"Nin!? Larishazza!? Where'd you go!?" I called out into the dark tunnel I stood before after toasting another bug. Initially looking on in worry at the dark space before me until I just walked off with a sigh. I had gotten lost after fighting that magic-using bug and I did not know where to go. Following noises certainly didn't help either as it just led me to more bugs.
But, the bugs were becoming increasingly less common as of late. It should be quite obvious why that is the case, after all, I have been killing quite a few. A few more had been killed by the other two and a small group had been speared by angry fathers. Yet, I had a feeling that wasn't entirely the case because some tunnels were just warped by recent stampedes.
Were the bugs now on the run now that the important ones had been killed? Admittedly, I hoped this was not the case as creatures like this deserved only death. However, I cared more about finding the others than seeing if the bugs were running. My dear friend Nin needed my help, he needed it so very bad.
"YOU TWO!?" I then called out again as loud as I could when I found another dark and empty tunnel. Yet, still, I did not get the answer I wanted, so I was forced to delve deeper into the tunnels. And like the last time I went deeper, I noticed more signs of movement and past battle. Until, finally, at last, I heard the echoes of speaking in this drastically quieter prison.
"A human!?" they would call out in shock when I finally found them. And despite finding something that was not a bug, I was left bitterly disappointed. My face showed it off quite well but I can't help but think they missed that detail. After all, given the place we were in, anyone should develop a foul mood.
"Yes, have you seen another, blue hair?" I asked the head of this small group of sick and wounded as they hobbled on by. Contemplating just grabbing one until I got an answer.
"There was... A strange smell further down that way..." one at the back of this small group answered before they disappeared from the light my magic produced. And, it wasn't much at all, but, it gave me a hint that I was on the right track. So I followed the path they just came from and followed the footprints with sharp points at the end. Then, finally, I heard her cheerful voice, I heard her laughter and I followed it as well as I could.
Until, finally, I stood before them, "Einervaene! There she is!" Larishazza cheered as her magic lit up and revealed the great number of people she had saved. Yet, in my jealousy, I was assuming it only looked like so many because of how narrow these tunnels were. But, when I saw Nin, I could only smile and I went up to him in order to hug him. Which I did to the backdrop of Larishazza urging something specific from me.
"You smell smokey." Nin mumbles against me as I stroke the back of his head before the confused victims of this place.
"Well, I've been busy if you cannot tell." I say with a small smile as I let go of him. Soon attempting to brush off some ash. Albeit to no avail.
"Thank you..." he then cryptically spoke as he leaned on the wall and sighed in relief. A slight stutter in his voice and breath before it went and disappeared. I would, however, try to comfort him regardless of how short that little stutter was. All that mattered was that he was okay.
"He's been cheering up a bit lately." Larishazza whispered into my ears as we both watched our friend as he reacted to noise.
"Did the bug with a stick bother him that much?" I asked back with a whisper, catching his attention instantly while Larishazza only became confused.
"Bug with a stick?" she asked back clueless about what I meant.
"Did you kill the earth shaman...?" Nin then asked me hopefully as he straightened his body out and got in my face.
"If that is what the one with a stick was, then, yes, I made him pop into a cloud of black ash!" I told him with some pride as his smile grew wider and wider. And, it was only really after he put me down and stopped hugging me that I realised it was an odd thing to be cheerful about. It was not odd enough, however, for me to linger on it in my mind.
"So why did the bug have a stick?" the still out of it Larishazza asked as she steadily started moving forward again. And, in turn, the people she had saved followed after her as her magic kept them safe and on the move.
"Because these things can't use magic." Nin answered as he pressed his foot down on a dead bug harshly. Mixing it in with the mud more than it had been beforehand.
"What kind of magic do they use?" Larishazza asked.
"Some kind of rock magic, but I have never heard of a mountain that grants earth magic?" I answered then asked as a sidenote.
"Because there is no Rock Mountain." Larishazza laughed as I questioned the common knowledge of our world. There was only six and there would always be only six types of magic, seven if we counted raw... Lightning, wind, light, dark, fire and water.
"So this is all just wind magic...?" I asked in confusion as I tried to figure out how wind magic granted one control over the earth... How would it even do that? Were those strange stone constructs full of air bubbles? Was it just a bit of rock being moved by an unseeable spell...?
"It would have to be, raw magic, from what I remember in my history lessons, does not work like this. And, well, we already have the obvious lack of a mountain supplying the power." Larishazza says with a shrug before she kicked something down a tunnel.
"Wouldn't someone have to teach them?" I then asked her as I thought about my own spells. Sure, I didn't have a teacher for either but I had circumstances that enabled me to think of these ideas. Bugs, however, just would not get these kinds of experiences. So there should be no logical reason for them to learn a spell.
"There is not much point in asking me, this is the first time I have ever seen these creatures." Larishazza tells me as she gets a strange look from Nin.
"What're you talking abo-" he began to say in protest before she suddenly became hyperactive and ran away.
"Hey, don't run off like that!" I chastised as I caught up and grabbed her by the arm. Only to be brought along with her as I had forgotten in that brief moment that she was stronger. At first, I flailed about with a determined grip until I let go of her. Then I found myself with Nin, pressed against a barrier of water.
Instead of flowing from her like a flag did its pole, I was instead being pulled after her on her magic...
"Lari!" Nin called out as he tried to stop her by getting his feet into the ground. But, each time his feet got into the earth, her strength pulled them right out again as if it never happened. This would carry on as well until we were finally outside and sent flying into the air. And as we both got up with an annoyed expression on our faces, she laughed and laughed.
