The Whisper took the dwarf's words as something positive, having second thoughts about this place, but also having a glimmer of hope, if that were even out there for it to grasp. Holy s**t... there was a way out. In fact, there were many ways out. They could go anywhere. But where would they go? They would have to talk that out, but now was not the time. It only knew that, wherever they went, they would want to be anywhere but here.
Well, that was kind of a false statement.
When he introduced himself as Janus, it paused for a moment. It thought it somehow knew that name, but it shook the thought off, having more things to worry about right now. Like, maybe the fact that it was still looking like a ghost. Yeah, that was definitely something to be concerned about. It nodded; everyone needed to be patched up. It glanced at Lucine, then back at Janus.
"It's nice to meet you, Janus," it offered, having a small yet half-hearted grin on its face. It faded a few seconds after it finished speaking. "We would all like to be patched up, that would be wonderful. I can help out too, I'm more knowledgeable with this kind of thing than I look." It paused for a moment before continuing. "Lucine here needs some treatment for her leg," it explained, motioning to the girl. "Some of that Alstrixia would do very nicely, if you could. Maybe some for this hand too." It held up its burnt hand as it finished, finally touching the ground for the first time since it arrived at the camp which burnt down. It expected a large amount of pain to shoot up its leg from the sprained ankle, but it was just fine. It breathed a sigh of relief.
The walls of darkness were absolute. If one could even call them walls, that is. Searching for an exit was rendered futile. There were no exits, or even entrances for that matter. There was nothing, yet everything. Images would occasionally flash by, but when they didn't, there was only the blackness of the void in a tortured mind. One that had been ripped out, stuffed with the voices of many strangers, then stitched together and shoved back in. But of course, it didn't return with every memory it once had. Some were left behind, while most remained. The ones left behind weren't just pushed out. They were turned to dust, just as if a field of flowers somehow became aflame with the heat of bright, thin serpents.
Dust remained.
One could ask how this was even possible. To be aware of the blackness in your mind, expecting to remember when you woke up wasn't something everyone felt. Or was it?
So many questions... but so little answers. There would never truly be a world with an answer to every single question that came out of every mouth. Some curiosities were never meant to be quenched. But that wouldn't always stop them from searching. Thirsting for knowledge they would never quench themselves with. It simply didn't exist, but that wasn't the reality for them in their fragile minds.
In a way, humans were like that.
Even Call was like that.
He remembered comparing himself to Athus in the future. He found himself asking questions as well, thirsting for answers. That was the whole reason he went to talk to him after visiting June in her cell to begin with. Now he just wanted to know why the world wouldn't let him wake up; or why Death wouldn't help him in some way that didn't end with his soul drifting in the Shadows. He still wanted to talk to the skeletal reaper, but that probably wouldn't happen until all of this was over.
The world was cruel. He considered letting the abyss lock him in here forever. Yes. An abyss of insanity.
As that thought passed by him like a gentle, summer breeze, the darkness slowly swirled around him until it revealed another environment. Icy flakes slowly descended from the soft grey clouds, almost like each one was an angel. The calm swirl of white traveled all around him, with no noise except for the winter air. He was standing still, snow crunching underneath his feet. Every article of clothing except for his scarf was black as a night sky would be without the stars decorating it.
In front of him, a cabin exposed itself in the snowy woods, the pine needles on the evergreen trees painted white. It was a simple, wooden cabin, with warm light shining on the inside, seen through the crystal clear panes of the windows. It wasn't a recognizable sight, to say the least, but he felt as though he should be recognizing it. The heavenly snow continued to fall, planting cold kisses on his cheeks. He felt his hood hanging below the back of his neck, yet he didn't make a move to shelter himself from the flakes drifting from the melancholy sky.
"My child..."
The voice reached him before he could comprehend the person standing in front of the cabin door, just at the top of the steps leading to the snow-covered soil. The woman's pale skin was flawless, heavily contrasting the black, woolly coat she wore, the hood lined with fur as pure as the snow blessing the forest. Her wavy raven hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. Tall and slender, with a straight posture, despite having had three children. She was beautiful, just as described by his sister and his brother, who were fortunate enough to have a mother.
There was no denying it; this was Callum Muraco's mother.
He wanted to call for her, but his voice was taken away from him by Gods know what. He took laborious steps forward, stopping halfway. He didn't know how he recognized her, but he did. Her hair, her pallor, even her facial structure was similar to the boy opposite of the lone cabin. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. His vision blurred, courtesy of the warm tears beating back the winter wind crossing those eyes. The woman slowly made her way down the steps, the snow crunching underneath her black boots.
