Warning: this chapter contains graphic violence and torture.  Proceed at your own risk. I'm happy to PM anyone who wants to know what happens without reading it.

Consider yourself warned.

…….

Hawkins stood completely still.

No one was moving, whether out of choice or necessity but judging from Mantis' panicked reaction this was the best course of action for such an unknown Trait. The green haze continued to coil around the young girl, assisting her as she slowly grasped the snake like coils and used it like feelers to assess the situation the only way she could.

Cricket's eyes flitted from milky white to green and back again an unrecognisable expression on her face. Her head turned unnaturally towards the scene, bobbing back and forth much like an insect would before choosing their prey.

No one dared to move as Cull desperately clung to his sister, trying to wake her without the girl noticing. Even Hack was silent as he knelt beside a dazed Odi who tried to suppress a moan from the impact of her crash. Thea flitted around her fellow Firestep Agars, attempting to inform them of the danger but Hazard wasn't listening.

"Heh. What's so scary about a little girl?" He sneered, loudly scraping his claws against the dirt to threaten anyone who came near.

Mantis held her breath, wanting nothing more than to tear the damnable mutts eyes out. With his Agar out of commision, the brown furred wolf was feeling the pull of Trait less and less. If he played his cards right the chances of him escaping this hell hole was closer than ever.

"Will you shut him up!" She hissed at Cull who shook his head rapidly.

Blaize whimpered, mirroring her Agars unease as she nudged her fellow wolf only for Hazard to snap at the amber coated female. Agars or not, Blaize had no control over Hazards actions.

"Not my Agar, remember?" Cull murmured, sparingly using his Trait in a vain attempt to awaken his sister.

"Well someone needs to before Cricket-" Mantis snapped without thinking, her voice lowering instantly just as she was interrupted by the thing she dreaded most.

"Mantis?" A quiet voice, loomed over them both loud and soft all at once.

Hawkins watched as Mantis suddenly seized, shaking violently as she tried to calm herself and clamp her hands over her ears but she soon became as stiff as a board. Cricket's eyes were now focused on her target, pupils completely white while her haze hovered in front of her in an endless chasm of green Trait. She grasped it without looking as it formed an eerily familiar object that all Mediators dreaded. It was the reason for their chosen colour, to prevent those who bore the same hue as them and stop them however they could.

Cricket held her green grimoire in front of her and began to speak.

"What's going on, Mantis?"

Four words. Four words was all it took to send Hawkins world spinning with immense pressure. He clutched his chest and forced himself to stand, clinging to whatever remnants of equilibrium he had to not bend to the sound, the will of the young girls power. Cricket was more than a Traited. She was a true Wrath of Tarragon, even without her eyesight.

"N-nothing, Master Cricket. Everything is f-fine." Mantis managed to blurt out, covering her mouth with her hands to stop herself from vomiting.

Cricket cocked her head curiously towards the sound, walking aimlessly towards them with her haze drifting hypnotically beside her. Hawkins could barely see her through the strength of her Trait but he knew enough stories to know what was happening. Dragons weren't the only ones who could command armies. The power of Cricket's voice could even overthrow the Throneholder of Opalis if she wanted to.

"If everything is...fine then why is my Rin not moving?" Cricket said, her voice dropping from her normal lilting voice to a more serious tone befitting of a leader.

He could hear Hack's stifled grunts to keep himself from collapsing as he attempted to cling to Odi to hoist her away from the haze but it crept ever closer. Hawkins barely recognised the sound of Mantis' nervous laughter bubbling up into pure mania at the situation. She had known and warned her comrades time and time again but still they did not listen, too caught up in the thrill of the fight to even realise how dire their situation could become.

"Y-you must be mistaken-" Mantis giggled nervously, an unnatural sound cut short by the Enforcers sudden gasps for breath.

Hawkins fought against the heaviness, his body screaming as he wrenched himself up from being doubled over and forced his eyes to open only to wish he hadn't. Mantis hung in the air like a paper bag clinging to a branch as the haze kept her in midair while she clutched at her own throat desperately trying to breathe. Bit by bit Cricket was stopping the air to her lungs by draining it dry with her Trait. There was no remorse on her permanently blank features.

"I do not make mistakes. You know I don't need eyes to see the truth, Enforcer. So tell me what happened." Cricket said, feeling no need to demand what she would already get an answer to.

