The salty sea mixed with ashes and cinders drenched the soft cloth of his wardrobe, sand clinging to it. Thanks to Nobuo, they'd made it to shore. The sea bounced off Niladriel's leafy dress, but the miasma had started rooting its nefarious toxins. She cupped the gas mask to her face once more. It was already apparent she wasn't going to make it without its use. Falling to her hands and knees, tears began to stream down her cheeks. Real tears. The feeling of loss was all but unknown to her, and it was hitting her hard. In a mix of hysterical crying and coughing, she tried to make note of her surroundings and come to terms with what just happened. She had to, if they were going to escape alive.
"I-"
"He.."
"We-"
"I can't..I can't-"
A few steps in the sand brought her down to one knee, reality trying to catch up with her mind. Meihem caught her before another plunge, stopping her from going any further as they escaped the wake of the shore and settled in the sand. "Nil..Nil! I need you to calm-Nil! Stop!"
It was as if she was trying to run from it. Run from the hard fact that he did die, and died to buy them some time to get away at that. For them. Regret was forming and contorting in the pit of her stomach. 'How could he..how could he..' At an instant, her attention snapped to Meihem as he forced her to tunnel vision on him for a moment, to try and sooth the best of a bad situation.
"Nil! I need you to calm yourself! We aren't going to make it if you don't focus. I know it's hard. He was my friend too! But we can't dwell on it now, we have to find Nym. So please..just..focus." He couldn't say with a straight face that she didn't have a heart. It was obvious now. And this fact alone almost left him speechless. In all the years he'd known her, most of what he thought he knew had instantaneously vanished. Putting it aside, his compassion compelled him to remain stoic and direct. For the both of them. "Now..are you sure your portal spell will work?"
The nymph wiped her eyes, still holding the mask to her face. She nodded in assurance. "It should, but I don't think I can stretch it any farther. It has limits on distance. If I go any farther, the portal might dissipate completely.." Another coughing fit brought her down once more, finding it hard to even catch a breath under the effects of the gas mask. Even if she could go any farther, she would have slowed them down immensely. "But you-"
"I'll be fine." Meihem retorted, taking a swift look at the gauge on the gas mask. By looking at it he could deduce they had about half an hour left before it stopped working, or worse – exploded. Much to his fortune, the headpieces were still operating correctly despite their tumble amongst the waves. Slipping his on first, he handed the other to Niladriel. "If I don't come back before that gauge runs low, leave." His expression left no jest, and remained as sincere as ever. Her glowing eyes widened at this, and as she opened her mouth to protest, she studied his face once more. The urge to asseverate faded as quickly as it had surfaced. She knew nothing she could say or do was going to change his mind, and it was just going to waste more time arguing about it.
"Alright.." she said simply, submissively. Something in her wanted to stop him. At least try and convince him of how dangerous and reckless this was. Instead, she watched him disappear into the thick cloud of crimson, the fern hound's tail flitting back and forth behind him before they became nothing but a silhouette, and then not even that. For a moment, she wondered if she'd ever see him again. Unknown as to if it was cowardice or respect, she remained quiet sitting there in the sand. Pulling off the headset for a brief moment, she held it beside her, uttering a barely audible whisper. "May luck stride with you, Meihem..for all our sakes.." Slipping the circlet back on, the tiny stone shined brightly as she waited for a signal. Anything. She was ready to leave this place behind.
"Stay close, Nobuo.." Meihem whispered, watching a few of those slimy toxic krait slither by with a Nightmare Court Knight in their company. The place was crawling with the toxic alliance. The fern hound climbed up and leaned his upper body against the wall they were occupying as cover. His ears perked at the sight of the glowing green beasts, a low growl starting to rumble like thunder from the large verdant wolf. Meihem pressed a hand against his mane in a silent manner to still him. "I know. We're going to have to be careful." Meihem noted, slipping back down and checking his axes. "But we're also going to have to clear a few of them. Ready?" The fern hound snorted in assertive agreement, his eyes locked on his master. Nodding back, Meihem mentally prepped and laid out the plan in his mind while holstering his axes at his sides and checking his bow. Best to stay at ranged as long as he can, and have the axes as a back up. They were going to try and run as far as they could, with as little combat as necessary. His subconscious began the count down, pulling an arrow from his quiver in preparation. Starting at a skip, they both fell into a full sprint across the broken shore, catching enemies by surprise, and luckily, a swift arrow to the head.
