Hunger

Cage watches the crimson face before him, looking for the reactions that he's feared for some time now. Terror. Disgust. The silence lies heavier on his shoulders with every passing second. The others are asleep below deck, which denies Cage any distraction that he might have looked for.

Alyra looks down at the leather notebook in Cage's hand with narrowed eyes, one lithe finger tapping her bottom lip, her other hand on the Control Orb, "So it just... came out of you? Is that black stuff part of your body, or does it come from somewhere else? Yes, that must be it. I can't imagine that you just have all of this in your body," She looks up at Cage with a slight smile, silver eyes hungry for knowledge, "So? Where is this place?"

Cage blinks, returning his own smile after a moment. He looks down and shakes his head, chuckling slightly, "I don't even know why I was worried," he mutters.

"What?" Alyra asks, "Don't try getting out of this now. I won't stop asking about it now that I've seen it."

"I know," Cage says, a wide grin on his face. Of course, he thinks, with how obsessed she is with magic, did I really expect a different reaction? Cage would be ashamed of himself, if he wasn't light with relief, that is.

"It's called Oblivion," Cage says as the notebook is pulled from his hand and back into the vault, "The only thing that I'm sure of is that it's not here."

Alyra raises a brow, "Not... here?" She asks slowly.

Cage turns, looking out from the castle to the vast branch surrounding them. He waves an arm out slowly, eyes studying the movement of the colors beyond, "In the Praesi," He says, looking at Alyra, "It exists somewhere else, separate from this universe. Like my home, Earth."

Alyra nods slowly, expression blank as she looks out at the branch as well. She wears a white tunic and pants, the same as Cage. The clothes are slightly big on her, and the fabric hangs on her butt and bosom. The lines and creases created by this less that optimal fit are provocative sights. She's already caught Cage sneaking peeks, and each time Alyra smiles and puts a bit more bounce into her step. When they're alone, that is.

"How did you do it?" Alyra asks, looking at Cage after a long, silent moment, "Kyro said that Ludan was basically immortal, he could heal from every injury. So how did you kill him? Is it the same thing you did with those Collectors? Did you just... devour him?"

Cage nods, "Yeah, but it's a little more complicated than that," he says, walking over and leaning backward on the railings, "I absorbed his Anima until there was nothing left, then absorbed his body."

"So... Did you see it?" Alyra asks, "Did you see what happens when an Anima user runs dry of magic?"

"It killed him, so I guess I did," Cage replies, "You've only told me about Vas users, so I still don't know what happens to them."

"Well, as Yoru would say... there are only theories," Alyra says, pointing up to the barrier of the branch above, "When a person dies, their soul returns to the Anima realm, that's what those colors are. It's believed that the souls are reforged while there, and are later sent back out into the Praesi to join with a newly born child."

Alyra drops her arm and meets Cage's eyes, "There are Records of wars in the Rajin library... well, there was," She says, "In one of those, a soldier spoke of how he saw an Anima user fall suddenly after using up their magic. And while he saw all the other souls float toward the Dax above, the Anima user's soul was nowhere to be seen."

Cage nods, "What do you think happens to them?" he asks. The guards that he absorbed after killing Ludan, the things that flew from their bodies were their souls.

Alyra hums, "Well, the only explanation is that their souls are dispersed out into the Praesi," she says, shrugging. She smiles at Cage, "Who knows, maybe we'll find the answer in the Palace-"

Cage and Alyra's eyes snap to the side as they hear wood creak. Krash freezes with one foot on the top step. The Tanzide stands silent, staring back at them, his beastly expression twisted with what can only be seen as worry, "Am I interrupting something?" Krash asks quietly.

"No, not at all. Come on up," Cage says, brows furrowing as Krash walks over, "Something bothering you?"

Krash leans his elbows on the railings beside Cage, glancing at him. The Lion sighs, "Just thinking of home," he says.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Krash," Alyra says, "Unlike Raj, Mammoria has many cities. It will take a while before the Utherians have completely taken over."

"It's not fine," Krash mumbles without looking back at her, a clear edge in his voice, "Thousands have already died. And even if I make it back with the Rage Stones in time and we push them back, the Utherians will return. You both should know that."

Cage pauses. Krash has been quiet since they left Raj, and while the reason for that has always been obvious to Cage, this is the first time the Lion has voiced his concerns. Cage studies the Tanzide's moody expression, "It sounds like you're giving up without even trying."