Cricket's Trait dropped her like a diseased rat as Mantis clung to the ruined pavement, gagging and spluttering as she took in lungfuls of air. She reeled on the ground for a few moments more before rapidly sitting up to answer, her voice still mangled from the sheer effort it took to speak.

"Of...of course, Master. My apologies. Rin was unfortunately...unfortunately knocked unconscious by her own Trait." Mantis said, hesitating for a fraction of a second before breaking into a coughing fit.

"Liar."

Mantis screamed as the overwhelming pressure of a single command burned into her skull. She tore at her hair, desperate to block the astounding mental force of Cricket's Trait. The haze of green was nowhere to be seen as the Enforcer dug her hands into her pointed ears, blood dripping from them as she wailed bloody murder, her eyes burning with an eerily emerald stare.

"She's. She's a Tarragon. But...how? She's blind!" Hack blurted out, unable to keep his eyes off the writhing elf, his scales turning a variety of colours to match her tormented mind.

Hawkins knew there was a reason that rare Traits had been given classes to differentiate themselves from the more standard users. Every time a Traited had a child with another Traited, the results changed drastically. They couldn't prevent the unpredictable nature of grimoires or stop others from being with the ones they loved so they monitored them as strictly as possible. Ten years ago, those rules changed.

"Oh? It seems we have guests. I take it you two are the reason my companion is hurt?" Cricket said absentmindedly, turning her attention to the petrified Sand Wraith.

Before Hack could even attempt to deny it he collapsed to the floor exactly as Mantis did moments before. The elf woman let out a pitiful moan as she continued to bludgeon herself against the rocks to stop herself but it was no use. Odi watched in horror as Hack dug his claws into his scales, howling in agony as tears threatened to resurface and fangs tore into his flesh. Hack bit down hard on his arm in an attempt to quell the thundering pain, his eyes turning to green lizard like slits as he scrambled on the ground like a tantruming child.

Hawkins clenched his eyes shut but could not block out the torturous sounds coming from his mentor. It was inevitable that he would end up with the same fate. But as Hack's roars of anguish grew louder, the screams of the elf grew softer as if sheer relief flooded through her bones. Hawkins eyes snapped open, his lungs full of air as the clarity in his mind awoke his logical nature and began to formulate a plan.

"Cricket!" Hawkins yelled out in a clear voice, his hands sweating as her gaze swivelled over and away from Hack.

The young girl seemed mildly amused by the specimen in front of her, her mouth tweaking upwards in a smile.

"Yes? Do I know you?"

Hawkins paled, desperately trying to cling to some shred of hope that Hack was alright and he could at least buy some time to let them recover. Even if he suffered, even if he had to fight with every ounce of his strength, he could- no, he would see Wisp again.

"No, but it's wonderful to meet you, Cricket. My names Hawkins but you can call me Hawky if you like." Hawkins said, grinning as genuinely as he could.

Mantis stared at him in derision, picking herself off the ground achingly slow as Hack struggled to do the same. Odi was quietly gauging the situation, her scales quivering despite her dazed expression. Hawkins knew at the end of the day that regardless of Trait, a kid was still a kid.

Cricket was still smiling but it was no longer bright and happy. Hawkins had stuck his hand out for a handshake, looking her straight in the eyes regardless of who she was and what she had done. She smiled, giggling as she took his hand and shook it.

"Hawky? That's a real funny name, mister." She said, her haze drifting closer and closer as Hawkins fought the urge to jerk backwards.

Sweat poured down his neck as his legs threatened to buckle but he stood firm and let Cricket hold her hand as much as she wanted.

'She's just a kid. That's all. Just a scared little kid who doesn't know what she's doing.'

"Is it? Well, yours is a real pretty name. I like it much better than mine." He continued, his voice croaking a little.

Cricket eyes narrowed a fraction, gripping his hand tighter. Hawkins muscles tensed, betraying his nerves as the young girl swung his arm playfully and forced him to do the same. He smiled at her, continuing his charade as Cull huddled in the corner trying to get as much heat as he could muster into his dying sister.

"It is, isn't it?" Cricket said matter of fact as if nothing in the world was truer.

