forum One More War (Mature, One-on-One, Closed)

Started November 13, 2021 by @Serpentess health_and_safety language

tune

"It's okay. You can hunt in the day." E'Si looked back at De Tearion, wondering faintly why he was asking again. He'd said it was okay, so it was. It wasn't like it was the first time E'Si had gone without a good night's sleep or a proper meal. Hardly any of the D'ae'Min warriors did, not anymore. The humans were too persistent. And if he had to sacrifice some sleep so someone else could have it, he would do it. His dreams were usually bad, anyways. It wouldn't hurt him to miss them. As for the food… it was only a night. De Tearion had said he was tired, so there was no reason to make him stay up more for something that E'Si could deal with easily enough. He shifted in the grass, moving into a familiar position that was comfortable, but not enough that he would fall asleep easily. There was a dull pain to the familiarity. He was usually surrounded by his Zi’Hei, but now he only had De Tearion. Someone strange, someone unfamiliar. And yet someone who seemed to care about him just the slightest bit. His situation was bad, there was no doubt. But… it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

(Thumbs-up, grin)

De Tearion nodded at E’si’s response, then chuckled.

“I only hunt at night,”he commented.

De Tearion then turned away to inspect Luna a final time. The elf seemed to be in a deep sleep, and would hopefully sleep through a good chunk of the day.

With a disdainful snort, De Tearion left the elf, heading for the trees. He paused in front of an oak at the edge of the meadow, abruptly realizing that this would be the first time he had slept without his dearest Mileena in years.

“E’si, I have a request to make. If you hear me growling in my sleep, wake me. Gently. And… be cautious,”he said over his shoulder. He didn’t have the confidence to face E’si directly, fearing that he would just break down then and there if he turned around.

De Tearion’s hand drifted up to hold the pendant of his amulet, caressing it gently. He then took a deep breath and scrutinized the tree in front of him. After a moment, his second pair of arms appeared and he leaped straight up, grabbing a branch with all four arms and expertly climbing up, disappearing in the thick leaves.

De Tearion crawled along the branches until he found a comfortable perch, then sprawled. He had missed lounging in the branches, though… it all seemed so empty without Mileena to share this moment with him.

With a sigh, De Tearion settled. A thought came to him, and he hung his arm down below the leaves so E’si could find him. Hopefully the man wouldn’t need to wake him, but De Tearion suspected otherwise.

Eventually, De Tearion drifted off to sleep, undisturbed by the light of dawn. Though, he did miss the gorgeous sunrise.

"Ah. Then… it's fine." E'Si waved a hand, hoping to dismiss the concern about food. He watched as De Tearion first surveyed the elf, then moved towards the trees. It seemed his companion preferred the cover of trees to sleep in. E'Si didn't blame him. It was much safer there, both from detection by the enemy and any predators that might appear during that time. Still, it left him alone with just Luna, who was probably the worst company he could have. "Ah, okay." He nodded, not that De Tearion would see it. It seemed as though he also had a problem with nightmares.
E'Si watched the world go by, wondering how long De Tearion would sleep for. He didn't really care if it was for a while, though. Although he was tired, the forest was quite beautiful and the sunrise was amazing. He could stay there for a while if needed. E'Si glanced at Luna occasionally, but the elf stayed fast asleep.

(And this is where it gets dark)

The morning passed peacefully, with little activity except for the occasional animal passing by. The most notable was a family of deer.

Luna remained asleep, undisturbed by the brightening daylight. De Tearion slept as well, though, a few hours before midday, the branches where he was perched became to shake, and occasionally jerk.

The exaggerated movements were common to his kind while dreaming, but this was a bit more than usual. He kicked and pulled at the branches, his limbs repeatedly tightening and loosening their grip on the branches. Every now and then, he shivered.

He slowly woke, a sense of urgency growing in his drowsy mind. There was pressure on his throat, steadily growing, expanding, as he approached consciousness. The shape of hands, a pair of them, gripped his neck tightly.

