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Post by Rii/Thell on Aug 27, 2016 22:10:12 GMT -6
Give Faro her child to keep her safe?
She must be safe from- she started to think, her heart clenching, before all too quickly another thought invaded. Never again.
Rii was used to her thoughts meandering and weaving through her head. Without the voices in her head to interrupt her, it was strange to hear her own mind snapping at her. She may choose to leave. But I will never let someone else take her.
She was about to have to say as much when a different voice entirely entered the picture.
Rii kept her movements slow as she turned to face Syrus, one hand sliding back to encircle her child's arm, the other to cross over Argoth's chest. It was far too soon to be seeing him again. Had they not just ridden from Hyrule Field where they had last encountered him? They must have been tracked. Rii knew little in the ways of tracking humanoids, but she suspected riding on Billiam would have left a fairly distinctive trail, and they were slowed with Rii wanting to be careful of Argoth's wounded body and her young one. Syrus was a new occurrence. She knew little of his aims. Only that he was to blame for the infection she had sensed within Maximus. That he was the reason Mathayus' daughter had transformed, evolving violent powers and aggressive wants.
"It's unfortunate we don't agree," Rii observed lightly, voice still even and cool as she stared up at him. From behind her the young Twili-Zora curled into her back and peered around her side, red and yellow eyes wide.
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Post by Faro/Blade on Aug 30, 2016 17:10:02 GMT -6
Faro kept eyes on the door, even with his teleportation abilities, Syrus would never show up alone. As Rii spoke to him, he turned his head back. "You're too late." He explained to Syrus. "Max and Natsumi are gone. Kidnapped." He explained, taking steps toward the twili child rather than toward Syrus. Faro put on a calm face, but this wasn't good. He was hoping to have taken Rii's child and left the shack far behind by now. He had to stall for time, and had only one play left. He could only hope Syrus would take the bait. "I know the one who took them, and where they're headed. If you want to get them back, you're going to have listen to me." He said, standing to his full height and looking the man in the eye.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Sept 11, 2016 20:22:56 GMT -6
A paralyzing fear rippled through Argoth. Each wave condensed into the next, gaining intensity as his mind raced through the outcomes of Syrus's appearance. He was helpless to save Rii or the little girl, and Faro couldn't confront Syrus by himeslf. To make matters even worse, Syrus never traveled alone. And as if on cue a shadow appeared in the doorway to the shack. An extraordinarily large man occupied the entire entrance, letting little to no light pass through. His shoulders were hunched as he had to stoop to fit the frame of his body in the doorway. He wore no shirt, allowing Argoth to see muscular bricks mortared into place underneath his oddly reddish tinted skin. Black tribal tattoos swirled and flowed over his torso, which left only patches of red skin all the way up to his neck. The tattoos seemed to wax and wane over his body as if it were living organism. A scarlet mop of hair hung over his face, shaggy and unkempt. Only one eye was visible, the iris as black as coal and menacing. A slow rise of steam seemed to be emanating from his body.
Syrus let Faro's words linger for several seconds, allowing for the effect of his bodyguard to impact the room. He sucked in a satisfying breath through his nose and exhaled with an "Ahhhhhhh. Excuse me a moment Faro," he began at last.
Slowly, he began stepping toward Argoth and Rii. The heavy sound of his black combat boots echoed through the shack as he approached. The tension was palpable, and Syrus was loving every second. His volcanic eyes rested upon Rii as he knelt at Argoth's feet. A wide malicious smile revealed pearly white teeth and he said,"No need to look so petrified darling, I'm not here for your little one. My business is with them," And his gaze shifted to Argoth and Faro, "Although, I do so hate having to kneel. Tarris would you be so kind as to help Argoth to his feet so that we may have a discussion."
Tarris stomped his way past Faro, his stark black boots echoing much louder than Syrus's had. With one hulking hand he hoisted Argoth up off the floor of the shack and slammed him into the adjacent wall. Pain erupted from Argoth's back and he clenched his teeth to avoid crying out. Syrus stepped up to the assassin putting his face directly in front of Argoth's, his evil grin never faltering. Without warning Syrus headbutted Argoth, the assassins head rebounding off the back wall. A flash of red coated Argoth's vision and before he could even begin to see stars another blow slammed into his stomach, forcing air and spittle to fly from his mouth.
Argoth fought for several seconds to keep conscious and recirculate air back into his lungs. "Now that I have your attention," he began, "And now that you are back on your feet why don't we discuss the matter at hand eh? Faro tells me your little apprentice has gone away, but I'm quite unsure if I can trust the man. So tell me Argoth, is Ganon's pawn telling me the truth?"