Then, her spell disappeared and its occupants slowly disappeared into the village as if nothing ever happened. At least, until one of them screamed when they saw Nin, which in turn made him run off. Larishazza, however, urged me to go to the airship which was still floating high above the village like it was before. So, as I watched Nin with concern, I turned into a lightning bolt and then crashed onto the deck of the airship.
"Vadei, we dealt with the problem..." I began to call out as I walked onto the bridge of the airship. Only to find her mother in a state of utter panic which she turned on me the moment I walked in.
"WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER!?" she screamed into my face as her fingers wrapped around the copper frame on my top. She then attempted to shake me about but nothing came of it.
"Vadei's missing?" I asked before she started to nod her head and cry.
"I went to help my other daughter after getting frustrated with her lack of eating and... When I came back..." she began to explain to me as my heart started to hurt at the sight I was seeing.
"Is she not in the medical bay with your...?" I asked, in the hopes she was just overreacting and forgot about that small detail. But, the way she shook her head made it clear that was not the case.
"That was the first place I looked... Then I tried to find her smell but I couldn't..." she wept before collapsing against the chair her daughter spent so much time in. I held out my hand at first, but then I brought it back to my side and sighed.
"Is it possible she got off the airship at some point?" I then asked which set her off into an even worse state.
"I don't even want to think about it..." she cried as it became increasingly clear she was thinking that Vadei had committed suicide. At first, I was unsure of how to act, but then in came Liadanann who snorted her nose at me.
"Are you able to find out if Vadei got off the ship at some point?" I asked of her before having to step in front of her to get in the way. She growled but my firm stare got her to back down out of this mood. Me being stronger than her was not an undiscovered detail...
"I am..." Liadanann reluctantly answered before she moved on other to the machines by Vadei's chair. She then began to tap away before a diagram came up with some numbers on it.
"Can you explain it for us?" I asked her as I moved closer to Vadei's mother as she looked at the diagram too.
"It's a graph detailing the altitude of the airship over a period of time. A basic bit of info needed for the maintenance of craft like this." she explained with a notable amount of smugness to her words. However, despite how much it was annoying me, I focused on what was important. I focused on the mother who wanted to hold her daughter again...
"So at this time, then, Vadei lowered the airship to...?"
"Near-ground level, and, if we go by this, it appears that she got off."
"Got off?" I repeated as Vadei's mother stood up and moved forward slightly.
"Can you get the airship down?" she desperately asked Liadanann before she nearly collapsed in defeat when she shook her head.
"I can get you down." I told her nearly instantly after seeing her strength waver. And, she looked at me with tearful eyes and pleading lips. She was clearly ready to beg for help once again.
"Please..." she begged as she choked back more tears. As I watched her cry, I could not help but have my gaze anchored on her. I myself, also nearly cried as I remembered the last time I saw my mother. She was in a similar state, begging me to help her in her own way...
"Okay, okay. Come on, let me help you." I tell her with a small smile as I guide her outside. Slowly preparing the spell and letting her ready herself however she could. I tried to reassure her with the gentle applying of pressure to her hand, but I don't think she noticed. So, I just waited until she looked my way, and I smiled.
"Please hurry..." she whimpered as her ears began to go down.
"Don't worry, it will be okay." I tell her just before I cast the spell. And when we reappeared, I held onto her delicately as she reacted the same way as everyone else. Then, when she was done throwing up whatever she had eaten prior, I helped her up. I then held her close until she began to feel better, at least physically.
"That's a smell I haven't..." she began to say before she started crying once more. And, in order to stop her from hurting herself, I followed her as she began to move forward. Helping her over obstacles or moving them out of the way until we reached a small building. One that was mostly made of wood but also held up by a tightly packed stone base.
She then escaped my grip and rushed off to the inside of this building before wailing like a child, "Is this what I think it is?"
"It is... I only wish this first time back would be us all here together..." she answered tearfully while nodding. Her fingers, meanwhile, began to turn white as she held onto a mug of all things tightly. But, my eyes were more focused on the broken down doors I was right next to at the moment.
"Was it a violent incident?" I then asked out of the blue as I guessed it might have been related to their enslavement.
"It doesn't really matter, it happened." she shrugged with a series of hiccups as well.
"There is something that does require your attention, though. So, shall we?" I asked her with a smile as I knelt down beside her. Waiting until she smiled just a little before I brought her back to her feet. Letting her sniff the air before she went deeper into the house. Not that there was much distance to cross to do that.
"She was here at some point!" Vadei's Mother exclaimed as she carefully sniffed the air before she started to panic.
"Bugs?" I asked without missing a beat to which she showed off as much of her panic as she could. Then, I took her hand and had her lead me to where ever Vadei might have been taken. Even if she could only get the slightest hint, then that would be fine by me. So long as we found the tunnel she was taken into.
"It lingered here for quite a while...?" she said in confusion as she began to get down onto all fours. And, despite how awkward I thought that might've been, she moved about rather fluidly. Just like Vadei actually when I have seen her moving about like that.
"Out into the trees?" I asked once we reached a low wall we had crossed prior.
"No... Down it." she explained as she perched on it and fiddled around with some loose stones. Then, all of a sudden, she went off sprinting.
"Don't go off like that!" I said to her as I went after her. And I followed her all the way to the end of the wall which had very notable footprints near it. They were the kind only those bugs could make and there weren't many of them. But, they were still clear enough to give us an idea of which way to go.
