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Post by empireoffire on Mar 31, 2015 20:05:46 GMT -6
"...Yeah", said Irving. "I would appreciate that. Thanks."
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Post by GX1997 on Mar 31, 2015 20:10:20 GMT -6
"Alright. Could you sit down? It would make it easier if I don't have to deal with the height difference. And I'll have to be close, but I won't actually be touching the wound, so there's no need to worry about any pain from it," she said as she walked closer to Irving.
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Post by empireoffire on Mar 31, 2015 20:12:03 GMT -6
Irving winced slightly, though not from the pain of the wound, particularly.
"R-Right. Not being touched is good."
He took a seat.
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Post by GX1997 on Mar 31, 2015 20:21:51 GMT -6
"I won't ask, and I won't judge either. I know what it's like to have things in the past that scar you for whatever reason, and that it's not your fault for those things, and people just need to be understanding."
Elia knelt down and looked to make sure there was nothing in the wound just to be safe, before she put one hand on top of the other and moved them near the wound on Irving's neck. Within moments a very soft light appeared, and as the wound closed the pain from it began to vanish. In a matter of a few seconds it was as if there had never been any sort of injury.
"I'll keep in mind that you don't like to be touched. But if I ever have to drag you out of harm's way in order to save your life, I'm going to make an exception. You've been warned well ahead of time," she said with cheery emphasis on the last sentence, and afterwards she stood up and walked a little closer to the opening of the cave.
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Post by empireoffire on Mar 31, 2015 20:29:11 GMT -6
"I'll brace myself", said Irving. He ran his finger over where the wound used to be, content with how well it was healed.
He stood up and slung his ryfel behind his back before following Rosetta.
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Post by Neo on Mar 31, 2015 21:10:34 GMT -6
The shadows called out to him that night, as they always did when he teetered on the edge of the abyss. And for the first time in years, he didn't try to push them away. Instead, he found solace in them. He found comfort in the grays and the blacks, in the simplicity of the world. He didn't know why he was in such pain- because Elia was almost hurt? No... She was never really in any danger. So why then? Why, for the first time in decades, was he actually tempted to heed the shadows' call, and leave everything behind? He didn't understand, and that terrified him.
Vincent flew past the front gate, bypassing their security like child's play, and up to the outer battlements, jutting out over the valley. He spotted only two sentries on watch, and was about to simply dispatch them and return to the cave- After all, if the alarm had been raised, surely there would be more on guard- when the topic of their conversation made him pause.
"I'm telling ya, Mose, I saw it, I did! There was a light in the Boss's cave! I ain't making this up, I swear!"
The guard's partner, apparently called Mose, swats him in the back of his head, rattling his metal helmet like a tin can. "Sure ya did. You know no one goes in there without the Boss's strictest permission. And 'sides, it's not used for much anyhow, since we're never in a Siege, and we ain't got no prisoners no more. Damn blighting shame, that. But you ain't gonna catch me questioning the Boss, I like my hide."
Having heard all he needed to, Vincent materializes directly behind them. Their eyes widen in terror, and their screams lodge in their throat as he tosses their lifeless bodies over the edge. However, they disintegrate to ash before they even reach halfway.
Still... Something bothered him. What's so important about that cave? Could it be a secret exit or path leading somewhere underground? They mentioned prisoners... The dungeons maybe? So why did it feel like he was missing something? Something vital?
Still in the form of a Lich, he floats back towards where he came, mist and darkness emanating from him, deep in thought. He didn't even notice he wasn't in the shadow world, until an arrow pierced his shoulder.
Vincent hisses in both surprise and pain, his eyes immediately focusing on the terrified young man with a bow pointed at him. The boy's face was pale, and his hands were shaking. Vincent was impressed the boy was not fleeing in terror, but even more than that, he was confused. An arrow should have no effect on him, let alone actually hurt...
Taking mercy on the boy, Vincent locks him into a deep sleep that would take him around a day to wake from, and hides his body. He then pulls the arrow out of his shoulder, and hisses in pain again. Poison? No... Poison can't harm me either. Only three things can harm me... The power of the gods, Holy Magic, and...
Vincent's own eyes suddenly widen in alarm. He promptly destroys the arrow, changes back to his human form and melts back into the shadows. He then returns to the cave, slipping right past Elia and Irving. He doesn't leave the shadows until he's right by his coat, the one Elia had been using as a blanket. He returns to the normal world, shrugs on his coat before Elia can see his wound, and turns to them.
"Change of plans. I'm heading in alone. This cave is no longer safe. Enemies could appear here at any time. Irving, I want you to escort Rosetta back out of the valley. Do this, and I will quadruple your payment. Rosetta, take shelter in the dwarven outpost we used before and wait for me there."
The tone he used brooked no argument. It was one Elia had rarely heard him use, except in the most dire emergencies. It was the tone of a King, of a god who was used to being obeyed, but it wasn't the tone of a snooty noble; it was the tone of one who had the authority and the power to rule the world.
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Post by empireoffire on Mar 31, 2015 21:29:39 GMT -6
"You're not the boss, she is", Irving commented, gesturing over at Rosetta. He wasn't crazed anymore, but his tone of voice was clearly sour. "She hired me, so I listen to her. Don't pull off the money card either, because you're talkin' to the guy who offered a reduced price."
"How about it, Rosetta?" asked Irving. After a lack of reply, he turned to face her. "...Rosetta?"