They'd made it safely to the Priory dig site on the beach. If she was anywhere, this was one of the main places to look. With one swift glance, he couldn't spot anything. That was just the problem. There was nothing. The hum of a drill echoed from beyond the waves, the cause of which he could not see through the thick blush fog. The beach was eerily void of life, enough so to cause a rouse of skepticism. With bow at the ready, he stepped lightly with the certainty that this must be some sort of ambush scheme. Nobuo's nose tried fighting with the toxic air, trying to pick up something. Anything. As they rounded a pile of debris, a trident flung between them, and a low and guttural hiss followed. The beast reared, slamming its serpentine tail on the ground to try and swat at the fern hound that had pounced on it. Jumping away at another swat, Nobuo lowered himself, pearly white jaws bared and at the ready. The think stood, pushing itself up as far as its tail would force it. It was a bigger one, and from the looks of the two tridents it wielded, it was a Nimross. Its glowing acidic scales pulsed, preparing for another attack. Meihem raised his bow, ready to cut through it if he had to – only to be caught off guard by a haunting chuckle from the fog.
With a sharp screech, the beast collapsed in a heap at the hound's paws. Rolling thunder clapped as lightning began to light the dense fog, revealing a shadow that was slowly emerging. An ornate dagger was sticking out of the krait's back along with a multitude of scratches and gashes. Blood oozed from them, staining the sand underneath. Meihem recognized that dagger, and the screech of a dire hawk made it all the more clear. "Remus.." He breathed, watching intently as the shadow slowly fell into light. The burst of lightning made his realization true. There, the large sylvari male stood, engulfing him in a wicked shadow. The hawk's eyes settled on Meihem, that fierce yellow stare focused on his every move as it daintily landed atop his master's shoulder. The sylvari smiled, brushing a loose frond from his face.
"Brother..it's been a while."
"I am no brother to you!"
Meihem spat, sheathing his bow and pulling his axes from his sides. Nobuo stood defensively between the two, guarding his master as he made his presence known with a menacing growl.
Remus took a glance down at the beast, only to scoff and wave a hand, as if brushing off a fly. "Now now, that is no way to treat a family member. Especially one that wishes to offer advice." A heavy step towards him caused Nobuo to jump length-wise, the growling intensifying. Before Remus pressed on, he peered down at the hound and sneered. "But first, you're going to have to leash your puppy. We wouldn't want any accidents, would we, Khan?" He asked, rubbing a gloved finger down the bird's belly as it screeched and unfolded its wings.
Meihem hesitated, but thought for a moment. If he really wanted to kill them, he would have already. Especially if he'd been watching them this entire time. Motioning for Nobuo to be at ease, he holstered his axes and crossed his arms over his chest. "And what do you want in return? What's in it for you.."
Remus looked oddly surprised. "Why, I just thought I'd offer my help. Since you won't last very long without it. Not if you plan on going any further than the Western Ward anyway.." Taking a few more steps closer to the sylvari, he closed in near him and let his booming voice drop down to a whisper. "I know where she is.."
"What did you do with her?!" Meihem swung his axe towards Remus' neck, only to be caught by a translucent thorny sword before it reached the hem of his epaulets. They came nose to nose, and Meihem's frustration was met with a torturing grin.
"Temper, temper!" He sang, pushing him off with his sword. "Absolutely nothing. More so, in fact, that if I had done something, they would have found her and she would be dead.." With one swift hand movement, he brushed some dust off his shoulder and sheathed his sword. "Now, would you like me to show you where she is, or are you going to try for another failed attempt at taking my life? I must say, if killing me is more important to you than finding her, then by all means.." His golden eyes narrowed on Meihem before he finished his sentence. "After all, I haven't had a good skirmish since I arrived.."
