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(Flynn)
?The pookah waited until Sicilien and Chase had gathered the mounts and brought them into the circle he was tracing on the cave floor, then closed the circle with a final arc.? He then began concentrating and chanting, one finger touching the circle, causing the lines to begin to glow brightly, a shimmering gold with traces of black and green.? The cave floor within the circle began to change, growing first fuzzy, seemingly melting away like a fog. And then it became clear again, but it was no longer the same cave floor that they'd been looking at.? It was far below them and yet right in front of them, causing a strange feeling of vertigo in anyone who gazed upon it.
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?"Okay," Flynn murmured, concentrating on his spell.? "The portal's open and ready.? Chase, you and Sicilien take the horses in and anything else you wanna bring with you.? Best if you keep close to the horses to steady 'em.? The feeling can be disorientin' when you're passin' through, 'specially since you're gonna be goin' down with this one."
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?Without taking his eyes off the portal, he called out loudly toward the cave mouth.? "Callie, it's time!? Best you and Etienne get on in here and step through right quick.? I cain' hold this open for very long."
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(Sicillien)
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“Ready when you are, medicine man,” the bounty hunter responded, keeping a tight hold on the horses.? Disorienting was right.? He felt his mind try to make sense of this perceived change in gravity, as if his body was being dragged down and yet there was still solid ground beneath his feet.? The longer they stood there though, the heavier he felt with his stomach threatening to upchuck the contents.
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“Hey, ladies.? What’s the hold up?? I don’t want to end up half here and half there.? Let’s hurry it up please!” He called out to them, looking to Callie and Etienne.? That women was hesitating, he could feel it and if she bolted like she did during their one on one talk, then they could all end up in trouble here.? It’s not like he wanted to be part of whatever this fucked up shit was, but it was clear that he had to see it through to the end.? The question was…what would happen if their troupe split up?
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(Chase)
He moved through the portal with his gear.? They were closer to Miller’s Crossing; he could feel it, not sure how but he knew he needed to be there, he knew they all needed to be there, particularly Etienne.?
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It was about the group of them being able to stop whatever this was and that was NOT going to happen if they split up.? He wasn’t a magician so he couldn’t make her come, but he was well aware that they were going to fail if one of them didn’t come.? He remembered what Amy said…they all had a role to play.?
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<<Please come Etienne, we need you!>> He said with almost a mental summons.? He needed her to come so he could be free, his sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain, everyone would have their playmate and he would be alone once more.? It would be as it should have been!? There was no happiness for him here!
He was rubbing both of his horses to calm them after coming through the portal.? He was holding on to the saddle horn as he got down, something told him the dark skinned maid would be the lynchpin in all of this…but it wasn’t the reason she thought or even he thought.? He just knew if the Sicilian had to do this on his own he would be a liability for he would be constantly thinking about Etienne.? Surely she would come to save his life if nothing else.??
(Callie Carson)
Callie let go of Etienne's hand and walked back over to where the group had assembled. If Etienne did not come with them she had a feeling they were doomed to fail at Miller's Crossing. She climbed back up onto her horse, took one more look at Etienne, then turned to the pookah.
? ? "I'm ready if the rest of you are," she said. Callie then prepared for what was about to happen...
(Etienne)
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Etienne quickly gave Callie a hug before the woman moved away. ?She nodded.
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“Thank you. I promise I will give you a heads start,” she said standing. “Just don’t go to Miller’s Crossing. Once I separate from you there will be no need okay. You will all be free.”
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Etienne could feel the creatures drawing close. She knew what they were tracking. After all her master had always been quite thorough when it came to her pain, humiliation, and anguish. It made since it would be that way now. She had already caused one in this party to be lost, she would not do the same with the lot of them. She would no longer do anything to put them in danger…especially not Sicilien—not again. She had caused him so much pain as it was. She would give him a chance to be free…really free of her.
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Maybe after there was some distance between them, he would find the letter she had placed in the knapsack of his horse. She had written the letter many many years ago. Maybe that was the only way to tell him what was inside her heart…what he needed to know since they couldn’t talk to each other without attempting to viciously tear each other’s hearts out with words and discord. She had loved him and would always love him and she had only left because she had no choice when it came to protecting him from one of those most powerful forces in the universe. A force that may be on Flynn, with his own magic might be able to understand. No...this was the only way to save him. Save them all. As long as she ran with them, they were all in danger.
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Etienne quickly stood and moved away from the party. Towards the creatures who seemed to bear down on them. In a clearing, some distance away from the mouth of the cave she quickly drew the scared symbol and then knelt in the center. With arms outstretched, palms up as if in prayer, and she called in her ancient language, the language of her master…and master’s minion. “I am here o lord. And I seek mercy.”
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?Tag
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Posting Order :Flynn,?Chase,?Sicilien,?Callie, Etienne
