Carantathraiel

Wanderers

He held her gaze. Stop it. Ruli's expression said. He didn't mind having the disruption in his increasingly quiet life. It wasn't as if he'd go broke by missing a few meals to cook. The only thing he had to worry about was the wrath of Ysaryn when she realized he'd been returned without her.
That scared him more than the idea of jumping into battle, here.

"Please, yes." He shifted his attention to Elva when she mentioned what he needed to borrow. He hopped off the bed on silent feet, gathering the boots and coat before he followed the mistress of the manner, moving deep within the basement. It was impressive. As he tugged on the boots and laced them tightly, he peered around at the different styles of armour and weapons, each immaculately cleaned and honed. It didn't take Ruli long to pick out what he wanted, a chainmail tunic, steel vambraces and guards, and a helmet. For weapons, he teetered between a shortsword and an axe before he decided to grab both.

In the infirmary, he tucked both weapons in his right hand, and tucked the helmet beneath his right arm. When Kire warned him about returning to where she'd brought him, he frowned, instantly wondering how far from where he'd first arrived the battle would be, but before he could delve too far into the plan to backtrack his way there, Kire offered the solution. He stepped forward and took her hand, bending low. "I made you calm down earlier." He whispered low into her ear. "I'm sorry. Normally I would have waited for permission, but under the circumstances..."

He took the location she offered and straightned. "You'd better rest, because Ysaryn is going to kick your ass when she finds out you only brought me." He warned, and he was gone the moment his helmet was pulled over his head.

The chaos that met his ears was deafening. Ruli could smell blood, smoke, and that awful, tainted scent the Gemini monstrosities were bathed in. He turned in place, trying his best to understand what was happening; in which direction the military moved, the range of the explosions, the mood of the wyvern army. The moment he could guage enough to feel safe to move, he shouted. "Ed? Where is the Wyvern? Ed?" He hollered. A few men pointed. This way. That way. Ruli wove through the units, making his way toward where they pointed, ducking now and then as more explosions sounded. It made him uneasy. Not the explosions themselves, but the shift in the men and women around him. The fear. The anxiety. He debated shouting some encouragement, some rallying cry, but battles had never been his thing. Zeke was the one who had always thrived in war.

"Ed!" Ruli started shouting in elvish. "Ed! She's alive. Ed! Speak up your blond fuck!" He repeated the shouts, pausing only long enough to duck when another explosion erupted nearby, the red gleam of the Gemini gems catching his eye. Bastards. He moved on, cutting through the line and meeting a line of dolls head on. Unintentionally, but he took a few swings at them, decapitating two, maiming three more before he retreated back. "Where is your captain? Where is Ed? Ed! Wyvern cousin, answer me!"

At last, he spotted the man on horse back, the way he snapped his head around when Ruli shouted confirming his identity. Ruli fought his way closer, body turned to keep an eye on the enemy, and keep aware of the arrows flying overhead. "She's alive!" Ruli repeated when he drew near enough. "Long story. But she's at Elva's. What do you need?" He demanded, glancing sideways again to stare down the approaching enemy line.

Wanderers

"Yes." He answered her, touching his brow to hers for a moment. "Keep breathing." He instructed, withdrawing his intrusion into her mind, though he kept still, his hand on her cheek. When she opened her eyes, Ruli straightened, retreating and withdrawing his hand. As Elva explained the how, Ruli nodded, leaning against the best to the right of Kire's. He observed the exchange, the language Elva used to make Kire heel. Kire observed her arm, wincing at it. He said nothing about her addition to her scar collection, despite itching to comment about how burns at least make interesting looking ones.

As Kire recalled pieces of the battle, Ruli reached behind him and hauled himself onto the edge of the bed, his bare feet dangling. His long hair hung loose past the collar of his shirt as he clasped his hands between his knees. When she turned his way to insist she hadn't meant to, he only held up his hand. Then again, when Elva apologized for his eminent stay here. "It's alright." He voiced, offering Kire a small grin, hoping he looked reassuring.
"I had offered to Elva to go back to the field. You took us there, first. Saw the whites of a few Gemini eyes before I brought you to her." Ruli informed Kire. "If it would get you to sit still and reassure you, I will go look for the others. I just," He glanced down at himself. "may need to borrow more than boots, if you accept."

