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

Started November 13, 2021 by @Serpentess health_and_safety language

tune

(here it is, sorry again for the wait! :)
"Ov'Ri," E'Si grumbled, giving the knife another wary glance. He really didn't want to take it, but if meant he'd get answers, then he might as well. E'Si carefully sheathed one of his Si's, then reached out and took the knife. "Tell now." Unfortunately, E'Si didn't get an answer. Instead, he got to watch De Tearion utterly decimate the elves. He wasn't particularly shocked after he realized what was happening. It was thrilling to watch De Tearion move. He was quite a force to be reckoned with. Well, he might as well help out. There were still the four elves who'd surrounded him and Luna. As much as he hated Luna, he would have to live because E'Si wanted answers and Luna seemed like the best source. But the other elves didn't have that protection.

E'Si lept at the nearest elf faster than someone should be able to move, stabbing the knife Luna had given him into their chest. He pulled his other Si from its sheath, sprinting at the next elf. They'd been staring in horror at the destruction De Tearion was reaping on their fellow clergymen, though their horror quickly turned towards E'Si. Before any of them could scream, E'Si had already slit the next elf's throat. The final two elves received the same fate soon after. Not as creative as De Tearion's approach, but E'Si was going for speed, not variety. E'Si turned to where he'd last seen De Tearion, but he wasn't there. That was probably fine. E'Si grabbed the knife out of the elf's chest and turned towards Luna.

(You’re good. It happens)

“Avri’aselōn Evki’alel!”Luna cried out as De Tearion and E’si attacked his followers.

He watched helplessly as five clergy were killed and one taken. Though, what horrified him the most was seeing his own dagger, a sacred instrument never intended to kill, murder one of his own people. His knees gave out at the sight and he prayed for Avialel’s guidance and forgiveness for such horrid sacrilege.

After a moment, Luna stopped praying and looked up at the sky, where dark clouds swirled around the eclipse. Avialel was never merciful when angered.

Luna looked down, his eyes locking on his bloodstained dagger, held in the hands of someone who’s cruelty he had drastically underestimated. Was this creature, who had called himself Po’Si, Avertael’s champion?

“I never meant for this t…”Luna trailed off as a fire abruptly started nearby.

He turned, watching as red flames slowly destroyed the scroll. Gasping in horror, Luna looked up toward the sky. A red lightning bolt shot forth from the clouds and struck the cathedral, splitting the building in half. Luna screamed in agony as the bolt struck, a long scar appearing on him, starting at his forehead and stretching down the left side of his face to beneath the collar of his robe. His left eye was instantly blinded, bloody tears already beginning to stream down his face.

Luna fell on his side, his dazed mind barely registering that all of the lanterns in the town center had shattered when the bolt struck. The darkness seemed fitting, as it described everything that was happening in the world of elves.

Instead of trying to sit up, Luna simply rolled onto his back, forcing himself to stay awake long enough to say something to E’si, the false Moon-Gale.

“War comes. The Elven Monarchy… is dying. Without unity… the humans will destroy… all of us.”

Luna’s eyes flickered then closed, and the black depths of sleep stole him away.

---

The two elves that De Tearion had kicked sat up just as the lightning bolt struck. They watched in horror as the cathedral was ruined and their High Priest wounded. Then, in the dark gloom of the eclipse, the pair stood and cautiously approached Luna, giving E’si a wide berth.

At Luna’s words, they looked at each other helplessly. This was what the clergy had been waiting to hear from Luna, and it was worse than they had thought.

When they recovered from the shock of Luna’s words, they kneeled down next to him. One of them conjured a small ball of blue fire for light while the other inspected the fresh scar.

