[h1]Mage Hunters[/h1] [color=#00FFFF]"I would rather the kid live, and if he does die, it will weigh on me."[/color] Leith pushed himself off the ground. [color=#00FFFF]"But the kid [i]is[/i] going to wake up, and I'd like to have him wake up when we know he will."[/color] He glanced around the group. [color=#00FFFF]"Any idea about how we go about this?"[/color] __________________________________________ Coco's leaves bristled at the mention of trusting the child. She stood up soon after Leith, "We should tie him to a rock, then. Another group of travellers will pass by one day and he might be sane enough by then, if he doesn't die of thirst before." Coco then brought a hand up to her head and gently prodded at her leaves, then pushed them against her head so they'd relax. The dry texture confirmed her thirst. "I need some water. Do you guys want water too? I'm really thirsty." __________________________________________ Mar shook her head at Leith's words, though she considered making an argument but wasting the energy was pointless. Leith wasn't the one that had to both deal with Grey's determination to prevent the man from killing the boy or the exhaustion getting anything useful while also not dying. In the Naga's mind, this choice felt wrong. It was like baiting an animal into attacking when it was known to be rabid and one still expected it to cooperate. Her chest seemed to be crush by an invisible force deep within her core as she listened to the Foreas request water, her eyes watching Althaus gather his crossbow, loading it. Unlike Grey, Althalus hadn't given his word he wouldn't kill the kid at any chance provided and that bothered her. Inhaling, she slithered over to the wagon and retrieved one of the water skins then passed it over to Coco.[color=lightsalmon] "Here." [/color] __________________________________________ Quickly, Coco poured some of the water on her head. Her leaves quivered for a moment, shaking some of the water off themselves, but rapidly absorbing the rest. Coco then poured some more water on the rest of her body and her leaves. __________________________________________ Mar turned back to Leith's earlier question, her arms crossed over her middle when Coco took the skin, to reply, [color=lightsalmon]"That's why I disagree with this plan. We're baiting a rabid dog, one we know is sick, and expecting him to cooperate. Namely without any way to prevent him from hurting us as I recall Althalus saying a Necromancer's summons can't be stopped save by killing him."[color] __________________________________________ Althalus sighed. "That's correct. Unless the Necromancer willingly stops his summons, the only way to keep said summons from killing us while he's unconscious is to kill him. If there's no necromancer, they don't have anything keeping them alive. So, basically, what we've come down to is two options. We can go into the forest and pray we don't get murdered by the mages we know [i]nothing at all about[/i] who have the advantage of knowing the forest at least a little bit better than us, or we can wake up this madman, try to reason with him, and pray he doesn't kill us with our own weapons. Great!" Althalus rubbed his eyes. "I'm voting for waking the kid up and having two people who are likely to have theh best success with him talk to him. It's easier to control that way. If it goes wrong, one crossbow bolt to the skull will end him. Quick and clean. If things go right, we still have him in our custody to get him the help he clearly needs. Any other ideas?" Once again, Althalus studiously avoided Mar's eyes. He didn't want to deal with what he would see in them. __________________________________________ Coco bristled her leaves and turned towards Althalus, "And you believe I don't know my own home more than a bunch of murderers?" __________________________________________ Althalus resisted sighing again, eyeing Coco. "You've been gone from this place for months on end. The mage murderers have been here for at least a good few weeks. Which means they have a base of operations in the area. Which means they have to know the Forest pretty well to move around in it. Which means they know the safe spots and the traps they've set up. Which would be the smart thing to do, and these mages don't seem stupid. They convinced him to kill his entire village after all." The assassin gestured to the still unconscious boy. "So, despite all that, you're telling me that you know this forest better than they do?" __________________________________________ Coco stiffened at Althalus' insolent words, then she turned away and kicked up some dirt. Her artefact seemed to blink and attempt communication, but no sound came out. She was too angry at him to select thoughts to relay through the artifact.. __________________________________________ [color=Lightsalmon]"I disagree with... him,"[/color] Mar began, her anger still lingering when she didn't utter Althalus' name. Her eyes glanced over to where Coco was displaying her frustration and didn't react beyond looking at her during her words, [color=Lightsalmon]"but the points he makes can't be dismissed. Changes are a factor since they have been here for weeks, but the extent aren't fully known and might not be as great as it is assumed. Still, none of us are not familiar with this place. A matter Coco can at least help because even the male can't deny that getting lost isn't helpful.” [/color] _________________________________________ [color=#00FFFF]"Did they convince them to kill his entire village?"