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Post by Neo on Mar 31, 2015 21:46:14 GMT -6
Vincent opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it upon seeing how pale she was. He wanted desperately to move to her side immediately, but something held him back. Instead, he stayed where he was and called out to her, his voice thick with concern. "Rosetta? Yekiri, answer me. Are you all right?"
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Post by empireoffire on Mar 31, 2015 21:49:22 GMT -6
Despite the situation, Irving got distracted.
"...I've been meaning to ask, what's a Yekiri?"
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Post by GX1997 on Mar 31, 2015 21:53:49 GMT -6
"Something is horribly wrong, isn't it? Something very dark is stirring somewhere close to where we are now. I can sense it," she said, not moving at all, her eyes somewhat glassy.
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Post by Neo on Mar 31, 2015 21:54:03 GMT -6
"Nothing you need to know," Vincent snaps, clearly irritated by the question. He finally breaks past whatever was holding him back, and walks over to her side, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's all right. There's nothing for you to worry about. I'll be fine. I promised, didn't I?"
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Post by GX1997 on Apr 1, 2015 15:58:50 GMT -6
"I'm not leaving you to face whatever that thing is. It's too dark of a presence," Elia said, ignoring Vincent's attempts to calm her in order to convince her to leave. "Irving, we're going with Vincent. That's my final decision. Point is, I'm not running from whoever or whatever runs this place."
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Post by Neo on Apr 1, 2015 16:13:41 GMT -6
Vincent grits his teeth, as a wave of utter hopelessness rolls through him. Please, Elia... Don't do this to me... I can't fight at my full power with you here... I don't want you to find out...
"Rosetta, please. I need you to trust me in this," he says, nearly pleading, a note of desperation in his voice.
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Post by GX1997 on Apr 1, 2015 16:38:25 GMT -6
"But... I don't want to leave you behind!" she cried, as his insistence was beginning to scare her.
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Post by Neo on Apr 1, 2015 17:06:43 GMT -6
He couldn't do it. He just couldn't be the cause of her pain... Even if it meant her hating him, fearing him, or worse... Even if she abandoned him too... He just couldn't do it...
Vincent gently pulled her into his arms, closing his eyes. ".... All right. But promise me something... Promise me, that whatever you see, whatever you learn, you won't hate me. Promise me you'll remember who I really am, and how much I care for you, no matter what happens."
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Post by GX1997 on Apr 1, 2015 17:30:57 GMT -6
"That's the promise I already made to you the day we met. I've kept it this long, and I don't intend to ever break it. So please, don't worry about that."
Knowing how uncomfortable watching that moment must have made Irving, Elia decided not to make it even worse, and instead used Vincent's signet ring to communicate her last thought, though her eyes probably said even more then words could ever say.
And promise me that you'll never forget how much I love you.
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Post by Neo on Apr 1, 2015 18:11:05 GMT -6
Vincent couldn't have been more stunned had she reached up and slapped him. In fact, he probably would have been more comfortable with that. He... Was speechless. Dumbfounded, even. But... At the same time, he was happy. Happier than he had been in a very long time, if ever. He could see the truth of her words in her eyes, and he was unprepared for the feelings it invoked in him. He wanted to kiss her, to pick her up and carry her far, far away from that cursed place, and yet... At the same time, he was perfectly calm and in control. It was an odd contradiction, to be sure. But he did know one thing for certain: he loved her too, more than he ever thought himself capable.
He tightens his arms around her, and smiles, an honest, genuine smile. I love you too, Elia. I think I always have. But I hope you realize, that after this, I'm never letting you out of my sight. Well, with a couple exceptions, but only because I must.
His voice in her mind was cheerful and happy, and for perhaps the first time since they had known each other, there was complete honesty in his voice, and not a single trace of anything other than the obvious. And that, was perhaps the strangest and most miraculous thing of all.
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Post by empireoffire on Apr 1, 2015 18:36:58 GMT -6
After debating whether to leave or not, Irving settled on walking a bit closer to the outside of the cave and going prone in order to check on any stray movement he could see outside.
Anything's better than just standing there while they do that.
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Post by GX1997 on Apr 1, 2015 19:32:11 GMT -6
"Now... Whatever it is that we have to face here, it has to be defeated before we can go back to our normal, happy life. Are you ready?" Elia asked.
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Post by Neo on Apr 1, 2015 20:07:51 GMT -6
"More than ready," Vincent agrees, letting Elia go and stepping back. He would have plenty of time to hold her later, after all. "But before we get to work, I need to share the info I learned. It seems there are no prisoners here anymore; this is a double edged sword. While it means we can focus on fighting and not worry about potential hostages, it also means they might set out again at any time, to raid another Village. And... I'm sure I don't need to say what else it means."
He takes a deep breath before continuing. "Apparently, this cave here is a secret escape route, leading down into the fort dungeons. It's something to remember in case of an emergency, but I don't think wasting time trying to find the secret passage would be wise. More than likely, it can only be opened from the other side. And... I have reason to believe that the dark presence you're sensing, Rosetta, is a Lich. And if I'm right... We need to be extra careful. A Lich is an extremely dangerous opponent. Irving, are you ready? Now that I know this, using a simple one-way illusion may not be enough. I'll need you to pick up my slack on fighting, so I can concentrate more on making the illusion perfect."
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