Finally, that damned inn was in sight! Cordelia let out a rough sigh and started to walk a little bit faster. She wanted to just start running, but she knew if she did that the man she was currently carrying in her arms would probably be tossed about like a rag doll and she would probably fall. Falling would result in damage to the both of them, and while she would have been all right, she wasn’t too sure about Manic. He didn’t need to get hurt anymore… she was really quite surprised that he wasn’t awake yet. It worried her; she would have thought that someone as strong as Manic would have been awake and trying to start arguments with her by now. Had it been that bad…?

She should have helped him…

Sighing once again, Cordelia dismissed the thought that she could have possibly done anything. She didn’t have the spells or the skills to fight what he had gone against, and if they had beaten him that bad, they could have easily done it to her as well. Then there would have been no one to stop Gharik and no one to save Alaina – the girl would have been dead. It didn’t matter now, anyway. What was done was done and there was no changing it. Cordelia propped him up more against her shoulder and collar bone and moved the arm that had been holding up his upper body to open the door. Once that had been done she stepped through the threshold, returning her arm back to its spot to support him. Her legs felt like they were going to cave out from under her by now, considering she had carried Manic all the way from the ruins and he wasn’t exactly the lightest thing. When he woke up she was going to have to make him loose a few pounds to make this easier for the next time he decided to do this to her. Kissing her, leaving her to help Alaina by herself, then forcing her to carry his bloody, heavy body to safety… that jerk was in for it when he opened his eyes.

Cordelia looked back over her shoulder to make sure that the child was still with her. Seeing that she was, she let out a soft breath of relief before heading up the stairs. She would talk to the innkeeper later about paying for the room later. Surely, under the circumstances, it was understandable not go find whoever that person was and strike up a conversation. She wasn’t going to be able to carry Manic much longer; her legs and arms were already shaking from fatigue. She just had to hold out until they were in a room… then she could fall over. Falling over on the stairs simply wasn’t an option. Cordelia grasped at a door handle and twisted before pushing it open, leaving it open so that Alaina could follow. She went over to the bed and plopped Manic down on it before sitting down on the floor, exhausted. Finally, he was out of her arms and she didn’t have to carry him in such uncomfortable, awkward, closeness! She closed her eyes and reached her arms up, interlocking her fingers together before her head.

“That didn’t take too long,” she said sarcastically, her voice weak. She opened her eyes and looked at Alaina, doing her best to smile. She really hadn’t needed that. After fighting Gharik and freeing Alaina, she hadn’t needed to carry that spineless jerk all the way to Kellen. Was he that selfish? So selfish as to steal a kiss from her and then make her carry him? That sneaky, conniving… that had all been part of the plan, hadn’t it been?! He had purposely gone unconscious, just so he could take advantage of her even more! Cordelia growled under her breath before she put her hands on the floor and pushing herself up. “By the way, sweetie, don’t eat the apples. They’re fake.” Her eyes stayed on the little girl until she nodded to confirm the statement. She walked over to the other side of the bed and pushed Manic to the very far side, as far away from her side as possible, before laying down herself. She had just as much a right to be comfortable after that ordeal as he did and she was going to fully take advantage of that. She wriggled into the bed a little bit, and then relaxed, exhaling.

She took a pillow out from under her and put it between the two of them, just to mark there was a clear boundary line for whenever he woke up. That boundary line had already been crossed, whether the action had been delusional or not, and she was going to do her absolute best not to let it be crossed again. He wasn’t going to get off the hook for that action, no matter how injured he was. Hopefully he wouldn’t roll over to her side – if he had to roll over, hopefully it would be off the bed. Cordelia laughed quietly at the thought of him doing that to himself before shaking her head. She turned to look at him, folding her hands over her stomach. Really, she couldn’t stand him. Usually she would have chosen to sit on the floor, or if she was desperate enough jump out the window, rather than sit on the same bed he was lying on, but she still held tightly to the belief that she had the right to be comfortable as well.

Once again, Cordelia turned her attention to Alaina, then propped herself up a little bit more. “So you said we had to wait until we were here, didn’t you?” she said, trying to sound cheerful and ignore the fact that Manic was there. “Well, we’re here. Manic will be asleep for a while, I’m sure, but there’s no need to worry. So explain what you meant? Pretty, pretty pleeeeaase?” She poked out her lower lip in a teasing pout before smiling genuinely, waiting patiently for Alaina to start that little explanation.

Instead of carrying the jacket along in the wake of the woman, she had adorned it upon her body. The length stretched well down bellow her knees, while the arms and the rest of it clung loosely to her tiny frame. It seemed odd to wear at first, but the longer she did the more comfortable it felt. The only issue with the jacket had been the odd smell that seemed to linger upon it, like a coppery scent. She wasn’t quite able to place what or where the scent was/came from, but she more the less didn’t care because it really didn’t bother her as much as she figured it would have.

All attention seemed to be focused upon the object in her hands, absentmindedly spinning it this way and that in rotation to view every angle, crevice, and detail that littered the object. The object seemed quite foreign to her, which was partly the reason that holding it hadn’t bothered her so much, but in the back of her mind she kind of had an idea what it really was. Deciding to ignore that fact the girl would proceed to examine the object only to shortly after run into the door frame of the Inn. Issuing a squeak of surprise, the object would be jarred from her hands only to tumble to the floor with a clatter due to the pace in which she collided. Wasting little time the girl quickly picked up the object and slid into the tavern only to have all eyes upon her.

Greeted with looks of disgust and complacency, the girl’s neck tensed out of nervousness that she drew that much attention. Adverting her eyes, she hurried in the wake of Cordelia and darted into the room where she would quickly turn to shut the door. Heaving a sigh of relief, she would turn from the door and move over to a nearby chair where she would set down the object. Gazing at it for a moment, the girl would smile and pat it on the top a couple of times, before quickly disrobing the jacket and tossing it over the back of the chair. The object was quite the odd prospect of interest to the girl, considering it was nothing more than a oddly shaped skull. Horns jutted out from the sides, curling in towards where the base of the neck would have been, much like that of a demonic creature. Features were elongated, teeth jagged and sharp, and portions damaged by age and weather.

Moving away from the chair, the girl stared odd at the woman she moved Manic off further to one side of the bed and placed a pillow between them. Such an odd woman she was when it came to Manic, especially vice versa. The stories Manic told her about Cord didn’t really seem true, but it would remain to be seen she supposed. Until that time came she didn’t mind the woman’s company. Glancing around the room briefly, her eyes befell upon a small wash bowl upon the dresser with some old water still in it. Moving towards it, she would glance into the bowl and cringe at the sight. Taking a couple steps back she would reach out to pick up the bowl, keeping it at arms length and turning her head from it not really wanting to look into that much. Turning from the dresser, she spotted a plant in the corner of the room where she proceeded to dump the water into. Issuing a brief apology to the plant, she would begin her way towards the bed on Manic’s side. Placing the bowl at the foot of the bed, both of her hands would lift just above it, where they would span their digits and begin to move in small circular motions at the utterance of a word. Within a short period of time a small ball of water began to formulate, only growing bigger with the passing of moments.

Once at the max size she could summon it to, the girl released the spell and the water dropped a couple of inches and into the bowl with a slosh of noise. Grinning from ear to ear, the girl peered down at the water, only to suddenly cease the action and glance over to that of Cord. Frowning momentarily, the girl would bite at her lower lip nervously pondering for the moment. “Manic Deathstorm, King of Kings and Lord of Lords is my….Father.” The girl’s voice seemed distant when the last word left her lips, “Manic Deathstorm is not his name….Andros Kiety is his actual name. He doesn’t know and I’d appreciate you not telling him that. I don’t want him mad and I don’t need the stress of trying to make him believe me.” The girl frowned and sighed, before reaching a hand up to her chest, only to reach into her clothing to pull out folded piece of paper. Taking it, she would place it upon the bed close to Cordelia, “Long ago, my Father and Mother had an artist draw a picture of them together long before I was born. That is that same picture, the resemblance to Manic is too much to be coincidental…The rest of the reasons are too complicated to explain, I’m sorry.”

The girl moved away from the bed and avoided eye contact with Cordelia for the time being. So instead, she would move towards the dresser and began to fish through it before finding a couple of cloths. Taking them up in her hands, she would move over to the bed and settled them next to the bowl. Taking one, she dipped it into the water and rung it out, before moving closer to Manic and proceeded to clean the wounds and cuts that littered the man’s body, hoping to both get rid of possible infections and the blood that caked itself to his body. She would continue the process till the bowl was nothing more than a pool of red and the cloths were nothing shy of the same. Taking the bowl, she would place it off in a portion of the room where it wouldn’t be disturbed and tossed the cloths into it, before returning to Manic’s side where she would simply admire her handy work at cleaning him up.

Cordelia’s eyes simply followed Alaina as she went to the washbowl and emptied it on the plant. She snorted softly, unable to help but smile at that apology. Alaina was such a sweet girl… how could anyone try to hurt her? It broke her heart, even now, to think of what could have almost happened. It was a wonder that anyone would ever even want to harm a single hair on her head. There were so many terrible people in the world; so many people that were much worse than herself. It made her feel some sense of pride to know that. She hadn’t noticed the object Alaina had been carrying, though she had seen the jacket rested on the chair. Whatever it had been it really didn’t bother her. The only thing that mattered was that Manic would have his jacket when he woke up, whenever that would be.

Alaina made her way over to the bed, at which point Cordelia sat up even more, folding her legs together and, once again, merely watching her. It was then that she began to talk and explain what she had meant. They had already established the fact that Manic was supposedly her father; Cordelia wanted the details, not repetition of past statements. She remained patient, however, and nodded briefly.

“Manic Deathstorm is not his name….Andros Kiety is his actual name. He doesn’t know and I’d appreciate you not telling him that. I don’t want him mad and I don’t need the stress of trying to make him believe me.”

