Sona and Malkus
Location: outside world
Interacting with: each other
Sona sighed softly, this is something she didnât think would ever happen. But it did, hearing such a coarse song in the middle of nowhere caressing her pointed ears. It seemed to be anything but boring. She couldnât even help but wonder who the hell the âplayerâ was, as she didnât hear any movement or sound related to the song she has just heard. But then she heard the sounds of rustling going on around a bush. That was when she saw some sort of male figure, well it had to be a male figure anyway. Considering the fact that females would never be topless, or what she could see from behind anyway.
"Before we do anything hasty, just let me say that I mean no harm-"
Sona tilted her head, of course he meant no harm if he was being unnaturally calm like the way it was. Only becoming more curious as to what his intentions were.
"Are you... An angel?"
He was asking her if she was an angel, her?? An elven bard wearing a poncho from a cleric that has mysteriously vanished just a few hours before meeting this male. âAn angel?? Donât be so silly!â She chuckled to herself as she placed her hands on her hips. âI am not an angel, I am sure if I was. I would be in the heavens doing angel-like workâŚâ biting her lip softly, she has gotten nervous. Who was this man, why has he just suddenly asked if she was an angel, out of all the things she couldâve been queried about as well.
Malkusâs face grew hot as he realized what he said, almost wishing he could take it back. He redirected his eyes away from her out of shame. He couldnât help but to first thing lustful thoughts, about caressing her naked body and⌠Well, he put those thoughts aside quickly. He was at a lost for words, uncertain how to proceed. This girl was obviously curious about why he was here and what he was doing. Malkus was uncertain if he should tell her. Frankly, it wouldnât be hard to just say that he was just traveling through the forest. That wasnât a lie, even if it wasnât the whole truth. Yet he couldnât bring himself to bluff this girl like that, so he tried to explain himself.
âAh⌠Well⌠Sorry about that. I was just walking through the forest and saw a big group⌠Didnât want to get involved, so I stopped here for a rest, you see, and I was playing my flute just to pass the time while I rested my feet. I ah⌠Well then I saw you and uh...â
Malkus quickly shut his mouth, feeling as if he already made a mockery of himself. In times like these were was only one thing to do: Make a hasty exit.
âSorry for bothering you. I can just go.â
The blonde female didnât understand what was going on at the moment, the group he mentioned was no doubt the group she was travelling with. Especially with the fact that he mentioned yours truly. âDonât go, come with us. We love companyâ Sona smiled softly as she finally tutted and took off her poncho Sundos given her earlier and lent it to him âYou seem cold, you look like you need to wear something warmer. Considering the fact that you are topless.â She was not lying, he was indeed topless.
âThat song earlier by the way, what was it?? I play the flute a lot myself, thatâs what made me arrive here in the first place. Although I play the harp more as the harp is my speciality, hehehe.â Sona loved her harp a lot, this is probably because she was taught to use the harp from a very young age from the village eldar back in the forest of Aludimiir. Just before her brother decided to go all up and arms about it and decided he wanted to kill her.
âSo, I will want you to come with me to the group. We could play the flutes together and teach each other new tricks, wouldnât that be nice?!â She questioned him in her typical bubbly manner. She was sure that he was no intruder now, especially with the fact that he just wanted to do a runner.
Malkus flinched away from the girl when she put her poncho on him. He thought she was trying to grab him, as foolish as that might have been. She was a waifish elf who was as thin as a twig. Her of all people would have no chance at actually stopping him physically, but it was a reaction nonetheless. His hand tighten, knowing that if he did stick around here, sheâs going to be hurt one way or another. Itâd be better if she stayed away from him just to save them both the trouble. But then she had to ask about his song.
Playing the flute was something he just did. There wasnât any reason or motive behind it. Sure he was inspired to play by Velenna, but his skills and interest just sort of came to life on its own. He doesnât even use it to make coin on the streets, though he doubts anyone would want to give coin to a half-orc, not unless he had a blade at their throat. When she asked him about the song he played, she also admitted that she played the flute too, though she favored the harp herself. Malkus pegged her as a bard.
