Carantathraiel

Wanderers

Zeke privately pondered over the offer of a leisurely life and thought it would kill him. He hated sitting idly by, doing nothing, serving no purpose. He could possibly get away with building things, but he'd need to get much better at such a task. At the current moment he wouldn't be able to sell anything to support himself.
But, the life long lives and have the time to sort out what your purpose is and gain the necessary skills? Zeke felt a small wave of panic over his limited time, followed by envy for the others who had much longer to go.

"You like him, hm?" Zeke said, glancing to Narda and offering a crooked smile. "I'm sure he's thrilled for your company. You should tell him about the sea. He's never seen the ocean, and Ysaryn only describes it as someone who needs it to feed her family. Even when Ruli used his magic to show Envy what it looked like, it was from Ruli's point of view, filled with caution and mistrust. You could paint him a whole new image, I'm sure."

~

Warped bodies of Amrians. Holy Gods. Ysaryn folded her arms once more and looked back to the Gemini flag, coldness filling her. She recalled the unnatural failed attempts at the dolls in Cordon. Some of them were mutated and horrible to look at. She couldn't imagine purposefully doing that to anyone, nor the horror of seeing your comrades and men-at-arms warp into them around you, knowing you're next. Ysaryn shivered, tearing her eyes away from the flag.
The sooner she was far away from the Gemini, the better.

"What the fuck is a crocodile?" She asked, furling her brow at him. Her eyes shifted around as Ed explained that he'd picked up her language while living with the stuck-up elves. She had half a mind to mention that he likely had better grasp of the language than she did, thanks to his source of learning. Or at least, he was far more proper with it.
"He is good with languages." Ysaryn admitted instead. "Elvish is not easy. Hard on tongues, despite its gentle sound. Is why much of common words do not sound right when we speak them."

As he turned to mention Kire and his surprise that she had entertained the emissaries, Ysaryn frowned. "The sooner away from them, the happier I'll be." She turned to glance back to Ed. "Unless I am allowed to take some blood from them, hmm?" The elf raised her eyebrows cheekily. "As a thank you for the lives they claimed in my world? No?" She turned her head away with a snap, squaring her shoulders. Her jeweled eyes landed on the Gemini tent.

~

"To secure you in place, and secure the area." Ruli repeated thoughtfully, his eyes on the table top once more. After a few seconds, he looked back up. "The one anchoring you would work best if you offer blood again." He admitted. "Mixed with a bit of the soil you'll stand on, it will bind you together like an adhesive. I know you're wary of it, though. Because of the Gemini." He realized shortly after, rubbing his brow with his right hand.
The Gemini had a fetish for blood magic, using some of Kire's to counter their own wouldn't be ideal. Or wise. Especially if they were her enemy.

"I suppose you'd object to using my blood to anchor myself to the ground while I hold you?" He wondered, glancing up. "No risk to you, and they'll consider me the upset in their plans instead of you." Ruli shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "The protection ward for the area would be easy. I just need a few decently sized stones. Or blades sheathed into the ground. But anchoring you isn't as easy unless we use your blood. A drop or two again, just enough to mix with the dirt beneath your feet."

Wanderers

"Hmm." Zeke said, reaching for his water. "I'm not really sure. She's always been tight-lipped about it. Envy is the talker on the subject." He admitted. "The elves exist because of some God that came down, took form, and took a human lover. I think they were granted immortality, but no ... Godhood?" Zeke made a face. "Over time, their immortality faded. So I think they die, just after a very long time."

After a long drink, he sighed and set his glass down. "I can relate to that. To Kire, I mean. The trying to do everything at once, thing." He shrugged his shoulders. "Before my injury, I was the same. Ruli and Envy, they're both gifted. Can do a million things at once, cane go anywhere whenever they want, to a point. But me, I'm just a soldier. So I became a soldier. Took on jobs, patrols, units, felt like I had to take on a lot to match them. I think if I were suddenly given powers like Ruli has, I would be worse than Kire is. I even think my morals would be far more questioning than hers. Or his." Zeke added with a raised eyebrow.

Then he looked over to Narda. "And you? If you were suddenly super powerful and full of magic, what would you do? You're a pirate or something, right? Would you take over coastal cities and become a queen?"

~

The shift in the conversation sobered her again, and she glanced upward once more to peer at the Gemini flag, her arms folding instinctively over her torso. It was hard to shove the creeping feeling out of her, not to mention the phantom pain at her scar. "They name is an ill omen to my people, too, now." She admitted through gritted teeth, and she followed the flag pole down to the tent in which the Gemini were deliberating.
The word 'emissary', as far as the elf could tell, was someone who spoke on behalf of a royal court. She'd heard it often when in Cordon with the horrible Risa woman. And that told her that these men, who were so close she could smell the cologne they'd dabbed on their flesh, were important to the people who were responsible for so much death. For all her own people she'd lost, for those women, including herself, who were taken and torn open. Not to mention Kire's family, who had lost their home, and the brother that the blond soldier beside her had never gotten to mourn.

Myka's sudden question snapped Ysaryn's attention back around, her lips pressed thin in anger for a moment before the expression disappeared with a blink of her dark eyelids. "Yes." She answered about her blades. "And, I do not know. Depends on Kirai, I suppose. If her giantess friend is stranded there, she will want to return swiftly, I think, or the man she may be stranded with will bite her head off." She wrinkled her nose. "Or the elf they are near may shoot them."
Her fuchsia gaze moved to Ed. "You got out easy because you are polite. Zeck has an attitude like a anga takel'var. A, uh." She made a face and unfolded her arms to gesture, her hands coming together with clawed fingers. "Is a reptile with strong jaw? Strong bite?" Dismissing the attempt, Ysaryn waved her hands. "No matter. Bad attitude. But even if they are here somewhere, like us, she may return to deliver Zeck, Rulitus and myself away."
With a glance over her shoulder toward the medical tent, Ysaryn frowned. "Were those things Amrian? The wolves? They were not like any dog I have seen."