Argoth was breathing now, albiet shakily, "Go to hell," he spat.
Syrus frowned for a moment, and then with a snarl of anger smashed a fist across Argoth's face. The next thing the dazed assassin knew cold, sharp steel was pressed against his throat. Syrus turned his head slightly to address Faro.
"Here is how the next few minutes are going to pan out. You are going to tell me what happened to Max and Natsumi, and you're going to tell me the truth. If you don't, Argoth here is going to take a permanent vacation. Oh, and you better make it very, very convincing."
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Post by Rii/Thell on Sept 11, 2016 22:52:45 GMT -6
Syrus said he wasn't there for the small Twili-Zora, but Rii leaned back over her child all the same. Her green eyes never left Syrus, mouth parted a touch as if she was going to say something. No one will take her. Not Syrus - who's "darling" was twisted and sharp in Rii's ears, not the large, ink-scarred man who entered behind him with heavy footsteps. She said none of it. Words bubbled to her lips with such ease, but the well inside her was empty. She'd said a lot in the past forty-eight hours. More than she would have cared to, oddly enough. Now, as Syrus knelt at Argoth's feet, Rii could feel the emptiness echo in her head. Men like you come. But you go, too. I've seen it. Sometimes it is your plan. And sometimes... it is not.
"My business is with them." Rii lurched her body more over Argoth, the little defense she could offer as her body weight fell to her other arm.
But it didn't matter. Arms corded with muscle ripped Argoth out from beneath her and threw him against the wall. Her little one didn't make a sound. Rii would have to wonder later why. But at the moment her eyes were snapping from place to place, the arch of Argoth's back and the tightness of his jaw. His skull smacked against the wall and Rii wanted to know how much damage his body could take. Had to know. Needed to know if she was watching one concussion too many on top of burns and gashes and broken bones take him away.
"Here is how the next few minutes are going to pan out. You are going to tell me what happened to Max and Natsumi, and you're going to tell me the truth. If you don't, Argoth here is going to take a permanent vacation. Oh, and you better make it very, very convincing."
Again her mind was thick with silence. She clawed at the edges and felt nothing but cold.
A tremor seized her by the shoulders and then slipped through her body.
The small scaled arm in her grip slipped away with a jerk. Rii whirled with wide eyes to see her scampering straight for where Syrus stood beside Tarris, his hulking hands keeping Argoth pressed to the wall.
"Little one?!" The breathless cry was ripped out of her. The Twili-Zora's pudgy fingers dug into Argoth's pants leg. Her red and yellow eyes, large and bright, glanced over her shoulder to meet Rii's.
Just long enough for her to chirp one word. "Home!"
Before the word ended, Argoth and the toddler vanished in a shower of black and turquoise diamonds.
Rii was up in a heartbeat, her human hands sweaty for the first time as she jerked her satchel up with her. By the time her heart had beat a second time she was bolting out the door. On the third she was shouting wordlessly. Billiam ran to meet her.
Somewhere else, a wounded man and a bewildered two-year-old appeared in a burst of diamonds, stumbling onto a slick cavern floor. The floor and wall was littered with dark brown - large splatters and splotches and uneven streaks, as one with the stone as anything was. Water trickled into a pool. Along the pool's edge in letters so delicately carved - thin and sweeping despite the tremble in the lines - was one word over and over and over again, and it glowed a bright blue green.
Naiya.
NaiyaNaiyaNaiyaNaiyaNaiyaNaiya.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Sept 12, 2016 16:46:57 GMT -6
Tarris furrowed his brow in bewilderment. The child next to the woman had somehow teleported his prey, and that severely irritated him. The slow simmering steam that rose from his body was thicker than before. Syrus adorned a look of pure amusement even as Rii fled the building. As Argoth disappeared the pressure he had been applying to his body vanished and he slid forward into the wall. The little dagger produced a solid clink as it made contact with the wall. Syrus leaned his forehead against it and chucked madly to himself for a moment.
"How entertaining," he purred, "No matter, with Rii and the child gone it leaves us adults to business." He pushed himself off the wall and planted his feet in front of Faro. Dagger still in hand, he gestured to the doorway while glancing over his shoulder at Tarris. The behemoth nodded slightly and complied without having to be told.
