[A loud crack is the first thing Alaric hears, and his blade is in hand before he's even gathered his bearings and determined the source of the noise. It isn't an intruder, and from a brief glance around his room, nothing is out of place or broken. Instead, a second, louder sound echoes ominously from outside and Alaric turns his attention toward the window.
It's storming. Sheets of rain pelt down hard out there, and lightning flashes far too frequently, with the crack of thunder directly behind it. This isn't any usual storm - and just as that thought occurs to him, a gust of wind tears his windows open, slicing like blades through glass and wooden frame alike.
Alaric is on his feet immediately, jumping back and out of the way of the blast. There isn't time to stop and consider how such a thing is possible (magic, most likely?) - he needs to ensure Her Majesty's safe.
...Well, after he takes a moment to get dressed, because Alaric is certainly not going to wander around the castle in his nightclothes. He's got his priorities in order.
Anyway, the hallway outside his room isn't exactly looking much better. While the castle's structure is a solid one that shouldn't be able to be dented so easily, there are places where stones are caving in. There's a loud rumble before part of the ceiling comes caving in and Alaric sighs loudly. Nothing is ever easy around here, is it...? Well, no sense idling anymore, off to find the queen.
The hallway Alaric's room is down is close to the queen's bedchambers - it has to be, given he's her bodyguard. Of course, it isn't exactly proper for any man to go barging in on the queen, regardless of the situation, but... there's something odd about this. The hallway is entirely deserted. There aren't any flustered maids or baffled butlers, no servants running to and fro in a panic, and no knights begging the queen for orders. It isn't silent - the storm is still so loud he can hear it even from here - but there's a distinct lack of people around.
No time to think about that. Alaric pounds on the door, raising his voice as he does so.]
Hey, Your Majesty! Answer if you're still alive, we've got a crisis to deal with here!
[This isn't exactly how the queen imagined that her night would be going. Honestly, she wasn't exactly someone who slept well; there was always so much work to be done, and Blanche always saw it through to the late hours of the night. As the reigning Queen of a healing country, she had to excel. She wasn't going to make the same mistakes her foolish parents had.
But this storm certainly isn't something she expected--much less the wind promptly breaking her window open shortly before Alaric pounds on the door, and when Blanche opens the door, she's still in her nightgown and slippers--but not without a blade of her own in it's sheath, ready for a potential battle ahead.
Blanche's face is about as stony as ever, but her gaze turns to and fro, and suddenly, her eyes begin to widen at the lack of people. Just what is going on? But her thoughts are interrupted before she can think for too long--there's another sickening crack, and it sounds directly above them.]
Grant me a status report while we make a hasty exit--I do not believe that we want to be in here for a second longer.
[This is absolutely the greatest of starts, and there's a note of panic in Blanche's tone, but--well, they need to start beating feet, that much is clear.]
[Now isn't the time to appreciate the queen's preparedness, though Alaric does look a little more pleased than he probably should given the situation. Blanche always has been the sort of person to rise to the occasion, and even if she didn't have time to get dressed in her usual royal attire, she's at least got a sword. That's all you really need, right?]
Right away. The hallway back toward my room is blocked, we'll have to head out this way.
[The other hallways leads down through the kitchen and servants' quarters, so there likely should be more people there. Whether there will be or not remains to be seen, and there's no point in speculating just yet.]
I only woke up shortly before seeking you out - from what I've gathered, this storm's been going on for a little while now. It likely wasn't as intense before, otherwise we would've heard it.
[Alaric's words are about as laidback as his expression, but there's no denying how quick they come, matching his pace down the hallway. While he may not be openly worried, this is looking pretty damn bad and he's aware of it.]
I haven't seen anyone else. The rest of the hallway on my end was blocked off by debris; part of the ceiling had caved in.
[Some of the other most prominent knights and Blanche's advisors are down that hallway. It's possible the debris merely blocked it off and isn't a sign of anything worse, but there's no way to know for sure. That's not something he needs to point out to her.]
Finally, I'm sure I don't need to mention it - but it seems the storm isn't natural in origin. This castle's stood for generations; some rain and lightning shouldn't be able to take this much of a toll on it.
[As if confirming just that, the windows of the hallway they're quickly making their way through all are hit with a massive gust - look out for glass shards!]
[Blanche follows Alaric's lead, then, as she listens--and honestly, the more she listens, the more utterly baffled she is by the report. This is odd as hell, it's as if the storm itself snuck up upon the both of them while they slept and--
Panic isn't going to help them in this situation, but Blanche is finding it much harder to will down the panicking when they're alone. And Alaric's pace of words is causing her plenty of concern as well--he never usually gets like this. If that hallway is caved in, then--]
I see. This storm is more than a mere oddity, then...that it would even manage to completely cave in a part of this castle is deeply worrisome. If that's completely caved in, then...
[Blanche doesn't need to tell him that her worries are with the people--that's something that's always going to be on her mind. If the situation weren't so dire, she'd be ordering them both there to try and clear the debris, but--
The windows break after she thinks that much, and Blanche has to both jump over and rush to catch up and not get hit by any of the shards--she's thankful she didn't bother to get dressed, at this point, all it would have done is encumber her. Though hopefully Alaric has done the same.]
We need to get anyone we can out of here, and alive before this storm potentially blows this entire castle to the ground. I won't allow this cowardly tactic to claim our people.
[Her words are firm and resolute, but they do manage to make their way into the kitchen and servants quarters and...
Well, for starters, there's another sickening crack from above, and the ceiling caves in on that hallway they were just in--ensuring that the only way they can move at this point is forward. The storm is making it hard to tell if there even is anyone left, though.]
[His priority is - as always - Queen Blanche. So he's quick to grab her and get her out of harm's way, though that does mean he's now sporting a few nice cuts in his uniform. It earns a small tch sound from him, but thankfully he's not injured. So much for his uniform...]
Agreed, we need to—
[Keep moving, apparently, given that there's no going back now. Alaric manages to keep from sighing at that, but this is absolutely their luck. Great.]
The kitchen should be busy at this time of morning, and there aren't many windows there. It'd be a good place for people to hide out.