~

Ruli's eyebrows slowly raised as he pictured what Kire described; from the high hair and the tight corset. He wasn't even sure what a train was, but he imagined having a long one made it difficult to move through doors. Or crowds. "Sounds more terrifying than the wolves." He commented idly, turning his attention back to the woman caring for his arm. "If I start coughing up furballs, I'm aiming for your dresses. They sound torturous."
Watching the healer do her work out of equal parts paranoia and interest, Ruli propped his head on his free hand as he leaned against the table. Kire muttered about her plans, mentioning Narda's likely course of action upon realizing they weren't returning promptly through the gate. Zeke would suggest the same, the two likely retreating to a nearby location, of not to the court of stiff-backed elves living in the woods nearby. They wouldn't get far, considering all of the party members who could take them long distances in a few seconds were currently trapped here.

When Kire's tone changed to suggest a rather delicate topic, Ruli glanced up from the woman now bandaging his arm. Kire looked worried, thoughtful, like Envy often did when he was trying to sort out some puzzle. "Yeah. I help him with them all the time." He answered, watching her steeple her fingers thoughtfully.
She explained her problem, and the Gemini's plan in dealing with the gate, and he frowned. "That ..." He began, trailing off to sort through his thoughts. "Thank you." He said to the healer as she finished wrapping his arm and moved away. He folded his arms over the table, tapping his fingers idly. "A containment ward on something like the gate, limited as my knowledge is on the thing, won't be safe." He offered. "Magic has to go somewhere. If they lock it in place using magic, it will be devastating to what is within. The Lithilote forest because what it did when the magic could fan out and fade. What it will be under a containment ward will be much worse."

His eyes moving unseeingly across the tables surface, he shook his head. "And even if they siphon it somewhere, the where concerns me. Anyone trying to harness that sort of power, it would be deadly. Enough to destroy them or cause natural anomalies that destroy anything around it." Glancing up, Ruli furrowed his brow. "Whatever they're thinking, it either won't work, or they're not being up front about whatever it is they're really planning." He offered. "The wards, though." Ruli went quiet again. "Do you have something else in mind?"

Wanderers

Aera nodded slowly. "Then you will join us. I can hardly deny you, after the chaos that followed Edward through when he and his men arrived." Her gaze wandered over the meal Narda ate, if only for something to look at while she lost herself in thought. "We'll wait three nights, or until they've returned. Should give them ample time to locate one another on the other side.
Aera raised her eyebrows and met Zeke's gaze. "Its hard to believe I am discussing this so casually. Other worlds."
"You're the granddaughter of a God and this is strange to you."
"Semantics." Aera waved a hand, but smirked softly.

"As for the day. Erm, night, please accept my offer to remain here for one night's rest, and while you sleep tonight, I'll have supplies gathered for you, should you still wish to remain closer to the thicket. We can meet you there on the third night." Another hint of a grin. "Its so you can hunt, is it not?"
Zeke wrinkled his nose, grinning. "I just can't not eat meat, I'm sorry."
The elf chuckled pleasantly, tilting her head in a gentle shrug. "I understand. But unfortunately I think even my influence couldn't convince them to cook animal flesh." Aera raised her hands, clasping them before her, the motion silent thanks to her gloves. "Now, if you would excuse me, I must go back to sleep, or I will be useless in trying to convince the council tonight. Please mind yourselves until you rest again, my people will try their hardest to see to any needs you have."

She rose to her feet, and Zeke jumped to his, more to be polite than to leave. Once Aera swept out and disappeared up to the highest tier, he sat back down. "I really do miss meat." He admitted, turning his head to glance over her plate. "But what was that? It looked good."

~

Ruli watched her curiously as she mumbled about the world gate, somewhat assuming perhaps it wasn't all such a common knowledge. "Unless theres another one." Ruli shrugged indifferently. "And the majority of the unit he was lost with. Wait until you hear where he was."
The disappointment that circled his belly when Myka admitted he was the only one they found coiled low, as he wouldn't allow himself to wallow and worry. They took off, and he kept up easily enough, glad they hadn't forced the blindfold back onto him.

When Myka began speaking again, calling him matron of honour, he smirked, glancing her way. "Ysaryn, yes." He acknowledged, falling silent as the group of women tore into Kire in an affectionate manner. He tried to make it appear as though he were focusing on not falling on his face on the uneven terrain, but really, hearing them talk about her was interesting. Kire really was nothing like Risa, who demanded all nearby her to rain nothing but compliments and insisted on only pretty people be allowed to draw themselves close. Or even Aera, who seemed unsure of what playful banter really meant and often looked hurt by the remarks. Kire seemed to inspire and welcome jokes, keeping honest people near her.
"I'm genuinely not interested." Ruli offered in return. "And again, the elf."

When they slowed, Ruli put his hands on his hips and panted, catching his breath. He glared across the plain to the Wyvern and Gemini banners, frowning at the latter. Even just seeing it made him feel cold. Upon Myka's joke, he cast her a sideways look. "How convenient, the elf is already there." He bit back, having spotted the fuchsia spot that was unmistakably his companion.