"My child..." she repeated, her voice soft and comforting. She somehow seemed to recognize him, despite having not gotten the chance to see him except for the last moment in her life, right before Death took her soul away in exchange for his. He could almost feel his own soul turning grey as his mind began to shut down. All he saw was his mother, and she was all he could think about. He couldn't move his paralyzed legs. As she walked a little closer, he could see her cloudy grey eyes, mirroring his perfectly. It had that same fire shining through the orbs from their souls. However, right now, the fire in Call dimmed drastically.
"Callum... my son," she said, almost overjoyed. However, through the haze, he could somehow pick out worry in her voice. She didn't take another step. He wanted her to embrace him, but she wasn't giving him what he wanted. She just stood there, and he did as well, the two of them staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity of silence.
The insanity abyss was taunting him.
She finally moved again, approaching him, looking down at her last child. He waited for her arms to wrap around him, to pull him in and tell him that everything was alright now, but that didn't happen. "You've grown so much, my child," she commented, cupping his cheek with one hand. He leaned his face into it slightly, closing his eyes and exhaling deeply. It was a peaceful moment.
"I love you, with all of my heart."
The boy inhaled sharply, tears flooding from his eyes.
"I... I love you too, mum," he murmured, shaking as guilt wormed its way through his system, his voice finally working. He was talking to the woman who's life he stole, whom his older brother looked up to before she was traded for a cursed child.
"I'm so s-s-sorry, m-mum..."
He was still waiting for the hug, opening his grey eye, which still brimmed his tears. "M-mum...?" he croaked, standing still as stone. She looked upon him, moving her hand down from his face to take his hand in hers, sandwiching it between both hands. "Son... it's okay. Everything will be okay now," she reassured quietly, though there was something hesitant there. "It isn't your fault."
It isn't your fault.
There is no universe in which this would be your fault.
You've done nothing to deserve this, to deserve any of this!
Suddenly, the world froze.
The boy pulled his hand away from his mother's own hands, stepping back while shaking his head. Everything was coming back to him. His resolve was coming back to him. His cursed mind was finally letting up. He knew what this was, what all of this was. His mother was dead.
The only reason he was here was because he was about to die, too.
He couldn't join her, not yet.
He had so much more to do, to see, to feel!
"I'm sorry..." he said with a bit of fire in his voice. He couldn't tell what her expression was supposed to be sending to him. It was like she wanted him to stay, but at the same time, she wished for him to return to the living world. However, everything else around him begged to differ. The wind began to pick up as he became aware of what was going on, the warm light in the cabin snuffed. The pine needles were being picked off of the trees by the harsher current, blown in his face.
"But it isn't my time yet."
With that, he did something that would pain him for the rest of his life.
He ran from his mother, leaving her all alone.
Soon enough, the wind was practically cutting into his nerves, the gentle flakes now violent whips in the form of frozen water. He was running as fast as his legs could carry him, down the path that would lead back to his life. The fire in his soul was starting up again, however, it would soon be snuffed. The howling wind drilled into his eardrums, seeping into his skin and taking away any existing warmth. His breathing became deeper, reflecting in the real world as well, the one where he was in Lucine's arms, on the brink of death.
Was this how he met Death? The moment his throat was slit and the world became darker?
"This is not my time!" he shouted, gritting his teeth as he continued to sprint through the forest, weaving around trees. Soon, skeletal boughs took their place, displaying trophies of Tjamin's victories. The carved words echoed in his mind, yet he ignored them. He wasn't going to be this emotionally weak anymore. If he was to return to life, he would have to make that promise, for his cursed mind burdened him. He would have to fight it. He would have to fight his curse, his own mind, not the Whisper this time, not any voices.
Something he hadn't done ever since he received it in the first place.
"Lucine!" he cried desperately, racing to get back to her, to embrace her while in her arms. He wanted to be pulled closer to her, even if they couldn't possibly get any closer to each other. "Help!" More running. The wind was making it harder to keep going. It was pushing against him, and he was about to lose, but he kept going. Human? Didn't matter. What mattered was his determination, the very fire in his soul.
"Lucine! Help!!" he screamed, trying to reach her through this void of melancholy. His skin was lashed repeatedly by the harsh blizzard, but he didn't care. A white haze formed all around him as the blizzard embraced the wild side of nature, but he didn't care. He was being pushed to his limits, but he. Didn't. Care.