Wanderers

New power? He frowned, wondering if she meant being able to yank things through a portal. Six months, and she was still working on that? Ruli swallowed, listening. Elva admitted to being torn about wanting him to go back, and Ruli was tempted to argue to allow him to go. Aside from worrying about Kire, he had nothing to do here, and out there, he could at least try to bring others back.
But, thinking about it, if he yanked Zeke off a battlefield, his foster brother would scalp him. Perhaps it was better to allow the soldiers to keep fighting.

Before he could continue thinking about it, Kire jumped, making the healers shriek. Ruli jumped, himself, dropping the boots and coat as he flinched. Elva flew to her cousin, while Ruli remained where he was, still out of the way, unwilling to make things more difficult. The way Kire was shouting, it sounded as though she wasn't aware of where she was, believed herself to still be in the middle of battle.
"Me?" Ruli asked, mildly alarmed when he was asked to help. Tentatively, he stepped forward, reaching out for Kire, mindful of her burn. "Wait, wait?" He asked, looking up again. "Sedate her? B-" He inhaled, just the mention of bindings making his skin crawl. "Wait, please, just... let me try something." He put his hand on Elva's shoulder, giving her a pleading look as he gently pushed her from over Kire. He took her place, his fingers brushing her cheek as he bent low. Anything but binding her.
"Kire." He whispered, both aloud and through the connection he wormed into her mind. "Kire, breathe. You're safe. You're at Elva's. Breathe. In." Ruli breathed in, coaxing. "And out. See. See where you are. Please, calm down."

Wanderers

He heard footsteps fleeing, assuming they belonged to the servants going to fetch their msitress. Ruli unbuckled as fast as his fingers would let him, his knees digging into the hard floor beneath him as he yanked off pauldrons and cuirass, patting Kire down to find anything, any wound that bled or still burned. Aside from the back burn on her arm that made him wince, he couldn't find anything.
"Ruli?"

He looked up sharply, blue eyes wide, and froze as he beheld Elva. No doubt this was very unexpected for her, but it wasn't as if he'd been prepared either. "I don't-" He started, then scrambled back as Elva fell over Kire to continue his work, looking for injury. Ruli stood and backed against the nearest wall, out of the way, as Elva barked her orders and her servants swooped in to move Kire onto a stretcher and carry her away. Alright, so Elva was at least a little more prepared than he'd been. He ran his hands over his hair, which fell long enough now to be pulled into a tail, which he wore mostly to avoid the wind matting and knotting his hair. As Kire was led out of the room, Elva and the others followed, Ruli was torn. Stay where he was, out of the way? Or follow and see if she'd wake.

Deciding on the latter, he crept after them, the drafts of the hallway still tickling his skin as he tiptoed after them. Be put himself in another corner, concerned, but knowing better than to insert himself. He stared at the burn on Kire's arm as it was treated, his own chest, the burn scar that lingered upon it, burning as if in response.

"I don't know." Ruli said dumbly when Elva turned her attention onto him. It was no answer, he knew that, and reminded himself that Elva was Kire's family, and needed answers. "I -I don't, I'm sorry. I was at home, in my world, and she just ... out of no where, and suddenly we were back here, surrounded by who I presume to be Geminis." He swallowed, meeting Elva's gaze. "Do you want me to go back?" He asked, as a servant approached and handed him boots and a coat. Ruli only held them, still watching Elva. "I could find out. Is, is Ed with them? Out there?"

Wanderers

For the Ziadi and the elves, life went on smoothly. With the exception of Ysaryn, who wound up cornered by Princess Risa at last before the end of the day and was dragged into the neighbouring city for a few hours, returning soured and tired before she tossed herself back into her regular work.
Their focus was still on sustaining themselves as well as repairs. Half the city went about planting vegetables in the garden beds that accompanied the dozens of homes and stairwells, while others tore into homes that had long been destroyed or deemed uninhabitable to sort out the problem and fix it. Envy kept himself busy within his underground chambers, setting up his room, his alchemy supplies, and, despite being unable to read them, his many books.

By the end of the first month, the home that they'd offered to Kire and her guests had been repaired, the roof thatched and the support beams replaced. A few of the Ziadi women et about to clean the inside and try to make it passable as nice. They swept across the southern part of the cliffs in such a way, repairing and cleaning and planting as they went, though their format changed when they moved to the northern side, where the elves were far less open to outside help and insisted on repairing on their own.