He followed them closer, slower as he felt no need to rush toward Ed like the fan-girls these women all appeared to be. He loitered on the outskirts of the group, spotting Ysaryn's bright head just beyond Ed. She seemed ... unhappy, her eyes upward at the Gemini banner. Right. Ruli recalled that they'd abducted and caged her. Not to mention cut her open. His eyes dropped, and he rose onto the balls of his feet to spot the empty sheaths on her hips. Perhaps that was for the best, or they'd have walked up to a much different scenario.
Ed's voice pulled him back to the conversation, and he shrugged. "Fine." He answered, craning his head again to peer at the tent before he started walking toward it. Someone fell into step beside him; one of Myka's ladies. Ruli glanced at her, offered a polite grin, but said nothing to her.

When she heard the approaching group, Ysaryn turned, arching one eyebrow as she looked over them all skeptically. Primarily Myka, taking in her short, but unmistakably strong stature. She smirked. "Hello Maika." Ysaryn greeted. "I did not care for the ride, no. But the cousin has promised to me a tour. Once all the ugly bodies are gone." She gestured with her thumb to the Gemini banner that taunted her. Then Ysaryn jerked her chin at Myka. "You are captain? I thought it is Narda. You must be brilliant in fighting, to have dominated her for position."

~

Ruli was seated on a bench, useless. When he'd gone to try to untie his makeshift sleeve-bandage, the healer swatted at him, deciding she would rather do it at her own pace. So Ruli shrugged, and stared off toward the tent opening. Voices carried in the wind, but they were so jumbled he couldn't tell any apart. He could pick out Ed's deep tone, but nothing else.
He only looked up when Kire appeared, and Ruli looked her up and down, arching an eyebrow at the cloak. "Looks like you're having a worse day than me, if they made you wear that." He commented, resting his free arm on the table beside him and propping his head atop his knuckles. "I don't really feel it. But I don't know yet if thats good or not." Who knew what was in the mouths of those things, or how his magic-riddled blood would react to it.

"How long until we know whether or not they've come through with us?" He inquired, glancing passed Kire toward the other tents. "I'm glad you found Ed and Ysaryn, at least. If Narda comes through, she'll know where to go, but Zeke will also find himself in some pit, and he'll be far less the polite pit-guest."

Wanderers

Aera nodded to Narda and Zeke as they were led away, her eyes falling on the wolf mutation as they left it. "What is it, your Grace?" One of her men approached, wrinkling his thin nose at the beast.
"I cannot answer that." She replied. "But I fear it is nothing good. They have asked that we burn the forest from which it came. The area we kept clear of when the men appeared."
"Will we?"
Aera debated the question for a moment before she decided. "Burn this. See if it will burn. Take a few men, and go just beyond our border to do so. Do not burn it within our territory. Report back once its done."
The nodded and swept away, dragging the abomination with them. Aera watched them leave, then turned to head back into the court.

Zeke soaked for a long while in the pools beneath the mountain, hearing Narda within the chamber with him, though behind some dividers to offer them privacy. Neither spoke while they washed, scrubbed, and soaked. He heard her leave, and he remained for a time before he finally left. Despite the warmth of the bath and its effects on his muscles, he was in no mood to nap, so he left his given chamber to trace his way back to the strange council room with the decorative table. Save for the servant that tailed him, he was alone. He moved one of the chairs to the edge of the tier to sit and peer over the edge.
The wolf was gone. Good. His skin crawled just at the sight of it, and he couldn't blame the elves here for wanting to be rid of it, as well. After a few minutes, Zeke turned and managed to request refreshments, and was deep in his thoughtful watch before the servant set cold tea and chilled fruit beside him.

It was a while before Aera joined him. She took a seat at the table in a silent request for him to move his chair. When they sat across from one another, they spoke more. Zeke mentioned Narda's theories that the rest of their party had been taken to Kire's homeworld. Aera's slow blink at this was the only tell she gave that this was hard for her to understand.
"We don't wish to impose," Zeke said. "But we have no way of reaching our home once more, and if, er, I suppose when, they come back, they'll likely return to where they last were."
"And if we burn it, as you request?" Aera asked.
Zeke blinked. That would be horrible.
"You're asking to reside here until they find their way back?" Aera continued.
"Yes, and no." Zeke admitted. "Narda and I discussed camping in the woods, if you'd supply a tent or supplies for us to make a small camp. We'll provide for ourselves, and we wouldn't be a bother to you or your people."
"You are aware of how dangerous the woods are." She pointed out kindly. "The Kartaian den is not far, if they decide to do a raid, you'll be caught in the middle."
Zeke chewed his lip again. "Then we'll move southwest. Leave clues for the others, directing them in our direction. Narda."

He raised his head as the giantess appeared, tailed by a slight male elf with a small tray. Zeke gestured to the table, upon which was the tea -a very strange blend of red berry and citrus in flavor- and the fruit he had yet to eat. The servant behind her set down the tray before the giantess, revealing a sort of oven-baked vegetable tart when he raised the lid and departed.
"We were discussing the options in camping outside the borders, here." Zeke informed the Amrian. "I think we'd be safest near enough to the gate, and leave some sort of trail for our friends to follow."
"The land between us and directly north is not always safe." Aera added, watching the giantess curiously. "You're not from here? No ... mixed heritage?"
"No, she's not Kartaian." Zeke insisted, and Aera nodded, still watching Narda. "What about supplies? Do you even have tents?"
"We can manage to put something together." Aera admitted. "Now that you have joined us, I'll explain that I had the thing carried back out of our borders and burned to see if such an action would be effective. They returned not long ago, saying it burned like any other thing should, though the smell was terrible. Once night falls and my parents wake, we will discuss with the council what will be done. Hopefully, tomorrow or the next day, we will be able to gather supplies and volunteers enough to head to your gate. Do you believe the others will return before then?"