He thought on it. Obviously his priorities were clear enough to put his axes down, yet he still kept a close eye on the sylvari. If he did know where she was, it would make this field trip go by all the more quickly than with him just running around chasing smoke. He watched as Remus turned on his heel and started walking in the opposite direction. A stern face peeked over the armored shoulder, giving Meihem a quizzical look. "We must hurry if we want to find her alive." He edged, calling for Meihem to follow him. Against his better judgment, they followed along after his trailing trench coat and soon disappeared into the fog. Thunder followed softly behind, shaking the pseudocalm that had claimed the beach as the waves drifted the carcass of the krait away and out to sea.
Lightning lit their way in brief flashes, and a thin rain had started to pelt the ground. It was hard to listen for spotters or scouts with the oncoming storm and the low idle hum of whatever was disturbing the harbor. Khan flew high above them, circling their position to make sure the path was clear. They had almost made it to through the Western Ward, when Khan had dropped down to perch on Remus' shoulder once more. The bird pointed its sharpened beak towards a few crumbling homes. They were standing dead center when Remus threw out an arm to catch Meihem. When the sylvari started to protest, Remus snapped. "Sh! We're being watched.."
The both stood vigilant, their backs to each other. Meihem held his bow up with an arrow ready, and Remus pulled out his bow, a magnificent glowing arc of vines and pink blossoms decorated with a dryad holding a shining spear. It radiated gold dust as he drew it, the arrow itself burning bright yellow as blossoms formed at his pinched fingertips. It remained quiet. Deathly quiet. With a great bat of his wings, the dire hawk flew up and forward, screeching as it circled once, then flew down and spooked something on the other side of the building. It fled towards them, and another. They started pouring out of the burning buildings in large numbers, and on a rope that appeared above them. Aetherblades. It looked as though they'd been planning the ambush for a while, and had finally made an entrance. The hawk returned, pecking and dive-bombing as they group made for the two sylvari.
Golden arrows staked their claim in a few heads as the two spread, weapons blazing in an all out war amidst the rubble. The battle soon went to melee combat, with Meihem whipping the axes around in a flurry of steel and force. Nobuo charged the ranks and pounced, pulling and clamping with his powerful jaws. More replaced the fallen as troops marched in, stumbling over the bodies of their comrades. It was chaos. Pure and simple. Meihem could see Remus across from them, fighting by Khan's side as his sword weaved a crimson tale of death. He had to admit, his skill was beyond comparison. The real question was, how long were they going to be able to keep up? Cutting through the ranks with Nobuo at his heels, he met back to back with Remus once more as another group closed in. there were more waiting. Watching. Weighing the risks. "Look out!" Remus shouted, shoving Meihem away as a canister fell from the sky. It parted like a budding rose when it hit the ground where they were standing just seconds before, with a thick red gas spewing from it. Meihem's eyes began to water. He came to realize this was no ambush. They were picking this site to set up another miasma canister. As Meihem ran to try and stop it, Remus caught him with a strong hold on his shoulder. They closed in on the two. They weren't intending to let them live, even if their objective was already set. Fighting back a coughing fit, he growled at Remus. "Stop! Let me go!"
"You fool! What's more important to you? The girl, or some endless riffraff?" Remus held a stern face, his bright amber eyes sinking into his soul. Remus leaned close to Meihem, his eyes once again locked on the incoming rabble. "You'll find her in what used to be the Trader's Forum, but look hard my friend..we may be too late.." Meihem looked up at him as he readied his sword once more, placing a hand to the earth to momentarily meditate and call forth a spirit of nature. Remus spared no glance towards him as he began to enter the center of the storm. Meihem seemed confused. Why was he helping him? Was he going to make it out of this alive? Were they? He stowed his bewilderment about the Courtier's sudden abundance of moral justice and compassion, and stepped back uttering the only thing he could. "But –"
"Go." Remus said calmly, raising his sword and throwing out his hand to balance his feline grace. "I SAID GO!" He shouted, his brows wincing in a hint of fury. Looking upon the crowd, the sylvari couldn't help but smile. This was what he'd been dreaming of, and he'd be damned if he didn't go out taking a few more of her pirates with him.
