### ** sinner **
** [scene: deep in the forest - midnight] **
*(The forest is terribly quiet when Elara, Lucian and their new, unwanted companion - Seraphine - walked carefully over the trees. The mask is in the air, strong and unnatural, making every shadow alive.
** Lucian: ** (grinding) "I still don't believe her."
** serraphine: ** (ridicule) "I'm really injured."
** Elara: ** (sigh) "Enough. We don't have time for that."
** Lucian: ** "We don't have time*die*but here we are."
** seraphine: ** (grinning) "You protected me, the prince."
*(Lucian solidifies. Elara notices immediately.)*
** Elara: ** (sharply) "What did you just tell him?"
** seraphine: ** (grinned) "Oh? Didn't he tell you?"
** Lucian: ** (growl) "Drup to".
*(Elara looks between them, the suspicion grows. Seraphine leans slightly, her golden eyes shine.)*
** serraphine: ** (ridicule) "Your charming companion has several of their own secrets."
** Elara: ** (Lucian) "Is that true?"
** Lucian: ** (clenched the jaw) "No now, Ela."
** Elara: ** (firm) "When?"
*(There is a heavy silence.
** serraphine: ** (occasional) "Secrets are such*delicate*things. So easily breaks."
** Elara: ** (cold) "Leave your games to yourself, Shadowborn."
** serraphine: ** (laughs) "Oh, I like*."
*(Before Lucian can catch back, something moves in the fog. Laughter dies. Seraphine straightens, all the amusement disappeared.)*
** Serraphine: ** (Low Voice) "We are not alone."
** Lucian: ** (hand on his dagger) "I hate*this forest."
*(Air shifts. Whispering, ancient and fragile, connects trees.)*
** whispering voice: ** "Blood… Cursed blood…"
*(Elara times. The voice is not human. Not completely.)*
** Elara: ** (Whispering) "We have to move."
*(The character emerges from the fog - tall, skeletal, her skin stretched just across the jagged bones. His eyes shone unnatural blue, locked on Era.
** Creation: ** "The sinner is calling for me*."
** Lucian: ** (mumble) "A*that's our allusion to running."
*(Creation with lungs. Elara barely lifts the shield over time, the power of his attack, which sent her to stumbling.
** Lucian: ** (screaming) "Little help here?!"
** serraphine: ** (ridicule) "Oh but you do it*well*."
** Elara: ** (lapping) "serraphine!"
*(Seraphine dramatically sighs, then raises his hand. The pulse of the dark energy explodes from her palm and hits creation. She shouts, turns away.)*
** serraphine: ** (sweet) "there. Happy?"
** Lucian: ** (frozen) "Not approaching."
*(Creation is recovering unnaturally quickly. He turns his hollow view of Elar, his voice moves into something almost ... begging.)*
** Creation: ** (Whispering) "Give me it."
** Elara: ** (shaken) "Give*what*?"
** Creation: ** (desperate) "Knowledge. Truth.*Curse*."
*(Elar's chest tightens. The memories inside her - royal sins, darkness tied to her soul - exclude as a second heart rhythm. Creation*wants*it. He needs it.)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)
** Lucian: ** (grim) "Elara, don't listen to it."
** Serraphine: ** (I watch carefully) "No… Organize it."
** Lucian: ** (in disbelief) "Are you*mad*?"
** seraphine: ** (grinned) "debatable".
*(Elara progresses forward, ignores their bickering. He meets the hollow look of creation, something cold in the stomach.)*
** Elara: ** (stable voice) "Why do you want it?"
*(Creation is shaking as if she had barely held together.)*
** Creation: ** (Whispering) "Be Free…"
** Lucian: ** (tense) "Elara, we have to go."
** serraphine: ** (tilts head) "or… she could have traded."
** Elara & Lucian: ** (at the same time) "What?"
** seraphine: ** (grinning) "The thing wants a curse.*You want answers. It looks like it is fair."
** Lucian: ** (furiously) "Do you suggest*give out*the only weapon we have?!"
** serraphine: ** (ridicule) "Oh, please. As if even know how to use*."
*(Elara hesitates. Creation moves and senses her uncertainty.)*
** Creation: ** (Whispering) "Negotiations… Price…"
*(Lucian Steps in front of Elara, his body tense.)*
** Lucian: ** (low, dangerous) "Not happening."
*(Seraphine follows them, something unreadable flashing over her expression. Then he sighs.)*
** serraphine: ** "Well, you're*no*fun."
*(Raises a hand. Shadows around her pulse - and suddenly creation*shouts*.)*
*(Elara stumbles back when the dark energy explodes from Seraphin's palm and wrapped around creation like chains.
** Elara: ** (horrified) "Serraphine, stop!"
*(Seraphine just smiles when the form of creation begins to dissolve in the fog.)*
** Creation: ** (whispering, fading) "You… are ... a key sinner…"
*(With one last shout, creation*disappears*.)*
*(Silence.)*
*(Elara turns to seraphine, fury in her eyes.)*
** Elara: ** (furiously) "You didn't have to kill it!"
** serraphine: ** (ridicule) "Oh? And let it take what*rightly*belong to you? What wasting."
** Lucian: ** (shakes head) "gods, you are*twisted*."
** serraphine: ** (smile) "I was called worse."
*(Elara clenched his fists and forces himself to breathe.
*(The last words of creation burns in her mind.)*
** Elara: ** (Whispering) "The key of a sinner…"
** Lucian: ** (quietly) "Elara?"
** Elara: ** (determined) "We have to get to the capital. Now."
*(Lucian studies her, then nods. Even Seraphine seems fascinated.)
*Seraphine: (grinned) "Now it's interesting."
(And when they disappeared into the night, none of them noticed the golden eyes watching from the shadows.)
[Continue…]