"Now, where were w-- No Tarris not her you buffoon," Syrus snapped mid sentence. Tarris had begun to leave the shack to pursue Rii. Upon hearing his masters words he stopped and turned around. "Just cover the door, Ellise can have her now." Tarris grunted in acknowledgement and stooped in the doorway as before.
Syrus began again, the same malevolent smile widening across his face, "Well Faro, would you mind explaining to me where this "kidnapper" has taken dear Maximus? Or would you rather show me?"
Atop the roof of the little shack, a long, slender woman sat with one leg dangling from the edge. She leaned nonchalantly back with her arms propping her up. Since the beginning of their arrival she had been up there, lazily kicking one leg back and forth. She had no interest in Syrus's motives and only traveled with him for one reason. The villain frequently encountered Argoth and his new lover. Anger flared in her mind at the very thought. Thief! I'll kill her then he'll see, then he'll remember, ohhh yes, kill her and leave her to rot under the sun.
The agreement was however, that she must let Syrus finish conducting business, then the bitch was all hers. And as if the very goddesses were smiling upon her, the wretched woman came sprinting from the shack. A smile eerily similar to Syrus's own touched her ears only this particular smile projected far more madness. Ellise stood up abruptly and withdrew her bow from where it rested upon her back. She notched an arrow with her long nimble fingers and aimed at the oncoming horse that rode to meet Rii. For half a second she hesitated, awaiting the precise moment to fire. Then that moment came, and with hatred burning behind her violet eyes she loosed the arrow.
Somehow, and to her bemusement she never did understand quite what happened, the horse seemed to sense the arrow coming, and before it could thunk its way deep into its neck the horse reared, dodging the arrow entirely. Ellise snarled a curse and leaped off the shack. She landed soundlessly and rolled into a sprint. The long grey rags that wrapped her from neck to toe billowed behind behind her like streamers. Her light, shoulder length auburn hair did the same. Fury in its purest form raged behind her eyes like a hurricane. The witch healer was going to pay dearly for what she had done to her beloved Argoth.
Rii was just about to mount Billiam when Ellise surged through the air and hammered into her. She let out a high pitched war cry as the two of them went tumbling across the earth. "I'll kill you!" Ellise screamed. When the two of them stopped rolling Ellise was on top, straddling Rii's waist. With both hands she grabbed the side of her rival's head and slammed it a few times against the ground. A moment later she latched onto the collar of the healer's shirt with one hand, drawing her up, and drove a fist into her eye. Before Ellise let go she raked her pointed nails across Rii's left cheek. Blood began to well up in the cuts. They were shallow but painful. Ellise threw her head back and released the laughter of a madwoman, then she looked back at what she had wrought and slowly licked the blood from her fingertips. Her eyes were wild with madness, "Who do you think you are!?" she wailed, and open hand slapped Rii across the face. "He is mine! MINE! And no Zora turned she-devil is going to steal him from me!" Ellise then withdrew a curved dagger from her belt, runes carved upon the blade. "I wish he could be here to watch me kill you."
Far, Far away, Argoth flashed into another dimension. He entered standing up, but before the dazzling lights of their arrival ended he was back onto the floor. Pain throbbed through him in ever strengthening pulses and blackness fought his will to stay conscious. It took a subjective millennia to regain focus enough to see where he actually was. A rather modest cavern, well lit and decorated with frantic lines and splotches of some kind. A small pool coalesced not far beyond where he lay. He had to squint to read the blue green swirls at the waters edge. "Naiya." He read aloud, drawing out the syllables. "Huh, I wonder what that m-" and then a thought took him by surprise. Just before the child brought him her she uttered one word, "home". Oh..oh hell.
"You've taken me to the twilight realm." Painfully he maneuvered his body so that he could look at the itty bitty zora-twili. He smiled comfortingly and asked, "Is this your room? And is that," he gestured over to the name carved by the pool, "your name, Naiya?
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Post by Rii/Thell on Sept 12, 2016 18:44:52 GMT -6
Billiam had reared. Billiam was wild and electric but he did not rear with Rii so close on foot. But the arrow that buried itself in the ground made it clear that something else had angered him. Rii thought it was Syrus or Tarris, somehow having concealed a bow and shooting at her since Tarris was not built for fast movement. But she couldn't look back. She had to make it onto Billiam's back, had to find her child and Argoth. Home? The Twilight Realm? Is that her home? How can I get there? Lahnea and Karis were both sent back-
She was slammed into the ground, fragile human skin burning at how quickly the dirt and stiff weeds tore past it. Who- "I'll kill you!" The woman gripped her face. It was as if someone continuously was suffocating her, off and on. Her skull - still tender and new after her Zora tail had been ripped from her - was bashed into the ground.
