Literally The Guide talks so much T just ignores him. As a result, he misses all the important stuff as well lol. poor baby. Everything goes in one ear, and out the other. no wonder he looks so dead inside.
Armour: Victide greaves (Ranger)
Weapon: Mandible Bow (Jester Arrows); Arkhalis
Acc(11/11): Band of Regeneration, Amidas Spark, Sailfish Boots, Luxor's Gift, Ocean Crest, Amidas Pendant, Crown Jewel, Tsunami in a Bottle, Frog Leg, Aero Stone, Shield of the Ocean
Health: (390/400)
New feelings.
Shame. Disgust. Disappointment.
Until now, they had just been words and definitions in his extensive vocabulary; it was an entirely different, and much more painful matter to experience them firsthand. It was maddening. It made him restless. He wanted to do something. He wanted to fix this. He wanted to quell the overflowing jealously rising bitterly from his guts. But… but what? What could be done?
Immature...
Surely he was being immature… but what was the correct response to this sort of situation? As much as he was fain to admit, he had become quite fond of The Guide over the past few days. Together, they had faced many dangers in the underground. Threats that may have easily destroyed them individually if not for the cooperation of his battle prowess with The Guide's quick thinking and courage.
tch...
He was young. Too young to understand many things, but even he knew bravery when he saw it. He was 'The Slayer'. His role was to kill all the enemies that stood before him, and he had been naturally equipped for such a task. Yet, when he found himself all but incapacitated, drugged into oblivion, while facing down the Monstrous Mushroom Crab, The Guide - who boasted no combat ability whatsoever - stepped in to rescue him.
Ridiculous.
As ridiculous as it was pathetic. Something like that should never have happened, and it was surely a demerit on his record. Thankfully, The Guide didn't appear to be angry at him for this failure. In fact, he found the entire situation rather amusing, and laughed rather obnoxiously about it. Whether The Guide did so out of genuine humor, or simply to put him at ease with his shortcomings - he would never know. All he knew was he appreciated The Guide very much, and hoped the feeling was mutual.
…
So what a shock it had been! The two of them had cracked open the shell of The Giant Clam, a seahorse-man crawled out, and immediately The Guide became a simpering wretch. It was disgusting. It was disappointing. He had never seen The Guide behaving himself in such a self-demeaning manner, and it rankled him to no end. Had he no pride? Had he no self respect? That creature had just crawled from the belly of one of their kills, and suddenly The Guide was not only kneeling, but demanding he kneel as well.
*clink… tack...*
Of course, he refused. It was bad enough that The Guide was throwing his dignity into the wind for somebody they had just met, but to ask the same of him? Ridiculous. No matter how often The Terrarian turned it over in his mind, he just couldn't understand the reasoning behind The Guide's drastic shift in behavior. He refused to bow, and to his shock The Guide had turned on him, ripped his wound wide open and viciously forced him to his knees. It wasn't the pain that kept him there. It was the stun of betrayal.
...
The Terrarian gritted his teeth and exhaled hard through his nostrils, twisting his neck to rest his cheek on the hardwood table. How surreal. Was this how people behaved themselves normally? Was it typical for one's allegiance to shift so rapidly from one to another? Perhaps he was complaining over something very pedestrian… yet, no matter how long he reasoned with himself, that bubbling scorn remained lodged in his throat with nowhere to go.
"Haha! I knew you'd come back to me all torn up, you wonderful bastard. I've been daydreaming about things to try this out on you… all very safe. I promise."
The Nurse cackled from the other room, her voice overlaying the gentle crackle of the fireplace. She had just finished boiling her medical equipment, supposedly to clean it, and was looking at him like a wolf looked at a slab of meat. She was terrifying, wielding her innumerable shining scalpels, but at least her antics would take his mind off his current woes.
