C19 ruins

"These don't look much like ruins, they look more like a fully functional castle." I guess that's what most ruins look like don't they? Alvana snickers and throws a rock against the door, the noise continues for a good while before it finally goes quiet, and then the beasts start howling "it's definitely a ruin." I snort and step forwards, immediately I retreat and barely manage to dodge the trap. I turn an eye to Alvana and she shrugs, "I've been here before but I didn't follow this path. My path has already caved in otherwise I would've taken us through there." I nod and close my eyes struggling to ageist to my other senses.

"let me lead and stay about ten steps behind me. I'll be able to dodge most of these but you all won't be able to." I step forwards again and focus on my surroundings. I've never been very good at silencing my heart and mind, but I'm passable to an extent. The traps don't bother me as much as how extensive they are, the entire area around here is full of the things, it's hard to keep track of the ones that can go off when I touch them and the ones that only need me to be close.

(Celestes POV)

With each step forward he takes a step back, gauging slowly where he can stand and where to fall back, Ciora, standing at my side, clenches her fists as she watches him, I poke her and she jumps, then blushes and looks at me. "He asked me to be a part of his team because I can block and dodge attacks well, but when it comes down to it I'm still too weak to help him further his own power. It kind of sucks to realize that." I nod slowly and think back to my own youth "Ren felt the same way. He watched me grow up, and he grew up by my side, but I overtook him by the time I became an adult, and then I became even faster. Sadly, the story is the same for beings that are loved by a force like us, with the sun. we will always stand atop the world, lonely and cold. I understand Nicta's plan, but sadly it won't work. No one can be the best at everything, so if he gathers a group that can become the best at certain things, they will all benefit from each other. However, humans are greedy and deceitful, not unlike demons themselves. There are some that are kind and caring, that choose their ideals over themselves, but those people are rare." He lunges forwards suddenly, barely dodging a circle of light that abruptly appears. Then rushes back as two more activate. He opens his eyes as he sits down and takes a few moments to breath "I think that's all of them, but I'm not sure so watch your step. I'm going to sit here a moment, my head hurts." He lays back and Alvana walks forwards, I follow her to Nicta and pick him up, he glares at me but I ignore him as we go inside. A few beasts are roaming the garden, and I notice that most of the inner area is covered by a giant mound, it looks like an ant mound, but there aren't any ants among the beasts here. Nicta growls and jumps out of my arms "well hell, I didn't know these things came out of the desert. Kids, this is the sign that there's a nest, this particular nest is the problem. Based on the color of the dirt and the way the holes are made this is a scorpion beast nest... This won't be easy." He strides forwards and has the numbers clear out the surrounding beasts, he says it doesn't matter if they do it messy since hive mind will know we're here from the beasts eyes.

"Now starts the real battle." He whispers quietly, And calls everyone back "do you all feel the trembling in the earth?" He turns to look at the students, but his eye encompasses me, and I have to admit that he seems to have more experience with these things than me. "That means the queen/king, whichever it is in there, is angry. its controlling and forcing the beasts around it to build up the walls and fortify the area, soon the eggs will hatch and there will be babies running around the area. That being said, I need all of you to retreat." The higher ranked numbers protest and he waits until they quiet down "you should come back in about thirty minutes, but until then don't come in here. Alone I can kill the hive leader before it hunts us all down." He means that together we don't have a chance of assassinating the hive leader. The numbers leave, and Ciora and I stay, Alvana digs around a few beasts and looks for something with great interest. "Really? I was told that you three would obey." Ciora snorts and Alvana mumbles something about women and cats, and I must say that I agree with them.

He sighs again and moves to the entrance of the hive, "if I've not come out in an hour then I've lost my sense, just leave me and I'll return sometime." I have the distinct feeling that he wouldn't return at all, so I'll stay and await him. Ciora waves him away and asks me if she should check the area, since I can tell that there are only some low level beasts aside from the one that has been following us all day, who is still at the edge of my awareness, I shake my head no, she'll be fine staying here.

Nicta walks into the mound through one of the many holes and vanishes from sight, the familiar smell of blood that rises when he uses his sword doesn't come to us so it might just cover a certain area. Alvana takes a seat on the ground and Ciora drops her shield, sitting on it. Since they don't seem worried about him I focus my power and soon a doll made of light appears in my hands, this is a creation if my own making called the light bringer. The sunlight forms a body which allows it to go places that it normally wouldn't, and I can use that in turn to see the surroundings. As a drawback, like this it doesn't have a lot of attack capability, even so it's sunlight, you'll still be burned if it touches you. "Follow him my dear, and make sure he's safe." She jumps off my hands and slowly runs into the mound, she'll find him, he wouldn't have gotten far, and the beasts sound active enough to leave a trail.