Carantathraiel

Wanderers

Envy looked annoyed. But he kept his opinion to himself, having no control over two consenting adults in a situation in which he was little more than a sounding board. Ruli blinked at Kire for a second, clearly surprised she was considering it, but he sunk into thought quickly. "We don't have the time to gather the resources for a tracking spell." He realized, which would have been ideal.
"I also don't recommend slaughtering the couple in front of the city. We don't need a war." Envy said, his tone very much portraying his underlying complaint of 'not that you'd listen to me anyway'.
Ruli glanced his way, catching the tone, before he looked back to Kire. "How did you follow Ikegai here? You can track his magic somehow, no? Would you be able to track mine?" He wondered, her blue eyes searching her enchanted face.

Wanderers

"No, not in asking her for her help." Ruli agreed. "But I would rather ask her for details rather than inviting her whole tribe to declare war on our enemies."
Our enemies, Envy noted with a slight turn of his head. "Any wedding invites security." Envy said. "The royal wedding we had most recently in Ziad warranted almost triple the security."
"Right, but they were not pleased with the married couple." Ruli pointed out with a muted tone. "In Cordon, they appear to worship both Itallo and his bride." He couldn't say her name. "If she saw me, she gave no reaction. Its not like I'm hard to spot." Ruli added, gesturing to the keffiyeh that was bunched around his neck, pulled down and away from his face.

"How would you find the half-Kartaian?" Envy asked, his mind returning to this strange figure. "You are limiting your abilities, which minimalizes the options you have in getting anywhere easily."
Ruli shot Envy a dirty look the elf seemed to sense, rather than see. "I'll manage." He answered shortly. "If they're after magic wielders, I have one very obvious way in."
Envy inhaled through his pointed teeth. "I advise against that." He said. "Ysaryn said they drug their victims."
"I have managed with worse."
"You don't know the exact type."
"I have a potential ally on the inside."
"'Potential'. You don't know if that has changed or not."
"Nor do you."
"Akuma will know you."
"We don't know if she's directly present."
Envy turned his face toward Kire, pleading, as he held out his arm. You tell him its a stupid idea.

Wanderers

Envy still looked very interested in this half-Kartaian, turning his face to Ruli, who looked far less curious at the moment. When he offered no comment, the blind elf faced Kire again. "A wedding slaughter, a guide in a half-Kartaian, or the involvement in Ysaryn's people." Envy repeated the options.
"If we could simply ask Ysaryn," Ruli argued. "The fewer involved, the better."
"Agreed." Envy nodded. "Her tribe is violent and efficient, but hard to control unless the one guiding them is in complete control." It went unsaid that he didn't believe Ysaryn would manage to keep her head in the situation in which they were headed.
"I'll speak to her." Ruli said, though he glanced at Kire. "Unless you'd prefer to. I'm not sure which of us would have more luck."
"Regardless, you should have her reach out to Bolym. Insist that he is required to go. He got her out once, with or without the help of the half-Kartaian. He will do all he can to get her out once more." Envy suggested, running his hand through his dark and uneven hair.

Wanderers

He lowered his gaze, picturing Zeke again. Knowing the man's hatred for him cut a deep wound, but none that Ruli hadn't expected. Didn't mean he didn't miss his brother. To see that look on Zeke's face again, the calm and battle-ready soldier that had never failed him, never backed down.
You nearly got him killed. He may never fight again.

Ruli dropped his gaze again, but stood without taking her hand. "I'll hold you to that." Ruli said quietly in response to her promise. He couldn't stomach it. The idea of having her face, those eyes, watching him as he took her life. If there was any that deserved it, any name that he'd be glad to add to his list of kills, it would be her.
But it would be a double-edged sword.

Offering his forearm, he glanced around the oasis once again, a last look before he Walked them out of the desert and back to the mountains.

He sought out Envy, the tone alone in his voice enough to provoke Envy to his sealed room, where he sat down and listened as Kire explained what they'd discovered. Behind the elf, the two spools of plaid and paisley fabrics sat tucked in a corner for later.
"Ysaryn, unfortunately, is not here." Envy said after they'd expressed their desire to speak with her. "She took Zeke to the location down south, where we'll potentially move. Its been a few hours, but I don't expect them back anytime soon." He admitted, turning his head from one to the other. He furrowed his brows at Ruli, as if sensing his distress beyond just the soft tone of his voice.