"All right, dearie… what have you got for me. Ohhh, acute T5 spinal trauma! Very -fucking- fun! Who the hell stapled you together, huh? Was it the fucking Guide again? That bastard doesn't know the first thing about first aid. I should really (etc…)"
He squeezed his eyes shut and hissed through gritted teeth as The Nurse began plucking out the makeshift staples that ran across his back, from shoulder to hip. The sensation was highly unpleasant, but he was here willingly. After all, although he had been at one time traumatized by The Nurse's horrendous healing methods, he would much rather be sliced open to have his spine re-arranged then spend a single second longer watching The Guide salivate over 'His Majesty'.
Stupid.
It was stupid. He was stupid, and he was spilling with unwarranted vitriol. The Guide hadn't actually hurt him, and the Sea King had done nothing at all, so why was he so full of wrath? He had boiled as he watched that merry pair fling pleasantries back and forth as he knelt there, paying homage to a King he was rapidly coming to despise. The sop-show didn't even end when the three of them downed the Recall Potions he had made, and arrived back in the compound he had built.
Intolerable.
He had had enough of it. Once they came home, he was fully intent on fixing his armour and venturing out to forage for… anything. He needed to get away from this pair of chatterboxes before he lost his mind. That was when The Guide pulled him aside and - with a serious look on his face - requested he build a castle for the Sea King.
...
That stunned him. The Guide was far more perceptive than this. Couldn't he read minds? Was it not abundantly clear that The Terrarian was terribly bitter towards that Seahorse abomination? This… could this be a provocation? Or perhaps The Guide was simply too starstruck to think clearly. In that moment, had The Nurse not caught sight of him and excitedly dragged him away, he really might have cut The Guide down right then and there.
...- urk!
There was a horrendous peeling noise as The Nurse pried open the gash in his back and began jabbing him with sharp things. Temporarily distracted, he grimaced and did his best not to visualize what was going on behind him. He folded his arms beneath his head, cupped his face with his elbows and stared deeply into the kitchen table, dutifully counting the whorls as The Nurse worked on him. He halfway listened to her droning prattle before shutting his eyes and drifting into a restless, troubled stupor.
"The Crimson must take priority, your majesty. Please allow me to impose this. Not only is that abomination nearly on our doorstep, but it is also holding the souls of my loved ones hostage! I must free them from that suffering immediately. You understand, don't you, sir?"
The Sea King said nothing. Instead, taking the time to carefully study The Guide and his mannerisms. He was a young man, no older than thirty, with a wiry figure and a dangerous sparkle in his eye. While submerged, he was a miserable, bumbling toddler. However, on his native soil, he was proving himself both competent and formidable. The change in behavior was drastic enough that The Sea King immediately realized he had misjudged this human's character. Although he initially appeared starstruck by Amidas' presence, willing to do anything to please, it quickly became apparent that despite the pleasantries, The Guide had his own agenda in mind. An agenda that would not be shaken despite anything The Sea King told him.
"With all due respect, my issue is extremely urgent. I pray you will hold your vengeance until The Crimson is taken care of, afterwards we will join The Resistance and pursue Yharim to avenge the deaths of your subjects. You have my word, your majesty."
The Sea King exhaled disapprovingly and drummed his scaly claws on the wooden picnic table. It was early morning and the two of them were sitting beneath a lovely outdoor pavilion. The morning mist still covered the land, and the green grass was heavy with droplets of dew. It had been a long, long time since Amidas had seen above ground. It was as beautiful as he remembered it.
What he didn't remember was how awkward and cumbersome it was for someone with his physiology to move about on land. Water lent his formidable bulk a certain buoyancy, and it was only now that he truly felt the weight of his figure.
But for now, he would tolerate it. He was sitting in some horrible deathtrap of a chair, his tail folding awkwardly beneath him, spilling over the bench and laying, twitching, over the floor like a tremendous beached fish. He didn't like land very much, but what choice did he have? Just as he'd been pondering who might be his sword to avenge the blood of his people, A Terrarian had darkened his doorstep. One of those terrifying man-shaped creatures who could tear worlds apart if they so chose. Amidas identified him at a glance. He was young, perhaps less than a month old, yet already The Sea King could tell this specimen would grow to be an exceptionally ruthless killer.
