Queen's note: OMG FFNET WHY?!
okay I haven't been able to long into my account for a while now I'm sorry. This story is also on A-o-3 I have an account there under the same writer's name and I tend to update there first, and have an original story there too. Just incase FFnet decides to be evil with me again you know you can find me there =C or if you want you can come see me and some others on the discord h-tt ps :/ discord-. gg/ 48Fb-TWnSfz just take out the spaces dashes
Garnets
Chapter Eighty Three:
Rain, Rain, Don't go away
The Argenta technology really was amazing, and the fact that most of all that Lily had been exposed to was in some form or another was technically 'outdated.' Even something like the under armor, being a flexible metal was amazing though considered older technology? Not alive or anything creepy like that, but just how it was seemingly solid but…not. Like a thick fabric.
Lily tested her range of movement with the new addition of, well, pants. Under her borrowed leggings now. It had just taken a moment or so for what John had given her to finish molding against Lily. Connecting to the other part. With the borrowed clothes it was surprisingly hidden.
"Where's my daughter?" Frederick's voice spoke up suddenly.
"Changing dad, hold on." Lily called back as she finished tying the string holding her pants up. Paused and made sure the knot was better and then tucked the extra before noticing a weight she was not used to. Or she was used to it but only now noticing that it was back. One of the wide soul gems of the wolves, not the one that John gave her in the fortress. That was likely still in John's room, but this was gold and familiar. Lily was just wondering who it was before the golden wolf phantom came to life.
Lily yelled, glad the saplings were not on her as the gigantic wolf that was Kia's sibling turned and flopped on the young woman. There was a scramble and then both her dad and John appeared, responding to her sound.
There was a pause and the golden wolf rolled over, dragging the smaller human with him. Forepaws wrapped around Lily and showing the two a doggy-like grin. Then Lily was more or less squished into a lupin cuddle.
"Halp, I've been adopted?" Lily tried, frowning as she herd John's rasping, barking laugh.
She had wanted a puppy, not be the puppy!
"I….where did that come from?" Frederick started, then scowled and turned to smack John as hard as the phantom could on the other's exposed bicep. "Stop laughing and help our daughter you asshole!"
John grinned, despite the sound and a feeling of pressure, that did not hurt at all. He walked around the equipment Lily had used as a visible barrier. Then moved around to the other side, still smiling openly as he crouched, reaching down to untangle fussy limps before pulling the wolf up first from under the forelegs. The wolf phantom gave a protesting huff, wiggling forelegs in the air as he was stretched out to be almost as big as John was tall. The tail was still wagging though, more so as the Demigod shifted to use one hand to start rubbing his fingers in the fluff of the wolf's 'cheek' and then behind an ear on the neck. The golden wolf phantom went limp and gave a happy whine at the needed attention and seeing his new person being picked up.
"Are you okay babygirl?" Frederick asked, helping Lily to sit and then stand up, calming down now that he saw that Lily was okay. Just having been startled herself.
"Big puppy." Lily blurted, and then smiled.
"At least three great Danes." Frederick noted, feeling relieved to hear Lily giggle at the old family joke. The young woman had her feet solidly under her again. Hugging his daughter back as she gave into the want to just hug his side.
John was lowering the big wolf phantom down, doing a hand sign that had the wolf sitting and waiting. Rusty with training but had not forgotten it all as he walked with the Slayer back to the other two. Then promptly wedged his golden head onto Lily's chest, between her arms and smiled in that doggy way.
"Have I been adopted?" Lily asked, feeling the very real weight pressing against her, but this time the wolf did not knock her over.
John chuckled as he nodded, looking up as the scouts that he sent ahead were back. One lean young man hopping up onto a clear counter, not unlike a demanding way for attention that was not yelling. Sitting with the chance to rest after his run. "Hm?"
"The path is clear to the island the wintherin are on Lord Slayer." The scout said as he motioned back to another set of stairs going farther downwards to another level. "There's a ferry that still floats that's bright over. It should hold weight to make the trip over a few times. But if we want to use the cover of the storm we should leave. Arria saw the storm breaking up in the far lower city."
