TSW 33: Robin's Dream

IcePickLobotomy	Time: ??? Location: The Ruins. . . .
	IcePickLobotomy	Your heart pounds as you flee deeper into the jungle, tumbling across the roots and vines as the trees grow taller and wider, their canopy drowning out the sky. Blue and pink insects flit about, patches of bioluminescent light in the dark. From some of the plants hang thick and heavy fruit's, about the size of your fist to the size of your torso, each filled with a glowing blue liquid that...
	IcePickLobotomy	...provides meager patches of light that chase away the inky darkness around you. Here and there you can see bits of ruin, a broken wall covered in vines here, a shattered gate there, a single support collum crawling into the sky only to be overgrown with plant life.
	RobinE	continues to run until her stamina fades.
	IcePickLobotomy	And finally it gives out, by now the trees around you are ancient and weathered tings, their trunks several feet around. And you've stumbled across what looks like the start of a trail, a few scattered bricks, made of the same stone as the platform above the lake, lays half-buried in the vines and leaves of the forest floor.
	RobinE	stops to take a few breaths before falling to her knees. She buries her face in her hands and she begins crying.
	IcePickLobotomy	The forest's only response is the gentle stir of the wind and the buzz of insects
	RobinE	After a few minutes of tears, robin shakily collects herself. she makes an effort to get up and looks around at the forest. "hello?" she calls out before heading for the trail head.
	IcePickLobotomy	The trail leads deeper into the forrest, though it is lit by the large hanging fruits at roughly evenly spaced intervals.
	RobinE	"what do I do," she starts mumbling to herself as she walks, "I could... but then... I can't though."
	IcePickLobotomy	And it comes into view, looming above you. It's about 15 feet tall and 20 across, the rock is slick with moisture and covered in flowering vines. The mouth to cave is flanked by pair of statues carved into the rock itself. Each of them depicts woman wearing masks and wielding spears and shields. The mask have 7 eyes in two columns.
	RobinE	"This stuff again?" She ponders for a moment before grabbing a fist sized glowing fruit and moving towards the cave.
	IcePickLobotomy	The fruit is warm to the touch, the skin thick and leathery, but still somewhat supple. The liquid inside sloshes slightly as you grasp it. The inside of the cavern is roughly hewn, with statues carved into the sides. All woman, some kneeling by beds in robes, others garbed in armor and weapons. One you see, is bound to a pile of wood, the flames covering her as she glares defiantly.
	RobinE	takes a second to look at the carvings before she continues.
	RobinE	shivered at the thought of being burned alive, then she remembered her family and her eyes teared up. She forced herself to look away and move on.
	IcePickLobotomy	And then you emerge into a large chamber. The pathway is roughly carved from the stone now and leads deeper into the darkness of the cavern.
	RobinE	nervously continues, peeking around the chamber out of paranoia.
	IcePickLobotomy	Drip. Drip. Drip, The sound of something dripping into a pool of liquid comes from in front of you.
	RobinE	"hmh?" she edges closer until she can see what is making the noise.
	IcePickLobotomy	As you draw closer the light reveals a pool of blood. You look up, and bound to a cross is the same figure you've seen in the statues. Pale white flesh and a vaguely feminine shaped body. No hair and her face covered in a mask with 7 eye holes. Her head hangs limply, and the source of the dripping is the blood pooling from where she has been impaled by a crimson bifurcated lance.
	RobinE	recoils a bit, "blood? but whose?" she looks around for bodies or people.
	IcePickLobotomy	The blood is draining down from where the lance has impaled her.
	RobinE	"just... hers?" she starts backing up, starting to regret her spelunking trip.
	IcePickLobotomy	|Just my blood, child of my blood.| A weary voice says form within your head. She sounds tired, like someone just roused from a deep and unrestful slumber.
	RobinE	looks around for the person talking, "what, who?" she hugs the fruit to her chest out of fear.
	IcePickLobotomy	|Look up child.| you can see thee barest hint of a twitch from he impaled figures arms
	RobinE	panics at seeing the statue move and turns to start running again.
	IcePickLobotomy	|Do not fear me child, I intend you no harm.|
	RobinE	"How can I trust you!? Nothing here makes sense, my dreams aren't safe, I don't want to see how it can get worse." she sounds scared.
	IcePickLobotomy	|You think you are still dreaming?|
	RobinE	"I have to be! Statues don't bleed, or talk, and I've never seen a 7 eyed lady before, except in my dreams."
	IcePickLobotomy	|You think me a statue? Feel my flesh, the warmth of it. The heat of my blood and the beat of my heart.|
	RobinE	"no, I don't want to feel anything," she tries to gather herself, poorly, "what do you want?"
	IcePickLobotomy	|I wish to be free, to longer be bound. For my children to thrive and live.|
	RobinE	"and... and who are you?"
	IcePickLobotomy	|I have been called many names, The First Mother, The Goddess, Lilith.|
	RobinE	"Lilith," she mutters under her breath, "I have to go now," she turns and begins running.
	RobinE	after she runs a few steps she stops, "wait," she turns back around, demanding "what did you do with Sabrina and Lana?"
	IcePickLobotomy	|A pact was made, and the other joined. There is much to be gained for all of us if we work together.|
	RobinE	"Nothing good comes from Sabrina, I was warned about you. Those two can't be freed."
	IcePickLobotomy	|So you would join my captors? Even when they call for the death of your people?|
	RobinE	"I don't know your captors, but I can't just let Sabrina run free. Arina said you were dangerous."
	IcePickLobotomy	|A danger and a threat are not one in the same.|
	RobinE	"no but they both can be described as bad. If you are helping Sabrina I can't help you."
	IcePickLobotomy	|But a danger on your side would be useful against what you fight, my captors.|
	RobinE	"You are against the intruders?"
	IcePickLobotomy	|They are my captors. And I wish to be free.|
	RobinE	"All you want is freedom, what says you don't turn on us once you are."
	IcePickLobotomy	|Why would I want to harm my own children? Unintended as you may be.|
	RobinE	"You are no mother of mine," she raises her voice a bit, "My mother is dead!"
	IcePickLobotomy	|I am Mother to all within my domain.| Her voice speaks like a physical force, sending you to your knees, eyes tearing as the breath is knocked out of you.
	RobinE	wheezes at the sudden assault.
	RobinE	Robin speaks weakly between breaths, "Arina said... you... were bad. Sabrina... made a deal with you... that I need to break."
	IcePickLobotomy	|And why must you break that pact? Sabrina may be doing a good thing.|
	RobinE	"The part of me she is, I don't trust her. If she is free she will do what she wants, I don't trust her with that power."
	IcePickLobotomy	|And why should she not be free to do what she will? She will not be free from the consequences. But does she not have as much of a right to live her life as you do?|
	RobinE	"I don't..." she falls quiet. Then she shakes her thoughts away, "No, she might try to stop us or slow us. I don't know what she could do. I don't want to take that chance."
	IcePickLobotomy	|I see.|
	RobinE	"You might be an ally or not, but I have to stop you."
	IcePickLobotomy	|If you align yourself with the killers of my children then there shall be no peace between us.|
	=-=	RobinE is now known as Sabrina
	=-=	Sabrina is now known as RobinE
	RobinE	"It doesn't matter if I can keep you trapped."
	RobinE	turns and runs for the exit of the cave."
	IcePickLobotomy	And you step back into the Jungle.
	IcePickLobotomy	And then. . . Reality /flickers/