At that, her jaw clenched before it dropped before shutting again. “Wait. Whoa. What?!” Cordelia’s eyes shot to Manic’s form before going to Alaina again, trying to find any sort of resemblance. There was nothing, however, that she could easily see, physical or personality wise. The two were so different… Manic was sadistic, absolutely insane, and rude and Alaina was such a darling. She bit the inside of her lower lip, tilting her head to the side. She supposed she would try to find something later, perhaps in mannerisms or movement. There had to be something – Alaina couldn’t just be completely like her mother, whoever that lady was. “Why haven’t you told him?!” she asked quietly, her eyebrows lifted. “He needs to know. It doesn’t matter how angry he would be or how much stress it would cause. I mean, you are – or rather you were – supposed to be dead.” It wasn’t until after she had spoken that Cordelia realized that might have been offensive. She tried to act casually, though, as if it wasn’t as big of a deal as it was. Cordelia knew the story. At least, she thought she knew, when really she knew absolutely nothing. Maybe it wasn’t a good decision to talk about this, especially with Manic right there. She wasn’t sure if he could hear or not, but to be honest, Cordelia almost kind of thought he needed to hear this.

Then again, Alaina was a child. Children had vast, vivid imaginations. If she was only Manic’s adopted daughter, then it would make sense for her to wish that she was his actual daughter. Still, though, how would she know the name of his demon? She doubted she had met the guy, and she didn’t think Manic would be very open about that, either. If she had known, then it would have been easy for her to tack her last name onto that first name, but still, Cordelia felt uneasy about this. Why did she have to go and ask?! Cordelia lifted a single hand and rubbed her forehead before pinching the bridge of her nose. Now because of this, she was going to have a headache from confusion and she was going to want to tell Manic. She wasn’t the most trustworthy person… but how could she betray Alaina like that? After everything the girl had done for her, it just wouldn’t have been right. As much as she felt like she might explode, she couldn’t tell Manic when Alaina had so plainly asked her not to.

“I mean, really. If it’s true, you can’t just keep it to yourself. That’s like lying.” Cordelia’s brows furrowed. For once, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to get involved in something. This was a messy family issue that involved digging up old wounds… it was bound to be something she wouldn’t be interested in. Seeing Manic hurt would be fun enough, she tried to convince herself, but it wasn’t really working since even right now she didn’t like seeing him hurt. Even if she might have actually had a reason to get wrapped up in this, she just wasn’t sure that she really wanted to.

“… That is that same picture, the resemblance to Manic is too much to be coincidental…The rest of the reasons are too complicated to explain, I’m sorry.”

Her eyes flicked down to the folded piece of paper. She tentatively picked it up, not knowing whether or not she should really look. Slowly, she unfolded it, taking as much time with it as she possibly could. She braced herself, almost cringing in anticipation, before she opened it up fully. Once she did so, she relaxed, only to have to put it down. This wasn’t right… this wasn’t right. “Alaina…” she sighed, uncertain of what to do. “I’ve already told you that you need to tell him, whether you do or not will be up to you and I can’t force you to do anything.” She folded the paper up and held it out for Alaina to take before raking a hand through her hair. “I don’t know what more you want me to say.”

She watched as Alaina cleaned Manic up. She would have offered to help, but she wasn’t about to touch him. She had touched him enough just by carrying him, and certainly didn’t need anymore of it. There was still that boundary pillow, anyway. Of course, it didn’t really apply to her, since she wasn’t the one who was extremely injured and could move around the room. Cordelia grinned inwardly at the thought of such hypocrisy. Oh, she had the potential to have so much fun with this.

It was then that she shrugged away all of her doubt and uncertainty and rested her chin in her hands, looking over to his jacket. “Maybe we should rip his jacket up. You know, to make bandages?” Cordelia wasn’t sure Alaina would find it as funny or devious as she did, but she wound up giggling quietly anyway. “I’d love to see the look on his face, wouldn’t you?”

“Then I’ll lie…” Was all the girl managed to say, looking up brief enough to grab the piece of paper the woman held out to her. The moment she tucked away the paper, an odd feeling struck her straight to the core; like a quake of fear that seemed to erupt across her body only then followed by a searing ring in her head. Whatever it was, all action would cease in her small frame, while her eyes stared blankly down at the sheets of the bed before dilating. Her breathing picked up in strained intakes and exhales, leaving her body to shiver with each. The words…She couldn’t place them, couldn’t formulate them, couldn’t answer them…

Dead…She had been dead, but when and how…? It didn’t make any sense to her and it was beginning to send her mind into an endless spiral of confusion. That was of course until the woman spoke up again to snap her out of her attempted reverie. Blinking a couple of times she would peer up at the woman, studying her with a raised brow and then glancing over to Manic’s jacket. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to tell her that it wouldn’t be a wise thing to do, no matter how bad Manic was hurt. Scoffing lightly at the thought, her lips would scrunch themselves up and off to the side of her face in dismayed thought, “You can do that then…I want no part of it. He’s not very fun when he’s angry…” Her voice seemed meek and subtle in its tone, but her eyes betrayed a different fiery emotion. An emotion of confliction, confusion, and frustration all rolled into one.

Deciding that remaining here wasn’t the best for her, considering the current circumstances, the girl simply bowed her head, “I’m going to see if I can’t find some things for him. Please, take care of him until I return.” With that the girl wandered to the door and left, not bothering to look back. What she really wanted to do was to get away from the situation she was placed in and try to clear out her mind. While she was doing that, maybe she would be able to find Manic something useful, but it would remain to be seen.

-----------

Swathed in blackness he stood, energy radiating around him in violent torrents that seemed to lift a good distance into the air before dissipating. No surroundings greeted his eyes; instead there was only blackness as far as he could see with no end in sight. Within an utterance of word or issuance of motion, color splashed around him, swirling and colliding in elegant radiance to begin its formulation of what could be considered scenery. Ruins stretched high into the air, jagged and broken in appearance. Not far off from where he was, gravestones rose like pillars from the earth, signaling death to who would witness. Just beyond that would raise a massive structure with spires and a small tower that would reach up towards the sky. From what he could tell it was nothing more than a broken down Cathedral.

Never wavering in his location at the center of the ruins, the red of his eyes would shift from left to right scanning each and every detail of the place. Just then a figured appeared merely a foot in front of him, causing his eyes to widen in shock. Out of sheer reaction, Manic took a couple steps back to distance the person from himself, “The hell…?” Was all he managed to croak out in response to the odd man standing in front of him. What made the situation even more peculiar was that the man wasn’t even facing him, but instead had his back to him. Blinking a couple of times, Manic’s eyes drifted to the right and the left flanks of the man trying to see if he could figure out what the man’s purpose for being here was. Finding nothing there, a simple sigh passed his lips, “Look you rag tag piece of garbage, if you want to try that game with me, I’ll just rip you apart limb by limb. No one ignores me, no one tries to surprise me, and no one even attempts to stand in my way…” Narrowing his eyes briefly during the length of his speech, they would only soften when the man’s have shot up over his shoulder in a “stop” like fashion.

Teeth slid across each other in an irritated fashion as he simply waited for the man to make an action, any action. The gull, the nerve of the man to simply disrespect him like that, what the hell did he really think he was anyway, a God? It was at that point in which he got his wish, because just as the man’s hand lowered two figures appeared in front of him, both female. Narrowing his eyes, Manic would try to decipher the faces, only to grow wide eyed in realization…Goosebumps shot up across his flesh and a fear began to rise up within his entity, freezing his body stiff. For the first time in a long time, the emotion he hated plagued his body without mercy, reducing him to nothing more than a bystander as the man began to turn. Eyes of glowing green, mask of steel, and breath of poison green…A true beast of a man, the only man that could make him look like a saint to a world of Angels.

After a period of time, Manic’s body was finally able to relax, but as it had another image appeared, this time directly in front of his face. Stepping back a couple of steps, Manic could only stare in dismay at the new image, only to recognize it as his Halfling appearance and it was at that instance he knew what was going on. But out of all the places, why here…This wasn’t the place it had taken place…It made no sense. Without delay the scenes would unfold, scenes that scarred him to the bone the very first time they happened and would do so every time he relived them in his head and now…Now…This was just too much. Muscles tensed and shook in an upswing of rage, power coursing through every fiber of his being, but before he could do anything three images feel one after the other and the first beings attention would draw to him.

Narrowing his eyes, Manic prepared himself for whatever it had in store for him. That was of course until a fifth and final image appeared this fray of confusion…Just at the opposite flank of the man that he was at. This one…Wasn’t quite recognizable at first until he studied it for a period of time. Cordelia…What the hell was she doing here, was she siding with this freak? It would all be answered within a short burst of action as the creature continued to stare at Manic, it would lift its left hand up in direction to that of Cord and a deep black energy would begin to formulate in his hand only to shortly after launch itself at that of Cordelia. It would make contact and explode into a small burst of flame and smoke and then nothing would follow after. No image, nothing…Just dissipating smoke.

Clenching his hands into fist, he would lurch forward in movement towards the creature in an attempt to strike it across the face. Just as his fist closed in to make contact it would simply pass through it effortlessly, sending him lumbering forward to the backward moving creature from the sheer momentum. It all happened but within a mere moment as Manic was first caught in the forehead with a palm, and then drilled into the temple by the palm of his other hand, sending him spiraling back into darkness once again….