âI⌠That song? Well⌠Wasnât really anything. I mean, thereâs no title to it or anything. I was just playing it. Trying to copy the sound of birds and whatever else came naturally.â
Despite his skills, Malkus knew no songs on the flute. He had a few standard chords, sure, but he never took the time to learn a song. He just played whatever, whenever. She wanted him to go to her group, but despite his own attraction to her Malkus turned towards her and stepped back. âNo!â He gripped his hands into fists, but calmed himself almost immediately. He shouldnât be angry at her. Itâs not her fault. âSorry⌠I⌠Iâd love to play the flute with you. But Iâm not very good in groups⌠Especially with people I donât know.â
Malkus rubbed his arm, feeling the pain from the past. Just another memory of young men surrounding him, beating him for some reason or another. He could feel a club break his arm as he tried to protect his head, wishing that maybe theyâd give up as soon as they noticed he wasnât going to fight, or when a guard was nearby. While his bone had set and the bruise was gone, he could still feel the pain today. He still couldnât get himself to willingly go into a group of strangers. Not yet.
It was an unusual reaction to see a male flinch the moment a female would place suitable overalls to cover his upper body. Maybe he wasnât used to it?? Sighing softly she nodded once âItâs fine, no need to panic. I am not set out to hurt youâ she told him sternly. âI am sure that you wonât hurt me either. Considering the fact that you asked if I was an angel.â It was probably the fact that she was asked such a question that made her look to the male in a different perspective because that is a question nobody would ever ask unless something was definitely up. âI hope you donât mind.â
Hearing about his flute skills was interesting to say the least, she rather enjoyed the conversation. Now she for one wouldnât mind hanging around with this male for hours on end. âThe birds are truly graceful things⌠I know this too well.â She mentioned as she looked to her shoulder. Although she was only taken aback the moment she wanted the man to come back to her group. He seemed to have feared the idea of company.
âItâs ok, just stick with me if needed. I will help you get comfortable with everyone, and even if you canât I am sure you will have a good time. We wouldnât hurt you, thatâs for sure.â She reassured. âSo itâs perfectly okay to feel nervous.â
Malkus couldn't help but feel fear and doubt. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to stay with this girl for as long as he could. But on the other hand, he feared that this girl might be leading him to a trap, or that her people won't accept him.
Malkus hardly consider himself a brave person: fear was a natural response to a situation out of his control. When he'd be powerless. Going into a group of strangers who may turn on him, who individually could be stronger then him am are even more powerful together, frighten him. He didn't want to a do it. He wasn't going to do it.
â... Okay. But I want my space. You guys have a big group and stuff, and I'd rather keep my distance. And⌠My name is Malkus. What's yours?â
Sona sighed happily as she tried to comfort and console him with her words, but as always: actions spoke louder than words. That is one of the many things she was initially taught anyway. âI do believe that you have nothing to fearâŚâ She initiated calmly yet softly. She was telling the truth, but she canât help it if he felt claustrophobic. Maybe something has stopped him from liking big crowds. Was he possibly jumped on when he was a little kid?? She heard that was rather common in many other places. She was glad that none of that happened in her birthplace. Even if there was a certain brother out there to personally stalk and kill her.
âThatâs perfectly fine!â She grinned and let out a light-hearted laugh of some sort âIâll introduce you to them instead, if thatâs okay.â The blonde seemed to be rather delighted that the male was willing to join her party on their adventure. âOh, and erm⌠My name is Sonsheeta, but you can call me Sona, Sonsheeta is my elven name. So there is no need to call me that.â
Sona wasnât going to let this male loose from her grasp so easily, she doesnât like seeing others being alone. Which is probably why she preferred a big group of people in the first place.
âSonsheeta⌠Sona. Pretty name.â Malkus said quietly to himself. He was still uncertain if he could get over his fear of groups. Maybe if he's lucky the only people who'd bother him is Sona. What he'd really hate if everyone tried to get to him all at once. It'd just be too much for his heart.
Stepping out of the bush, Malkus wasn't sure how to proceed from here. He'd assume that Sona wanted to take him back to her group, but he was in no rush to meet them. Remembering the flute in his hand Malkus brought it close to his mouth and tweeted a few notes out from it.