His eyes shot open as he realized he couldn’t breathe. He fought for air, trying to inhale, trying to free his neck from those hands. His own fingers were clumsy, shaking uncontrollably as they clawed at those terrible weapons.

His blurred vision then started to blacken again, his journey to consciousness now going in reverse. He barely registered his own quiet squeals, or the mild thrashing of his legs, as his fingers fought to grab hold of those hands. He needed air… precious air…

De Tearion jerked, one of his arms cracking the branch it held. A high-pitched, chirping squeal burst from him, followed by a shiver that shook the leaves around him.

The battle was the worst yet in the war. He had lost sight of the war party. That meant he was alone and vulnerable, choice prey to the treacherous Vanishers.

He cautiously searched the trees until he heard sounds of fighting. Moving a bit quicker, he approached to see a Goliathan fighting a Vanisher. He burst forth from the trees, moving to help.

The other Goliathan welcomed his appearance and the pair quickly overpowered the Vanisher, destroying the creature. He then turned to speak with the Goliathan, only to be attacked. He yelped, dodging each attack and questioning the other. Only one word was uttered, but that was enough. ‘Agatha.’

De Tearion jerked again, the cracked branch snapping and falling to the ground. His foot coiled and kicked, snapping that branch as well. A deep, gutteral growl grew in his throat, and one of his other arms crushed the branch it held onto as he continued to fight in the dream. He now hung precariously on three limbs.

Black tears streamed down his face. His body shivered again, another arm pulling at its branch. He then started chirping, repeating the same sequence of chirps and clicks. His voice started out quiet, but it steadily grew louder and more emotional. It was a name, and he was crying out in panic.

E'Si wished he'd brought his bow and some arrows with him, but he didn't need that stuff when he was taking down humans. It would have been quite useful for hunting. Especially since it seemed his companion wouldn't be of much help. He would be able to use his Si, it would just be a lot more difficult. E'Si sat in the same place for several hours but was starting to feel a little restless. Luna was still asleep–he must have been very tired, though E'Si supposed it made sense given all the things that had happened to him–so he would be able to walk around a little without worrying about the elf. E'Si had just finished his third lap of the clearing when the rustling of leaves caught his attention. He frowned and started towards the noise. It was coming from the tree De Tearion was sleeping in. E'Si stopped under the tree and looked up. A sharp noise accompanied by the sound of a cracking branch made him jump. He remembered what De Tearion had said before he went to sleep, but E'Si had no idea how to wake him up.

He was deliberating climbing up there when a branch crashed to the ground next to him. E'Si's gaze jerked back to De Tearion and, upon hearing the growl, decided he just had to go for it. "Tif’Tr’Min, K’X’Hew," E'Si muttered, despite the fact it wasn't a good idea to use it just yet. He hadn't rested yet and this might end up poorly for him, but… De Tearion seemed to be suffering, and this made him feel a lot better about going up there. E'Si took a deep breath and launched himself up the tree. "Tr’Ur, De Tearion!" E'Si called, reaching cautiously out to tap De Tearion's shoulder. "N'V'Kl." Hopefully, De Tearion would hear him and not attack him in his sleep.

The moment E’si touched De Tearion, he jolted upward, his upper pair of arms, both in their beetle form, slashed at him. One clawed hand aimed for his face, the other his arm. De Tearion then shrieked at E’si, mouth open wide as an eerie sound that seemed to combine an angry screech with a panicked scream came forth.

From his mouth, four fuzzy palps tipped with a claw appeared, spreading out like the corners of a square, just before a long, yellow, segmented proboscis unfurled, drenched in dark saliva. At the end of the proboscis was a small umbrella-like grapple with four claws at the end, which was open wide like an angry snake. Beyond the grapple was, at first, smooth flesh, but it became increasingly barbed farther up the proboscis. Where those barbs were, the proboscis was hideously bloated.

