Me: Heey I'm back! I'm sorry for being gone for so long! But you can thank godofmadness43 for getting me back to work. Well I think I'm getting sick… Ah damn!
Jeff: OMG you updated?!
Me: I know! What's wrong with me?!
Oh and I just realized that this entire time I've been putting formors, but it's actually fomors! I'm so sorry!! It's actually kind of embarrassing…
Enjoy!
"Hello again."
Noel snapped open his eyes, finding himself once again in the dark abyss. "Hello to you too, whoever you are. If I'm just dreaming again than let me wake up. Our last session wasn't a pleasant one." He spoke without the need of his mouth.
"Child, child, these conversations will continue. I promise you that. Whether you want them or not they will continue. I'm not trying to hurt you. I am merely trying to bring you peace. That mark on your wrist seems to have grown, but not enough."
"Not enough for what?" Noel asked as he glared into the air above his head.
"Not enough for anything of major proportions to happen; nothing to worry about. Now before you grow suspicious I would like to let you know that what I do I do because I care."
He narrowed his eyes at the air above him. This voice was so contradicting. It sounded warm and welcoming, wanting to help. Some may even consider it affectionate. However there was a deceptive hum behind the soothing words.
"I can't trust you. I'm sorry but something just isn't settling right." His voice floated in the void quietly.
"I don't blame you. You cannot trust everyone who seems friendly."
The comment couldn't be more accurate considering what happened with Maryanne and the recent encounter with Shaosu.
"I know why you suffer and I know how to end it." The gruff voice rang through the area and Noel identified it to belong to a man.
"It's because of your enemy-"
"Cichol."
"Yes, I can tell you how to rid yourself of your predicament and your enemy."
Even though the speaker still remained anonymous, his offer sounded awfully good. Noel couldn't help but feel a small candle of hope flicker to life.
"Enter Barri dungeon. From there I will help you in person."
Before Noel could get another word out of his mouth, uncomfortable pressure was added right in between his shoulder blades.
His eyes once again snapped open, but this time the darkness wasn't there. A few of the suns' rays were able to sneak past the thick leaves of the dense forest to the east, giving the land a soft glow. However Noel still had trouble making out his surroundings.
The walls of the hut were dark and the dirt bed was cold from the night. His back was pretty warm though.
Again the annoying peck at his back.
Noel lifted his head off his arm, which he used as a pillow through the night, and turned to see the cause of his discomfort. In all her innocent comfort, Yuki had been poking his back with her nose.
Quickly jumping and sprinting to the other end of the tent, Noel pressed his back against the corner. As he tried catching his breath he could feel his face flare up. Since when could Yuki make him react this way?
The messenger jacket, which was a makeshift blanket, slipped down to Yuki's waist as she woke up. Her blurry eyes looked back and forth trying to locate a heat source. Not seeing Noel in the corner, Yuki settled for slipping her arms into the cotton sleeves of the tunic.
By now the animals and the fomors were beginning to stir. The sun had gotten higher up in the sky, but still created long, thin shadows.
With a quick yawn, Yuki got up, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and noticed Noel.
"Morning!" Yuki eagerly greet with a smile reaching her eyes.
"G-good morning." Noel replied with still slightly widened eyes.
"My first night out of the mace and feeling Erinn in all its glory," she began zipping up the jacket, "I feel so alive!" Her gaze set back on Noel after stopping the zipper just above her cleavage.
Noel let out a breath of relief, no more rushes of blood to the head for now at least now that she was covered. Feeling his face reverting back to its natural temperature, he moved to pick up his mace and leave.
Yuki floated closely behind, only this time she was floating much closer to the ground. Noticing this Noel lifted a curious brow.
"For someone who feels so alive, you sure are soaring low."
Yuki glanced down at the floor and noticed that she was very low. Her feet were only an inch or two in the air. She willed her body to lift itself. However she merely bobbed in the air before settling down back to an inch. A few tries later, Yuki finally gave up.
"Let's go see if the others have any ideas." Yuki said with a sigh of defeat.
As Noel walked out the side, he watched in amusement as Yuki floated straight into the wall and banged her head. Yuki sadly held her sore forehead and followed Noel out the side.