Fisheries were set up along the docks, nets were made and boats were supplies on each side to provide. The princess returned with Ysaryn on another day with a wagon full of chickens and sheep, and the Ziadi scrambled to find ways to protect the vegetable crops from the bottomless pit of a stomach sheep had.

So to did their name finally become agreed upon. During a rather tiresome day suffering with the princess, Ysaryn muttered in elvish and Risa had snapped her fingers, demanding she repeat the word. By the grace of the gods, for once, Ysaryn hadn't been swearing crudely, but had been tossing insults at the beak-nosed woman. So the city was proclaimed 'Úvano', Risa declared proudly, entirely unaware that it mean 'evil creature' in the elven language. Ysaryn never revealed this fact, hiding behind her smug smirk. The rest of Ysaryn's people rallied behind it, deciding that such a fierce name would frighten any potential enemies away, perhaps, and any who dared to chase after any monster would face not some giant, fang-toothed elf, but the princess.

After the fifth month, everyone had picked up habits to follow, each Úvani citizen taking on a job; either selling fish, wares, or clothing to the neighbouring city, Sabbia, or to their own people to circulate coin. Everything was, for the moment, cheap, as the people were focused on replenishing their lives rather than getting rich.
Which put Rulitus out of a job. No longer could he amuse himself by breaking into the homes of the wealthy and steal their hardly necessary expensive things to reuse or break apart. So he settled in to what came natural to him; he became a cook.

He took up employment in one of the messhalls, cooking three meals a day for a coin a plate, making himself a good deal of change each day. Not that he had anything to buy. He'd always been a man of few personal belongings. What he did decide was necessary was warmer clothing, including new boots, medical supplies for his house, for the burns he would occasionally take on from cooking, and a house plant. A simply little hosta that seemed to attract many of the sheep that wandered freely about the city, until he brought it inside to protect it.

Envy, too, had brought in several plants to his home, thrilled about the idea of having the outside brought inside. Zeke, Ysaryn, Gavin, and Ruli spent much of their time trying to find plants that would thrive in the underground, finding a small collection of them that proved to be quite fragrant and grew obnoxiously fast. Envy was delighted.
Near Zeke's home, they'd even planted a number of tobacco plants for the kartaian so he could save his coin and roll his own cigarettes. It took quite a bit of practice, and it slowed the amount he smoked in a day, as he knew the hard work that went into the task and felt no desire to burn them all swiftly.

Gavin's lessons continued, between Envy and Ruli both. A few times, Ruli had returned to Cordon long enough to purchase supplies he was missing until his and Envy's stores were complete, and not only could they teach Gavin unhindered, but they would be ready the next time Kire appeared and needed something warded or enchanted.
Which seemed to be something that wouldn't happen anytime soon. Once, several weeks ago, there had been a ripple in Envy's wards that alerted them to the use of strong magic within the borders. It had felt faintly familiar, but by the time Ruli had climbed out of bed to peer out his door, it had thrummed a second time and vanished. He was certain he'd seen a blue light, though. Three weeks after that, he'd kept his eye out for her, but when it hadn't happened again, he stopped looking.

"Well done." Ruli said as he sat with Gavin on his sun-warmed patio. He was showing the Gemini scion illustrated cards of plants to identify, and to list the reasons for its use. He set down the card that bore the drosarus plant. "Though, don't think I'm not aware you only know that one because Ysaryn swears at it whenever she sees it." Ruli added, recalling that the elf had stepped in it outside the Lithilote woods, and had silently succumbed to its toxin. He listened, too, as Gavin accurately explained how to obtain the sundew extract; a painless little poison that slowed the blood and drained the victim of energy until they simply lay down to sleep, passing in their dreams.
"Not even we know why its called 'sundew'." Ruli explained, flipping through to find the next card to test Gavin on. "Envy theorizes that a nocturnal elf named it, but its commonly used across the world, so I have my doubts. Okay, this on-"

Everything happened in the span of a few seconds. Ruli felt that familiar sensation of intruding magic just as arms gripped him from behind. Alarmed, he shouted, cards flying everywhere, as well as their drink and charcuterie board. "Env-" He began to shout, but then he was pulled through a horribly familiar sensation of Kire's portal.