[/color] Leith asked, hoping to change the subject. [color=#00FFFF]"The fact that there are signs of noxomancers in this village shows that the mages had a hand in this massacre."[/color] He scratched his temple. [color=#00FFFF]"Before he raised the dead, he looked like he was absolutely livid at them. We might be able to use that to our advantage."[/color] _________________________________________ [color=lightsalmon]"He also told us to leave and never return, but we didn't."[/color] Mar said bluntly, revealing the main reason this was going to be difficult. She inhaled a bit and continued, her eyes turned to fix on Leith. [color=Lightsalmon]"The boy admitted to killing his family, but the village wasn't supposed to be massacred. Only restrained which was what angered him, setting him to attacking anyone that arrived."[/color] Her body was slightly tense at the thought of the diplomate's words and jawline tighted to keep her silence. Her home was completely gone. The thought brought an unexplained pain in her heart as she shoved it down, swallowing the inner pain and hidding it on the surface. "Any other questions to explain why this is a bad idea or should we just wake him now?" _________________________________________ Althalus barely resisted glancing at Mar, feeling pain at the way she suddenly returned to the first day they met all the way to his core. Now wasn't the time. He merely made a note to apologize to Coco later, feeling slightly bad for the way she had reacted to what he had said, as her anger was low on his list of priorities. Listening to her and Leith talk, he finally looked wearily at the Naga. "What else can we do Mar? Go into the forest and pray? He's the only one with the slightest idea of where the Mages are. Afterall, they had to have met and talked somewhere. I doubt the village would just allow random strangers, especially the ones that the only survivor described, to talk to their children. We have no choice but to try and talk to him. Which I leave to you and Leith." _________________________________________ Leith nodded, [color=#00FFFF]"Alright, but before we go about waking him up, we need to make some quick preperations to hopefully lessen the chance of harm to us and him. We should clear an area of anything big he could use to harm us at least ten feet around the kid"[/color] He looked at Mar. [color=#00FFFF]"What do you think?"[/color] _________________________________________ Mar didn't want to understand Althalus' logic or the desperation in his usually positive tone, her heart seeming to clutch itself at each word.Her hands wrapped protectively about herself as if the action would've spared her the guilt and hurt filling her. Instead it only made it worse, unable to argue with Althalus, while she stood in silence until Leith spoke. That was enough to break her inward focus as she focused on the matter at hand. [color=LightSalmon] "It might. The only reason my words got through to him was because Grey's fingers were inches from his throat and the possiblity of death was too real, stopping him from getting his revenge. Clearing the area, which I think Althalus, you and Grey should be set to, would prevent any surprises but would it really be enough?"[/color] She took a deep breath and paused to think more, adding her own thoughts. [color=Lightsalmon] "I think it might be ideal to seek an open, wide area and clear that instead. We'd be able to tell easier where the danger will come from and can react quickly. Someone also should burn the bodies, preferably away from the child so they can't be used against us. I think Coco and I can accomplish that task as it wouldn't bother us the most. Finally we'll need to keep him tied and in something that he can't bring to life. That bit is much more difficult as the only thing I can come up with is my coils which even if he manages to kill me, will continue to restrict after death, and could be used as a last resort."[/color] ________________________________________ "Yes." Coco said to Mar, going over to her side. [i]Fleshlings are gross, though. I'll have to bathe after this, I swear.[/i] She perked up and listened for Althalus. The moment she located him, at the same spot, she bristled her leaves with a light shudder. [i]He's just another dumb fleshling.[/i] Right now, Coco felt Mar was the one on her side, so she leaned in towards her and whispered. [i]"I can't wait to burn these fleshling bodies, they smell and feel so gross."[/i] ________________________________________ Mar's eyes paused only long enough to note who had pulled up beside her, spotting the greenry and nose catching the rich, chocolately scent filling her nose. She caught the whisper, a part of her agreeing in failing to understand the importance of some bipeds' traditions regarding death. She nodded but said nothing when Leith chose to speak, her eyes returned to their origin position and absorbed the words. ________________________________________ [color=#00FFFF]"Well, if we do this right, no one will die."