-----

In a rush of breath and sweat, Manic’s form shot upwards to a sitting position, chest heaving all the while. Rapidly his eyes darted across his surroundings before dropping down to his hands which now resided in his lap. While he took the time to regain his composure, all adrenaline began to leave his body and slow dull ache of his body and the sting of his wounds soon became evident. Trying his best to push aside the pain, his eyes moved up from his hands and to a pair of legs that stretched the length of bed from where he sat. Turning his head slightly, his eyes peered back at the form of Cordelia, only to frown at the sight, “Now I know I’m in hell, you’re here…”

“Then I’ll lie…”

Cordelia fought the urge to roll her eyes. She had no problem lying, but she didn’t want Alaina to do that. She was such a sweet little girl; why would she want to do such a thing? Even if Manic didn’t deserve to have such a sweet daughter, he at least deserved to know that she was alive when she was supposed to have been deceased. She didn’t know how long Alaina was supposed to have been dead for, but it really didn’t matter. She knew Manic cared. She hated to admit that, considering Alaina shouldn’t have even been around him, but as much as she hated him she couldn’t let him be lied to like that. “Fine, lie,” she said with a sigh. “But lying isn’t very nice.” Cordelia nodded, trying not to chastise her since it wasn’t entirely her place to do so. She wouldn’t tell him, since that was up for Alaina to do, but she could at least urge her to do the right thing.

“You can do that then…I want no part of it. He’s not very fun when he’s angry…”

A slight pout came to Cordelia’s face when she heard Alaina say that. “Aww… you sure? You don’t have fun with him when he’s angry?” She bit her upper lip, trying not to laugh. She loved toying with Manic! It always proved to be entertaining, no matter how annoying he eventually became. The only time she hadn’t had fun toying with him had been when he took things a bit too far and blinded her, but aside from that, it was always fun. The two girls were different, though; it was good that Alaina didn’t find Manic fun when he was angry. “Oh well, suit yourself.” The vampire woman offered a smile. It was at that point that she finally realized the tone Alaina had been using and the look in her eyes, which immediately began to confuse her.

Just as she opened her mouth to ask if she was okay, she said that she was leaving to find stuff and to take care of Manic until she returned. Cordelia watched silently, mouth agape as Alaina left the room. She stared at the door before getting up, walking over to the door and peaking outside. The girl was already out of sight, though, and she wasn’t too keen on leaving Manic here alone. Sighing softly, Cordelia closed the door and walked back over to the bed. Surely Alaina would be fine on her own… after all; she was often alone in Norwood. She could take care of herself, couldn’t she? Cordelia sat down on her side of the bed, hoping she wasn’t making the wrong decision by allowing Alaina to wander off on her own. She was just a little girl… what if something happened to her while she was elsewhere?

She shook her head and reminded herself that this was an inn. It as a public place and there was bound to be a bunch of people. Even if some of those people were drunk and quite possibly scary, surely some were bound to be sober and… not scary. If anything happened, Alaina had a voice and could call for help. If Cordelia didn’t get there, then someone else would. It still didn’t sit right with her, but at least she wasn’t as worried as she had the potential to be. Besides, Alaina probably wouldn’t even be gone for too long. She was only leaving to get Manic whatever she thought he needed and then she would be back.

Deciding it would be best to wait patiently until either Alaina returned or Manic awoke, Cordelia simply stayed in place, lifting a hand to examine her nails. There was nothing else to do, really. However, after a few moments that became boring, and her eyes drifted over to look at Manic. He didn’t look so good, but maybe she was just overanalyzing it. She ‘hm’ed lightly and looked away, only to look right back in his direction when she felt the bed move as he sat up. Well, there went any idea of having some peace for a little while. He was up now, and he still didn’t look that good. He was panting and sweating, which caused Cordelia’s nose to wrinkle in disgust. She waited for a moment, simply to see if he would fall right back down and go back to sleep.

“Now I know I’m in hell, you’re here…”

A growl immediately came from deep in her throat when he spoke. She never got what she wanted, did she?! He couldn’t have just gone back to sleep. Sitting up was enough to prove that he was alive and that he was doing fine; he didn’t have to speak to confirm anything. “Yeah, you are in hell,” she agreed with a sneer. “You’ve got thirty seconds to pull yourself together because that’s all the time you have until you need to start explaining everything. Oh, and you’ve got thirty seconds to remember everything, too, in case whatever happened somehow ruined your memory, otherwise I’m going to start screaming.” With that said, Cordelia swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, huffing angrily as she did so. She stood there, looking down at Manic, a frown etched onto her face.

“Oh, by the way, a ‘thank you’ would have sufficed! I saved your sorry ass when I didn’t have to!” Her voice raised in volume. It seemed that she wasn’t going to wait the full thirty seconds before she started screaming. “You jackass, I helped you and then I saved you and Alaina, and I don’t even get any appreciation! Do you know how worried we were?! Do you know how bad she felt with you pulling a stunt like that?! You owe both of us an apology and dammit, you better make up for this! Ugh, you know, just go back to sleep! I don’t want to talk to you, so how about you try to be selfless for once and rest so I don’t have to talk to you, and how about you don’t wake up until you change that little attitude of yours? I know it’s not possible for you to think about anyone else but please, try and do it just once!” Again Cordelia huffed, throwing her arms down to her sides, not moving her gaze away from Manic once throughout her little rant.

A light frown traced the outline of his lips at the sheer action of her opening her mouth. Why did she have to insist on talking, especially about stuff she knew nothing about? Shaking his head slowly at the sight before him, all of his attention would quickly shift from her and down to his hands; studying the normal one first and then the blackened one, pondering why such a thing would happen. Perhaps it was a side effect to the influx of power he received during the fight, or maybe it was the demon deep within him, or perhaps he did something reckless that caused the infliction to his flesh. Whatever the reason, he was pretty certain that the latter was probably the most reasonable.

“Oh, by the way, a ‘thank you’ would have sufficed! I saved your sorry ass when I didn’t have to!”

At those words…Those very words, a look of distaste splashed over his countenance. Clenching his jaw at the sound of her words, his head would slowly cock itself off to the side. Did she really want to play this game…? Even hurt she still stood little chance against him…It was a foolish thing to challenge him, such a foolish thing. As her words continued, the anger began to rise within him, irritation evident upon his every feature, until he finally slammed his hands flat upon the bed and pushed himself roughly off the side of the bed and upon his feet. Turning slowly, he would face her with a domineering stance as each muscle seemed tensed and flexed in appearance, “I never asked you to save me, I never asked for your help, and I don’t believe I asked you to save Alaina. Afterwards, I remember clearly asking you that, but if you hadn’t have stuck your nose in my business to begin with, I would have never asked that request of you! You stand here; you chastise me and patronize me for what purpose? To show you’re a cold undiscerning prick of a woman? Congratulations, you’ve accomplished your goal now you can die happy. Oh wait, you can’t be happy…I forgot.” The scowl that set itself across his face was only followed with a light scoff as he turned and moved towards the chair where his jacket was.

Removing it from the back of the chair, he would swing it up and over his shoulders where he would slip one arm in and then the other in smooth elegance. Afterwards, a sharp pain jolted through his frame, causing him to wince in response, but it would be quickly brushed away. Now wasn’t a time for weakness…Especially with this woman in his presence. Deciding not to look at her any further, all attention would delve down upon the skull on the seat of the chair. Lowering a hand down to it, both his thumb and ring finger would slip into the eye sockets of it, while the middle and the other rested upon the forehead of it. Lifting it up to his face, his eyes would study it carefully, absorbing each and every bit of detail in it, “You hate me so bad, woman…You claim you despise me, you wish to kill me. Your chance has passed…You could have lied to Alaina, ignored my vulnerability and let the sweet release of death to take my tortured soul to the pits of the abyss, but yet I’m here…With you, alive. You’re like one walking and talking contradiction and that cold and dark act is getting a tad cliché’ don’t you think?” No emotions played upon his face during the entirety of his speech and not once did his gaze lift or hinder itself from viewing the skull.


“I believe the Ice Queen has melted and evaporated, because now you’re just plain ole delusional. Who the hell do you think you are to stand here and demand my thanks?” With those words his eyes would lift and his torso would turn to shift all attention upon her, “Who the hell do you believe you are…!? I’ve spared your life; I gave you breath when I should have stolen it. I recuperated your existence with my own hands and I never heard one word of praise from you. To expect the same from me? You’re just asking for hell to freeze over woman and trust me the fires are burning hotter than ever now. That’s twice now I have brought you to the bridge of death and damned near pushed your across it or thrown you from it, but I didn’t and restored what little existence you lead. I was hoping those beatings would serve as lessons to not open your mouth so vividly when you know nothing of your enemy and hold nothing of direct strength to combat what the opponent may hold. Apparently you can’t teach a mentally challenged dog new tricks, so why you don’t you get lost woman. We’re even and nothing more, nothing less. Kaiden will be left alone in exchange for Alaina’s safety and our vendetta against each other will be quelled, there’s nothing keeping you here now, so leave.” Just as the last words left his lips, his body would turn back to the chair where his eyes would pick up where they left off upon the skull. All the while curious to see what she’ll end up doing.

Cordelia paid little attention to his anger and irritation. It meant nothing to her, absolutely nothing. He wasn’t the only one who was irritated and fed up. She was so completely sick of the way he acted, so completely sick of everything he did, so completely sick of his arrogant attitude… and she knew that the minute he hit the bed with his hands that he was getting ready to throw everything she said right back in her face. He always did that; he never listened to her, never gave her an ounce of respect. She didn’t know what the hell his problem was, and she didn’t even want to think about it. If she thought about it, she would surely end up hurting herself, simply because Manic was such an idiot and nothing he did made sense.

“… I would have never asked that request of you! You stand here; you chastise me and patronize me for what purpose? To show you’re a cold undiscerning prick of a woman? Congratulations, you’ve accomplished your goal now you can die happy. Oh wait, you can’t be happy…I forgot.”