Shaosu slowly opened his eyes as warm sunlight filled the area. He woke Jeff and slung Nemu over his shoulder. Once outside an envelope fell before him.
Jeff walked out after Shaosu and glanced over his shoulder in curiosity.
"What's that, ya got there?" He inquired while stretching his back.
"It's a letter, from Craig," flipping the paper to look if anything was on the back, "It's kind of vague but for some reason he wants me back in Emain Macha. I think it has something to do with a paladin gathering or something."
Humming a bored 'is that so?', Jeff roamed to find something of more interest.
Shaosu took another look at the letter. Craig's handwriting was pretty sloppy. Then again he hasn't ever seen Craig's penmanship before. Carefully folding and slipping the parchment into his pocket, Shaosu went to find Jeff.
It wasn't very surprising to find Jeff kicking around a raccoon. It squirmed and hissed in annoyance as Jeff toyed with it.
"Wow, Jeff, really?" Shaosu arched a brow as he questioned him.
Jeff scoffed. "I'm helping with the fomors acting up. Can't you see they're starting to get together?"
True to his word, raccoons were restless with their hissings. Bears and wisps were roaming closer to the edge of the forest and kept shifting closer. The wolves were leaving their stone territory and trotted closer and around the logging camp.
They had to relocate immediately before they were surrounded. Grabbing Jeff by the sleeve, Shaosu ran to find Noel.
Talking to Tracy was Noel with Yuki beside him. Wasting no time, Shaosu grabbed Noel sleeve as he ran by, leaving an alarmed Yuki to follow.
"What's going on?" Noel asked with surprise and slight fear.
"The fomors are closing in." Shaosu's eyes darted back and forth, measuring up the numbers. "Damn they reproduce fast!"
Thankfully the population didn't boom too much and the gang was able to escape by pivoting, jumping, and darting around the wolves. The chase continued even after leaving the territory of the hounds.
"Where're we heading?!" Jeff, who was released as well as Noel after they had left the territory, screamed over the howls and growls.
"You're all going to follow me to see Craig! Emain Macha is full of paladins anyways; we'll be safe there!" Shaosu cupped his hands around his mouth to try to carry his voice across the increasing distance between them.
Soon enough the wolves were able to separate all of them. A silent agreement was made among the group with a nod as they drifted apart.
Oddly enough, Shaosu had a clear path toward Osna Sail. Even stranger was that the wolves seemed unable to keep up with him.
Deciding not to question it, Shaosu took this rare chance and bolted.
The Emain Macha blue hair boy ironically had the most trouble heading towards Emain Macha. He felt like a mouse running through a maze of wolves that kept shifting. The path before him remained open but the sides would zone in or turn. Jeff found himself being guided into Dunbarton. As soon as he entered all the fomors vanished as if never there.
"The hell was that about!" Jeff screamed in frustration as he bounded off to the meeting place.
Unfortunately Noel wasn't having as much luck as the other two. Instead of running for his life, Noel found himself surrounded by snarling fangs. Blue-gray eyes widened in fright. Rather than killing him, the fomors beat him around.
A black wolf head butted his knee. Noel buckled and fell. Soon the fomors swarmed on top of him, eagerly biting any flesh they could.
A shower of paws rained down on him just as he pulled out his mace. Yuki was doing what she could and kicked them around, but all of them ignored her despite her efforts.
There were just too many. The assault didn't stop. That is until one wolf bit down on his wrist, ripping a cry from Noel throat.
It was throbbing. Under his torn sleeve he could feel it pulsating, growing.
Heat was building up in the back of his throat and his breathe caught. The pressure kept building as a fire in his stomach ignited. Curling to extinguish the flame, Noel painfully brought his knees to his chest. He held on to his chest until he felt the heat slipping out of his throat.
Yuki watched in horror; the fomors kept jumping on each other, moving like waves, trying to breach the center. Every single one of the fomors was in a rage, lost in their bloodlust.
Suddenly a bloodcurdling cry rippled through the land. A wave of terrifying energy swiftly blew past Yuki as the wolves ran whimpering away from the dog pile. The unfortunate ones still clinging to Noel were soon gone, killed.