âIf it's alright with you, could we just⌠Play music for a bit? There is a pond nearby I filled my waterskin at. Very pretty. And I want to hear your music too.â
The bard really was curious as to how he found that name pretty⌠being an elf, she would be used to this. But alas; she was not. She didnât understand how everything could make her excitement churn in one fell swoop. Probably because he could also play the flute, just like her. âI am happy that you are willing to come with me.â Sona mentioned in a cheerful manner. She was more than happy to escort him. But then he asked if the two could just play music for a bit at a nearby pond.
âYeah, sure! I will need to get my flute first. However, unless you could collaborate with a flute and a harp. In fact, I think I have my harp with me.â she quickly looked around her waist and found her satchel-esque item that stored her harp effectively.
âWould you be so kind to lead the way, sir??â She asked, she knew his name but it felt more right to call him sir, as they were fellow musicians after all.
Malkus let out somewhat nervous chuckle. He still wasn't entirely up for meeting Sonaâs friends, but now he can focus on more pleasant things. Sona didn't have her flute but she did have her harp, which suited Malkus just fine. She likely played the flute better than he did, so without it he wouldn't have to hear how bad he is compared to her. âYeah, of course. I mean uh, ahem.â Malkus straighten out his outfit (mostly the poncho) and bowed towards Sona in a dramatic fashion.
âIt would be my honor, mâlady.â This got a real laugh from Malkus. He hadn't called anyone mâlady since Neverwinter. Feeling a bit better about himself Malkus led Sona back to the pond he passed a while ago. It took them about ten minutes to get there and they went quite a bit of distance away, but soon they would arrive at the location.
The thing is, the location Malkus brought Sona too wasn't a pond, but a spring. The difference being that this spring had relatively clean water flowing from it, thanks to magical and natural forces beyond Malkus understanding. As far as he was concerned it was a pond that had clean water.
He made himself comfortable near the edge of the water and adjusted his flute. It's crude quality was more obvious up close, and it was was a miracle that the thing even played at all. Despite its faults Malkus begun to play a little string of notes. He was just tooting at first, but as he played he started to synchronize his playing to the south sounds around him, such as the springâs flowing water, the crickets in the grass, a frog somewhere in the water, and a couple of wolves howling somewhere far off.
The elf girl was happy, maybe even ecstatic by now. She couldnât even believe what was happening. She thought only rich people would ever get bowed or curtsey upon. And she just got a bow, this did make the young elf chuckle indeed. He seemed like such a genuine person so why is he so nervous of going into a big group like hers?? Itâs not like there was something generally wrong with them (except for perhaps Lob, but even Lob was kept under control by Kyra and Keystone.
Following the new male for a good ten minutes or so. The two finally made it to the pond, or so he called it. It was actually a spring, and Sona gasped at the sight of the scenery as she ran up to the spring itself âOh my! So lovely!â She grinned. âThis is actually a spring, lookâŚâ She pointed at the telltale signs. âI didnât think a spring would actually be here in all honesty. But itâs fine, itâs the perfect spot in my opinion!â It really was a good spot for the bard, it was so calming unlike streets and even villages. It was just perfect.
That was when she watched Malkus step to the edge and got himself ready for his part of the collaboration. She found his tune to be pretty spot on with the surroundings. Finally taking out her harp, she looked upon itâs strings and got herself readyâŚ
âInhale⌠exhaleâŚâ she reminded herself before starting to play the harp. Plucking them strings ever so effortlessly, it was clear that she was letting the mysterious power of music overtake her soul. She had no idea what she was doing anymore, Sona could even imagine herself just dancing along the ocean, even stepping on flowers and letting them grow as tall as trees. And all this was in her imagination.
The tune itself, was calming yet cheerful too. As if you just wanted to hear a tale of two lovers that didnât have a sad ending, but a happy one. At the same time, she tapped her foot on the ground lightly to add more beats to the tune of the harp and the flute.
For once Malkus was able to take his eyes off Sona long enough to allow himself to be lost in the music. He played along with Sona, occasionally making an awkward note here and there, but otherwise played smoothly. His body began to sway side from side without him noticing, as if he was a grass in the wind.