"Help me, Lucine!!"
In real time, Call's fingers twitched once more, somehow finding Lucine's hand and taking it, squeezing it hard. He looked like he was fighting to live, and he was. "Help..." he gasped, his eyes still squeezed shut, the color of his face remaining pale blue. However, someone with a keen eye would notice the color very slowly starting to disappear.
"H... e... l... p..."
The moment she heard someone say "an empty shell", she was awake. However, she didn't let anyone know, pretending to be unconscious, keeping her eyes sealed shut. She heard everything Raph said, and she couldn't believe her ears. She wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him, asking him why the hell he would say something like that. It broke whatever was left of her heart to hear his future plans. He would have no future.
She might as well not have a future.
She cared deeply about Callum. She wanted him to live, and she wanted to be apart of his life once again. But she also cared about Raph. When he said her life would be better off without him, she wanted to scold him. She had to fake unconsciousness in order to hear everything he was saying without him interrupting himself to check on her. She would be fine, but he wasn't fine. There was no happily ever after for her without him.
She didn't open her eyes, but she shifted a little. "Raph... I love you too," she whispered, embracing him back. "My happily ever after will not exist without you. I can never bring myself to forget you. I am here to heal you. I will heal you if it is the last thing I do. I will."
The Whisper took the dwarf's words as something positive, having second thoughts about this place, but also having a glimmer of hope, if that were even out there for it to grasp. Holy s**t... there was a way out. In fact, there were many ways out. They could go anywhere. But where would they go? They would have to talk that out, but now was not the time. It only knew that, wherever they went, they would want to be anywhere but here.
Well, that was kind of a false statement.
When he introduced himself as Janus, it paused for a moment. It thought it somehow knew that name, but it shook the thought off, having more things to worry about right now. Like, maybe the fact that it was still looking like a ghost. Yeah, that was definitely something to be concerned about. It nodded; everyone needed to be patched up. It glanced at Lucine, then back at Janus.
"It's nice to meet you, Janus," it offered, having a small yet half-hearted grin on its face. It faded a few seconds after it finished speaking. "We would all like to be patched up, that would be wonderful. I can help out too, I'm more knowledgeable with this kind of thing than I look." It paused for a moment before continuing. "Lucine here needs some treatment for her leg," it explained, motioning to the girl. "Some of that Alstrixia would do very nicely, if you could. Maybe some for this hand too." It held up its burnt hand as it finished, finally touching the ground for the first time since it arrived at the camp which burnt down. It expected a large amount of pain to shoot up its leg from the sprained ankle, but it was just fine. It breathed a sigh of relief.
The walls of darkness were absolute. If one could even call them walls, that is. Searching for an exit was rendered futile. There were no exits, or even entrances for that matter. There was nothing, yet everything. Images would occasionally flash by, but when they didn't, there was only the blackness of the void in a tortured mind. One that had been ripped out, stuffed with the voices of many strangers, then stitched together and shoved back in. But of course, it didn't return with every memory it once had. Some were left behind, while most remained. The ones left behind weren't just pushed out. They were turned to dust, just as if a field of flowers somehow became aflame with the heat of bright, thin serpents.
Dust remained.
One could ask how this was even possible. To be aware of the blackness in your mind, expecting to remember when you woke up wasn't something everyone felt. Or was it?
So many questions... but so little answers. There would never truly be a world with an answer to every single question that came out of every mouth. Some curiosities were never meant to be quenched. But that wouldn't always stop them from searching. Thirsting for knowledge they would never quench themselves with. It simply didn't exist, but that wasn't the reality for them in their fragile minds.
In a way, humans were like that.
Even Call was like that.
He remembered comparing himself to Athus in the future. He found himself asking questions as well, thirsting for answers. That was the whole reason he went to talk to him after visiting June in her cell to begin with. Now he just wanted to know why the world wouldn't let him wake up; or why Death wouldn't help him in some way that didn't end with his soul drifting in the Shadows. He still wanted to talk to the skeletal reaper, but that probably wouldn't happen until all of this was over.
The world was cruel. He considered letting the abyss lock him in here forever. Yes. An abyss of insanity.
