☽ The Path to Nowhere ➳ -- Stri & Hawk & Socks

There it was. The chance at life, once again, even as death reached a vice-like hand around Combeferre. He grabbed Myrnin's "hand," pulling himself to the surface once again, shock filling him as he weaved his way around death and found himself back in the world of the living. He was running. Stumbling, really, the sun burning, hot on his back. He hissed with pain, but as far as he was concerned, it was less painful than being stabbed through, so he didn't mind much.
"Thank you," he managed, his tongue finally catching up with his mind once they reached the shade. It was all... almost too much. The light was too bright, the sounds around him too loud - he could hear a bug a few feet away, buzzing almost as though it was right next to his ear. The scents... the scents... blood. Combeferre's eyes turned red in an instant, and the only thought that filled his mind was hunger, intense and aching in a way he'd never felt before.
Blood. He could sense it, human and not too far away. There was, of course, the sun to worry about, but with his mind so focused as it was on the human he could smell... he wasn't thinking about it. He broke free from Myrnin, the sun scorching and painful and torturous until he was once again in shade.
He wasn't thinking, he was just moving. And then he saw it. Blood, fresh, a boy seated against a building, knees pulled up to his chest.
It was as though he was standing under the overhang of a building one moment, and on top of the boy the next. Fangs snapped down, and though he winced against the feeling at first, he didn't have much time to think before instinct took over and he pressed the boy down firmly, focused entirely on the promise of blood.

It didn’t happen the way Rue thought it would. The main difference was that it was faster, too fast for her to keep up.
And then they were both gone and she didn’t hesitate before she was running after them both, ignoring the agony of the sun beating down on her, scorching her like fire. She knew she needed to get to them, fast.
She has the awful feeling that her head has been right.
Hungry. She was hungry. The smell of blood made that all too clear.
She was trying. She had a feeling she needed to keep trying, even though it felt like giving into it would be better, much better.
“Stop him!” She gasped finally, her voice coming back low and quiet even though she felt like screaming.
Horror twisted inside of her, writhing in her gut like something alive. “Stop him!” She shouted, whipping around to stare at Myrnin, her eyes burning wild and crimson. “Please!”

-

Kelsier wasn’t paying quite enough attention.
Well. He was, but not to what he should have been. He was looking for traps, and secrets, and anything he didn’t know existed.
He looked up as Samuel spoke, turning to face the boy as -
“Samuel!”
The boy was gone in an instant. Kelsier forgot to check for traps, forgot that he was supposed to be being careful and thorough. He knew where Sam was going, because he knew that the thing that was most likely to make the kid bolt was someone in danger,
And who else but Orsino?
Kel cursed under his breath and ran, sprinting as fast as he could go, back towards where Orsino was likely to be. He had no idea what to expect.
But he was going to stop it, whatever it was.

Rue's plea was enough. It at least tipped Myrnin's decision one way rather than another. But it still greatly relied on the fact that he knew Combeferre needed blood. Needed it to live and survive and that Myrnin taking him away would be difficult. But he leaned over anyway, grabbing at the man's shoulders. Holding him firmly and hissing in his ear, "Let him go. Let him go now."
He leaned far enough over that he could pull Combeferre's head away (hopefully with minimum damage to Nico) and off the boy.
The blood smelled good. Like something he needed. He could still smell it on his hands and on Combeferre's clothing - slightly different, like a different ... flavor? ... - but still the same. Only the boy's was better. Not drying or old. It nagged at Myrnin. Something he could have if only he was able ...
But he focused om holding Combeferre back. Focused on waiting it out and for the blood to hit his system. Hopefully enough to keep him aware ...

---

It didn't help that a new someone, keeping to the edges of the buildings and the shadows, was the next one to appear. A small boy. The difference was his eyes were the same bright red as ... well, most of the current collection of beings, minus Orsino. Samuel froze for maybe only a second. But the smell of blood nagged too much at his senses. He hadn't eaten anything since he arrived and he wasn't sure why Orsino smelled like something he could, something he should, have, but he found long teeth extending from his mouth and every idea how to use them. He hurried forward, wanting to do exactly that.