White. Pain.
A sudden chance to breathe. -is this?
The world rushed past as her skull rammed into the ground again.
White. Pain. Like someone pressing fingers to a fresh burn.
Air again. Baby-
The earth.
White. Pain.
Argoth-
The earth.
White. Numb. That time her dried out feet had stumbled and felt nothing beneath her.
Gone!
Her vision blurry, her eyes barely registered a darkened shape crashing into her eye. But she kept them open, wide and zeroed in on where she knew that face had to be, even if this human head of her's couldn't piece it together just yet. The fingers left but at a cost, nails that stung as they sliced through her skin. Rii should have been scared as the bright-eyed woman began to cackle and laugh, ranting of a man that was her's - her's and not Rii's, she made it quite clear. Rii would have usually wondered what her voices might have whispered to her as the woman straddled her, of her illnesses or injuries that led her to this. But she was stuck on this mystery "he" and how her apparent ownership of him kept her trapped against the earth and the heaving, screaming woman when she needed to be finding her child and Argoth. "I wish he could be here to watch me kill you." Was he gone?
Rii's breathing slowed, her heartbeat dropping back to its settled pulse as she stared at the woman. The knife she drew glinted in the sun. Billiam went still, at first too cautious to attack the woman with Rii beneath her, and now even more so as he recognized the lethality of what she held.
"But he couldn't make it, it seems," she murmured, blood sliding down her cheek and trickling through her hair at the back of her head. Her green eyes, though glassy from the pounding of her head, remained on the woman's face. "Why is that?
Somewhere else, a tiny Zora-Twili toddled about the edges of a pool, eyes wide and absorbing the glowing words as they lit up the undersides of her webbed feet. "You've taken me to the Twilight realm." She glanced over her shoulder at Argoth as she continued to walk circles around the pool. Then her toes dipped into the water and she whirled back around, giggling in delight. She crouched, thrusting tiny hands into the water. Her lungs loosed a loud, high-pitched squeal that turned into an overjoyed shriek as she took her hands back out and then shoved them back in. The water welcomed her back, lapping at her scaled, warm and soothing. Her mouth split into a toothy grin as she repeated the motion again and again until Argoth spoke once more. "Is this your room? And is that your name, Naiya?"
The toddler sluggishly pulled away from the water completely to look at where Argoth was pointing at the glowing swirls. "Twiwight weam," she attempted to repeat, fighting the age old toddler struggle of r's and l's. She hummed for a moment before shaking her head. "No. Then she furrowed her brow again, glancing around the room and then back to the arching, curving letters. "No. Aaaand no. Daddy didn't. Show me. This woom. My woom is. Somewhere else. And. And Daddy said." The little girl pouted, trying to collect all the big sentences in her heads and say them right. Two was a tough age to be. "Daddy said I didun. Have a name. Mommy said that. Too." A smile grew on her face from the successful sentence before she sat on the rock, sliding her feet into the water and laughing again as the water gently swirled around her toes and calves.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Sept 12, 2016 19:16:15 GMT -6
"Because of you!" Ellise shouted with contempt. She had dragged Rii back up to her face. "Argoth was mine..we had a life together. And then he just disappeared! Poof! With no memory of who I or any of us were." Something akin to sorrow began to show on her face as she continued to speak. Her eyes glossed for a fraction of a second and focused on something off in the distance. "We were in love you know. I searched the world for him but to no avail." Then the madness returned and the grip on her dagger doubled. Her cold, piercing glare returned to Rii's eyes. "It was as if someone was hiding him from me. Then I come to find out that he has been with some zora freak who erased his memories and stole his heart. You, you're the reason for him leaving me, and now I'm going to kill you for it. I only wish I knew where he was. Once I finish you off all those memories will come flooding back to my dear Argoth, and we can be together again." Rage engulfed her once again and she placed the tip against the base of Rii's throat. Wild fury burned in her glare and hot tears began to blur her vision. She blinked them away and said in a cold, flat tone. "Die, witch."
Argoth delighted in watching the child play. He smiled at her innocence. With an incredible effort he managed to sit up, the pain momentarily fading his vision to black. When it had subsided enough for him to speak he did so, Do you know what room this is? he asked. "Can you tell me where we are?" When the little girl mentioned she had no name Argoth frowned. "Would you like a name? Just because your father's incompetent doesn't mean you have to be nameless your whole life. And your mother has only just met you. Do you like that name? Naiya?"
