.

A moment later, she realized the cry she'd heard was her own.

No. Her body was shaking. No. No no no. She looked over at the rest of the group, one by one. Lizzy. Sheridan - he didn't even look like he could make it up there at all, as bad as he was. Jericho, oh Jericho. She imagined him suddenly impaled as she'd just seen Sharra, and her fists clenched.

Malodore.

Her eyes rested on her beloved Malodore for a moment, before they slit thin and dangerous.

Please. She begged, in a shaky voice that was both filled with anger.. and desperation all at once. Please, She begged the boy. Be more careful.

She stared up at the spot where Sharra had just been, even as a trap barely missed her. Her heart clenched painfully for his loss.


((HP: 7))

[HP: 8]

She felt so helpless - there was nothing she could do as Sharra faded away before them... Nothing. And she didn't even know if they could come back... After all, this didn't feel like Christmas Town. There was nothing in the air - no FEAR, no nothing... Back then, there was JOY at least, and even though it felt disgusting, she would give so much to feel it right now.

"You rest here as long as you need," She smiled, giving Charlie one more pat on the head before standing up, moving over to Mac and giving him a hug with her one good arm, being careful not to wipe any of her blood on his jacket. She stayed silent for a while, just... Enjoying the hug.

"Take care of Charlie," Her voice was soft when she finally spoke, "In case I, well, die..." Letting him go, she refused to look at him as she made her way over to the boil - did he call himself Conquest? - for her turn; her jacket, who was with Mandy now - would make good bandages. It was even the right color.

Of course, she had to accidentally trigger another trap. She didn't get another big wound, but it still hurt.

As the jacket whipped past Mandys head she froze mid-step, foot hovering above the first stair.

SHINK.

Body jerking Mandy just managed to stop herself from moving as the trap revealed itself. Oh Jack that was close. In the next few seconds that followed she found herself torn between safety omj yes and are you b***h facing at me but luckily self preservation won out over natural anger for once and Mandy was placid as Conquest levitated her over the traps.

Well... This was good. She was safe and the rest had a clear way over... where was the catc-

SHARRA!

She hadn't even known the boil that well but he had been a RAGE boat buddy and seeing any of their group die so horrifically was traumatizing. Suddenly she realized how lucky she was to make it over the traps even with conquest. A fear momentarily gripped her heart that she would end up alone.

But then another boil passed safely, if angrily, and then a ghoul as well and with two safe passages the fear let go of her heart.

Soon the demoness from before was landing with them, right in Mandys face, though not before having a small stumble with the traps had sent her heart pounding. Please no more, please no more.

And then Lizzy stepped up to be levitated. Watching the ghoul she mumbled a small, "Be safe.", clutching the jacket she really should return around her tighter.

Arachne moved to the edge of the platform, looking down, unsure that she wanted to do this, but she had to know, had to see her friends. It looked like Elizabeth was next, and she tugged on the ends of her hair, then chewed on a nail as her friend was lifted up..and then fell.

'ELIZABETH!'

Arachne screamed her name, falling back, unable to watch the ghoul's end, her head dropping, crying properly now, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed for her friend. How could she be gone? The world seemed just that bit dimmer now, as if one of its lights had gone out.

"LIZZY!"

In a searing flash of flames the ghoul that had been so kind to her, a perfect stranger, distigrated to nothingness.

Suddenly that jacket felt so much colder and heavy. It was all that was left of the ghoul....

This wasn't home, they'd be no regeneration. That was it.

A chapter forever closed on a book.

Pushing the greif aside, like all emotions she experienced at the moment, she paid attention instead to the actions of now.

Like the rantings of the demoness, Riley wasn't it. She felt where she came from but now was not the time and place.

Walking over she placed a soft hand on her arm, unable to reach higher "Shouting at him will just distract him more, he did not have to help us at all - he could have left us to navigate the traps on our own."

All her words where soft and sad, thoughts on the deeds fate and not on blaming someone for it.

For a brief moment, Draven had thought they actually might beat their opponent. Until the stranger had run away. After the explosion, Draven sighed with relief. He was tired, hurt, and all they had to do now was reach the portal.

The arrival of the new stranger (was that the hooded one from before?) had been surprising, but Draven was too tired to argue with much at this point. One thing was clear, they would need his help to reach the portal safely.

He'd not been watching when the nergal boil was struck. But he saw the brief aftermath. A lump caught in Draven's throat. The battle was over, you weren't supposed to lose comrades after a battle. Still, they had to press on. Draven watched silently as other students were carried to safety, careful not to move and set off any traps himself.

He saw the fire before he realized what was happening. "Lizzy!" He knew her, at least a little. They'd been on the boat together, and now...she was gone. What...was happening? Why so much relief at surviving? Only to watch the students he'd stood and fought with die?

Another student made it to safety. Maybe, maybe most of them could make out of here? Draven realized he wasn't sure if he cared. He felt...numb. He didn't know the other students well, but that didn't matter. They were all students, they'd fought together, and now? Now they'd just lost two. After they'd won.

"Take me next." Draven wasn't sure why he said it, but he did. He wanted to get this over with. He wanted out of this tower.

He felt himself begin to lift off the ground, just barely. Oh, if only he could fly of his own power here. It would have been easier. Thin--something struck him. He felt pain in his leg, his gut, and his shoulder. He looked down, and saw...arrows? Had he been hit with arrows? He couldn't be sure, his vision had suddenly gone blurry.

This was it, he wasn't going to make it out of this tower. He'd made it so far, but he was...he was going to die here. He wasn't sad and he was in pain, but...but at least he was not dying out there, alone in the fog.

((HP: 10 - 2 = 8 f**** u dice))

Looking around at the remaining students, Astra's heart was fillied with grief and worry. Which ones would make it? Looking at Petro, she felt physicaly ill. He looked so badly injured...Would he be okay? She didn't know if she could handle watching him fall, anymore then she could watch anyone else....

Yes...even that stupid jerk

Looking at jericho, she had mixed feelings. While it wouldn't be such a Bad thing seeing him getting burnt to a crisp ((the irony would be quite interesting))...It would still be painful. He was a important person to everyone else, and he had helped everyone else, so to see him die...it would be bad. However in a way she felt even more ill about it. She could just see him roaring and then charging through the traps without giving a dam and then getting hurt.

As she continued to worry, a sudden wave a weakness went through her and she stumbled, having to jump out of the way of a set a arrows that went her way, giving her a few more cuts