"She's in there..." Vadei's Mother told me as she slowly approached a not so well-hidden tunnel. Moving ahead of her and keeping a palm raised before me just in case. Then, when I saw a bug, I shocked it to death without a second thought before the end of the tunnel was also reached. This place was not that deep at all.
It was a mere scratch compared to the gaping cavity of the other place we had been to! But, with my attention having briefly gone away from Vadei's mother, I ended up losing track of her... At least, until I heard a very audible gasp come from my left. Sort of behind me as well.
"DON'T YOU EVER DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME!?" she lovingly shouted at her daughter as they slowly turned their gaze up at me. Around us were a few more of their kind, but, they were quick to leave when the smell of burning flesh wafted in. And I moved aside just a bit because I did not want to lose sight of what was before me. I just wanted this jealousy I had for Vadei to eat me up...
"I had it under control..." Vadei weakly said with a cough before her starved body reminded us of its state.
"You stupid girl... Look at you... Come on, we're back home now, I can cook you up something nice!" Vadei's Mother cheered with a tearful smile as she picked her daughter up. Slinging her straight onto her back and stumbling until she sorted it out. Vadei had no reply, however, as she fell asleep the moment she was put onto her back. Her tail even sort of entwined itself with her mother's as she began to slowly carry them off.
"Do you need help?" I asked her as I began to prepare myself to take Vadei off of her hands. Yet, she refused, quite aggressively too. Which, hurt a little more than it should have but there was nothing I could do about that...
"No... Sorry, I just, want to hold my daughter..." Vadei's Mother said to me as her ears went slightly down at the tips. Then, when we were out of the small hole in the ground, I destroyed the entrance. There was nothing else in that place either, so I did not have to worry about anyone being trapped inside.
"So what will you do about the osibindah problem? Me and my friends won't be here much longer I presume." I say to Vadei's Mother with a sigh as it would bother me not seeing a loving mother again. I was doing all of this to help my own mother, but, to see another loving parent like Vadei's...
"The only thing we can do after being away for so long with no income. We just rebuild and hope for the best." she tells me with a sigh full of worry.
"Is there no one you can go to? Surely there's an army or militia you can turn to for help?" I asked as certain ideas began to form in my head. So long as I had the means to get stronger and make my magic better... Maybe I could find a way to set up a place of residence here? Help keep the village safe and all that...?
"There are towns belonging to the wind-people here, yes, there's also, of course, the local lord or lady, but, there's no guarantee they'll rally for a single village of oxfuinei." she explains with some bitterness as her grip on Vadei tightened.
"What if someone of noble birth asked for aid?" I then asked as I tried to ponder an idea that might work.
"Instead of being told to leave at the gate of the castle, you'd get a meal and a bed before being told the same thing. Not that it would matter, you'd need a representative from our village. Not that anyone is likely going to want to go. It's just too dangerous now to leave our homes like this."
"I see... Is there no other way?" I asked, surely there was at least something?
"Unless you and the blue-haired one are willing to work for free, no." was all she sighed out in answer. And her paranoia was as clear as could ever be. If it happened once, it'll happen again.
"You don't want Nin's help? He's very strong." I argued as I felt like she was underestimating him unfairly.
"I'd rather avoid getting help from an osibindah, different or no." she snapped back at me which reminded me somehow of the fact he went off somewhere to hide.
"Vadei has been kept safe all this time by him, he's part of the reason why you even got a chance to go home!" I pointed out in defence of the friend I loved so much. That bracelet be damned, this was all possible without it!
"He's also the reason my husband is dead!"
"Don't you dare lay that at his feet! That thing he so desperately tried to stop destroyed everyone he cared about in an instant! Your home may be rebuildable, but his is not!" I told her angrily as I stomped closer to her with sparks shimmering down my hair. She did not flinch, but, she was quick to change her tone to that of fear and regret.
"I... We don't want or need the help of a bug." Vadei's Mother told me before she scurried away towards her old home. And I stood there with a frown, watching as she disappeared into the building after she followed the wall back. Which, admittedly took a while, but, when she was done, I disappeared into the sky. Only striking back down to the earth when I saw blue hair down below.
"You're back!" Larishazza cheered from atop Nin's shoulders as her sandaled feet dangled just above his palms. And, occasionally, his fingers would go up and prod at them as they swung back and forth nearby.
"So, Vadei went briefly missing." I tell them with a shrug as the issue had been dealt with now. So, it wasn't really a necessity to put much seriousness into it even if it was a serious problem.
"How did she go missing...?" Nin asked in confusion as he grabbed Larishazza's feet to stop them moving.
"She lowered the airship for some reason. I assume her lack of food and so on is messing with her head a little. She should be fine soon, anyway. How have things been on your end?" I said to them before shifting the conversation in their direction. The way me and Vadei's mother departed left me a little sour in regards to talking about it. And, I can only hope it isn't something she'll pay much mind to.
"Not much, Nin got a little jumpy and we have been sorting it out since then." Larishazza said as she freed her feet with the help of water magic. With her also intentionally kicking some of it towards me with a smirk. And, to my annoyance, I jumped a little as I had recently used a spell.
"Are the bugs dealt with, then?" I asked them as I noted how they were pretty idle regardless.
"Don't have a single clue."
"Neither do I." Larishazza then Nin said as the latter watched the stone circles carefully.
"Well, alright, what now?" I then asked the pair as now we weren't really doing anything. Not that I minded. So long as Larishazza gave me a nice bit of Nin to be with. Far more than she, of course, it was me after all that had greater affection for him.