~

It was definitely not her prefer way to travel. Not as bad as the world gate that had sucked them through, and made her feel like she was being chewed up, broken apart, and shat out of some ethereal sphincter, but riding on an animal that had the speed and grace of a fish out of water was a close second. Ysaryn tried to match her movements to the man she clung to, deciding there had to be some secret to it if the voluntarily traveled like this, and managed to at least make it less nauseating.

Still, Ysaryn sighed in audible relief when they slowed, regardless of the caution in their body language at the sound of the horn. Curious, she peered over Ed's broad shoulder, her eyes just visible over his trapezius muscle. A apologetic warning, and they were speeding off again, the elf grunting in response. She closed her eyes, tucked her head down, and tried to think of anything else but the weight of this animal crushing her head with its strange feet.
When they slowed again, her head reappeared over his shoulder, the elf shifting to get a better look at the group that moved toward them, her eyes drawn to the banners. It looked life-like, the way it swam through the air.

Then she spotted Kire and grinned wickedly, eyeing her cloak with amusement. Ed dismounted and helped her out of the saddle, and Ysaryn brushed off her hands and legs as Kire hugged her cousin, then her. "Oof." She grunted, wiggling free of Kire's arm to stand upright again. "Is not so bad. But he smell worse than the animal." Ysaryn pointed out, then, as if realizing, sniffed her arm and wrinkled her nose. "I am not one to speak." She added with a chuckle.

The mention that the others had also come through and were no where to be found wiped the grin clean off her face, and Ysaryn turned her head, as if she'd be able to spot some trail or sign of their companions. Frowning, she looked to Kire again, then turned to follow the gaze of the others as they waited the next approaching party.
The moment Ysaryn saw the black flag with the mirrored, red-eyed faces, she bared her teeth and snarled. Emissaries. She barely knew this word from her time with the vain princess in Cordon, but didn't trust it or them, here. Fingers bent as if she would wrap them around the first enemy throat to close a distance between them, Ysaryn watched them move forward with a predator's focus.

~

There was that word again. Myka. Ruli was now perhaps ninety percent sure this was the leader's name. Ruli kept listening as he walked, unable to discern any movement beyond their steady footsteps. Beside that single word uttered to the leader, nor could he sense any change in their atmosphere.
His brow furrowed when he heard that they were also in the dark about Kire's location. From what he knew about the world gate spitting out Ed's men in his world, perhaps they'd just wound up in different areas and had wandered away from one another. He'd called her name, afterall, and had gotten no response.
Unless she immediately went back to his world to ensure the others were alright, unaware the'd unintentionally come through after her.

"I told you I'd answer. I answered." Ruli reminded Myka defensively. "Wait." He added shortly after, putting pieces together. "Do you mean Narda? Are you her pirates?" He asked, suddenly interested. His hand twitched, as if he meant to pull the cover from his eyes, but caught himself.
The ground sloped downward and Ruli tilted his chin upward, trying to see beneath the fabric in order to know where to put his feet. He remembered this hill. They were heading back toward where he'd first been spotted. That would make it ... east? Maybe southeast. He wasn't entirely sure, as he'd weaved through trees a bit, but he knew they were heading back, at least.

When Ruli heard a sword unsheath, he tensed, hesitating in his step for a moment until the hand that held his shirt pressed him firmly on. Myka's voice spoke once more, and he tried to relax. Which was incredibly hard to do once he heard her comment. Marriage? That couldn't at all be what Kire had given him the sword for, was it? They barely knew one another, spoke a small amount more than that, and ... no. "Actually, I'm the matron of honour." Ruli replied, his mouth going dry. "She's far more interested in the elf we travel with, but giving her a weapon is like loosing a bull in a pottery shop. I just get the hand-me-downs." He flicked his hand, gesturing to his worn clothing and second-hand boots.
Gods Above, he hoped that wasn't true about the blade.

The hand tugged on his shirt, and Ruli stopped, lifting and turning his head to try to get an idea of why or where. Something was spotted, something that sounded an awful lot like─
"Tss," Ruli hissed, blinking furiously when the blindfold was removed. He rubbed at his eyes, squinting at the short, dark-haired woman. "Its probably how I got here." He said with emphasis. He crossed his arms, ignoring the discomfort he felt in doing so. "We were inspecting the one in my world when it went berserk and sucked Kire in. And me, apparently, because the next thing I know I'm stuck in some Gods-be-Damned hole."
Zeke, Narda, Ysaryn, Ed, he wasn't sure if anyone else had come through. He only saw Kire screaming as it pulled her in. "There were four others in our party. Narda and Ed were among them. Have you come across anyone else in your hunting?"

Wanderers

"I never really put much daydreaming into other worlds or that sort of thing." Zeke admitted as he walked. "But I find it both very strange and incredibly discomforting to hear that two worlds not only have so much in common but that people from your world can just intrude into ours whenever they can bother." He sheathed his blade now that they were out of the unsettling thicket, glancing behind him once or twice to ensure no more wolves followed.
"Suppose its also comforting in a strange way. We're not alone." He added with a stiff shrug.