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Post by Rii/Thell on Sept 12, 2016 20:03:52 GMT -6
There were no voices in her head, but the click of everything snapping into place echoed with certainty. Argoth. Her lover was Argoth. His amnesia... She has those memories. Rii couldn't be sure how accurate those memories were, but it was a start.
Rii wouldn't die. She couldn't let herself die. There was more she had to do. There was a toddler out there that she wanted to hold and to guide more than she'd ever known she could. There was a boy with a demon sleeping inside him that she wanted to help. There was a man still bleeding and broken with an emptiness in his head and the ghost of her lips on his that she wanted to find. There was a family she wanted to see again, friends she wanted to laugh with and look after. And there was that curious well in the back of her mind where that anger had sprang from at the top of that hill as Karis stood there, their child - her child hovering frozen beside him. She needed to know what it was, now that she'd seen it. It had been hard to spot before with her ancestors fighting for room. And maybe dying would actually just produce another form for her as this human one had appeared the last time, but then again maybe not. Maybe potions were different from necks being sliced open, or maybe such a blessing or spell was a one time thing. Rii couldn't depend on that.
If this woman wanted Argoth - and Rii had no intention of handing him over for several reasons, including that he was no one's to give - then there was one thing that could keep the blade from slitting her throat.
Rii swallowed purposefully, feeling the tip of the knife nick the soft swell of her throat as she did so, a bead of blood blooming just there. "How can I show you where Argoth is if I'm dead?" she asked lightly, cocking her head away from the knife, expression earnest. "And what sort of witch would I be if my spells ended upon my death? Surely not one able of transforming myself so completely as this."
Somewhere else, the small Zora-Twili cupped her hands in the water. Then with little warning besides her giggles, she threw the water into the air, letting it rain back onto the stone floor and in the pool. "Home!" she repeated. Her full voice echoed in the small cavern, and she shouted again to hear it shout back. "Home!" Gathering another handful of water, she stood on wobbling legs and waddled to Argoth. The water felt safe and soothing to her, so she let it slip between her fingers into Argoth's dark hair. It did not seem to have the same effect, simply clinging to random strands, forming into drops that slid along the sides of his face. "And Mommy said... if I waaaanted... Mommy said I cud... pick my name. By mysef. My-sef. My-sef. My-sef. The child abruptly plopped onto the ground next to Argoth, her thick skin and dress keeping her from being bothered by the uneven ground. "Naiya... I wike Naiya." She laid on her back and beamed up at Argoth, grin wide with the idea. But it fell just as quickly. "You're... hurt," she added suddenly, remembering why they were there in the first place. Her mama had been shaking, watching that man hurt Argoth. Argoth was very hurt. She had wanted to take him to a place she knew would be safe.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Sept 12, 2016 20:34:44 GMT -6
Ellise blinked at that. Take her to Argoth? Yes. Yes that would be much better. She withdrew the dagger from Rii's neck as her heart began to speed up. A small smile crept its way across her face but failed halfway in, being overtaken by madness and replaced with a snarl. Ellise put the dagger back in her belt then forcefully cut off Rii's access to oxygen. She leaned in close and said, "I will let you go for this purpose only, thief. And if I once believe you are playing tricks, or have lied to me in anyway, I will kill you without hesitation. Do you understand? Good." And with that she released Rii's windpipe and stood up. "Take me to him," she demanded sternly, "Now."
Argoth laughed delightedly as the little zora-twili played with his hair, getting it all wet. If her affection could cure wounds he'd be doing jumping jacks right now. Argoth frowned at her description of where they were. Of course they were home but where exactly in the twilight realm was that. And how were they to get back? Argoth guessed he couldn't have expected much more from a two year old and gently laid himself next the the kid. Breathing was becoming extraordinarily difficult as every breath sent pain through his chest. The burn on his back was a constant searing pain as well, and as he laid himself on it the sensation doubled. Argoth clenched his teeth together and shut his eyes trying to regain some composure. His entire body throbbed and he was beginning to wish he'd just pass out and not wake until it was over. After several seconds of silence Argoth said, "I'm glad you like it. The name, I mean. I can start calling you that from now on if you want?"
