"You hear that, Mother?! No one messes with the Corrupted Prin-... No... The Corrupted King!"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4MBjQJjjr
"Oh, mother hears you loud and clear, dearie." the queen muttered as she stared into her all-seeing crystal globe. She grinned. "It's so adorable when they think they have control, isn't it Acantha?"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99sahaSx6h
" Yes, my Queen." her assistant replied.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMJmE86Rrk
"It's a shame he took down my giants. But, if they were defeated so quickly, then it just shows how unworthy they were to serve me."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡddp6naHvA5
She stepped away from the orb's pedestal, turning to a dusty bookshelf behind her. She grabbed a large, leather-bound book with ancient letters across the cover. She enveloped it in her purple glow, allowing it to hover in the air as she telekinetically flipped through it. She landed on a page that instantly caught her attention.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡekqSqP5Xw1
"Oh~! Now this seems interesting..." she said to herself. Then, she turned to her assistant. "Acantha dear, as the humans say, when you want something killed, set it free."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡo13NaRWK9o
"Your loveliness, I think you may have gotten the phrase wr- Ack!" the queen wrapped her clawed hand around the slender neck of the panther-python.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeW1DH4FPm
"My point being, I think it's about time I gave my dear son some freedom. Or at least, the illusion of freedom."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6WD1Inscw
On their way down the cliff, Ryn started explaining how she had escaped the fire which separated her and Ren, but both his and Leliana's attention were mostly focused on warily watching the other. Even though Leliana's machete was in it's sheath by her hip, her hand rested on it's hilt.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGzj4PJlNj
"Must you treat me like a prisoner?" Ren asked through gritted teeth.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OXcysC5Va
"That's what you are, until you prove yourself trustworthy." Leliana replied, calmly.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡYh8Mx39lbg
"Could you two please keep from glaring at each other until we get back to...camp...?" Ryn trailed off.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg0W71ize2
She noticed that out in the distance, fallen trees were parted like dozens of bulldozers had gone through them. In the middle was a half-evaporated corrupt corpse, the fog it was turning into had blanketed the area. It was too hard to tell from how high up they were, but she could swear she saw a human shape on top of the corpse.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡdj9svcanh1
"I'm just curious as to why you had to ally yourself with such raggedy ruffians?" Ren said. Leliana unsheathed her machete, and had it pointed at his throat in just seconds. Ren didn't so much as flinch, or slouch from his proud, dignified posture. "Is that butter knife supposed to intimidate me?" he teased.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EZpPYrMyr
"No. It's supposed to slice your head off if you say another word." Leliana growled.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFmSQjJZ7K
"Both of you, stop and look!" Ryn barked out, gesturing to the destruction ahead.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KVQBtJZ7L
Leliana sheathed her weapon and Ren stared ahead, both looking out at the carnage with widened eyes.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpaJXVfGrX
"D-Did Jin do this?" Leliana said.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡe01e37SANz
"The halfling either has more skill than I thought or more luck." Ren said.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmFloAHrgX
"He might still be down there! We have to find him!"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbJjx2WFvQ
Not waiting for the siblings, Leliana took off down the side of the cliff in big leaps, making her way down safely, despite nearly tripping and falling a great distance twice, and swiftly. With a sigh, Ryn started to follow behind her, but Ren grabbed hold of her in his arms. He unfurled his wings, leaped down, and began gently soaring over the cliff edge, keeping up with Leliana as she vigorously ran on.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxxS5aJiQu
Not looking up at the two, Leliana muttered under her breath. "You could've done that the whole time, couldn't you?"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDB2l6Gsqm
"Wouldn't have wanted to lose track of my warden, now would I?" Ren teased.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGGIcjwjPr
"Up ahead!" Ryn yelled out.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoqXMelh2Y