The woman simply started laughing. He defended himself with things that didn’t even make sense! She was supposed to be the hypocrite, she was the one that everyone said was a walking contradiction, and yet there Manic was, pulling the same things. She could feel her stomach twist into a knot, her skin becoming a little bit warmer than usual because of how intensely her blood was beginning to boil. She should have expected this. In fact, she really did expect it, but every time these arguments happened she couldn’t stop herself from getting riled up. “That is bull and you know it!” she yelled. “Everything you say is a complete lie! If I hadn’t stuck my nose in your business, as you put it, you and Alaina would both be dead! They would have ripped the both of you apart and you wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it! You should be grateful to me and just comply for once! What the hell happened to that little t-t-t-t-trust thing?!” Cordelia took a brief pause, simply to take in another breath and laugh again. The stutter had been intentional and it was obvious. He was such an idiot for trusting her, but at least she hadn’t disappointed him. She was such a fool to think that he could even ever appreciate that. She shook her head; they weren’t even done and this was already humorous and completely ridiculous, despite how necessary it was. “Oh, yeah, how old are you? That whole ‘I forgot’ thing is seriously old. Nice way to show how mature and big and bad you are.” Cordelia threw out her hand and gave him a sarcastic thumb up, then rolled her eyes and threw both of her hands on her hips.

“… You claim you despise me, you wish to kill me. Your chance has passed…You could have lied to Alaina… the sweet release of death to take my tortured soul to the pits of the abyss, but yet I’m here…With you, alive. You’re like one walking and talking contradiction and that cold and dark act is getting a tad cliché don’t you think?”

Cordelia’s eyes never looked away from him and followed each and every movement he made. She knew what he was doing, but she wasn’t really absorbing it. Seconds after he put the jacket on she didn’t really remember him doing that and honestly didn’t care. The only regret she had was not shredding that thing when she had the chance to do so. She should have left the jacket out near the ruins for some animal to tear up and use for its own purposes or for someone else to take. Once again, she had done something nice for him and he completely took advantage of it and didn’t care at all. Didn’t he understand how hard it was for her to try and do that? Didn’t he understand how absolutely difficult this was, how rare it was for her to care? Who was she kidding… of course he didn’t. Manic only cared about himself and his petty little clothes, the sick little pansy. He didn’t even care about Alaina! “I’m not sorry for letting you live,” she said, her words coming slow at first, but that would end as soon as she opened her mouth again. “I don’t lie to children, and she cares so much for you – I don’t know why, considering what an absolute cur you are – I actually have a bit of a conscious and wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I could have saved her tears over you. She called you her father, does that mean nothing to you?! She loves you, and yet here you are, using that and not caring at all! I should have let you rot… she’s so sweet and doesn’t deserve to be with you! She deserves someone a lot better as a parental figure. I didn’t save you because I wanted you alive, I saved you because she wants you and needs you. She needs you, and you don’t care! I swear, you’d better shape up and act like a father – which includes NOT leaving her in Norwood by herself – or you’re going to lose her again and I won’t be there again to save the both of you! And when that happens, you’re going to wish you listened to me!”

Cordelia didn’t even know why she was trying. He needed to hear this, but there was a difference between hearing something and actually listening. He wasn’t going to listen to her, she already knew. Manic would never change, never allow anyone in, never think of anyone but himself. “Oh, I’m the one with the cold and dark act, yes, I’m the contradiction. Look in a mirror, Manic. I’ll say what you’ve said so many times before – we’re not that different.” Every single word was hissed, every single word held an acidic tone. There was no mercy in her voice. She didn’t tolerate this from anybody and there were no exceptions, especially for Manic.

Finally, she threw her head back to look at the ceiling, laughing harder than she had earlier in the conversation when he called her delusional. She was so sick of this, so frustrated with him, and just couldn’t believe he was talking to her like this! “I’m the delusional one?! Sorry hun, but I don’t go around kissing people I seemingly hate, unlike you!” Oh, the kiss. She hadn’t even gotten started on that. Cordelia bit the inside of her lip and stared at him, a burning look to her eyes as she listened to every word he said. He really thought that he was a god… even after that beating he took; he still believed he was just as powerful as he had always been and he hadn’t even been knocked off his ugly steed.

“I should thank you?! I should thank you for blinding me, for threatening my son, for violating me?! I think not! I asked something very reasonable from you! I don’t thank people who try to kill me, and in case you forgot, I never tried to kill you! Yeah, there was the time I tried to rise against you, but I have never once laid a hand on you and yet look at all the times you’ve done it to me! You think I’m going to thank you for hurting me, burning me, trying to kill me?! Now that, Manic, is asking for hell to freeze over. All I wanted was a thank you for finding it in my heart to save you and keep you alive and that isn’t wrong.” Cordelia knew she wasn’t wrong. If he had just said thanks, that he appreciated it, then this wouldn’t have even happened. They wouldn’t be standing there, yelling at each other, trying to prove who the better person was. “Why are you so difficult?” Unlike everything else she said, the question came out in a wondering whisper. Cordelia wasn’t even sure it was directed at him, but she had said it and it was loud enough for him to hear. If anything, it was more fuel to the fire and more for her to use against him. “In your own words, you’d think a beating would serve as a lesson.”

“Don’t you even drag the children into this,” she snapped when he mentioned Kaiden and Alaina. “This isn’t between them, don’t you use them as negotiating tactics.” She wouldn’t stand for it. Manic would probably have no problems hurting either of the kids, but Cordelia wouldn’t dare lift a finger to either of them. She wouldn’t kill Alaina for revenge on Manic. That was low, so very low, especially since she actually liked the little girl. “I swear, I hope you aren’t threatening my son again. Apparently you don’t know how much he likes you, too, again for reasons I’ll never understand.” Cordelia threw her arms up into the air, unable to comprehend it and not going to try. Children shouldn’t like this man… they should have been terrified of him! Manic was a monster! The last time she checked, children were supposed to be afraid of monsters.

“… there’s nothing keeping you here now, so leave.”

That was it. That was absolutely, completely, utterly, it. Cordelia walked toward him, hands on her hips, until she was about two feet away from him. She stopped there, chest heaving because of how insanely infuriated she was. “Hell no am I leaving. We’re not done here,” she said, her tone dangerous, low, and almost forced. “We’re not done until I say we’re done. Before I even think about leaving, you need to explain why the hell you kissed me. Yeah, I know, it’s a sickening thought, isn’t it? I saved you, I helped you, and then you pull that?! I know you’re insane, and I know you were probably delusional, but I still deserve to know why, especially when you hate me just as much as I hate you! I have never done something so incredibly stupid or violating to you! Are you really that sick and twisted…?” Cordelia took a tiny step back then, impatiently awaiting answers.

“Trust…? Did I really say that, because I must have really been out of my mind to have said that to begin with, but that’s not the point. The point is that if you hadn’t stuck your nose in my business, I still would have managed a way to come out on top, I always do. And if you would have sided against me, then it would be a costly and deadly mistake to have made, so I was fairly confident that you wouldn’t try to carry on your little vendetta with me while my attention was elsewhere. A pure act of cowardice it would have been…” All of his words nonchalant and matter-of-factly in their tone, but his eyes would seemingly never leave the skull in his hands. That was of course until he placed it back down upon the chair gently and proceeded to turn to face the woman.

“Do you just not understand sarcasm or are you too dense and ignorant to comprehend it? And if you must know, I am roughly around 200 years old, give or take a century or two. Sooo, given that, I should have all rights to use the I forgot excuse, sweet heart.” When the words left his lip, Manic would offer her a wink before grinning sheepishly. Oh how he loved torturing her, to get what blood she had boiling, and to bring that conflictive personality to the surface. And then…It was all wiped from his face within the utterance of a small rant. A rant that would bring his eyes to narrow and face to scowl in response. How dare she, how dare she stand here and litter this room with her filth. Clenching his teeth tightly, a low key growl would usher forth from them, “I’m sorry for letting you live…”

Father figure…The words echoed in his head, sparking a couple images that seemed to raise the intensity of his voice, “I play Father to no one…Those days are buried in the ground with the one’s I only and truly cared about. I’m a heartless shell of a man, a tyrant of a beast, and a creature of death and destruction; I bear no care to anyone or anything. If the child believes me to be her Father, then perhaps she should re-think herself. I will not sit here and listen to you slander on about how I should act Fatherly to a kid that’s not mine. I didn’t ask her to accompany me, I never asked for her to treat me nicely, and I never asked to be her Father…Get that through your skull and shut that hole you call a mouth, I’m tired of hearing you speak, especially about something you don’t know anything about.” Again silence befell betwixt the two of them, lingering for a period of time until she proceeded to speak again, at which point he simply continued his emotionless stare while he listened.

“I never stated I wasn’t contradictory in my own means. More so in my actions than in my words, where as you’re different.” Pausing momentarily, Manic would roll his eyes in response to the woman’s stab at his early action in his weakened state. It was to figure that she was going to bring that stupid little thing up again, but it was something he had been contemplating from the second she opened her mouth to speak. But before he could launch his rebuttal to what she said, she would yet again begin to speak and a simple sigh of annoyance would leave his lips. Once her words would come to a halt, his voice would pick up sharply in its wake, “The same could be said for you Cordelia. A beating would normally silence that little mouth of yours, but you don’t seem to have learned a thing, so don’t talk to me about learning lessons. Now, as for violating you, I chalk that up to the inability to contain the erratic state of my mind. I would never in my right mind lay lips to yours, even if it were to spite you. You’re quite revolting, especially with the garbage that’s constantly spewed from those very same lips. As for Kaiden, it wasn’t a threat by mine and it was a loosely made one. It was to keep you out of my hair at least for a little while. You can get quite sickening; try listening to yourself for about an hour, I’m sure you’ll go nuts. As for me thanking you…I do believe Alaina had done you a service of gratitude from what I’ve heard. That in itself should cancel out what you did for her. I never asked to be saved, I asked for her to be saved, not once did I mention anything about myself…”

Speaking again…that’s all she did was speak, endlessly and repeatedly. Couldn’t she do anything other than simply just talk…Like perhaps act like a woman or at least hold some sort of respectability or integrity? That was until she pulled a move that caused his eyes to soften at the action. At least she had a spine and wasn’t afraid to get in his face, it was something he admired about her. Whether she would know why he truly kissed her or not really didn’t matter, but if she couldn’t figure it out on her own then perhaps she was as dense as he truly thought. What other possibility would propel someone to do something so off the wall anyway? When she took a step back a smug malicious grin slid across his slender lips as he took a step towards her and leaned forward to bring his face mere inches from hers. Peering into her fiery eyes, a soft laughter would part his lips, “Oh baby…Your lips were just sooo inviting, they screamed to kiss you.” The laughter seemed to only grow with finishing of his sentence, before fading out into silence.