Noel was in shock as he heard a horrid cry reverberate in his ears. What scared him even more was when he realized the sound had come from his throat. Thinking his body was in control, he tried to stand by lifting his body with his arms. His body had other plans though as it spun its legs in a full 360˚. Those that were still on him were dead in one shot of the windmill. Noel rose slowly, fearing what his body might try next.
The carcasses barreled by Yuki, the force blowing her hair. Yet she remained unflinching, watching her master.
No, not really her master.
That wasn't Noel; that was a fomor. He stood hunched, breathing deeply but quickly. His fingers bent and spread like claws. Narrowed eyes shifted back and forth, observing for other prey.
"Noel…" she tentatively called out, relieved his body was safe, afraid his humanity wasn't.
Catching his breath, Noel turned to face her.
Yuki examined him. So far he looked ok: his body no longer hunched, regular breathing, no longer standing ready to pounce. She went on to check his face.
Her soft orange eyes met a glowing golden pair.
Past the stone arc, Shaosu caught his breath. Looking back at the entrance to see that all the wolves had left, he started back towards Dunbarton to meet the others. That is until he heard more growling behind him.
Dozens of brown dire wolves stood crouching in anticipation, almost as if they had planned all this. As if they had predicted he would run to Osna Sail.
'How did-?! No way fomors are that smart!' Shaosu's mind screamed in panic.
Before anymore contemplation could be done, one wolf leap forward, jaw hanging, claws extended to sink into flesh.
BOOM
The charred remains fell back into the pack of fomors after it had given a weak pained cry.
The tips of his fingers tingled from what was left of the lightning bolts energy, his eyes challenging all the fomors that dare to approach him. More pounced in vain. Wave after wave fell silent to the constant thunderous booms and cracks that exploded from the flashes of lightning.
However there is strength in numbers. The dire wolves were closing in, forcing Shaosu to edge over towards the cliff. Jumping to the right as a paw swung by, he charged another bolt and fired. The smell of burning flesh and singed fur was starting to become unbearable, the bodies littered everywhere. Again another duck from a pair of snapping jaws and a swift kick to the head knocked back another wolf.
The tables were slowly turning as Shaosu began tiring. Pivoting to the left, he elbowed the ribs of a wolf in mid-leap. This proved to be a big mistake as his back was exposed to the rest of the ferocious pack. Taking this opportunity, a single hound jumped to head butt him.
Turning to the noise, Shaosu thrust out his hand to release another bolt of lightning. Only a few weak sparks escaped though. The light tingle left the wolf sneering at the attempt of a counterattack.
Eyes widened in realization, he had ran out of mana.
Both the Milletian and fomor were thrown over the edge of the cliff on impact. Shaosu grunted as his shoulder met a hard skull but soon felt air disappear from his lungs as the wind was knocked out of him when his back met the cold hard rocks of the cliff side.
The fomor plummeted straight down into the treetops of the forest below the rocky pathway. Unable to catch his breath without having it knocked out again, Shaosu painfully tumbled down the mountain side. All he could do was protect his head with his arms.
Coming to a sudden stop as his chest finally met the forest floor. Agonizingly slow he turned his head to the right. His arm laid there battered and bruised. Shaosu tried to lift it only to have it shake in futile effort.
Spitting the blood welling up in his mouth onto the ground was painful, but somewhat satisfying. Luckily his head remained relatively intact. No bleed could be felt, but then again he couldn't really feel anything at all.
Then a thought sudden hit him.
'How're the others doing? Where are the others?'
Suddenly remembering the whole reason he was even stuck in this situation, Shaosu felt the blood from his face drain.
'Noel's alone with the fomors. I've just been check off their to-do list.'
Realization settled in and made an uncomfortable lump in his throat.
"Nemu..! Nemu..!" Shaosu's coarse voice weakly called out.
"Brother! Brother, get me out!!" He heard her muffled voice.
