====Part 9 of the [[FoundationoftheNine Foundation of the Nine]] - Fleeing to the Lab and the Death of Tessa====
**Date:** 11-12 November 659 CE
**Location:** [[TheScholarsGuild The Scholar's Guild]]

[[Alaistar Rolo]] tries to get his family into the middle of the back of people going  It’s easily done, [[VirgilBelmont Virgil]] nods at you and assigns extra guards, to the center bit where [[Alaistar Rolo]] and his family are.  [[Alaistar Rolo]] nods back appreciatively.  [[Miyen Mi-yen]] takes rear guard.

They all encounter some wraiths on the way. Moving together as a group they are all able to pretty much hold off the wraiths, though they become strung out a bit and separated. 

When that happens, [[VirgilBelmont Virgil]] splits his men, gives each group a man to get the group to where they are going, and takes the largest group, [[ZinRaishin Zin]], [[Alaistar Rolo]], his family, and the injured himself.

[[Mi-yen]], [[Hugh]] and [[RenjiYoritomo Renji]] become separated from the main group for a time.

At the lab, [[Alaistar Rolo]] arrives in the second group to reach the lab, and when he arrives, [[DeviWong Devi]], [[Chen]] and [[Raven]] are already there there. In the fighting [[AshamAshari Asham]] sacrificed himself to get them though, if he had not they all would have died. [[MustafaOmarMohammed Mustafa]] makes it barely clinging to life.

Next come [[RenjiYoritomo Renji]], [[Hugh]], and [[Miyen Mi-yen]].  She looks more angry and her coat is now buttoned.

Next comes [[SebastianNemo Nemo]], he is injured, cuts across his body and a bloody nose and black eye that is swelling up. He has discarded his red robe somewhere in the process and stumbles across the threshold.

[[Miyen Mi-yen]] looks at him for a moment, then goes over, her face stony and offers him a hand up.  He grabs it, his face set in stone, but with a shamed look in his eyes and stands. "The rest of the Alchemists," He spits a bit when he says the last word. "Will not be joining us. Close the seal."

[[Raven]] looks up in confusion for a moment then nods, and you feel her power build up inside of her, and she forces it out into the chalk runes, and there is a hum of power and the doors close.

[[Alaistar Rolo]] look at him and says, "Brother, I am sorry for your loss. It is our loss as well. but I must ask: did they get the items your brethren sought to protect?”

[[SebastianNemo Nemo]] says, "They sought only for themselves. I am ashamed for my guild.  They are the traitors, I am certain of it.  The made a deal with the wraiths. Where they are now I’m not sure. But it is possible the wraiths now know our plans."

[[Raven]] speaks, "The barrier is up, but there is still a link, I can feel it now, connected as I am...it is small but there wraiths are still with us."  In obvious concentration she continues. " I can feel it,.." her eyes slowly pass over each of the group.

Everyone freezes, waiting.  Her gaze comes to rest on [[Alexi Tessa]]. "There, she announces."

"No!" [[Alaistar Rolo]] instantly moves between [[Alexi Tessa]] and the rest of the group

[[Alaistar Rolo]]'s face contorts in concentration.  His arms outstretched as if to stay stand back.  After a moment tears begin to roll down his cheeks.  The others pull back.

He turns to [[Raven]] "There must be something we can do.  It's so tiny"
	\
[[Winter]] says, "We will do all we can, we must first contain this..." [[Alexi Tessa]] looks out at the group confused. [[Winter]] says, take your child.

[[Alaistar Rolo]] turns to [[Alexi Tessa]] and speaks in Russian.

[[Raven]] nods, [[VirgilBelmont Virgil]] draws his blade and with him guarding her, she begins to draw a chalk circle around [[Alexi Tessa]].

[[Alaistar Rolo]] gently removes the child from [[Alexi Tessa’s]] arms.  [[Alexi Tessa]] speaks back in Russian sounding confused.

[[Winter]] takes the small boy away from [[Alaistar Rolo]] so he can have his hands free.
  
[[Alaistar Rolo]] steps into the circle to be next to his wife, they kiss and whisper in Russian.
 
[[Raven]] completes the circle around the two of them.

[[DeviWong Devi]], [[Raven]], [[SebastianNemo Nemo]], [[TomoLuKang Tomo]], [[ZinRaishin Zin]] and [[Chen]] talk to each other.
 
[[VirgilBelmont Virgil]], [[RenjiYoritomo Renji]], [[Omi]], [[Hugh]] and [[Miyen Mi-yen]] watch the doors.