Then the little one said something he hadn't expected. She noticed his injuries. "Yeah," he said, half chuckling and half wincing from the pain. "Got banged up pretty good back there, but I'll survive. We need to get back to your mother. I need to make sure she is alright. I don't like the thought of leaving her with Syrus. Even if Faro is there." The last few sentences he was mostly saying to himself. He didn't know how much the little one could understand from him, but without her he knew there was no getting out of her. Even if he did return, what would he do? Its not like he could get up and do the rescue routine even if Faro and Rii were in danger. Guess he'd just have to hang here for a while, figure out a way to get home after he could muster the strength to stand.
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Post by Rii/Thell on Sept 12, 2016 21:07:31 GMT -6
Rii inhaled, sharp and sudden as air shot back into her lungs. For a moment she continued to lay there, silently entreating her body to loosen. She had to take this woman somewhere. Somewhere she could have the upper hand again. She had self defense training, but this woman was on guard and lacking in restraint. Rii couldn't attempt an escape or incapacitating the woman without being absolutely sure she would succeed. Otherwise there were many sharp things on the woman that could do her in. No thick scales would stop her.
At the same time, she needed to find her daughter and Argoth. One day soon she will have a name of her own.
Could she risk doing both at the same time? If she even knew where to find them, that was. "It's a long journey," she started, buying a bit more time to think it over. Where was "home" for her little one? How could Rii follow? And could she take this violent woman with her when her child and a wounded Argoth waited at the end? "A couple weeks on foot. We would make quicker time on my horse, if that is alright with you."
Somewhere else, the little Zora-Twili, newly dubbed Naiya, eyed Argoth's expression as he attempted to suppress his pain, going from nodding at the idea of her new name to shaking her head. "Mama doesn't. Want you back there, she guessed in a soft voice, remembering the way her own arm shook in her mother's grasp. "She can. Get here. She can fix you!" Happy again, she sat up, red and yellow eyes looking around. "Hummmm... Daddy said. Mommy had a... uh... woom here. Stuff for hurts... I go find it!" With this new goal in mind, the toddler hopped to her feet again.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Sept 12, 2016 21:31:24 GMT -6
Ellise scowled harshly. A couple weeks on foot? And to endure such a journey with likes of her? Ellise hated this idea with a burning passion that shook her entire body, but if it meant being together again with her beloved she would endure. "Fine." she stated coldly. "We'll take the horse." She stalked over to Billiam and stopped, glancing back at Rii and narrowing her eyes. "What would Argoth be doing so far away?" she inquired with suspicion. Then gestured for Rii to get on the horse. "Take the lead, thief."
"She doesn't want me to get hurt is all," he said softly. "And I can't stay here, if your dad finds out I'm here he'll probably kill me and keep you here away from your mom." Suddenly Naiya got to her feet speaking of some room with medical supplies. Rii's room. So they were in the kingdom that Karis inhabited. If Argoth had the strength he would be pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Great. This day just keeps getting better and better.
He turned his head toward Naiya. "Listen Naiya, we are both in danger just by being here. You're dad probably won't hurt you but he definitely will hurt me, and he'll take you away from your mom. Especially since I'm hurt. It's really not a good idea for you to leave this room, I think we should go back and get your mom, then we can run away to a safe place all together and she can fix me up good. What do you say?"
Argoth had no idea if anything he said was going to get through but he had to try. This place was making his skin crawl now that he understood where he was. If Karis showed up at any time, he was as good as dead.
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Post by Rii/Thell on Sept 12, 2016 22:05:59 GMT -6
Rii mounted the horse with ease, though once astride Billiam her vision blurred for a moment. She needed to rest. "Usually it does not take me so long. With the river, I can always find my way back to him as a Zora quickly." True. "But he has made new enemies in my name, so I sent him away to protect him." In a way just as true as the first statement. Unfortunately I must remain in this form for the time being. So you and I will both have to see how quickly my horse can get us there instead. He is fast. Like he's swallowed lightning." Not a lie. Not at all.
Still, she wished in that moment she felt a tug towards where Argoth was as easily as she did her home. A Zora never forgot the waters she was born in. Water moved and water flowed and one way or another water found itself across the world. A Zora was always comfortable submerged in the watery depths, and yet the place where they had hatched would always be a distinct memory. The water there, no matter where it came from, would be more welcoming than anywhere else.
Somewhere else, the little Zora-Twili turned to frown at Argoth, little scaled brows furrowed deep, finned head cocked to the side. "Daddy's not here," she said with confidence, voice disjointed with her attempts to weave her words together but sure all the same. " I. Sent. Him. Back." Then, determination coursing through her to find her mommy's room, she turned back around. "I'm gunna find Mommy's room!" she called over her shoulder, scampering aruond to a bend in the wall where a narrow hallway was tucked. Aha! She smiled, certain if she followed it she would find what she was looking for.