While initially Malkusâs tune played along with his surroundings, soon after Sona started his song took a different turn. It was⌠something like a conflict. Instead of complimenting the sound of nature, it was as if Malkus was exploring it. He was an outsider, an unfamiliar element outside his native plane. Yet despite he and his song being foreign in this setting, it was not a bad mixture. Like an adventure, Malkus was learning where his place here was and seeking out the greatest parts. He played his flute as if he was on an epic quest, ending with honor and glory.
He didn't realize it at the time, but Malkus also ended up standing and even dancing to the music, hopping on rocks and somehow climbing into trees. By the time he opened his eyes he realized he was knee deep in the spring facing Sona.
Sona was lost, lost in everything that surrounded her. It was clear that she didnât even know what was going on until she noticed that Malkus was facing her frail, curvaceous figure. Her blonde hair swaying slowly in the wind she shown a weak smile. âWell⌠Seems our skills in music synergize well. I would love to teach you more flute-wise.â Sona let out a soft giggle with this and she heard chirping âAhâŚâ Alto must have liked it too. She looked to her shoulder and greeted her little bird friend.
âI take it you are hungry, Alto??â She asked the bird, of course she knew the bird couldnât speak to her back. But she didnât give Alto a lot of berries earlier so it was safe to assume that he was hungry. Taking something out of her pouch she plucked out a few berries, simple but delicious for her winged companion âHere you go.â She simply said before Alto starting plucking at it furiously. âWoaahhh, easy there boy.â She huffed slightly, Alto was not the most accurate plucker in the universe and sometimes her hand was the target of the vicious pluck fest.
It didnât take long before Alto was finished and he spread his wings before folding them back âWell then.â She turned her face so she could look to Malkus âSorry, Alto⌠is never hungry! Hahah!â
Malkus smiled back, not really having anything to say. Honestly, he was so caught up in playing his own flute that he wasnât really listening to the song. But what he did hear though was a sublime music unlike anything heâs played before. Every second with Sona made Malkus wonder if she really was an angel sent by the gods. Itâd certain get him to start believing. Soon a bird landed on Sona, who she called Alto. The orc guessed that the bird was a pet of hers. That reminded him that skinny was still in his pouch, and Malkus took a quick peek. The small snake lifted his head and looked at Malkus curiously. Unlike him, Skinny could find his own food quite easily. The snake was a natural hunter. It helped that Skinny mostly ate bugs.
Walking out of the pond Malkus tried to dry his legs off. All he wore was his kilt and some thick boots, but now his boots were soaking wet. Looking up into the skies Malkus wondered how long heâs been out here with Sona. Surely it wasnât that long, thirty minutes at most. But he wasnât keeping track of time, so for all he knew he could have been out here for hours. For a moment, he forgot about Sona and thought about a poem.
âNight passes once more. A day gone Iâll never have. Tomorrow awaits.â
A poem called a âHaikuâ from some strange swordsman from afar. It didnât require a rhyming scheme, just a five-seven-five syllable set of words to reflect his thoughts. Though it sounded much more interesting in the swordsmanâs native language, not to mention his words had more meaning behind them. Sighing, Malkus turned his head towards Sona. âWell⌠What would you like to do now?â
The female was intrigued by everything that has just happened within a matter of minutes. She was composing to her heart's content and even got Malkus to join in. She had to cough lightly as everything sank in like a person was drowning. Not that she minded, it was bound to happen on her journey some time. She didnât know it would happen this soon however, and all because of a masked male who is currently drying himself off. In fact, now that she thought about it. She didnât understand why he was wearing a mask in the first place, did he really need it?? Oh well, she will let it go for now. It is not the most important matter to rant about, what was important to Sona at the moment was the haiku Malkus mentioned.
âI heard that Haiku once.â She grinned âIt was during my travels, it was very nice to hear it and it gave me a lot of thought while I travelled. Unfortunately I couldnât stay at that place for long, other places to go and things to see. It really was a shame.â It really was a shame, she was fearing for her life. But now with this company she feels a lot more safer. âWell.â she started âWe should head back, everyone must be worried about me.â She let out a half-hearted chuckle âShall we??â
Malkus let out a snort snort. Strange that she knew this Haiku. He just made it up on the spot. But he wasnât going to question it; it was endearing how she was trying to get close to him. But it also made Malkus more paranoid. There were only two types of people who wanted to get close to him: Prostitutes and serial killers. He didnât know which one Sona is. His thoughts were directed back to her when she mentioned wanting to head back to camp. His knee-jerk reaction was to stand up and go hide somewhere, but stopped right as he stood up. He needed to trust her, to try to let go of his fears to be closer to her. But he couldnât. His body was shaking in fear, and because he was half-wet and cold. He really shouldnât have gone into the pond so late into the day.