[Unfortunately, while that thought was good in theory, it's not accurate in practice. The kitchen is deserted. There isn't anyone in there bustling around and preparing the morning meals.
The most baffling part is the fact that clearly some people were in here. There's something baking already in one of the ovens, and food is out in the midst of being prepared. While the few windows in this room have already blown open, there isn't any sign of blood or bodies indicating that people were involved in that.
Alaric frowns at the sight of it all, but he simply shakes his head and gestures for the queen to continue following him.]
[Blanche will have to make a mental note to thank him later by patching his clothes up--her knight is always looking out for her, and she'd be utterly remiss if she couldn't look out for him in kind.
Even so, Blanche startles when the way behind them is caved in but--right. Right, if there was anywhere that would serve as a good hiding place, it would be here.]
You're right, there must at least be someone...
[And yet, as the both of them check the room out, it's empty. It doesn't even have the decency to look unused, or gods forbid, full of death--it just seems as if they were suddenly there, and then they weren't. It's baffling, it's unexplainable, it's horrible, and--
Alaric gestures for her to follow, and Blanche does. None of this makes sense anymore, none of it, and it's making her chest feel tight as her expression shifts to something openly disturbed by the events taking place.]
This...This can't be happening. None of this is making sense--how can people simply disappear like this? Did they already evacuate, or...?
[The words come out rushed, highly unqueen-like, and very openly concerned as she follows closely. None of this is making any sense, and this is the smallest she has ever felt in quite some time.]
[They're serious words, for once. Still relatively calm, but quick and steady.]
What we need to focus on right now is making sure you're safe.
[He glances back over his shoulder and offers her a smile.]
You understand, right? We need to take things one step at a time.
[And right now, they run the risk of putting Blanche in a situation she can't get out of and losing their queen. That's not a risk he's willing to take.]
[Alaric flashes a smile at her so easily--that he's able to do that in the face of even this situation, even as everything feels like it's falling apart, it's...
It steels Blanche's resolve back up. Alaric is right--they don't know everything yet, and as much as it hurts, she does need to survive for the people. She's not some sniveling little girl anymore, she's a queen. And more than anything, she knows that she can trust Alaric. They need to take this one step at a time, and they cannot lose sight of the path for even a moment.]
...I understand, yes. I must not lose my head, even in the face of this situation.
[Blanche doesn't smile--she hasn't in years, after all, but her expression steels as they continue down the halls. There's another crack, coming from somewhere behind the two of them, and it's something that rocks the entire building. But that makes Blanche pick up the pace, staying close to her knight.
For the sake of the people--and her friend, she won't give in to such base emotions. And even if he's her knight, she's going to ensure that they make it out together.]
We must continue forward, then, no matter what. Onward, at once!
[Her voice carries the tone of an order, firm and steady, and she knows they'll keep moving. They have to--there's not many other places that people could be hiding in, and if they're going to find anyone, they need to do so fast. This storm isn't going to grant them much more time.
[It's good to see her find her resolve. Alaric isn't stupid enough to think that everything's fine now; he knows she's going to be worried about the people in the castle. She's always going to worry about people. But right now, they can't drop everything and try to determine what happened and where everyone went. Maybe they really did all evacuate and they're all safe somewhere. Maybe they didn't, and maybe they all died. Maybe they did vanish into thin air. There's no telling what happened, and taking the time to investigate would put them in a bad position. The storm's threatening to tear the castle apart, and unfortunately, a storm isn't something Alaric can fight.
The castle shakes all the way down to the foundations, but Alaric's footing is good, and after glancing over his shoulder to check on Blanche, he continues quickly down the hallway. The doors to the servants' rooms are mostly shut, with a few open here and there but no signs of anyone inside. From a brief glance into these rooms, it looks like the same sort of thing has been happening down here too - windows torn open, parts of the castle crumbling inward, and still no sign of anyone else.
At the end of the hallway is a stairwell. Going up a floor sounds like a terrible idea, but going down...]
Damn.
[Well, going down isn't exactly going to be easy. Part of the wall has crumbled in, meaning that descending is going to be difficult. It's still possible, but it would also be very easy to lose one's footing and slip all the way down. With the hole in the wall, the rain and wind would make that even easier.]
Going back isn't an option. I can carry you down, if you want to try it.
[Otherwise we can try to double back by heading upstairs and finding another exit.]
[The more and more doors they find, the more grim everyone's chances begin to look. Blanche isn't affording herself a moment of panic--they're fine for now, but they're not going to be if they meander. Pressing forward, they find their way to a stairwell, and just from Alaric's tone, she can tell the situation is grim.]
That may be our best bet. Going upstairs is bound to waste time that we don't have; let us take our chances closer to the ground.
[...]
Besides, it's not as if I've been sitting on my duff and eating bonbons since taking the throne. [how can you joke about your mom at a time like this???] I should be light enough to carry down. Just be careful.
[Blanche can heal him if necessary, but that's just going to eat more time than they have. Either way, she's ready to get picked up--lead the way, good friend.]
[It gets a short, sharp laugh out of him, anyway.]
I don't think I would've had a chance of lifting your old lady.
[Rest in pieces, former queen. No respect for the dead here!
Anyway, Alaric studies the wreckage carefully, searching for a safe point to drop down on. Once he's found it, he gestures for Blanche to join him.]
Ready? Hold on tight.
[And that's all the warning he'll give her, because they really don't have time to spend with the proper formalities that go into picking up the queen. There's probably a protocol for that, anyway. With Blanche tightly secured in his arms, Alaric begins the descent.
The stones are slippery and loose, and it isn't exactly an easy or pretty trip down. Alaric's damn lucky he didn't think to stop to grab one of his longer capes today, otherwise it definitely would have been caught on something. Thankfully, he does make it down to the ground level just fine and he sets Blanche down once they're on solid ground.
The storm has completely torn open the wall here, though. Normally they'd have to make their way through several more rooms to get at an exit, but they could escape this way.]
What do you think? This will put us in the woods; not the best cover, but it's about the same as what we'll find out front.