[[ZinRaishin Zin]] breaks off from the group and goes to his student. "[[Alaistar Rolo]], we must discuss the options with you."

[[Alaistar Rolo]] responds in Chinese.  “Then do so.”

[[ZinRaishin Zin]] looks grim. “There are a few options, please step out of the circle. I swear to you on my life we will not do anything until we have told you all we 
know.  The final decision will rest with you.”

[[Alaistar Rolo]] pulls her tight and steps out.

Once [[Alaistar Rolo]] is out of the circle and she is in, [[ZinRaishin Zin]] nods to [[Raven]] and she pours some energy into the circle. [[Raven]] says, "I have sealed the circle, the wraith, and [[Alexi Tessa]] will not be able to hear what is said."

[[ZinRaishin Zin]] nods. “Our options are few my friend, the wraith has a hold on her soul, but has not consumed it yet. We believe it has not so it can continue to spy on us.  The simplest and safest way to save her from that fate is to kill her now. It is not pleasant but we can at least be assured that her soul will move on instead of being consumed. The danger to us and her will be past. But I know that would be a painful choice so I tell you the other option.  We can attempt to remove the wraith from her soul, we have some strength and some knowledge of this. And we have [[Chen]], who has been through this before. It is possible we could save her. But if we go down that road there exists a chance a large chance that it will either kill her anyway, or destroy her soul, or turn her into a wraith. We are not sure, what will happen.”

[[Alaistar Rolo]] says, “But I can only feel it in the wound.  Can't we just cut it out.”
 
[[Chen]] says, “The wound is an outward reflection of her soul. Removing the wound would cover it up, but not cure it.  The damage is to her soul, not her flesh.”

[[Alaistar Rolo]] says, “What if we gave it another option?”

[[ZinRaishin Zin]] says, "Bargain with it?"

[[Alaistar Rolo]] says, “She” he looks panicked “has no power.  Certainly the wraith would prefer a soul that is gifted and freely given!  You told me they preferred a soul freely given.”
 
[[Chen]] says, "They do"

[[Alaistar Rolo]] says, “I will give myself to it and you can destroy me.  Please, our child needs his mother.  Please …” . 

[[ZinRaishin Zin]] says, "The child needs both its parents.  I don’t know if we can do it. We can try to transfer it, but might kill you both...gods preserve us, it might take you both.”

[[Alaistar Rolo]] says, “We have to try.  If she dies I will be useless to you anyway.”
 
[[Raven]] says, "If a decision is to be made it must be made quickly, "straining "I cannot hold both seals up for very long.

“If she dies, I die,” says [[Alaistar Rolo]].
 
[[ZinRaishin Zin]] says, "You are stronger than that, I know you are, she would want you to go on."

[[Alaistar Rolo]] says, “We will attempt the transfer and then you can attempt to remove the wraith from me or destroy me, at your will.

[[ZinRaishin Zin]] says, "But the choice is yours. Go speak to her and let her know what is going on. She will have the best chance to fight to win, if she knows what is 
coming."
 
[[Alaistar Rolo]] moves to [[Winter]] and kneels down.  “[[Winter]] , you were my first family. I regret that we have been unable to live as family these many years. But now I must ask you more than I have any right. Please protect him if all else fails. Please protect him. I love you both beyond words.”  [[Alaistar Rolo]] walks over to the circle
 
[[Winter]] nods, "He will be cared for."
 
He looks at [[Raven]], “May I enter?”  [[Raven]] nods.  [[Alaistar Rolo]] takes a single step forward inside the circle.  As he enter the sounds drops away.  
The rest in the room watch them in silence as they speak to one another.

[[Alaistar Rolo]] is crying. he drops to both knees.  They kiss and [[Alaistar Rolo]] pulls her close and embraces her.  He places his hand over her mouth and nose and gently applies pressure.  He's sobbing.  She smiles at him and her eyes meet his. She closes them.  She goes still.

[[Raven]] says, "The taint is gone. Her soul is free.  She has gone to a better place."
 
[[Alaistar Rolo]] scoops her body and steps outside the circle and places her gently the ground.

She lies still, looking peaceful, the wound on her leg no longer looks black.  He cries for a long while and then is silent.   After a while he stands up and takes [[Sacha]] and holds him.

[[Miyen Mi-yen]] looks at [[Alaistar Rolo]] for a moment, empathy in her eyes before turning back to her watch.

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