âYeah uh⌠Sure. I guess. Lead the way.â He said with a shiver and a sneeze.
Sona had a think before anything, but she was glad he wanted her to lead the way⌠âGood.â she grinned and nodded. âI am happy to be taking you back. Just stick with me if you get worried.â she cautioned him ever so kindly. âJust trust me. You will need to stay anyway if you donât want to get a cold.â
She beckoned him to stalk her with a hand motion back to the camp. She was technically lost, but thanks to her skills of travelling she knew the way thanks to the footprints that were left in the grass that is still blowing ever so slightly in the wind, her hair and even her pointed ears were joining in to some extent. âOk so.â She started âThe leader is the female called Kyra, she is an archer and she is lovely. She in fact gave me music sheets that were given to her by a close friend of hers. There is an half orc there too known as Lob, he is awesome and very friendly. He is kinda loony, but donât let that get to you, he isnât loony in an unfriendly way.â She grinned as she continued âOh, and we have a pugilist known as Keystone. He wonât be a bother at all! In fact he makes really good food as I have found out earlier. We also just had contact with a female earlier today, but I canât pronounce her name properly. But I hope I will soon!â
Sona kept explaining about these people who Malkus does not even know. âOkay, look.â She called for his attention, pointing at the camp once more. âAre you ready for this?â
Malkus followed Sona, closely at first, wanting to make sure she didnât get lost. She seemed to know where to go though so he just enjoyed the walk for what it was. Then Sona started to tell him about some of her party members. Their leader, Kyra, another half-orc named Lob, some sort of brawler called Keystone, and apparently a new girl that even Sona didnât know very well. He didnât know if that made him feel any better about following her. While the chances of this being an ambush is somewhat lessen (Though she could always be lying to him), now even she couldnât be trusted in case one of them are crazy. âTrust⌠Thatâs not easy.â He said quietly under his breath as he tried to warm himself up.
Soon they were close to the camp, but Malkus tensed up. Suddenly he didnât want to be here anymore. It didnât matter how smitten he was with Sona. He couldnât risk his life on the off chance that these people would accept him. That they werenât just going to kill him in his sleep or abandon him in his darkest moment. He stopped in his tracks and hugged himself tighter. âNo.â Malkus took a step back. âNo. I canât do this. This is too fast. I⌠Iâm sorry.â Malkus turned around and started to walk back into the forest.
Sona was happy that the male was accompanying her, it actually felt nice to speak to him for some strange reason. She didnât know why but it was something she wonât forget about for a very long time indeed. As soon as they made it to camp Sonaâs smile was beaming as she looked to Malkus, but she saw Malkusâs emotions on his face. This clearly upset the bard, she didnât want him to be like this at all. She wanted him to smile and be happy, but it was obvious to the blonde that she was going to find this task a bit more difficult than she originally thought.
âNoooâŚâ she whispered to herself as he took a step back. This was not going to end well for her, does she need to do this by force?? She sure as hell didnât want to, but she could cast her song to make him sleep if she so desired. She wonât however, not until he denied her request one more time. That will be the moment she will use her harp and she will try to drag him back.
She then heard him apologise and walk back to the way they came from, but Sona simply sighed softly and sadly, and walked quickly towards him. âMalkusâŚâ she said softly, her voice was gentler than usual. âPlease⌠stayâŚâ her words were still spoken soft and even though she didnât know if this will work or not, she will still perform her other trick if needed. âI know you donât want to⌠but I want⌠you to be safe, lots of bandits are around after all and if they outnumber you, you will be in trouble. I donât want that. Do you want that??â She questioned him with worry.
