In a moment of weakness

Darin would let out a shaky breath, his thoughts once more having become a jumbled mess over the topic at hand. It was a relentless thought, one that hadn't let go of him since his near death experiences months prior. Outwardly he hadn't shown any sign of Cyril's brutality, or the plague nearly killing him being something of a problem but...inwardly was another story altogether. What if you don't even make it long enough to see the city finished? What if you die before then, never get to live in this new future opened up for you? What will you even do if you do manage to survive that long? The aegislash would grumble and shake his head, curling his fingers up into his hair to grasp the dark locks as some kind of distraction. "I can do this...we'll make it there.." Muttered under his breath, although weakly-not sounding convinced. It was getting harder and harder to keep these thoughts pushed down as he ended up experiencing more danger, as more crazy things happened to these islands. As..he found himself just barely above helpless to all of it. A little over a year ago he had had only one clear future, but now...now there was something so much bigger, so much better waiting for him. And he was absolutely terrified of not making it there.

Act would watch as the thief would curl in on himself, feeling this struggle come on again and very gently reach out to place a supportive cloth hand upon one of his shoulders. The comforting action interrupted however by the sound of laughter trailing toward them from down the street. To which the familiar would immediately whip around to face it, calling out "Who goes? Show yourself!" fully ready to chase off a threat. It wasn't often people would come laughing down these streets in the middle of the night, even the drunkards should be rare this late. The blade's demands would only be greeted with words spoken so sweetly they could have been bathed in silk. A robed stranger would appear almost instantly, casually walking around the familiar and toward Darin whilst ignoring Act's blade pointed in their direction. The thief would be on his feet in seconds, backing away from the approaching man. This couldn't be a worse time for someone to come to him looking for trouble, and he wanted no part of it. He'd be turning his heel to run when those silky sweet words would meet his ears, the aegislash hesitating. A dream, a desire...he bit his lip in a bout of nerves and allowed himself to really look at the person in front of him. He couldn't see their face, but the feeling radiating off of them sent off danger signals in every way-hadn't...Brenton talked about a robed man? He'd suck in a breath, taking several more steps backwards, the man following him along while still talking and slowly pulling a metal bangle from a sleeve. Sure enough..it held the same kind of stone that had plagued his friend before. 

The aegislash would stumble over his words and hold his hands up in front of him, having no answer for the man's promises. "Don't you want to see your dreams come to fruition? Don't you want to survive?" They'd go on, the very last word stopping Darin in his tracks. A look of utter desperation had come over him, his eye dropping down to that little stone held within the bangle. "That's all I need to hear." The stranger would comment, a sense of victory coating the words. "Back away you fiend!! I shall not allow this!" interrupted Act, the blade flinging itself through the air in an attempt to slash the robed man. Who would unfortunately sidestep it with the utmost of ease, glancing as the blade flew by with a smirk before stepping forwards and clasping the bangle around one of Darin's upheld wrists.

The two aegislash would lock eyes as the moment seemed to happen in slow motion, a look of shock over the familiar, and one of fear meeting it's gaze. Why did this keep happening? Each time danger met them now he found himself locking up, so afraid that he'd stumble over himself like a fool. Not even able to run away from something he knew wasn't going to end up in anything but pain for him. And yet this stranger had found him in a moment of utter weakness, and in that weakness he had wanted something to take away the thoughts that had come to torment his mind. The thief knew he was weak, knew he was no warrior..and yet still met these dangers head first...how had he done that so often before?

In an instant the man would be gone, the stone activating and an explosion of ice overcoming the area. All across the walls, street and buildings would be a thick coating of almost metallic looking ice, spikes arisen from many of the frozen over areas. As night left and morning came, the ice would still be there..and if inspected carefully, so would be a trail of frozen steps leading away from the city.