He began walking with a purpose to retrace the miles to the border, reversing the directions they took to reach this place. "Aera gave me one of those brooches, same as she gave Ed." Zeke admitted after Narda expressed her concern. "Implied I wasn't to show Ruli I had it, so I haven't brought it up until now. It should get us into the court again, at least. That," He turned to gesture to the wolf she dragged behind her. "may not make it with us. I rather hope they confiscate it at the gates and make decisions there."

For the duration of the journey, Zeke was mostly quiet, often turning to glance behind him for caution's sake. The tension in his shoulders eased, which he hoped meant promised the headache wouldn't follow afterall, but he still longed a hot cloth against his nape. When they drew near enough by their combined estimation to where they had first begun, Zeke turned south and started for the border of the elven territory. He fished into his pocket in order to withdraw the moonflower pin. Once it was adorned on his chest, he tried to slow his pace, hoping to avoid looking menacing, or too much like a soldier on the hunt.
It really didn't help that they were covered in blood and dragged a mutated animal behind them.

The elven voice that called out made them both halt, and Zeke raised his hands to show he intended no violence. The elf that emerged to cut them off was a female, her long black hair pinned back and coiled around her head similar to the way Ysaryn wore hers for combat. This one wore armour beneath her robes, just as Cohnal had, and she looked deeply unamused as she addressed them.
"We cannot understand you." Zeke said cautiously.
No shit. The woman's expression said.
Tapping his breast to draw her attention to the pin, Zeke continued. "We seek to speak with Princess Aera. Please."
She didn't glance at the pin; either because she'd already gotten a look or because she had no intention of humouring him. Instead, her eyes went to the giantess and the thing she dragged. Her face remained thoughtful, this one not quite having adapted the blank expression of her kin, before she gestured for them to follow her.

Once in the shadow of the mountain that embraced their marble court, they were told to wait, the female elf insisting on something that Zeke assumed to be instructions not to bring the wolf any closer. He glanced warily at Narda, standing beside her, and clasped his hand over his wrist to wait.
"I did not expect you so soon." Aera said as she approached from the tiers and crossed the courtyard. She was dressed in the usual robes, but her hair was twisted back in a elaborate knot, her ears exposed. The teardrop earrings that dangled from her ears waved slightly as she walked; one carved of white pearl, the other black pearl. Her dark eyes took in the duo, and the creature behind them. She folded her hands into the long sleeves of her robe. "I expect there is a story to accompany you?"

Again, Zeke glanced at Narda, before he began to explain, beginning with the thicket of trees and continuing through the mutated wolves, the gate, and the disappearance of the rest of their party. Aera listened without reaction, the other elves nearby, few who spoke their tongue, looking both curious and annoyed.
"Narda and I were wondering if you'd burn it." Zeke finished. "All of it. There are more of these things out there, and its an infection that could spread."

Aera swallowed, glancing toward the mutated animal again. "I should feel glad that my fear of allowing my men to approach is justified, but I just feel ... sick." She admitted, tearing her gaze away from the body. Inhaling, she looked them over once more. "We'll provide baths, beds, and any medical attention you require. I cannot tell if any of that is your own." She gestured a gloved finger toward their bloody clothing. "From there, we'll sit down and speak. Leave that there." She instructed to Narda about the wolf, before she turned to pass along instructions to a tired looking servant. "He'll lead you to the baths, then the guest chambers. After that, if you're up to it, we'll converse."

~

Ysaryn smirked at his compliment. "If I hadn't just lost all my hair and spent half the battle writhing in agony, I would believe you." She admitted, turning away. "Now I just think you're trying to flirt."
Still, the sight of the horse wiped the smile from her lips, and she stood a healthy distance back as Ed mounted and settled. Reluctantly, she took his hand and climbed up behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle. Her face turned so her cheek pressed against his shoulderblade, she gripped him tightly as the horse broke into a gallop. Her thighs squeezed him, her eyes closed, and she hugged him tighter, disliking every single head-pounding movement of the horse as it thundered along.

"Still alive." She answered him when he asked, her grip on him refusing to loosen even as they slowed. She wasn't sure what the information of wider and smoother roads meant, but she guessed it meant they'd move faster again. Her stomach twisted at the thought, but she kept her eyes shut. Just a bad boat ride. Just a bad boat ride. "Maybe when we're not on a horse, I will accept." Ysaryn answered him again, not bothering to answer the question about her head. It was no use, if she admitted that her head still pounded, it wasn't as if she'd let him slow down. They were galloping for a reason. "Don't talk, just focus on making sure the horse doesn't trip or run into anything." She insisted, her face still pressed to him.

~

Ruli watched them, his hands still raised, eyes flitting from face to face as each woman spoke in turn, much of their tones suggesting that this wouldn't be something they agreed to. No matter, he would get out and run in a new direction, dragging them in this game of chase until they got tired or lost him.
Or killed him. Ruli blinked, shoving that option aside. The fact that he'd be left here, more than likely, and Envy would never receive his body was an ache he wasn't going to pay mind to.

He caught the word 'Gemini' spoken a few times, and Kire's name at least once, his gaze shifting to the speaker in turn, even if he could understand little else. Their leader, her name he could hazard a guess to be 'Myka', judging by the repeated word used when addressing her, called for some sort of vote. Voting for what, exactly, he didn't know, but he hoped he had enough time to bolt before they shot him. If that was an option.
Which, lets face it, it was. That was always an option.