Either way, Blanche joins him easily; people may say what they will about Alaric, but she trusts her knight with her life. In any and all situations he's more than proven his loyalty to her in aiding her, and that trust is implicit even despite the impropriety. If there is even a proper protocol for lifting up the queen. But nobody's here to enforce the formality, and quite frankly, they don't have the time.
The trip is definitely harrowing, but Blanche keeps calm and keeps watch as they jump down. By the grace of the gods, she's sure, they make it down there in one piece, and no worse for wear. She'll get back on her feet easily, force of habit seeing her smooth out her nightgown as Alaric brings her attention to the wall that the storm has torn open.
It's a risk--the woods aren't the greatest cover in the world, but if lightning does strike them down, the trees are far more likely to attract it. Even if there is a bit of open area before the woods from here...]
We've been granted a boon, and we may as well make use of it. Lead the way, Alaric!
[Of course, even as they do exit, there's still the problem of that open area--and all the more proof that the storm feels as if it's something that was meant to target the both of them.
Run as they might, Blanche's eyes are on the sky, and she can see something that practically feels like it's taking aim--and if her thoughts are correct and they keep running like this, it's aiming for...
There's little time to react, and yet, Blanche leaps into action as the storm tries to take aim at Alaric. She knows this is pure insanity, and she's taking a chance on the fact that she's taken more than her fair share of magic attacks in her life, but she moves to shove Alaric out of the way as hard as she can and--]
Aaaaugh--!!
[That. Might not have been the smartest decision in her life, to say the least.]
[Off they go, then. There's a stretch of flat ground before the forest, which is really not the best thing to be facing down in a storm like this. Still, with the castle and the trees, surely lightning will hit one of them and not the two people making a mad dash for the cover of the forest.
Were this truly a natural storm, perhaps that would be the case. Unfortunately, as he considered earlier, this storm isn't natural in the slightest.
Alaric doesn't see it coming, and isn't even aware of what Blanche is doing until suddenly she's shoving him. He's knocked roughly off-balance and out of the way of the lightning strike, and by the time he catches himself and whips around to see what the hell is going on, everything is white with the lightning strike.]
Blanche!
[The light fades quickly, and Alaric doesn't hesitate. He rushes to the queen's side immediately, and without a word he picks her back up. His grip on her is tight enough to bruise, but that's mostly because he's picking up the pace and sprinting toward the cover of the forest. Even if he had time to speak, he's not sure he could manage words right now - the only thought he has is don't you dare die on me now which is probably not what she wants to hear anyway.]
[A loud crack awakens Blanche from what feels like a deep slumber, and it takes her a few moments to register that something's deeply wrong. She'd fallen asleep in her bedchambers, which isn't unusual--and yet, it feels like it is. It feels like just seconds ago, she'd fallen to the ground all at once in a base in the mountains she had no earthly clue about--
No. There's no time for that. Perhaps that was all a bad dream, but this feels familiar. She feels like something terrible is going to happen if she stays here, and if she doesn't move now, this whole castle will be destroyed.
It's enough to get her to leap out of bed and go for one of her many swords. She'll need it for the battle ahead, she thinks, and yet...she has time, she thinks. The window hasn't cracked yet, and she decides to grab a small pouch and place some old jewelry in there too. Maybe it'll come in handy for later. Maybe it won't.
Either way, once she's out of her room--another crack can be heard overhead, and this time, the window shatters in her room. But her priority is something else; the fact that there's no one here, that there's nobody around, but if that's the case--]
Alaric? Alaric, we have a situation on our hands--please answer, if you are alive!
[It's improper, sure, but she needs to make sure he's alive. So don't mind some desperate banging on the door there, Alaric, hopefully you're alright in there.]
[Waking up this morning is surprisingly difficult. It shouldn't be, given that he's usually up early without any issues, and it's not like Alaric typically has difficulty sleeping. But that nightmare (was it a nightmare?) lingers in his mind. He's slow to get up despite the loud sound of thunder and the dangerous rattling of the windows.
Blanche's voice cuts through the hazy fog he awoke in like a knife, and Alaric exhales sharply as he forces himself up and over to his closet. He doesn't exactly have time to get dressed nicely, but that doesn't mean he won't manage it anyway.]
Yeah, I'm alive, give me a moment—
[He grabs his sword and daggers on the way out, then gets the door. He slams it shut behind him just as the wind breaks the window and glass shards go flying.]
Sorry about the wait. Let's get you somewhere safe.
[In the dream (it must have been a dream) Blanche died. He remembers seeing her struck with an arrow so clearly. He has to tear his eyes away from her and focus on the hallway in front of them. It looks like the way to Blanche's room is clear, and the opposite direction...
Wait, wasn't the opposite direction blocked? No— No, it couldn't be, of course not. Why would he think that when he hadn't left his room to check? Ugh, this is giving him a headache.]
If we head out this way, [gesturing toward the hallway near her bedroom] we'll go down through the kitchens. If we take the other way, that'll put us down near the guard barracks and training facilities.
[Alaric points out the directions, and Blanche seems briefly confused for a moment. The way towards the guard barracks and training facilities should be blocked--shouldn't it? It makes no sense, but Blanche's face seems confused for only a second before she simply gestures toward the kitchens.]
Let us go this way. We're bound to find someone in there.
[And yet somehow, she doesn't feel so confident. As they run, there's another crack over head that rocks the castle walls, sending stones down to block the path towards the guard barracks--
Blanche's look settles into something firmly confused. This is exactly what happened in her dream, isn't it? But...it doesn't make sense, none of this does. Come on Alaric, we need to move--even if it's likely going to become obvious quickly that there's no one here.]
This doesn't make any sense...none of it does. How is this happening...?
[Again is on the tip of her tongue, but Blanche doesn't utter it.]
[Alaric nods and they start off in the direction of the kitchens, only for the entire castle to shake as part of the wall and ceiling collapses inward. Alaric looks back at that, openly confused for a moment before he pulls himself together and continues on.
This weird sense of deja vu doesn't matter. He needs to focus. He isn't usually so scatterbrained.]
I don't know. A storm like this shouldn't be strong enough to damage the castle.
[The windows, maybe, but the stonework itself? Never. This castle would have crumbled long before their time if that was the case. So what could be causing it?]