"We wait for Vadei to get better, I suppose." Nin says as he starts to get up before he moved into the shadows of branches and leaves.
"I assume you'll want a new outfit?"
"That is probably for the best." he mumbled with a sigh as I came over and took ahold of his hand. Drumming my many fingers along his comparitively fingerless hand as we just sort of stood there.
"Well, until the shops are open again, I suppose everything is free?" I joked albeit with a sense of uncomfortableness about it as I was talking about theft... The owners were back now, so I can't really say I was looting an abandoned town. Not that I was okay with the idea of that either.
"Ironically, given what has happened, they'll probably be locked up again the moment everyone decides to get out of that field." Nin says to me as he points out the great group lingering in the trampled crops. Many of them seemed to be looking up at our airship. Yet, without Vadei, we could not get its occupants out to meet those on the ground.
"Speaking of that sort of stuff, though, do you want to camp down here for the night or go back aboard the airship?" I asked him, somewhat hopeful I could share a tent or something with him. I had grown a little tired of the gimmick the airship's beds had. And a tent offered quite a bit of privacy if it was small enough...
"I... I'd rather not sleep near a hive again." he said with a shiver as his gaze turned up towards the airship.
"I suppose if we can clear it off, it will also give you a place to just, relax." I point out as some of the benefits the airship had become clear.
"I'm not a loner, I don't need a distant airship to relax." Nin joked as he moved my hand a bit closer to his outer thigh.
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"You know that isn't what I was suggesting it for..." I said to him with a bemused tone as I rolled my eyes. Then, I quickly brushed my hair over my shoulder as my cheeks went a little warm. There wasn't a real reason for it, I was just happy right now.
"Speaking of suggestions, however, you might want to get them into the village. There's no telling what might happen given what us three have done recently..." Nin says while bringing his attention back to the gathered crowd far away. A few others were occasionally joining it, but, from what I could see... They were not welcomed additions.
"Will you be alright on your own?" I asked Nin as I moved my hand out of his very slowly.
"I'll be fine, just make sure they are. I didn't go through all of that just to see them not even try afterwards." he sighed in frustration before he dug his foot into the ground. With one small pebble flying off into the distance as he held onto his head. But, before I left, I gently touched his cheek and showed him a small, sweet smile before I went off. I also needed to catch up with Larishazza as she went ahead just before.
"So what do we tell them? Please get back into your homes or you'll go underground again!" Larishazza joked as she pretended to be scary. And, while that did not amuse me, the fact she was able to be so chip and cheerful did. We had just been inside a place with freshly devoured children and she still tried to keep the tone light. I worried for her but also hoped she would never change.
"Until we can say for sure that the bug problem is dealt with, that might actually be what we have to do." I answer seriously while running my gloved hand along an old fence. Maybe now that the place was saved, it could finally recover. We brought back who we could from both Nin's home and the hive. It might be enough, it might not, there was no way for us to tell...
Maybe they just did not have the time or resources to repair the village anyway, like... Vadei's home still had its doors kicked in and the signs of a struggle were still all there. In fact, a good chunk of the damage to this village might have been the slavers rather than the bugs. They might've actually only come because the village was so vulnerable as well...
But I was mostly guessing at that point, "Huh, so that's what the place is called, Pawbefore." Larishazza commented as we went by an old but still colourful sign. It may have been faded and a little broken, but it was still easily read enough.
"Pawbefore..." I read aloud before looking up and stretching my neck out. The village didn't resemble a paw so was it someone's name? I know many places back in my home were named in honour of someone.
"Oh, look at this!" Larishazza then said to me as she chucked something at me. With a dull thud, it hit me just before it did the same to the ground. She laughed a little and I finally reacted to the piece of wood that had hit me.
"A heads up in future, please." I say to her in a supposedly calm tone.
"I did! I said something before I passed it along!" she complained with a stuck-out tongue while my supposedly calm expression cracked.
"Be quiet..." I mumbled with a pout as I picked up the piece of wood I did not see coming at all. I can turn myself into lightning and think as fast as it yet I missed a piece of wood... Me, the one who beat a stone-melting beast of vastly greater power missed this!
"So anyway, read it." Larishazza insisted as she watered some flowers in the meantime.
"Founded in 3850 E.A, okay. Why did you want me to look at this?" I asked in some confusion as it was just a date. Not even a particularly distant one either. It was only about a century ago by the main calendar system used on this continent.
"I just found it interesting that this place was founded in the same year that the eldest of the Moon-Guy's sons was officially gifted with his titles." she admits with a shrug while I continue to look at the piece of wood without much enthusiasm.
"Moon-Guy?" I repeated with some bemusement as I found it funny she did not use the official name. Which, is surprisingly short given the traditions of this continent. It was such a peculiar outlier as well given how the humans of this land were.
"He has something to do with one of the moons, so, there!" she tells me with a shrug as I continue to shake my head in amusement.
"Just you wait until we get back to Suhurlodst." I tell her with a wry grin as I concoct a plan to embarrass her like she so often does with me.
"They're not even the same country!" she swings out at me as if she were drunk before she skips on ahead. And, as I catch up, I realise that it was because we had reached the stone circles once again.
"So just advise or demand them to secure themselves in the strongest buildings?" I asked as my mood changes and shifts away from the prior fun we had.
"I don't even think we'd need to be firm about it." Larishazza admits with a shrug before she uses her magic to toss aside one of the stone circles. She then briefly hops down into the exposed tunnel and hops right back out while shaking her head. I assume it must mean that no one was on the other side trying to escape.