Still have gift-rock? John sighed, knowing that he should not make them linger. He had a chance to get Viola up but the time to keep Lily hidden was shrinking.
"In the coat-' Lily started and then squeaked as Haco came over to carefully drop the fur jacket over the human. The Argenta man grinning wide in his helmet as Lily all but vanished again. Just under fur.
There was a bit of a flail, and a few more squeaks before Lily found what Bastet gave her for healing the wintherin. Holding up the warm, palm sized condensed energy crystal from the wraith. "Here!"
John caught her hands, trying to be sure Lily had a tight hold on the gift. Squeezing the smaller hands as much as he dared before letting go to sign. Hold tight, no dropping. Stay by Valen, and dad, demons can't see Flower at my side.
"I can do that," Lily nodded, looking up as Haco tilted his head. "Are you going to kidnap me again?"
"Yes," Haco chuckled. "Temporary."
"I demand a backride then if I'm being kidnapped." Lily said as she got the coat back on and hid the healing stone-gift and the soul gem in the pockets. She tried to stand with hands on hips, but there was almost no sign of it. Lily just looked like she was drowning in the fur jacket.
Haco's shoulders shivered, he was trying very, very hard not to laugh aloud at what was trying to glare up at him. The little Lady did not even come up to his lower ribs, and was glaring from the floof. The Sentinel shifted and knelt down slowly, almost let out a low sound but held his discipline before turning halfway to the side, "Acceptable demand."
"Heeeh," Lily did not have the same discipline and likely with the confidence of familiarity, and having the Slayer himself side-eyeing Haco. Lily was willing to climb the broad back offered for her, arms looping around Haco's neck and legs braced on his back. Lily looked around once Haco stood up, and then her eyes lit up, not unlike the few times she had been riding over or on John's shoulder. "I'm… Tall."
Frederick sighed, looking up at his daughter shamelessly preening at her new point of view, even if on Haco's back. "Really tall there babygirl."
"Very," Lily agreed, finding a better spot to brace on the Argenta man as he shifted to get her too. Much better for now then being hauled around, Lily ducked her head and pressed it against Haco's stained but clean seeming helmet. Adding in a smaller voice, "Thank you Haco."
The big Sentinel Heavy hummed back so as not to draw more attention as Lily started the small, quiet moment. Not minding at all to help as he could hear how Lily was trying to not breathe harder than normal. Even if she was not his King's child, Haco liked kids. Others.
Civilians, honest ones.
As small as Lily was, she was not really a child, but to his immortal experience was still young enough that needed protection. More so against Hell. Haco did not need to be told again to keep Lily safe, he hoped he would have this starting connection with the human, even if the Slayer and Valen were not there.
"I know it sounds strange, Lady Lily," Haco spoke as he headed down the stairs once the Slayer did first with the Scouts. Waiting a moment on the steps to let Frederick keep pace with his longer legs. "But just in case the worst happens, if a Demon gets a hold of you, you need to just about play dead. Unless something is trying to bite you, most of the first demons that will come out into the rain, or after it stops will be older ones. Smarter ones."
"Don't run?" Lily frowned at that.
"If we, the Sentinels are around, yes, run to us. Past unless someone picks you up." Haco shifted to tilt his head back to look at Lily from the corner of his right eye. "Your best defense from hell, if you're alone, is that it seems like the Lord Slayer's energy is mixed… skimmed over you. Shielding from sight and first senses that you have a crystal heart. I can feel it now, I'm used to you, but some of the other Sentinels, even Commander Malum had not noticed until that scream. So most demons won't either."
"If they know… it would be like that… Elder Wretched?" Lily asked, looking back, seeing that Valen was just starting after them, some distance away and talking to someone about getting the armory vault space cleaned up to make use of once he's back.
Haco nodded, firmly. "Yes, they will try to get at your heart."
"What happened to my daughter's heart?" Frederick frowned, a soft blue and gold light coming from his phantom self and the wolf that insisted on walking with him.