The fog coming from the corrupt corpse was only getting thicker, making it almost impossible for the trio to see two feet ahead of them. Ren increased his wing speed, flying in place as the flapping of his wings worked to clear out the haze. Soon, they could just make out the shape of Jin's body, flopped on top of the beast's dead body. There was a slight twitch from him.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9m4KGcdkM
"He's alive!" Leliana said, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ogeBVQknI
Ren descended, letting Ryn down onto the ground beside him. The girls reluctantly started to climb up the corpse, helping lift Jin to his feet. His eyes fluttered, before he slowly blinked them open. He still seemed a bit out of it, looking at his surroundings in confusion. His eyes focused on Ren. He suddenly broke free of the girls' arms, and darted towards him.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡlP2ZtbXwjN
"Jin, wait!" Ryn yelled out.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWepx2Jk0Q
He didn't seem to hear her, unsheathing his claws in an effort to strike out at the Corrupted assassin. Ren had grabbed the hilt of his blade by now, and pulled it out of it's sheath. He slammed the blunt end of the sword into Jin's stomach, stopping him short and making him stumble back a bit with a grunt of pain. Before he could launch himself at Ren again, the girls held him back.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfYPeUFBPE
"He's with us. We're taking him to camp to find out whether he can be trusted." Leliana explained. Ignoring the glares from both of the twins, she added. "He knows better than to cross any lines."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡzd76NPg3fw
Jin gave a low growl, but eventually sighed, retracting his claws. "D-Did I do it? The Giants are gone now, right? Everything was kinda a blur. How long was I out?"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OQLXXygF9
"Yes, you did it. We're safe now. As far as we know, you haven't been here for long. We think the fight stopped around an hour ago."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡfILOvudkuu
"Heh. A new record. It usually takes me hours to wake up after…my royal side takes over." Jin said. He shrugged off Ryn and Leliana's arms, and tried to walk.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmqiKe1Nlq
"Careful! You might have over exerted yourself earlier." Ryn pointed out.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDlsjAqExu
Ren snorted. "He seemed perfectly fine when he lunged at me."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡSs1gD8JK7v
"Pretty boy here's right. Every minute we waste here gives mother another chance to send out more hazards, an- where's Anubis?" Jin stopped, looking around in confusion.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24lL1HLz7m
"Ah… We got sidetracked when we ran into Re-" Ryn started.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4MrpZwHNZ
"You forgot to find Anubis?!" Jin yelled. "He could've gotten crushed under fatso here!" he gestured to the almost completely dissolved Ragnarok.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIelwdmuEf
"We'll go back for him! Knowing him, he got out unscathed." Leliana said, putting a hand on his shoulder.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTdrhRtQaK
Jin shrugged it off. "Forget it! You guys get back to camp, and I'll find him myself!"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDyAg3mX0g
With that, he unfurled his wings, going airborne before soaring away from the others.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6mEklGr2t
"Fantastic, now what do we do?" Ren groaned, rubbing his temples.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡRExnYTznpv
"You heard him, he wants us to go back to camp, then we will. It's not like there's anyone in the forest besides us anymore, so he won't get into any trouble." Leliana said, shrugging.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1x77UNsmA
Ren chuckled, before speaking in a condescending tone. "Is that how you do things in your little…rebellion? No wonder it's taken you so long to get out of this hell hole. 'Anything our precious princeling says, goes!' 'I'll just sit here, twiddling my thumbs until h-'"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡIogRXfdepu
He quickly pulled his sword up, sheath and all, effectively blocking the machete strike aimed at his neck.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLiSUzTtZG
"Can't you two go five minutes without trying to kill each other?" Ryn yelled, clenching her fists in frustration.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uDTsQfdZs
"Ask the violent human." he replied.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡychvhz9RM8
"Tell your 'brother' to be quiet until we get to the base." Leliana growled.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqNDnYOY5g
Jin had hit the ground running as soon as he reached the cliff entrance. Wasting no time trying to actually figure out where he should go, he took off through the cavern. His senses screamed at him that there was a presence down deeper into it, and that could only mean Anubis was near. Then, he saw something move past him in the corner of his eye, before it hid behind a boulder.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNJtZExiZ9
