Mystics

Snow falls all around them as they take in the sights. Sinead, Zven, and Marcie just left the suburbs and are passing through the southern half of the territory. Marcie, having recalled what Raven said about letting them have their moments together keeps a little distance but stays close enough to hear what they’re talking about.

While watching Sinead, she sees this glimmer in the liches eye, that she once saw in her mothers eyes, whenever she talked about her father, Gabriel. During the walk through the suburbs, Sinead, and Zven were telling stories about their families, and some of the funny stories and a few of the embarrassing ones. Though most of Zven’s stories revolve around hunting monsters, and some of the cases he worked with his brother, and adopted father, while Sineads center more around the difficult life her family had.

Sinead shared more details about her past before the Shadows Bane, saying that her family spent their entire life savings on passage from Ireland to Canada on the HMS Crimson Moon. After some kind of bio weapon, there was apparently an explosion that sank the ship, and killed everyone on board, but Sinead, the only survivor. After that Sinead held a deep seeded hatred towards the Seekers who for so long she believed were responsible. When the truth was revealed to Sinead, and she opened up to Yinto about what she learned, she apparently never expected to become the ambassador for change within the Shadows Bane.

In truth, Marcie stayed silent almost the entire time. She had been quietly pondering what she would become. All her life she’s known nothing but a desperate struggle for survival, and seeing a fight around every corner. For humans it was easy to hide if one knew how to control their emotions. Marcie didn’t have that luck, as a nephilim she is a beacon of pure energy, the only living thing left from her dimension that has pure energy. She was constantly a target, which had her, and her mother as well as their few allies in constant danger. Why her mother sacrificed herself to give Marcie a chance at a new life in another reality, she’ll never understand.

“You alright Marcie?” Zven asks her, startling her from her train of thought, and making her visibly jump.

Stuttering her words, she answers. “Y-yeah. I-i was just thinking. That’s all.”

Marcie’s heart almost jumps out of her chest when something hits her arm. Worried she’d just been shot, she looks to her shoulder and runs her hand over it. Rather than blood like she’d expected, she instead feels a cold powdery substance which melts into water on her hand. She stops in her tracks and looks in direction of where the hit came from. After scanning the area, she sees a little open field outside a nearby school where kids are having a snowball fight. Seeing them throw clumps of this powdery substance makes her tilt her head in confusion.

In her eyes, she doesn’t see the point in throwing projectiles that don’t really do anything. But she comes from a time where every remaining mortal, even kids, have to know how to kill. In her dimension it was a necessity if one wanted to survive.

Noticing Marcie’s confusion, Zven explains. “Snowball fights. It’s a fun thing kids will do from time to time during the winter. It’s harmless unless you pack ice into your snowball.”

“Zven, I’m still trying to get used to the concept of cold. Let alone the very existence of a functioning world, or the fact that my life isn’t in constant danger anymore.” She replies now walking with Zven and Sinead.

In understanding, the lich asks. “Is that why you’ve been so quiet this entire time?”

“Not entirely. I didn’t want to interrupt the moment between you two. Besides, talking about my past would only bring down the mood. I don’t want to do that to either of you.” The nephilim answers.

The man turns to her, saying. “You should’ve said something. We don’t want you feel left out. This is a time to bond, to learn about each other without the stresses of what is to come.”

“I’m not that interesting. Besides, I really don’t want to bring down the mood.” She answers.

It’s not that she doesn’t want to talk about her past. Its more so that aside from not wanting to bring the mood down, her life until the liminal space hasn’t been that interesting, just a lot of repetition in terms of run, fight, survive, repeated over and over again. In her dimension, the few times she let herself feel something, or be open to others it got good people killed.

Zven scoffs, saying. “Not that interesting?! This coming from the person who enjoyed swimming in that liminal pool room we found in the liminal school? Whose heart melted when we helped that mom and her kid back to her own reality? How can you not see yourself as interesting?”

Heat crawls across Marcie’s cheeks as she answers. “My life before the liminal space isn’t interesting.”

“Your life before the liminal space’.” Sinead says. “But your life after no-clipping seems to have had an impact on you. Why not start there?”

Raising an eyebrow, the nephilim asks. “How does talking about my past after no-clipping into the liminal space count as interesting?”

“It lets us learn about you, your personality. Talking about your past is a way of opening up, letting others see you as you are, warts and all. Our experiences are the sum of who we are, and who we become. Learning about others, allows us to learn things about ourselves.” Zven answers.