Maybe it's—
[magic.
He shakes his head quickly and moves to descend the stairs down to the kitchens.]
Come on, let's see if we can find anyone.
[...They won't, will they? Everyone will be gone (again) and they'll need to get out of here before the storm threatens to bring the whole castle down.]
[Maybe it's what? ...No, there's no time to focus on that, nor this incredibly strange sense of dejavu, this is fast becoming a headache. But they need to keep going, or else they'll certainly die. It's not like the storm is going to stop once they leave--
But how does she know this?
Either way, they'll make it down to the kitchens easily, and just like clockwork, there's no one there. It's as if everyone's been plucked from their spots once again, and it's...
Blanche is shaking again, but she knows they need to move. Blanche leads the way instead, retracing an almost certain path as the building shakes again and any way back is blocked.]
...Alaric. What do you think that this may be?
[It's a calm question with no sense of judgement. For as much as Blanche can try to be calm in this situation, anyway.]
[There isn't anyone else here. He thought it was strange that the hallway was empty given the ferocity of the storm, but this just confirms it. Where is everyone? Have they already fled and left Blanche behind? No, they wouldn't do that. Not even the most cowardly of their knights would be so stupid.
But somehow... he's not surprised. It's almost like he expected this, and he continues to follow Blanche without pausing. She doesn't seem all that bothered either, but she is the queen. She likely realizes that she can't afford to stop and wonder about everyone else right now.]
A storm like this isn't natural. It can't be. If normal storms could get this fierce, then the castle would have fallen long ago. So if it isn't natural, then magic would be likely, correct?
[It's still a bit of a wild conclusion to jump to - especially with how certain he is about it - but that really is the only explanation, isn't it? A storm like this can't be natural.]
[...This is entirely too many coincidences. Even if Alaric is just making a shot in the dark, him saying that...it feels like something she should remember. It feels like it's true. But how? What kind of mage would have that kind of power?]
...It would be, yes. But who? To wield magic like this must take someone incredibly strong, and I haven't heard anything about...
[Anyone experimenting with that kind of magic. But the words die as she keeps thinking, Blanche seeming almost disoriented. The storm strikes again--a blow that makes the entire building shudder, and Blanche grimaces. They can't keep focusing on this--nor the servant quarters, which Blanche bypasses entirely. There's no one in the few open doors--it would be a waste of time to check on them.
It isn't long before they get to the stairs, and--]
Ah...Alaric, look. The stairs here, they're...
[Part of the wall has crumbled in, and that's going to make the descent difficult. But this too feels familiar--the awful joke she made at her mother's expense, Alaric carrying her down the stairs, and--]
...Why does this feel so familiar...?
[Blanche doesn't like this. She doesn't like this at all. It's a quiet question, but it's no doubt one that Alaric will hear.]
[Experimenting with weather magic like this... Surely word would have reached them if someone had been spotted doing something like this. And yet for some reason, he thinks he knows exactly where that mage is located. But that's... That's impossible. He doesn't even know that it is a mage, so why—
That thought dies when they reach the stairs. The wall has crumbled in, wrecking portions of the stairs and making it difficult to get down easily. Already he's pinpointing the places he needs to stand on to scale down the wreckage with Blanche in tow, but it isn't the sort of calculations he usually does. This is certainty; he knows those spots will be safe and hold them.
Blanche's words get him to glance over, and for a long moment, his expression is cautious. Calculating. It isn't the sort of thing he usually wears around her as he tries to work out exactly what the hell any of this is.]
It's... like a twisted sense of deja vu, isn't it? I feel like we've done this before, like I've picked you up and carried down this wreckage before.
[And out onto that field and...]
Look, we don't have time to think about it right now. Come on, we need to get out of here.
[And yes, that does mean he's going to grab Blanche and pick her up without her permission but that's fine, probably!!]
Yes...yes, that's exactly it. You told me that you could carry me down the wreckage of these stairs, and we were able to descend them effectively before--!
[--Before getting picked up and promptly yelping as she's picked up!! Because someone around here's a heathen who can't even let a woman get her thoughts in order!! Rude!!!]
Y-You are certainly right, but a little more warning would have been nice...!
[Don't worry, she's holding on! Just. Just get us down the stairs already buddy, don't slip and fall on us now. Also please tell her you're letting her down after this???]
Sorry, Your Majesty, but we don't exactly have time to be wasting here.
[Something big is coming. Not just the storm, but there's something else they need to outrun. He's not sure what it is, but there's something he knows is going to happen somewhere out in that field that they're going to have to pass through to get to the forest.
The descent is easy - he knows exactly where to land, after all. Once he's on solid ground again, he considers putting Blanche down, but instead tightens his grip on her.]
Trust me, okay?
[If he's right (and of course he is) then they need to hurry. With that thought in mind, Alaric rushes out of the cover of the castle's walls and out toward the field - he isn't going to stop until they're safely in the woods, and hopefully that will be good enough to avoid... whatever it is that's about to happen.]
[Yes, she knows that, but the least you can do is give a woman some warning!! Blanche finds that she can't exactly complain though, especially as Alaric is descending. She'd rather they both not wind up dying here, so she's content to just hold on tightly and pray for the best.
Once they're on solid ground again, it's a different story. Blanche is ready to get off, but then bafflingly, Alaric tightens his grip on her. This...isn't how it's supposed to go--but Alaric asks her to trust him, and...
...Well, the answer is obvious, isn't it?]
Of course, Alaric. By your lead.
[This doesn't feel right. If she's not down there running with him, something bad's going to happen, she knows it is, but--well, Alaric is off like a shot. The storm is still raging outside, and Blanche's eyes look to the sky itself. She's not sure why she's looking at first, but then it hits her.
Lightning. She remembers it, she remembers calculating it in her head--and that same strike is brewing overhead. He has to run, he's running faster than she's ever seen and Blanche is holding on for dear life--
He outruns the strike. It strikes the ground, several feet from where Alaric was, and Blanche's heart jumps into her chest at the sight of it. She remembers pain--searing pain, pain that put her well out of commission until Alaric himself stopped deep in the woods and she came too.
Knights can be replaced. Queens can't.