Lily winced, right, they hadn't really gotten a chance to talk about that. She was admittedly a bit more preoccupied with crying. A lot. "Soo… what infected mom, and you, and others?"
Frederick narrowed his eyes, they were reflecting the same shade as his blade now. "The growth one?"
"Guess I wasn't as isolated as we thought." Lily ducked her head against Haco's shoulder for a moment and shifted to look back. "Just because I wasn't really directly exposed to mom, but also because it was my biological mom that changed… I have a crystal heart now."
"Mother's will always pass parts of themselves to their children when they are born," Haco tried to explain, pausing on the stairs to turn partly and let him and Lily look back at her dad's phantom easily. "Lily has a crystal heart, like you did but it did not progress nearly as far, brother. Asa explained it to us, so we can protect her with the Lord Slayer. The Wraith mother Gaia stopped the gorgon…infection, transformation. Mother Bastet just added to that gift."
Haco reached up and back, ruffling Lily's hair, some affection leaking through to see in body language alone. "Even though she has a crystal heart, it won't continue to grow, and just be a heart. But that's also why the Slayer's gift is good, it hides that it's in there."
"Crystal heart…" Frederick reached back and grasped his crucible self, the hilt. A hazy memory came back, more like a drunken dream of being held in a massive hand. Being passed and then trying to fit himself into a space Frederick knew all too, well now, as the hilt behind him. He only partly remembered that it felt good to spread out in the crucible.
A warm, large hand caught Frederick's left arm, and a smaller one patted at his arm.
"Dad?"
Frederick's phantom wavered a moment, and sat down backwards onto the stairs. His awareness suddenly, weirdly, split. Staring confused up at Haco, aware of Lily climbing down and having a body, if a phantom. Then at the same time the familiar feeling of being not in a body at the same time. As much trapped as being wholly a part of the crucible hilt. Frederick blindly reached out to the bond in a sudden need of reassurance to his wielder. God, who was protecting his, their daughter.
"Dad?" Lily's voice was a beacon, Frederick tried to focus on it. "Daddy, what's wrong?"
"I… feel… loose." Frederick tried to explain it, seeing some of his arm going a bit intangible as he tried to return the hug. Trying to not show the alarm he had at that.
Frederick wanted more time as him, not just being the Last Gift.
What the hell was this timing-
Haco suddenly moved away, his bulk moving back only to get replaced by someone if not as tall, but still seemed to take up the hall. Lily was gently but firmly taken from Frederick, nudged to the right side as the phantom tried to protest.
The Slayer shifted to plant himself in front of Frederick. Reaching around to grasp the hilt visible behind his head. Pulling Frederick against his front and squishing the phantom in the same sort of reassuring hug John would give Lily. At the same time willingly flooding energy over to the physical crucible.
"What's wrong?" Lily worried, but could see the building stress in her dad's phantom stopped then eased now that John was back.
The altered man considered and then looked back to Lily and signed once feeling it was safe to do so. Hungry. He has active blade, young blade. O-o-p-s.
"Oops?" Lily demanded.
I give Last Gift, F-r-e-d energy. Normally. Thought wraith energy would be fine. I help. John looked a bit guilty, keeping a hold on the hilt itself. With the physical contact it was easier to bleed over his energy to replace what Frederick had been burning to hold his form before he could not keep the phantom form.
"What happened?" Frederick asked, starting to feel better enough to lift his head.
"Your crucible self is active, mixed with your phantom form," Valen's voice spoke from the stairs above, "It seems you're burning energy like you would if John was fighting with you, but you're not being fed energy from the demons or him, to keep that form on your own."
"...is this spooky stuff with bad timing?" Lily asked from where she sat, supervising and was visibly relieved to see her dad's phantom was looking better. Though still leaning on John's shoulder and resting, recovering but not looking as faint as he almost turned into.
John nodded to her question, reaching over to give the hilt a squeeze like he would when idle. Not that it helped transfer any energy faster but the familiar had Frederick blinking and lifting his head. The Slayer grinned, shifted as he stood, pulling up the startled phantom into his arms.
