Still tracing purple lines. They disappeared after a moment, like smoke. We Should Find The Flowers. I Will Be Able To Seal Them. They Will Not Be Able To Use Them Again. You Will, However. You May Join Me If You Wish, But Do Not Expect Me To Try And Defend You More Than I Would A Stranger. He looked to her again.
Do You Understand?
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
She nodded slowly, listening carefully to his words. These flowers had the potential to be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. She should make sure she took some with her to study any more effects it could cause or lead to. Coming forward from the trees towards the... person, she gave a bow.
"I am terribly sorry... We have not exchanged names... I am Tallia Felestine, of the Wistvale Guard. Pleased to meet your acquaintance. I also would like to apologize about my animosity earlier... You must forgive my insolence; I have yet to see one of your kind before..."
I Am Joran-Gorath. I Am Not Surprised. In This World My Kind Are Mostly Insane Monsters, Not Used To The Rules It Imposes On Us. I Have Gotten Used To It. He took a step closer, cocking his head.
You...Remind Me Of Someone. Hmm. Nevermind. We Will Keep To The Shadows. You Are Comfortable With That?
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
In her heart, she felt a terrible pang of guilt as he spoke. He must have been even more lonely than a normally lonely person could be... Almost instantly, she wanted to hug him, but thought to keep social interactions to a minimum. After all, he could well be playing her.
"I am... I understand that it would be troublesome to continue otherwise... After all, I... had to deal with the same kind of things..."
Comfortable with the shadows? They were pretty much her best friend at several points in her life...
Good. Let Us Move. They Will Have Reinforcements. If We Are Lucky We Can Get To The Cave Before They Arrive. He started off. He was a lot taller than Tallia, and walked with heavy but measured steps. The tentacles retracted. He looked almost normal now.
You Are From Wistvale? Tell Me About It.
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
Matching his pace, she thought hard about his words.
"I... am not from Wistvale per se... so I cannot tell you much from how little I have spent my time there. From what I have gathered, though... it is very... interesting..."
She sat silent for a second, recollecting her experiences these past few weeks.
"Well... my first day in Wistvale was an adventure in itself... I came across a lady Captain—a fine one at that—of the Wistvale Guard... I... I had heard many stories about her, and right then and there, I wished to join. We "dueled", but it was for a short time, to test my abilities. Afterwards, the other recruits found their way to us, and we went for a short patrol. We came across a fighting arena, which turned out to be a host of many events... I did not involve myself in them, however, as they seemed to be tied within the Captain and the other recruits' history... That day was such a blur..."
She put a hand to her forehead, thinking of other... things.
"...I've... had a few more experiences, but... they.... are irrelevant... Let us continue. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself, Sir Joran-Gorath?"
Sir. He mulled that over. My Kind Are From A Plane Of Chaos And Decay, Unknowable To Most Normal Minds. These Cultists Pull My Kind Into This World, Of Laws And Order, And Try To Bend Them To Their Will. At First I Was Insane, A Gibbering Abomination, But I Gradually Became Used To It. I Was Helped By Someone. Some Of My Brothers And Sisters Remain Opposed To This World Even If They Regain Their Sanity, But Now After Much Thought I Find Myself More Attached To This World Than My Old One. Know This, Child. He glanced at her, purple eyes looking her over.
I Retain Some Of My Powers. I Can Look Outside The World And See The Narrative. Your Lifeline Is...Strong. Tangled, But Strong. He was quiet a moment.
The One You Are Tangled With...Does Not Know?
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
She looked away from Joran for a time. When she was content with her lengthy silence, she responded.
"No... she is... a bit troubled at the moment... I felt that if I had told her too soon... things... things might be... different. She may see me as an enemy... she may see me as an ally... I cannot be sure of these things, unlike you... I have been wanting to tell her things, but I don't want to complicate us any further than we have now... I know I will tell her... but... I don't want to think about what happens afterward... It's been too long without anyone else... I could not stand to go back to being nomadic... without anyone else..."
Gently caressing her jade earring, she falls silent.
She nodded to signal her understanding. She shadowed his actions, not wanting to get surprised by any sudden attacks. Besides, he knew better than her how to deal with things. "Things" being crazy men in heavy armor.
The cave was indeed up ahead, set in a rock wall at the foot of a mountain. Trees surrounded the cave entrance, and there were a thicket of bushes to one side. It was to these that Joran headed, his black cloak blending in with the shadows. As they watched, every few minutes a sentry would walk out of the cave, look around, then walk back in.
I Will Disable The Sentry And Use His Armor. We Must Get Inside Without Them Noticing. I Can Disguise My Voice, But You Are Too Small To Be Mistaken For A Warrior. I Will Carry You In As If You Were A Prisoner, Until We Are Able To Find You A Robe Marking You As A Mage.
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
She nodded. It would be a bit risky, but as long as they could get in without anyone else being discovered, then they would be free to roam the premises.
As the sentry exited the cave again, Joran silently rushed him, going up behind him and quickly snapping his neck, pulling him back into the bushes. Quickly. Help Me Get His Armor Off.
After a few moments, Joran had put the armor on over his cloak. He didn't look too out of place, especially in the dark. Fastening the last strap, he crouched and motioned for Tallia to climb onto over shoulder.
Act Like You Are Unconscious. No Matter What You Hear Or See, Do Not Move.