...He just saved both of their lives, didn't they? It takes a few seconds once Alaric has finally stopped, once they finally have a moment to breathe, and Blanche is able to get her bearings after all of that.]
...That strike was supposed to hit one of us, wasn't it?
[The forest is in sight and he knows his own strength and speed better than anyone else; they'll make it in record time. It should be fast enough. He can almost tell exactly what's supposed to happen, but he doesn't allow himself to think about it at all. If he stops to think, they die.
The loud crack and the simultaneous lightning strike answers that question, and if he'd been even a second slower, they both would have been hit. He doesn't stop and he doesn't allow himself to think about it, because he doesn't know if there will be a second one that follows. With (magic) a storm like this, there's no telling what will happen.
They reach the forest and Alaric only stops once they're further in, where there are plenty of trees for the lightning to target instead of them. He sets Blanche down gently and takes a moment to catch his breath.
If he's being perfectly honest with himself, he'd rather not consider just how close they were to dying, and how he knew that something would happen, even if he didn't know exactly what it was. That doesn't seem possible. That's the sort of stupidity people claim to have all the time - seeing the future, being able to predict your fate, that kind of bullshit. None of it is real. So how exactly is this something he - and Blanche - knew would happen?]
...Yeah. I... You were going to be hit by it.
[It occurs to him as he says it that yes, that's exactly what would have happened. He doesn't exactly see it so much as he feels it - he knows that's what was supposed to happen. There's more to it than that, though; the feeling that she got hurt on his behalf, the terror at the thought of losing her because of his own stupid mistake—
They're outside now and relatively safe. There isn't anything else he can focus on but these thoughts. But gods above if he doesn't wish he could have anything else to keep himself busy right now.]
You felt it too, didn't you?
[Not the lightning strike, the knowledge of what was supposed to happen.]
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It's storming. Sheets of rain pelt down hard out there, and lightning flashes far too frequently, with the crack of thunder directly behind it. This isn't any usual storm - and just as that thought occurs to him, a gust of wind tears his windows open, slicing like blades through glass and wooden frame alike.
Alaric is on his feet immediately, jumping back and out of the way of the blast. There isn't time to stop and consider how such a thing is possible (magic, most likely?) - he needs to ensure Her Majesty's safe.
...Well, after he takes a moment to get dressed, because Alaric is certainly not going to wander around the castle in his nightclothes. He's got his priorities in order.
Anyway, the hallway outside his room isn't exactly looking much better. While the castle's structure is a solid one that shouldn't be able to be dented so easily, there are places where stones are caving in. There's a loud rumble before part of the ceiling comes caving in and Alaric sighs loudly. Nothing is ever easy around here, is it...? Well, no sense idling anymore, off to find the queen.
The hallway Alaric's room is down is close to the queen's bedchambers - it has to be, given he's her bodyguard. Of course, it isn't exactly proper for any man to go barging in on the queen, regardless of the situation, but... there's something odd about this. The hallway is entirely deserted. There aren't any flustered maids or baffled butlers, no servants running to and fro in a panic, and no knights begging the queen for orders. It isn't silent - the storm is still so loud he can hear it even from here - but there's a distinct lack of people around.
No time to think about that. Alaric pounds on the door, raising his voice as he does so.]
Hey, Your Majesty! Answer if you're still alive, we've got a crisis to deal with here!
[...off to a great start today, aren't we.]
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[This isn't exactly how the queen imagined that her night would be going. Honestly, she wasn't exactly someone who slept well; there was always so much work to be done, and Blanche always saw it through to the late hours of the night. As the reigning Queen of a healing country, she had to excel. She wasn't going to make the same mistakes her foolish parents had.
But this storm certainly isn't something she expected--much less the wind promptly breaking her window open shortly before Alaric pounds on the door, and when Blanche opens the door, she's still in her nightgown and slippers--but not without a blade of her own in it's sheath, ready for a potential battle ahead.
Blanche's face is about as stony as ever, but her gaze turns to and fro, and suddenly, her eyes begin to widen at the lack of people. Just what is going on? But her thoughts are interrupted before she can think for too long--there's another sickening crack, and it sounds directly above them.]
Grant me a status report while we make a hasty exit--I do not believe that we want to be in here for a second longer.
[This is absolutely the greatest of starts, and there's a note of panic in Blanche's tone, but--well, they need to start beating feet, that much is clear.]
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Right away. The hallway back toward my room is blocked, we'll have to head out this way.
[The other hallways leads down through the kitchen and servants' quarters, so there likely should be more people there. Whether there will be or not remains to be seen, and there's no point in speculating just yet.]
I only woke up shortly before seeking you out - from what I've gathered, this storm's been going on for a little while now. It likely wasn't as intense before, otherwise we would've heard it.
[Alaric's words are about as laidback as his expression, but there's no denying how quick they come, matching his pace down the hallway. While he may not be openly worried, this is looking pretty damn bad and he's aware of it.]
I haven't seen anyone else. The rest of the hallway on my end was blocked off by debris; part of the ceiling had caved in.
[Some of the other most prominent knights and Blanche's advisors are down that hallway. It's possible the debris merely blocked it off and isn't a sign of anything worse, but there's no way to know for sure. That's not something he needs to point out to her.]
Finally, I'm sure I don't need to mention it - but it seems the storm isn't natural in origin. This castle's stood for generations; some rain and lightning shouldn't be able to take this much of a toll on it.
[As if confirming just that, the windows of the hallway they're quickly making their way through all are hit with a massive gust - look out for glass shards!]
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[Blanche follows Alaric's lead, then, as she listens--and honestly, the more she listens, the more utterly baffled she is by the report. This is odd as hell, it's as if the storm itself snuck up upon the both of them while they slept and--
Panic isn't going to help them in this situation, but Blanche is finding it much harder to will down the panicking when they're alone. And Alaric's pace of words is causing her plenty of concern as well--he never usually gets like this. If that hallway is caved in, then--]
I see. This storm is more than a mere oddity, then...that it would even manage to completely cave in a part of this castle is deeply worrisome. If that's completely caved in, then...