Bandits? Thugs by a different name. He knows how to run and hide. He's done it plenty of times before. Here will be no different. âIt's fine. I'm no stranger to hiding from their kind. And besides⌠I'm no better than them anyways. IâŚ. You. You deserve better than me. I'll only bring trouble and⌠I just can't.â
that was unusual for the bard, she wanted him to follow her back for safety and she does not care if she is risking her life, she risks it every second for personal reasons. Having Malkus on board would not change that fact, but it would be in fact better for her. âMalkus.â she said his name again âI am no stranger either. Besides, we are friends!â Her smiled beamed through her complexion once more and she reassures him once again, she was not going to let this guy so easily. She didnât want to use her harp to send the man to sleep but she may have no choice if he does this again. âIâll be upset if I see you go. Please just stay with us. I really want you to.â
She really did want Malkus to stay with her the group. She was definitely attached to him already, yet she doesnât know if this is a bad or a good thing. She just knows that she wants to develop a friendship with him and hang out with him.
âFriends⌠Friends? Why? Why do you want me, of all people!? Canât you see? Iâm an orc! A monster! Iâve killed people! What, you think Iâm a nice guy, just because I played the flute with you? Câmon girl, thatâs hardly a unique talent. Any jobber could have done what Iâve done and maybe more. Whatâs your game, Sona? Why do you want me so badly!?â Malkus bursted in anger, letting his rage get the better of him. He didnât know why he was doing this to her. Sheâs been so nice to him and heâs just⌠Throwing it all away. But he wasnât going to let himself get hurt again. His body might be strong, but his heart is fragile. âDonât toy with me, elf. I⌠I canât go there and let themâŚ. Let them hurt me. I canât let you do that to me.â Malkus started backing away, afraid that heâs done it now. He pissed off Sona and now all the things theyâve done, the feelings he had for her, gone. And yet he still couldnât bring himself no to love her. But Malkus once heard a saying that went like this:
If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, itâs yours.
The blonde elf couldnât believe what she was hearing, in fact she even started to cry. âBut⌠iâm seriousâŚâ she gasped out as she already tried to soak out her tears. Thatâs it. That was totally it. She finally took out her harp âI donât hurt people, Malkus. But I do have people who can take care of us and feed us. I really want you to be safe⌠but if you want a game I can give you a game. But even now I cannot bring myself up to do it.â Her face turned to the side in a rather upset manner. No⌠she needed to do this, she needed him with the group so he can get good food and so that he will not starve himself⌠fuck it.
Sona quickly put her harp up and started playing a song. But this wasnât just any song. This was a song that can make others fall asleep. And she wasnât going to let him go. She started to hum and la with the song to make the song more reliable to make him fall asleep.
Malkus knew she was using magic. He didnât know what kind of magic, but that didnât matter. It was all he needed to confirm his doubts; she couldnât be trusted. No one would just give him an easy life. She wasnât an angel here sent to make things better for him. Just another charlatan who wanted to scam him out of his money and life. He backed away slowly at first when she took out her harm. But then he remembered that she was a bard, and that her music could be more powerful than any blade.
The moment she started playing Malkus could feel his eyes drift. He didnât need to know everything about magic to know she was using some sort of sleep spell. He didnât really have any defenses against it except one thing that always kept him up at night: Pain. So he took out his dagger and without a momentâs hesitation, stabbed his arm. The blood quickly bursted from the wound and forced his eyes open, though he could still feel Sonaâs sway over him. For the moment however, he would have just enough time to turn and run. Clutching his bleeding wound Malkus ran back into the forest, trying to block out the music as he vanished into the undergrowth.
âIâm sorry Sona, I justâŚ.â
Sona continued to play her sleep spell and she saw the effects going. But something told her it was not going to last that long. But the spell failed when she noticed the male stabbed him. Sona was devastated. It was a mere sleep spell. It was not going to harm him âNo!â She shouted. She growled softly. She didnât want to let him go⌠ugh⌠she had to chase him now to drag him back! She was not going to let the poor man starve! Still playing the music she sighed softly. She has lost him. That was when she finally stopped playing the music and walked back. She was not going to let the others know what just happened. âI hope⌠you will be okâŚâ
she whispered quietly and looked to the side.
She trudged back, and she hoped she didnât hurt him. Maybe she shouldnât trust someone so quickly again like she did so quickly with the others. She is now also hoping that the others have not chased her. She could be in serious trouble right now. And all for one person who she tried to be friends with.
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