[/color] Leith clapped his hands together. [color=#00FFFF]"Lets do this."[/color] He looked at Althalus and frowned momentarily. Now was as good of a time as any. Leith walked over to Althalus, pausing when he reached the point that the shrieking would have started before he continued. [color=#00FFFF]"I have something interesting to discuss with you."[/color] ________________________________________ "I can see no other options. He'd make anything else come alive and free himself or kill us." Althalus spoke flatly, hiding his pain. [i]Later. I'll deal with it later.[/i] He turned his tired gaze to Leith, sighing again. [i]I don't want to talk, I just want to kill the damn mages and go back to the College, where things were nice and made sense[/i]. There was nothing to do but keep going forward. "Yeah. Might as well get started." [i]This damn conversation had better not be about my mask, or anything to do with Mar and I. I still have a loaded crossbow. I can blame it on one of the mages.[/i] ________________________________________ [color=#00FFFF]"The buzzing and the shrieking disappeared."[/color] Leith showed the Althalus the ring that had molded itself to his hand. [color=#00FFFF]"I think this has something to do with it. A voice also mentioned you once the buzzing stopped, as well as something called the Wild"[/color] He looked around the destroyed village. [color=#00FFFF]"A change in scenery mught help with talking to the kid."[/color] ________________________________________ Althalus barely kept himself from flinching surprise at the mention of the Wild, his mind darting back to when his brother had glowing purple eyes and the more recent mad child. It would be best, he decided, to not let Leith know how closely connected to the Wild itself and the child. "The Wild? I've heard rumors, legends, myths. Something about an energy that wants to destroy the entire world. I'm not quite sure. And yes, changing the scenery might help him not want to murder us, if only out of confusion where he is." In Leith's mind, the voice whispered, [i]He's lying. He knows more about it than anyone here, even the boy.[/i] ______________________________________ Leith frowned as he listened to what Althalus said. That didn't sound nice. The fact that the voice said he was lying about what he knew didn't surprise him as it had said that Althalus had had a bad experience with the Wild. [color=#00FFFF]"Alright. Lets go find a quiet place to wake this kid up."[/color] ______________________________________ Grey had been silent the whole time, save the ever present noise of his whetstone against his axe. Everything that had happened had weighed on him heavily, but out of all of the horrible things that had happened, his own actions disturbed him the most. He'd... he'd never thought he'd be so willing to end a life. He could justify it all he wanted, but he nearly murdered twice in the last few hours. The only thing keeping him sane was the fact that he couldn't really be blamed about his approach with the child... He would not be happy about it, but the kid was trying to (and nearly succeeded, even) kill them. Going after him was not what bothered him. What bothered him was his dedication to that course when another way had presented itself. That, and the diplomat... One was mad, and was likely beyond saving. The other was a vile, repugnant human being he was sure no one would miss... But what gave him the authority to take their lives? Was it justice he sought to carry out, or was it misguided delusions? The guard sighed, the first vocalization he'd made in quite a while as he wandered past Leith and Athalus... He had wanted to talk to Leith, but the two were busy. [color=92278f][b]"I'm going to fetch the child. I'll return soon."[/b][/color] he said as he passed. He had also wanted to speak to Mar. It didn't take long to find Mar and Coco, the two already set about their grim task. [color=92278f][b]"...Mar? A word, please?"[/b][/color] He said, gently laying his hand on her shoulder. ________________________________________ Coco threw one of the mangled bodies into the fire, then turned towards Grey, leaves shivering in humour. "Gross. There's your word, Grey." She said, "By the Tree, I had no idea fleshlings were so squishy and had so many things inside of them..." She was quick to get back to work though, her speech dissolving into static and finally into silence. ________________________________________ Mar had purposely avoided the dead children, her hands and coils easily swept the part, bits, and other vile anatomy into the growing pile. Her hands smelt foul as she rubbed them against her scales, marring the surface, when Grey spoke up. Her head tilted in his direction when he touched her shoulder and her instincts fought for a moment to react. Mar refused to allow them, jerking her tail to coil underneath her and partly pinned it down. She was spared a minute from replying immediately, fully sure her voice would've sounded strained and harsher then intended, when Coco piped up with her own word. If Mar had been comfortable showing the emotion swelling within her, she