E'Si narrowed his eyes at Luna. The elf appeared to be praying, which E'Si found very funny. He seemed to find the dagger in E'Si's hand to be very horrifying, but that was his own fault for giving it to E'Si in the first place. Blades were meant to be used. The fire also caught E'Si's attention, though he was probably much happier about it than Luna was. He didn't really know why it had burst into flames, but he approved of that terrible thing being destroyed. Maybe that had even released De Tearion from whatever he'd agreed to. E'Si was a little less excited about the strange lightning, though it was very interesting how it seemed to also strike Luna, leaving a scar all the way down his face. E'Si opened his eyes to make a snarky comment at Luna, but Luna spoke before he could say anything. "What?" None of what Luna had just said made much sense, though he did get that humans would be destroying something. People. The elves? Well, he didn't expect anything else from the humans. E'Si shot a glare at the two elves as they came over to Luna, but he let them be. It didn't seem like they would be doing anything too threatening at the moment. Instead, E'Si started to look around for De Tearion. He sheathed his Si, keeping the knife Luna had gifted him in his hand.

The elves finished their inspection of Luna, understanding that no amount of prayer or atoning would remove the scar. They then looked at E’si warily, noticing Luna’s dagger in his hand, and they realized why Luna was now marked.

They looked at each other, grimacing, then one nodded to the cathedral. The other nodded and they stood, slowly heading to check on their fellow clergymen.

Several quiet minutes later, De Tearion appeared a few feet behind the elves, just as they neared the cathedral’s crooked doors. He chirped loudly, spooking the pair.

“I need not your holy blood,”he said, tossing the glass beads of blood at them.

One of the elves caught the beads, staring at De Tearion with surprise and horror. Immediately after that, a loud crash echoed through the town and the elves looked back at the cathedral to see it collapsing.

The elf without the beads yelped and bolted, grabbing his companion. The tower of the cathedral snapped, falling toward the three. De Tearion teleported away, watching the elves from the other side of the town center.

The two ran for their lives, but the one with the beads was still trying to keep up with the other and he stumbled, knocking both of them over. The tower then crashed down, disintegrating into rubble and dust.

De Tearion chirped, waiting until everything had settled before teleporting to the edge of the rubble. He noticed the moaning top half of the elf that hadn’t been holding the beads, his lower half crushed beneath a massive piece of stone. Sounds also erupted from all over the village as people woke to investigate.

With a sigh and a few chirps, De Tearion crouched down next to the tormented elf, appraising the tears that streaked his pleading face. He then morphed his hand and deftly cut the elf’s throat, watching him gasp and gurgle until he stilled. De Tearion sucked the blood off of his claw before morphing his hand back and standing. He walked toward E’si and Luna with long strides as lanterns approached from every street.

When De Tearion reached the two, he bent down and snatched Luna, throwing him over his shoulder. He then moved over to E’si.

“‘Tis best we leave,”De Tearion said.

He grabbed E’si’s shoulder and teleported. They appeared at the forest’s edge, where they had been before going into the town. De Tearion glanced at the town, then headed north toward the road he had seen earlier.

E'Si's search for De Tearion wasn't very fruitful at first. Granted, he wasn't doing more than looking around, but that was because he wanted to make sure no one took Luna away. The elves finished their search and thankfully left without trying to bring Luna anywhere. If they'd tried, they would have had to die as well. Although he was supposed to be looking for his companion, E'Si's attention got pulled towards the elves. And it was a good thing, as De Tearion ended up reappearing right behind them. At least E'Si hadn't been left. He wouldn't have minded too much, but it would have been very annoying to have been abandoned. Made things harder, that was for sure.
E'Si flinched at the sound of the collapsing building, tensing for a second before he realized it was the cathedral. It wasn't close enough to worry him, so he stayed put. E'Si glanced down at Luna for a second, checking to make sure he was still there and alive. He couldn't answer questions if he was dead. By the time he looked back up, De Tearion was walking towards them and the town was waking up around them.
"Agree." E'Si nodded, his lip curling up at the sight of the fast-approaching light. The humans were coming and he really wasn't feeling like fighting them at the moment. He'd used his D'ae'Huw already and though he could use it again, it was safer if he rested a little before then. E'Si was expecting to run out of there, but De Tearion laid a hand on his shoulder and the next thing he knew, they were at the edge of the forest. "What was that?" He glanced around, then started after De Tearion. "How are we here now?"