When Maybe-Myka spoke directly to him again, Ruli met her gaze, raising an eyebrow in question as she listed the demands. His heartbeat skipped when she mentioned restraints, but at least she offered a different option. He didn't like that either, but it was better than being bound.
"Okay." He nodded. "I'm going to stand up." Ruli warned before he lowered his arms and pushing himself to his feet. His left arm objected painfully to the weight he pressed on it, but Ruli ignored it, going to work to unfasten the blade at his hip. He tossed it upward, watching hands snatch if from the air before it was passed around for inspection.

With a step, he Walked to just a few feet beyond the pit, to where he'd last glanced at the ground before falling into it. Their bodies riddled with tension as he reached out to take the blindfold and pressed the blindfold over his eyes. Whomever tied it behind his head jerked it tight, and he wondered if she had been outvoted over just outright killing him. On their orders, he moved forward, his steps cautious, and he made no comment until he was spoken to again. "Rulitus, I don't know, and it was a gift from Kire." Ruli answered shortly. He tilted his head in a way he'd often seen Envy move, trying to listen. "I am not Gemini. You can ask your empress yourself."

Wanderers

Zeke smirked. "Envy is pretty great. Considering the nature of his people, sometimes it surprises me that he's so gentle." He admitted, having always considered Envy to be a truly terrible Kartaian, and a better human being than most human beings. "I watched him fight. Ed, I mean. While I could. He's quite skilled, too. And Kire. By all accounts, I now have to assume everyone in Amria is a skilled fighter." Considering the three he met; a pirate, a soldier, and an empress, were all lethally skilled.

His smile vanished when she asked about his neck pain, and Zeke dropped his hand at once to stop rubbing at it. It had always been customary with his men in Ziad that you never mention another's injuries. It was emasculating, and equal to pointing out they were too weak. Perhaps Amrians saw it differently. "Uh." Zeke stammered, trying to shove aside the irritation at the question, glad she hadn't actually asked for details about it. Instead, she simply offered to have Ed's sister take a look. "Yeah. Sure." He answered finally. Could hardly hurt to have someone besides Sid take a look at him; as much as he loved his foster sister, they had limited resources, and Sid had never handled the sort of injury he'd endured.

"Does that mean she'd have to take me to Amria?" Zeke asked as they neared the wall of knotted trees through which they had first forced their way. "Whats it like, there? You speak our language, you have similar customs and hierarchies, so it can't be that vastly different." The only difference he could really note, beside the language they spoke when wanting a private word, was the metal that was used to forge their armour and weapons. He couldn't help but be envious of the blade Kire had given Ruli, as the thing looked sturdier than their own steel, and a lot more vibrant.

~

Ysaryn walked beside him, her eyes endlessly moving to take in every movement, corner every sound. The banners that hung on the gates she assumed to belong to Ed's family, the green and gold colours quite proud in the midday sunlight. There weren't nearly as many people as she would have expected for a space this size. No one bothered them, despite the fair number of heads that turned their way. Every person Ysaryn saw, she tried not to leer at them. It wouldn't help if the first elf they were to ever lay eyes on them bared her teeth and snarled.
It didn't stop her from jumping slightly when the horn blasted through the silence, and Ysaryn's hands twitched for the hilts of her missing blades. Exhaling noisily, she calmed herself and nodded as Ed explained they were being approached.

Drawing herself tall, shoulders squared and chin high, Ysaryn studied the soldiers who drew close, raising her hands when Ed. A very foreign concept to the elf, who supposed this was a sign that they weren't going for their weapons in some extension of trust. Why else would they open themselves up so dangerously?
Her brow furrowing, she watched the man question them, then observed the look that overcame him. The scroll he unraveled to read, his expression as he glanced over them again. Slowly, she lowered her hands again.
"Suppose I am your good luck charm, warrior." Ysaryn said without turning her head. "Best keep me around."

Still, she tensed when the soldier in charge dismounted and approached, her chest rising as she inhaled and knelt. Humans are so odd, Ysaryn thought to herself as Ed gave him permission to stand upright again. Then she hissed, and turned her face toward Ed. "No reason to keep your cousin waiting, but I can't ride those things on my own. I have only ever ridden behind Kirai, and it was not comfortable." She admitted with a slight wrinkle of her nose. "How undignified is it to for me to ride behind you?"

~

Mixed reactions to his comment told him two things; one, that they could, in fact, understand the common tongue from his world, and two, that not all of them were out for blood. His pale eyes fell on the one with short hair, who seemed to be in charge, as she commented to the others in his tongue. Gemini spy. More information that told him who stood before him. Er, well, above him.
But the comment about putting a bow on him and handing him over to Kire wiped the amusement off his face.

As the leader addressed him directly, Ruli met her gaze, still holding his hands up. He assessed her expressions as she asked what she wanted to know, between his abilities and his weapon, and he didn't answer straight away. Without lowering his arms, he adjusted his position, shifting further back to sit more upright against the pit wall.
They were on Kire's side, loyal to the empress and her regency. They were here to protect some border he'd wound up close to, catching Gemini spies as they slipped through. A unit of women, which made him curious and both a little nervous.

His eyes shifted around the pit, looking for any sign of runes that were carved into the walls that would prevent his magic from helping him to escape. He knew the Gemini, at least, were able to use magic, but as far as he knew, only through the heavy use of blood. That would possibly explain why there were no sharp spikes to break his fall.
"I'm not a huge fan of being kept in a hole in the ground." Ruli said, deciding to avoid her questions for the moment. "Allow me out, and I'll answer." He could almost see the skepticism wash across their leaders face. Across several faces. Ruli raised his hands slightly higher. "You saw my magic. You know I can escape if I want to. I'm offering a truce. Just let me out."