I've seen that vacant look before. The look of unrelenting, bloodthirsty violence. His name was chosen well. A 'Slayer' indeed.
And A Slayer that was exactly what Amidas needed. The Tyrant King was dreadfully ruthless, and only one as vicious as he could stand before him. If he had the option, he would have cut The Guide out of this relationship entirely. This human was crafty and deceiving, and reminded The Sea King of why he didn't like humans very much either. However, considering how The Guide interacted with The Slayer, and how The Slayer glared at him every chance he got, The Sea King doubted he would be able to build any positive relationship with The Terrarian anytime soon, if at all.
It seems The Slayer is quite prideful. Interesting...
As such, Amidas would use The Guide as a liaison for his orders. It wasn't ideal, but there was no other option. The Terrarian looked at him like he would sooner butcher him then engage him in any semblance of civil conversation. He was overflowing with hostility, and -frankly- The Sea King was going to be careful not to provoke him any further. He had seen Terrarians in action before. By no means did he intend to find himself on the business end of The Slayer's blade.
And so, the solution was this. Amidas would deal with The Guide. He would feed this man the information he needed piece by piece - bargaining the price for each morsel. It mattered not whether The Slayer chased The Crimson or Yharim first, (although, naturally, The Sea King wished for his issue to be priority) all that mattered was The Guide was happy, and kept his promise.
Fine.
Amidas made a great show of nodding reluctantly. His voice came out dry and crackling in the thin air. He did have lungs, yes, he could technically survive indefinitely above ground. It was just supremely uncomfortable doing so. He made this known to The Guide.
"Very well, Guide. I accept these terms. I know how you might defeat the entities within The Crimson…rather, how you might summon them. I happen to have the sigil to call The Eye on my person..."
He produced a small, fleshy eyeball and rolled it across the table towards The Guide. The man blinked at it for a moment, before gingerly pocketing it and motioning eagerly for him to continue. A bit of a glutton for knowledge, this one.
"Break it at night, and The Eye will appear. However the death of The Eye, The Perforators, or even The Brain will do nothing to slow the spread of The Crimson. Should you wish to preserve this compound, you need a Dryad."
"A dryad? Are they not extinct, your majesty?"
"Almost extinct. One will surely come if they sense the defeat The Eye. The Dreaming God is an ancient enemy of theirs, and they will eagerly congregate around those who slay his derivatives. So..."
The Guide pursed his lips and nodded in understanding.
"We must kill The Eye. Everything else will follow."
"Very good."
The Guide stood and offered a deep bow.
"Thank you, your majesty. Truly your benevolence knows no bounds. You have been very forthcoming, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"Do you?"
The Guide froze, and raised his head in confusion. Amidas flexed his tail, lifting it heavily so The Guide could see the scales flaking off of it.
"I have been forthcoming, because I know your matter is urgent. However, before I grant you information on The Perforators - those great gut worms - I will have a suitable place to live. Is this acceptable?"
"Ah."
The human looked a bit guilty.
"Yes, your majesty. It certainly is. I'll have The Slayer get to work immediately."
Arms Dealer: No way, The monster knight was here? did he attack you? Are you hurt?
Nurse: Hah! no, little brat fell asleep on the kitchen table while I tested some interesting techniques on his spinal tissue.
AD: ... Nurse, are you using him as a guinea pig?
N: Psh. oh, come now. I would never.
Notes: Nurse totally would. 1) T doesn't actually fall asleep he sorta just stares into the void and checks out. 2) Everyone wants a bit out of my poor boi. Looks like all the pressure is on The Guide lol. 3) Dude, The Guide is totally cheating on Slayer for Amidas. T0T 4) I need freaking skits guys. ^ I may not use them immedietly (if they are not yet relevant (for example, the wings one Saint left) but I will deffo use them.
Thank you for your notes and reviews! they are always much appreciated.
much love