"Now that you know where your enemy is, what's your plan?" Envy asked Kire instead, letting Ruli sit in silence. "Do you think they're going to use this wedding as a way to gather a crowd?"
Ruli's head shot up, his face pointing at Kire. He hadn't considered that. "Would they?" he asked incredulously.
"Personally, I see no reason behind the wedding, otherwise." Envy admitted. "If Ikegai really is so hell bent on controlling his version of you, why let her wed some mortal?" He raised his hand in question. "The wedding is a cover for something."

Wanderers

Ruli shook his head in his hands, feeling his cold nose, the scar across his cheeks and jaw, the tightness in his lips. "No." He muttered into his palms. "There is nothing in me that does not want her gone." Ruli looked up, ever so grateful her face was gone, and it was a Ziadi face that looked at him. A piece of home. A hole in him that Akuma had destroyed.

Inhaling slowly, he studied her face. "I want her dead." He whispered, not yet willing to explain, to answer. "But I can't promise I will be the one to do it. If there is a part of me that she still..." Possesses. His chest ached again, and Ruli ran his fingers over his cheeks again, feeling the grooves in his skin. He shoved aside her smile, the scent of her cool skin, and remembered the laughter, the pain. All that she'd done with that beautiful smile plastered on her face.
Kire's Ziadi face stared at him, calm, sturdy. A soldier's face. The rock in the oceanic storm that would rock ships and drown men. Ruli offered her a weak grin. "I am very glad I made you look like Zeke." He said to her. "I miss that look."

Wanderers

His heart wouldn't stop racing.

The smell of the flowers. Orchids. He'd never put a name to the smell before. It was such a subtle thing. And plums. Why plums? Why had his mind always gone to plums when she was near him? When her ruby eyes settled on his face, he had always been transported to a tall tree, where he basked in the shade, the taste of plum on his tongue, juice dripping down his chin.
Now, he could only taste ash on his tongue. Smoke and burnt flesh in his nostrils. Filling his lungs. Choking him. Screams filled his ears, overpowering the roar of his rushing pulse.

"Ruli."

His name, in Kire's voice, and hers, ripped him from his shock. He wasn't holding her hand anymore, he noticed, but he wasn't sure when she'd pulled herself free. He stood, his arm still slightly extended, as if waiting for something else. Someone else to grab him. Her words were muddled, like she spoke them underwater. Ruli blinked at the bright sand, trying to ground himself.
Slowly, as she strode past, he pulled his feet from the boots and buried them in the sand, feeling the sun-warmed grains burn against his skin, still so chilled from the coastal town. The warmth spread through him, bringing him home, back to his sun and his desert.

When Kire spoke again, it was clear and firm. As she spoke, he kept his gaze on the ground, on the sand that was his home, his birthright. Until, when he heard her speak of her near escape, how Ikegai had almost taken her, torn into her like he'd nearly done with Ysaryn.

The sight of her face made his heart skip.
He took a small, sharp intake of breath as Akuma's face stared back at him. So different, yet so identical. I hate you. Ruli heard his inner voice shout. I hate you. I hate you. I hate your face.

He swallowed, releasing the breath he'd been holding as Kire turned away from him again, removing that face, her face, from his line of sight. Instead, she peered at it, her marred reflection, and complimented her. Flawless. Akuma was flawless. Beauty, grace, coolness, everything to be awed and idolized. No wonder Itallo, no wonder Cordon, had praised her, worshiped her. He had, too. He would have done anything for her smile, for her kiss, for the way she trailed her fingers over his cheeks, as if counting the sharp molars beneath like a prize.

"No." Ruli said quietly, his hand reaching up to rub at the scratch marks down his cheek. "She isn't real." It was said more to himself than to Kire. The woman whose face Akuma wore with such perfection. Such flawlessness. "She's not real. She's a puppet." A tool. She is all Kire was supposed to be to this madman, but less. because she wasn't genuine. She was a pawn. Ruli inhaled again. If Akuma managed to break the shackles and be free of Ikegai's control? "Holy Gods." Ruli muttered, crouching down into the sand and and covering his face with his still-cool hands.

It hurt. Deep in his chest. To see her again. To see her smile. To see her bow. Ruli inhaled slowly, furious at himself for being envious of Itallo. Envious of anything Akuma smiled at. Whomever she touched. He was envious, even though he knew her to be a monster. Worse than he was. Just as he was, really, for all he'd done a lifetime ago. "I hate her." He muttered to his hands, willing the envious worm inside of him to wither.