Bit by bit his demeanor darkened into a sadistic look, while his voice would pick up in a malignant tone, “I’m messed in the head, my heart is a broken hole, and I don’t care about anyone or anything but me. At least that’s how you’ve all painted me, right? Amusing…Truly amusing that you don’t even care to even try and ask me civilized questions to get to know me, but instead claim me nothing less than a beast. If you want a beast, that’s what you’ll get…I can be a true monster, sick and sadistic to the core. Do you really wish to sit here and challenge me?”

There he was, making excuses again! Why couldn’t he just accept the fact that he had said he trusted her and he couldn’t take it back? She didn’t care whether he trusted her or not – it wasn’t really something to be ashamed of and it hardly mattered to her – but she would have liked to have the explanation she deserved. A loud, drawn out sigh of exasperation came out of her when he brought up the fact that he could have made it out on his own. The words, paired with that tone, were driving her crazy. “Does your pride mean that much to you?!” she yelled. “Dammit, you know you wouldn’t have made it without me! You know that if it hadn’t been for me, you would have had to fight Gharik, and you wouldn’t have been able to! You went unconscious as soon as I walked out that door, you couldn’t have stopped that! Just shut the hell up and accept that I’m right, because we both know that I am!” If he didn’t want to damage his ego, he could have at least remained silent so that she didn’t have to waste her voice on a subject like this. “Come out on top, yeah right… you are delusional.”

“… I am roughly around 200 years old, give or take a century or two. Sooo, given that, I should have all rights to use the I forgot excuse, sweet heart.”

Cordelia snorted loudly, rejecting that statement completely. “Oh, you’re that old? Well, then you should know better, shouldn’t you? You certainly don’t act your age.” Two hundred… one would have thought he could act like a grown man by that age. One would have thought that he wouldn’t be picking fights with young, pesky little vampires, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Upon seeing him wink and grin like that, Cordelia couldn’t help but snarl and hiss. What the hell did he think he was doing?! This wasn’t a time for games! Of course he would think it was, since he couldn’t take anything seriously and just couldn’t listen to anyone. She wished there was a way, some way, any way to get through to him, but apparently there wasn’t. Manic was going to be this way forever, so really, what was the point? Finally though his jaw clenched and he growled, which made Cordelia’s lips pull upwards in a small smirk. Maybe, at long last, something she said was going through that thick skull of his.

It was a good thing she hadn’t gotten her hopes up. Cordelia rolled her eyes when he started talking about how he was a father to no one, about how the only people he cared about were buried deep in the ground. She was so sick of how melodramatic he was. If he was as old as he said he was, those wounds should have been healed up by now. They were two people, and it was his own fault they were dead. He needed to stop pitying himself, because enough was really enough. “Do you know what it’s like listening to you?” she asked, but continued without waiting for an answer. “Here’s a thought: maybe if you hadn’t friggin’ murdered them, they’d still be alive! If you cared about them so much, then you shouldn’t have hurt them! Clearly they didn’t mean that much to you if you could just go on ahead and do that! You keep going on and on about how they’re buried in the ground and how they were the only ones… well dammit, get over it, because if it weren’t for you they might be alive, and they aren’t coming back!” She paused, simply to gather what she was going to say next. “You keep saying Alaina isn’t your daughter… it pisses me off… don’t you think you owe it to your real daughter to try and act like a father to someone?! Don’t you think you owe it to the people you really loved to try?! Who knows, maybe you’ll actually discover you have a heart and you’ll be able to feel something! Maybe you should just pretend that you like her, just to think about someone else’s wellbeing for once! You want her to be safe, then turn around and say you don’t give a damn about her! Is it even possible for a person to be as selfish and hypocritical as you are? Selfish enough to whine and then waste your chances? You stand here and tell me not to talk about things I know nothing about… maybe you’re the one who should shut the hell up for once and listen to someone else!” Alaina should have told him. Alaina should have sucked up her courage and just told him that she was his daughter. Maybe then he would at least have an inkling about how life works, because as of right now, he didn’t even have a clue. She wanted to tell him desperately, but as of right now, it wasn’t her place. If worse came to worse, then she would, but not right now. “What a disappointment, what a shame you are… you claim to be two hundred years old and yet you still act like a scared little boy… grow up.”

Cordelia almost felt dizzy after how much yelling she had done. She lifted a hand to her head and rubbed her temple before momentarily closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. This was getting so old. Every time one of them said something the other didn’t like, this happened, and really she was getting tired of it. Why couldn’t he just act accordingly around her? He was so old and yet he had never learned when it was best to submit to others. Granted, Cordelia had yet to learn that lesson as well, but she wasn’t the one to blame right here. As soon as he started his longwinded speech, Cordelia’s eyes slowly opened and she stared at him, wanting to scream. The dizziness was gone, but now she had the urge to claw out his eyes. It was an understandable urge, she supposed, but right now she had to try and just rip him apart with words, however less satisfying that would be. “Let me tell you something, hun, you’re just as disgusting,” she told him, having no problem with it. “You’re worse, even; I can’t believe I haven’t thrown up yet from what you did to me! There’s no excuse…”

“I don’t care if it was a loosely made threat or not, you don’t threaten my son, is that clear? You don’t bring him into arguments between us, not when he likes you so damn much. He’s a little kid, you expect him to know better? I know you’re low enough to hurt kids but don’t you ever even think about doing it again.” Cordelia was so done with him threatening Kaiden. He had killed his own daughter, even if technically now she was alive and that kind of cancelled it out; hadn’t he already killed enough children? Manic proceeded to mention, once again, why he didn’t need to thank her. Cordelia’s hands moved up to her hair and she pulled at it, just enough so that it would hurt. “I didn’t ask Alaina to thank me! How stupid are you?! I asked you to thank me! It doesn’t matter if you asked me to or not! The fact that I did when you didn’t tell me to just makes it even nicer and you should be even more grateful, but you’re not! Because you’re a selfish, arrogant, egotistical, cocky, sadistic, bastard! Just apologize to me and thank me, and we won’t even have to continue this! Be the better person!” There was no way he would ever be the better person between the two of them, but perhaps saying that would be enough of a bribe to get him to just bow down and out of this argument.

“Oh baby…Your lips were just sooo inviting, they screamed to kiss you.”

While the sudden closeness was extremely uncomfortable, Cordelia didn’t back away or move at all, deciding to stand her ground. If she backed away, then he would be certain of how uneasy she was and how unpleasant she felt. Cordelia stared into his eyes, a defiant look on her face. She couldn’t even believe he had just said that… she should have known he would go that low. He was just squirming in joy on the inside, wasn’t he? Cordelia’s fist clenched at her side before her fingers came out straight, pressed tightly together. She lifted her arm back and brought it forward to slap him right across the face, using every ounce of strength in her body to do so. After saying that, he deserved to be slapped. She didn’t even know, nor did she care, if it hit or not, just as long as he knew that she wasn’t afraid to hurt him.

“… you don’t even care to even try and ask me civilized questions to get to know me, but instead claim me nothing less than a beast. If you want a beast, that’s what you’ll get…I can be a true monster, sick and sadistic to the core. Do you really wish to sit here and challenge me?”

She had already been pushed over the edge. Really, continuing to talk to her like that wasn’t such a good idea. “I don’t need to ask questions to ‘get to know you’, as you put it… you’re so very easy to read…” she growled. “You don’t have to tell me, of all people, how sadistic and twisted you can be. In case you forgot, you friggin’ blinded me, burned me, repeatedly hurt me and took advantage of – oh now who could it be… oh, yeah – me! I have every right to stand here and challenge you! I have every right to stand here and tell you exactly what I think, every right to get in your face and make sure you know how much I hate you and how much I wish you would just learn!” Now that she was done, Cordelia gathered some saliva in her mouth, and then spat it at him. It was awfully disrespectful, and she knew that; that was the very reason she had done it.

She finally crossed the line, holding no regard to it or its limits. On top of that she continued to drive and drive her words into him and then followed that up with an action that would cock his head off to the side. No emotion belied his features, but the burning red glow of his eyes picked up and his lips slowly began to curl into a snarl. She had the mordacity…The gull to do that sort of thing, to hit that low and to try and drive that stake deeper into him. Anger shook his frame, muscles tensing, eyes flaring as they stared coldly into her own. Absentmindedly a hand would lift to his face, placing itself on the place where her hand had made contact, only to move slightly over where she tried to spit on him. Dropping his hand back to his side, it would wipe itself off on his pants.

So many thoughts, so many emotions littered his rampart mind, but none of them would well their way up to the surface, but instead remain quelled deep bellow the surface. No matter what he wanted to do, no matter the choices he was left to make, the body would not allow him to follow through with it. Besides, what mana was left within his body wouldn’t allow him but a second’s usage and it would be gone just like before. So instead of doing anything directed to the woman, Manic would turn to grab the skull and moved to the doorway. Pausing a couple feet shy of it, he would suck in a deep breath of air trying to brace his body for the pain that would follow his next action and prepare his muscles. In one sharp and crisp movement, Manic grunted in a forward rush to bring his right foot up and barreling flat into the door right about the door knob. With a loud crack and a shower of splinters, the door snapped completely off of its hinges and came to the ground in a clatter in his wake. As he moved through the threshold, he would immediately veer off to the right.