"Anubis?" he called out.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpmxB47Wdd
The thing seemed to perk up, and he could now see a long, hairy tail poking out. "You know Anubis?" it asked, still hiding behind the big rock. Slowly, it stepped out from behind it. There stood a mole corrupt, with innocent, hopeful, open arms.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSBMbc15th
Naturally, Jin rushed forward, grabbing him by the throat, and pinning him against the cave wall. "What do you know about Anubis? Why are you still here when all of the others evacuated?"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwyJC668kL
"Oh! Those can be answered in one! Anubis is a...a friend of mine... Wow, it sounds weird to say tha- Ack!" Jin tightened his grip. "We...hid from...Giants together..." the corrupt gasped out. Even as he choked, he reached his clawed hand out for Jin to shake. "Name's... Tak..."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCmFufxDFh
Jin's eyes showed shock for a split second, before he regained his focus. He let go of Tak, leaving the corrupt to take in dramatically deep gulps of air. "My apologies." he said, placing his hands behind his head. "You know where he is, then?"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡEI9k0E2Qnl
"Oh, yes, absolutely!" Tak replied. He grabbed Jin's arm, and excitedly led him further down into the cavern. "Anubis'll be so happy to see one of his friends again!"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdxLHkyE6F
Jin was practically dragged through the wide, deep caverns, as Tak led on. The deeper they went, the darker the cave got, until Jin could barely see anything. Still, Tak moved on confidently and with a chipper attitude, until he finally called out into the darkness.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5K1aandOk
"Anubis! I found one of your friends!" Tak announced. "It's...!" he turned towards Jin. "I didn't catch your name."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡWR6lvLYCGG
"They call me Jin. How can you tell where we a-"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fCNOp8aoW
"It's your friend, Jin!"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡSA1uSBcGp6
Jin heard the sounds of cautiously slow footsteps that seemed to be heading towards them. He instinctively unsheathed his claws.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡISNDK2AZVT
"Jin? You... You did survive." The voice undoubtedly belonged to the jackal corrupt.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nCBmjSqyk
"Anubis!" Relieved, Jin dashed forward, arm outstretched. Then, promptly ran into a cave wall. If he didn't know any better, he'd thought he heard a chuckle escape from his old friend.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmyBAiSehu
"I'm over here." Anubis said, manually turning Jin to face him. "Where are the others?"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6aBilusVE
"If they followed my orders, at the base, waiting for us to get back." Jin turned to where he assumed Tak stood. "Would you...like to come with us? The base always has room for one more member of the team."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLDHQZ4I0O
"M-Me? Really? I've never been a part of a team before!" Tak rambled on. "I've always wanted friends! I can't wait to meet them! I bet they sound just as friendly as I thought..."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0f6lB4zsz
"You trust him enough to join us?" Anubis whispered to Jin.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqYLNScdmu
"You trust him, don't you?" Jin replied.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgDIKhGN51
"Yes, but you just met him."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDkg8Z4ttG
"But, he's harmless?"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9Uxj8VYND
"He's a pacifist, yes, bu-"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡxljNMcTtdy
"Then, that's all I need to know! Any friend of yours is a friend of mine!" Jin said with a shrug.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7xP6hYnf7
Anubis's expression was blank. "…I'd say you're much too trusting for your own good, but in this case, I suppose you're right to be."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡYp1TOBEexF
"Besides..." Anubis could tell Jin had a smug grin on his face, despite his blindness. "It seems you mean a lot to him."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXXBWFlrDJ
"Oh, of course! He's the best! We're closer than the siren sisters!" Tak said, appearantly having heard the whole conversation.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1YYE5zReM
Anubis said nothing, ignoring the warmth rising to his face. "The others are waiting." he mumbled, pushing Jin back towards where he and Tak came.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPursHUB8p
"How far away is this camp of yours?" Ren asked, impatiently.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzoLTWw1Ox
