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Post by Faro/Blade on Jan 21, 2015 12:45:48 GMT -6
The long night of travel after events in the Castle Town had made it clear that things were starting to get out of their control. Mathayus, a staunch ally and valuable friend, had been slain by Syrus through Argoth's steel. His child, a young girl called Natsumi, had been implanted with an imperfect creature similar to Max's, and had lost her own mind to the beast. Max himself was slowly losing the battle to contain the defective creature, and the boy inched towards death's door with each passing day. In the conflict during which these events occurred, Argoth sustained heavy damage despite his own considerable prowess. In this case, Faro determined that Syrus showing up was in fact a blessing in disguise. If he had not reared his head that day, Faro would not have arrived in time to save those present from Max and his demon.
In addition to those events, he learned of two other factors that could change the way future battles would play out. Firstly, Rii seemed to have a child with strange powers that Syrus had caught wind of. Travelling with three children that Syrus was interested in would make them targets, but if they could remain on guard they would have the advantage. Syrus was arrogant, but not brash. Thus far he had appeared only long enough to do whatever he needed to do, gloat, and then leave, all by his teleportation powers. For this reason, Faro had chosen the abandoned Skulltula house as their hideout. It had one entrance, but many exits that could allow them to escape quickly if needed. Faro moved inside slowly, his own flames lighting the way as he led Rii and the others in. He made his way to the back of the house, revealing a bed and a fireplace, among other things. "Do whatever you need to do." He told her before placing the two black cubes on the ground. "Don't touch those until they open." He advised. Closed Void Cubes weren't particularly dangerous, but it was better safe than sorry, especially considering the Twili child.
As he made his way to the door to check if they were followed, Faro recalled the second factor that could affect their struggle. It seemed that in the events leading up to the battle in which Mathayus perished, Argoth and Rii had developed something of a relationship. He wasn't going to pry, but he knew full well that it could cause problems if the former Zora or her child were made targets. For whatever reason, Syrus seemed incredibly committed to breaking Argoth down. If there was something there to exploit in their favor, he would have to find it out. Faro found nothing lurking around the house, but he kept his guard up. One could never be too careful when dealing with Syrus. Taking one last look, he retreated into the house. Faro boarded up the door before taking to the task of checking the exits next.
On a cliffside on the edge of town, a crag sculpted from the rich red earth that Death Mountain was famous for, stood a figure wearing polished black armor. A large sword hung from her back, polished like her armor. She seemed to know Faro's methods, as she only emerged once he had gone back inside. Thinking to herself, she wondered how to get in. Of course the front door would be watched. It might be safer to merely wait for one of them to pop out and ambush them. Maybe the woman. Or the wounded one. She knew the type, always getting out of bed and roaming around when they weren't supposed to. Sick people were very predictable. She stretched and went back to her campsite. Those were her options, she thought. Time to get out of this damned armor.
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Post by Rii/Thell on Jan 22, 2015 16:06:59 GMT -6
The abandoned house in Kakariko village was familiar to Rii, for she had explored it during her first visit. Not much had changed in the past few years, so she remembered where the open spaces were that were ideal for setting out her supplies. Following Faro's warning, she set up away from the cubes. While she was indeed curious, she did not have time to go against Faro's recommendation and touch the odd containers. There was too much to attend to.
"Is Arrrrrgod going to be o-kay, Mom-my?" the small child asked loudly, filling the silence. They had to be on the move after the encounter with Karis and Syrus, leaving Rii no time to properly see to the wounds upon scarring wounds upon healing wounds Argoth had received. On the back of Billiam she had ridden with her child pressed firmly to her chest and an analytical eye trained on the wounds she could see on Argoth. There had been no room to perform anything useful.
"Yes, sweetheart. So long as he listens to my requests this time," she assured the toddler softly as she rearranged Argoth on Billiam's saddle blanket before putting her pack upon the floor. "Would you like to help me get out my supplies?" The little Twili Zora child nodded her head eagerly, scampering over to sloppily open the satchel. "Gentle, little one. The bottles might break if you aren't very careful."
"And we cudn't help Arrrgod?"
