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

Started November 13, 2021 by @Serpentess health_and_safety language

tune

(You're totally fine, my friend! Details are really fun and I know firsthand that magic systems are tricky things. I'm basically making up mine as we go along. :)

E'Si stayed absolutely still, watching the strange mist build up on De Tearion's fingers. So this was his healing magic. It was interesting. Different from what E'Si was used to, but that was a given at this point. E'Si cautiously tapped his fingers against his cheek, giving De Tearion a small smile. "Thank you. It feels much better." He slowly stood, glancing around the meadow for a place to sleep. A past version of him would have headed straight for a tree, but… they were better suited to light naps. He was pretty sure a light nap wasn't going to cut it. Sleeping in the open would be fine as long as De Tearion kept watch for any hostile parties. Although they hadn't known each other for very long, he was the only person E'Si could trust. And he trusted his companion enough to keep him safe as he slept. He picked out a patch of grass near enough to De Tearion that he could see him and settled down in it. E'Si curled up into a small ball, letting his eyes slowly close. Thanks to the overuse of his magic and the very exciting day, it took hardly any time before he was fast asleep.

(Lol, that’s what I usually do! But, it’s gotten to the point where I need to organize somewhat, just to keep track of all the little details and notes. Definitely tricky, lol)
(And definitely a chaotic week for me, lmao!)

---

De Tearion nodded in reply, then watched E’si silently. It intrigued him that E’si had curled up in the grass, instead of leaned against a tree. That’s what he typically did when he wasn’t up in said tree. It was rare when De Tearion could sleep completely horizontal, particularly on something flat like the ground or a bed.

After a minute to make sure E’si was asleep, he looked at his fingers. The crust covered his fingertips down to the knuckle. A small sigh escaped him. The crust, or scab, happened only when a Goliathan’s skin met light, particularly sunlight. He hadn’t used a healing spell in a few years, and the last time was before a particular encounter with a monk.

The monk was actually a friend, who, at the time, was wanting to help De Tearion open up about his past. It had resulted in a short battle that ended with the monk throwing a bolt of light at him. That bolt had nearly killed De Tearion, simply because Goliathans were creatures of pure darkness, and it had left a ‘scar’ down both legs, a pair of golden streaks along the armor plates. And now it seemed that the attack had also made him much more sensitive to spells of light, such as healing spells.

De Tearion gently rubbed his fingertips together. The crust was solid, but still too fresh, and the pressure made his fingers burn. He shrugged. All he could do was wait. Fortunately, he could be very patient, and he savored quiet moments.

---

A long moment passed before Luna finally calmed, then he glanced in the direction of the other two. Did he dare share his vision with them? Or did he leave them be? He wasn’t sure.

“Why, Avialel, did you bring these terrible rogues here? Neither seem willing to help your cause, and it’s possible they oppose you. How will they help us?”Luna quietly questioned aloud.

No answer.

It wasn’t surprising. Avialel rarely spoke during the day, and she was probably still furious at Luna for his stupidity last night. Everything had gone wrong, and now one of Avialel’s last churches was in ruins, corrupted by the blasphemous deeds committed there.

Luna sighed, pondering over his vision and searching for clues. If he could find anything to help prevent the outcome of the vision, he would find it and use it.

(Yeah, I feel you on the details thing. Also, I apologize for my prolonged absence. Life has been unnecessarily difficult lately. :)

E'Si dreamed. He was walking through the forest at home. It was peaceful, quiet save for the sounds of birds and the rustle of leaves in the breeze. He glanced down at the ground, soft and cool under his feet. It was the perfect day to be out walking. The only thing missing was the steady presence of Lan'E'yn at his side. At the thought, E'Si's heart started to beat faster. Where were they? They should be next to him, or at least near. E'Si stopped, a feeling of apprehension slowly building in his chest. His glances around revealed nothing. Just trees and bushes. It was too quiet now, too still. E'Si took a step, his foot landing in something warm. He looked down to see a puddle of blood slowly growing beneath his foot. No, no, no, this wasn't right, this wasn't happening. Despite his intentions, E'Si took another step. There was a body there, the source of the blood. The first thing he noticed were the eyes. The beautiful shade of pale blue-green, usually so bright, were dull and glassy. Staring into nothing. There was a spear stuck into the person's chest, undoubtedly human-made. E'Si's legs gave out and he collapsed beside the body. Besides his Lan'E'yn. He tried to say something, tried to reach out and brush the hair from their forehead, but he was frozen. All he could do was stare at those sightless eyes, at the blood seeping into the ground below them. He… this couldn't be happening. They were still alive, they had to be. They couldn't be dead. They couldn't be. Tears started to blur his vision. E'Si wanted to… he didn't know what he wanted to do. What could he do, now that his Nua’q’Ur was dead?