De Tearion’s sudden change of weight upon the branches, and the movements that followed, were too much for them to hold his bulk and they snapped. De Tearion yelped, crashing to the ground before he could teleport to safety.

He groaned, retracting his proboscis as he quickly crawled to his knees. Hurriedly glancing around, De Tearion didn’t see any other threats, though he didn’t know if he had hurt the one that had touched him or not.

After a moment, tears once again streamed down his face as more memories of his youth resurfaced. He swayed, his breath sputtering a bit as his hand unconsciously grabbing his amulet.

“Agatha!”he abruptly cried, searching the trees. When no answer came, the memory of her death returned, and he swayed even more, barely stifling a wail.

“Mileena! Nwalan! I beg you!”he shouted, desperate for any response, any comfort.

When neither answered, De Tearion crumpled, crying and whimpering, his body curling up.

Luna stirred at the sound of a strange screech. He moaned drowsily and sat up, looking around warily. At first, he was a bit confused by the change in his vision, but the moment he touched his cheek he felt the scar and remembered the previous night.

He whimpered slightly at the memory, then looked around again, trying to get his bearings. Why was he in a forest? What had happened to the cathedral? His people? The humans?

“By Avialel, how long have I been unconscious?”he gasped, finally noticing what time it was.

Okay, so his prayers weren't answered. E'Si lept out of the reach of De Tearion's swipes, only barely quick enough. He'd been too close and De Tearion had been too quick for him to completely dodge out of trouble. E'Si landed on a rather thin branch farther away from De Tearion, blood already running down his face. The swipe aimed at his arm had glanced off thanks to his tattoos, but it would definitely leave a bruise. If he hadn't been using D'ae'Huw, it would have been much worse.

At De Tearion's scream, E'Si couldn't stop himself from unsheathing his Si. This was his companion, but at the moment, this was also a threat. Thankfully, the threat fell out of the tree before he performed any more sudden movements. E'Si waited a moment, then dropped out of the tree, Si still in hand.
"V’Kl, V’Kl," he chanted, hoping to calm De Tearion down a little. Although him saying things in Mb'e'Twu probably wouldn't help him much, since he wouldn't know what E'Si was saying. "Um… safe, calm," E'Si tried, creeping towards De Tearion a few steps. Maybe walking towards him with weapons wouldn't be very effective either. E'Si let out a soft breath and slowly sheathed them, though he did stay well out of the way of De Tearion in case he lashed out again.

De Tearion hadn’t even noticed E’si unsheathing his weapons, or getting down from the tree and approaching. Though, he did hear E’si’s attempts to calm him, and his attention focused more on the possible threat than his own torment. He listened to the man’s heartbeat, understanding his caution. It was wise on his part to be wary of De Tearion, particularly in his current state.

However, De Tearion also smelled fresh blood, oozing from wounds on E’si. Had he been attacked too? Were they surrounded? He cautiously tilted his head to look at E’si, and saw the marks on his face. Marks only a Goliathan’s claws could make.

De Tearion slowly sat up, thick black streaks marring the near flawless pale skin of his face. He stared at E’si, then looked down at his bloodied claws. More tears dripped down his face.

“Mercy have me. I… Forgive me, E’si, I beg. I… I should have told you to avoid touching me while I slept. ‘Tis… a reflex. One I have had for… centuries, most of life in truth. Forgive me,”De Tearion said, staring at the grass in shame before simply closing his eyes.

His entire body shook slightly, visibly tense, and his lower pair of arms had curled tightly against him, as if seeking something to hold onto. He didn’t seem to notice that one of his upper hands had morphed and grabbed his amulet, or that his fingers currently fiddled with the beetle-shaped pendant.

After a moment, De Tearion deliberately morphed his other hand and started to wipe off his face, even though tears continued to leak from his eyes. He didn’t care that he was also smearing E’si’s blood on his face. It’s not like it made much difference anyway, since his tears were also blood.

