Lost in a Game

[Temxan]

[[ Sorry for the late post. I've been trying to get stuff done. ]]

Axran raised an eyebrow and followed Zandra into Santa's workshop. He thought she was acting a little weird, and instinctively stayed at her side. "What do I not smell, Zandra? Does this have something to do with your neck?" He asked, resting a hand on her shoulder. She was starting to worry him a lot, luckily for Zandra though, Axran didn't hear her mumbling to herself. The spiky haired man went through the workshop with her till they came to a sort of bakery. Freshly baked gingerbread cookies lay on counters and candy canes piled into heaps in trays, ready to sorted and put away for the good boys and girls waiting for Santa.
Axran took Zandra aside and told her to stay against the wall, for in case she felt sick again. Looking for the head elf, the silver eyed man spotted the red hatted baker and casually walked up to her. The somewhat aged elf looked at Axran and rolled her eyes, knowing what he had come for. "My my, Mrs. Glacer! The bakery is smelling as wonderful as ever. And might I say, you're looking absolutely stunning today? Is that a new apron?" charmed Axran, laying it on quite thick.
"Oh hush, you! Your sly compliments will get you no where! I know what you're here for! Every time, you come around and charm the girls into giving you the extra cookies and candy canes! Tsk tsk!" Said Mrs. Glacer, swatting Axran on the legs with her oven mitten. She adjusted the specs on the bridge of her nose and looked up at the charming, spiky haired man. "You silly boy! Somehow you never seem to lose your charm. Fine, you'll get your treats, but just because you're so darn polite and charming!" Finished the baker elf, as she put some of the extra gingerbread cookies and candy canes in a basket and handed to Axran.
"Why thank you, Mrs. Glacer. I look forward to seeing you and the girls again sometime. Maybe I'll just come to visit when you're not busy." smiled Axran, giving the girls a wink as they giggled away behind the counter. Axran then soon returned to Zandra and took out a candy cane. "You wouldn't want a little something to give you a better taste in the mouth, after your little sickness outside, would you?" he said, raising the candy cane hanging off his index finger.

[lime]

As Axran began towards Zandra, she quickly flattened against the wall, a look of absolute terror frozen upon her face.
As the all to familiar friend began to start towards her he quickly began to change. What now stood before her was a large hybrid beast. It had the head of a large brown wolf. Long bloodstained fangs stuck out of its half decayed snout as it grinned maniaclly at her swinging what was not a candy cane now, but a set of keys near her. His body was what you would consider near a wearwolfs. With some strands of clothes but not much. It was shockingly thin and its fur was scruffy and bald in patches. near the beasts ribs, there wasn't even a pelt and u could see the gleaming white of ribs sticking out of it decaying body. "We're coming for you." It growled in a low dark voice. Zandra let out a bloodcurtling scream, looking for a place to run now. She couldn't go forward, that...thing was there. To her right and left the cabin appeared to be on fire. The bodies were back, the stench of blood and grotesque smells stronger then ever now
Zandra wouldn't stop screaming now as she turned behind her towards the wall, beginning to scratch and tear at the thick wood, quickly breaking her nails, strange golden blood pooring out onto the wall. "Leave me alone! I don't wanna go!" She screeched as she continued in her terrorized frenzy, blood dripping onto the floor and onto her face and smeared all over the walls. "Don't take me back there!"

[Temxan]

Axran quickly stepped back from Zandra, her sudden screaming catching him off guard. He watched as she scratched at the wall, the golden liquid dripping. His silver eyes grew wide, not quite sure what to make of this. Setting down his sweets and the candy cane on the counter, Axran slowly approached Zandra, his eyes full of worry. "I'm not taking you anywhere, Zandra, unless you want me to. What's the matter? Tell me!" He grabbed her wrists and tried to pull her away from the wall, holding her close to him. He shushed her in a calming manner, holding her in a hug. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." It made him sad to see Zandra like this, not being able to know why she was acting the way she was.

[lime]

Zandra stiffened even more as what she saw as a undead wolf grabbed her and held her in its clutches. "We're coming..." Is the last she heard from the beast before her eyesight began to blur and reality came rushing back. She looked up at Axran in final recognition, eyes welled welled up with tears. As the tears hit the ground at a rather past pace they bounced back up as diamonds until falling at rest on the floor. "A-a-axran?" She gasped before burying her face into his coat and wrapping her arms about him, soaking his wardrobe with liquid gold from her wounds. "Axran....I don't want them to take me back." the girl moaned.

[Temxan]

Axran continued to comfort Zandra, embracing her in the hug, letting her cry how ever long she wanted into him, though he was a little confused at her tears falling to the floor and becoming diamonds. It didn't matter right now though. He continued to shush her in a calm essence, rubbing her back with his hands. "No one is going to take you back anywhere! You're staying with me now. No one is going to hurt you, cause if they do...There will be a price!" spoke Axran, a small hint of anger showing through at the end. Freeing one of his arms from his embrace with Zandra, Axran made a little portal back to his room and placed the sweets on his desk, keeping one for himself to eat. He definitely needed some sugar now.

[lime]

"I don't want to go there again Axran. A place where they take people to die, but when you can't die what do you do there?! What happens to you then!?" Zandra screeched, a look of mild insanity taking over her facial features. She looked up at her friend now with wide bewildered eyes, whispering, "What do you do..."

