Carantathraiel

Wanderers

Ruli peered over the map, awed by the size of the palace grounds. Ziad could easily fit within in. Úvano, as well. It sprawled across the paper, the notations along the edge he couldn't read, but the markings he knew were notes for their task. Zeke often made notes on maps whenever he was worried. Strategy, weakness, ambush potential. While Ruli wasn't sure if Daryll made the exact same notes, he had no doubt they were helpful.

As Gavin asked about it being a trap, Ruli grunted, then realized the cousins glanced at one another. He looked up and between them, seeing the unease on their faces, glad they said they had, indeed, considered it. He looked to Gavin, after, when Daryll asked for what he knew, and felt his chest tighten at the Gemini's answer. With a soft swear in elvish, he leaned on his elbows, peering over the map again. "The way they've been after her blood, too. And Ikegai's obsession with her power, it would make sense." He agreed. "We have two options there, then. To have Kire no where near it, maybe even causing a commotion elsewhere to draw their attention, or we find a way nullify her before hand." Ruli glanced to the cousin. "No one else can use that Ring? Only her, right? Well, what if we were able to replicate her portals? The blue light? A bit of enchantment and a sort of bomb with myself or Ysaryn could work. Make them think she's where she's not?"

~

"I won't make any such promise." Ysaryn said bluntly. "To die in battle is an honour many of my people strive for. It would be an honour here, too. But," Ysaryn smiled, seeing the look in Kire's eye. "If any one enemy takes me down, I will claim a hundred more."

Chainmail. Yes that sounded familiar to the elf. Honestly, she'd tuned Rulitus out when he'd spoken of the battle he'd tossed himself into after Kire's abduction of him, angry that she'd missed out on such an opportunity. When Kire showed her the chainmail pieces, she understood the man's likeness to it. "Oh," She cooed, lifting one of the mail pieces that went from torso, to the elbow, and then down to the knees. "I see!" She exclaimed, holding the item to her chest. "Is loose, I prefer leathers to fit." Her eyes scanned the thousands of closely woven metal rings. Sizing this thing would take ages they likely didn't have. "I wear. I try." She declared, grouping the metal and tossing it over her shoulder like a heavy metal sash.

"No." She answered Kire's next question. "I was fighter long before I learn to Walk." Ysaryn followed Kire, slightly reluctant to leave the collection of weapons. Her old weapons, including Myka's, was tucked in her left hand. "It is unwise to rely on magic. Honest, Rulitus should worry. He never wins in spar."

Wanderers

Ruli and Ysaryn both stiffened upon their arrival to Amria, each looking slightly uncomfortable, but not to the extent of Gavin. Ysaryn breathed deep and ran her hands through her hair which, hanging loose, fell to her shoulderblades, the ends still stained a deep black. Envy had told her it would be permanent until she cut the damaged strands off, but Ysaryn had refused, deciding it was a reminder.
When Kire introduced Gavin, Ruli looked up, standing behind the younger man, watching the mistress of the manor carefully. While he hadn't been present for Narda's assault on Gavin, he had heard about it. Granted, Elva was far more a gentler soul until provoked, he decided. Proven when she simply observed him.

As Elva pointed out where Daryll was, Ruli perked, budging Gavin's arm and jerking his head to invite him along, with Elva leading the way. Ysaryn followed Kire to the armory, a glint in her eyes that made Ruli glad she wasn't coming with them. He nodded to Daryll in greeting, turning to look at Gavin as Daryll asked.
"Oi." Ruli barked as Daryll yanked on Gavin to threaten him. "Daryll, I am obligated to tell you that he is under my protection. Any harm comes to him I have Envy's permission to tear throats." Ruli opened his mouth wide in a wicked grin akin to Ysaryn's, displaying his sharp molars. It was quick, his smile vanishing in a heartbeat. "It would be a pity, because I actually like you."