Combeferre pulled against Myrnin, his face a mask of anger and desperation and hunger as he tried to get back towards his prey. Animalistic fury tore at him and he tried to wriggle free, his fangs bared and eyes wild. He needed that blood, he needed to finish off his prey. To finish off the boy. The... boy. Lying there against the building, that was all he saw there. A child with blood covering his neck, some of it still leaking out slowly with the boy's pulse. He could hear it, weaker than it had been before, but still there.
Confusion crossed Combeferre's face and he stopped resisting Myrnin, trying to force himself to breathe. He didn't need to, which was odd, but it felt better to do it anyway.
That was a boy. He'd hurt a boy. His eyes stayed red for a long moment before changing back to the soft, gentle blue they'd been before.
"Thank you," he managed in a strangled voice, wiping the blood from his lips. "Thank you for not letting me kill him." His voice sounded hoarse and scared to his own ears. The possibility that he'd nearly just killed the child... it was too horrible to contemplate.
---
There were too many bodies far, far too close to Nico. He shrank in even further on himself, grateful for the sudden lack of pressure against his shoulders. Against his form in general. He was still shaking, trembling like he stood in the middle of a snowstorm. His body was tensed, coiled like he planned on springing out at whoever attacked next. And there was going to be another attack.
His thoughts were disjointed, the feeling of someone so close still sending panic running down his spine, igniting a fear so tangible he felt as though he was drowning. He was having trouble breathing. He was having trouble focusing. Red. Red. Red. Were these figures moving too fast for him to process because his mind was still struggling, or were they simply moving that fast? Daggers. Kelsier... yes, this would be an ideal time to finish him off, if Kelsier so wished. He couldn't fight back. He couldn't even think. All he could do was lay there and try to breathe and hope that whatever fight was ensuing would end with all parties as far from him as possible.

Rue gritted her teeth as she made impact, stumbling as she shoved him away. She’d done it. She’d gotten him away from one of the loud people.
And straight into another one.
“No!”
It was supposed to be a shout, but it was more of a whisper. She froze, trying to think, trying to move, but she was hungry and the smell of blood was almost overpowering her, I’m spite of everything she was doing to evade it. She couldn’t hold out much longer, she could feel out getting stronger, and she didn’t trust herself to move.
“Stop....”
It was all happening too fast. A man with a knife, a boy on the ground, the two tall strangers and the other boy she’d tried so hard to stop. She was too small, she knew that, not strong enough.
“Stop it!”

-

Kelsier narrowed his eyes. He would be lying if he said his personal feelings weren’t important here. He didn’t particularly like the boy on the ground. He wasn’t even sure why, he just didn’t.
That didn’t stop him from taking a threatening step forward, though.
“Stay away from him.” He hissed back, his eyes flashing. He would have said more, too.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t watching Sam.
Why would he?
One second he was standing tall and threatening, dagger pointed towards the two attackers. Next moment, the dagger had been knocked from his hand as he fell, hitting the ground with enough force to knock the air from his lungs for a moment.
The wrong moment, in fact.
Because Samuel’s fangs were buried in his neck.
He was too stunned to react for a moment. Then he pushed, trying to dislodge the boy, his hazel eyes wide with shock.

Myrnin had to let go of Combeferre. Not because if the man's struggles, though he might have been convinced to do so given a second to process, but because of a force that slammed into him. He lost his grip on Combeferre, tossed a couple feet away, then hurriedly got to his again. He looked around. Checking on what was going on. He felt no connection to the smaller boy, but he seemed to be like them. He smelled like them, ish. As much as almost a lack of smell could. Like whatever was clinging to him defined who he was to that sense. He'd been here longer than them, that was for certain.
Myrnin didn't know who was most likely to attack, so he kept an eye on Rue was keeping close to Combeferre.
"We need to leave," he hissed. "We'll just do more harm than good."
He was tired. He felt like he could have held back two people, but not now. Now was not one of those times. He felt tired enough that he could almost have curled up to try and sleep. Combeferre would be feeling tired as well, he was sure. Hungry and tired weren't a good combination.