E'Si didn't quite know what to do now that De Tearion seemed mostly awake. He hadn't been given instructions on what to do after he'd woken De Tearion up. Especially since De Tearion seemed so distraught. He was only well-versed with dealing with Lan'E'yn's nightmares…. gods, why did he have to think about them at this moment? E'Si gritted his teeth, roughly wiping at the wound running across his cheek. It hurt, but it was a much more familiar and a much more welcome pain than that of missing their Nua’q’Ur.
"It's fine. I should be more careful," E'Si sighed, slowly standing up straight. Now that this crisis was mostly over–at least for him–he remembered the other person he'd been watching over. Luna. E'Si's eyes darted over to where he'd last seen Luna. The elf was no longer asleep, probably awoken by the racket just now. Well, that he could deal with. In a flash, E'Si was standing over Luna, face twisted in an annoyed grimace. "Not long enough," he grumbled, crouching down in front of the elf.

De Tearion glanced up at E’si, watching him wipe his cheek. So, E’si was used to being wounded. That didn’t much soothe De Tearion, but it was a relief nonetheless.

“I still should have warned you,”he replied shakily.

As E’si stood and walked away, De Tearion straightened and chirped at him, his eyes pleading E’si to stay even if his expression didn’t. Hold me, I beg!

Unfortunately, he didn’t feel brave enough to say it in a language that E’si would understand. Which only made him feel worse. He hated feeling alone. Twenty years of wallowing in loneliness and greif had taken its toll, and he had yet to recover.

De Tearion sighed shakily and moved to sit against a tree, needing the solidity as he curled up. His body continued to shake, and his tears had yet to stop. He didn’t know how to soothe himself without having someone else to help him. His former techniques seemed so useless now.

Luna turned at E’si’s approach and he whimpered slightly. He shrank away from E’si, wanting to avoid him at all costs for what he did.

“Where am I? And what happened after I collapsed?”he asked meekly.

He looked around for E’si’s companion, wondering if the noises had been him. After all, E’si seemed perfectly calm, and even more menacing in daylight.

At that thought, Luna wondered which one of the pair was more frightening. The blasphemous tribal-looking individual in front of him, or the bestial Blood-Seeker possibly lurking in the trees?

"The forest," E'Si answered, electing to ignore his second question. "Do not move unless you want to lose both eyes." He gave Luna a sharp glare, then glanced towards De Tearion. He was making a lot of strange noises, which was worrying E'Si slightly worried. It seemed his worry was justified, as De Tearion didn't look good at all. E'Si stood and slowly walked over to him.
"Ah…" E'Si stopped in front of De Tearion, wondering what in the world he could do to help him. "How can I help you?" He tried to use his softest voice, like he was talking to… to them. E'Si didn't want to touch De Tearion again in case he lashed out again, but he also didn't want to leave him alone to suffer. It was much better to ask him what he needed than risk another cut.

“The forest? How deep?”Luna blurted.

He then shied away from E’si at the threat. He was already blind in one eye, he didn’t want to lose the other. And he didn’t doubt that E’si would keep to the threat.

When E’si moved to investigate the noises off to the side, Luna straightened and checked himself for other wounds. He didn’t really see anything new, which was a relief. He then took a deep breath and waited.

De Tearion didn’t notice E’si until he started speaking. He visibly flinched, one of his hands morphing into claws. He then realized who it was and breathed deeply, morphing his hand back.

“I am…”De Tearion trailed off with a sigh. He wasn’t well, not whatsoever. And it would be rude of him to lie. Worse actually, because De Tearion hated lying.

“It was a rather harsh… I believe ’tis called a ‘nightmare’. It brought up several memories I would rather never think of again. I am used to these ‘nightmares’, yet the harsher ones are rare, and I often panic, like I had after falling,”De Tearion explained quietly, not looking at E’si.

He was aware that he was dodging E’si’s question, but it was difficult for him to admit what would help him most. He barely knew E’si. They were stuck on a completely different world together, with barely any idea why. And there was still a possible threat nearby in the form of an irritating elf priest. How could De Tearion admit to needing a hug with all of that? How could he even relax?