From there he would move down the stairs and into the main room of the building where eyes seemed to paste themselves to him. A deep set growl would quickly drive the attention away from him, signaling that now wasn’t a time to mess with him. Satisfied at the results, Manic would proceed out the main door, exiting it in almost identical manner to the one in the room, only this time the door didn’t fall off and simply swung out to clatter against the side of the building. Oh how he wished that he wasn’t in the condition he was at, otherwise Cord would have paid the ultimate price then and there. It was at that thought, that all of his realization fell back upon his injuries, which were now becoming greatly evident in their searing rush of pain. Doubling over, Manic’s right hand would support his frame by placing itself to his knee, but the other would end up releasing the skull before following the same action. Slowly his eyes would close and his body would begin to relax until a convulsion rocked his body in the form of a dry heave. Perhaps he had over done things just a little bit, only a little though…

After a couple of convulsions a trickle of blood seemed to escape his lips, which would be simply wiped aside with a straying hand. Drawing in a deep breath, Manic would re-right his stance before speaking softly to himself in a growl, “She’s dead…They’re all dead, every single one of them…I will burn this world to the ground and stand upon the ashes.” Gnashing his teeth together, his thoughts would drift over every word she said to play it over and over in his head. Annihilation will be her savior…If she thought he was a monster before, she was wrongly mistaken. Pain, agony, and fire would rein their hell down upon her once he was better, she would beg and beg for the sweet release of death. In fact, she would witness pain at its most extreme….She would know HIS pain, she would know what it felt like to have something ripped straight from you without being able to do a thing about it. Granted it was his body that killed his family, but it was not his spirit, but instead the demonic hellion residing beneath his flesh.

Kaiden was an obstacle, just like everyone else. He needed no one now, needed nothing, only the solace of destruction and reining any form of hell down upon those that crossed his way. Cordelia Brooks was that woman…Time after time he offered her a chance, offered her something he wasn’t willing to offer anyone else, but it was shot down by betrayal before it even started. Countless times the woman had used his family to strike back at him, to try and deliver that low blow. What kind of mercy should he spare that wretch of a woman!? None, that’s what kind…There was no need to keep bringing up his family…Not even being the monster he was, would he ever involve family. Which was what made Kaiden a different case, since there was no relation between the two other than god knows what, but it was far from blood relation.

Narrowing his now blood red glowing eyes, they would peer off into the distance aimlessly, while his mind continued to jog over her words. Again his body began to shake with a sudden rage and in one smooth movement of strength; Manic’s arms would swing off to his flanks flexing to max proportions, as did the rest of his body, “CORDELIA BROOKS, I stake claim to your death, you and that little rat of a child! You’re both dead and anyone else that decides to stand in my way will suffer the same! If you believe this a joke, then you’re sadly mistaken! The city of Balefire is where I’m heading, join me woman and you’ll witness a tyrant!” Chest heaving from the outburst, each of his muscles would slowly and steadily begin to relax themselves, biding what time it would took to regain his composure. Most certainly she would have heard him out here and if she didn’t, it wouldn’t really matter in the least. After waiting a couple of moments, Manic would begin down the stairs and pick up the skull at the base of them, before moving on a couple of feet. Out of sheer intention, Manic kept a slow and methodical pace, hoping and begging that she would catch up to him. Whatever she would try doing wouldn’t save herself now, the fates were sealed and the names were written within the pages of death, but it would at least serve as mild interest to see what she would do.

Cordelia stood her ground, watching his snarl, seeing the anger in his eyes. She was proud of herself, really. She had sent him over the edge so many times… every time they argued like this she wound up winning. Physically she didn’t stand a chance against him, but she was good with words. She took a deep breath, a defiant look on her face as she watched him, smug inside. Knowing him, he would probably lash out somehow or try to bring her down. That would have been under normal circumstances, however, and this was nothing normal. Manic most likely didn’t have the strength to do anything to her, whether it be with his fists or with magic. A soft, hum of a laugh passed through her closed mouth and she lifted her hands, folding them at her collar bone. What a glorious day this had been! The king of kings, the lord of lords, had been beaten to the point of unconsciousness and as soon as he awoke had been beaten to the point of anger. Not to mention slapping him – oh, that had felt good. It had felt so amazing to let that built up rage out of her, even if it was with one simple action. After everything he had done to her, she had every right to get in one little hit. There was absolutely nothing here for her to be ashamed of.

Her eyebrows lifted when he turned his back to her and went to the door. She knew he probably didn’t have the strength to do anything to her, but she hadn’t expected him to turn his back to her, to not even face her. What happened to that pride he flaunted? Her hands lowered and her arms folded over her chest, eyes studying his frame intensely. Cordelia couldn’t stop herself from blinking in shock when Manic kicked down the door and left. He was leaving?! Without saying a word, he had just walked out that door. He didn’t even have the courage to reply to her… so that must have meant that he knew she was right. Cordelia’s arms slid down, thumbs catching on her pockets as she looked at the broken down door. He couldn’t leave in peace, could he… he just had to go and create a mess. Well, it wasn’t like it mattered. She wasn’t paying for repairs.

Still, though, as much as she relished in his anguish and agony, Cordelia thought she almost felt a bit of pain in her chest. It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling; she had felt it in the past, and quite frankly she was a little bit surprised to be feeling it right now. She had only spoken the truth, only said what Manic needed to hear, only done what was necessary, and didn’t believe she was wrong at all. If that was the case, though, then why was she feeling guilty…? She shouldn’t have been feeling even the slightest trace of remorse for her actions, especially not after everything he had done to her. Cordelia had been well within her rights with everything that she had said! He constantly belittled her, tried to twist her around in his hands, used her, popped the personal bubble, and to top it all off he had burned and blinded her. Surely he deserved to have his past and all of his words thrown into his face. All she had asked for was a little bit gratitude… surely it wasn’t that difficult to show!

Oh, who was she kidding? Of course it was difficult for him to show any emotion other than hate. He was just as stubborn as she was and just as unbreakable… she admired that. Cordelia lifted her left hand, cupping her chin and resting her fingers over her mouth and the tip of her nose. The woman sighed and closed her eyes, wondering if she should follow him or give him time to cool off. It seemed to her like his little bouts of anger never lasted so long, as long as he had someone to blame or take it out on. Maybe once he calmed down she could try to be a bit more civilized. After all, he had walked out of the room without saying a single, solitary word to her! While it almost seemed cowardly, it just showed how harsh her words had really been. Surely, if her words had been so cruel, he knew she was right. The truth was always brutal. He had gotten her worked up, though… he had been the one to get her started, saying it was hell with her around and then proceeding to outright argue with her. When it all came down to it, this was all his fault.

There was that pang of guilt again. She was a grown woman and couldn’t even accept responsibility for her own actions. Manic was partly to blame, but certainly not entirely. Some of the fault rested on her own shoulders for not keeping her mouth shut and for completely acting against herself. It was so hard to be kind to him, though… she liked to get him worked up and she enjoyed their arguments, even if she got frustrated. Pushing him over the edge was still an accomplishment, but that didn’t exactly mean that she liked what he did when he was pushed. “Crap…” she muttered, holding her face in both of her hands for a moment before running her fingers through her hair, still unsure of what she should do. An apology was in order, that much she knew, but she still didn’t know whether or not she had to go after him.

“CORDELIA BROOKS, I stake claim to your death, you and that little rat of a child! You’re both dead and anyone else that decides to stand in my way will suffer the same! If you believe this a joke, then you’re sadly mistaken! The city of Balefire is where I’m heading, join me woman and you’ll witness a tyrant!”

Oh, by the gods. Cordelia’s eyes went wide, every emotion inside of her quickly morphing into anxiety and fear. He wasn’t… he wasn’t really dragging Kaiden into this, was he? He wouldn’t go to Balefire just to hurt him… no… no, that didn’t make sense! Cordelia felt her mouth become dry as she remembered what he said about it being a loose threat to keep her out of his hair. She had believed that, and she was quick to believe this as well. It did make sense… Manic wouldn’t stop until she and everything she cared about was destroyed. Without a second thought, Cordelia ran from the room and down the stairs. Kaiden wasn’t going to suffer because of her judgments. It was unfair, completely and totally unfair and she couldn’t allow it to happen. She would die before she ever let Kaiden suffer because of her.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, she flew to the open door of the inn, not bothering to notice that people were staring. There were far more important matters at hand. She bolted out the door, quickly having to come to a halt because she hadn’t realized how close Manic was. She had thought that by the time she got there he would have been long gone, but there he was, taking slow strides. Dammit… he had done it on purpose, hadn’t he? It didn’t matter, really; as long as he stayed away from Balefire and from her son, then that was fine.

“Like hell you’re going to Balefire, Manic!” she yelled, her voice cracking. She slammed the door shut so that no one would have to bear witness to this, even though a few witnesses might have been good if he tried to hurt her again. “Oh, no, we’re finishing this here – you and me, not involving Kaiden or Alaina, just us!” Her voice was filled with more defensive rage than she had intended, and she stopped for a few seconds to try and calm herself down. She still felt guilty, but if he was going to manipulate her into apologizing by threatening her than there was really no reason. She was good and ready to say she was sorry without being forced, as uncharacteristic as that seemed. Cordelia swallowed, her eyes darting around until they went to the ground, her chest heaving with each breath she took. The right words… how was she supposed to find the right words, the words that wouldn’t make him even angrier or provoke him any further? She was good with hurtful words, but not really with gentle, genuine ones.

