[quote]Still, it was easier said than done. Fortunately, honing her mind into one singular focus was something that Master Tokimune had taught her. A 'Zen Meditation' he had called it. She typically employed it in combat to hone her mind into focusing on a singular vital spot of her opponent, but here, she applied it to focus on the light of Vesermir's lantern. The phantoms' existence, meanwhile, she treated as excess that would be discarded as she delved into the zen state.

Doing her best to ignore the phantoms, Carnatia kept her attention focused on the light of Vesemir's lantern, hoping to avoid being captured in their illusory trap. And so, she trudged forward.[/quote]

As Carnathia rushed toward the white light, the whispering from the phantoms intensified, yet they did a little to slow her down.

When she was already behind those five soldiers, her steps were suddenly halted by the presence of a rider wearing decorated plates and winged helmets. The faceless captain stopped to scan his surroundings, yet he appeared unaware of Carnathia's presence. 
Red were the eyes of his black horse, and as the raider commanded his steed to walk away slowly, it sniffed the night air like a vicious hound. 

Towed behind the raider were two elven civilians, dead now, with bodies disfigured beyond recognition, dragged along with knots on their necks and the ropes attached to the raider's wild mare. 

[quote]Her eyes widened with the realization that.. The illusion had grabbed at her mind and now she was stuck staring at the five men who very likely had just killed that elven man. She could feel her blood run cold at the thought. She could feel her blood run cold at the thought. Her hand already moved to grab at her bow, the other grabbing an arrow from her quiver to notch.[/quote]

When Roxas stood there unmoving, one of the soldiers threw another rope over the branches and fitted another noose on the dead elf's neck. His partner behind him held the other end and yanked the rope, jerking the corpse and causing blood and brain matter to splatter about as the corpse hoisted upward.

The elven civilian tied to the tree was still alive, weeping in pain. Her executioner had left her for now, to look for another toy to play with. 
[Center]****[/center]

[quote][b][color=#4269E2]"Hmm. Gentlemen? I'm afraid the warning was a bit too late."[/color][/b] He said, voice lower than usual. Only the first real actions and they've met a significant hurdle already. Now this was a pickle... just because he's aware of what's going on didn't mean Engelbert was in any position to do something about it. [b][color=#4269E2]"Some of us seems to have lost all senses. What do we do? Shake them awake? Carry them away?"[/color][/b]
[/quote]
Meanwhile, on the other side of the dark, Gray Flame acknowledged the situation quickly, only to frown a bit at Engelbert's suggestion. "No, don't touch them, or worse carry them away." He asked Vesemir to have him handle the lamp instead and let it shine closer to the rest of the party. "The best way to get them back is to let them back on their own. All we can do now is provide them a beacon and wait while I think of the alternative."