The sound Frederick made was not a squeak like Lily did but it still was funny enough that John chuckled as he turned. Chuffing at Lily as he held the phantom in order to keep the connection and keep feeding energy. Just getting past Haco, who had to almost sit to make room.
Lily stood beside Haco, looking very confused. "I think I got used to him kidnapping me, because this feels odd… That John kidnapped my dad instead of me?"
"Help?" Frederick's voice drifted up.
"He loves you both, in his strange way." Haco reassured, smiling inside his helmet before looking back and up as Lily was a few steps above him sitting. "Really strange, that one, but… back ride still little Lady?"
Lily moved over and hopped onto the offered back again, riding along as Haco got back up to his feet. Looking over her shoulder at Valen as they moved, "Dad's going to be alright?"
"Yes my lake lily," Valen nodded, "Mother Bastet said it won't last until dark. We are in the afternoon. If John keeps sharing energy, your father will be a phantom for a little longer before he needs to sleep as a Crucible for the night."
"Oh," the living human thought about that for a quiet minute. Belatedly remembering the massive Wraith saying it would not last long. Trying to think if there was anything else she missed. How long did she have with her dad? John might not be able to keep sharing his energy, even if it seemed like there was no end to what the demigod had.
The sound of water had Lily looking up, and then perked up as she saw light. Filtered light but bright compared to the hall lit only by the phantom wolves. The golden one had stayed beside her and Haco. She could see her dad's phantom standing just inside the open doorway- just big enough for Malum to ease through. Frederick looked solid again, just that slight transparent but standing on his own feet again beside John now.
The demigod was fitting his helmet back into place, scanning around just outside the door.
There was another sound that Lily was hearing, something both new and kinda familiar. It was as Haco was kneeling down in the shadows to the side of the door, to give cover to the human to hop off. Haco then nudged Lily into his own shadow to wait for the all clear as a few wolves walked back and forth. From what Lily could see outside the door, it was like a little beach.
Instead of sand, it was river smoothed gravel from pea size and there was a lot of color to the pebbles that drew Lily's attention, enough that she tried to lean around Haco. Only the bigger Sentinel reached down to pin her against his hip and side. Not that it bothered Lily as she realized the colors looked like sea glass! Only there was definitely no smell of salt, just freshwater.
There was no visible rain like when they were above, but Lily could hear it. So there was an overhang? "Are we at the water level?"
"Not yet, it's like thirty feet down." Frederick noted from the doorway, moving out of the way of a scout that returned.
"Yes it is. Lord Valen, we have the ramp ready and have a second boat coming, but we should all fit in the first. just..ah," She paused, the Argenta woman sounding younger than any others so far. eyeing the taller Haco, then back to the bulky Slayer. "...we just can't move around too much."
"In other words some of us in heavy armor should not wiggle around." Haco chuckled.
"Your butt's too big." Lily giggled, squeaking as she was picked up and tossed over Haco's shoulder. "Ack!"
"Rude," Haco echoed back, not denying it though as he added while walking over to the door and set Lily between him and Frederick, "I am not calling you out for being the size of a wintherin's wing-bone. Or a plant stem."
"I'll bite your ankles."
"Go right ahead little Lady, but I wait until I go through decontamination first. The Dreadnought's innerads were sticky to walk through."
"...ew… never mind."
"Good idea."
Valen chuckled, keeping Lily in sight as she lingered behind near the wall. The once Commander was glad to see several scouts and warriors that had gone ahead by different routes on the outside and were staying alert in the storm around the supports of the throne room buildings. Lily was being distracted by the warn-smooth glass underfoot.
Once, long ago this was one of the lowest docking points under the upper city. There were other once docks attached and hanging above on the stone supports. One of the older wooden docks was set up to the side, being used like a ramp. The Slayer did not even try to use the almost petrified wood, knowing it would not support his weight and just hopped down to the next level, slashing a bit.
The sound of water had Lily standing back up, holding something in her hands as Frederick too stood from looking at the same thing. The phantom offered something shiny to Lily to put in her little handful. The young woman smiled and shamelessly hid the shinies in the deep pockets fur jacket. Looking up at the sounds from before.