Wanderers

He'd had the same idea; leading them into an alley to avoid fighting the crowd all the way to the wall. He held out his arm for her guiding her a few steps as he made sure no one was looking their way, and then they vanished. He brought them back to the wall, however, sure they would be out of sight. Already, the streets were so crowded they had trouble making their way through. He reached out and gripped the fabric of her shoulder to avoid losing her. Despite making her appearance, even he would have trouble picking her out of a crown unless she was wearing that thoughtful frown on her face.
Which she was, Ruli noted as he glanced back at her while he elbowed his way through. They only made it a dozen or so yards before they were trapped, and he tugged her closer to avoid losing sight of her. He could only shake his head when she asked about a better spot; there was nothing. Unless, of course, they decided to make their way on top of a building. He wouldn't be able to do it, but it seemed her own abilities would allow her to take them up there.
But, Ruli ignored the temptation, there was no need to isolate themselves that drastically.

As Kire grabbed hi wrist, Ruli looked toward her, brow furrowed. She looked like she was trying to spot a troublesome fly, and it was a few seconds before he caught on. She could sense the magic. It hardly surprised him, they knew this Gemini man worked with Itallo, and so he was bound to be here. And when Itallo arrived, he was precisely what Ruli had built him up to be in his head. Elegant, greased back, well dressed. Though, admittedly, he wore far less flashy jewelry than Ruli expected. A locket and a ring. Ruli's eyes lingered on the ring for a short moment, wondering why that piece, before he tore his eyes away and scanned the crowd.

"What do you mean?" He asked as Kire's voice met his ears over the roar of the crowd. For a reason he couldn't explain, he pulled her closer, her tight grip on his wrist shrinking the space between them as he pulled his arm against himself. The look on her face was enough to tell him to keep his eyes open.
"That's him." He bent to whisper when the Gemini man appeared. Somehow, knowing now that this man had been involved in Ysaryn's abduction, that his green eyes were one of the few details she could recall, burned in his blood. He could picture the man's cold and empty face as he stood over the helpless and drugged elf, the screams of countless others echoing in the background of the unknown warehouse. Could see the Gemini raise the blade he wore at his hip, poised to cut open the elf for his experiment.
"Wait a minute." Ruli blinked, attention back on the blade. "Isn't that..."

His question was drowned out, the voices rising as the bride emerged. And Ruli felt the world stop.

He could smell plums. Feel a cool graceful touch along his cheek. Could smell the strange floral scent he could now identify as the strange looking white flowers everyone carried. Suddenly his ears could hear no excited voices, but a cold, murderous laughter. He went pale as her beautiful face turned their way, her impossibly gorgeous eyes scanned the crowd. If she spotted his face, she gave no sign, no pause, as she turned instead to her husband-to-be, and the Lord kissed the fingers Ruli had grown to know so well.

Kire. Don't forget Kire. Ruli was barely aware of her grip on his wrist. Get out. Get away from her. Run. Run! Ruli turned and grabbed Kire's hand on his own, ensuring she couldn't let him go or fight him as he pulled them both into the emptiness that was the cold, black shadows.

They emerged in the oasis.
He hadn't been sure where to take them. Not to Ziad, where they would be traced. Not to the mountains, in case something had seen them and was able to follow, somehow, some way. This was it. This was his only option.

Ruli held onto her, refusing to let her go, lest she portal back to them, to her, to the danger that now coated Cordon. Visibly pale even with his dark skin, Ruli stared at the water, listening. To the water. The trees rustling just so. To the roar of his blood in his ears. To her breathing.
"Cordon is doomed." He whispered.

Wanderers

Ruli smirked. Too stubborn to die. "I'm not too bad. Nor is Sid. And theres bound to be others in the tent city that have the skills." He added, realizing a bit in delay that there had to be a tailor somewhere in the refugee camp.
The mention of catching a cold and sending illness spreading through the camp made him look down at his flimsy clothing, and he frowned. Dammit. She was right. He wasn't bred for cold weather, and would easily fall victim if he continued to be stubborn. That, and bring the reason some sickness spread through camp was not another item he wanted on his list of misdeeds.

"Fine." Ruli grumbled. "We'll look for clothing." He debated on repeating his earlier demand of 'no boots', but he wasn't sure he could get away with avoiding that any further.

