Colin's posts

Ash was silent, before nodding.

"Yeah." he said.

"What!?" the man declared.

"Now listen here, you little-" he started to threaten Ash, before the rune shot out, and covered his body... but didn't reach Rylie.

"Wh-what?" he asked, suddenly quieter.

"I hate this rune." Ash said.

"But it IS useful..." he admitted.

The man was clearly dazed when he hit the floor, and NOT happy about it.

"Why, you..." he snarled, looking over towards Rylie.

"You've got more spunk than I gave you credit for." he said, slowly getting to his feet.

"But I am NOT giving up." he told her.

"After all, I've always had a thing for those like you." he continued.

"And this is a... golden... opportunity." he added with a snarky laugh.

"Besides, what is this little gutter urchin to YOU?" he then asked her.

"Why do YOU care?"

Ash was silent and still for a moment, before she saw him twitch. And then twitch again. She could see he could move, and was slowly trying to get to his feet.

Meanwhile, the man had been caught off guard by the kick, and was knocked off the bed. However, it was nothing more than a momentary setback for him, as he grabbed a gold chain from his pocket, and tossed it onto her stomach.

"Don't fight." he said, before looking at Ash.

"...wow." he muttered.

"Little guy's more durable than I gave him credit for." he said.

"...I suppose I ought to fix that." he then sighed, sounding bothered, but in a more annoyed way.

Ash collapsed to his knees as well, and then to his front, as the man just chuckled.

He then stood up, clearly not injured, and made his way into the room, shutting the door behind him.

He proceeded to pick Rylie up, and carried her to one of the beds, dropping her on it.

"I saw you and your horse speed by, you know." he told her.

"Was not easy to follow you." he said.

"But I'll tell you right now, you are about to help me make my dreams come true." he added with a sinister smile.

Ryker merely smiled, and sat down on the space on the bed.

"Heh." he chuckled.

"I know. It's a silly fear." he said.

"But we still have each other. You know that." he told him.

"...and I know that as well." he went on.

"But it's nice to have it confirmed, isn't it?" he then asked.

"Okay!" Ash responded, getting up.

"Th-thank you." the man stammered.

"Let me show you my appreciation." he went on, before smirking ominously.

Then, before Rylie had any chance to react, the man took a pin out from his pocket... a golden pin... and jabbed it forward, sticking the point into Rylie's chest. It was just a pin... but it was gold.

And it had pierced her, ever so slightly.

"RYLIE!" Ash yelled, before the man shot a bolt of electricity from his finger into his chest.

When she looked at the man, it looked like he was gravely injured. There was what looked to be blood all over his shirt.

"I need help..." he said, before pausing.

"Wait... hold on..." he mumbled, looking at her.

"I think... no... wait, maybe I..." he stammered, before shaking his head, and looking like he was ready to fall over.

"Ohhhh..." he groaned.

"Oh, lightheaded..." he said.

"Do you have medical training?" he asked her.

"Or do you know anyone around that can help me?" he asked further.

Ash shook his head again.

"It's fine." he replied.

"I've seen a lot worse." he chuckled.

Later that night, Ash was sleeping in one of the beds, and Rylie was reading a book, when they both heard hurried footsteps, which stopped at their door, followed by frantic knocking.

"Huh!?" Ash exclaimed.

"What's going on!?"

Ash nodded in response.

"All right." he replied as they checked in.

The place seemed... not the best. There was a definite aura of seediness to it, and it seemed like the longer they stayed her, the worse it would get for them.

"..." he was silent as they were making their way to their room, before looking around.

"Eesh." he mumbled.

"This place seems... not so great." he commented.

Ash just hung on as they went.

In a short amount of time, they reached a motel, just as it was starting to get dark.

"Looks like they have vacancies." he said.

"Good." he went on.

"We don't need to stand out in the dark." he mumbled.

"Shame they're probably not as open-minded as back home." he then sighed.

Ash just sighed as well, and hopped up onto the horse.

"I know." he said.

"But I need to try and find something." he muttered.

"Anyway, I'm good to go." he told her.

"Let's find someplace to stay." he said.

"The sooner, the better."

"One... second..." Ash muttered in a strained voice.

He then concentrated hard, and the rune slowly sank back to him, but when it went in, there was a small pulse of potent mana... but it didn't seem to do anything to her, or anything around them.

It seemed it was just a weird expulsion of mana... and nothing else.

Ash then almost collapsed to his knees, but managed to remain standing.

"Whew." he exhaled.

"That was rough." he said.

"...guess Lindsay died. Again." he lamented, shaking his head slightly.

"Yeah, not gonna happen." Ash muttered.

---

Ash looked at the sky for a moment, and sighed.

"Yeah." he said.

"We need to find shelter relatively quickly." he commented.

He then paused suddenly, and gripped his sides.

"Uh-oh." he muttered.

"I can feel it start..." he said further.

"Rylie, get back!"

Ash paused.

"Wait, what?" he asked.

"She did?" he asked her.

"I... didn't know that." he admitted.

"Nor do I know much about what happened there." he went on.

"Heard it was bad, though..."