#lualight

The curt order made you annoyed. You had been having a good dream. You used your power to make a comb to at lease brush out your hair since the inphernal was taking you somewhere. It was right back to the large building that Windforce was in. The armored soldier like inphernal was rather rough with you, this made you wish it was Banhammer. He at least let you crawl onto a more comfortable spot. You were carried past more armored inphernals and some civilians who seemed to be lined up for some reason. You were dropped roughly onto the marble floor before Windforce's throne. She was tapping her clawed fingers against the armrest of the throne. Her unseen eyes could be felt glaring at your tiny face. "Time for the Trial to begin.," She said, "Lualight, you will only tell us the truth. You will not withhold or lie about anything." A trial? But you had done nothing wrong! You knew that but at the same time felt shame as you had many judgemental eyes locked onto you. You nodded and fiddled with the hem of your little dress. "Verbal confirmation.," She ordered. "I will not lie.," You said.

The audience murmured as she raised her hand. "The incident a few months ago where you used your powers first, what happened?," she asked. You didn't want to tell them, but you had to. You felt your power sparking within you and crystals began to grow on your body. The audience murmured more amongst themselves as they saw this happening.

"I was scared. My eye was about to be taken out."

More murmurs were heard before being silenced by Windforce holding up her hand, "Who was going to take out your eye?" You hesitated before answering, "The church of the true eye." You heard some inphernals make gasps or noises of disapproval to what you had said. Windforce made a harsh face. You could see her sharp fangs bared in a hateful snarl. You did not want to be there anymore. You were feeling scared, but like Banhammer said, there was nowhere to go if you did manage to escape this building. You were on a floating island. "What of the other times you have used your power?," She asked with a bitter tone in her voice. "Ordered to heal the members, revive dead members, cleanse food, and make materials.," You answered. You saw her fingers twitch. She was angry. "I didn't do anything bad!," you shouted, just as angry. Your fear left for a moment.

Windforce looked even more annoyed, "You are a disaster waiting to happen. You are a naive child being used." That is not right. You weren't being used. Your family loved you and you were helping. They needed you, the father said so. You couldn't have been lied to, your mama wouldn't lie to you! "Mama isn't using me! She loves me!," You said back. Windforce snapped. She stood from her chair and swung her sword, sending a shockwave that shook the room and knocked you over. You became dizzy as you felt your head hurt. Crystals fell off of your scalp. "SILENCE BRAT!," she roared. The golden yellow horned inphernal grabbed you by the collar of your dress and snarled at you, "I am sick of hearing you whine. Don't speak out of turn anymore, or I will make you regret it." She threw you back onto the floor, Making you roll across the clean marble. You felt a pain in your arm and your ankle. Crystals formed over you and your hurt areas. You struggled to get back up. More murmurs went through the crowd. They saw your weakness compared to them.

But your body was still sparking. You were scared, angry, in pain. Crystals were forming in the air around you. Windforce still held her sword, threatening to attack. You could not hold back your tears from your pain. She swung her sword again when it was stopped by another. A thin green colored one. You looked behind you to Venomshank. He was standing over you, a massive black bird behind him. The bird looked like it was ready to attack as well. "Stop this trial, Windforce.," Venomshank growled in a low and dangerous manner, "She is innocent. Lualight is a child who has done nothing wrong." "The brat is being used by the 'Church', how is that not wrong?," Windforce asked, but in a way that she did not want an answer. Venomshank made a snarl back at her. She backed off. "Fine. Why are you here?," She asked.

"I came to take Lualight back to Crossroads after Darkheart told me your son took her.," Venomshank replied, "That was before I felt you attacking her like she was a common criminal." You could have sworn you heard a little giggle from the shadows after he said that. Windforce waved her hand, "Take the brat. But she will be under your care, my verdict is that she will be raised by another god. The place she came from was just using her." You tried to say something before she made a snarl at you to shut you up. Venomshank picked you up from the marble floor and held you carefully. You saw that the doorframes, the wall and part of the floors were now covered in your crystals as you were carried gently through them. Your power must have leaked out more than you thought.

Venomshank was quiet. You could not see his face, but you could tell he was pretty upset by his body language. You could not look at the eyeholes of his mask. All you could do was to let him carry you. The giant bird followed behind him. "I'm sorry, Lualight.," He apologized. His voice was soft towards you, much different from the growl he made at Windforce. He stopped before the edge is the island. Venomshank placed you on the back of the bird before getting on himself. "To home, Sisyphus.," He told the bird. This big bird was Sisyphus the whole time? But he was massive! Sisyphus lifted himself and his riders into the air with the beating of powerful wings.

The large inphernal was gentle as he held you. He made sure that you didn't fall. He was quiet. You hoped he was not mad at you. Sisyphus landed at the house that Venomshank and Sword lived. You were allowed to get off of the bird, who shrank back down to his normal size and fluttered onto his owner's hat. Venomshank reached down and let you take one of his fingers to lead you inside the home. It was as simply furnished as before. He led you to the upstairs section to explore the bedrooms. He went back downstairs after you got settled into an unused room. Sisyphus stayed with you in the room. He let you pet his soft little feathers. A loud voice called out from downstairs, announcing someone returned. You carefully went downstairs and peered around the corner to see Sword happily talking to his mentor. He was asking Venomshank where he had went and telling him about things he saw in Crossroads.