As that thought passed by him like a gentle, summer breeze, the darkness slowly swirled around him until it revealed another environment. Icy flakes slowly descended from the soft grey clouds, almost like each one was an angel. The calm swirl of white traveled all around him, with no noise except for the winter air. He was standing still, snow crunching underneath his feet. Every article of clothing except for his scarf was black as a night sky would be without the stars decorating it.
In front of him, a cabin exposed itself in the snowy woods, the pine needles on the evergreen trees painted white. It was a simple, wooden cabin, with warm light shining on the inside, seen through the crystal clear panes of the windows. It wasn't a recognizable sight, to say the least, but he felt as though he should be recognizing it. The heavenly snow continued to fall, planting cold kisses on his cheeks. He felt his hood hanging below the back of his neck, yet he didn't make a move to shelter himself from the flakes drifting from the melancholy sky.
"My child..."
The voice reached him before he could comprehend the person standing in front of the cabin door, just at the top of the steps leading to the snow-covered soil. The woman's pale skin was flawless, heavily contrasting the black, woolly coat she wore, the hood lined with fur as pure as the snow blessing the forest. Her wavy raven hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. Tall and slender, with a straight posture, despite having had three children. She was beautiful, just as described by his sister and his brother, who were fortunate enough to have a mother.
There was no denying it; this was Callum Muraco's mother.
He wanted to call for her, but his voice was taken away from him by Gods know what. He took laborious steps forward, stopping halfway. He didn't know how he recognized her, but he did. Her hair, her pallor, even her facial structure was similar to the boy opposite of the lone cabin. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. His vision blurred, courtesy of the warm tears beating back the winter wind crossing those eyes. The woman slowly made her way down the steps, the snow crunching underneath her black boots.
"My child..." she repeated, her voice soft and comforting. She somehow seemed to recognize him, despite having not gotten the chance to see him except for the last moment in her life, right before Death took her soul away in exchange for his. He could almost feel his own soul turning grey as his mind began to shut down. All he saw was his mother, and she was all he could think about. He couldn't move his paralyzed legs. As she walked a little closer, he could see her cloudy grey eyes, mirroring his perfectly. It had that same fire shining through the orbs from their souls. However, right now, the fire in Call dimmed drastically.
"Callum... my son," she said, almost overjoyed. However, through the haze, he could somehow pick out worry in her voice. She didn't take another step. He wanted her to embrace him, but she wasn't giving him what he wanted. She just stood there, and he did as well, the two of them staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity of silence.
The insanity abyss was taunting him.
She finally moved again, approaching him, looking down at her last child. He waited for her arms to wrap around him, to pull him in and tell him that everything was alright now, but that didn't happen. "You've grown so much, my child," she commented, cupping his cheek with one hand. He leaned his face into it slightly, closing his eyes and exhaling deeply. It was a peaceful moment.
"I love you, with all of my heart."
The boy inhaled sharply, tears flooding from his eyes.
"I... I love you too, mum," he murmured, shaking as guilt wormed its way through his system, his voice finally working. He was talking to the woman who's life he stole, whom his older brother looked up to before she was traded for a cursed child.
"I'm so s-s-sorry, m-mum..."
He was still waiting for the hug, opening his grey eye, which still brimmed his tears. "M-mum...?" he croaked, standing still as stone. She looked upon him, moving her hand down from his face to take his hand in hers, sandwiching it between both hands. "Son... it's okay. Everything will be okay now," she reassured quietly, though there was something hesitant there. "It isn't your fault."
It isn't your fault.
There is no universe in which this would be your fault.
You've done nothing to deserve this, to deserve any of this!
Suddenly, the world froze.
The boy pulled his hand away from his mother's own hands, stepping back while shaking his head. Everything was coming back to him. His resolve was coming back to him. His cursed mind was finally letting up. He knew what this was, what all of this was. His mother was dead.
The only reason he was here was because he was about to die, too.
He couldn't join her, not yet.
He had so much more to do, to see, to feel!
"I'm sorry..." he said with a bit of fire in his voice. He couldn't tell what her expression was supposed to be sending to him. It was like she wanted him to stay, but at the same time, she wished for him to return to the living world. However, everything else around him begged to differ. The wind began to pick up as he became aware of what was going on, the warm light in the cabin snuffed. The pine needles were being picked off of the trees by the harsher current, blown in his face.
"But it isn't my time yet."
With that, he did something that would pain him for the rest of his life.
He ran from his mother, leaving her all alone.