might've smiled at the Foreas' disgust. Instead she let her emotions settle after the small start Grey had given her earlier, still not quite use to direct touch, when she focused more intently on him. Though he was supposed to be helping Althalus and Leith to clear the area of any unnesscary debris, she could tell through his depressed posture and his tone something was weighing on him. "Coco, there's some cloth in the wagon for makeshift carry. It might help." Mar said, stating bluntly and to the point, hoping Coco would've drawn her own conclusions. Namely to use the cloth to keep them both cleaner and not have their scents give them away to the enemy. Once Coco started toward the wagon, her eyes gazed on Grey. "You wanted a word?" ______________________________________ Grey suppressed a light 'Heh' at Coco's... shall we say, 'grim' humor. He let her talk, the poor girl descendig into babbling as her speech slowly turned into white noise, as if her translator thing had decided to take a nap from overexhaustion. He hadn't expected the snake-woman to be so... Jumpy, and he flinched a little when he saw that tail move... and was surprised when she... for lack of a better ter, sat on it. [i]That looked pretty involuntary... I probably should avoid touching her in the future...[/i] He thought, mumbling out a quick 'sorry' as he turned his head away, rubbing the back of his head nervously. She spoke to Coco in the moment Grey was busy feeling sorry for himself, which promptly snapped him back to reality as he watched the little plant... girl... thi- No, thing wasn't the right word... force of habit. Anyway, he watched her leave. He nodded when she spoke directly to him, straightening a bit. [color=92278f][b]"I wanted to..."[/b][/color] His voice caught in his throat for a mere moment, his thouhts dragged back to earlier. [color=92278f][b]"...to thank you. For... for stopping me..."[/b][/color] He stated, his eye drifting downwards to the ground for a mere moment, before looking up once again. [color=92278f][b]"I... I don't know what came over me."[/b][/color] ______________________________________ [color=Lightsalmon]"The same thing most bipeds struggle with. Emotions,"[/color] Mar stated simply though her heart seemed to warm at the thankful, her body slacked and confusion flickered in her eyes before it faded,[color=Lightsalmon] "I don't understand them myself to be honest though it seems what you display might be the very reason my kind are taught not to display such emotions outside. Those who do, tend to lose respect and if it continues, are banished in the end."[/color] Her chest inhaled for a moment then pushed the thoughts of Mesa Gaan away, knowing her home was gone, any chance to return no longer possible. It felt like a hole had started within her and grew, worming its way into her core until it started to fester. [color=Lightsalmon]"I don't know why I stopped you, but I couldn't allow you to kill the boy. I'm...glad you chose to let him live."[/color] ____________________________________ Grey frowned a bit. Sure one could blame emotions, but emotions were what made life worth living. Well... It was the difference between living and existing, anyhow. He felt he had to make a counter-argument as she continued... [color=92278f][b]"With respect, I don't agree with that... If I had acted without emotion the child would have died. He was an immediate threat to the lives of those I protect and myself, and I knew slaying him was the quickest way to end the threat."[/b][/color] He said, fighting the urge to rest his hand on her shoulder. [color=92278f][b]"But I did the illogical thing and spared him... because it was the right thing to do, and because you convinced me of that. Emotions are things to be wary of, things that need to be controlled. But to completely deny them makes us no better than golems... and that's worse, in a way."[/b][/color] Of course, the irony of being told such things by a golem was lost on everyone. He sighed, looking about before he continued, a little more quietly. [color=92278f][b]"I... worry about you. You seem afraid of them, so you bottle them up, and I know you feel things just like the rest of us... And I don't know what'll happen if this keeps going..."[/b][/color] ____________________________________ "It doesn't matter if you agree or not with it," Mar pointed out bluntly, though not in a harsh tone, while she looked toward where Coco was. She was ignoring the flies now starting to gather around the bodies piled up, their corpses' hollow eyes stared at her and gave the impression they were silently accusing her to crimes not her fault. It made her throat tighten, constricting until it felt like she was going to suffocate. A matter that was merely in her imagination. With the bodies piled high and stinking, she had delayed the burning in favor of talking with Grey. It was another reason she couldn't fully understand why despite it feeling suitable. "You can't change a whole culture's beliefs with your own, Grey. It is all we've known and change for Naga is something we find hard to accept quickly," her eyes shifted, resting briefly on Althalus before she turned away. The conversation made her recall how much change she