De Tearion took a deep breath to steel himself, wiping off his tears again. Then, after another moment of hesitation, he finally looked at E’si.

“Talk to me. Hold me. Something. Yet, I cannot be alone, I beg you,”he pleaded quietly, a hint of desperation in his shaky voice.

"Deep enough that they'll never find your body should you try to escape," E'Si growled, shooting Luna one last glare before turning back to De Tearion. He probably didn't need to be so harsh with Luna, as the elf already looked like he wasn't going anywhere. Still, better safe than sorry. E'Si carefully crept closer to De Tearion as he spoke. He knew about nightmares–he had enough of them himself. Not as bad as the one De Tearion had earlier, but he knew of them. So he almost expected De Tearion's next words. That didn't mean he knew what to do with them. He could probably talk to De Tearion and not leave him alone, but… he didn't know about holding him. He didn't know him well enough, but it would probably help him relax. E'Si carefully took a step towards De Tearion, silently wondering what he was supposed to say. He was really bad at this. Probably one of the worst people De Tearion could have to comfort him.
"Um…" E'Si started, frowning slightly. "I will sit next to you now." He carefully sat down next to De Tearion and glanced over at him. E'Si felt like he should be doing something more than just sitting there. He was still slightly wary of De Tearion, however, so he decided that for now, he was just going to sit there.

Luna whimpered at the threat, shrinking away even more. He watched E’si go. Hopefully he was investigating the noises, and not plotting Luna’s demise, or worse, Avialel’s.

De Tearion watched as E’si approached, understanding that he was being cautious. They didn’t know each other well, and De Tearion had just attacked him. There was little De Tearion could do to soothe his caution, particularly in his current state, even though De Tearion was currently the opposite of dangerous.

De Tearion nodded at E’si’s response, turning away to stare absently at the ground. His hand moved to cradle and caress his amulet, something that had long been a self-soothing habit of his.

“Thank you,”he said, barely audible.

He truly was grateful that E’si was willing to help him, let alone be near him after that scratch. If E’si had refused, De Tearion wasn’t sure how he would’ve reacted, but it would no doubt have been bad for both of them.

He wiped off the last few tears from his face, then glanced upward. The leaves on the trees softly waved in the breeze.

“If only this forest had Grappling Trees. They are such fascinating creatures,”he said his thoughts aloud. De Tearion then sighed sorrowfully.

“‘If only’ to many things,”he said quietly.

"K'Zi’Hew." E'Si whispered in answer to De Tearion's thanks. It wasn't like he was just going to leave him alone. Although now that he was here, he had no idea what to say. It was quite fortunate, in his opinion, when De Tearion started something like a conversation. It was at least something he could ask about. Maybe talking about whatever Grappling Trees were would let De Tearion calm down a little.
"What are these Grappling Trees?" E'Si asked softly, glancing over at his companion. He didn't know of anything similar in his own world. The trees, though more alive than most people realized, didn't grab anyone. They just stayed as they were, watching over him and the rest of his people. E'Si could do with some of that protection, but he didn't get the same feeling from the trees in this forest as he did in his own. It made sense, of course. His gods had not followed him into this strange place. Not all the way, that was. They'd appeared just enough to keep his tattoos working and to give him access to his magic. Gods, how he wished they would give him more. A way home, for one. But he was being too greedy if he asked for that too.

De Tearion chuckled, a few tears streaming from his eyes. He wiped them off with a sigh, a bit frustrated that his emotions were so wild at the moment.

“A rare and unique tree from the forest I had grown up in. They sprout vines that infest any weak or dying creatures against them, feeding on the creatures while soothing their pain. As time passes, the creature often falls into a deep sleep that eventually becomes death,”De Tearion explained.

He hesitated to say more, already getting dangerously close to memories that he wanted to avoid. His fingers unconsciously gripped tighter onto his amulet as he took a few deep breaths. After a moment, he stubbornly decided to continue.