"It would be much harder to help Argoth, yes," Rii answered, subtly correcting her daughter. As she wasn't even three, the girl was struggling with her 'L's and 'Th's.
Rii began to sift through supplies, plucking out various vials and bundles before handing them to her daughter to rest beside Argoth's form. Despite the open area she had claimed for healing, Rii kept her things rather close together, carefully contained in a single corner. "What's dat?" the child asked as she eyed the twisting yellow roots Rii held out to her.
"That's…" For a brief moment - after emphasizing the 'Th' for her daughter - she said nothing, caught off guard by the lack of the familiar echo in her head that would normally state the name and purpose behind the plant. "Roots of a Gallow's Vine," she eventually answered, drawing out the 'L'. Rii had hesitated. Rii had not instantaneously said the name. The thought nagged at the back of her skull as she continued, taking a second to recall the names of a few of the ingredients.
It unsettled her in a strange yet almost unnoticeable way. To gather herself and take a breath, Rii paused and reached for a leather tie to begin the unfamiliar motions of tying her wavy blonde hair back into a ponytail. It was a foreign feeling, running her scaleless finger tips through her newly grown hair. An oddly fascinating part of being human. So marvelously different. The observation allowed her to collect her thoughts, the ones she didn't wish to let wander. Rii hoped she never got used to this new business of existing within a human body.
"The pwants have names," the Twili Zora child suddenly noted. "Do I. Have a name?"
Rii furrowed her brow as she settled back onto the floor besides her daughter. "Not yet," she chose to answer honestly, fingers sliding to the hem of her white tunic and curling around the purple embroidery of the edge.
"Wonny. Has a. Name. Got it from… her mom-my and daaa-ddy she says. When she. Was. Born!" was the younger's eager and loud announcement, though Rii had no idea who this 'Wonny' was. And then, as if in further realization she added, "Did I used to. Have one? When I. Was. Born?"
Rii froze if only for a breath. "Ni-" and then, "No. I had not thought of one for you. And neither, it seems, had your father." Realizing she was repeatedly running the pads of her thumbs of the purple stitching of her tunic, Rii retracted her hands and instead moved to pour water into one of her bowls. "But if you would like…" another drawn out 'L' for her daughter "I could give you one. Or you could create one on your own."
The idea seemed to intrigue her child, her red and yellow eyes lighting up. "A name. For. Me?! Oooooo… I wonder if. I. Want one," she pondered aloud in her disjointed voice.
Rii giggled, firmly kissing the top of the girl's pearl-scaled forehead before dipping a cloth into her bowl of water. "You think on it," she murmured before turning towards Argoth to begin cleaning his injuries. She would need to go outside and fetch more water than she currently had, and perhaps locate some wood to create a few splints. But the idea went away when she noticed a pair of familiar eyes had opened. "Someone's awake," she remarked warmly to Argoth.
"Who?" the child called out excitedly, forgetting the roots she had been holding and leaning over to investigate Argoth's face. "Oh. It's Arrrrrrrrrgod."
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Mar 6, 2015 11:59:11 GMT -6
Unfortunately, Argoth mumbled as consciousness returned to him. His whole body ached. A throbbing sensation mixed with the uncomfortable heat that each cut or abrasion had while it healed. His head was pounding, and he began to feel exceptionally hot. Great, he thought, a fever. Argoth attempted to move but his muscles refused to operate without excruciating pain accompanying it. He sure as hell hoped that nothing happened while they were hiding out here. Argoth knew Faro could hold his own, fairly well in fact, but protecting three children, Rii, and himself, all at the same time would be quite difficult, even for a seasoned vet like Faro. And Argoth really didn't want Faro to have to sacrifice himself like he did. Another throb of pain reminded him exactly why, until he caught Rii's beautiful eyes looking down at him. Instantly he relaxed. If only he could get up to hug her. The two of them had been through a lot in the past couple days, and ever since they developed a connection he felt nothing but ease whenever she was near. Everything was okay, they made it out alive. And even though his body felt like it was disintegrating he found comfort in knowing she was by his side.
Argoth flashed a smile back at Rii and her daughter. "How long till I can walk, doc?"
