Enzo Fortress

Gladamier sighed once more, steadying Cynder in his grasp.
He looked to Boniface with Sympathy, after his daughter rejected his help, and began to follow her.

"I'll come along. Cynder and Topher are friends, and perhaps she can help, in a way."

I place Topher into one of the beds, and while he remained awake, his eyes were staring into a vast void.

Ged yanked a chair to a fair view of the bed with his foot, sitting Cynder in it.

The girl hugged her knees to her chest and whimpered again.
Gladamier stepped toward the bed, once his hands were free, and looked over the boy.

"... Christopher, boy...? You can hear us, yes...?"

"Yes." The voice didn't even seem like mine, more like a dark puppet imitating me.

Ged winced. This clearly was worse than he thought.

He spoke tenderly, to the boy, glancing to his mother once in a while.
"Christopher, you're in a safe place, do you understand? We'll patch you up and heal you of what that wretched man did to you.... Your mother is here, did you know?"

Topher: "I have no mother or home."

Agatha: "Yes Christopher, you have me..." I desperately wrap my arms around him.

Ged looked on with sympathy, exhaling slowly.

Cynder lifted her head to see Topher, scowling.
"T-Top...? You... you've got us. I'm your friend, remember? Or I was....? See, remember me? Remember your mum? Please, Top... please get better.."

"Top?" That name was like a distant echo, something you reach into the dark to reach only to have it inches from your fingertips.

Agatha: "Yes, your friends call you Top, or Topher... and your wife, Potion."

Cynder slowly began to peek out from her shell of fear, relaxing and leaning forward.

"Top remember how you helped me when Descole was attacking in the underground? Remember what a good friend you are to me?"

She quivered with remembrance, smiling slightly.
"Remember everything we've ever seen or done together? Just goofing off and having fun? Please, Top, remember..!"

Agatha: "Yes, and remember when you returned home to me? And I let you back in with open arms?"

Topher: I start to blink sporadically and look at Cynder, and make a weak attempt at mocking Crouch's voice "Gee, Voldy... what are we going to do tonight?"

Cynder gave a sobbing laugh.
She relaxed greatly, swinging her legs over the edge of the chair and scootching to the very edge of it.

Her own voice raised to mimic an airy mock of Voldemort's voice.
"The same thing we do every night, Crouchy... take over the world~"

My entire disposition immediately lightens and I look into Tophers eyes, still with two arrows.

"Christopher!" I kiss his cheek lovingly.

Ged gave a smiled, leaning against one of the walls in relief as Cynder looked to Topher with joy.

"Oh thank God, you're all right... Of all jokes you remember, and it's that old one?"
The girl grinned and chuckled.
"It still is funny, though-"

Agatha: I look at the girl, "thank you VERY much! You have new clue how much this means to me!"

Topher: "Can't beat the classics!" I smile at her.

Cynder shook her head to Agatha, smiling slightly.
"I would do anything for a friend..."

Her brown eyes scanned to Topher again, reaching out a bitten and badly bruised hand to the boy, for him to take.
"...No, you can't. I'm glad you're back, Top.."

"What happened to you? Ya look terrible..." I ask her in concern.

Cynder's cheeks turned a red shade and she looked away from Topher.

"It's-... that man, is all. I... it's not very proper, what he did to me."

My eyes widen with fright and then rage, "Sunova bitch..."

Cynder folded her arms over her stomach, raising one hand to rub at the scabbed and bruised half-moon bite wounds over her shoulders and neck.

"It'll heal..."

"My dear, what did he do to you?" I ask her almost fearfully of the answer.

Ged clearly scowled as the girl mumbled the answer.


Her cheeks, by now, were a dark scarlet.
It was a short reply, spoken respectfully toward Topher's mother.
"r-.... rape, ma'am..."


Her uncle clearly did not like hearing the answer, but he did not say anything.
He had assumed as much.

He jumped out of bed, reaching levels of hate unseen from the young evil eye users.

"He's DEAD!!!!"

Cynder straightened quickly, determination as she rose sorely to her feet.

He'd been worse than rough, but she pushed back the aching of her muscles and bruises.

"I'll be fine, Top.... really, it's fine... It'll all heal.."

"No it's not fine, I'm going to make him pay for this!" From my pupil, another arrow snakes out of the center. Three points down, five to go.

Cynder's expression was dark, ass he stepped forward and put her shoulders on his shoulders.

"Top, listen, please.... don't do this... he's no where to be seen right now. You can't attack if you don't know where he is. It'll... it'll be okay, honest to God..."