[center][h2]Caelum Harrington[/h2][/center]
When questioned what he was doing by Barney in the middle of his frantic attempts to save him before the monster got them both, Caelum didn’t pause to show his bafflement. “Getting you out,” he said shortly, all while his hands worked. He didn’t think Barney knew it was uncharacteristic of him to risk his own safety like this, but desperate times and all that. So, the guy was probably honestly confused why someone was saving him. He had shouted for them to run too, the heroic idiot. Well, whatever he thought of it, Barney was getting out of this wreck, at least.

By the time he was free of the debris, he seemed to come to his senses, as he declared he would live. “I won’t die here either,” Caelum agreed. Truthfully, he was partially trying to convince himself that he could make it out. “And you’re welcome,” he held Barney’s gaze briefly, serious. He wasn’t the type to downplay his own actions, and it was a grave moment besides. That did remind him that he’d never explicitly thanked the other man for when he’d charged through the previous obstacles, but it was kind of late for that anyhow.

As soon as Barney managed to stand up and they both armed themselves, the eldritch insect came in sight. Caelum began throwing small miscellanea, but nothing worked. “Oh, god,” he gulped, terrified as the thing got closer and closer without signs of even being inconvenienced, never mind stopping or being injured. Then, after he ran out of stuff, something else hit the monster’s head. Caelum glanced around, bewildered, which was what revealed to him the hidden party. It was the police woman again.

At the sight of her figure, he exhaled a large gust of air. The relief loosened his muscles and made him breathe easier. Of course, he was still fairly tense given the situation, but not so much he’d freeze when it was time for action. The police woman – Spindle – did get them a brief respite due to her intervention, however. Besides introducing herself, she also explained that the monster was a Shadow, and what that meant. 

When she asked if they were ready, Caelum awkwardly shrugged. He couldn’t help but protest her following claim that she was bad at fighting, though. “What? Didn’t you skewer that Cerberus’ head?! In what world does that make you bad – and how could we possibly do better?” he exclaimed. That she was able to summon and control a living kite just reinforced his question.

Before long, though, Spindle attacked the Shadow, wrapping it up via Odradek. They exposed the Shadow’s face. Given that it protested such, and how it looked much softer, and thus more vulnerable, than any other part of it, Caelum could tell attacking that was the way to go. Unfortunately, it was too high for reach just then. Still, he followed Barney’s lead, and got close enough to attack the body. Gripping the board tightly, he slashed at the mantis’ side with the jagged end. It didn’t do much, and in the end, Caelum went for a stab. The shape of the weapon wasn’t right though, and all he managed was to get it destroyed beyond use.

He escaped as soon as Spindle said to, but one of the Shadow’s flailing legs still managed to catch him just above the ankle, though the resultant cut was shallow enough not to endanger or slow him down. When he was safely behind a statue, he dropped the ruined remains of the board, and went to search for another weapon. It didn’t take as long this time – he knew where to go, and what to look for. This time, he went for the broken handle of the wagon, for an improvised weapon that was similar to Spindle’s needle all things considered. 

By the time it was time for them to get in another hit, Caelum was ready. “I’m on it!” In the heat of battle, and determined to end this, he wasn’t so afraid anymore, nor embarrassed. He ran from behind his latest cover, getting to the Shadow’s side while avoiding its maw and tail as he best could. After Spindle skewered it, so did he, driving the wooden stake into its side, and simply leaving it in there as he retreated. The Shadow’s thrashing earned him some more cuts over his arms and sides, but by now, he was pumped too full of adrenaline to notice or care.

Caelum watched from some distance as Barney finished off the monster. “Kill it!” he cheered. Watching him knock this horror around with a wheel was exhilarating. He certainly didn’t expect him to be able to summon his own minion, however. His mouth hung upon till he shook it off. Barney rode his scorpion to battle, new outfit and fixed up wheel apparently part and parcel of what happened with him. With his new pet and its magic, Barney had no issue defeating the Shadow.

“Persona…that was the, uh, Samsa-cockroach?” he questioned. He had no idea why or how that thing showed up, but he’d learned not to question much of what happened in this place. His sanity would suffer otherwise.

However, when Spindle said they had to go help the others, he couldn’t help but whine. “Do we really have to? I don’t even have,” he gestured to Barney, “whatever that was.” Still, he did warily approach the kite. It was a way out of here, if nothing else. Even if Spindle only took them after saving the others, which, well, he supposed it was for the best.

“Better than you are, I’d say,” he answered Barney’s question. “Let’s move on,” he sighed. It was as good a sign as any that he’d go along with the whole saving others thing even though he was sick and tired of monsters, megalomaniacs, and all other incomprehensible events.