Sinead notices a visible discomfort on Marcie’s face, and gives her an understanding nod before turning to Zven, an idea popping into her mind, and she leans close to him, whispering. “I’m thinking we need to get our friend to relax. Lets head to my place.”

Sinead takes lead, and both Zven and Marcie follow. They head out into the woods. About half an hour of walking passes before they arrive to a one story home. Sinead takes a key from her coat pocket and unlocks the door, inviting Zven, and Marcie in. As they enter Zven kicks the snow on his worn out shoes off on the outside wall before entering. After seeing Sinead do the same before entering, Marcie assumes this is common, and follows their example before entering, shutting the door behind her.

Inside is a couch, a coffee stand, a stand with a TV with a VCR on the TV. Beside it is a little shelf with VCR tapes. Next to the stand is a shelf which is filled to the brim with books from various cultures.

Marcie sits on the couch, and Zven sits on the other side of the couch, eyeing Sinead from the corner of his eye. The lich walks up to the back of the couch. After Marcie takes off her coat and sets it to her right in the middle of the couch, Sinead places her hands on Marcie’s shoulders and begins to massage them. Although she hadn’t intended it, Sinead hits a pressure point on Marcie, which both startles and causes immediate relaxation. The nephilim lets out a gasp of surprise.

“What are you-” Marcie tries to ask, interrupting herself with a stifled relaxed moan. “What are you doi-”

It’s that pressure point. Growing up, her mother would massage that pressure point to help her calm down when she was scared to help both Marcie and herself survive. Her mother knew exactly where to hit to relax her, and Sinead found it either by accident or by reading her like an open book.

Her mind is trying to form the words, but the relaxation spreading through her body is overwhelming. This isn’t like her mothers massages, this is something entirely new. Amilia would only ever relax Marcie enough to calm her down. Whatever Sinead is doing, is different. This is an entirely new sensation, not pain or simple physical touch.

After a minute of this, the nephilim slumps against the couch, her head falling backwards, her eyes closing. In the moment all her worries vanish. After another minute, Marcie is out, and fast asleep.

Surprised at how quickly she fell asleep, Zven looks to the lich, asking. “What did you do?”

“I have no idea. I must’ve hit a pressure point. I didn’t think she would fall asleep.” Sinead answers, just as surprised as Zven.

Marcie feels her head resting on the leg of a woman. The second she realizes she’s awake. She feels her head being gently stroked. That calmness from before she fell asleep is still there. In her head she knows she should be terrified. But she knows what fear will bring if she lets herself feel emotion. She opens her eyes, and looks up. Stroking her head is a woman with incredibly pale skin which is covered in burns, bruises, and scars. The woman wears ripped and tattered clothing, just like she does. Her hair is an unkempt mess that goes down to her waist, and her eyes are a pale green that seem almost lifeless.

The womans eyes are traced on her, a hopeful smile on her face, though no hope is felt behind it, in order to hide their presence. It was the last day she spent with her mother. That smile.... That was the same smile Amilia wore when she sacrificed herself.

“It’s okay to be open with those you consider to be family.” Amilia says, her voice hushed in that same way she would always speak when they were safe.

Giving an uncertain look, Marcie answers. “I’m scared of what will happen if I open myself. What if I lose them like I lost everyone else?... Like you...”

"It’s okay to not know what will happen. You’re part of a fight to save another dimension. You could lose them. That’s okay too. Be happy for the time you had with them. Hold onto the memories they gave you in life. When they are gone, they live on through those memories, in your heart.” The woman answers.

The nephilim looks into her mothers eyes, fighting back tears, as she says. “I don’t want to lose them. I know so much about them, and they know so little about me, and yet they care so much about me.”

“Show them you care. You aren’t here anymore. It’s okay to open up.” Amilia responds.

Allowing tears to roll down her face, Marcie says. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

Placing a hand on the nephilim’s cheek, Amilia replies. “I did what I did for you. To give you the chance I never got. No matter what happens, remember this. I’ll always love you, even when the last light is gone.”

Marcie’s eyes open. She pulls away, finding that her head was buried in Raven’s chest, and that she’d been crying. She looks into the cambions eyes with a momentary shock, and finds that she has a look of concern, and a touch of happiness. Concern for why she was crying in her sleep, but happiness, in that Marcie is opening up.

“Are you alright?” Raven asks, an empathetic tone in her voice.

Marcie clears her throat, and wipes the tears from her eyes, answering. “Yeah... I had a moment of clarity in my unconscious state.”