had already adapted to, knowing deep inside her connection with Althalus wouldn't have been offically approved of by the matriarchs or what life they had created. So much change... it wasn't something she wanted to face just yet. "The fact is I'm not human. Nothing you, Althalus or others are able to change it. To ignore my culture because of other's views is turning my back on what I am, pretending to be something I can't be and isn't that just as bad?" She paused for a moment, and added. "As for what will happen... your worries are the same as mine. I can't predict the future but only brace for what comes and hope I'm strong enough to survive it. It's all any of us can do in the end." ______________________________________ Grey nodded, considering her words... A tiny part of him wanted to say something along the lines of 'well, look where it got them', but that notion was quickly crushed and ignored, for there was no way he would say something so unimaginably cruel and insensitive. [color=92278f][b]"My uncle used to always tell me that those that couldn't adapt would always be crushed by those that could... He would also tell me that change for it's own sake was bad for civilization as a whole... So make of all that what you will."[/b][/color] He said, rubbing his chin as he spoke. He noticed the bodies had gone unburned, likely because he was distracting her. He set about dousing the bodies in the lamp oil as he spoke, though he would leave the actual lighting to her. [color=92278f][b]"You mistake my warnings for orders, friend."[/b][/color] He said, reaching for another lamp they'd collected as the previous one ran dry. [color=92278f][b]"I am merely speaking of my thoughts on the matter... I understand that how you choose to live your life is ultimately your decision. I don't expect you to completely change, nor do I want you to. But I've wasted too much time..."[/b][/color] He said, standing as he emptied the last lamp. He turned, approaching her once again. He had nearly touched her shoulder again, but he stopped himself, withdrawing his hand as he continued. [color=92278f][b]"You also have my sympathies..."[/b][/color] He said quietly, his expression turning solemn as he remembered the diplomat's words. [color=92278f][b]"If there is ever any way I can help you or your family, let me know, alright?"[/b][/color] He couldn't do much aside from guarding and smithing, but he was very talented at both. ______________________________________ Coco could be seen walking towards the both of them, cloth slung over her shoulders like some sort of fashionable animal skin. Just as she reached the two, she sniffed at the air and clenched the cloth in her fists. "You guys already finished carrying the bodies! Why did I have to look for this cloth?" _______________________________________ "We'll need it to help haul the dead kindling... unless that will upset you?" Mar asked, her eyes looking at Coco a bit in reply to the creature's interruption. She minorly relieved as it prevented her from answering Grey's comment or saying anything at all towards it. Not because his was words were lost on her, but in the end, the more the conversation went on the more it hurt her ending with her mind in a confused and dizzy mess. Until she had time to consider what path she would choice, talking about it only lead to hesitation and fear, neither good in making her decision. Her nose caught the scent of the lamp oil leaking over the bodies, a matter she didn't enjoy as it might've spread to the plants which would've resulted in a wide range fire. However she wouldn't scorn his gesture, aiming to clear the place around the bodies, lowering the chance greatly. She waited for Coco to disapprove or vent, much like with Althalus, over her suggestion though she did consider and expect Coco to put another option to start the fire on. Unless she expected for either of them to start the fire directly on the bodies and risk burning themselves, the fire's spark instantly increased by the lamp oil dousing the dead. _________________________________________ Coco shrugged, "What's the 'dead kindling' anyway?" She passed the cloth over to Mar and sat down on the ground a few meters away from the pile of bodies. She pointed at Grey and Mar and spoke, "You're going to clear the area surrounding the bodies of plants, right? If so, do it yourself, I won't hurt any of them." ________________________________________ "Dead kindling is what I believe you would consider plant corpses. Plants that aren't alive and since they are lifeless, they could enrich the corpses and help them burn easier. It's that or my own body we use, but considering we still have mages to fight and I'm only a novice..." Mar let Coco put the rest together as she hoped it would help coax cooperation from the plant. She nodded at Coco then added. "If I knew for sure we could keep the fire from spreading to the rest of the forest it wouldn't have been nesscary." _______________________________________ "Dead plants, then? Sure, you can use them. I'd rather not touch them myself though. Squishy fleshling bodies are gross, feeling sap and dead plants is even worse. The smell of cut grass just kills my senses if I'm too close to it."