[Blanche doesn't need to tell him that her worries are with the people--that's something that's always going to be on her mind. If the situation weren't so dire, she'd be ordering them both there to try and clear the debris, but--
The windows break after she thinks that much, and Blanche has to both jump over and rush to catch up and not get hit by any of the shards--she's thankful she didn't bother to get dressed, at this point, all it would have done is encumber her. Though hopefully Alaric has done the same.]
We need to get anyone we can out of here, and alive before this storm potentially blows this entire castle to the ground. I won't allow this cowardly tactic to claim our people.
[Her words are firm and resolute, but they do manage to make their way into the kitchen and servants quarters and...
Well, for starters, there's another sickening crack from above, and the ceiling caves in on that hallway they were just in--ensuring that the only way they can move at this point is forward. The storm is making it hard to tell if there even is anyone left, though.]
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Agreed, we need to—
[Keep moving, apparently, given that there's no going back now. Alaric manages to keep from sighing at that, but this is absolutely their luck. Great.]
The kitchen should be busy at this time of morning, and there aren't many windows there. It'd be a good place for people to hide out.
[Unfortunately, while that thought was good in theory, it's not accurate in practice. The kitchen is deserted. There isn't anyone in there bustling around and preparing the morning meals.
The most baffling part is the fact that clearly some people were in here. There's something baking already in one of the ovens, and food is out in the midst of being prepared. While the few windows in this room have already blown open, there isn't any sign of blood or bodies indicating that people were involved in that.
Alaric frowns at the sight of it all, but he simply shakes his head and gestures for the queen to continue following him.]
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Even so, Blanche startles when the way behind them is caved in but--right. Right, if there was anywhere that would serve as a good hiding place, it would be here.]
You're right, there must at least be someone...
[And yet, as the both of them check the room out, it's empty. It doesn't even have the decency to look unused, or gods forbid, full of death--it just seems as if they were suddenly there, and then they weren't. It's baffling, it's unexplainable, it's horrible, and--
Alaric gestures for her to follow, and Blanche does. None of this makes sense anymore, none of it, and it's making her chest feel tight as her expression shifts to something openly disturbed by the events taking place.]
This...This can't be happening. None of this is making sense--how can people simply disappear like this? Did they already evacuate, or...?
[The words come out rushed, highly unqueen-like, and very openly concerned as she follows closely. None of this is making any sense, and this is the smallest she has ever felt in quite some time.]
This makes no sense...
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[They're serious words, for once. Still relatively calm, but quick and steady.]
What we need to focus on right now is making sure you're safe.
[He glances back over his shoulder and offers her a smile.]
You understand, right? We need to take things one step at a time.
[And right now, they run the risk of putting Blanche in a situation she can't get out of and losing their queen. That's not a risk he's willing to take.]
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It steels Blanche's resolve back up. Alaric is right--they don't know everything yet, and as much as it hurts, she does need to survive for the people. She's not some sniveling little girl anymore, she's a queen. And more than anything, she knows that she can trust Alaric. They need to take this one step at a time, and they cannot lose sight of the path for even a moment.]
...I understand, yes. I must not lose my head, even in the face of this situation.
[Blanche doesn't smile--she hasn't in years, after all, but her expression steels as they continue down the halls. There's another crack, coming from somewhere behind the two of them, and it's something that rocks the entire building. But that makes Blanche pick up the pace, staying close to her knight.
For the sake of the people--and her friend, she won't give in to such base emotions. And even if he's her knight, she's going to ensure that they make it out together.]
We must continue forward, then, no matter what. Onward, at once!
[Her voice carries the tone of an order, firm and steady, and she knows they'll keep moving. They have to--there's not many other places that people could be hiding in, and if they're going to find anyone, they need to do so fast. This storm isn't going to grant them much more time.
So she follows Alaric, trusting in him.]
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[It's good to see her find her resolve. Alaric isn't stupid enough to think that everything's fine now; he knows she's going to be worried about the people in the castle. She's always going to worry about people. But right now, they can't drop everything and try to determine what happened and where everyone went. Maybe they really did all evacuate and they're all safe somewhere. Maybe they didn't, and maybe they all died. Maybe they did vanish into thin air. There's no telling what happened, and taking the time to investigate would put them in a bad position. The storm's threatening to tear the castle apart, and unfortunately, a storm isn't something Alaric can fight.
The castle shakes all the way down to the foundations, but Alaric's footing is good, and after glancing over his shoulder to check on Blanche, he continues quickly down the hallway. The doors to the servants' rooms are mostly shut, with a few open here and there but no signs of anyone inside. From a brief glance into these rooms, it looks like the same sort of thing has been happening down here too - windows torn open, parts of the castle crumbling inward, and still no sign of anyone else.
At the end of the hallway is a stairwell. Going up a floor sounds like a terrible idea, but going down...]
Damn.
[Well, going down isn't exactly going to be easy. Part of the wall has crumbled in, meaning that descending is going to be difficult. It's still possible, but it would also be very easy to lose one's footing and slip all the way down. With the hole in the wall, the rain and wind would make that even easier.]
Going back isn't an option. I can carry you down, if you want to try it.
[Otherwise we can try to double back by heading upstairs and finding another exit.]
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That may be our best bet. Going upstairs is bound to waste time that we don't have; let us take our chances closer to the ground.
[...]
Besides, it's not as if I've been sitting on my duff and eating bonbons since taking the throne. [how can you joke about your mom at a time like this???] I should be light enough to carry down. Just be careful.
[Blanche can heal him if necessary, but that's just going to eat more time than they have. Either way, she's ready to get picked up--lead the way, good friend.]
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I don't think I would've had a chance of lifting your old lady.
[Rest in pieces, former queen. No respect for the dead here!
Anyway, Alaric studies the wreckage carefully, searching for a safe point to drop down on. Once he's found it, he gestures for Blanche to join him.]
Ready? Hold on tight.
[And that's all the warning he'll give her, because they really don't have time to spend with the proper formalities that go into picking up the queen. There's probably a protocol for that, anyway. With Blanche tightly secured in his arms, Alaric begins the descent.