Cull had taken off his jacket and wrapped it around her but still the embers of her grimoire threatened to flicker out, burning page by page as Hazard watched the scene take place with a wicked glint in his eyes.  Hawkins couldn't blame him. He only wanted to be free. Mantis continued to stare, a mixture of horror and disbelief as she continued to warily test her own abilities. Hawkins Trait slowly began to mix with the green haze as if it wanted to play with the young girl.

"Your Trait is fun!" She squealed, trying to catch it with her other hand, loosening her grip on Hawkins hand.

He couldn't help but chuckle, turning his hand over to make the smoke chase the green haze as the shapes changed to a silvery hawk, skimming through the air as it tickled Cricket's fingers.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you to say." He said, as Cricket let go of his hand.

Hawkins bit his lip. He couldn't keep this up forever. Cricket's Trait only seemed to work on one person at a time and right now all of her attention was on his Trait. He didn't have much left to work with and although he now had both hands to work with he couldn't think of how else to help the young girl.

"Of course it is. I'm the one who said it." Cricket replied, her haze forming a web of Trait to try to catch his hawk.

She was getting frustrated, her Trait doubling in size as it attempting to cover a large expanse of the area they were still holed up in. Hawkins tugged at the smoke at once, attempting to filter through the haze to form something else but it seemed she was a quick learner. She had extinguished the last bits of his Trait with her own and was now bored, folding her arms grumpily.

"Again." She snapped as Hawkins mind filled with dread.

He took a wary step back, his mind rushing with half baked ideas but he was too frightened to think of anything.

"I'm sorry, I can't. I'm out of Trait-"

Hawkins felt his breath leave his lungs, silently choking him as Cricket leered over him.

"Liar."

Hawkins fell to his knees, the pounding in his head became a wardrum of his doom as he pulled at his collar trying to get something away from his neck but he didn't know what. His eyes were burning from the inside, unable to scream as his cheeks turned purple. Shaking his head rapidly, he tried to find the strength to grab his lighter but all he slammed his hand down on the rocky gravel.

"Show me what's in your pocket, Hawky.  I know you have it."

He couldn't respond even if he wanted to. His heart pounded rapidly in his ears, eyes stinging as the green haze tugged viciously at his Trait. Cricket had full control of him and she would get exactly what she wanted. Hawkins tried to fight the constricting Trait but he could feel his arms move towards his jacket, brushing against the unfamiliar Trait it needed so desperately.

"No!" Odi roared loudly, her voice much weaker than before but it was enough for Cricket's concentration to slip.

Hawkins felt the pressure lessen just a fraction as he reared his head up to breathe, coughing violently as he did so. His lungs burned with the effort, unable to do anything else but lie on the slightly smouldering ground. Cricket was not pleased, facing off against the interfering dragon who was hesitant but remorseful.

"I-It was an accident. I hurt Rin. I couldn't control my size in time and I...I'm sorry. Please! Leave Hawkins out of this. This is my fault, all of it is my fault." Odi said, confessing to the accident which made the Scale Shrieker feel so guilty inside.

Hawkins groaned, a spike of fear piercing through him as his brain registered what had just been uttered.

"You attacked my Rin." Cricket said, her eyes wide at the thought. "That is unforgivable."

Hawkins curled up in a ball as Odi's screams echoed around him just like those before her. He couldn't do anything to help her. He knew the excruciating pain she was experiencing and could see Hack struggling to find the courage to intervene or comfort her. He was terrified, hurriedly edging away from the girl to the nearest point of rock he could find. He had every right to feel afraid.

Hawkins was exhausted, the green haze intertwining its way around Cricket's new play thing. It pulled at Odi's tail, snaked around her beautiful scales as her eyes turned green with fear, her claws and tail thrashing at her own body, crushing her from the inside out as different parts of her rapidly shrank and grew, restricting her movement and deforming every scale with precision and speed.

"Die, dragon." Cricket hissed, standing only a few feet away from the rapidly shrinking dragon.

Odi shrieked as the creaking sound of bones being shredded through the sinew in her wings and forcing them to break and contort horribly. Hack forced himself to look away, his eyes full of fury and sorrow but his cursed leg would not let him move. Then, like a blur in the night two blazing shapes cut through the haze like a blade in the wind, growling viciously as they lunged onto the girl.

"You dare to mutilate an innocent Agar, witch!" Blaize howled, digging her claws into her back.