"It shouldn't be far now." Leliana replied. "It feels like we should've been there by now, though."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTkRnSbeX8
Ren felt Ryn tap his armored shoulder. "What is it now?" he said, not bothering to turn and look at her.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8OxcSKvtB
"Do you...remember anything about yourself?" Ryn asked.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡdS8x8ovm9I
"No, and quite frankly, I still don't trust you, whether you' re telling the truth or not."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2p0CXWEAv
Neither said anything more. Before long, they reached the base, and Leliana's mouth dropped open in shock at the sight of it. In the center, where there was usually a small clearing around the camp's main fireplace, the was a dark purple vortex that seemed to be sucking in the ground like a black hole. The vortex was slowly expanding.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9uQJOPB8A
"We need to turn back!" Leliana yelled back at the siblings.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0xqFlhqUg
But, there seemed to be a gravitational force coming out of the portal. No matter how much the trio tried to fight against it, regardless of Ren trying to fly away from it or the girls attempting to cling to a tree, the pull was too strong. It all happened in a matter of seconds, Leliana and Ryn's grip loosened on their tree trunk, Ren's wings were pulled back like a hurricane wind hit them, and all three were sent spiraling down the portal.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmuDnUuXf0
"Do you have any tunnels at your base? Are there any caves near? You did say your teammates were nice, right?" Tak's relentless questioning had lasted from up on the cliff, all the way down to the tangled undergrowth of the forest itself.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtp6MaAV0Z
Regardless, Jin answered his questions fully and with great care. "None other then the ones Ragnarok made as he came through. Yep, all filled to the brim with death traps. Oh sure, they'll all really nice...as long as you don't touch them, talk to them, or stand anywhere near them." Anubis subtly jabbed his elbow into Jin's stomach. The halfling laughed. "Don't worry, Tak, everything's perfectly safe the-"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1MGUpI7Zo
"Stop!" Tak suddenly yelled out.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkUrQoMuwP
"What's wrong?" Anubis asked, perking his ears up to listen for possible danger.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2tnNixctv
"Don't you feel that? The wind changed."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaOoeY3VHv
"Is that it? I'm sure it's fine!" Jin reassured him.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9IBNfwoQF
"No. This isn't a natural change. It's being...manipulated."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYD9UiPAuT
"By what?" Anubis asked.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡUe4f4RNjIG
"Um...would a magic portal be enough to cause it?" Jin asked.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80R7snyzik
"Yes! That must be it! How did you know?" Tak asked.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡYO96vbcaNR
Jin looked out at the deep purple magic pool in the distance up ahead. "Lucky guess." he said. "That thing's swallowed up half the camp!"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡDs5GOmFPAl
"You don't think Lily and Ryn...?" Anubis trailed off.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDQjZngjLr
"Only one way to find out."copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡEa3FAgbGYp
Jin ran forward, not listening to Anubis frantically calling out to him to wait. He didn't stop to think, he knew enough about corrupted portals from his mother's lessons to know that if he waited too long, he might land miles away from where the others did. He didn't fight the gravitational pull, he used it to get to the portal faster. Reaching the edge, he leaped up, falling right into the middle of the swirling pool.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXIdOBqVQ2
Tak grabbed Anubis' arm. "You're not going to let him go through this alone, are you? Let's go!"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIl6spM4yi
"Wait, you're going?"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzF5vqYbZm
"Well, I'm not abandoning my new friends! I'm not gonna let you abandon them either!"copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnsCijlC2S
Tak, still holding onto Anubis, turned to look behind him, as if he could see the home he was leaving. Taking a deep breath, he turned back around and dashed towards the vortex, Anubis keeping in pace behind them as they jumped down the portal together.copyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkO8zwaiaR
TO BE CONTINUEDcopyright protection357ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEX1t3xSO9
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