He followed her through the city, taking it all in. It was nothing like Ziad had been. Loud, brilliantly colourful, variety upon variety of people, food, classes, and races. He wasn't accustomed to it, but he enjoyed it. It was nice to be able to observe something entirely unknown, yet quite familiar. A busy city. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it. Missed people. He felt the long-dormant desire to sit in a pub or tavern and watch the day unfold. People meeting friends, chasing children, lovers whispering to one another as they tucked themselves away into corners so they wouldn't be bothered. The smell of body odor, tobacco, burnt meat, and stale ale.
The excitement wrapped around the arrival of the bride-to-be was electric. Contagious.

Kire's sudden statement about wanting to hurry caught him off guard. She'd fallen so silent, he's nearly forgotten her presence, and did not notice that she looked as if she felt the exact opposite as he did. While he wanted to immerse and idle, Kire's countenance stated clearly that she wanted to pinpoint her task and get out.
Really, considering all that was happening, he couldn't blame her.

"Yes, ma'am." He muttered, directing them along a crowded street, eyes landing on the many hanging wooden signs that boasted fabrics and sewing supplies.

The first place they stepped into was crowded and loud, full of chattering women, young and old, trying to get last minute supplies to adorn themselves with in order to be presentable for the lord, and try to catch the bride's eye. Surely, she would need some small court of her own ladies, right? Of course, and only the most well dressed would be considered.
Ruli took one, five-second look before he turned and wheeled Kire out again. He might miss people, but he wasn't going to fight a bunch of clucking women for a bit of cotton.
The second, much further down the street, was far less crowded. Only a handful of women circled, one dragging a young boy along. He looked miserable, his eyes fixed on the window as if he'd much rather be out playing or looking for bits of food to eat. Deciding this place was much easier to swallow, Ruli stepped up to the first table, fingering through the neatly organized spools of fabric. They were aligned by colour and material, which made it easier. He went first to the light fabrics, gathering two spools of the paler colours, then moved to the medium material for the cooler nights at the caves, and then a few heavier fabrics. He asked Kire for opinions on colour here and there, as he, himself, preferred muted tans and browns, but knew others had more preferences.
Envy, for instance, enjoyed obnoxious colours and patterns. It was for the elf that Ruli grabbed a spool of a bright yellow and black plaid and a deep wine-red fabric with bright while paisley designs.

Arms full, they stepped back out into the street, a few boxes of thread and sewing needles tucked away into his pockets. "We might need to swing back." He muttered. "Or, we can go grab food supplies, and then return just for lumber."

Wanderers

"I feel like you're underestimating me just a little." Ruli argued, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. He'd had his fair share of show-downs against fully grown Kartaians who had mastered their abilities and survived thus far, afterall.

As Kire asked about Ysaryn, Ruli pressed his lips together, looking less than thrilled about the revelation. "Need, no. But I think she would help us along. I think time is a factor, now." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment before he shoved his hands back into his pockets for warmth. "I think it is. If he's a slave, freedom calls to him whether he knows it or not. I told him I'm like him, and he seemed ... " The word danced on his tongue, but he couldn't find it. Envious? Curious? Lonely? "I want to try, if we find him."

Turning his back on the ocean and its cold wind, Ruli faced Kire. "Supplies? Wood. Food. Maybe fabric. Being able to make new clothing or even a damned coat wouldn't be too bad. Envy's not terrible with a sewing needle."

Wanderers

Burning evidence. Bodies. Ruli blinked, somehow both surprised and unsurprised at this news. Somehow, he'd still been hoping they'd be wrong and everything would be normal. It would all be a misunderstanding. As Kire went on to describe the runes and the men's conversation, he curled his lip.
"I don't know whether or not to thank you for refraining." Ruli said bitterly. They deserved it, but making a mess this soon would cause them more trouble than not.

"No amount of influence and control will make this sort of thing acceptable to everyone." Ruli pointed out. "Even if the nobles and travelers agree that ridding the city of elves is okay, the elves themselves would rise up and fight. Itallo is controlling more by being discreet."
His mind went back to the half-breed, the look on his face when Ruli had asked if he was aware of what they were doing to the elves.
"I..." He began, trying to think. He had said nothing, responded to none of Ruli's taunts with words. Only expression and movement. "No." He answered after a thought. "Something was off about him. I don't think he's there willingly."

In turn, he explained the half-breed's expression in response to Ruli's words, the hurt and anger. "I think.... I have a theory that he let Ysaryn get out. Looked the other way. I don't know. And if he has any of the Kartaian's powers, he isn't aware of them. Or he's a very good actor."