Lily stood for a few minutes, out of the way with her phantom father and Haco settled on his heels not far. She did not want to be in the way of whatever was happening with the boat, though the glimpse seemed like a giant raft of wood. Looking up at the overhang above her, taking in how it seemed like a crystal growth, almost but not exactly like what was in Bastet's nest.
Maybe it was a lesser version? It had some sort of moss growth on the top part that hung over the edges so you could only see from the bottom it was a crystal. Lily shifted around Haco, not leaving his side just moving around to look up. Grasping the armor on Haco's shoulder to brace herself, Lily studied upwards. There were a few other spots similar to the closer overhang. Only they were far more covered, not as large the higher up it was, and just had a small glint of shiny to give away that they were crystals at all.
"What do you see babygirl?" Frederick asked, looking upwards as well, and after a moment Haco tilted his head sideways to also look up.
"I think I see where some of the crystals…wraith crystals from Bastet's chamber are coming out?"
Haco shifted to tilt his head a bit more, and made a thoughtful sound. "It might be… but that is a good thing. More so if our Wark King gets his way… we might get the whole of Nabad."
"Wait what?" Lily blurted out, turning her attention to the now kneeling Sentinel.
"You know how the Fortress of Doom, our home, has shields and the engines to keep it hovering. Or in space." Haco sounded like he was grinning.
"Yeaaah…?" Lily blinked and then turned as Frederick chuckled, remembering the idea John had been thinking about enough that it leaked over the bond.
Haco chuckled, picked up a green, frosted and worn smooth glass that was in a very rough shape like the Fortress. With a tapering end, giving it to Lily to hold, it was maybe two inches long at most. Then he dug his armored hand half into the smooth glass gravel. Pulling up a bigger rock that was as big as his hand from what was under them. Brushing it off he held it up under the glass piece Lily held.
"If what you hold is the Fortress, a mobile war base, what I'm holding would be a smaller version of a Fortress City." Haco explained, "Before the midway point with the war with hell, when hell started to harvest our worlds themselves. The Night Sentinels set out to make Fortress Cities, so we could evacuate the people."
It took a few moments of thinking before Lily startled. Looking up from the stone and glass she tapped together lightly, Haco could see her realize what the plan was before looking around. Not just the shelter they were under but everything visible from the level near the water level to upwards. The towering, almost skyscraper-like bedrock-stone supports that held up not just the throne room building above them but what seemed like countless more.
More like several dozen more buildings?
Frederick grinned as he saw the moment Lily seemed to really grasp what was implied as she turned her attention to the stone Haco held steady. "A smaller version of a Fortress City?"
"The engines that can lift the Fortress could hold something bigger. There should be three engines in a city like Taras Nabad." Haco motioned upwards at the building they just came from. "One is in the throne room building here, there should be another two in the lower city."
"The city remains, looked to be miles long, and at least a mile long, though?" Lily half asked, remembering seeing what she could of the vast cityscape from that outside path and the spot the wintherin had been nested in.
"The single engine here is bigger, it could likely lift the whole upper city." Haco chuckled in his helmet watching Lily's expression intently as she was back to looking around. "Once we do that, and purge Nabad fully, I think it would be a good place to rebuild, for both our people. After that, with Mother Bastet freed, Hell can't easily get in by portals once we have the city again."
"...John doesn't do things normally, huh?" Lily asked softly, barely not dropping the green glass.
"Or half way," Frederick snorted, considering he knew the Slayer wanted the whole of the Taras Nabad. Upper and lower city parts even more now with what the Wraith dragon lady had said.
"Or halfway," Haco agreed, smiling in his helmet and it reflected in the warmth of his voice that lowered just for Lily to hear. "You and the other humans he's saved like Heather, are very loved, Lady Lily. I don't think the Lord Slayer would try to get the Fortress Cities if not for your sakes, and to get garden space."