So why did she not repeat it with the others...?
"As for us two, should we set up a camp this way? The hive is this direction, but, as I mentioned before, Vadei was taken to a rather small one that way on the other side of the village." I bring up while thinking about the safety of the village.
"I thought we were going back to the airship at night?"
"No, that's just Nin if he wants. We don't have his issue, remember?" I tell her with a whisper as we got within spitting distance of the crowd.
"Your attention, please?" Larishazza then called out as we stopped by the myriad of tailed people. Some were just filthy, some were bloody, many alive and many dead. All of them likely happy to no longer be in that hive, even if a lot can't say so.
"What're we going to do...? We can't keep our home going like this. We've lost too many!" one of the healthier but still tired-looking men asked as he stepped forward. A full family in his arms, much to the enraged envy of some who were still weeping over corpses.
"That airship up there, it is piloted by a friend of ours. Her name is Vadei, we have just come back from rescuing a good number of your people from enslavement." Larishazza starts off with, bringing smiles to some while others just grew angrier. Why they grew angrier, I could only guess, but...
"So now we have more mouths to feed, great!" one of the hive survivors bitterly comments as he tears up one of the trampled crops in this field.
"We have food on the airship, and we can easily get more without leaving this place unprotected. But, please, until our friend has recovered enough to land the airship, can you please find any building you can and stay there until then? Me and my friends will try our hardest to help you, but you need to be patient."
"PATIENT!?" another individual roared as they scurried up to their feet and charged on over. They were desperate, all of them were...
"Yes," Larishazza started off firmly as she approached them and began to rub healing magic into their skin, "patience is what you will need. Help is coming, some of it has already arrived. But, we just cannot risk the safety of those that remain."
"Then get us on board that machine! Away from the ground where those monsters are!" a lucky mother begged as she held onto her children. All before the crowd just in front of us erupted into more begging and chaotic demanding.
"Please, there isn't enough room!" I tried to point out before I shirked away in the face of the desperate crowd.
"Your safety can be found in us!" Larishazza called out to them confidently as they all went silent in the face of her now visible power. And, despite how brightly it glowed and high turbulent its waves were as it pulsed from her... It was a warm feeling it left, like a relaxing bath after a long walk or hard day at work or training...
Those that needed it were nourished by the magic, and those that needed it less began to lose their ailments. It was the perfect tool to calm these people and one I very eagerly took note of. As, well, I was sure the nobles back home did similar things in times of disaster. When wilder magic showed off its power, they showed off its nurturing side as well.
And, in an effort to reinforce her point, I used my most complex spell, "As far as we know, the leadership of this hive is gone. Dealt away with easily as if it were never a problem at all. So please, trust in our capabilities." I asked of them while holding out a limb made of blue lightning. Child and adult alike were enthralled by our display and you could see the results. Only the most hardened still needed convincing. But they went into the town alongside the others.
"I don't suppose your magic can..." one kneeling and grieving father asked as he held onto his dead son. And, as much as I wanted to say yes, I was forced to shake my head with a sigh.
"I'm very sorry... But..." I tried to tell him before my voice gave out and I was left awkwardly looking down at him. I then turned back to normal and knelt down beside him. Putting a hand on his shoulder as he took it, at least from what I could see... He took it well.
"Don't worry about it then, my little pal here is going to have the greatest friend he could ever ask for soon." he said before he began to cry openly before he began to join in the mutters speaking of the God of Death. Of how the Pack of Seven would find them and they would join the Eldest Friend in a journey to what lay ahead.
"Does your village have a House of the..." I began to ask before I stopped just before I spoke a certain word.
"We do, it is not built to handle so many at once, though." someone answered me as they approached from behind. He was an elderly man with grey fur and a long grey beard as well. His body was frail and ancient compared to most here and it surprised me. How did he at all survive in that hive...?
"How many can it handle then?" I asked as I stood up, briefly watching as Larishazza helped who she could move into the village.
"Most of our deaths, before recent events, came from failures at birth or the odd accident here and there. So, we'd only be able to do a handful of adults at a time. The pups, however, should be fine to go at once." he explained as he pulled out a necklace with what looked like a misty cloud on it with seven misty paws hooked on by little silver loops.
"You are the one in charge of the dead?"
"No," he tried to laugh, "that honour goes to Undwote and his younger brother. I simply help them be found by him. To be truly, found by him and to go sooner." he explained as he walked on over to a child who had been left behind. He then helped them up and brought them in close in order to nurture their fears away.
"Is there any way we can help with this? We have brought many living people but a few have unfortunately not made it." I told him as his smile stayed despite the reluctant information I handed to him.
"You can help me with those who have been abandoned in this field. Pains me as it does, the dead will not go anywhere until we help them. So, for now, let us just help those that still live. Our modest temple has survived both terrors from the deep and slavers, it can hold them." he says as he gathers up more children. Leaving me to get those who can't walk alongside Larishazza who had been listening in.
"So, uh, I'm Einervaene and that is Larishazza." I then introduced ourselves after taking a child too many off of the aged man's hands.
He smiles in thanks and looks me in the eye, "I am thankful for your help then, Einervaene. I'm Simar, Priest of Undwote." he says while continuing to usher children back into the village. We follow on with what we can carry, but, we might have to come again.
"Don't worry about those ones, I can get them moving." Larishazza quietly says to me after she follows my gaze to the still-living but unmoving children. Not one of them even reacted in surprise when they were they carried back into town by moving water platforms. Even when they were put back down...