De Tearion glanced back at E’si as he spoke.

“Define your question. And we are here because of my natural ability to teleport. Teleportation, if you know not, be a magic way to near instantly travel to places previously visited.”

De Tearion shifted Luna a bit, noting how light he was compared to most of the humans he had ever carried. Were all elves as light as Luna and the clergyman he had snatched earlier?

He still pondered that question as they neared the road heading north out of the town. De Tearion didn’t step onto it, instead going into the trees and following the road. There would likely be search parties after Luna, and he wanted to avoid them at all costs.

A little while later, De Tearion’s suspicions were confirmed when a group of mounted men raced down the road. However, they didn’t stop. That confused De Tearion a bit. Were they a search party, or something else? Messengers?

A small sigh escaped De Tearion. He suspected they would find out eventually.

"All of it. I don't know what happened, to building and him." E'Si nodded to the elf slung over De Tearion's shoulder. "Ah, I see," he continued, though he didn't really understand. He supposed this teleportation could be a bit like using D'ae'Huw to move great distances quickly, but even faster. E'Si let out a slight breath of relief as they entered the trees. It was safer in there, especially since they had Luna with them. The elves would be after them, and… humans would too, according to Luna. He would have to let De Tearion know what the elf said before he passed out once they got somewhere more secure.
E'si slipped behind a tree as the horses drew closer, expecting to have to hide or even fight them off. But they thundered past without pause. E'Si waited until he couldn't see or hear them before turning to De Tearion.
"They're warning someone," He guessed, peeking up and down the road. "You have a plan?"

De Tearion chirped, understanding now what E’si had been asking about.

“I know not, as I missed much of it, yet I suspect it be related to this Avialel goddess. Or, alternatively, to the eclipse itself,”he answered.

De Tearion noted E’si’s tone in his next words, recognizing that E’si still didn’t understand teleportation. He kept quiet though, since he really had no better explanation anyway.

When they entered the trees, De Tearion heard E’si and a small, thoughtful smile appeared on his face. He was glad that his companion also favored trees. It made things so much simpler, and it was nice to have someone else to talk to about the beauty of the forest.

After the horse riders left, De Tearion turned to listen to E’si. He nodded in agreement, sighing again.

“For now, we keep to the shadows and observe. ‘Tis likely a good idea to also acquire a map of this land,”De Tearion replied.

After checking the road a few times, De Tearion resumed walking. He became lost in thought as they traveled, his mind drifting to Mileena, his beloved wife, and their son, Kierthēl. It had barely been a few hours since he had appeared in this strange world, and yet it already seemed like an eternity.

De Tearion sighed mournfully, and spoke a vow in the chirps and clicks of his birth tongue. I will return to you, dear Mileena, even if I must battle Mercy herself. He never broke a vow.

(Ah, yeah, sorry for the wait! Life is happening and I'm not enjoying it. :)
E'Si nodded in agreement at De Tearion's plan. He was in favor of gathering information about the area they were in. Though he didn't know how De Tearion was going to get a map of the land they were in. Their last visit into town hadn't gone so well, and it would likely go far worse in the future. Especially if those riders who'd passed them were messengers. E'Si would've been happy to stay out of towns if they weren't so important to figuring out his situation and getting back home. He followed after De Tearion, keeping slightly behind his companion. If they were to go into human towns, he supposed he'd have to disguise himself as a human. He'd done it before, and though he hadn't enjoyed it and would likely not enjoy it this time either, it could be done. All he needed were clothes that covered his tattoos and he'd be fine. As long as people didn't notice the slightly reflective eyes or the unusually sharp teeth. Actually, it would probably be easier to disguise himself here than at home. They had those elves, after all, so beings that weren't human were probably a little less unexpected than they were in his home. His home… E'Si quickly pushed his feelings of longing aside. They would only distract him and he could not afford to be distracted in this unfamiliar environment.