She didn't get far. At the end of the hallway, a tall, pale woman strode into view wrapped in deep purple robes, her dark brown hair woven into a braid that flowed from one side of her head to the other. She rushed down the hall, a dark clay bowl in hand the sloshed a milky green liquid.
"Hi!"
The woman froze, her eyes snapping from the floor to the small child.
The bowl slipped from her fingers. The liquid splattered on the floor and shards of the clay bowl whisked through the air, bouncing off the walls. With a shuddering gasp the woman straightened. "Naiya?!"
The toddler giggled. "You know. My name!"
"How-? H-How can this be? We thought-"
"Argod is hurt," Naiya interrupted promptly. "Coud you... fix him. Pease?"
For several moments more the woman opened and closed her mouth dumbly, a skill many fish had yet to perfect as well as she had. "I- o-of course, Naiya. I... I didn't realize-" But Naiya was no longer listening, turning around and scampering back into the cavern.
"Argod! I got help!" Her gleeful voice echoed, bold with pride at completing her goal so quickly. Behind her the human woman stumbled in, looking in soundless shock from Argoth to Naiya.
Back on Billiam, Rii stiffened. For a moment she stared off into the distance, her heart picking up speed in her chest. And then with sudden certainty she gently dug her heels into Billiam's flanks, urging him into a trot, and then a canter.
The water of a Zora's hatchery was home.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Sept 13, 2016 21:20:39 GMT -6
Argoth furrowed his brow in confusion. Not here? If Karis isnt here then... He struggled to think of where else home could be for little Naiya. The girl was half-twili and half zora so if she hadn't brought him back to the twilight realm then...was he in zora's domain? He didn't know much of either culture really, hadn't had many dealings with them. Other than Kalathor and Morozin, but even then he had never actually traveled to the twilight realm. Nothing around him looked familiar in the slightest.
Argoth lifted his head abruptly as Naiya took off out of the room they were in. Argoth attempted to protest but he was just too exhausted. Oh well, Argoth sighed internally, she seems to know where we are. Can't be anywhere that is going cause her harm at least. One less thing to worry about. Suddenly his head began to take on the density of a black hole, and he could hold it up no longer. Gently, he rested it down against the floor. A battle immediately ensued for his consciousness, his eyelids slowly closing. Right before he could drift away however, Naiya came rushing back in with an unfamiliar woman trailing behind her.
"Argod! I got help"
At this Arogth grinned merrily. Her mispronunciation of his name was adorable as hell. Then he looked up and eyed the woman Naiya had brought. She didn't look threatening, but that didn't mean she wasn't. Argoth had seen his fair share of trickery. The deep purple robes she wore were definitely loose fitting enough to conceal a weapon, so if she got up close he'd make sure to keep that in mind. His mind was terribly exhausted however, that last blow to the head finally putting it over the edge. It pounded like a drum. Even if this woman meant him harm he had neither the strength nor the will to defend himself. "Good jod, Naiya," Argoth said gratefully, laying his head back down and shutting his eyes. "Please tell me you're actually here to help."
Elise mounted behind Rii scowling the entire time. New enemies huh? Argoth always had plenty back in their old life, so it was no surprise that he had made new ones. Nor was it surprising the thief had some either. How she was going to manage spending any more than several minutes with the witch she did not know. A low burning fury kick-started in her stomach, like the coals of a once raging fire. The she devil being the oxygen to cause the coals to flame once more and burn up behind her eyes. Elise took a few deep breaths. This was for Argoth. If she could get to him then before she killed the thief then it would save her the trouble of finding him afterward. They could be together immediately, and it was this thought only that kept her from tearing the spine out of Rii while she rode behind her. While she took several deep breaths to calm herself she notice her hand was so tightly gripping the hilt of her dagger that her knuckles were white. On her last exhale she lessened her grasp on it, breaking up the storm of aggression. As Rii managed to get the horse into a run she leaned back slightly and stared off into this distance. Soon.