---

Sam had been tossed aside. Violently. He wasn't sure where he landed until he'd rolled twice and hit into the side of a building. Not too hard, but enough. He pushed himself up, the taste of blood still in his mouth. He wanted more. He really did. But his hands were shaking against the ground and he didn't try. He was in the shadows for now. And he was horrified. What had he done? Had he hurt Kelsier badly? The shield stood between him finding out.
He licked his lips, which had a taste of blood on them still, before calling, "K-keliser? O-orsino?"
Why were things happening like this? Did either of them have answers? Were they okay? He needed them to be okay ...
He ... he was also still hungry.

Combeferre skidded backwards, rolling to a stop besides Rue and Myrnin. He could smell the blood, and though he was still hungry, the thought was still enough to sicken him. He was... he was supposed to be helpful. He wasn't supposed to hurt people. And yet here he was, eyes flickering between blue and red as his fangs poked sharply through his gums. He'd hurt someone. He'd hurt someone badly judging by how hard the boy had been shaking under him.
Hesitantly, he picked himself to his feet, glancing between Rue and Myrnin and the new boy. Did any of them know where they were? Who they were? He had thought the amnesia was a side effect of dying, but he realized now he still didn't have anything more than a name.
"I agree," he managed, still trying to breathe to calm himself. "I don't want anyone else to be hurt today." He glanced around, hyper-aware of his surroundings. He thought he could smell other people, but the thought of approaching them settled like a weight in his stomach, hard and uncomfortable.
"If I'm correct, though," he added, looking between his two companions, "I'm not the only one who needs... needed... blood." He was soaked in the stuff. How much of it was still his own? How much was the boy's? "So we'll need to figure out how to get that without hurting anyone else."
He wanted to apologize to the boy, but the shield stood in his way. Would he be able to help himself if he found himself on the other side of it? No, he figured, remembering the instinctive way he'd attacked. He didn't think he could.
-
Nico was shaking. He didn't know what he'd done, but they were safe now. Well, safe-ish. Kelsier looked half ready to bleed out, and Nico was far from sure that Kelsier wasn't going to attack him. He made quite a target now, trembling and swaying and weak enough he thought he might pass out any moment. Something was drawing his energy, though he didn't know what. He hadn't connected the shadows to himself yet, even as a portion of them siphoned off to settle at the wound on Kelsier's neck. It would stop the bleeding, hopefully.
He didn't feel like speaking, but if he didn't... the pressure in his head was unbearable, the feeling that something was still going to attack, the feeling of his skin crawling, the reasons there, just beyond the surface, that he should remember.
"I'm sorry." He choked out, but he couldn't be sure what for. The blood loss was making it difficult to think on top of everything else. He was having trouble breathing. Was that because of the blood loss, or the feeling of being held down? It was the fear more than anything else that was overwhelming him, chilling the air and leeching from him. The weeds that were growing between the stones in the street began to wither.
"I'm sorry."

Everything hurt. Whether that was due to the sun she had run through, or something else, Rue couldn’t tell.
She looked up as the man spoke and rested a hand on her shoulder. It was surprisingly comforting, and she let out a short breath, trying to calm down. Whatever had just happened, she seemed to be one of whatever these people were, not whatever the people behind the shadows was. Were her eyes red, too? She knew she had fangs.
She also knew how to use them. It was instinct, impossible to resist for long.
Hungry. She was so hungry. She had the strangest feeling that that wasn’t unusual. Maybe people were just naturally uncomfortable all the time.
Except...she could tell there was a fundamental difference between her and the people they’d just attacked.
She glanced at the man who had attacked the boy. He was covered in blood. His? The boy’s? Would he attack them next?
She was the easiest target by far. She took a step away from them. Then another.
She was one of them.
That couldn’t be right. That couldn’t be right at all.
She didn’t hurt people.
“I don’t...want to go anywhere with you people.” She whispered. “I didn’t hurt anyone. I wouldn’t hurt anyone. I wouldn’t...”