Krash glances sidelong at him, "That's not how it is," He says quietly. The Lion reaches up and scratches his snout with a single claw, sighing, "I've just realized how pointless this journey has been. I truly believed this was my chance to change, to show my brothers that I'm not useless. Maybe I've changed, maybe I haven't... it doesn't matter. I'll try. I'll return home and try to save them, but I know it won't change anything."

Cage glances at Alyra, and she shrugs. He drops his head back and blows out through his nose. Utherians. As far as Cage can see, those pale-faced beings are power-hungry barbarians. They've done nothing but kill and take from all they meet, and now that includes Rajin and Tanzides. Yet the worst thing about it is that the Utherians are not the only ones like this.

Cage has his own goal, and that's why they are on this journey in the first place. But what about the others? Kyro, Ingen, Yoru, and even Alyra all act as if they are unbothered by the fate of Raj, but Cage knows better. He knows what it's like to have a home taken from him. And from the way they speak, Cage also knows that the others would not throw away the chance for vengeance if it was presented to them.

"You all said that you'll follow me," Cage whispers as he looks up, his words inaudible to all but himself, "But that doesn't mean I'll ignore your wants and needs."

"If you can get past that pride of yours," Cage says, meeting Krash's gaze, "We'll help you save Mammoria."

Krash's eyes widen, and silence takes over for a moment. Finally, the Tanzide nods slowly, brows raised, "Okay, but..." He glances back at Alyra, who acts as if she can't hear what they speak of, "...Are you sure? You'll be putting yourself in danger for someone you barely know."

"It won't be the first time, and it'll be far from the last," Cage says, standing straight from the railings, black eyes firm, "Before you say it, the Utherians won't be returning either. We'll make sure they never conquer another planet."

"You really think you have a chance against an army as vast as the Utherians?" Krash says incredulously.

"You're talking crazy now, Cage," Alyra says, "Sure, it would be nice, but we should be avoiding the Utherians, not running towards them."

"You doubt me?" Cage responds, staring into her eyes.

Alyra pauses, narrowing her eyes and searching for something in Cage's black voids. After a long moment, she sighs and shakes her head, "Do men ever stop fighting?" She whispers to herself, looking at Cage again, "Fine. I guess I can't stop you."

Cage walks over to Alyra and grabs her free hand gently. He gazes into her eyes for a moment, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, "You and the others can act like you're fine, but I know that's not the truth. If it was just me on this journey, then I wouldn't care," He says, "But the Utherians need to pay for what they did to your home."

Alyra purses her lips, then nods. She squeezes his hand, and Cage squeezes back.

"We'll talk more about my powers later, if you want," Cage musters a light smile, letting go of her hand, "I need to check up on Kyro."

Cage turns and walks over to Krash, "I'll let the others know. Kyro is out of commission, but Ingen and I should be enough. Plus, you'll be giving the Tanzide soldiers the Stones," he says, "We'll talk later and put together a plan. Think about it until then."

Krash nods, "Thank you, Cage. Truly," he says.

"Don't mention it," Cage walks toward the stair leading down to the deck, waving his only hand as he walks.

Cage steps through the doors to the lower deck a moment later, halting just past the threshold. He grimaces, putting his hand to his rumbling stomach. It's true that Cage needs to check on Kyro, as the withdrawals from the stones have begun to take their toll on the Rajin. But the main reason Cage wanted to leave is this.

The hunger rips and tears at Cage's stomach, screaming at him to kill. To devour. It takes no small effort just to think of something else. It's influenced his mind so much that he has now waged a silent war on the Utherians. Yes, Cage truly does want to allow the others to have their vengence, but helping Krash save Mammoria?

Cage needs to eat, and as they've already passed the planet between Raj and Mammoria, he has no other choice. Yoru said that the in-between planet was five days out from Raj, meaning their two days out from Mammoria. He's glad someone knows, because without a sun and moon to go by, it's nearly impossible to keep track of time.

Cage takes a deep breath and begins walking down the creaking stairs to the living quarters. He steps down the hall, holding his stomach all the while. Those jars of glowing insects hanging from the ceiling light the way, and the hammocks sway gently as he passes them.

Cage furrows his brows. Kyro's door is open, and so is Krash's. He wonders if his eyes are playing tricks on him, because he sees a pair of legs on the floor in front of Krash's door. Cage hears a quiet moan, and with a gasp, he breaks into a sprint down the hall, "Kyro!"

Cage looks into the door and sees Kyro crawling into Krash's room, reaching toward a grey bag sitting in the corner of the dim room. Cage steps over Kyro and reaches down to grab the Rajin's hand, "No, Kyro. You can't. You know you can't," Cage says quietly, looking into Kyro's eyes.