"Garden space?" Lily blurted out with a giggle, moved to cover her mouth but her hand ran into her mask instead. Then jumped a bit as the wolf phantom hopped back up and came over to offer her a… yellow frosted round piece of glass. Taking the present, Lily remembered talking to Vega about the seeds brought should be treated like they might be some of the last ones of those kinds. To take care of them like that, but she had seen John lifting his head from his food thoughtfully. "Holy shite."
"Many holy shites." Haco agreed, getting up and dropping the rock back into the smoothed glass gravel. Holding a hand to the much smaller human., "I would say act surprised when it happens but it will be a surprise when it does. Ready to go on the boat?"
Lily nodded, taking the hand and she walked over to the edge the Sentinels had gone over. Where the makeshift bridge attempt was made of the old dock. Lily peered over the edge and then looked worried. She edged back to ask Haco softly, "Is it really a boat?"
"Raft?" Haco offered back.
"It can't be that bad-" Frederick walked the last few steps over and stopped half way. The phantom man stared with a similar worried expression as Lily. Tilted his head to one side and then the other. "That's not a boat, or raft. That's a chunk of dock with an engine on it."
"Or a mooring anchor still attached?" Lily guessed, trying to get a better look from the safety of their spot.
"Are you really being that judgemental of the boat?" Valen asked with an amused tone from below on the propper beach, some thirty feet down. Like the upper section it was full of sea glass.
Lake glass?
As one, both Lily and Frederick's phantom leaned down to look at Valen. The matching expressions of disbelief had the older Aagenta man grinning in his own helmet. They were father and daughter and a lot of Lily's expressions or habits were making a bit more sense to him.
"That's not a boat though." Lily pointed out, eyeing how the Slayer was moving onto it carefully himself. Paused and then gave an experimental bounce that made the raft thing shift but thankfully not sink, "It's a piece of dock."
"It's a raft we have."
"The young Lady is right, it's formerly part of the docks of the city." A Sentinel noted from where he was sitting firmly on the raft. Dock.
"HAH! See? I grow up around docks and boats grandpa!"
"But short of finding and taking time to get a hover ship fixed, this is the fastest way to get to the Wintherin." the same Sentinel added.
The reminder of the wintherin that needed help had Lily wincing. Shifted to press against her dad, for that quiet ask of reassurance. Getting a half hug and then a back rubbed. The phantom tried to encourage. "You can do it, baby girl."
"There's no, like, sea monsters in there, right?" Lily asked as she started down the improvised ramp with Frederick right behind. Poking the wood and finding it really did seem like stone then wood.
Could wood petrify without being buried in sediment?
"Pretty sure anything like that would be extinct." Haco noted, crouching on the edge and looking down, waiting to jump down until his current charge was safely down the ramp.
Lily turned and stared at Haco, getting rained on actively now and then turned to Valen. Looking worried, looking to him to reassure her.
"..." Valen was quiet for just long enough that both Lily and Frederick looked alarmed. "What used to be in this reservoir lake of Taras Nabad was the water version of the wintherin and something smaller and friendly to fishermen."
"I'm concerned." Lily said as she looked around and clearly had a moment of debating if she should go back up into the stairs to be where it seemed safe with Bastet. Weird grooming aside from the dragon-wraith thing… nice lady. Grandmother.
The Slayer shifted, just able to look back without fully turning as he was scanning above. A low, thunder deep rumble of sound came out of him, not to travel extremely far. The living human felt it though, and as he seemed not worried made a face. She sighed and put her hands in the pockets of the big borrowed jacket, putting the two latest shinies, and feeling the warm crystal from Bastet.
Lily pointed at Valen, "You promised to save me from monsters."
"I did and I will." Valan assured, ignoring the chuckle from the Slayer. "You're in the care of the Night Sentinels. We will."
"Or I will," Haco happily spoke up from his spot, he sounded like he was grinning again even with his helmet on. Watching as Lily debated again but the phantom took her shoulders and guided Lily down to the shining beach and only once sure she was on the raft and safely sitting beside Valen. Who lifted the hood over Lily as they were still exposed to the rain.