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Post by Rii/Thell on Mar 7, 2015 17:02:20 GMT -6
Rii's daughter pulled back to glance at her. "Why. Did he. Caw you. Doc?"
Rii giggled but didn't answer the child right away, instead looking over at Argoth with fondness."Depends on your perspective," Rii started with a smile, bending over to gently run the damp cloth along the edges of one of Argoth's wounds. "Whereas I might say you can walk very slowly without assistance after five or six weeks, and run at two months depending on the healing of your wounds, you might instead act as if I told you it would be an eternity. In that way time is relative to the one experiencing it, or so I've found. Intriguing, no? Or just frustrating, if you're the one wounded."
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Post by Faro/Blade on Apr 14, 2015 0:12:38 GMT -6
Against the soft backdrop of golden light laid down by the gentle sun, a pair of shadows stood out. One walked along the ground as it should, and the other stood upright. Were it not for the sparse patches of skin peeking out from within the embrace of dark cloth, one would hardly be able to separate the two. Such was the way the young man who cast the shadow preferred.
The object of his interest at the moment stood a few yards away, a painted wooden mailbox placed beneath a tree near the narrow pass that led into the village. Every day, not too long from now, the postman came bearing windows into other lives in the form of folded parchments concealed in wax-sealed envelopes. Faro awaited one such package for news on Syrus. His disappearing acts were wearing thin as scriers became more adept at tracing him. Hopefully they had good news.
While Faro was away, a newcomer took advantage and scoped out the skulltula house. One who seemed familiar with his tricks, black plate boots tread carefully so as not to disturb those inside. A lack of any magical protections was a hallmark of Faro's as much as the dry leaves scattered around the yard in strategic locations were. Indications of little faith in magic and preference for less conspicuous methods. Just his style. Fortunately, it meant that whatever lurked inside would likely be simple to take care of, so long as he hadn't left his demon behind. Though perhaps that wouldn't be so bad. Such a perfect embodiment of power, all alone without its host. The newcomer longed for this sort of power, and it was within her grasp. Carefully, she opened the door and moved into the house, her footsteps careful and deliberate.
At the mailbox, it was quite a scene as the postman came running up, a hefty sack slung over his shoulder. He read off names and passed out letters, making sure everything was delivered properly. Faro quietly took his letter once he spotted the seal, making sure the postman ha dno time to announce the seal on the back, least of all in front of the guards. The wax seal was none other than that of the Royal Family, a trick Ganon enjoyed playing to make sure communications were not disturbed. It was a victimless crime. Stealing a stamp and only using the seal to conduct covert business ensured that the Royal would be slow to change their coat of arms. Tearing it open revealed a nondescript piece of parchment that faro quietly read from. "We have lost track of Syrus at this time, but the patterns of his appearances lead us to believe that he will not reappear for some time yet.", it read. "Dammit." Faro muttered to himself. With nothing left to do, he started back toward the house.
Things were going about as smoothly at the house, where the intruder, a young and attractive female with dark hair and a rather large sword, was in the process of introducing herself to the others. "Well well," She said, her sword hanging over Argoth's windpipe by a few inches. Her one-handed grip was stable and relaxed, a mark of a skilled swordsman. "I know who most of you are, but you don't know who I am." She observed, the orange light of the lanterns playing over the black iron armor that covered her neck to toe. "Let's keep it that way." She suggested. "I'm here for one thing. The demon kids. I know they're here somewhere. The sooner you hand one or both of them over, the sooner I'll be on my way." She explained. "Don't worry, I actually plan on doing them a favor. After all, when I'm through, they won't be 'demon' kids anymore."
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Apr 16, 2015 20:48:37 GMT -6
Argoth groaned loudly when Rii had told him it would take two months for him to walk again. Like hell he was going to wait that long. He gave himself three to four days. Maybe a week tops. He wasn't going to tell Rii that though, she would object and force him to stay in bed. Of course that might not be a bad thing, if the two of them were alone. Argoth cracked a smile at that thought, but it was quickly wiped from his face as he felt cold steel pressed into his throat. Dammit, he thought, Can't ever catch a break can we? Their mysterious attacker was a woman clad in all black armor, and since Argoth was on the ground and she was standing over him, he couldn't really get a good look at her face.