"Are you alright?" I asked one of these children, and, possibly, it was a pointless endeavour. After all, if a child was not at least interested or surprised by the sight of magic, then, why would they answer? They had all been for a lot and some might not even recover if they don't get the help they need...
The child I spoke to then slowly looked up at me before they reached out to touch me, "Soft..." was all they would say as they seemed to calm down. But, what they did next worried me as many suddenly began to panic at the sight of a small little insect.
"It's alright, it's alright children. It's just a fuzzbug." Simar tells them as he picks up the insect which suddenly begins to dance in his hand. He would smile at it before he then place it outside on the leaf of a bush by the temple door. It even seemed to beg for his attention as he turned away.
"That... That wasn't just children not liking insects, was it?" I asked him as we came back inside the temple.
He frowns and shakes his head, "No, unfortunately. It may have been my only time seeing the osibindah, but, from what I have heard, a fear of anything bug-like is quick to follow. Especially in those who aren't quite old enough to understand."
"Is there anything we can do to help with that? The way some of these children have reacted to this whole ordeal, they might never get over it."
"We'll just have to wait and see," he tells me before he strokes the ears of a child, "as they will have to learn themselves that most critters won't hurt them, not like an osibindah would. It is probably best to not avoid the issue either, help them focus it on that one word. That one creature."
"Right..." I quietly mutter as I began to think about Nin once again. I thought about how that advice might be applied to his own fears and problems. I was fully aware he was no child, but, maybe the same advice applied regardless of age? But, I just did not know.
I did not have a fear of things like bugs or animals or heights or everyday items and that. My fears were entirely focused around my lack of knowledge regarding my Mother's safety. I feared for it so much that sometimes I wondered if my willingness to put up with Nin's teasing was a distraction. Like how him teasing me was himself offering himself a distraction from recent events...
"So, will you be trying to at least handle a few of the dead?" I asked as I arrived at the main room Undwote was associated with. A quiet room with a stone floor, a pelt carpet, a warm, roaring fireplace and an ornate rocking chair. There wasn't much consistency between temples in my experience, but they were always like this. A small, comfortable room for the dead to rest in.
Simar moved into the room and stared long and hard at the many rocking chairs, "Not until that machine brings back the rest of our townsfolk. It would not be right to bury so many sons, daughters, wives and husbands without at least one member of their family watching."
"What about the ones that are completely gone, then?" I asked with a sorrowful tone as my mind thought of Mother again. What would happen to her if I was not there to witness her own burial when it happens? As, well, unfortunately, as long-lived as some of us are... We are not immortal, only the gods and goddesses were.
"Then we at the temple will do, and we will be very careful to call on all members of his Pack of Seven. To pass on into Undwote's arms with no one to be there for them on the way out... It's not right." Simar explained with quiet tears as he put his hand on a crib intended for the deceased young.
"Will you be alright for now, then?" I asked as I looked back to see Larishazza signalling that everyone was back in the village.
He smiles and nods, "With you two to be there for us, very much so. And, tell the distant one that he has our thanks as well. And may all of the Equilibrium's children be there for him." Simar tells me as he performs various religious signs before waving me off as I leave. We both wave back to him and I try to make a note regarding what he said about Nin. How he knew about Nin, confused me, however, he was hidden for most of this was he not?
"So now where do we go?" I then asked Larishazza as I closed the temple door behind me. And while my friend ponders something to do, we hear a loud bang thud from the door.
"Not through the barred door." she jokes first with her eyes staying on me until I smiled back.
"I can think of three things, either, we go to Vadei and see what we can do to help her get better. Or, we can do something regarding Nin, be it new clothes or just going back to talk to him." I say as I lower three stuck out fingers before I then put that arm behind my back.
"Which way is Vadei's home? I haven't been there yet." Larishazza shrugs out as she skips on ahead before she runs up a wall only to flip off of it. At first, I was a little distracted by that display of energy and athleticism, but, I regained my focus shortly after.
And I would point a hand up at the airship before speaking, "It's probably the closest house to that. It's only a small one, probably a handful of rooms on one floor." I say as I try to recall details about the home I briefly visited.
"Alright, I'll go ahead and see if I can find it, you try and help Nin with his nakedness issue, we can't have you getting distracted by oogling his piece." Larishazza explains with a flat, casual tone before tapping my face in the prelude to her running off.
"Yes, I'll make sure I- HEY!" I began to say before I caught onto what she meant at the end. A display of flustered fury came from me while I withheld the urge to curse the blue-haired woman. Then, I would cross my arms and snort out some air like a farm animal. Grumbling to myself as I walked back into the village to see if I could get the supplies I needed.
All we really needed was a spool, can, or general packet of bandages if he wanted more of the same. Then, I would need a new cloak and hat, as Liadanann was happily using either or both of them now. The mask, however, I knew we still had just fine. So I guess I just had to hope this place had a small clinic or something.
However, with all the damage this village had seen and the cramped conditions of what was left. I could not figure out if any of the places I was looking at had what I needed. And just idly wandering left me a bit uncomfortable so I tried to play it off as a patrol. Not that anyone was paying mind to me as they all had bigger concerns.
But, I was able to find some unused houses with the tools to make clothes by them. And I ended up rightly guessing that there was some stuff to work with in these places. However, as I saw the state of the people in this village, I began to feel an ache in my arms. Then, soon, I had nothing as I gave it all away to those who needed it instead alongside some of my magic.
"Guess we can wait for a merchant to come or something instead." I say out loud with a reluctant sigh before I went over to Nin in a flash. Crashing down right beside him in but a moment and quickly moving away from the scorch marks I left.