“My kin have used Grappling Trees for generations to ease the way for those that cannot heal. There be a legend among the forests of home that the souls of those that cease against the trees are absorbed into them, becoming one with the tree and the forest, eternally guarded by the land itself,”De Tearion added, his voice growing quieter.

More tears appeared, dripping from his eyes with each blink. A small clicking whine came from him, though he was barely aware of it as he remembered his grieving wail, and the unwelcoming silence that followed. That silence was one of the worst displays of hatred shown to him. Goliathans never mourned alone… but he had, and still did.

“Damn them. Damn all the fools called my kin,”he muttered, a low growl starting up as he spoke.

It took De Tearion a moment to realize that his hands had become claws again. He sighed shakily, taking a moment to calm down before morphing his hands back. He decided to add more to his explanation, to give his mind something else to focus on.

“Despite having a few bad memories involving Grappling Trees, they are truthfully a favorite of mine. I always enjoyed staring at them when they bloomed. Every century, they would grow these small, pink flowers. They had such a pleasant, mellow scent. A fascinating contrast to the darkness of the tree itself,”he rambled, relaxing a bit as he remembered several sweet moments of catching the falling flowers with Agatha.

E'Si listened to De Tearion talk about the trees with interest. They were quite unique trees, that was for sure. It would be quite an experience to see one. E'Si was silently congratulating himself on being a decent comforter when De Tearion seemed to touch upon another painful memory. E'Si's eyes were drawn to De Tearion's hands, which were starting to look a lot more dangerous. He forced himself to stay still, however, not wanting to startle his companion with any sudden movements. Gods, being on high alert for so long was starting to take a toll on him. Not that he wasn't used to it, but… using D'ae'Huw twice in such quick succession with no rest between wasn't helping at all. Thinking about it wasn't helping either. E'Si forced himself to focus back on what De Tearion was saying.
"That sounds nice," E'Si supplied, nodding slowly. Thankfully De Tearion had steered himself away from the painful memories or images all on his own. He too tried to picture the flowers De Tearion was describing and added them to his mental image of the trees themselves. It was an interesting combination, though he was sure his own picture was nothing like the actual trees. Ah, well, it didn't really matter that much. E'Si glanced away from De Tearion towards their prisoner elf. "What will we do with him?" He whispered, nodding his chin towards Luna.

Esi’s words brought De Tearion from his memories and he looked at the man. He could smell E’si’s wariness in his blood, though it had faded a bit. De Tearion looked at his hands, remembering how they had morphed during his explanation. His fingers curled and De Tearion sighed softly.

“Forgive me. For my claws, your wounds. I have always been a creature of control and discipline. Yet, I have never been able to control my rage. Unfortunately, it always seems to be aimed at the wrong people,”he said quietly.

He glanced at E’si, true remorse in his eyes, before looking up at the trees. Birds fluttered by, chirping at each other. De Tearion turned back to E’si at his whisper, then chirped.

“He currently be our best living link to this world. Despite his annoying presence, I believe he shall prove useful to us in a large variety of ways. As a guide firstly, yet even as leverage if such a situation ever arises. He be more important than a mere High Priest, and likely not just because of his royal bloodline,”De Tearion replied, his eyes gazing off in the direction of Luna.

(Sorry, school's been trying to bury me these days. :)
E'Si looked back at De Tearion. "Ah, it's okay. It was mostly my fault." E'Si reached up and carefully tapped his fingers over his wounds. He didn't have enough magic to heal them, so they'd have to be taken care of the old-fashioned way. "But thanks," he added, noting the remorse in his companion's eyes. It would be rude to brush his apology with no acknowledgment.

"That is true," E'Si agreed, turning his attention back to Luna. The elf did know about this world, having lived in it, and he also knew about the magic bringing E'Si and De Tearion here from their own worlds. "Ah." E'Si nodded, deciding to take De Tearion's word on the rest of Luna's importance. "Should we move? Or do you want more rest?"