Soon enough, the wind was practically cutting into his nerves, the gentle flakes now violent whips in the form of frozen water. He was running as fast as his legs could carry him, down the path that would lead back to his life. The fire in his soul was starting up again, however, it would soon be snuffed. The howling wind drilled into his eardrums, seeping into his skin and taking away any existing warmth. His breathing became deeper, reflecting in the real world as well, the one where he was in Lucine's arms, on the brink of death.
Was this how he met Death? The moment his throat was slit and the world became darker?
"This is not my time!" he shouted, gritting his teeth as he continued to sprint through the forest, weaving around trees. Soon, skeletal boughs took their place, displaying trophies of Tjamin's victories. The carved words echoed in his mind, yet he ignored them. He wasn't going to be this emotionally weak anymore. If he was to return to life, he would have to make that promise, for his cursed mind burdened him. He would have to fight it. He would have to fight his curse, his own mind, not the Whisper this time, not any voices.
Something he hadn't done ever since he received it in the first place.
"Lucine!" he cried desperately, racing to get back to her, to embrace her while in her arms. He wanted to be pulled closer to her, even if they couldn't possibly get any closer to each other. "Help!" More running. The wind was making it harder to keep going. It was pushing against him, and he was about to lose, but he kept going. Human? Didn't matter. What mattered was his determination, the very fire in his soul.
"Lucine! Help!!" he screamed, trying to reach her through this void of melancholy. His skin was lashed repeatedly by the harsh blizzard, but he didn't care. A white haze formed all around him as the blizzard embraced the wild side of nature, but he didn't care. He was being pushed to his limits, but he. Didn't. Care.
"Help me, Lucine!!"
In real time, Call's fingers twitched once more, somehow finding Lucine's hand and taking it, squeezing it hard. He looked like he was fighting to live, and he was. "Help..." he gasped, his eyes still squeezed shut, the color of his face remaining pale blue. However, someone with a keen eye would notice the color very slowly starting to disappear.
"H... e... l... p..."
The moment she heard someone say "an empty shell", she was awake. However, she didn't let anyone know, pretending to be unconscious, keeping her eyes sealed shut. She heard everything Raph said, and she couldn't believe her ears. She wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him, asking him why the hell he would say something like that. It broke whatever was left of her heart to hear his future plans. He would have no future.
She might as well not have a future.
She cared deeply about Callum. She wanted him to live, and she wanted to be apart of his life once again. But she also cared about Raph. When he said her life would be better off without him, she wanted to scold him. She had to fake unconsciousness in order to hear everything he was saying without him interrupting himself to check on her. She would be fine, but he wasn't fine. There was no happily ever after for her without him.
She didn't open her eyes, but she shifted a little. "Raph... I love you too," she whispered, embracing him back. "My happily ever after will not exist without you. I can never bring myself to forget you. I am here to heal you. I will heal you if it is the last thing I do. I will."
June was a bit tempted, watching as the dwarf pushed several pint glasses up on the counter and the soldiers that were still in their right mind taking the offer. But she got an unconscious vampire in her arms and she was prior. She must admit that whatever this place was, it was more than just meet the eyes, passed her expectation of what looks to be an ‘abandoned’ tavern, last thing she expect was for a dwarf to run the place and got just everything they needed too, she could already tell that this was no ordinary individual. The smell of fine alcohol drawn her in, for a moment this feels right, with Tem leaning into her, she’d prefer that the vampire was starving and was just taking a normal nap instead.
Watching the others settle down all around the tavern, they’ve had it rough, Athus and Hythen were no where to be found, and she feared for the worst, as the event of the world came back full force, she’d turn to the dwarf again once he addressed her, listening to him talking with a small smile. She was about to say something but Lorin beat her to it, frowned a bit but she waited patiently as the two exchange conversation about Alstrixia, sighing quietly “I’ll trust you have all of those up in the room for an unconscious starving vampire here? If so then we’d like to excuse ourselves. Thank you, again.” She gave him a small, but grateful smile was a bit tired and watching the dwarf bounced all over the place wasn’t doing anything good.
As June made a move to head over to the stairs, Mark would watch her leave carefully all the while approaching the dwarf again, taking her spot instead. He had his arms crossed with a small uncertain smile, but friendly nonetheless “Yes, that’d be me, you can call me Mark.” He introduced himself before listening to the problem that this dwarf was having. He turned his head to observe the wrecked boat outside, frowned a bit when he saw it, it didn’t seem to be in any condition to be up and running for now. His eyebrow raised a bit Mage lights? now that’s something he has certainly heard before but never really gotten a chance to witness it himself.
