CHAPTER THREE ♔ what's done in the dark will be brought to the light

[wynn]

♬ god's gonna cut you down - johnny cash

WHO || The Knights
WHAT || The aftermath of Chapter 2
WHERE || London, England and variou
WHEN || Evening of June 7th --> onwards
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

In less than twenty-four hours, everything has turned on its head.

A Knight and her allies were kidnapped by Iscariot agents for execution in Rome, barely escaping with their lives.

A mission meant to free one Knight from the influence of a dark god succeeded - at the price of another's life.

A simple recon mission at a Keijen Blade concert nearly led to two Knights committing mind-controlled suicide in front of an eager crowd.

Several Knights went to see Draken Crombe, leader of the Church of the Lord's Humanity, speak in person, and learned just how sinister his religion's dogma is.

A call from Sir Hathaway alerted Wynn to the escape of the doppelganger from the Knight's dungeons, an escape perhaps aided by Elena Gilbert.

A demigod interrupted what might have been a simple smash and grab retrieval of an artifact.

And most horrific of all, in the middle of the night, hundreds of Shadowkind in New York City awoke, and walked in a mindless trance down to the Hudson River to drown themselves. Only the quick thinking and combined efforts of the Knights present and their allies prevented all of them from succeeding.

Beset on all sides, a dark time awaits for the Knighthood - who were already suffering from the capture of Dragon's Claw Sir Thomas Bancroft at the hands of their long time enemy Dimitris Sarandis of Andres Isle.

In times such as these, the light can be difficult to find. Hope itself seems somewhere just out of reach.

Comments

[witchwoman]

That's all we can ask for at this point. And if he's good at what he does, we can handle anything else that might come up.

[Which is a really nice way to say that she's sure the team could kill him...]

[littledhampir]

I don't think he'll be a problem. [Except to Spike, Finnick and Archer because he'll drink all the booze.

Finally - finally, Myri is about to hear the rarest sound on earth, Rose looking at their hands for another long moment before lifting her gaze.]

I'm - sorry about - before... At the hotel. [So it wasn't an eloquent apology but it was a start.]

[witchwoman]

It's alright. [The response is automatic but no less sincere.]

We've all gone through a lot. Outbursts are expected. I just hope you know that we're all on the same side here, that you can trust me.

[littledhampir]

[Lines etch across her forehead, Myri's words prompting a moment of quiet honesty from Rose.]

I don't really know what side I'm on anymore... [Her tone more than her words perhaps suggesting she felt more lost than actually thinking about rebelling. In one night, she'd lost her best friend, her mentor and now after talking to Dean, she felt like she'd lost her boyfriend as well, or at least, how she had always seen them.]

[witchwoman]

[This is officially a hazard because Myri gets up to crouch next to Rose's seat, stilling holding onto her hand.]

I know things are dark. Believe me, I know. But we must keep fighting. We must have hope that there is an end to all this senseless pain. If you cannot believe it, then I will for you. I did not leave Andres only to let these people destroy everything I love.

[littledhampir]

[Rose meets Myri's gaze once more, muscles twitching as she seems to struggle with what to say or feel, silence stretching as she breathes in and out.]

It's not that I don't want to fight... I do. I know it's the right thing and I want that to be enough. [She laughs, though it's a humorless huff.] Fighting feels like the one thing I do have right now... and that's just it. [She shakes her head.] I want more.

[witchwoman]

More what? [It's gentle, the way she asks for clarification. But most things Myri does are gentle.]

[littledhampir]

[Rose shakes her head, seemingly not even sure what she means.] Something more than anger?

[witchwoman]

[Myri gives a small smile.] And here, I've wanted to find my anger. Perhaps we can trade.

[littledhampir]

[It's enough to break the spiral of self pity, Rose managing a small smile to match Myri's.]

I'll let you have mine for free. I got plenty to spare. [She shook her head, as if to shake every dark thought from her brain.] It's just been a really rough... [She lifts her shoulder in a shrug.] Year.

[witchwoman]

I know. [Girl, she was kidnapped and tortured for two months. You won't hear her sing this year's praises. Getting up off the floor, Myri squeezes past Rose's knees to take the seat beside her, because this is silly and they just need to sit together.]

Elena's lucky to have a friend like you, you know.

[littledhampir]

[Guilt touches the Dhampirs' features, lips pressing together and Rose watches Myri move as her own face becomes a thoughtful mask, anger breaking through for a second before she can push it back again.]

I spent every day with her for the last week and I - never saw this coming. For any reason. [She shook her head.] Not after what Kyp did to you, to Spike, to her.

[She sighs, pulling one foot up onto her seat and wraps her arm around her leg, hugging it to her chest.]

How does any of that make her lucky to have me as a friend? I don't even know her right now.

[witchwoman]

Because you're here. You haven't given up on her, not completely. If you had, you wouldn't have gone out of your way to call the hunter to bring him back with us. You believe that she's still Elena, even if she doesn't believe it anymore. [And then with stronger conviction.] We're going to bring her home, Rose. Because that's what we do for family.

[littledhampir]

[Rose is silent for a long while, hugging her leg tighter, dark thoughts making her face contort.]

I know we will. [Get her back, sounding almost completely sure of that.] I'm just... not sure what's going to happen when we do.

[witchwoman]

Finding her doesn't stop once she's been brought back to the castle. [Myri believes that even if Elena did do the terrible things it seems she did, that there is some chance to remind her of who she was, who she had once been.] We'll make this right, Rose. Together.

[littledhampir]

[Rose doesn't look as convinced, resting her chin atop her knee for a long moment before tilting it to regard Myri again.] You said you'll believe enough for the both of us right?

[It's at least there, the hint of hope in her voice, like she wants to believe, even if she's having trouble with it right now.] I figure between your belief and my anger... [Trying to muster a small smile for her as she nods.] There's a lot we could make right.

[witchwoman]

I think we could. [Myri manages a small smile. She may not know Rose well, but these sort of instances have a way to bonding people much faster. Congrats, Rose- you've been adopted as one of Myri's people.]

[littledhampir]

[Rose's smile holds a little firmer now, the shadows that surround her aura settling as the rage that roared like a storm in her chest calmed some. She's is probably more grateful to Myri than she might ever know.]

Thanks... I really needed to - [Her lips press together, whatever she was going to say turning into a shrug.] This.

[It is very much a two way street and if anything, talking with Myri has only strengthened her resolve to find Kyp and Elena and make sure he can't ever do anything to hurt anyone again.]

[witchwoman]

[Myri's expression seems to match, feeling that calm settle into Rose. It helps her to feel less anxious about everything.]

Me too. [So much so that she's quite content to just sit there with the young woman for a bit longer.]

[littledhampir]

[Rose's head rests back against the headrest, even relaxing a little more in her seat but rather than fill the silence with unnecessary words, she finds comfort in the peace and the fact that with Myri there, she doesn't have to feel like she has to carry all of this on her own.]