E'Si woke up slowly, the image of Lan'E'yn still fresh in his mind. The rest of the dream faded away, but he couldn't get rid of that vision. It wasn't true. Lan'E'yn was still alive. They had to be. Unbidden, his eyes filled with tears. E'Si quickly sat up, furiously wiping at his face. He shouldn't be crying, not when there was the chance that they were still alive. But this hope, the not knowing for sure, was almost worse. It wore him down. And now that he was here, with no way of knowing if they had been found… E'Si gritted his teeth, hands curling into fists in the grass beside him. He just had to deal with whatever this was and then he could return home and continue his search for Lan'E'yn. E'Si squeezed his eyes shut, muttering a prayer for strength to whichever god was listening.

(You’re good. I definitely understand that)

While he waited, De Tearion closed his eyes, listening to his surroundings, savoring the sounds of the forest. He sensed that Luna was awake, but the elf hadn’t moved. There was no point in disturbing Luna if he behaved, so De Tearion didn’t get up to investigate.

Eventually, De Tearion heard E’si’s heartbeat speed up to the proper rhythm of consciousness. He opened his eyes, silently watching the man wake up. When E’si started to cry, De Tearion stood and moved to crouch near him.

He didn’t disturb E’si, simply watching and waiting as he had his moment. E’si was certainly much calmer when waking from a nightmare than De Tearion was. But, besides that, he recognized the pain, the panic, the anger. Though, the prayer was new.

“You sought someone, before coming here. Someone close to you, possibly related. Aye?”De Tearion guessed, his voice quiet, gentle.

His hand gripped his amulet again, his own words reminding him of Agatha, how he had desperately searched for ways to heal her, and of how he had failed. Not even his beloved Mileena, nor their son, Kierthēl, could fill the gaping hole in his heart caused by her death.

---

Luna shook his head in frustration. Nothing was clear to him. No clues. He needed guidance! He needed Avialel to speak to him! But, that wouldn’t happen.

With a sigh, Luna stood up and paced for a while. He wondered what was taking so long with the other two. Were they talking? Sleeping? Plotting? He didn’t know, but he wanted to find out.

After several minutes to get up the nerve, Luna finally turned for the trees, sneaking along, getting as close as possible. He froze when he heard De Tearion speaking, though it was a bit difficult to pick apart. Turning his head slightly, he listened.

He took in a deep breath, slowly pressing his forehead into the dirt for a second before straightening up and looking towards De Tearion.
"I… yes. My, uh… my Nua’q’Ur," E'Si whispered, taking another slow, deep breath. "Lan'E'yn. The humans… captured them. I was looking before I came here." He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, digging his hands into the dirt beneath him. "I need to get back. I need to find them," he muttered to himself. He needed to get back, but sitting here wasn't going to accomplish that at all. "We should move." E'Si quickly stood, rolling his shoulders and trying to get his mental state back into decent order. He was going to not think about Lan'E'yn now, and focus only on their current situation. That was the only way he could see himself making it through this ordeal.

De Tearion watched and listened silently, understanding completely. The need. The desperation. The loss.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, his fingers fiddling with his amulet. Nua’q’Ur. Definitely a foreign word, likely of E’si’s birth tongue. What did it mean? Was this Lan'E'yn his spouse? Cohort? Blood relative? He wasn’t sure, but it was definitely something meaningful.

When E’si stood, so did he. He watched E’si compose himself, recognizing every move.

“I understand. I had gone through a similar situation only a few decades ago,”he replied quietly, his voice cutting off at the end, as if he was stopping himself from saying more. There was a clear sheen of sorrow in his eyes, but it was quickly swept away as his typical stony expression returned.

De Tearion then nodded and headed to check on Luna.

---

The elf listened carefully, missing bits here and there. Though, he did get the gist that E’si had been looking for someone before being pulled here, and that De Tearion sympathized with him. He hummed softly in thought, pondering what De Tearion had been doing before arriving.

He was abruptly ripped from his thoughts as De Tearion approached, those menacing glowing eyes aimed directly at him. How did he find Luna so quickly? The elf had made no noise!

De Tearion teleported, snatched Luna by his hair, and teleported over to E’si. Luna was roughly shoved, almost thrown, to the ground. Then, one of those clawed insect feet stepped on Luna, pressing down enough to crush the air from him.

“I will warn you only once. Spy on us again, and I will eat you alive over the course of an entire human week. Understand?”De Tearion growled.

Luna blanched, then frantically nodded his head. De Tearion snorted, stepped off of him, and lifted him to his feet by his hair. Luna yelped, stumbling a bit, but thankfully didn’t fall over.

“We are moving. Behave,”De Tearion stated. He then turned around and headed off. Luna shakily followed, glancing at E’si warily.

E'Si glanced at De Tearion and bowed his head towards him in thankful understanding. There really were no words he could say, nor ones he wanted to say. Luna's sudden entrance into the conversation was a welcome one, however annoying the elf was. Much better to focus on this annoyance than the things he couldn't control. He watched De Tearion roughly bring the elf over with a perfectly composed face. De Tearion was really quite good at intimidation. It was quite funny that the elf thought he could get away with spying on them. It had only worked because both of them had been distracted by… other things. He'd be a fool to try it again. E'Si narrowed his eyes at Luna as he glanced at him, stepping behind the elf to keep an eye on him. He doubted Luna would try anything, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.