Air left his lungs as they hit the ground, and he wheezed, trying to breathe. Winded, Ruli rolled, his eyes landing on Kire's unconscious form, smoke rising from her armour. He mouthed a swear, not having the air to speak, and just as he meant to push himself up and get to her, he realized where they were.
Lungs suddenly full, Ruli barked a very inappropriate swear before he scrambled for the Wyvern before him. He snaked one arm beneath her neck, cradling her head, the other gripping her legs as he heaved and jumped into the shadows.
Somehow, he knew they were in Amria, and knew only one place to take her where she'd be safe. He stepped out and half-dropped Kire onto the floor of Elva's manor, immediately shouting "Elva!" as he gently pulled his arms from beneath Kire. Tossing the illustrated card he somehow still held, he went to work pulling off her armour, looking for burning clothing, burning flesh, anything.

Wanderers

Ysaryn smirked. "Symmetry is lovely, though, yes?" She teased, putting her hands on her hips. She waited patiently as Envy and Kire rose to their feet and the Kartaian promised to say his proper goodbyes. The moment Kire turned her way, Ysaryn threw her arms around her fellow Chieftess, squeezing fiercely. "I look forward to it. But I make no promises to return sword. Unless I am given a new one in trade, hm?" She cracked a smile. "Amrian steel is so lovely. Father is envious."

Envy wandered along with them, finding his way to Narda, smiling warmly when she embraced him. "I truly look forward to it." he smiled, embracing Kire with the same firmness, mindful of the lit cigarette in his hand. Ruli watched, silent, nodding in farewell to Narda, though he cracked an amused smile before he shook Kire's hand. "Right. And you." He said.
Ysaryn chuckled at that, while Envy raised an eyebrow, wondering what the younger elf found so hilarious.

Wanderers

Envy didn't move as she immediately objected, went defensive. And waited, patient, as she sorted her thoughts out, decided what struck home. Envy anticipated he put his finger on more than she thought. He inclined his head as she explained her thoughts and expressed her thoughts on how Ruli would react. "Despite all his hesitation and growls, he has always sought out interaction and companionship. The life he had before has made him strong in many ways, but weak in several others. When we first met one another, we spoke no common language, and he harboured no trust toward me, but he lingered near me, anyway."

The elf took another slow drag from his cigarette. "I don't want to sound exactly like the father figure telling you not to mess with my son, but little has worked out for him in this regard. You may not be from our world, and your native tongues are languages neither understands, but he will still linger, like he did with me many years ago, simply because hes curious." He reached forward to pat Kire's knee, miscalcualted slightly, and wound up patting the forearm on which she was leaning. "Erm, sorry." He muttered, tucking his hand back again. "I am thankful to you, as well, you know. Not only for bringing him to me when we were still in the mountains, but for breaking through his icy exterior just enough for his old sunshine to come through. I have missed him more than I could rightfully express."

"Now." Envy said, lifting his tobacco to his lips once more. "Back to the general business. Do you believe that you could open a portal safely and remain grounded? Without the pull of an irate world gate pulling at you, perhaps it would be something you could easily practice? Start with some smaller items, an apple for instance, so that nothing is harmed should your concentration break. And try to make sure your healer cousin is present. Just in case."

"Kirai." Ysaryn's voice called as the female wandered through the corridor, tailed not too closely by Ruli. "The tall one says you are leaving soon. And this one says I am to scratch you eyes if no goodbye?" She gestured to Ruli, baring her teeth to Kire in a grin. "When you return, I visit, yes? More snow?"

Wanderers

"Yes, I saw that portion." Envy said, settling himself and reaching into his pocket. He withdrew his cigarette box, but didn't open it just yet. "I can't pretend that I know all of what your Ring is capable of, but I can't imagine such a thing would need to be broken in. Perhaps it is you that was broken in, instead. Skills grow with use. Magical devices may grow more or less powerful, but ultimately it is the user that decides which."
He withdrew a cigarette at last. Carefully, he held the cigarette between his pinky and thumb, using his index and middle finger to hold the striker. His other hand swiped his match across the striker. With practiced precision, he held the cigarette to his lips and used his fingers to guide the match to light it.

"There is a way for us to do the same with our Shadow Walking." Envy said after he'd shaken the match to snuff it out and inhaled deeply. "Rather than use moving through the symbolic tunnel, we either push something through or reach and grab something. Imagine seeing an arm appear out of no where to grab an apple off a tree or even just an apple flying out of no where and landing before you." Envy chuckled. "But its difficult to do. Most don't both with it, because of the risk. Any hiccup in concentration can sever the magic and severely damage the mind. Like Ysaryn, for instance. She filled me in on her little hiccup in the woods, which resulted in the loss of her hair. Quite unhappy with that, she is." Envy added with a sigh. "I had to give her a lecture on the recklessness, as we're lucky a headache and shorn hair was all she got."