Her eyes slowly moved up to look at him again and she bit on her lower lip. There was no time to waste. His patience clearly had already been depleted and stalling wouldn’t help her any. “Manic, I crossed the line, okay?” Cordelia had to stop. The words didn’t hurt to say, but they were still difficult. She had done this before the last time they were here, albeit this time she was being more sincere. He was the only person that had really ever gotten her to submit, even if it was for a brief period of time. “Please, don’t get Kaiden involved. Hurt me all you want… slap me, punch me, kick me, burn me, or blind me again, I don’t care. You’ve been through enough today and it wasn’t right for me to start anything else.” Oh, that was a lie. Cordelia knew he started it, but it was probably best to say what he probably wanted her to say right now. “So I’m… s-sorry, okay?”

She waited a moment, just to let the words sink in for the both of them. She felt so weak, apologizing and standing here like this… she hated it, but she had no other choice; not if she wanted Kaiden to be safe. “You can be as pissed off as you want, I don’t care, you can still want to kill me and him, but dammit, I’m asking you nicely not to hurt him! I already told you, you can do whatever you want to me, despite the fact that I’ve already apologized and for once I actually mean it. I’m being civilized, just like you mentioned! I’ll friggin’ beg and grovel if I have to if that’s what it’s going to take to get through to you!” She figured it was reasonable, that it was logical, but she kept in mind this was Manic she was speaking to. The man was anything but logical and she knew he was probably going to shoot down every last word she had just said. Cordelia probably seemed fickle right now but she was used to appearing that way. If he decided that he didn’t want to hear her out and still wanted to go to Balefire, then there would be no more pleading. This was the only time she was going to apologize and try to make a deal, and if he didn’t want to listen, then she didn’t have a single problem with fighting him. The anger was still there, even if for now it had died, and she had no problem allowing it to resurface if it was necessary.

Just as predicted the woman chased after in his wake, but the first words to leave her lips only fueled his drive to continue forward. That of course was all changed with the following words she spoke. They seemed genuine for the first time in her life and it was enough to cause him to falter in his steps. There would be no way he was about to face her though, especially if she was about to say something that would remain questionable in his mind. Nothing would stop him should those words utter from her lips and there would be nothing she could. Stone skin would negate anything she could do physically and gaseous form would take care of the rest. Those were the two spells he could really pull off without mass repercussion to his magic level.

“Now you understand…” The words were soft but dark in their tone, signaling that there was more to follow, “I’ve suffered over 172 years, 5 months, and 14 days with the knowledge that I’m the reason I no longer have a family. I would have done anything to go back to that day, to change everything and do it over again, but I’ve come to terms that I couldn’t…” Sucking in a deep breath of air, his head would tilt backwards to allow him to gaze up at the crescent shaped moon that illuminated the night skies, “I would have done anything to change it…Anything Cordelia. I’m a broken man; I’ve always been from that day and on. What you said in there, there wasn’t a reason or a cause to do that. Have I once mentioned anything pertaining to your personal life, have I made references involving your past, I don’t think so. I don’t understand why the hell you do this to me every god damned TIME!” A snarl escaped his lips and his teeth gnashed together, before lowering and swinging his head off to the side enough so he could rest his gaze upon her, “I’ve never tried to crush you on the inside…It’s a pain far worse than anything physical…And you’ve done it countless times to me…Everything and anything you say to me means jack squat…You could call me a liar, a fake, and a sham, I couldn’t give a bloody hell, but you’ve done far worse than that…”

A stray blood red tear rolled down his cheek, but there would be no physical attention drawn to wiping it from his damaged visage, “You’ve proved to be an enemy now…The ONLY reason I never killed you is because you’ve reminded me so much of ‘her.’ Strong spirited, conflictive and awww screw it. You don’t give a flying rip anyway. The only thing you care about is yourself and when things begin to roll towards things you care about. I was a damned idiot for thinking you were truly something else, I’ve wasted my time, my emotions, and lastly my efforts. Say goodbye to what you believe in, what you know, and what you cherish…Tomorrow evening is your judgment day and I will bring your death to the grave. Take it as a joke or a simple threat, I don’t care anymore…” Sneering at the thought of her response, Manic would turn his attention in front of him. In one simple effortlessly push he would begin again on his warpath to the city of Balefire, not holding a care or worry to what Cordelia could possibly try to do to stop him from reaching his goal.

“I’ve suffered over 172 years, 5 months, and 14 days with the knowledge that I’m the reason I no longer have a family. I would have done anything to go back to that day, to change everything and do it over again, but I’ve come to terms that I couldn’t…”

He had it counted right down to the day, right on down to the exact day. That guilt began to become stronger, to the point where it actually, really hurt. How could she have been so callous? Cordelia had to turn her eyes to the ground, unable to look at him and listen to his words at the same time. Most of the time she loved torturing people like this, kicking them while they were down, and making them hurt, but this time was completely different. She would have thought she would enjoy seeing him like this… she should have loved seeing how much pain he was in and laughed in his face that there was no way he could ever go back. This was exactly why Alaina needed to tell him that she was his daughter; she couldn’t stand seeing him like this. He was so broken up and completely unlike what she was used to that it almost scared her. If he knew about Alaina then at least some of the wounds might have been healed.

“… I don’t understand why the hell you do this to me every god damned TIME!”

Cordelia finally had enough courage to look at him. “I’m sorry, okay?” she said, still meaning every word she said. It wasn’t okay and she knew that, but she couldn’t help but just be the tinniest bit snippy with her reply. He started speaking again and she listened, figuring she ought to give him the respect he deserved. It was probably too late for any apologies to be made, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try. “Emotional pain is worse than physical… why do you think I continuously do this to you? After every single time you’ve hurt me I’ve felt the need to hurt you even worse in the only way I possibly can…” Cordelia wasn’t entirely sure if that was the truth, but it sounded enough like it for her to be satisfied. Really, she didn’t know why she had to do this to people, and there was no excuse, but she was at least going to try. “After every single time you’ve belittled me, threatened me, hurt me, I wanted to see it happen to you… I thought I would laugh in your face and enjoy it… but god, Manic; it isn’t what I thought it was going to be at all. I’m not enjoying this like I thought it would… it actually hurts.” She took a deep breath and shook her head, a huge weight lifting from her shoulders as she said that. It didn’t matter if he believed her or not, because there was nothing else she could say; the only thing she could offer him was honesty.

The woman had a hard time looking at him when she saw that tear run down his cheek. Oh, great, now she was going to make him cry. Cordelia wished she could, for just a moment, return to her normal, sadistic self so she could laugh and feel good about this, but there was absolutely no way that could happen. She couldn’t believe her words had been strong enough to make that happen… she couldn’t believe how time after time she had actually succeeded to make him hurt, but this time was quite clearly the worst. “Don’t cry…” she muttered, a knot forming in her throat. “Oh, god, please don’t cry…”

“You’ve proved to be an enemy now…The ONLY reason I never killed you is because you’ve reminded me so much of ‘her.’ Strong spirited, conflictive and awww screw it. You don’t give a flying rip anyway…”

Cordelia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She swallowed, trying to get rid of that knot in her throat by doing so. She wanted to speak, but he just kept right on going. She took a deep breath again and slowly let it out, closing her eyes for just a moment. She knew he probably wasn’t making an empty threat with that; she had hurt him so many times that she wouldn’t blame him for being fed up with her. But if she really reminded him of her, then why would he even say that? She didn’t know what had happened or how it had all taken place, but he seemed so hurt by it that she had to think it hadn’t been intentional. She wasn’t about to bring up family, though; not again. Once he was done speaking her eyes shot open again and she watched him take a few steps before going after him.

“You’d be really surprised what I care about…” she said. She knew she was surprised by it, so it would only make sense for him to be as well. “If I didn’t care, would I be out here apologizing? I’m not just apologizing because of what you said before; I planned on apologizing right after you left that room without a word. It’s one thing to be forced to say sorry, but it’s a totally different thing when someone like me, oh especially me, marches out here on my own accord and doesn’t challenge you or yell at you or throw death threats right back at you. Don’t you understand that I’m standing here giving up a part of my dignity and I don’t care that I’m doing it?! I’m actually taking responsibility for my own actions, not blaming you, not blaming anyone else but myself. For once I’m not acting out on my ego; I’m acting out because I shouldn’t treat you like that. You’re right, Manic, you’ve never hurt me the way I’ve hurt you and I’m sorry! If I had known, I never would have said anything… if I had understood then I swear, I never would have made even the slightest mention of your family! I don’t think anyone can hurt as much or feel as much as I do and clearly I’m wrong, you’ve gone ahead and proved that and guess what? I’ve actually learned a lesson!” It might have been too late to put that lesson to use, it might have been too late for any of this to reach him, but Cordelia had to say it.

“I don’t see you as an enemy… would I have helped you if I did? I would have had no problems leaving you if I didn’t care about you…” Her voice became shaky, but yet at the same time it was the most intense it had been throughout this whole conversation. “I could have very easily left you there, and lied to Alaina, just like you said I could have. It all would have been so easy, if I really wanted you dead. I lied when I said I did it entirely for Alaina… it was partly for her, but partly for me, too. I did it because I’m selfish and I couldn’t watch you die. I don’t hate you, Manic, as much as it seems that I do, hard as it is to believe – trust me, it’s hard for me to believe! But I don’t… you were unconscious when I said this, so I’ll say it again. If anything had happened to you, if you had died, I would have found some way to go after you… and I wasn’t kidding.” At this point she stopped walking after him and she folded her arms over her chest, hoping that he would trust her enough not to shoot her down.