[Temxan]

"Simple..." stated Axran, looking down at his friend with calming eyes, "You escape. Or I come rescue you. Or even better, you won't be there to begin with!" he finished, giving Zandra a comforting smile. He quickly ate his treat to get it out of the way and then went back to rubbing her back. It always seemed like a soothing thing to for someone. Like softly petting a cat sitting in your lap as it purred with content.
The elves in the bakery just stared at the event before the head elf with the red baker's hat shooed everyone back to work. She nodded to Axran, sympathy in her eyes, and then went back to her own work. The silver eyed man picked Zandra up in his arms and exited Santa's workshop with her, "Maybe if we left the workshop you would feel better. If you need to hide from something, just lean into me. I'll protect you." he whispered.

[lime]

"Wherever I go, they'll find me...They have me numbered, it's just a little game to them. They say you'll appreciate life afterwards...Wherever I hide they'll be there, waiting..." Zandra murmured in a low shaky voice as she buried her head into Axran's chest. "What if we can't stop them..."

[Temxan]

Axran looked down at Zandra in his arms and then looked ahead, still walking in the snow. His silver eyes gleamed from the snow and a faint smile formed on his lips. It was best to not stay negative about the situation she was in. "Then beat them at their own game. Make 'em feel a little pain themselves." softly spoke the spiky haired young man. He held on to his friend tightly and look up the hill that lead to Halloween Town. Turning away from it, he shook his head. If Zandra was seeing things that were freaking her out, it wouldn't be wise to visit there.

[lime]

"I was never very good at games..." Zandra mumbled, looking up at the entrance to Halloween Town. For the first time in awhile she smiled, it was really the only world where she could fit in because of the strange golden apparel she always wore. The girl suddenly jumped from Axran's arms and started towards the entrance. "I'm sure they'll have candy for you here too Axran." She giggled, her mood taking a whole 180 as she lept into the entrance and out of sight.

[Temxan]

Axran blinked as Zandra jumped out of his arms and disappeared from his sight, as she jumped into the entrance to Halloween Town. "Gah! No, wait up!" he yelled after her, running himself up the hill and jumping into the entrance. Seriously, he didn't know how he was going to keep up with these quick changes in mood! It was like one of the emotional roller coasters!

[lime]

Zandra fell onto a soft pile of leaves as she entered the forest leading up to Halloween Town. She looked up, glad to see no hallucination around her in the familiar surroundings. The girl slowly got to her feet, still surveying the area, smiling at the area she loved so much.

[Temxan]

Soon after, Axran landed beside the pile of leaves, not getting any soft landing. Standing himself up, the man brushed himself off rubbed his chin. It had been scrapped from the tumble; an ungraceful landed. "Wait up usually means wait for me, y'know." stated Axran, walking over to Zandra. He observed the area though, as it had been a while since he had visited this part of this world. "You're okay?" he asked, concerned.

[lime]

(Omg i've been gone a century haha!)
"Yea, I'm fine." Zandra nodded, taking one more moment to look about to make sure no crazy undead wolf was about, or any bodies littered the ground. None were in sight, but that didn't mean she had escaped the entire commotion. They seemed almost like a gold blur as they set eyes on the girls, running up and picking the bewildered Zandras in their arms. It was a couple, looking in about their older forties, but still looking wonderful for their age, a youthful gleeful presence about them that seemed to glow. "Zandra, where have you been?!" The woman cooed, running her hand through the childs hair in a very maternal nature. She was dressed in what seemed very pricey clothes. A long golden flowing skirt with a dazzling gold tank top beaded with precious gems all about. Bangles covered her arms, along with larger bangles about her neck. Her hair was the same color as Zandra's a fiery red, except much longer put in a high ponytail flowing down to her hips. "Look at you, dressed in rags! That's no way to dress for someone of your stature, and especially around mortals. This is your master I presume?" The man spoke now, looking over at the girl with a rather condescending look. He was also completely clad in gold. Gold herum pants and a gold vest with a gold undershirt inbetween finished the look with bright blonde hair."And for goodness sake child! You're much too old for that body, when are you going to pick another!" The woman started right after the man had finished. Zandra simply sat in the womans arms for a moment in a slight daze before finally snapping out of it and staring back t the woman. "But mommmmmm... I like being a kid, I don't want to grow up! And uhm-" Zandra was cut off by her father as he walked toward Axran now "You are very lucky you found her she's such a special case to be able to forsake the rules unlike us. How many wis-" The man was cut off as Zandra lept out of her mothers arms and clapped a hand over her fathers mouth. "Uhmm...Axran...These are my parents...Parents, Axran is not my master..." She mumbled before taking her hand back now.

[Temxan]

Axran gave a sudden twitch of his hand; arcs of electricity crawling all over it, as the golden blurs went for Zandra and picked her up. He didn't know what to think it until he saw the affectionate way they held her. His hand slowly fell to his side as he contemplated the scenario. They obviously knew her in some close way, so it would not have looked good if he had tried to harm them. It was a little overwhelming to see that amount of gold on one person, let alone two for him. Noticing that the woman and Zandra had the same hair color, the thought of family struck his thought process. Though what the group of them were talking about slightly puzzled him. Too old for her body? Pick another? Just what was that all about?
As the man with the bright blond hair walked toward him, Axran stood straight and tall, his silver eyes observing him. His words were also puzzling. Axran raised an eyebrow, trying to decode what it all meant. As Zandra had cut the mans future words off and stated who they were though, at least something made reasonable sense. "Ah. Parents. Er, forgive me...a pleasure to meet the family of a dear friend." spoke Axran at last in his charming voice, giving them a deep, respectful bow.