The stones are slippery and loose, and it isn't exactly an easy or pretty trip down. Alaric's damn lucky he didn't think to stop to grab one of his longer capes today, otherwise it definitely would have been caught on something. Thankfully, he does make it down to the ground level just fine and he sets Blanche down once they're on solid ground.
The storm has completely torn open the wall here, though. Normally they'd have to make their way through several more rooms to get at an exit, but they could escape this way.]
What do you think? This will put us in the woods; not the best cover, but it's about the same as what we'll find out front.
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Either way, Blanche joins him easily; people may say what they will about Alaric, but she trusts her knight with her life. In any and all situations he's more than proven his loyalty to her in aiding her, and that trust is implicit even despite the impropriety. If there is even a proper protocol for lifting up the queen. But nobody's here to enforce the formality, and quite frankly, they don't have the time.
The trip is definitely harrowing, but Blanche keeps calm and keeps watch as they jump down. By the grace of the gods, she's sure, they make it down there in one piece, and no worse for wear. She'll get back on her feet easily, force of habit seeing her smooth out her nightgown as Alaric brings her attention to the wall that the storm has torn open.
It's a risk--the woods aren't the greatest cover in the world, but if lightning does strike them down, the trees are far more likely to attract it. Even if there is a bit of open area before the woods from here...]
We've been granted a boon, and we may as well make use of it. Lead the way, Alaric!
[Of course, even as they do exit, there's still the problem of that open area--and all the more proof that the storm feels as if it's something that was meant to target the both of them.
Run as they might, Blanche's eyes are on the sky, and she can see something that practically feels like it's taking aim--and if her thoughts are correct and they keep running like this, it's aiming for...
There's little time to react, and yet, Blanche leaps into action as the storm tries to take aim at Alaric. She knows this is pure insanity, and she's taking a chance on the fact that she's taken more than her fair share of magic attacks in her life, but she moves to shove Alaric out of the way as hard as she can and--]
Aaaaugh--!!
[That. Might not have been the smartest decision in her life, to say the least.]
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Were this truly a natural storm, perhaps that would be the case. Unfortunately, as he considered earlier, this storm isn't natural in the slightest.
Alaric doesn't see it coming, and isn't even aware of what Blanche is doing until suddenly she's shoving him. He's knocked roughly off-balance and out of the way of the lightning strike, and by the time he catches himself and whips around to see what the hell is going on, everything is white with the lightning strike.]
Blanche!
[The light fades quickly, and Alaric doesn't hesitate. He rushes to the queen's side immediately, and without a word he picks her back up. His grip on her is tight enough to bruise, but that's mostly because he's picking up the pace and sprinting toward the cover of the forest. Even if he had time to speak, he's not sure he could manage words right now - the only thought he has is don't you dare die on me now which is probably not what she wants to hear anyway.]
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No. There's no time for that. Perhaps that was all a bad dream, but this feels familiar. She feels like something terrible is going to happen if she stays here, and if she doesn't move now, this whole castle will be destroyed.
It's enough to get her to leap out of bed and go for one of her many swords. She'll need it for the battle ahead, she thinks, and yet...she has time, she thinks. The window hasn't cracked yet, and she decides to grab a small pouch and place some old jewelry in there too. Maybe it'll come in handy for later. Maybe it won't.
Either way, once she's out of her room--another crack can be heard overhead, and this time, the window shatters in her room. But her priority is something else; the fact that there's no one here, that there's nobody around, but if that's the case--]
Alaric? Alaric, we have a situation on our hands--please answer, if you are alive!
[It's improper, sure, but she needs to make sure he's alive. So don't mind some desperate banging on the door there, Alaric, hopefully you're alright in there.]
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Blanche's voice cuts through the hazy fog he awoke in like a knife, and Alaric exhales sharply as he forces himself up and over to his closet. He doesn't exactly have time to get dressed nicely, but that doesn't mean he won't manage it anyway.]
Yeah, I'm alive, give me a moment—
[He grabs his sword and daggers on the way out, then gets the door. He slams it shut behind him just as the wind breaks the window and glass shards go flying.]
Sorry about the wait. Let's get you somewhere safe.
[In the dream (it must have been a dream) Blanche died. He remembers seeing her struck with an arrow so clearly. He has to tear his eyes away from her and focus on the hallway in front of them. It looks like the way to Blanche's room is clear, and the opposite direction...
Wait, wasn't the opposite direction blocked? No— No, it couldn't be, of course not. Why would he think that when he hadn't left his room to check? Ugh, this is giving him a headache.]
If we head out this way, [gesturing toward the hallway near her bedroom] we'll go down through the kitchens. If we take the other way, that'll put us down near the guard barracks and training facilities.
[Which way, Blanche?]
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[Alaric points out the directions, and Blanche seems briefly confused for a moment. The way towards the guard barracks and training facilities should be blocked--shouldn't it? It makes no sense, but Blanche's face seems confused for only a second before she simply gestures toward the kitchens.]
Let us go this way. We're bound to find someone in there.
[And yet somehow, she doesn't feel so confident. As they run, there's another crack over head that rocks the castle walls, sending stones down to block the path towards the guard barracks--
Blanche's look settles into something firmly confused. This is exactly what happened in her dream, isn't it? But...it doesn't make sense, none of this does. Come on Alaric, we need to move--even if it's likely going to become obvious quickly that there's no one here.]
This doesn't make any sense...none of it does. How is this happening...?
[Again is on the tip of her tongue, but Blanche doesn't utter it.]
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This weird sense of deja vu doesn't matter. He needs to focus. He isn't usually so scatterbrained.]
I don't know. A storm like this shouldn't be strong enough to damage the castle.
[The windows, maybe, but the stonework itself? Never. This castle would have crumbled long before their time if that was the case. So what could be causing it?]
Maybe it's—
[magic.
He shakes his head quickly and moves to descend the stairs down to the kitchens.]
Come on, let's see if we can find anyone.
[...They won't, will they? Everyone will be gone (again) and they'll need to get out of here before the storm threatens to bring the whole castle down.]
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But how does she know this?
Either way, they'll make it down to the kitchens easily, and just like clockwork, there's no one there. It's as if everyone's been plucked from their spots once again, and it's...