Meihem had taken off at a sprint towards the bridge linking the Western Ward with the Trader's Forum. Some of the stone had taken incredible amounts of abuse as part of the bridge had crumbled away. He didn't stop to examine the damage, however. 'Trader's forum..look hard..have to find her..' He could feel his breathing become more labored. It was getting thicker. Harder to breath. His eyes were still stinging from the encounter with the canister. Remus was gone. His only hope to pinpoint where exactly she was had vanished. And for his sake. As he came across more of the aetherblade lackies, he buried his axes into them, as if cutting away at vines in an attempt to go farther into the brush. She was here. He was so close. The once bustling plaza had fallen silent and echoed his footfalls. He couldn't see her. Only red. Blurry red fog. The bloodlust grew in him. A blind fury coursed through him as he fought to beat down everything that stood between him and his objective now. His hope began to sink further and further. It was all rubble. That was all to be seen. Dust, debris, and bodies littered the ground. None of them were Nym. Nobuo remained at his side, pushing his master along as they both searched wildly for any sign of life. Anything at all. Anything..
Entering what used to be the auction house, Meihem stopped, dropping to his knees. His axes slid across the stone, clattering and coming to an abrupt halt against a pile of broken, smoking wood. He could feel his insides burning. He erupted into another fit of coughing, stuck on his hands and knees before he finally collided with the ground. Nobuo stood over him, licking his face and whimpering as he tried to push his master further. Just a little further. The cold wet nose poked and prodded, nudging his master as Meihem outstretched across the dusty, soot-covered floor. A hand met with the hound's snout as he tried to assure Nobuo that everything was fine, even as the world was crashing down around them. Despite the grim setting, he smiled weakly at the fern hound and sang softly to them both.
"And the tree sang to the bird,
That is where you're wrong, I've heard,
For my dreams will always soar
higher than any bird has ever flown before.."
His mind began to doze, fluttering back to the dream he had while riding in the balloon. The warmth of her smile. The smell of the countryside. The peace. Drifting between reality and subconscious, his arm went limp, falling against the ground in a deafened thud. In the dream he reached out to her, grabbing her hand. Feeling the soft touch of her fingertips. She uttered something. It sounded like a moan. If she was in pain, or not, he couldn't tell. It was muffled. Coming back to reality, he looked around. Heavy rain had begun to fall, as the sky toiled with violet and red. Thunder clapped once more, to assure him that he was still stuck here. In this godforsaken place. He tried to remain focused on the dream. The way her hand felt when it pressed against his palms. It's almost as if she were there..
"And the bird sang to the tree
whipper wee whipper wee,
You can not fly as high as me.."
It was as if lightning itself had struck him. Her voice came in as clear as day. Meihem took a moment to study his hand as it lay above his head. He fought hard to see it through the clouding of his eyes. To his astonishment, a small teal hand lay clutched to his, twitching every so often as it tightened its grip. He sprung to his knees, as quick as he could muster, still coughing. Pushing the body of a male norn aside, he saw her. Her once-bright golden eyes held very little light as they looked upon him, and a weak, weathered smile stretched the soft contours of her face. "Meihem.." She muttered, choking on the air as she breathed in to speak. Without words, or hesitation, he brought her up and held her. His arms locked across her tightly, pressing her into him.
"We-We're going to get out of here..together.." He managed, in-between coughs. Climbing to his feet, he tried to pull her. A loud yelp echoed through the ruin as she gasped. Her legs had been trapped for so long she forgot what the pain felt like. "Stay, stay still." He demanded, motioning for Nobuo to help him push the pile of debris off of her. Sliding it to the side, and to much discomfort from Nym, they succeeded. Not even uttering the question, he slipped both arms under her, gathering her in one fell swoop.