(I am so sorry for taking so long. It’s been hectic IRL lately, but I don’t want this to die)

---

Luna winced at E’si’s look, quickly turning away. He stayed behind De Tearion, not daring to invoke the wrath of either of his captors.

As he followed De Tearion, his eyes kept lingering on the Goliathan’s feet. That he could walk on such strange looking limbs was shocking. Luna had never seen anything like them. Even a true insect had more natural feet than De Tearion.

Luna then glanced up at the rest of De Tearion, though he could only really see his hair and some of his pale neck. De Tearion truly was a Blood-Seeker. From the stories Luna had heard and read, many of the creatures that had held title were a type of vampire, or a particularly unusual or bloodthirsty individual. If De Tearion hid his feet and acted more ‘human’, he could easily pass as a vampire, and a terrifying one at that.

“Why? Why this beast and his blasphemous cohort? Great Avialel, what sort of madness is this?”Luna whispered his thoughts aloud.

“Shut it,”De Tearion snapped without even glancing back at the elf.

“What?”Luna burst, flustered by the thought that De Tearion had actually heard him.

“I care not to hear your whispered prayers. Shut it,”De Tearion said sternly.

Luna sputtered in shock, but immediately silenced when De Tearion started to growl. What else could he do?

He grimaced at that thought, then rubbed a finger along the scar on his face, reminding himself that De Tearion wasn’t the only one to be concerned about. And though he was frightening, De Tearion had never actually hurt him, compared to his companion, the Blasphemer.

---

De Tearion continued to lead the trio, following the road. He didn’t really speak after he had silenced Luna, too caught up in his brooding to care about conversation.

The road was fairly quiet, and birds chirped and fluttered about. The day was beautiful and sunny.

(I'm so sorry about the long wait. I want to say it's going to get better, but there's a 50% chance I'll be lying. Still, I want to keep this going as best as I can. Sorry again. :)

E'Si really wanted to gag the elf. His mutterings were getting on his nerve. Even more so since he could hardly understand what the elf was saying. Unfortunately, he didn't really have anything with which to gag the elf aside from cutting his tongue out. That didn't seem like a very smart move, especially since they still had a lot more to ask the elf. Thankfully, De Tearion seemed to be scary enough that the elf didn't dare speak again.
The day was beautiful, which made E'Si both annoyed and on edge. He didn't trust nice, quiet roads. Based on all the strange things that had happened recently, it was likely something would go terribly wrong the moment he let his guard down. It was so nice, though, that that was the only thing he really wanted to do. He was still a bit tired and quite hungry and wanted nothing more than to relax in the sun. Alas, they had to keep moving.

(Waving hi. Finally finished the reply, so yeah, grin)

---

E’si was right to be concerned about something going wrong, but it was aimed at the wrong thing. The day remained peaceful and beautiful, but De’Tearion’s mind did not.

Silent tears leaked down his cheeks, and his hand gripped tightly to his amulet. Dark thoughts were rampant in his head, and he kept thinking about Mileena and Kierthēl, despite several attempts to calm himself.

Eventually, the sound of approaching horse hooves brought him out of his thoughts. He glanced to the side, toward the road, listening to them, picking out at least four running horses. The rhythm of their gallops reminded him of his dear Av’ekmar, a fiery stallion that De’Tearion had befriended some time after becoming Consort. He had enjoyed many days racing around on that magnificent black beast, feeling the wind and listening to the horse’s pounding hooves.

Unfortunately, the memories of his beloved horse only sent him spiraling back down into the pit of misery he had just escaped. He wanted to see Av’ekmar again, and Mileena and Kierthēl. He wanted to hear them again, to race with Mileena in the rain as they had done several times before. But, all he had was the mellow forest around him.

“Quiet. Too quiet. Where be the nearby conversations? The cries from Kierthēl? Mileena’s soft voice? Mileena?”De’Tearion mumbled, his hands starting to shake.

“What?”Luna suddenly asked.

De’Tearion froze mid-step, forgetting his thoughts, forgetting the possible danger approaching the trio, and whirled around. With a snarl, he snatched Luna by the throat and slammed him into a nearby tree.

“Why? Why take me away from the only family I have? What were you and your fool of a goddess thinking?”De’Tearion howled.

Luna sputtered, clawing desperately at De’Tearion’s hand. His legs thrashed, his feet dangling a couple feet above the ground.

De’Tearion watched Luna’s eyes, an angry, sadistic gleam appearing behind the anguish in his glowing orbs. He tightened his grip on Luna’s throat, savoring the croaking sounds Luna made as his windpipe was slowly crushed.

“I have killed thousands in my life, and I have ordered the deaths of thousands more. Yet, none of them were more satisfying than killing those that threatened me or the ones I hold dear. If only I could kill your goddess,”De’Tearion growled.

Luna sputtered, trying to speak but barely even getting squeaks out. De’Tearion’s eyes narrowed and he loosened his grip slightly.

“P… please. I… a… am… sorry. It… it’s… not…”

Rage flared across De’Tearion’s face and he squeezed tighter. Luna’s struggles grew more desperate, and he glanced at E’si, hoping he would help him, or, at the very least, calm De’Tearion down enough to release him.