When Argoth heard her demands he almost laughed, ""Good luck," he half chuckled. Max could definitely take care of himself as long as his demon was on the fritz. The minute she took Max or Natsumi out of their respective cubes she would have one hell of a fight on her hands. Argoth was confident Max (or rather, the demon) could win, so he spoke again, "Cubes, on the table in the other room." He said it as if he didn't care whether she took them or not. Argoth had a feeling that Max's demon would tear this woman limb from limb if he got the chance; Natsumi's the same.
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Post by Rii/Thell on Apr 16, 2015 21:05:49 GMT -6
Rii glanced up at the woman curiously, her child ducking behind her and peering around her to eye the armored woman. She's here for Maximus… That concerned Rii greatly, but as Argoth so coolly directed her right to where the cubes were, Rii merely kept her eyes on the woman, dancing over the edges of her black armor and the lines of her sword, idly taking in random details like her evident youth and her dark hair. Who does she know, I wonder? And what of these favors? Curious, curious. The young Twili-Zora said nothing, gaze trained on the woman's face as she propped her chin on her mother's shoulder. The sword did not seem to concern her much for whatever reason.
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Post by Faro/Blade on Apr 29, 2015 11:05:12 GMT -6
Her mood soured when Argoth told her about the cubes. "Cubes?" She asked, a heavy groan following the word. "Of course, nothing is ever easy with him." She complained, pulling the sword away from Argoth's throat and going to the table where the two one-inch cubes were. "Can't even tell which one is which..." She muttered, calling Faro some nasty things as well. With another audible groan, she slid both of the cubes into a small bag. "I came here all ready to be nice and just take the one kid, but now I've got no way to be sure unless I take both." She complained as she walked back over, her boots falling heavily on the wooden floor with each step. "Well, I suppose I can always send back the one I don't need. Like I said, you'll probably thank me in the long run." She turned around and headed back to the door, keeping an ear on everyone in the house as she walked out the door.
Meanwhile, Faro was in the potion shop, perusing the potion master's wares. He had heard of the side effects of such things, but Syrus' relative unpredictability left the group short on time. He wouldn't show up today, probably not tomorrow, and maybe not the next day, but each day that passed made his reappearance that much more certain. Argoth needed to be well before he returned, Faro wasn't sure if he could fight the man by himself, especially if he elected to bring along more "helpers" like he usually did. The way Faro figured it. Syrus' constant teleporting and avoiding fights served Syrus a dual purpose. It allowed to show up and harass everyone at his leisure, and it allowed to avoid any actual fights that might cause him to reveal any other powers he might possess. With that in mind, Faro could hardly afford to risk a one-on-one, stand up fight with Syrus. His mind was already made up, the trick would be getting around Rii. Paying for the blue potion, a more potent variety of the ubiquitous red, he left the potion shop with bottle in hand, heading back to the Skulltula House.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Jun 1, 2015 16:53:32 GMT -6
Argoth scoffed again at the woman's response to the cubes. She had no idea what she was dealing with. Or at least that is what Argoth had thought. By the armor she wore and by the way she carried herself Argoth knew this woman was not to be underestimated. She looked like an elite, but what didn't add up then was her utter carelessness of Max and Natsumi. Max has caused enough damage to Hyrule for word to get around. Natsumi, although new to the scene, held immense power that he was sure could be recognized through the cube. Either she was incredibly powerful herself, or she is utterly underestimating the terrifying capabilities of those demons. "If you live to return them," Argoth shot at her as she stepped out the door.
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Post by Rii/Thell on Jun 13, 2015 19:01:56 GMT -6
Rii glanced over at Argoth, cocking her head to one side. "Hmm..." She looked back to where the woman had exited out the front door. She'd just taken Mathayus' daughter and Maximus. After all, when I'm through, they won't be "demon" kids anymore... That's what she said... so does she not plan to harm them? Unless her methods of ridding them of their demons hurts them instead... Rii tucked her legs beneath her and returned to cleaning Argoth's wounds. "You don't appear concerned," she noted lightly.