The rain had started a downpour as the storm intensified. Lightning cried out across the skies in a torrent of water and wind. They had to make it now. They had to. "Let's go, Nobuo!" He called to the fern hound, that didn't need a second command before jumping towards their trail. Night had fallen fast. Thunder rumbled and shook the ground as lightning revealed their path in brief flashes. He had to make the best of it. He continued running, Nobuo bounding ahead to give him some sort of guide through the mess. He was heading towards the hum. Towards something. If he found water he could find the beach. Find Niladriel. Get out of here. Get out. They soon met with the salty waves. A riptide was brewing from the storm as the waves danced sporadically across the surface. Despite the difficulty, he still held on to her tightly, not wanting to let go in fear of losing her again. The air was getting tighter. He couldn't see. His eyes stayed locked on Nym as he paddled in a direction with one arm. Any direction away from that place. He was going to paddle as far as he could. The waves were getting stronger. She was slipping from his grip. "Nym, hold on to me!" He beckoned, as she felt her arm wrap loosely around his neck and then slowly slide away. The water soon claimed her. He dove under, determined not to lose her again. When they resurfaced, she coughed.
"I can't-I can't breath!" She cried, flailing at the water. He felt his chest being compressed, like a giant weight had been plopped on it. It was getting increasingly worse. The paddling was only forcing too much stress already. Once again she began to sink. He dove after her, the lightning cracking against the angry waves. It lit up the view of the sunken city of Lion's Arch as it flashed. They were swimming just above it. Everything had begun to fade. Meihem caught sight of her mouth as a few bubbles began to escape. Without thinking, his closed his mouth to hers, breathing life into her. His determination sang throughout his subconscious as he remained a hold of her. 'I almost lost you once, I won't lose you again..not here, not again..I promise..' The blue landscape of the ocean's bottom had begun to melt with the flashing of lightning across the sky, above the waves. Away from here. They began to float effortlessly with the pull of the current. His lips remained locked on hers before they began to pull apart, at which something had fished them out of the water. Meihem could make out a ship's deck, and a mast that was billowing in the whipping winds. They were shouting. He could feel the warmth of a fire as they were hauled out of the pelting rain. A familiar female voice caught his attention, but his vision was still a blur. The only thing he remained focused on was Nym's face. His hand remained glued to hers. Even across cots. He could feel a blanket being draped over them, beneath the warm glow of a lantern. It wasn't long before he gave in to the sinking feeling of sleep, and quickly faded out with their hands still lock with each other. He'd found her. Not fully sure if they'd lived or died, he found her.
The asura sighed, pressing a small cylinder-shaped gadget against the sleeping sylvari's foreheads. Kennec looked back at Niladriel with a swift nod, removing the earpieces. "They barely made it. It was a good thing they started self-sustaining for breath under the water. One more deep breath and they would have been done for.." He said, waddling over to a water basin and ringing out a damp cloth. He handed it to her with a bottle full of some olive-colored mixture. "Make sure they take a dose of that when they awaken. It will offset the miasma levels in their system. Luckily, you plant people can expel large doses of toxins rather quickly.." Even the tiny asura seemed impressed by this fact. As they exited to the upper decks of the ship, Niladriel was displaced with thought. Her attention locked on the fleeting shore as the Lionguard ship sailed safely away from the Lion's Arch city limits. The asura took a glance at her, feeling as though something hadn't quite settled with her yet. "What is it, m'lady?" He asked, his bright yellow eyes beaming up at her.
All she could do was stare into the mist from the window, her thoughts buzzing around wildly. 'Why'd he do it? We wouldn't have found them without his help..but why..?' Her staring deepened into a contemplative moral battle within her subconscious. She only got parts of what the halfling had said, and broke her concentration with a small smile. "I guess..we'll never know.."