-

Kelsier was only somewhat aware of what had happened, though he was slowly figuring it out. He reached up to touch his neck, and his hand touched shadow, like the thing that was surrounding them, cutting them off from the people...things?.... that had done this.
They’d attacked Orsino. They’d attacked a kid.
Well, hadn’t he almost done the exact same thing?
No, he’d just been protecting Sam. Orsino had been threatening them.
Right?
Well, look how that had turned out. He had the distinct impression that he’d completely misread this situation.
Or maybe that was the wound in his neck talking. And the fact that Sam was the one who had put it there.
He blinked, then pushed himself to a sitting position, ignoring the way his head spun. He was still conscious, at least. He had a feeling that was a good sign.
And he wasn’t the only one who’d been attacked. One glance was enough to tell Kelsier that Orsino needed help, now. He pushed himself to his feet, then paused. Something about the look in the boy’s eyes told him how fragile this was.
“Orsino, hey.” He said slowly and clearly, keeping his voice calm. The shadows, the cold, the makeshift bandage on his neck...
Well. Who else would it be?
“Easy.” He told the kid, putting his hands out in a pacifying gesture. He smiled, because that felt natural on his features, and he had a feeling he needed to appear as non threatening as he possibly could. “Easy. Okay, listen to me. You’re okay, you’re here with me, you’re safe. I’m not going to hurt you, but you need to sit down and let me come closer, okay? Look.”
He removed his dagger and tossed it away from him. “See? It’s fine. You don’t have to be sorry. Don’t be sorry for anything.”
He took a step forward, slowly, keeping his hands visible, the reassuring smile still on his features. He just needed to stop the bleeding and keep Orsino from panicking,

Myrnin waited for several seconds, looking over the two others. He had nothing much to say. He knew the girl was wrong. He knew that it would likely be a better idea to stick together. He didn't feel like it was a good idea to be alone. But he didn't think he had anything he could say.
He didn't actually know anything. No more than either of them? Was it normal for memories to be missing?
He needed to find something to eat. Or he would end up hurting someone. And he thought he could do it without killing whoever it was. He just needed to be careful. Yeah.
But he didn't feel like he could help these other two more.
"My name is Myrnin," he said, looking at Rue, then at the man he'd saved but who looked like he might be regretting it. Huh. Myrnin didn't get why.
"You can follow if you want."
But if they didn't that was fine too.
He headed for the next patch of shade. Skulking a little, but generally feeling like he might work better if he just went now. He wanted to reassure the girl, but he couldn't work with denial. They hurt people. They just had to be careful how. Right? Maybe?
He almost pressed a hand to his face, but that seemed like a bad idea.

---

He'd done something ... very bad ... hadn't he. And Sam couldn't even fix it. He was still hungry and he could still think about what it was like ... blood. And he wanted more. But he wasn't able to properly push that feeling away. He scooted backward until his back was properly pressed against the wall of a building and he tried very hard not to shake. He hadn't ended up in the sun, which was good, but this shadow wouldn't last forever. He held his hands close and tried to breath in and out several times. It didn't help much. He didn't need to breath.
Why? Why couldn't he help? Could they even hear him?
What if they could but just weren't listening? What if they were leaving him out here to die in the sun?
What if they were dying?
What if they were dead?
"Orsino?" he whined. "Kelsier?"
But his voice was very faint.
His head tilted to his knees until he was curled up. The feeling of wanting to cry took over. This was his fault. This was his fault. He was dangerous and this was his fault.