Blanche is shaking again, but she knows they need to move. Blanche leads the way instead, retracing an almost certain path as the building shakes again and any way back is blocked.]
...Alaric. What do you think that this may be?
[It's a calm question with no sense of judgement. For as much as Blanche can try to be calm in this situation, anyway.]
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But somehow... he's not surprised. It's almost like he expected this, and he continues to follow Blanche without pausing. She doesn't seem all that bothered either, but she is the queen. She likely realizes that she can't afford to stop and wonder about everyone else right now.]
A storm like this isn't natural. It can't be. If normal storms could get this fierce, then the castle would have fallen long ago. So if it isn't natural, then magic would be likely, correct?
[It's still a bit of a wild conclusion to jump to - especially with how certain he is about it - but that really is the only explanation, isn't it? A storm like this can't be natural.]
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...It would be, yes. But who? To wield magic like this must take someone incredibly strong, and I haven't heard anything about...
[Anyone experimenting with that kind of magic. But the words die as she keeps thinking, Blanche seeming almost disoriented. The storm strikes again--a blow that makes the entire building shudder, and Blanche grimaces. They can't keep focusing on this--nor the servant quarters, which Blanche bypasses entirely. There's no one in the few open doors--it would be a waste of time to check on them.
It isn't long before they get to the stairs, and--]
Ah...Alaric, look. The stairs here, they're...
[Part of the wall has crumbled in, and that's going to make the descent difficult. But this too feels familiar--the awful joke she made at her mother's expense, Alaric carrying her down the stairs, and--]
...Why does this feel so familiar...?
[Blanche doesn't like this. She doesn't like this at all. It's a quiet question, but it's no doubt one that Alaric will hear.]
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That thought dies when they reach the stairs. The wall has crumbled in, wrecking portions of the stairs and making it difficult to get down easily. Already he's pinpointing the places he needs to stand on to scale down the wreckage with Blanche in tow, but it isn't the sort of calculations he usually does. This is certainty; he knows those spots will be safe and hold them.
Blanche's words get him to glance over, and for a long moment, his expression is cautious. Calculating. It isn't the sort of thing he usually wears around her as he tries to work out exactly what the hell any of this is.]
It's... like a twisted sense of deja vu, isn't it? I feel like we've done this before, like I've picked you up and carried down this wreckage before.
[And out onto that field and...]
Look, we don't have time to think about it right now. Come on, we need to get out of here.
[And yes, that does mean he's going to grab Blanche and pick her up without her permission but that's fine, probably!!]
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Yes...yes, that's exactly it. You told me that you could carry me down the wreckage of these stairs, and we were able to descend them effectively before--!
[--Before getting picked up and promptly yelping as she's picked up!! Because someone around here's a heathen who can't even let a woman get her thoughts in order!! Rude!!!]
Y-You are certainly right, but a little more warning would have been nice...!
[Don't worry, she's holding on! Just. Just get us down the stairs already buddy, don't slip and fall on us now. Also please tell her you're letting her down after this???]
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[Something big is coming. Not just the storm, but there's something else they need to outrun. He's not sure what it is, but there's something he knows is going to happen somewhere out in that field that they're going to have to pass through to get to the forest.
The descent is easy - he knows exactly where to land, after all. Once he's on solid ground again, he considers putting Blanche down, but instead tightens his grip on her.]
Trust me, okay?
[If he's right (and of course he is) then they need to hurry. With that thought in mind, Alaric rushes out of the cover of the castle's walls and out toward the field - he isn't going to stop until they're safely in the woods, and hopefully that will be good enough to avoid... whatever it is that's about to happen.]
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Once they're on solid ground again, it's a different story. Blanche is ready to get off, but then bafflingly, Alaric tightens his grip on her. This...isn't how it's supposed to go--but Alaric asks her to trust him, and...
...Well, the answer is obvious, isn't it?]
Of course, Alaric. By your lead.
[This doesn't feel right. If she's not down there running with him, something bad's going to happen, she knows it is, but--well, Alaric is off like a shot. The storm is still raging outside, and Blanche's eyes look to the sky itself. She's not sure why she's looking at first, but then it hits her.
Lightning. She remembers it, she remembers calculating it in her head--and that same strike is brewing overhead. He has to run, he's running faster than she's ever seen and Blanche is holding on for dear life--
He outruns the strike. It strikes the ground, several feet from where Alaric was, and Blanche's heart jumps into her chest at the sight of it. She remembers pain--searing pain, pain that put her well out of commission until Alaric himself stopped deep in the woods and she came too.
Knights can be replaced. Queens can't.
...He just saved both of their lives, didn't they? It takes a few seconds once Alaric has finally stopped, once they finally have a moment to breathe, and Blanche is able to get her bearings after all of that.]
...That strike was supposed to hit one of us, wasn't it?
[Not just hit. Kill.]
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The loud crack and the simultaneous lightning strike answers that question, and if he'd been even a second slower, they both would have been hit. He doesn't stop and he doesn't allow himself to think about it, because he doesn't know if there will be a second one that follows. With (magic) a storm like this, there's no telling what will happen.
They reach the forest and Alaric only stops once they're further in, where there are plenty of trees for the lightning to target instead of them. He sets Blanche down gently and takes a moment to catch his breath.
If he's being perfectly honest with himself, he'd rather not consider just how close they were to dying, and how he knew that something would happen, even if he didn't know exactly what it was. That doesn't seem possible. That's the sort of stupidity people claim to have all the time - seeing the future, being able to predict your fate, that kind of bullshit. None of it is real. So how exactly is this something he - and Blanche - knew would happen?]
...Yeah. I... You were going to be hit by it.
[It occurs to him as he says it that yes, that's exactly what would have happened. He doesn't exactly see it so much as he feels it - he knows that's what was supposed to happen. There's more to it than that, though; the feeling that she got hurt on his behalf, the terror at the thought of losing her because of his own stupid mistake—
They're outside now and relatively safe. There isn't anything else he can focus on but these thoughts. But gods above if he doesn't wish he could have anything else to keep himself busy right now.]
You felt it too, didn't you?
[Not the lightning strike, the knowledge of what was supposed to happen.]
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