He paused to enjoy another lungful of tobacco. "Now, your portals, I imagine, are similar. A matter of concentration. Ruli's enchantment to keep you rooted to the spot no doubt helped, but now that you know it is possible, you'd like be able to manage without." He fell quiet for a moment, then inhaled. "I want to ask a blunt question, if you don't mind. In his memory, I felt something in his mind that was ... odd." He voiced. "I want to ask how you feel about him?" Without being able to see, his clouded eyes fell on her, focused. "I told you, when I first found myself in Ziad, hiding underground so many decades ago, that there was a child who found his way to me. Starving, broken, hopeless. He is still cracked. Time has not healed all wounds, Kire, so I must beg you to tread lightly. I know, having raised many children, that telling people to avoid something often leads to them diving for it, so I can't ask you not to go down this path as much as I would like to. Instead, I want to ask that you be sure before you follow it."

Wanderers

Their playful banter amused Envy, who smiled and chuckled in response. Though he did raise his eyebrows and nod when Kire mentioned the wrath of Ysaryn. "Oh, she would." He voiced. "Last I heard she was with her father on the docks. I think they were arguing, but it could be that they just speak enthusiastically to one another."

As Kire asked about Ruli showing Envy the gate magic, he nodded, and stepped forward. Envy held up his arm and Ruli grasped his thick forearm, the two going still for a moment. Envy's unseeing eyes went wide in reaction, his lips parting. "You're far braver than I, I would not have volunteered to stand in the middle of such a thing." He expressed when Ruli let him go and stepped back. Envy follwed Ruli for a moment, looking curious.
"Do we know that Gavin is from Amria?" Ruli asked. "What if he was born here?"
"And you never should." Envy chipped in about Gavin and never wanting to open a gate. "By the looks if it it would rip you apart, and I've grown quite fond of you." The Kartaian extended his arm in Kire's direction. "Come. We'll discuss your Ring, I find my curiosity cannot be settled." He turned toward Ruli. "Would you mind going down and seeing if we could borrow Ysaryn?"
"Risa wanted her, too." Ruli informed the elf with a frown.
Clicking his tongue, Envy shook his head. "Probably to take into town. Well, bring her to us first. Ysaryn at least enjoys our company."
"We think." Ruli added before turning to walk away.

Envy, agreeing with him, shrugged and led Kire into the end of the caves where his chambers were still being set up. A little bit more furniture was settled here, with thanks to Gavin and Rab. In the larger, circular chamber that he'd claimed as sort of a parlour was lined with cushions and a few tall but narrow tables. Envy seemed to know where each was, as he gestured to a set to his right. "If we could sit there?" He requested, directing himself before carefully sitting, his back to the stone. "So. Ask away."

Wanderers

Her dramatic little curtsy made Ruli smile again, and he waved at Gavin in a dismissive way to say he shouldn't ask. He chuckled as they started down the stairs toward the little cave network once more, listening as Kire explained the power her ring held in healing her injuries. He'd forgotten about the healing properties when he told her to keep an eye on the burn on her finger. Such an easy thing to forget about. And the causes behind the scars he'd seen; the three long lines down her back were from a dragon. The circular wrinkle on her shoulder from an arrow. That one, at least, he knew by sight. But a dragon?

When they claimed shelter in the caves and spotted the two tallest people in their population, Ruli smirked at Envy, who grinned just at hearing them approach. "Oh, an absolute bother." Envy answered at once. "So much I'm half inclined to insist she remain here so that I might put her to work. All the talk about oceans and sea corral, clearly she is not busy enough in Amria."
He turned his face toward Narda. "Honestly, though, I do appreciate your company over breakfast. I really enjoyed your tales of sealife."
"Envy, we live on the coast, now." Ruli pointed out slowly.
"But its not the same." Envy insisted. "Here, I can smell and hear it, and when I decide to venture down, I can feel it, but when I hear about it from any of you, its nothing compared to the beautiful picture our Amrian friend here paints for me, without the use of magic!" Envy smiled, enthralled. "I'm going to kick myself for asking, but you're not leaving soon, are you?"