Cricket screamed as she reeled back as if struck by lightning, her Trait attempting to strangle the two outraged Firestep wolves but their flames goaded them away, too hot for the Trait to cling to the air and with fire, came a barrage of smoke.

Hawkins breathed heavily allowing the smoke to settle his fatigue as he attempted to pry himself up off the ground and think of a plan. He reached for the black grimoire only to hesitate as Cricket's smoking form came into view. Grabbing his lighter, Hawkins quickly let loose the cap underneath as the smoke soon filled the container just as Blaize was flung from Crickets back.

"No!" Hazard cried out, getting distracted long enough for the haze to trap him in its embrace.

Hawkins went through what he knew as quickly as possible. Odi was severely crippled, Hack was brutally traumatised, Mantis was still in a state of shock and Cull was attempting to awaken Rin. The two Firestep wolves had been immobilised and Thea had disappeared without instructions from her Agar. There was only one thing left to do.

"Now. Give me that grimoire." Cricket said, turning back around to face him.

She had horrible third degree burns all the way down her neck and skull, her hair had been scorched away in large patches of burnt and crusty scabs as droplets of hardened lava dripped down her forehead. Cricket growled not unlike the wolves who had attacked her, summoning her haze with a wave of her hand as Hawkins tried to steel himself for what was to come.

"No."

The pain came before he could even finish. It bored down onto his brain like righteous anger tearing into his thoughts. But still Hawkins fought to stay on his knees, the lingering smoke giving him more hope than he had ever felt. His fingers trembled as he flicked on the switch, a small pinprick of flame illuminating him against the sea of green.

"I'll burn it." Hawkins said through clenched teeth, his nose bleeding with the sheer force of Cricket's compulsion.

His hands shook, slick with grime and sweat as he edged the lighter closer towards the black book. Hawkins was glad Odi wasn't conscious to see this. He felt an ache in the pit of his heart at the thought of all that work they did to try to open it. Cricket's haze was inches away from the book, attempting to blot out the lighter by smothering it but it was no use.

"Stay back, ya damn heathen!" Cull yelled, much to Hawkins surprise.

The Fire Traited has one hand on his slowly stirring sister and the other outstretched in front of him as if attempting to steady an invisible flame. The lighter began to burn with an intensity he'd never seen before causing even Cricket's Trait to shrink back in fear. Cull let out an animalistic scream sending everything he could at the little spark.

"No!" Cricket screamed, reaching for the book just as a blitz of red and green clashed and Cull collapsed onto his sister.

Hawkins shut his eyes, willing his Smoke Trait to surround him as the black grimoire responded to the flames the only way it knew how. The dark, rusted chains reappeared in an instant, sending the large amount of Trait ricocheting straight back at them. Cricket spun in the air and slammed into the wall as Hawkins was flung back in the other direction, sent sailing towards the abandoned streets nearest the clearing.

A large block of earth soon rose to catch him, a stairway of colliding slabs to lessen the blow as best they could. Hawkins groaned, barely able to see thanks to the dizzying impact but the arrival of rain soon helped to clear the dust. Hack stood only a few metres away, bent over in exhaustion but the hold over his Trait was as firm as ever.

"Are you insane, boyo?" Hack yelled up at him. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

Hawkins laughed, throwing his head up as far as he could before digging around in his pockets for a cigarette. His eyes caught the black grimoire lying next to him, completely untouched but his lighter was twisted and gnarled from the flames, about as useful as a flying rock. He sighed, throwing his cigarette down onto the slab he was sitting on and let the Sand Wraith lower him down.

"Guess I am pretty insane for wanting to save your sorry ass." Hawkins said, his legs dangling off the edge.

The Sand Wraith gave him a bloody grin, his teeth still marred by his own doing. Bit by bit the Earth Traited retracted the 'seat slab' until it replanted itself into the ground.

"You couldn't have made this seat any softer, could ya? Turned it into gold or something?" Hawkins joked despite himself as he landed on the ground with a thump.

"Not that kind of Traited, Hawkins." Hack said, pulling him up with his spare hand.

He looked at him in surprise, smiling genuinely for the first time in a while as the Sand Wraith helped his old colleague up onto his feet. Hawkins swayed suddenly, still unsteady from the blast and the fact his old mentor didn't call him boyo. Hack gripped the exhausted Hawkins tight, embracing him in a hug which he never knew he needed until now.