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Post by Faro/Blade on Feb 9, 2016 9:28:39 GMT -6
She had completed her mission inside the house, tossing the small bag in her hand with a grin. Now all she had to do was escape before Faro showed up and complicated things. She couldn't be sure of where he went, or how far away he was, but she was certain she wouldn't have much time once he got back. Even so, she wasn't worried and it showed in how she conducted herself. She had simply walked through the front door. No gas, no stun spells, not even a mask. She had showed her face and spoken openly of her plans as if they old friends. It might have confused those inside, or perhaps made them believe that she had been careless. Such things were not her intention. In truth, she hadn't bothered because she hadn't needed to. She coiled, aiming her gaze at the top of the cliff that surrounded the village. With a silent, powerful jump she scaled the cliff and tore off through the forest. Her feet pounded the ground, spikes on the front of her boots tearing into the dirt for added control as she sped through the forest faster than a horse could carry her. She had not acted the way she did out of carelessness, she had merely acted that way because a young girl, a wounded assassin, and her old pal Faro had no hope of catching her.
As Faro rounded the corner past the stairs to the house, he could immediately tell something was off. The door was open for one, and two telltale bootprints were left in the dirt not far from it. He cast his gaze to the cliff and swore to himself before heading inside. He saw the both of them, Argoth looking significantly more angry than when he had left, though Rii and her child seemed to be doing fine. "What did she do?" He asked, handing the clear bottle filled with blue to Argoth. It was pointless to ask how long ago she had been here or which direction she went. Once she got outside, she was as good as gone. Their only hope would be predicting her movements, but he couldn't do that without knowing what had happened.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Feb 16, 2016 20:11:46 GMT -6
With uncanny speed Argoth swiped the blue potion from Faro's grasp, pain arcing its way through his arm and upper torso as he did. "Finally," he sighed, pain subsiding slightly, "That b- Argoth paused, remembering the little one in the room,"...thief is gonna pay," 'pay' came out of his mouth without the pronunciation of the p; his mouth had become occupied with pulling the cork out of the bottle. Before he carelessly downed the potion however, he began to explain what had happened to Faro.
"First of all, how do you know her? Or rather, how did you know it was her?
After he asked these question Argoth realized their current situation harbored little room for any superfluous discussion. He shook his head, "Nevermind, we don't have the time. This woman just came in here, babbling about how she needed the boy with the demon in him. She seemed displeased that there were two cubes, though, which makes me think she didn't have any idea about Natsumi. She ended up taking them both, but not before saying how when she was finished with them they wouldn't be demon children anymore."
For the first time since he heard Rii's cries for help at the amphitheater, Argoth felt the familiar twang of fear begin to knot in his chest. His eyes wandered down toward the laboring Rii as she both intently focused on the conversation and cleaned his current wounds. Not only did he fear for his young apprentice but also for the new fondness he had for Rii. Situations like this were technically the norm for Argoth, and he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. Now that Rii and him were involved, he couldn't help but think of what could befall her child, or Rii for that matter. Syrus was a fucking menace capable of some seriously fucked up shit. He had already imbued two children with malicious demons that have caused a whole host of problems for Argoth and his friends. Should anything happen to the little half Zora, Argoth would feel responsible. He would be bringing this danger to Rii and her daughter. Argoth shook his head to derail that toxic train of thought. His voice was weighted with worry when he spoke, What the hell does she plan to do Faro?"
With some mental effort and a sigh he pushed all the negative thoughts from his mind. There was going to be no saving of anyone if he didn't get the hell up off the ground soon. He raised the blue potion to his lips...
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Post by Rii/Thell on Feb 17, 2016 19:42:22 GMT -6
"What did she do?" Faro knew the woman who had taken Maximus and the other girl?
Rii might have said something, but her eyes caught on a bottle of blue potion. A bottle of blue potion that Faro was handing to Argoth.
She didn't think it wise to just grab other people's things, so she waited to see if he actually intended to drink it, or if he remembered what she had said when they were in Market Town.
Argoth yanked the cork off with his teeth, but then he paused and began to explain what had happened while Faro was gone running whatever errands he had - apparently errands that included buying harmful potions. At one point he glanced at her, concern in his eyes, and she met his gaze. What are you thinking of, new lover? With his memories missing, Argoth had plenty of room in that head of his for many thoughts. Though she imagined that would be true either way.