(You’re good. I’ve had a whole schedule change, and my days are chaotic as hell now, so yeah, lol)

De Tearion sighed,”I should have warned you.”

He brooded a bit more, then decided to let the whole thing go. He had done far worse to those that had tried to wake him before. A scratch and bruise were among the most minor wounds someone had gotten from De Tearion’s claws.

As De Tearion considered that, he remembered that he knew a couple spells of healing. He rarely ever used them, and could barely use them anyway. He was a creature of pure darkness, while healing was of light. But, they were still useful.

“I know a couple healing spells. I can only use them for short periods, yet they are quite powerful. If you wish, I could heal the marks I made,”he offered.

De Tearion nodded in acknowledgment of E’si’s words, noting his short comment about De Tearion’s belief that Luna was more important than he seemed. He wasn’t too sure if Luna actually was more than a royal High Priest, but experience and instinct told him that he was.

“Have you rested at all? I wish not for you to be exhausted. And, if I must wake you like you had me, you need only ask,”De Tearion replied.

E'Si considered De Tearion's offer. He would really like to have his wounds heal quickly. It would make things a lot easier if he didn't have to worry about cleaning and bandaging it. He might as well accept De Tearion's help.
"Sure." E'Si nodded, brushing his hair out of his face so De Tearion could access the wound. He had no idea how De Tearion's healing spells worked, but it would be interesting to see how someone else's healing magic worked. At De Tearion's question, E'Si paused. He did want to rest. It wouldn't hurt to take a quick nap. It wouldn't be good if he was tired when they were doing something important. "I will take a short rest. And that's probably not needed." He did get nightmares, but they weren't usually bad enough to warrant being woken up.

(I didn’t think it’d take me this long to reply, but I can definitely say that I seriously need to work on my magic system, lmao. This is actually the most detailed description I’ve written of a character using a healing spell, lol)
(Don’t mind me, I’m a sucker for detail)

De Tearion nodded, then breathed deeply and closed his eyes for a moment, focusing himself. When he opened his eyes, he turned to face E’si a bit more, raising his hand.

Black mist formed around his fingers, but, with a moment of concentration, it quickly changed to a soft gold hue that glowed. The mist swirled around De Tearion’s fingers, growing thicker until a few strands spiraled toward E’si’s face. They flowed into the wound, a soothing warmth dulled the pain and swelling, and encouraged the flesh to knit itself back to together.

The wound healed within a minute or two, leaving nothing more than a faint scar. The mist then faded, and De Tearion lowered his hand. A small crust had formed on his fingertips, but he seemed to ignore it for now.

De Tearion nodded at E’si’s answer.

“Very well, yet be afraid not to rest longer. We are in a new world, with time different than our homes. A day of adjusting will harm us not,”De Tearion mentioned.

He understood that his words were possibly a lie, that one day was more than enough time to send someone, or many people, to a brutal and untimely death, but the pair couldn’t afford to be exhausted while trying to figure out what was going on. Hesitation meant death, that was something De Tearion had learned a long time ago. And exhaustion meant a lot of hesitating.

Luna sat cross-legged in the meadow. He had only moved slightly, to center himself in the meadow as best as he could, but he was wary that such a small movement would still anger the other two.

After a moment to look around, he breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. He fell into a trance, hoping to figure out exactly where they were.

Instead, he saw a vision of a burning city, the site of a brutal battle. Men and women, all elves, fled and were slaughtered by the human raiders. Among the humans was a menacing warrior wielding a large sword, a servant of Avertael, the sun god’s foul Champion.

Luna came out of the vision with a yelp. Blue fire burst from him, and he curled into a ball. A few moments passed and he unfurled. In a circle around him, the grass was ‘burning’, blue fire outlining every blade of grass without actually scorching it.

“What is this?”

The moment Luna spoke, the fire vanished. He whimpered, too shaken and confused to move.