Lecta
As the clouds began to roll over Lecta, they continued their silent march and not a single drop of rain fell. The sand began to turn cold under his skin though and no matter what he tried Lecta would begin to feel a pit of dread well up within him, an unstoppable force that paralysed his muscles. Lecta did not have much time to ponder this, however, as merely a minute or two after the clouds first passed over him, he heard a wooshing sound and a voice in his ear. “Hello Lecta.” The voice seemed to be that of Arthur’s, but the tone… the tone sounded like his throat had been sandpapered and he was growling out all of his words. His voice sent an involuntary tingle of shiver’s down Lecta’s back. “Now be a good boy and go to sleep.” As he heard the words, Lecta heard a wooshing sound from behind him again, though he was unable to make it out the cause and suddenly he felt an impact to the back of his head and then… blackness. Arthur picked up the boy from the floor, taking his pack and equipment as well, before the pair of them turned into dark shadows and vanished, flying up to rejoin the dark swirling mass of clouds.
Sam
As Seamus called about lighting the hearth, Sam picked himself up off the floor from where he’d been sitting down, having completed his investigation. “I’ve got this, don’t worry Seamus.” Producing a small tinderbox from his pack he grabbed some wood from the storage section that he’d found under the loft, a section that was otherwise devoid of goods, and made up the fire, using the techniques that they’d learnt. A couple of unsuccessful strikes later, he managed to get the fire to catch and, with a grin, he added a few more logs to the flames, letting the fire begin to burn. The smoke drifted up and, instead of gathering inside the hut, drifted out through gaps in the roofing which had been designed to let gas out but not water in. As the fire quietly crackled away, Sam sat back down against the wall and produced some bread which he ate with some of his own dried meats. Deciding to forgo other foodstuffs for the night, Sam leant his back against the wall and closed his eyes. Suddenly, ghostly screams of men, women, and children rang out in his ears and he bolted upright again, the rapier coming clean out of its sheath and pointing across the room at no-one in particular, but firm and resolute in its grasp. Sighing, Sam sheathed the weapon and muttered an apology to no-one in particular before sinking back down against the wall, his eyes open, waiting for him to fall asleep from the sleep deprivation if nothing else.
Donna
As Kulos approached, Donna forced a smile onto her face and as Kulos made her request, Donna agreed, though requesting that they keep it short. The storm should be hitting pretty soon and I don’t want to get caught up in that. As they walked round the back together, the air was tense and Donna felt almost as if the air were pressing in against her. Her natural instinct was to run but she liked Kulos and she’d enjoyed their night together and she wanted this to work and Kulos wanted to talk and if Kulos wanted to talk then it had to be important and. Kulos interrupted her thoughts as she began to speak, the pair having reach the back of the hut without Donna having noticed. As she listened to the other girl, she began to feel thoroughly miserable as it dawned on her exactly just what she’d done. “Oh Kulos…” As the other girl finished, Donna flung her arms around Kulos and hot, salty tears began to run down her face. Her voice was barely a whisper, but as her mouth nestled next to the other girl’s ear, that was more than enough. “I’m sorry Kulos, I’ve been an absolute… I… Sorry. I love you Kulos, I do, but this is… I… I’m supposed to be brave and here I am, running away from… Sorry.” Words failing her, she just hugged the girl tighter letting the tears run down her face as she stood there, her lover wrapped in her arms.
Dianne
As Seamus approached, the blade continued to whirl faster and faster, moving until it was almost an impossible blur to the regular human eye and even Dianne was having a difficult time. As Seamus called out her name, however, the blade paused mid swing, hovering in the air as if waiting to be brought down upon an unsuspecting prey. As she listened to his request, she made up her mind and thought over the potential possibilities in terms of who could be in the shadows. When Seamus had finished, she gave a quick sharp nod and spun the scythe either side of her, the blade mere inches above the floorboards, before bringing it to bear on her back. Stepping outside of the hut, she narrowed her eyes and began to scan the horizon. The sun was beginning to set in the sky at this point and as it began to dip below the horizon, the most bizarre thing occurred. As the night sky began to take gradual dominance, the clouds, which had been less than twenty minutes from their shelter, began to fade from existence. Dianne jumped up, grabbing the edge of the building’s roof, and silently climbed up to sit and get a better view, apparently ignorant of the existence of Donna and Kulos, where she proceeded to watch the clouds for the next five minutes. Once she was certain that they were not to reappear she slipped down again, dropping silently to the desert floor. Re-entering the building, she flashed a quick grin at Seamus. “I didn’t see him but the cloud dispersed with nightfall, so he probably got through alright. I’d bet he just made his way through the storm but it looked like it was barely raining at all so I doubt he’s more than just a little bit wet and lonely. It’ll be fine though, we should see him at the Ultimate One’s cave.”