Yet again all movement faltered to a grinding standstill with the coming of her words. It seemed totally unlike Cordelia, almost as if someone else was standing there telling him those same very words, but no matter how unlikely it seemed it still was the same woman. The voice and tones were all the confirmation of it that he needed…Silently he waited for her speech to come to a draw, before sighing. Deep down inside there wasn’t a single thing he could do in his current state. Every muscle and bone ached, but atop of that there wasn’t any power circulating his core. Instead of being the indestructible God-like Manic…He was weak…Weak for the first time since he last seen his family. Even if he wanted, there wasn’t a damned thing he could do to Cordelia or Kaiden, but there was no want only the burning hate to do that. But even at this moment, Cordelia was quickly siphoning that fire from him…

“You may be giving part of your dignity, but mine’s been destroyed…Not only did I almost lose, but I almost lost Alaina for simple carelessness. I let anger judge my actions and I started losing the fight when that happened…On top of that, I had to wake up and listen to you bastardize my past.” A soft laughter began to pick up from the depths of his larynx and echo out into the silence of the night, “And it’s a wonder why I’m insane, a wonder why I hate the world and a wonder why I’m a beast and a monster, oh the sheer irony of it all! Heavens forbid that there’s got to be a reason why I’m the way I am. It’s got to be just the fact that I’m sadistic, cruel, and manipulative. While it may be true, there’s always a cause for it…Always.” Falling silent, Manic’s head would simply shake as his eyes fell down upon the ground in a half bowed manner.

“And I understand you’re out here on your own accord, Cordelia. Partly for the boy, but you know deep down just as I do, that it can’t be the entire reason. One, you’re aware what kind of state I’m in and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you could probably beat me for once if you wished to. Two, if you were truly and seriously worried…You know where Alaina is I’m sure. A life for a life is a fair trade…And if it came down you, you seem the type to do that.” A slight chuckle escaped his lips, “You’re just like her, its scary really. The way you carry yourselves, the way you act when things turn bad, and the determination…If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re a reincarnation of her, because there would be no way she could still be alive, same with my daughter. Sometimes I even wonder why I still continue to exist…There’s nothing here for me, nothing other than heart ache and death…”

Issuing a slight shrug, Manic would turn around to face Cordelia; his eyes finally back to their original state instead of the brilliant glow of crimson, “I just can’t die yet…My goals haven’t been reached and I haven’t found a person worthy enough to kill me. I may have been nearly beaten, but I’m still alive. That fact will prove to be the worst for Gharik…When I recuperate, him and I will have a little bit of a ‘talk.’ Come to think of it, where’s Alaina…?” It was the first time he thought about it since he had passed out in the ruins. He wasn’t really worried, since Cordelia would have told him if something would have happened to her, wouldn’t have she…? A faint frown pulled at his lips at the thought, “She’s alright…Isn’t she?’

“You may be giving part of your dignity, but mine’s been destroyed…Not only did I almost lose, but I almost lost Alaina for simple carelessness. I let anger judge my actions and I started losing the fight when that happened…On top of that, I had to wake up and listen to you bastardize my past.”

Cordelia tilted her head slightly when he mentioned almost losing Alaina. She hadn’t been with him to see him fight so she couldn’t agree or disagree with what he said, but she did know what had happened to him afterward. It didn’t really matter to her, to be honest. The only thing that mattered right now was that Alaina was safe and sound and that nothing had happened to her. As close as he might have come to losing her, he hadn’t. Of course, that was because of her, but she wasn’t about to get into that whole mess again. Cordelia found herself unable to stop a tiny smirk from pulling at the corners of her mouth when he mentioned her talking about his past. She did regret doing it… but she was still just a little bit proud. “Really, you shouldn’t worry about Alaina…” she said carefully, forcing the smirk off of her features. “Even if anything bad almost happened, it didn’t, so there’s no use worrying about it. You’re fine, she’s fine, and maybe you did get angry – but who could blame you? You’ll go crazy if you keep thinking about what almost happened and not what did.” Cordelia simply shrugged. Sometimes thinking about what did happen was more maddening than any what-ifs, but she didn’t think she had to worry about that for this. “And I’m sorry, again. You should know by now though that that’s what I do best.” She shrugged, and wondered how many times she was going to have to say that before he either forgot about it or forgave her. Hopefully not too many more; it felt so very odd for her to say anything like that, sincere as it was.

“…Two, if you were truly and seriously worried…You know where Alaina is I’m sure. A life for a life is a fair trade…And if it came down you, you seem the type to do that.”

At even the mere suggestion, Cordelia’s eyes widened. “I wouldn’t dare! I’m offended,” she said seriously, angry at even the mere suggestion of it, though inwardly she had to wonder. Would she ever really do that? A life for a life was more than fair, but when it came to children she didn’t think she would be able to pull something like that. Under normal circumstances she would never even consider it, but she hardly thought whatever sort of situation they were in could hardly be called normal. Manic went on ahead to compare her and his late wife, which luckily took her mind off of what he had said before. Frankly she wasn’t sure what to think about the two of them apparently being so alike… it actually made her a little bit uneasy. “Is that good or bad?” she asked finally, her eyebrows lifted. When he mentioned his daughter not being alive, Cordelia ran a hand through her hair, feeling a little bit guilty for not telling him about Alaina. He wouldn’t believe her anyway, since he was so sure they were dead, but she still wished there was some way to tell him without worrying about him doubting her and getting upset.

“…That fact will prove to be the worst for Gharik…When I recuperate, him and I will have a little bit of a ‘talk.’…”

She was glad to see when he turned around that his eyes had returned to their normal color. At least now she didn’t have to be extremely nice, and it was probably safe to be snarky and sarcastic again, but she decided against it. She had already made the choice to treat him a little bit better and she planned on going through with that. It wasn’t like it would hurt anything, really, and if it wound up being awkward then she could just start another argument about it. Her thoughts were drawn away from her behavior, however, when he mentioned Gharik. A grin pulled at her mouth and she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. Even when he mentioned Alaina, she couldn’t answer despite the fact that she wanted to. She lifted her hands and covered her mouth, already imagining in her head what Gharik would go through. Oh, that was bound to be fun. The poor guy was going to wish that she had killed him once Manic got started on him! She could just see it; every single word he had said about the two of them going to the abyss with nothing they could do about it was going to be thrown right back in his face. “Oh, great!” she said finally, enthusiastically, the loud laughter dwindling down to soft, sadistic giggles. “I can’t wait to see how that ‘talk’ goes! That’s bound to be fun! The look on his face when he realizes you didn’t die like he thought you would…” She shook her head as she trailed off. Even if he didn’t want her to be there, she was going to be. She had as much against Gharik as he did and wanted to see that man in as much pain as was possible.

“She’s alright…Isn’t she?”

“Oh, right! Alaina,” she said, having forgotten that he had mentioned her before in her giddiness. She glanced back over her shoulder, looking at the inn. For a moment she contemplated telling him that she was injured, just to play a joke and to make him worry. The thought was amusing, but it would probably prove to be hypocritical and just plain cruel. “She’s fine, I’m sure,” she said, turning back to Manic. “She left before you woke up to go find some things for you. We should probably go back in, just so she doesn’t get upset. You did kind of break down the door, you know, and she might have heard the yelling…” The last sentence came out a bit mumbled and she cleared her throat, almost nervously. She hoped Alaina wouldn’t be angry with her for not taking care of Manic like she had told her to. “Besides, you need to rest. The sooner you rest, the sooner you’ll be better, which means you’ll be good and ready to deal with Gharik and I’ll have something fun to do!” She clapped her hands together in front of her, grinning widely and giggling again. Cordelia turned away from him and started back to the Green Gryphon, stopping to wait for him once she had bounced up the steps and opened the door. She turned once more to him, a hand on her hip as she waited for him to follow her.

“Is that good or bad?”

“A little bit of both…Because in a way you’re not like her. That’s one thing that separates the two of you. In combat she held a strength that combated even my own. You…Well, I think that’s been decided quite a few times already, but it’s of no real importance.” Carefully his eyes slid to follow her each and every movement, before resting upon her once she came to a stop at the top of the stairs. Thinking to himself for a short period of time, a faint frown would begin to tug at the corner of his lips. Without looking he proceeded to pat down his upper body and then proceeded to pat himself at the waist. Issuing an annoyed sigh, he would finally announce, “I left all of my weapons at the ruins. I know where Alaina went now…Foolish girl.” There was a light growl in the tone of his voice, but it would be simply washed over by the rest of his words, “You’d think she wouldn’t go back after all of that. Unless…She didn’t go back for me… Did you happen to see her with her bear while she was here? Like anywhere on her person, maybe tucked away in her clothing or anything? If not, she certainly went back to those stupid ruins.”

Quickly turning his back once again to Cordelia, Manic would proceed forward a couple of steps, “There’s one thing I remember her telling me…That the bear was more important to her than anything in the world. Why, I’m not sure…But it’s kind of funny…It reminds me of my daughter.” Releasing a sigh at the thought, Manic would proceed to shake his head dismayed. Why did everything have to trace back to his past..? Why did he decide to be open with Cord or anyone other than himself, because that’s what was causing this entire mess for him. If only he had kept his mouth shut instead of constantly shooting it off, especially when it didn’t concern anyone else. It was all said now and there was nothing that would erase it from the stone of life…Not even time could erase the words he said, because to his dismay Cordelia was indeed timeless herself…

Slightly turning his head enough to shoot a glance back at her over his shoulder, a slight grin would cross his slender lips, “Rest is for the weak, I’ll be fine. I should actually start training my body again; I can’t let that sort of thing happen again. The next time I’ll be prepared for whatever freak rears his head to come and face me. Oh and if Alaina comes back, tell her to return to the woods at once. Unless you’d be willing to keep her under your watch: I’ll trust you to take care of her.” And with that he would turn and begin off to the ruins to once again face down what could probably be another sticky situation, especially with his luck as of late.