Wanderers

[♡]

Wanderers

Zeke squeezed through after Narda, his back aching uncomfortably already. The headache would follow, soon. The wolves still went after them, but without the tainted magic aggravating them, they were slow, careless, and far more easy to kill. Zeke joined Narda in the slaying of those that came near, appreciating the fact that her killing more slowed her down just enough that he could keep up with her. Imagining her marching in a military unit, with those long legs, was both amusing and irritating.

"I'm sure they could." Zeke said thoughtfully. "And would. Judging by how protective they are of their land." He gestured, just as she did, and then turning to watch the creatures that tailed them. "Maybe if we take them one of these things, they'll see why it would be beneficial to burn it." He cut down two of the wolves, the third wobbling unsteadily on its legs before it collapsed to the ground. With his free hand, he rubbed the nape of his neck, shifting his shoulders to try to ease the knot that was forming.

Upon hearing Narda's compliment, Zeke glanced at her, rotating his shoulders. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." He returned, redirecting his steps to head off a looming wolf. "I wouldn't exactly say we're all friends, but yeah, they're easy enough to get along with." He wandered back toward her. "And yeah, he did, actually." Zeke said, grinning slightly. "Since I was about nine. He raised me."
He chewed on the inside of his lip. "Its what he does. Or did. Took in kids that are abandoned, or abused, or who just need a place. Makes sure they all know how to fight, or cook, or sew, or whatever they have an interest in that will get them work once they're old enough to do so." His smile grew. "I just happened to grow up to be captain of the city guard. But it was a lifetime ago, it seems like."

~

Ysaryn shrugged a shoulder, wrinkling her nose as the action caused a twinge in her head. "With bad luck for so long, I'm due for quite an abundance of good luck." Ysaryn admitted, picking her way along beside the Amrian. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the strange new scents of the new world. Trees were a mixture of familiar and new, the leaves carrying an odd aroma with them. The ground still smelled like dirt, but the animals that roamed it were different. As if they spent too long in a burrow that did not belong to them.

"I'm still alive, so I suppose I am fairly hard to kill." She flashed him her wolfish grin, her eyes wandering his face. "You fight well, by the way. Suppose that is expected, considering your job." The stream they approached smelled odd, as well, the fish more potent in her nostrils. Small as they were as they swam along in the current, she could almost count them without being able to see.
"Amria smells so," Ysaryn began, inhaling deeply, filling her lungs again with the plethora of aromas. "different. Good. Like after a rain, when everything is hightened."
She turned her head and grinned at him once more before falling silent, enjoying the views, the smells, the air that tickled through her much more lightweight hair.

As they neared the village, Ysaryn automatically slowed, her expression growing more cautious as she observed. She knew Amria had no elves here, and had no idea how they would react to a dark skinned stranger wrapped in leathers, regardless of whether or not she carried her weapons. Ed laid out their options, and Ysaryn kept her eyes forward, inclining her head as she looked over the pens, the horses, the barricades. She swallowed. "No, I can't really Walk us forward unless I know more precisely where I'm trying to get." Ysaryn craned her neck, then pointed. "Bottom of this ridge, at best. And I'm not being left alone without a weapon, so if you go ahead, so do I." She said firmly, reaching out to take his hand.
Eyes trained on where she wanted to take them, she focused for a few seconds before she pulled them forward.

They stepped back out a moment later, the elf hissing as her head twinged in pain. She let him go in order to cradle her forehead in her hands, pressing her palms to her eyes again. "Maybe I shouldn't do that again so quickly." Ysaryn commented, swallowing a wave of nausea before she looked up again, blinking furiously. "Your people have never seen an elf before." Ysaryn stated, knowing her concerns would be expressed in subtext.

~

It was definitely the language Kire spoke. Whatever that word their leader spoke first, that single syllable that could only be a swear, he'd certainly heard Kire mutter that plenty of times. He could hear their shouting, but it grew quieter fast, and he was sure he'd made his escape.
Until the whistles came. Rippling through the forest in unmistakable signals. Fuck. Ruli said as he ducked under another low hanging branch. At least his arm didn't hurt anymore, the amount of adrenalin pumping through him once again. He turned, trying to avoid the calls they made to one another. He would never admit it to Kire, but the boots helped him keep traction as he turned and wove through the trees. Still, he wish he'd laced them a little better.

Ruli turned again, heading south once more, stealing a momentary glance behind him to see if his hunters tailed him. Before he knew what was happening, the ground disappeared beneath his feet and he plummeted with a shout of alarm. The speed at which he'd been running caused him to nearly bounce off the farther wall of the pit they'd dug. With a grunt, he hit the bottom, landing on the hilt of his sword to earn himself what would unmistakably be a painful bruise. Twisting, Ruli lay himself on his back, propped against the wall, raising his hands in surrender as the faces appeared, staring down at him.
Chest heaving, skin moist with sweat, and his bandaged arm now covered in dirt as well as blood, Ruli flashed a crooked grin. "That desperate for men out here, you have to hunt them down and trap them, hm?" He asked breathlessly, watching each of the figures carefully.