He stayed quiet as the humanoid creature stepped forward and talk to the dwarf, and so Mark learned to call it the Whisper, a strange name and definitely not from this world, but the creature didn’t look like a wraith so he wouldn’t know. Mark listened to the dwarf explained about the Mage lights, so it happened forty years ago once, that’s why he never got the chance to witness it, that phenomenon happened almost twenty years before he was even born. The heart of the world now that explains a lot, Mark looked around the tavern for a bit, looks like this Whisper creature was joining them then.
The dwarf introduced himself as Janus, Mark smiled and gave a nod of his head “Nice to meet you then, Janus.” He caught on when the dwarf said that he had a niece that they’d know, it makes him wondering a bit, especially the brothers squabbles. But that couldn’t be it, but then again, no sane person would live in a place like this and got every supplies anyone need ever and didn’t seem to be charging them for it, whatever it is now, Mark can only smiled, with a spark of something in his eyes, he’d keep quiet about it “I’ll wait here until you’re done tending to everyone else then, I’m more than willing to give you a lift.” Mark chuckled heartily, eyed at the alcohol given out on the table, he wasn’t much of a drinker himself, but something nice to warm him up seems to be very ideal in this type of situation.
June was a bit tempted, watching as the dwarf pushed several pint glasses up on the counter and the soldiers that were still in their right mind taking the offer. But she got an unconscious vampire in her arms and she was prior. She must admit that whatever this place was, it was more than just meet the eyes, passed her expectation of what looks to be an ‘abandoned’ tavern, last thing she expect was for a dwarf to run the place and got just everything they needed too, she could already tell that this was no ordinary individual. The smell of fine alcohol drawn her in, for a moment this feels right, with Tem leaning into her, she’d prefer that the vampire was starving and was just taking a normal nap instead.
Watching the others settle down all around the tavern, they’ve had it rough, Athus and Hythen were no where to be found, and she feared for the worst, as the event of the world came back full force, she’d turn to the dwarf again once he addressed her, listening to him talking with a small smile. She was about to say something but Lorin beat her to it, frowned a bit but she waited patiently as the two exchange conversation about Alstrixia, sighing quietly “I’ll trust you have all of those up in the room for an unconscious starving vampire here? If so then we’d like to excuse ourselves. Thank you, again.” She gave him a small, but grateful smile was a bit tired and watching the dwarf bounced all over the place wasn’t doing anything good.
As June made a move to head over to the stairs, Mark would watch her leave carefully all the while approaching the dwarf again, taking her spot instead. He had his arms crossed with a small uncertain smile, but friendly nonetheless “Yes, that’d be me, you can call me Mark.” He introduced himself before listening to the problem that this dwarf was having. He turned his head to observe the wrecked boat outside, frowned a bit when he saw it, it didn’t seem to be in any condition to be up and running for now. His eyebrow raised a bit Mage lights? now that’s something he has certainly heard before but never really gotten a chance to witness it himself.
He stayed quiet as the humanoid creature stepped forward and talk to the dwarf, and so Mark learned to call it the Whisper, a strange name and definitely not from this world, but the creature didn’t look like a wraith so he wouldn’t know. Mark listened to the dwarf explained about the Mage lights, so it happened forty years ago once, that’s why he never got the chance to witness it, that phenomenon happened almost twenty years before he was even born. The heart of the world now that explains a lot, Mark looked around the tavern for a bit, looks like this Whisper creature was joining them then.
The dwarf introduced himself as Janus, Mark smiled and gave a nod of his head “Nice to meet you then, Janus.” He caught on when the dwarf said that he had a niece that they’d know, it makes him wondering a bit, especially the brothers squabbles. But that couldn’t be it, but then again, no sane person would live in a place like this and got every supplies anyone need ever and didn’t seem to be charging them for it, whatever it is now, Mark can only smiled, with a spark of something in his eyes, he’d keep quiet about it “I’ll wait here until you’re done tending to everyone else then, I’m more than willing to give you a lift.” Mark chuckled heartily, eyed at the alcohol given out on the table, he wasn’t much of a drinker himself, but something nice to warm him up seems to be very ideal in this type of situation.
