Chapter Seven

"Fuck!" Milo roared jumping back from the beams of light the soft tingle of smoke comes from their uncovered hand which they cradle close. Cursing lowly as Remy sits up to go to his side. Stopping when Yukiko's arms held him down.

"Interesting…" Rico mumbles waving his hand towards Lilith who takes her hand off the cord. The light dies down as Lucy checks his hand.

"Is it a sharp pain? Or as though your being burned?" Lucy questions eyeing their hand for a moment.

"A searing pain… as though I'm being eaten." Milo responds stretching his hand out watching it for a second before reaching into their pocket and removing the glove they had shoved in their earlier that morning.

"Whatever this is made from we will find out. We can't have it causing any trouble." Rico finally says placing the light back into the void of his hat. "I shall return to that little store today and see if I can get the boss ask him for any information on where he gets these." Everyone nods in agreement as Yukiko releases Remy who walks over to eye Milo for a second.

"Henry, Lilith if you two would be so kind as to check the grounds for today that would be amazing." Lucy asks, Henry nods taking Lilith by the chain of her tank and starts to pull her away.

The afternoon rays hang over head as they walk through cleaning the grounds of any unwanted items from earlier that night. Yawning as he walks, Lilith pointing out bits and pieces of trash that lay upon the grass.

"When we are done do you want to see if Rico would let us do a quick performance tonight?" Lilith questions her tail weaving slowly through the water of her tank as Henry stops. Hand drawing to his chin in thought a smirk on his face.

"Well need to see if he could get Remy to move one of your big tanks and not crush me." He shrugs, Lilith snorts lifting a hand to try and hit him playfully only to miss by a few inches.

"I would not crush you!" She shouts as laughter pours from her lips. With that they return to their work preparing for tonight's performance.

___

Within the Town of Prophet, the fathers and mothers gathered some amazed, most fearful.

"What if they try to corrupt our children?"

"You saw what those creatures can do? They are not of the will!"

"What are we to do?" Shouts within the small courtroom bounced uneasily as a tall man in a darkened array rose to his feet at the front of the room.

"My brothers and sisters, we are not to freight!" He bellowed. "These creatures, monsters, whatever they are, are a test and we must pass! The Will demands it, and we will not deny The Wills power!" He continued now moving to pace the room, with every step the mumbling voices of people around him grew larger until he snapped towards them. "I have an idea!"

Drawing a breath, a stern smile comes upon the man's face as he throws his hands out.

"Tonight, we will show these creatures our power! And if they deny The Will, we shall deal with them as we did all those who deny it centuries ago!" He proclaimed as a roar of cheers of agreement rip through the halls.

"This isn't good…" A young man sits at the end of the hall, within his hands a book etched in dark leather an orb as gold as the sun lay on its cover. "Not good at all…" They mumble quickly standing, shuffling towards the front door as the hurried rush footfalls of the meeting came to an end.

---

With the clean up complete, and grounds looking as good as they can be. The sun sits peacefully over the tree line. During this time Rico has worked tirelessly going between the town and the campgrounds in preparation of their second night. Hopes hang high as he makes one more trip into town. Finding the convince store his eyes land upon the owner who is locking up for the night.

"Excuse me my good man may I speak to you?" Waving a hand towards the man, he can see the look of disgust upon his face before quicky melting away.

"Yes?"

"If there is by any chance, could you tell me where you got your lights?" Rico quickly spits out, not wishing to be in the town anymore then they already have been. The owner with a confused grunt shrugs and opens the double doors back up. Motioning for Rico to follow which he reluctantly does.

Stepping through into the dimly lit store, the only lights being from a plugged-in ice cream machine, and a few of the freezer doors. Following at a cautious distance the atmosphere seemed drastically different from yesterday, or even from earlier in the day when he had fist come in. Speaking to the younger boy who watched him worriedly.

Unlocking a back down the man leads Rico into a small storage room, packed to the brim with cardboard boxes. Some weathered some looking as though they were just delivered. Reaching for one of the boxes he flips it around to show the insignia.

'Watchful Lights & Co.'

"Interesting… Thank you." Rico finally says as the man moves the box back. Marking the name for memory he turns to make his way out of the storage room.

The door in front of him closes as a sharp pain ruptures behind his skull, sending his nerves alight as he leans against the door. Lifting a hand to the back of his skull the warmth of liquid meets his fingers. "What is- " He slurs as another pain hits him as the world is quick to fade to black.

Lucy holds one of the many beams against her side as she walks over to one of the smaller tents. Preparing to put it back up a sharp pain hits her. Stumbling she drops the beam onto the ground making Alex who sat nearby with a small snack in his lap give his mother a confused look.

"Ma?!" He shouts struggling to get down from the crate as Milo rushes over. Taking her side she holds the back of her head, every so often pulling it away as though checking for something.

"What's wrong?"

"I- I don't know…" She mumbles as she falls forward.