Haco jumped down, feeling the odd sensation of the glass gravel under his boots but he helped with pushing the improvised raft back off the beach. Hopping up on and moved to kneel on the other side of the human. Haco used one hand to nudge Frederick's phantom closer to the Slayer. To be closer if needing more energy.
"Keep between us," Valen said as Lily settled on the damp surface. Looking around as she was able to sit on the edge of the jacket. There were four Argenta that were on the different corners with paddles. The three living wolves laying down to feel stable.
Lily looked upwards again, finding that there was rain because they were at the edge of the throne room building. Where the storm could still reach them and the runoff from above in some areas were moving sheets of water before it split up. Looking up at the massive building was very different from looking out at the city above. The young woman felt like it really was looking up at the massive skyscrapers in the bigger cities, only it was a clifface with the edging of a building visible from down here.
Then Lily watched her new friend, the golden phantom wolf bounced off the raft and onto the surface of the water. Not through but on it, running ahead like running on the ground. Leaving a trail of light that reflected on the surface. He was not the only one as other phantom wolves were summoned by the Argenta and just… let go to play.
Like Kia and the golden wolf did in the tomb. They ran ahead, then back, playing and then taking the lead. An escort that was colorly, eerie and just…fun. It was a wonderful distraction for Lily to keep her from thinking of what was under the surface. The falling rain gave the water a granulated texture up to the point of the water falling from the building. Lily ducked under the hood and squeaked as Haco leaned up and over her, blocking the most of the sheet of water.
Passing through a waterfall, and only once away from the sound of falling water did the background sound clear up. Haunting and rolling over the still water under the building. Not the wind. Lily looked up as Haco was sitting back. "...what is it?"
"Wintherin song," the Argenta man said, scanning and then pointing to one of the many islands of sand and more glass gravel. "See there? The paler mass is the Slayer's mount, the other is her mate."
Lily lifted the damp fur edge of her hood, peering ahead and almost between John's legs as the raft turned. With as they were going with the slow current on the surface, it did not take long to get closer.
The pause mass moved, sitting up partly and the long neck lifted off the sea glass beach. Though like the smaller withering above, where there were no visible eyes, the creature seemed to see the raft and the armored one kneeling on the front. She let out the start of an excited trill, starting to get up before collapsing back down let out a screech-yowl of pain. The thud of her falling echoed in this odd, not really quiet place. One of the massive wings was visibly twisted at an unnatural algae even from the raft. The darker colored male was jumping up and almost knocking over a healer stuck in the temporary next.
Viola dropped back to the beach, gasping for air and after a minute she tried to lift her head and trill again. The raft was closer and she was singing at her rider, even as her mate had his wings opened fully. It was a mix of a threat display at the strangers, and trying to give assurance to the bigger female he was there to protect her.
The Slayer hummed, standing up on the raft carefully as he saw the normally pale hide and gray stripes stained with mud and her own blood. Though the holes in her wings were no longer bleeding, Viola was no longer trapped by the spear and line. The demigod flexed his hands, and a whine slipped out of him as the raft approached the beach. He jumped off and into the shallows, wading up and closer with no fear of a wintherin rider.
The big male hissed as it got between the Slayer and his mate, fans exposed and fully exposed. When the Slayer did not stop like the healers had, the male launched forward snapping at the air. He made a startled sound as the Slayer caught his jaws, even if the demigod was shoved and slid back, he held on and kept the wintherin from biting him. Holding the large jaws until the Slayer closed them and pushed into the male's space, grabbing the horns. He needed to get Viola's mate to calm down before Lily got close.
Affection-worry. Reassurance.
The primordial words rumbled out as the Slayer locked his arms around the male wintherin's neck and horn. He was still a bit smaller than Viola and just that bit easier to handle. To get to remember him and then calm down until the Slayer was standing with a big head pressing into his armor. Humming to the big creature as if to Heather to calm down and reassure.
He was back. The Slayer had found them again. He was there to help them.
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XFireStoneX:
all the things going on in real life x.x but I'm here, just belated for updated for ffnet's being a pain