His expression fell after that, Ruli uncomfortable even with the words. Envy hadn't given him any such instructions, knowing that Ruli loathed being used as a guard animal, but he couldn't deny that words here would at least make a point. Gavin was young, and nothing but helpful and eager.
Still, he stood beside Gavin as he set his supply pack on the table, his clothing pack he dropped by his feet. "Okay, so Envy had some ideas." Ruli explained before beginning to repeat that they'd discussed briefly this morning.

~

Ysaryn hid her disappointment about Ed well, knowing she'd see him eventually. Truth be told she was far more excited about the blades she was on her way to see, anyway. As they entered the armory, she paused and whistled her approval, her eyes roaming the racks of weapons, the dummies of armour, the steel, the engravings, the jewels. She licked her lips, itching to say she needed it all just to have an excuse to touch it or steal it. "I near only leathers." She made herself say instead. "Although Rulitus suggest a ... male?" She said, uncertainly. "I am not sure of -oohhh!"

She crooned as Kire revealed the blades. Gently, she reached up and took one, the weight of it beautifully balanced in her hand. Firm, but not too heavy. The handles were intricate and unique, and the blades a sort of smithing she'd never seen before. "Satisfactory, indeed, Kirai." Ysaryn purred, lifting the other one and inspecting it all the same. "They are beautiful. Fit for a Chieftess."
Setting the sabers down, she unbuckled the two sheaths at her hip to replace them, turning and bending to see how well the new ones felt and moved with her, then again with the sabers contained within. "Perfect." She smiled viciously. "Dangerous." Ysaryn turned to Kire and wrapped her arms around her in thanks, squeezing gently. "I will kill many for you, I promise."

Wanderers

Ruli met Kire with the same nondescript expression, nodding again to greet her in return. Ysaryn leaned against one of the rocky walls of Envy's chamber, folding her arms over her chest. And when Kire pointed out that she would be happy to bring them back at a single word, both she and Ruli arched their eyebrows and glanced silently to one another.
"Like hell that will happen, Chieftess." Ysaryn said with a wicked smile. Ruli smirked.

Envy sighed. At least the offer was there for them, he thought. "Ruli and I were discussing the wards, and what could be used to ensure the Gemini do not break it so easily. He reminded me that, when you broke the gate, they had a sort of sequence to theirs. After some discussion, we have our own idea."
"This would lock the ward if they tried tampering with it." Ruli said. "It would need to be undone in a very specific order, or it will become increasingly difficult until their tampering is undone and the correct way followed."
"Smart." Ysaryn voiced. "Are we really to bind Kirai to it? What if she dies?"
Ruli swallowed. Leave it to the elf to ask the blunt question. His blue eyes went to Kire, as did Ysaryn's fuchsia ones. "She won't." Ruli answered. "Wyverns are hard to kill."
"Yes, but-"
"No buts." Envy interrupted. "Kire is forbidden to die."

Wanderers

Ysaryn arched her eyebrow, noting Kire's avoidance, the elf chasing her up the stairs. She was in her combat leathers, the fabric wrapped around her again. Despite Kire's words, Ysaryn could tell she was bothered by the exchange, and likely disappointed in the conclusion they had arrived to. She rolled her eyes when Kire wasn't looking at her, wondering how long until the two of the realized they were wrong. "If you insist." She replied indifferently, strutting into the caves with the empress.

~

"Come in." Envy invited. Already awakened by Ruli nearly a half hour before, Envy was sitting on his large bed, which had finally been upgraded from the pile of straw and blankets. Envy turned his head when Gavin approached, his hair unbound. Ruli, sitting in one of the strange cushions in the corner, nodded in greeting.
"We're going over the finer details." Ruli informed the lad. His eyes fell on the dagger at his hip, and his expression hardened.
"Your charm?" Envy asked pointedly.

Wanderers

By sundown, Ruli had rested very little, unable to settle the pit in his stomach that argued with his brain all night. He felt it stupid to be so caught up with a woman he barely knew, despite finding her incredibly intriguing. And, despite wanting to learn more, he saw no reason to. Not when she was so far out of his reach in every sense of the term.
He finally gave up on focusing on any packing and bathed, pulling what little hair would obey into a tail at the back of his head -a style he'd seen Zeke wear and actually liked. It never hurt to have his hair pulled back when the sea invited wind so often here.