"I'm sorry about your lighter, boyo. I know your old man gave it to ya." Hack said, shifting his weight a little.

"Yeah, well. Some things are more important." Hawkins said, his sadness muffled by the Sand Wraith's scales.

He couldn't help but look down at the ground. Somewhere, buried beneath all the rock and dirt was the last thing he had of his deceased father. Other than his name, Hawkins had no reminder other than the jacket he wore on his back and the mysterious Trait he inherited from his father's side. The only father figure he'd ever had was the grumpy coot of a Sand Wraith in front of him.

Hack broke away, clapping Hawkins gently on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I'd like to live to see the next century."

Hawkins began to snicker as they slowly began to laugh alongside each other, the crotchety old Sand Wraith clinging to the crazy Smoke Traited. They began hobbling together towards the cluster of people banded together by the same purpose of survival.

The mood was sombre as Rin was caught up on the situation, her role now reversed with her brother who was now struggling to keep awake and ahold of his Trait. To keep herself preoccupied away from the topic of Cricket and Cull, Rin was slowly but surely coaxing her Trait through Odi to keep her alive as she provided as much protection as she could for Cull from the dirt ridden ground.

He was nestled near Odi's chest as she whimpered loudly in her sleep, her scales still stained with blood but a burnt orange haze lingered around the more severe sections of her wounds as Thea flitted about hurriedly trying to ease some of her pain. Mantis sat away from the group, scowling as she clutched her neck and allowed her Agar to fret over her wounds before swatting her away, the two wolves keeping their distance huddled up behind her.

"Er...thanks. For looking after Odi." Hawkins said awkwardly, not sure who to make eye contact with.

Hack gripped his arm tight for support, his scales paling at the sight of his injured old friend. Mantis didn't respond, not liking this new found camaraderie against people they were supposed to kill.

"It was my fault Cricket did this. Her Betwitcher Trait is...unbreakable. But you saved us, even though you could have ended me right then and there." Rin said bluntly, focusing on the writhing Scale Shrieker.

Hack couldn't take his eyes off Odi, his scales trembling at the sight of her broken body.

"Is..is she-"

Rin shook her head.

"I don't know. She sleeping but her injuries are very severe. I don't know if she'll be able to recover from them or if she'll even be able to fly but...had it happened during the day she would most likely be dead."

Hack sank to the floor, head in his hands as he covered his claws over his head in shame. Hawkins heart sank for his friend both old and new as he sat on the ground beside Hack just so he knew he wasn't alone. He didn't know their relationship but he knew that the Sand Wraith only cared when it mattered the most.

"Odi is only alive because she is affiliated with the night. That grimoire you have in your pocket is blatant proof of it. It shouldn't even be here and it's your damn fault it is in the first place!" Mantis said, speaking up at last but with a touch less venom in her voice.

"Why should you care? You wanted to kill us!" Hawkins interjected, not allowing the elf to slander Odi's Trait.

"You know nothing as always, stupid Mediator. We Enforcers may be strong but we are not monsters like Cricket. Even we have limits. You forced our hand when that Earth bastard tried to bury us alive all for a damn book!" Mantis snarled, standing up to face off against Hawkins once more.

"Enough!" Rin yelled, sounding eerily like Cricket which made everyone jump. "Fighting like this isn't gonna help us stop her. I can't subdue her on my own, not without Cullian."

"So what, you want us to team up with these blockheads we're supposed to take out? I'd rather let the demons take me." Mantis complained, folding her arms to avoid her companions glare.

"Yes. We have no idea where Cricket's gone or how much control over her Trait she has left but we do know she's gonna come back here much angrier and stronger than before. We have to stop her." Rin said, the flames beginning to dim around her a little.

Before Hawkins or Mantis could even think of anything to argue about, a large explosion boomed around the abandoned sections of the Axis. Buildings began to fall like dominoes, screams of people echoed as the sound grew louder and the haze of green grew louder. They'd be lucky to get ten minutes to formulate a plan before that little girl was here. There was no time to argue.

"Oh for Hells sake. Fine." Mantis said, clasping her hand with Rin's in agreement before grinning wickedly.

"So, what's the plan, Hawky?"