Wanderers

I can't resist tossing this in here for reference and laugh

Ruli's answers about Kire

Kire's answers about Ruli

Wanderers

Nothing happened. Zeke, still frozen, glanced to Narda to see if she could see or hear anything he could not, or if she sensed anything different. When nothing continued to happen, Narda joined him in running the swords through the runes, erasing them from their place on the earth. Each time he destroyed one, he glanced up nervously.
"I never had a grasp for this stuff." Zeke admitted. "Ruli and Envy are naval deep in it, but its like trying to understand a foreign dance routine when you don't even have legs." He shook his head. While he didn't have the same outlook as Narda did on the subject, being stranded here when he knew nothing about what they were involved in didn't help his mood.

As she mentioned it was a lot less dark, Zeke glanced up, turning to look through the canopy of trees. "Smells different, too." He pointed out, then he spotted the wolf. Inhaling, Zeke lowered himself into a defensive position, ready, but seconds of watching the creature told him there was little danger.
He relaxed, but only slightly. Just because one lost its coordination didn't mean all of them would. "Maybe the magic ... turned off." Zeke ran his fingers through his hair, knowing how stupid that sounded. "They might. Aera gave me a pin that will mark us as friend, and I'm sure she'd allow us a bed and bath." Bath was what he hoped for, presently, the unnatural blood sticky on his hands and face. "Or, maybe they'd give us a tent. I'd be slightly more comfortable in the woods on a bedroll where I can hunt and eat meat."

Zeke started up the hill. "We're ... at least three thousand miles from the cliffside city. Nearly two days walk from Ziad. Nearly seven from the mountains where we'd been living. There's really little chance of us getting anywhere on our own without some sort of help." Zeke calculated out loud as he dug his fingers into the reeking soil to hoist himself up.

~

"Much worse than my way." Ysaryn grumbled, slowly standing upright. She tucked her hair behind her pointed ears, then pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes. Amria. Ysaryn made some guttural noise. She could deal with the shock of being in an entirely different world later. Ed knew where they were. They could find help. Find Kire and Ruli. And go home.
When he pointed toward the mountains, explaining that he knew their faces well, the elf lowered her hands to glare at them, her eyes narrowed slightly. As if everything here was an enemy and it was an insult for her to look at.
Except Ed. Who turned and pointed, explained his theories like some giddy child in a sweets shop, listing his plan to get the most out of his trip. He seemed confident the others would be nearby, and casually began walking in a decided direction.

Exhaling, Ysaryn wordlessly followed, her head aching with each step. She listened to him list his thoughts, her fuchsia gaze shifting to his blond hair and blue eyes. "Do not insult me." Ysaryn growled at him, walking beside him at a steady pace, albeit a slower one.
"So, you say we are either safe or not safe. I, a magic holding elf from a different world. And you, the cousin to the chieftess our enemy made to unseat, who look very much like her. Possibly in Gem-en-ai hold?" She pursed her lips at him. "Gem-en-ai, who use magic holders for blood spells, and will kill Wyvern blood on sight?" She clicked her tongue at him. "If you get me killed in this world, I will find a way to claim revenge." The elf threatened him again, her hands at once flexing to rest on the hilts of her blades. She sighed once more when she remembered they were missing. She couldn't decide if they lost in the clearing from when she went down, or if someone had grabbed them for her. Not that it mattered; they weren't presently here.

As they walked, Ysaryn reached up to pull at one of her severed strands, frowning at the dark black colouring at the end. Like her hair had been devoured by the shadows she used to travel so easily. She'd heard Ruli mention the catastrophe of Walking incorrectly. Your body leaving to travel quickly away when parts of you remained, caught or pulled by something less willing to move. She'd heard of severed limbs, open skulls, bodies split in two.
She hadn't pinned her hair correctly, and a seconds delay, or a slightly more firm tug from the wolf. "I'm lucky to be alive." Ysaryn commented idly, tossing her strand over her shoulder with the same flick of the wrist meant for her longer hair. The much shorter strands just fell back around her face, unwilling to remain behind her shoulders.

~

Ruli froze, hearing the voices, his eyes wide as he listened. He couldn't understand a word of what they said, but it sounded vaguely familiar. Was it the language Narda and Kire spoke? Ruli's gaze shifted through the trees. Could be. Didn't sound anything like the dramatic language of their new neighbours by the sea. Nor did it sound like the choppy language of the northerners.
If it was her strange language, what did that mean about his location?

Female voices though. Ruli thought about it for a moment, considering he couldn't even attempt to be charming, here. The fact that he didn't speak the language was a large problem.
However, Kire, Narda, and Ed all speak the common language. Maybe there was a chance.

He didn't get to debate it for long. More raised voices, and the sound of footsteps approaching cut his internal debates short. Ruli raised his hands, eyes trained on where the sound was coming from, studying the face of the woman who emerged. Then another, flanking him, their body language declaring they were not only capable of a fight but prepared for one.
"I don't speak your language." Ruli said slowly, looking from face to face. Beyond, he caught a glimpse of two men, likewise flanked by the women who were dressed to blend into their surroundings. Even if he didn't speak the language, he knew what that sort of dress was for. Hunting. "I don't know if you speak mine. But I have no desire to be captured, today. Sorry."

A shift of his foot and Ruli disappeared, stepping into the shadows, the crispness of it here in what he presumed to be Amria slightly different. Thinner.
He reemerged in the same spot he'd been at when he fell from the gate. Ruli's feet hit the ground and he bolted, running through the woods toward the west, now. It was one of the things he recalled Zeke mentioning in case his men ever got lost. North or west if you're in the woods. Downhill if you're in the mountains. Since hunters, slavers, kidnappers, who knows, were downhill...

He ducked beneath a low hanging branch, tearing through the trees as quick as he can to put distance between himself and the others.