Combeferre watched Rue for a moment, breathing in relief when she approached the other boy, the one who had attacked. He didn't believe it was the boy's fault any more than he believed he'd had any control over his own actions. He would need to work on that, would need to find a way not to hurt anyone again. Easier said than done, but now that he knew what the danger was... well, they could start finding a way around it.
"Combeferre," he returned quietly, looking up at Myrnin. "Pleased to meet you." The words were tight, but genuine. As frightened as he was by the situation, he was grateful for the help Myrnin had given him thus far. Even if that help had led to him nearly killing a child.
He almost followed, taking a step towards the second patch of shade before looking back at the girl.
"They're children," he commented softly to Myrnin. "We're not. It's our... it's our responsibility to make sure they're safe." He searched Myrnin's gaze, hoping he felt similarly. "I agree that it's safer for us to leave, but we can't go far. In case they need help." The expression on his face was severe and unflinching. His own feelings on the matter, his disgust with himself, the fact that he'd nearly killed someone... it didn't matter in the face of something bigger. "You were able to resist. I'd like to learn how to, but I can't leave them on their own." If Myrnin left now... well, hopefully he'd be able to find him later. Because Combeferre was going to steer clear of the two behind the barrier of shadows, but he wasn't going to be too far away to hear Rue or Sam if they cried out.
-
Nico didn't notice the change at first, but his breathing did seem to come easier. He let himself relax just a little bit, dark eyes wide and staring up at Kelsier. He didn't know the shadows were his work. He didn't know Kelsier was helping to take the edge off the feelings he was seconds away from drowning in.
He was still trembling, but it was easier to think straight. Well... straighter. He was still terrified that Kelsier was going to come too close.
"Okay," he whispered softly, feeling a little bit too much like a vulnerable mess. He just wanted things to be simple. He wanted to be brave, to stand back up and find Sam and... do what, exactly? Did he trust Sam? No more than he trusted Kelsier, now. As far as he was concerned, they were both threats.
He tensed once again as Kelsier did something, then let himself relax as he realized. He stared at it with no small amount of suspicion for a long moment before he picked it up and, with shaking fingers, pressed it against his neck. It hurt, but probably not more than Kelsier's did. What had happened to Kelsier's injury anyway? It was hidden by the shadows. What were they? Why did they feel so comfortable?
Kelsier was right. Nico was sleepy, though he couldn't say for sure why. Oh right. He was bleeding.
"You don't have your dagger," he commented numbly, trying to resist the urge to curl back up and fall asleep. It was as though something was pulling from him, leeching his energy away. He didn't think it was just the injury.
He forced his eyes open again, the look in them wide and concerned, though still dulled by exhaustion. "You should... you should find Samuel. Make sure he's... okay."

Rue wasn’t paying much attention to the two adults. This....this felt like what she was supposed to be doing. This felt right. He needed her, or rather, he needed someone and she happened to be there. She didn’t know how to help him, but she was going to try. She had to try.
“I don’t know what we are.” She admitted. “But who’s to say we’re the weird ones? Maybe this is what we’re supposed to be like.”
She paused, then continued in a softer tone.
She knelt next to him and forced herself to meet his eyes, red on red. Something told her this was something she was good at doing.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone either. Of course I don’t. We’ll find a way not to, okay? We’ll figure it out.”
She didn’t look away. She wasn’t sure whether he meant safe from others or others safe from him, but either way, he answer was the same.
“I can’t promise that. I’m sorry.” She told him gently. “But I’ll protect you. And if you want, I’ll protect other people if it happens again. Okay? You’re not bad. You’re not.”

-

Whatever he had done, he thought it had worked. At least, Orsino seemed to be a little bit calmer. It wasn’t much, but it was more than he’d known he had.
Could they all do that? Or was that something that was like the shadows the boy seemed to control? Like the speed and strength with which Samuel had attacked. He could feel that he had used up whatever he’d had, he could tell that it was gone now. He hoped it had been enough.
He watched carefully as Orsino used the cloak. Which was good. Kel had been worried he wouldn’t trust it, but maybe bleeding out was a significant enough threat to persuade him.
Or maybe it had nothing to do with trust. Kelsier couldn’t say, since he didn’t trust anyone at the moment.
He reached up again, brushing his fingers on the shadows covering his wound. He still felt lightheaded, but he ignored it, because he wasn’t about to pass out over a little wound like this. He didn’t know whether he’d had worse.
The scars covering his arms seemed to suggest he had, though. They were obvious now that his cloak was gone, and he glanced at them for a moment, frowning. What had happened to him?
Had it caused his lack of memories, somehow?
He looked up again as Orsino spoke, and he raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Still a bad idea to sleep around me.” He noted lightly. “I wouldn’t do it if I were you. So much better to stay awake, don’t you think? Bad idea to sleep around strangers who threaten kids.”
He was doing everything he could think of.
He hoped it was enough.
He paused, considering Orsino’s next words, before shaking his head a little.
“He’s not the one with the large bleeding wound in his neck, Orsino.” He pointed out calmly. “I’ll find him soon enough. He can’t have gone far, he’ll need to stick to the shadows.”