"Is it all going alright?" he asked from the floor as he tapped a stick against his leg. Legs which he soon parted open as I decided I wanted to sit between them. And when I was on the ground, I leaned down onto his back and looked up at him. Smiling up at him as my hand awkwardly rubbed his face.
"We managed to get them into town without much issue. Now it is just a case of waiting for Vadei to get back up and running so we can clear the airship." I tell him as he gave me an expression of doubt. Something that left me a bit confused as there wasn't anything to doubt, was there?
"You both used your magic, so how was that not much issue?" he asked which left me nodding in understanding.
"Oh, that incident, it was just making it clear we could protect them." I tell him as I sat up, leaned on an arm and slightly turned around. He then put a hand into my hair and stroked it tenderly.
"If only we had a way of showing them my memories of what you have done." he tells me with a smile as my face started turning dark red.
"It wasn't that impressive..." I mumbled dismissively while holding a tight, curvy smile on my face as I stroked one of my braided tails.
"If you say so, my hero." he jokes with a knowing tone as he prods my body with one of his fingers.
"I could get used to that..." I mumbled some more before he got up and brought me with him.
Holding onto him tightly as I felt his hand go through my hair and down my back, "And I need to get used to that spell you just used." he said.
"You want to go back to the airship?" I asked him presumptuously as that was the only thing I could think of that would encourage such a statement.
"I would like to see if Vadei is alright, if that is fine with you?"
"S-Sure, I can do that." I tell him with some uncertainty as I wasn't expecting him to put my preferences first. But, with that out of the way, we both suddenly reappeared by Vadei's home. And I made sure to strike the dirt path as to not damage what might've been their garden. Overgrown as it may be.
"Yep... Still need to get used to that." he complained as he stumbled away while holding his gut.
"Sorry..." I let out to his amusement.
"Are you even able to remember the last time you felt like this when you started using that spell?" he then asked me as he patted his stomach back to normal. But, I was sure that would have just made it worse.
"I don't think it ever made me feel sick, just weak and, well, shaky." I tell him as I thought about all the issues my fits caused over the years. From just making me suffer a hard fall to the incident that Nin had to save me and Rossie-chira from. And, strangely enough, it felt like it was so long ago despite it only really being nearly a year ago?
"Guess you wouldn't be able to tell if your stomach felt like it was about to burst if you were going ba-duh!" Nin joked as he suddenly began to twitch his arms and make silly noises.
"I'll pick you up and drop you from the sky..." I mockingly threatened as my face went red due to the teasing and mocking.
"Don't do that, it actually hurts to drop from that height here." Nin tells me somewhat seriously before I smile and shove him on the way to Vadei's house.
"I'll keep it in mind." I tease before I enter the house first somewhat reluctantly. Then, I knock on the wall in order to announce our arrival.
"No! You! Out! I Don't want you anywhere near my home!" Vadei's Mother barked out at Nin as he stood on the porch. What followed was an intense staring match as Nin looked down at the aggressive mother. But, nothing came of it as she quickly backed down and got on with what she was doing.
"Right, you heard her... I'll be in the woods... I guess..." Nin tries to say in an unbothered tone before he slowly moves away. At first, I watch him in concern, unsure if I should go and speak to him. But, I decided to hold off on it for the moment so I could go see my other friend. The one I had to save the life of after finding out about what she had done earlier.
"How's she holding up?" I asked Larishazza as I knelt beside her as she furiously scrubbed away at a big black pot.
"Magic deprivation, I've set her up a glass of water with my magic, but, she still needs to drink it." she explains as she tries to use a focused blast of water to clean off some muck stuck to the pot. And soon, she was walking off outside to empty the pot before she came back in and carried on.
"So we can just let some of our magic flow into her?"
"We always could have, but, there's no telling what will happen if we just force her to accept it."
"But what if it gets to the point we do need to force her to accept our magic?" I asked quietly as she came to a stop with the scrubbing.
"It won't." Larishazza told me as she put the pot down and gestured me to follow. She then brought me before our sleeping friend and gestured to her face.
"She looks very tired." I say as the pair of us watch our friend as her quilt rises and falls. And, as it was still light out, I could see all the little patterns on the bedding. There were a few brown, yellow and green stains and the main white body of it had faded. But, all the animal patterns were still there.
"She's had that bedsheet since she was just a pup." her mother then informed us as she moved in from behind and went over to her daughter's head. A soft smile was also present as she gently played with her sleeping daughter's hair. She did not stop, even when Vadei's sleeping form moaned and tussled. But, eventually, her attention did return to us two.
"What stuff in here is hers?" I asked in an effort to break the tension that might be forming. And I assumed it worked as Vadei's mother immediately sighed out a smile and looked about.
"It's hard to say if I am honest, they often had to share toys and clothes. But, there are a few things unique to them." she answered before she began to rummage through a small chest of old, worn-out toys. Then, she pulled out an old stuffed animal and the results were instantaneous. Because Vadei's nose suddenly came alive as did she in a half-asleep stupor before she snatched it away. Her mother, however, only laughed a little and smiled deeply as her daughter snuggled back under the covers.
"Is that her personal dolly or something?" Larishazza asked with a giggle as we watched Vadei's tail wrap under her before it forced its way out before her face. And, lodged between her sullen face and matted tail was that same old toy.
"It's Mr Goodsleep." Vadei's Mother giggled out as she wiggled a finger near the toy. And her giggles spread to us as we watched Vadei try and protect the toy in her sleep.