Toward the deeper part of the forest, Nemu was lodged into one of the looming pine trees. Shaosu willed himself to sit up and was painfully able to after rolling his body to lie on its back. Using his uninjured arm, well not as injured at least, to support his weight as he lifted himself. Limping over to his weapon, he examined the situation.
About a third of the claymore had sunken into the tree. Apparently the strap holding the saber in place had been torn during the 'dogfight'.
Using his left hand Shaosu firmly gripped the handle, his right too useless to even flex itself, and pressed a leg against the rough bark, then he willed the blade out.
Despite the efforts the weapon remained half sheathed in the wood.
"It's dark!" Nemu cried out.
"Hold on, Nemu!" His hoarse voice yelled. He whipped out a dagger that he used for shearing sheep. "I'll get you out, don't worry!"
Slowly and carefully, Shaosu whittled away at the timber encasing his sword, making sure not to damage it in anyway.
Golden eyes blinked twice in confusion. Why was Yuki staring at him so weirdly? Her mouth was gaping at him and dilated eyes stared at him.
"You okay, Yuki?" Noel hesitantly asked. After that whole beating he didn't feel as damaged as he thought he would. The only thing was that his eyes felt swollen but weren't.
The ego glided over and cupped both cheeks. Heat crept up his neck as she did this. However he found it strange when her thumbs nudged his eyelids closed.
"Noel…" she whispered so quietly he wondered if she actually spoke, "we have to find Jeff before you can open your eyes…"
He silently obeyed and kept his eyes closed. The throbbing was starting to dull, but only for his right eye.
"Just hold on and keep your eyes closed." Yuki spoke smoothly, it was somewhat soothing.
With a firm grip on his hand, Yuki glided off towards Dunbarton with haste. Noel awkwardly hobbled behind her trying to not fall and willing his eyes to not open in confusion. The bustling trading town of Dunbarton only added to his anxiety. Every single noise made the Halfling flinch.
"I'm telling you, the frills are sophisticated!" A strained high-pitched voice screamed.
"And I'm telling you, it's not manly!" A frustrated, even disturbed, voice bellowed.
Sure enough the blue haired boy was found harassing Simon.
"I want decent clothing to protect me and you hand me an assemble?!"
"It's ensemble, Ruffled Tuxedo Ensemble! It's classy, and refined!" Simon turned his noise to the air with a huff.
The door flew open with a large slam, startling all the shoppers.
"Whoa! Did they run you through a log cutter?!" Jeff exclaimed at Noel's state of clothing.
His clothes were torn to shreds and weakly clung to his body. Luckily nothing showed.
"That's not the point. Let's get help." Wasting no time, Yuki grabbed Jeff's rough hand and ran out of the shop.
"What're you even talking about?! The fomors left didn't they?"
She motioned to Noel's closed eyes. Jeff arched a brow and pulled his eyelids open.
"Holy crap!" He exclaimed as he jumped away.
The throbbing had stopped, but only in one eye.
"Your eyes! That's creepy man!" Jeff gave a disgusted look.
One of his eyes was still the same calm gray with a touch of blue. The problem was the other eye. The pupil had sharpened and became thinner while the iris was a ring of orange and glowed yellow as it drew closer to the pupil.
"Dude you look like a fomor, you dress like one, by Morrighan just stop! Cover up, please!" He released his hold on the eyelids.
Snapping his eyes back shut, Noel angrily exclaimed, "I'm not naked, what's wrong with my eyes anyways?!"
"Jeff, can we not just talk about how… strange it is, and get some help instead?" the ego intervened.
"Oh, right, sure I know just the fomor." Jeff said as he began jogging off towards the church.
Standing in front of the church was a composed priestess who held a calm air, her sleek pink hair shone brightly like the earrings hanging from her lobes.
"Yo, Kristell!" Grinning, Jeff approached the nun.
Wine eyes narrowed, in anger? Who knows…
"Jeff, I don't want to be rude but I am not interested, I'm sorry." Kristell sharp words cut through him.
"Ouch, you hurt me." Jeff covered his heart with a hand, "But that's not why I'm here. My friend has got some major issues." he gestured with a jab of his thumb behind him where a boy was being pulled along by an ego.
