A lack of a window meant Ruairi had no way of knowing what time it was, or how long he'd actually been there. The silent halls of the Frozen Demesne are as familiar to him now as his own heartbeat, and his mind continues to be troubled with questions. What has the Milletian been doing? How is Erinn faring after the ritual? And why does that Nephilim woman insist on keeping him locked up, and for how much longer? What does she even hope to accomplish by bringing Ruairi back from the dead in the first place? Every answer that Ruairi gets only seems to give rise to even more questions.
"So, tell me," she began, as the Nephilim girl entered the room once again, in the same ghostly manner. "What exactly did Tarlach say that convinced you about the ritual?" At this point, Ruairi wasn't even surprised that she knows about Tarlach; but this was the first time she'd actually considered asking him why he went through with the ritual in the first place, even though the Milletian did everything they could to stop him. "Tarlach believed that the ritual would bring in another entity that would invade Erinn and fight the gods that have done nothing but ignore our cries for help." Her response was a raised eyebrow, and a subtle look of mild disbelief. "Really…? Then, why have I found traces of your 'foreign champions' performing a painful excess of the first, and a complete lack of the second?" This was the first that Ruairi heard about this; but, given the fact that he already learned about Balor's return, it should have come as no surprise that the old Fomor King would be more interested in conquering Erinn than fighting its gods. But, does that imply that there's more than one invading entity now? Realizing now that his ritual sacrifice only hastened Erinn's demise, Ruairi is faced with the reality that he has made a grave mistake.
Memories and regrets assaulting his mind, Ruairi eventually comes to after what felt like an eternity for him. Expecting the warden to still be there, he instead looked up to see the campfire had gone out, and a strange chest sitting in front of him. After fighting a moment's hesitation, Ruairi cautiously opened up the box; only to find a Battle Sword, the key to open the gate, and a note that reads:
"Try your luck, if you must." ~Ivy
It took a long time, but Ruairi finally had a name to go by for his captor. Thankfully, he now had a way out of there.
Fighting through that frigid place proved no easy feat; especially in the rooms where Ruairi encountered the Bandersnatch, which he has never been known to fight against. Eventually, things picked up when he finally reached what appeared to be either the lobby, or at least the main room where the exit is. Fighting his way out of that place was an exhilarating experience Ruairi hadn't felt in a long time. However, that experience was cut short when he found the front door locked, which meant he would have to go back through the place and find the key…
…Up until he turned around to find Ivy, who greets him with an indifferent "hello," and Wind Blasts him against the wall. "You should have stayed in your room, young man." Unfazed and angered by his imprisonment, Ruairi finally lets out a roar of anger and thrusts his sword into her, only for the blade to pass right through her like air. "Aw, now that's cute," Ivy states, before knocking him out with a Warhammer and a Smash to the face.
…..
As she lays in bed, the daughter gazes out the window, staring at the palm trees of the nearby oasis. As eager as she is to enjoy a nice swim, she's tired of the hot sun beating down on her, and the desert sand getting into uncomfortable places every time she goes outside. Eventually, the mother comes up to tell her that she and her father are going to the oasis, and asks her to tag along. "You know what happens every time we go out there," she retorts. The mother just shakes her head and lightly brushes her greying hair. "Sometimes, the best experiences aren't always the most comfortable. Besides, you never know what's going to happen tomorrow. The oasis might not even be there..." She wasn't listening anymore. Even in her own home, she felt trapped, like she didn't belong there; in the desert, or anywhere. Was it any wonder she always caused trouble for the people around her? The whole family was in exile, and this was the only way she knew how to cope with her situation. But now, everything has put a strain on their relationship, and the mother doesn't know how to address her daughter anymore. Now, the only way they can spend time together is if the mother insists.
"You shouldn't stay in your room, young lady…"