"What the hell does she plan to do, Faro?"
That was a question Rii wanted the answer to as well. What was to become of Maximus in that woman's care (or lack thereof)? She opened her mouth to add to the question, but that's when Argoth raised the blue potion to his lips.
A viper would have envied how quickly Rii struck, hand snatching the bottle from him. Some of the liquid sloshed out, splattering uselessly on the ground. Better than Argoth's tongue. "No." Her green gaze shot to Faro, and her voice was low and firm when she spoke. "I won't allow any more potions under my watch. I've already used more potion on him than I ever would have wished to." Her long fingers plucked the cork from where it lay abandoned and slid it back into the bottle as she continued in a lighter tone - a patient teacher's tone that was steady and even. "You can't cheat your body. It knows the difference between time and rest and this. These potions are but a temporary fix until you can finally give your body what it needs, and if you give it too much it won't accept anything less. Your muscles will forget how to be strong on their own, and you will crave this before you crave sleep or food. Whomever you bought this from must not be aware of that." Of course, it had not occurred to Rii that perhaps that was the idea. A merchant who sold such potions knew of their addictive qualities and knew that a single potion today would mean a dozen sold in the next month, hundreds by the next few years, a guaranteed supply of income for their lifetime - the effects on the customer's body be damned.
Rii's eyes stayed on Faro. Perhaps that wasn't what he wanted to hear, but it was the truth. Rii was a healer. She didn't spill blood in battle. But she was often caught in the thick of it to find the one bleeding. Argoth and Faro were warriors, but they were made of delicate bones and thin skins. Rii knew that, even when they forgot. Fighting could get them far, but it came with a price - a price many often forgot had to be paid. Time. Violence made wounds, wounds that would become scars to tell of their skill in violence, but wounds couldn't become scars without time. If you didn't do the time, you died.
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Post by Faro/Blade on Feb 22, 2016 12:54:56 GMT -6
He watched Rii retrieve and reseal the potion, making no move to stop or restrain her. Her new form was fragile compared to her old self, which would have possessed the denser bones and muscle mass Zoras required to live comfortably underwater. When she finished speaking, he silently looked around the room at the three of them, knowing what he had to do with a just a single glance. "If Argoth won't drink the potion, then I have to leave." His gaze returned to Rii and he had to make an extremely difficult request of the former Zora. "And I need to take your child with me." He said with absolute certainty. "Syrus is targeting Argoth. The longer your child stays with the two of you, the more danger she's in. Sending her with me will keep her safe." He didn't like it was, but he was the best plan they had right now. He couldn't defeat Syrus by himself while protecting the three of them, but he couldn't leave the three of them alone to intercept Max and Natsumi's kidnapper when Syrus' objective was still to implant demons in children close to the heroes.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Aug 20, 2016 9:44:40 GMT -6
Frustration began to coalesce in Argoth's chest and he clenched his jaw tight, gritting his teeth. If the potion couldn't get him back to his feet their chances of surviving this ordeal was getting smaller by the second. Faro was right. The best option at the moment was to let the girl go with him. Argoth knew Rii was going to protest at any mention of her leaving the child, but since Syrus was indeed targeting him and Max, it would be foolish to leave another kid where the bastard could take her. His frustration died away and helplessness began to set up shop alongside despair and fear. Try he might, but he couldn't keep the pain off his face. It would take days, weeks, for him to recover, and time was a commodity they just couldn't afford to lose. Argoth sucked in a deep (and painful) breath, and closed his eyes. Think, he told himself, You've overcome worse. The best course of action would be to let Faro take the girl. Then you and Rii can lay low for a while and recover. Faro too. But what about Max? How could Faro confront the kidnapper and protect the girl? If the woman who took Max and Natsumi was smart, she'd find a way to use Rii's little girl against him.
Argoth opened his eyes to ask Faro about Max, when a low, basso of a voice purred, "I think that's a fantastic idea."
Argoth's body immediately stiffened in recognition of the speaker. Oh no..
The rest of their day just got a whole hell of a lot worse.
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