Myrnin hadn't actually been suggesting they leave the children behind. He gestured at them again.
"We can't stay here."
We. He was counting the children in that too.
Hopefully Rue was actually trying to convince the boy to leave too and not just chit-chatting. Well, she could chit-chat too, but they really didn't have the time.
He waited as Combeferre actually brought it up, watching both of the children as he did. They seemed to be pretty focused on what was going on right now. That was okay by him. He just needed to get somewhere quick. He felt like the longer he was out in the general proximity of the sun, the hungrier he'd get.
---
Samuel looked up at Rue, meeting her eyes, and took some comfort in them. Enough that he actually hugged her. He had no idea what was going on or what he was supposed to do. But at least she seemed to understand.
Then of course Combeferre called out and Sam realized that the other attackers hadn't left. He stiffened, looking in Combeferre's direction with something close to hate. He didn't want to blame him, but this seemed like his fault.
But he also wasn't wrong.
"F-f-fine," he said. It was very shakily that he got to his feet. Then his form blurred a bit as he moved for the nearest house. It opened easily. He'd left Rue behind. He glanced back. He wasn't sure where she'd be going. But he wasn't going to leave his friends until he knew they were okay.
Even if they hated him.
So he stepped into the house, staying away from the side of it with slightly open windows and went to ... he didn't know. Maybe rest. He felt tired, like he wasn't supposed to be up right now. Or maybe to try and distract himself from the still present hunger.

Combeferre watched Rue go, wishing his words had been enough to make her stay, but knowing deep down why they hadn't been. He was just the man who had attacked a boy, seemingly without provocation. He couldn't excuse it -there were no excuses for such actions. He sighed softly, then glanced at Myrnin and tilted his head towards the house the boy had disappeared into. It seemed as good a place as any to crash for now, and if they locked the doors... perhaps they wouldn't be such a danger to the others here. Even as he thought it, Combeferre knew that was stupid. They were going to be dangerous no matter what they did, and something as simple as a locked door wasn't going to keep him or any of the others at bay for long.
"I think... all of us getting some rest might be a good idea," he murmured to Myrnin, stepping forward into the house. He wasn't used to the idea of blurring. He knew he'd done it when the hunger had taken control, but he found he didn't want to try it again. He would take this slowly, one step at a time. Right now, the step was getting some rest and looking at this with fresh eyes in the morning. Or... well, considering that this was the morning, whenever he woke up.
-
"My arm is heavy," Nico complained softly, pulling the mistcloak tighter around him. Staying awake... meant avoiding the dagger or... or whatever other weapons Kelsier had to offer. It meant that he'd be safe, if it really came down to it. It meant... it was so hard to keep his eyes open, so hard to really process what was happening, only that he needed to keep focusing on Kelsier's neck, otherwise the man was going to die. Why was that? Was Nico killing him? The thought gave him pause, but he decided that in order to kill someone, you needed to be a lot more purposeful about it.
He looked younger, curled up there, his skin an unhealthy almost-green and his dark eyes drifting closed. He was just... tired. And he wasn't paying attention to the blood still leaking from his neck, no longer staunched by the mistcloak he had wrapped himself in. The tassels were... not as warm as the rest of it, but he wrapped them around his fingers, then unwrapped them again, trying to work out some of the feelings warring in his mind.
"You're saying please," he noted distantly, the terror he'd felt bleeding into exhaustion, compounding the weight in his mind by a thousand. "You wouldn't have said that before."
He was still trembling, but whether that was still from being held down or from a chill caused by blood loss was impossible to tell.

Not a good sign. Kelsier took another cautious step forward, keeping his hands visible, trying not to look threatening in spite of the fact that he was probably going to look that way no matter what he did. He was pretty sure Orsino was the one who was keeping the shadows on his neck, which meant he was also responsible for the shadows keeping the monsters out, and probably the one who had thrown them all back in the first place.
Maybe Kel wasn’t the only one who was intimidating. Worry wasn’t the only thing in his eyes after all, respect also shone there, because if Orsino was responsible for this, he was pretty powerful for someone so small.
Kelsier took another step forward, closing the distance slowly, trying to look casual. He just needed to get close enough to figure out how to get the cloak back against the wound. He just needed to convince the kid that this was his only option. Somehow, he just needed to figure out how to show him he was safe.
Ish. Safe ish. Kel wasn’t about to lie to either of them and say they were safe.
“Is it working?” He asked hopefully, trying to keep his tone light and conversational. As long as Orsino didn’t panic, they would be okay. No one was bleeding to death today.
Another step. He was closer now. Close enough to see Orsino shivering, anyway.