"I felt something earlier. It felt like I was feeling someone else's fear and my skin and horns tingled a bit.," Sword said, "Do you know what it was?" Venomshank nodded to his ward, "I do. As I felt it as well, as did the rest of my siblings. You do not need to worry about it." Sword saw a glimmer in the corner of his eye and saw you peering around the corner with Sisyphus on your head. His face lit up. "Lualight, What are you doing here?," He asked with a wide smile and crouched to your height. You felt a lot better now that Sword was there. He let you hug his neck and returned it. Venomshank watched the two of you with an expression of care hidden behind his mask. Sisyphus returned to his owner's shoulder. He tilted his head to the side a little, "She will be staying with us." Sword looked at you then his mentor, "She will? What happened? Is her mom not coming to get her?"

Sword looked at you with a concerned expression, "Are you okay? Is something wrong, Lualight?" You didn't answer. You just hugged Sword, the one closest to comfort, tighter. He felt how hot some parts of your body were. Sword saw bruises starting to form on you. You had some blood dripping from wounds you did not know you had. Your white dress was being stained rusty red from the blood. "Lualight, what happened?," He asked with concern, "Venom, What-?" "Windforce.," Venomshank answered with a growl. That was all that he needed to say, Sword's face hardened a little before becoming concerned. "I'll clean you up and stop the bleeding.," The red horned inphernal smiled at you, "It's okay. Medkit taught me first aid." The mask wearing inphernal was looking at your wounds, they were a lot more serious than ones that an inphernal would have gotten from the same amount of force. He knew you were a lot more delicate. Plus you were young, so he needed to be prepared to help you with the trauma you no doubt would have.

The gladiator helm wearing inphernal helped you back to the bathroom and carefully cleaned your bleeding and bruised skin. He used a first aid kit to stop the bleeding and put disinfectant on your cuts. Sword also took the time to wash your hair in the shower after Venomshank explained to him about how hornless needed to be cleaned. After you were clean, he let you have one of his old shirts. One that did not fit him anymore. You could only follow Sword after he cleaned and patched you up. Your little hand held onto his cape as you followed him. He thought it was cute, kind of like a little baby bird following an older bird. You were just clinging to comfort he was providing for you. You followed him as he did his chores and when he was called to training by Venomshank. The god saw you clinging to his ward for comfort while looking a bit dazed. "I am sorry Lualight, but I will have to take Sword away from you for a while.," Venomshank said with a warm tone, "He'll be done with his daily training in about two hours." You nodded quietly. Venomshank placed his little black bird into your hands, "Sisyphus can keep you company."

You wandered the house with Sisyphus on you. You looked at the pictures on the walls, the small decorations, and the furniture. It was a comfortable home. You wandered back up to the bedrooms, you were feeling unsteady and sleepy. You wanted a nap. After climbing up onto the bed, you laid down and closed your little eyes, letting exhaustion take you.

Heels clicked and spurs jingled as Scythe walked through Crossroads. She was relaxed on the surface as she looked around, yet inside she was angry and on edge. She needed to find her baby. She saw a restaurant that Broker mentioned seeing you in and decided to see what information she could pull from the staff. The white hat wearing inphernal saw a familiar pink pair of horns. "Howdy flowers," Scythe drawled out, "So this is where you work." Vine Staff held herself back, trying not to be annoyed. It was hard not be be as this woman was a thorn in her side. "Is there something I can help you with?," The pink horned inphernal asked. Scythe had a smile on, "I'm looking fer my lil darlin'. She's 'bout this tall and cute as can be."

Scythe put her hand to your height. She noticed a sparkle from the neck of the waitress in front of her. "Looks like you already met 'er.," the half blind inphernal chuckled while motioning to the crystal necklace, "Isn't Lualight adorable?" "She's yours?!," vine staff could not hide her surprise and little bit of horror from her voice. "She sure is! She's so cute.," your mama cooed in adoration, "Wanted to find 'er and get 'er home before she got hurt." "I saw her with the Doc last time.," Vine staff replied and then looked to her smaller brother, "Shuri, Where did you see Lua last?" The green horned inphernal thought a second while holding dirty dishes, "I saw her going back to Doc's place when I was doing a delivery."

"Have you tried asking Medkit?," Vine staff asked. Scythe sighed, "Just came from there, had 'im look at my arm." She flexed her cybernetic arm. That meant that you weren't with Medkit. Perhaps that inphernal named Zuka, Broker's contact, would have some information. "Thanks for your information.," Scythe said and tipped her hat. She left the restaurant and continued her search. She needed her baby back. Her mechanical fingers twitched in irritation as she continued. Scythe needed you to be in her arms again. You were the important thing to her. She had lost everything else, she didn't want to lose you as well.

She heard chatter from some inphernals on the street. Banhammer had been in the area recently from what she heard. But what was even more interesting was the other rumors she heard.

He was last seen carrying a child with crystals covering them.