Dressed, with his pack, sword, and supplies in tow, Ruli made his way to the caves to find the others, crossing paths with Ysaryn first. The instant grin on her face told him she'd noticed their absence. "Not now." He sighed.
"Oh, not ever." She purred back, falling into step with him. "Where did you leave her?"
"Her house. And don't you go-"
It was no use, Ysaryn was already bouncing up the steps toward Kire's house. Ruli shook his head and went to find Gavin and Envy.

"Kirai?" Ysaryn pounded on the door. "You are back, yes? Not inside with your pants down, are you? That won't deter me." She added with a teasing laugh.

Wanderers

Yeah, he'd ruined it. Kire all but jumped up, and Ruli felt guilt wash over him. Still, he remained sitting, teetering between trying to explain or letting herbert annoyed.
"I don't," Ruli began, then hesitated. So what? He didn't have to invest. He could toss up his defenses and entertain her when she needed it. What was the worst he'd get out of it? More relaxed now and then?

Defeated, Ruli got up, offering his hand to her.

When they were back in Űvano, standing outside of the house offered to her. "I told you, I'm no good at this." He excused apologetically. "Getting involved isn't my thing." He took a step back, toward the steps that would lead through the cliff to home. "Goodnight, Kire."

Wanderers

When she turned sharply toward him, Ruli froze, realizing right away he'd stuck his foot in his mouth and fucked up their chemistry. Tense, he watched her face as she answered, understanding, in part, her words on having her life pushed and pulled by others. "I'm sorry." He said, looking away again. "No, I ... I mean, sure. We can see." Which made him all the more uneasy. What if he developed feelings for her? And she turned around to bed someone else, someone of her class, her world? Ruli watched the water, already feeling the walls in his head rise to protect himself.

After another pause, he sighed again. "We should probably head back to Úvano. Someone's bound to have noticed we're gone at this point." He was suddenly very intrigued by his thumbnail, using his fingernail to clean the non-existing grime beneath it.

Wanderers

"Truthfully, I'm glad you didn't." He admitted. "Even if it was doing harm to the villages or people of its world, whatever, its still a dragon. As you said. And beautiful. Not that I'm saying dangerous things should get a pass if they're pretty to look at, considering my ... recent events. But I feel like killing it would have been a crime on its own."

Ruli sighed, watching the water devour the pebble she'd thrown. He was quiet for a long time, thinking. "Is there a real point to this?" He asked cautiously. "Us, I mean. You're an empress. You'll have to marry some dick noble one day. So are we just... fun while you can?"

Wanderers

Ruli stuffed his suddenly empty hand into his pocket, somehow feeling strange for having held hers for so long before he noticed. When Kire sat, he sat himself down with some two feet between them, his eyes on the lazily approaching water before slithering away again. She spoke about the stories where some entity sent the hero on a path, and he had little information on the genre. Most tales in this world began with someone just getting tired of being under anothers thumb and raising hell against them. Few deities involved. But he didn't say that, figuring it wouldn't help her current revelation.

"Rambling is fine." Ruli reassured her. He couldn't get over the dragon, his mind still circling back to the fiery eye and its deadly looking head. "So, you didn't actually kill it? The dragon?" He glanced sideways at her. "Doesn't that mean it could wake again?"

Wanderers

Ruli had no words. He had never seen anything so brilliant before. So large and magnificent. It moved with the sort of grace elves would envy. The glow of its eye was brighter than the way Ysaryn's and Envy's glowed. It's like seeing a God. Ruli's own heart echoed Kire's as he stared in awe through her memory.

When the memory faded, Ruli withdrew his magic, gazing down at Kire. "Holy Gods." He breathed, trying to recall the dragon's form in his mind, now. "After that, this war must barely scare you." He breathed, his hand still holding hers. "Are you descended from them? I mean, that one?"