(You’re good. It happens)

As they walked, De Tearion kept an eye on their surroundings. Though, for the most part, the road remained quiet and the forest peaceful. It was quite a contrast to his home, where the days were deadly and the nights far worse.

For the next few hours, the walk was uneventful, more like a tranquil stroll than a journey in an unknown world. As dawn neared, De Tearion started searching for a place to make camp.

He eventually found a small meadow a bit deeper in the forest and set Luna on the ground. The elf moaned, but didn’t stir. De Tearion watched him a moment, then checked the entire meadow for possible dangers.

After a few minutes, De Tearion discovered a squirrel staring down at him. He smiled lightly at it. The squirrel stared a bit longer, then turned away and climbed up the tree. De Tearion made a mental note of the creature’s presence, but otherwise didn’t move to go after it.

De Tearion finished his survey of the area, then looked to E’si. In the back of his mind, he pondered if the man had eaten anything. It would be rude of him to rest while the other starved.

“Who shall keep watch? It matters not to me, yet I must admit I am exhausted. It had been nearing the end of my day when I appeared here. And have you eaten?”he asked.

This forest reminded E'Si of home. Specifically, home before the humans had decided that they weren't satisfied with the land they had and started looking towards D'ae'Min land. Gods, he missed those days. He'd only been a child then. Things had been simpler. He hadn't been burdened with the loss of friends and family. After the war had been won the forest had gone back to the way it had been, but there'd always been that shadow of death hanging over it. The knowledge that the peace was shaky and could collapse at any time. He could never really relax, not until… no, he'd already thought about home too much. He couldn't think about them.

E'Si was glad when De Tearion stopped. He'd never admit it to anyone else, but he was tired. Before he'd gotten taken here, he'd spent almost a full day patrolling the forest for humans and it was starting to weigh on him. E'Si did his own investigation of the spot, then sat down in the grass in the near-center of the meadow. He glanced up at De Tearon when his companion spoke, quickly clearing the weariness from his eyes. "I can. You sleep." E'Si blinked at De Tearion's next question. He hadn't expected it, though now that he thought about it, he was a bit hungry. It was bearable, however. "Yes," E'Si said. It wasn't a total lie. He and the other warriors had taken a break right before the last encounter of the day and had a snack. "I'll be fine. You sleep." E'Si offered De Tearion something like a smile, then glanced towards Luna. He really wanted the elf to stay asleep, though he wouldn't be against knocking him out again. It would serve him right for everything he'd done.

De Tearion noticed E’si scouting the area as well, but he didn’t mind. After all, two sets of eyes were better at sighting danger than one. He watched E’si sit down, finding the sight a strange combination of soothing and amusing. He wasn’t sure why, though the amusing part was likely because the grass was as tall as his lap.

De Tearion nodded at E’si’s response, though he knew the man was likely as tired as he. Not only could he hear it in the sound of his heartbeat, but he had seen that flash of weariness.

At E’si’s answer, he chirped. He knew a lie when he heard one, even a partial one. De Tearion grew concerned, but didn’t let it show. Instead, he gazed at E’si with an inquisitive look, even after his attempt to reassure De Tearion.

“Are you certain? It would be no trouble for me to hunt. I am rather used to rare sleep,”he asked.

A sense of brotherly protectiveness rose in him, replacing the concern. It was a familiar sensation, one he had always felt for Agatha, always did for Mileena, and also had while leading soldiers to a battle. De Tearion respected E’si, and he wasn’t about to let him needlessly suffer.

He glanced at Luna as well, but he had few concerns about the elf. De Tearion, with his keen senses, could hear Luna wake up before he fully stirred. And, Luna was not likely as fast as De Tearion was, particularly in trees.

"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.