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Post by Rii/Thell on Sept 13, 2016 21:47:25 GMT -6
The sun was beginning to set as Rii and Argoth's ex-lover rode onward, towards the distant hills and mountains where Hyrule ended. Billiam snorted on more than one occasion, not pleased with this woman that had sidled up so close to Rii, but he was true to his rather long name. Billiam of Lightning Feet and Lightning Mouth raced over dirt and cobblestone and lush green grasses in hour intervals, with Rii slowing him down to keep him from exhausting himself. She murmured to herself, remarking on the way the dying streaks of sunlight painted the bellies of the darkening clouds pink and orange, or how the river leisurely wandered across the hills, making little effort to keep up with them but exceeding just the same. Rii had once spoken to herself endlessly, noting everything that passed her with a small smile on her face. But with this woman pressed against her, she kept her commentary to a minimum.
She had more to think about - things that she found she didn't want to.
"Billiam needs rest, as do we," she remarked as stars began to make themselves known in the inky expanse of the night sky. She brought him to a slow halt, then waited for Elise to dismount so that she might as well. She loosed a slow breath from her lungs. I'm going back.
Somewhere else, the woman scoffed at Argoth's words. Her expression of shock momentarily flipped to one of pursed lips and narrowed eyes. "To do otherwise would be to betray Milady, and that would be unacceptable," she replied, words clipped and voice curt. She knelt down besides Argoth, hovering a hand over his wounds and knitting her brows as she attempted to assess all that had happened. Unfortunately, this wasn't exactly her area of expertise. "I will have to seek out the castle healers," she murmured quickly before glancing at Naiya, her voice pitching upwards and growing soft and affectionate. "But I am sure they are more than capable of saving your friend, Lady Naiya."
Naiya nodded, settling down onto the floor by Argoth again so she could rest a tiny hand on some unharmed patch of Argoth's arm. "I wait here!" she decided, chipper and pleased with the turn of events.
"L-Lady Naiya, surely you would rather- well would you not prefer to come with me? I-It is truly dark and lonely down here, is it not?" the woman asked, bewildered.
Naiya pouted. "Argod is here," she said matter-of-factly. "And I wike. The water."
At that the woman's face fell, her mouth popping open. But she hurriedly replaced it with a small smile. "Of course, Lady Naiya. I will return with the healers." She walked out of the room at an even pace, but once she vanished from sight Naiya could hear the way the woman ran through the passage way.
Naiya shifted so she could get a closer look at Argoth's face. With her other free hand she reached down to gently pat his forehead, but the motion was jerky thanks to her two-year-old motor skills. "Go to sweep," she whispered with a large smile on her face.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Sept 13, 2016 22:26:45 GMT -6
Many hours passed while they rode toward Argoth's destination. Elise had noticed little around her the entire trip, her mind continually occupied with reuniting with her former lover...and getting rid of Argoth's new one. At last the two of them stopped, the witch pronouncing they had better rest. Elise did not disagree and dismounted wearily. She stretched obnoxiously, throwing her hands up and moaning a sigh of relief. While she did so she took in her surroundings. They had stopped under a large oak tree just off the road they were traveling. It stood not far in the beginning of an expansive field. Previously they had been traveling through the densely wooded kakariko forest, the trail narrowing so much in some places that branches from adjacent trees would crash into her. Many times the two of them had to duck. The forest had been a longest stretch of their travel, at least in terms of time. It consumed at least 4 hours worth.
"I'm going to gather firewood," she pronounced, turning off toward the direction of the forest. While she walked she tilted her head over her shoulder, "Don't do anything that will make me kill you before we get there." The words came out cold and demanding.
It only took her a couple of minutes to gather all the necessary preparations to build a fire. Before long she was stalking angrily back to the rest area. Quietly fuming, she began to construct a fire. She placed kindling underneath a tepee of dry branches and withdrew a flint box from somewhere inside her clothing. Expertly she sparked the fire to life, adding more wood as the flames grew. Once the fire had been going long enough she retreated without a word to the base of the oak tree. Elise stared intently into the fire, her violet eyes reflecting the image and personifying how she felt about the predicament she was in.
Far away Argoth breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, I catch a break. Then his thoughts shifted to Rii and an uneasiness settled over him. I really hope she is alright. I wonder what happened to her after we disappeared. Argoth heard the mysterious woman talk but did not see her. No matter how hard he wished it his eyelids would not open. "Thank you," he muttered as she talked about fetching healers. The conversation between Naiya and the woman brought forth a bright smile from Argoth and his heart warmed. The little one liked him, and she wanted to stay by his side. This prompted at least one eye to open as Naiya patted (or rather, lightly smacked) his forehead and bade him to sleep. He beamed at her and said, "I'm really starting to like you." Not seconds later he was fast asleep.
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