Ruby had not even been resting for two minutes when she stirred again. A new power flowed through her, a new energy. She went from exhausted to well rested in a moment, and was easily able to pick herself up from where she'd collapsed. The metal shield scraped against the ground, pulling away from her, as if impatient. Or perhaps it was scared?

Ruby dusted off her pale white robe and untied the knot, pulling the robe tight around her. She brought the finely crafted and thick string out in front of herself and pulled it tight, tying a new, stronger knot. She sighed, shaking her head. 

[i]So this all isn't a dream, then..[/i] 

[i]Unless I can dream while dreaming... But that would be more fucked up than the dreams.[/i]

Ruby sighed and glanced down at the girl she saved. She was sprawled out on the floor, just chilling, probably just trying to forget this pain and move on. Ruby met her eyes and offered a weak smile, then turned her face away hastily, picking at the dirt and rubble on the top of her shield.  

[hr]

And just like that, that perfect moment of silence was over. A scream erupted from down the hallway, echoing through the room. The room remained quiet until the last of the scream faded off into the distance, dissipating into nothing. Immediately, the familiar pale glow of lanterns filled the hallway to Ruby's right, and the low sound of moaning and scuffling drifted into the room. Very soon, there would be no more peace. Ruby readied her shield, raising it lightly off the ground. It came out of the ground with a [i]pa-chunk[/i] and seemingly groaned with the effort of getting up. 

Ruby closed her eyes, breathing in deeply.

[i]One...[/i]

The scuffling drew closer.

[i]Two...[/i]

The moaning grew louder.

[i]Three...[/i]

Ruby flinched and fell backwards blindly when the room exploded with the sound of gunfire, one shot after the other, ripping into the staircase in the middle of the room. She staggered awkwardly when her fall was stopped by her shield, and barely managed to not fall on Isabella. In the distance, at the slim south exit of the room, Ezain stood, bloodied and missing more parts of himself than what was good for him.

[i]"This way was no good either... I only managed to escape..." the horned man coughed, spilling black blood from his mouth as pale essence-like energy poured from his missing arm, "I cannot continue... I was foolish... This journey cannot be made on the strength of one alone. I learned this too late..." he then pointed to the last option, down the dark-lit Eastern passage, "Now go, finish our task! With whatever strength I have left, I will buy you time..."

He then stepped to the center and urged them on, snarling. "GO! NOW!"[/i]

More gunfire went off, ripping into the staircase and exploding, sending showers of sparks and shrapnel everywhere. Ezain's words seemed far more practical by the second.

Ruby took her shield and crouched behind it, covering both her and Isabella from the direction with the gunfire. "Take my shoulder..." Ruby yelled, patting her right shoulder. "If you don't want to take it, just tell me, but do stay behind me. I'd hate it if you got shot." 

Ruby cast a glance back at Isabella, the dark satin glow of truth and stress lighting up her face.

"I'd hate that a lot." 

[@Rune_Alchemist] [@RyuShura]