"I assume it is something that helped her sleep when she was younger?"
"No, the name actually came when she accidentally knocked out her little sister after throwing it at her head." she laughed out as if she shouldn't. Larishazza, however, had no restraints and was quickly having a joyful fit. I, however, was far more reserved and just smiled at it, unsure of how to feel about that. It was, after all, a story of inter sibling abuse, no...?
"How... How did a stuffed toy knock out her sister...? Are there rocks in it?"
"No, it's very much a soft toy. Me and my husband made extra sure it was after we found our Little Va panicking at the fact her sister was apparently... Dead..." she started off with a smile and laughter before she started going quiet. She tried to keep the smile, but, the mere mention of a certain word was enough to kill it entirely.
"Anything else you can tell us about your Little Va?" Larishazza then asked as she tried to bring back the joy.
"Maybe later, I just need to be sure she is okay." she muttered as she stroked her daughter's cheek. Something she kept up until Vadei began to stir properly. However, she did not move and just laid there, holding onto her toy.
"Why are you all watching me...?" Vadei asked tiredly as she slowly began to hide the toy under the quilt cover. Something she in turn brought closer to her face until only her eyes could be seen.
"Vadei... Please..." her mother suddenly began to say as she started crying, "Please, drink up..." she begged as she brought the nearby glass of water closer. It had a notable tint of blue to it and I could sense it quite easily. In fact, it worried me a little, as, what if it was too potent...?
"Okay..." Vadei said as she sat up slowly with our help before she started to drink. At first, it was just little sips she tried to pass off as enough. But, with some encouragement, she was gulping the glass down and then coughing a lot.
"Are you feeling alright?" Larishazza asked as she took the glass from Vadei's grip and hovered a palm over it. Vadei slowly nodded and then the glass was refilled before her. Yet, Larishazza was withholding the glass for some reason.
"Give it..." Vadei weakly demanded as she started to desperately reach out for the liquid.
"Drink it with more care." Larishazza requested as she finally handed it over.
"Just give it..." Vadei demanded once again before she started drinking. Yet, as it was a creation of Larishazza's making, the water did not move as it normally would.
"I can keep doing this, you know?" one friend reminded the other while Vadei's Mother looked on in concern.
"Vadei, please, just do as you're asked." her mother reminded her as she gently squeezed her body against that of her daughter's.
Eventually, Vadei complied and started drinking it with more care, "I take it the bug problem is sorted...?"
"We think so, but, we have no way of telling." I say as though I have dealt with the magic one, and we have all killed many of them. We just did not know what would happen now. How could we? There's no telling how many people are still trapped in there or bugs we have forgotten about.
"As long as enough are dead... That should be enough to get them to move..." Vadei weakly explained with uncertainty as she looked down at her empty glass.
"Now, Vadei, I understand that this might be a bit selfish to ask, but, how soon do you think it will be until you can bring the airship down?" I then asked her after carefully inspecting the state of her body. You could literally see a wave of good health go over her as the water went into her gut, after all.
"Is the temple alright?" she asked back before she failed to stand up. Her mother would catch her first, though. So me and Larishazza slowly moved back while watching our restrained friend fight against her mother's strength. Which probably gave a lot of insight into how badly Vadei had been treating her body as of late.
"The building is untouched from what I have seen, and Simar, the priest in charge of Undwote's affairs is too."
"That old man is still going?" Vadei asked in some disbelief as she scoffed at the thought.
"However, Vadei, given the state of the town and its... People... It might take a while before your Father might be-"
"NO! I SAVED HALF THIS TOWN! HE WILL GO FIRST! HE WILL!" Vadei suddenly screamed in rage as I explained the situation regarding how the burials might be.
"Vadei..." I said with a frown as I watched my friend turn berserk at the mere suggestion she might have to wait for closure.
"Hey, no! I told you that you could not come in here!" Vadei's Mother then said to Nin who had apparently snuck in. But, he gently moved aside the angered parent and stood before Vadei with a frown.
"You don't get to make those kinds of demands... His time will come when it comes." Nin said to Vadei as the rest of us went quiet.
"Were it not for me, everyone in this stupid, backwater, forgotten little village would be dead! I saved half from enslavement! And it was me... It was me who..." Vadei explained furiously before she started to slow down into a state of tears.
"And they won't care, Vadei. They're all in need of the same kind of closure. Just be patient until then. And, if it helps, try to remember that advantage you have over me." Nin told her before his tone suddenly became bitter and fists formed. Yet, it was enough to make Vadei turn quiet and look away.
"Mom asked you to leave..." she then said as she kept her gaze down. However, Nin moved closer, much to the growing anger of Vadei's Mother.
"Just hold on a little longer, okay? We're all here if you need someone to just talk to or even beat on if you can't say it." Nin tells her with a smile as he holds a hand near her. Which, surprisingly enough, Vadei soon rested her head against.
"Can you lot leave us two alone, please?" Vadei then asked me, Larishazza and her own mother as Nin took the hint and got comfortable.
"Very well, let's leave her to it." Vadei's Mother said with a forced tone as she got up and started to walk off. Her sharp claws quickly pinched both mine and Larishazza's ears as well and she dragged us out. I, however, was left by the door after it was closed and I was left frowning at the implication.
"Nin isn't going to hurt her!" I tell Vadei's Mother as despite what Nin has done for her daughter... She did not trust him at all. I get that we came at the wrong time given Nin's state, but, she was only here because of him!
"I will not leave my family alone with an osibindah monster!"