As the duo approach Kristell carefully watched them. Noel, with his eyes still closed, moved his head around, examining the air.
"Fomor…" he whispered.
Kristell's eyes slightly widened in surprise. "How do you know that?"
"I can just… smell it… I think…" Noel cautiously spoke as he took another breath in.
"The kid's name is Noel he's weird and is probably going to be doing more weird things like that... And his ego is practically always out, she's Yuki." Jeff introduced them as Yuki gave an indignant cry. "He's got this weird eye thing going on."
"It's nice to meet you, Noel. I'm Kristell, priestess of Dunbarton and a bit of a druid."
"Oh… um okay." Noel hesitantly answered, not sure what to say. "Ah… my eye is throbbing. Is there something wrong with it?" he opened his eyes.
It was a bit unnerving at how Kristell's gaze seemed to pierce right through his eyes.
"You may close your eyes. May I borrow your necktie?" the priestess asked.
"Oh yeah… I guess?" Noel closed his eyes and fumbled with the knot of his navy bandana. However Yuki took over and released the knot. Kristell accept the cloth and briskly walked back into the church.
"That woman is scary, but she's sharp and smart." Jeff looked proud to be friends with her, or so he considered them.
"I guess she balances you out, huh?" Yuki sarcastically asked.
Jeff opened his mouth to snap back but Kristell walked back out.
"Keep this over your eye and make sure it is at least moist." She instructed as she tied the bandana over is left eye. "I've blessed it with Holy water, but I'm afraid you will have to bless it yourself once the effect disappears."
"What? Wait, I don't even know what's wrong with my eye yet." Noel complained as he fingered his eye under the damp cloth.
"I'm not sure who, or frankly what you are, but you're not a fomor like me, but not a human like them. Your spiritual energy is higher and some of it is starting to build up in your eye. I'm not sure what other changes will be happening, but for now this is all I can do for you."
"Alright, thank you, Kristell." Noel said with a sigh of relief as the throbbing had stopped. "I guess we should go find Shaosu now?" he turned to the other two.
"Arghh I suppose you're right, matey. Dude you make an awesome pirate in that outfit." Jeff smirked.
"Morrighan, please spare me." The ego prayed.
"I'm sorry, Big Brother! I'm sorry!!" Nemu rubbed her teary eyes.
"Don't cry, Nemu. It wasn't your fault eh- don't cry." Shaosu tentatively tried to comfort his ego, but my god kids were scary! What're you supposed to do when they cry?
"Bu-but your arm a-and it was dark a-and I-I…" Nemu trailed off between her sobs.
His right arm had remained swollen and useless the entire time. Eweca still hadn't come yet and the stamina needed to heal himself was too draining to be used in the middle of the forest alone.
"I'm fine, see?" Shaosu painfully attempted to flex his arm, the fingers curled in a bit before relaxing.
"…" Nemu lifted a brow in question.
"… Well at least it responded…" he weakly gave.
"I-I'm just going to go b-ba-back into my sword." She dejectedly hiccupped.
Nemu vanished into the now free Claymore that leaned against the Pine tree it had been plunged into, the whittled chips piled around. Now the unnerving hooting of birds and rustles of who-knows-what were the only sounds that remained.
"At least Eweca is rising." Shaosu positively spoke to himself. Using the little mana he had gathered, he casted heal.
Catching his breath, he casted one more.
"I can't do this…" he could feel his stamina being drained to near nothing from only two casts. Out of habit his arm twitched to run his hand through his hair. Wincing, he cursed at his habits.
"I wonder if this is all worth it sometimes." He gave a great sigh as he eyed his useless arm and felt his blood pulse through his sore body, "Just for some of her attention…"
Little did he know that he was being watched. The figure crept up behind him, making sure to stay out of sight. Waiting and watching until the target fell asleep.
After half an hour the target was lightly snoring. The shadow took action.
Shaosu woke with a start as he felt something fall onto his shoulder. Snapping his head to the left, his vision was filled with white. Silky pigtails loosely hanged from either side of the head.
Realizing what, or rather who was on his shoulder, his face flared up.
'Do I move, do I stay put?! Oh My Morrighan!' His mind panicked and raced.
"She came from nowhere about two hours ago." Nemu's voice cut off his frantic thoughts. "It looks like she fixed you up really well. Do you feel better now, Brother?"
Shaosu carefully flexed his arm, feeling no resistance he nodded toward his ego. The white haired goddess began to stir.
Her eyes fluttered opened in slight disorientation. Her head looking around before her sights settled on Shaosu.
"Shaosu! I-I didn't-! I mean you weren't supposed to-!" She stumbled over her words as she jumped back a foot.
"Oh Uh-! Hi Nao! I mean thanks-my arm and- uhh thank you?" Shaosu quickly stuttered.
An awkward silence fell as heat rose in both of their necks.
Nao broke the silence by finally speaking, "I meant to say that you weren't supposed to see me. I was umm… just taking a walk and happened to see you in pretty bad shape."
"Bad shape huh..?" Shaosu rubbed his neck with his good hand. "Well I'm all better now thanks to you. You really did save me, Nao." Shaosu admitted giving a sincere smile.
"Well I couldn't let the Guardian be left in condition unfit to guard." She joked as she eased her way back towards Shaosu.
He paled as he realized that his post was left unattended. "Oh my- Nao I'm so sorry! I'll get back right away and go and-" He moved to stand up before being stopped by a soft hand.
"No, Shaosu rest. You need it or else you'll just be worrying me if you fight in that state.
He sighed in defeat but then switched to grin at her.
"Even in this state I can protect you from the fomors!" he proudly stated.
"Noel. You can protect Noel from the fomors." She corrected while placing her head back onto his shoulder.
"Mmm" he mumbled, not caring for her correction. His statement didn't need correcting.
Shaosu rested his head atop of Nao's as they sat in silence. The white moonlight broke through parts of the treetops. The forest floor was speckled in moonlight as bugs chirped and fomors went to sleep.
He took in a long breath of night air. Nao did the same. It was cool and refreshing. This was all worth it. No matter how many times he had to fight fomors, fall down a cliff, or bear Nemu cry, it was worth it for moments like these.
"Shaosu…" Nao spoke in a hushed tone; the atmosphere was so calm it seemed as if it would shatter if a pin dropped. "I think you should stop being the Guardian."
His eyes widened as he looked at her head on his shoulder. When did she get there?
"But Nao! I promise, on behalf of my honor as a warrior of Erin, I won't be separated from Noel again! I swear!" Shaosu panicked.
"No, Shaosu that's not it. It's just that you always fighting and your arm. I don't want to find that one day I come down to Erin and you won't be there." She caressed his bandaged arm.
"Nao… You have to let me fight. If I don't I feel like yo-Erin won't be safe." He shyly tried to hide his intentions as he shifted his gaze to the right.
When he turned his gaze back to Nao he found two deep blue eyes staring right back at him.
He felt his head moving closer and he saw the eyes also closing in. Both pairs of eyes began closing as their faces neared each other. He could feel her breath on his face.
"KISSY FACE!!" a shrill frightened cry rang throughout the forest. "KISSY FACE KISSY FACE!!" Nemu had her eyes clenched tight together and hands slapped over her eyes as she screamed into the night. "I don't wanna see! I don't wanna see!!" she chanted as she flew off to Morrighan-knows-where.
The Guardian sighed and laughed while Nao giggled at the ego's antics. They continued laughing and turned their heads toward each other as they laughed. Once their eyes met there was immediate silence.
Shaosu felt his ears burning at what almost happened. And the Goddess shyly looked down at her hands folded on her lap, willing the blood to leave her cheeks.
"W-well I'm sure there are a lot of travelers waiting for you to check up on them. They'll be mad if you see you wasting your time on me." He awkwardly laughed.
The goddess brushed off her black silk dress with her back towards him as she got up. "I would never waste my time on you, Shaosu."
A sharp jab at his heart was felt.
She turned to him and gave a big smile. "My time with you is never a waste." With a quick peck on the cheek, she was off.
His heart fluttered as he shyly scratched his cheek with a finger. He could still feel the soft skin and warmth that was left behind.
Yep, it's all worth it.