"Seems like the ideal way to get everyone healed up, to me," he said jovially, putting more glasses on the counter. "Have as much as you like, I've got enough for an army and more on the way." He pushed a glass warmly towards Mark. "Nothing heals the soul like a good view of the mage-lights. Bring them all, eh? We can take the beer with us, gotta love some company on a day like this. Don't worry, we'll get your friends all healed up. Anything you need, got it in the back. 'Cept a boat, of course, my boat's a little rickety at the moment." The few planks that had belonged to the boat glooped sadly in the water outside.
Janus tottered back over to the barrel and tapped himself another pint, downing half in one swig. "Right! Let's get that vampire a good, solid meal, eh? Got some prepared in the back. Mind handling it, stuff's nasty for the living." He trotted back into the back and returned with a plate of what could have been mashed up black pudding, giving off a similar smell, although if it was black pudding the context suggested it probably wasn't pig's blood and offal in there. He gave it to Mark. "Take that up to her, she's gonna be feeling better in no time. Don't worry about the little nipper, stuff's fine for half-undead. They've got the stomach for it."
"Seems like the ideal way to get everyone healed up, to me," he said jovially, putting more glasses on the counter. "Have as much as you like, I've got enough for an army and more on the way." He pushed a glass warmly towards Mark. "Nothing heals the soul like a good view of the mage-lights. Bring them all, eh? We can take the beer with us, gotta love some company on a day like this. Don't worry, we'll get your friends all healed up. Anything you need, got it in the back. 'Cept a boat, of course, my boat's a little rickety at the moment." The few planks that had belonged to the boat glooped sadly in the water outside.
Janus tottered back over to the barrel and tapped himself another pint, downing half in one swig. "Right! Let's get that vampire a good, solid meal, eh? Got some prepared in the back. Mind handling it, stuff's nasty for the living." He trotted back into the back and returned with a plate of what could have been mashed up black pudding, giving off a similar smell, although if it was black pudding the context suggested it probably wasn't pig's blood and offal in there. He gave it to Mark. "Take that up to her, she's gonna be feeling better in no time. Don't worry about the little nipper, stuff's fine for half-undead. They've got the stomach for it."
Mark reluctantly take the glass, given Janus an appreciated smile before he sipped on it slowly, not downing it like June or other drinkers would. He only nodded, listening to the dwarf talking "That'd be the best, thank you." He put the glass down on the counter again and wiped his mouth slightly, then watched as Janus headed into the back to retrieve something for June's bond as she had asked for. The Sunvaar didn't lift his gaze away from the plate from the moment he saw it, his eyes could have popped out of their pockets as he stared at the mess on the plate, tried not to look disgusted but instead, he was at lost for words.
He didn't know how or why he just wordlessly reached out and take the plate when Janus handed it to him, keep on staring at it like that thing could come back to life at any moment and jumped at his face, he look dumbfounded at the dwarf again when he speaks about giving it to Tem, as much as he didn't like her being June's bond at the first place, there was no way he'd put a hand in killing her with this now "A-are you sure she'd b-be able to consume this?" Mark stuttered, June would definitely kill him if this does something to her bond, then something occurred to him. Mark suddenly shot forward, leaned in closer to the dwarf "I-what? The little nipper? H-half undead? So you.. k-know?"
It was getting clearer to him that this was no ordinary dwarf, the name should have already given it away, but he didn't see any reason in the god of wayshrines intending to kill off a Sunvaar's child, even if it was a hybrid, much or less trying to kill her bond too. Mark was highly confused, and a bit uncertain, he wasn't sure about presenting this to June, but nonetheless, hesitated and very slowly turned to the direction of where the stairs were, he gulped a bit.
Mark reluctantly take the glass, given Janus an appreciated smile before he sipped on it slowly, not downing it like June or other drinkers would. He only nodded, listening to the dwarf talking "That'd be the best, thank you." He put the glass down on the counter again and wiped his mouth slightly, then watched as Janus headed into the back to retrieve something for June's bond as she had asked for. The Sunvaar didn't lift his gaze away from the plate from the moment he saw it, his eyes could have popped out of their pockets as he stared at the mess on the plate, tried not to look disgusted but instead, he was at lost for words.
He didn't know how or why he just wordlessly reached out and take the plate when Janus handed it to him, keep on staring at it like that thing could come back to life at any moment and jumped at his face, he look dumbfounded at the dwarf again when he speaks about giving it to Tem, as much as he didn't like her being June's bond at the first place, there was no way he'd put a hand in killing her with this now "A-are you sure she'd b-be able to consume this?" Mark stuttered, June would definitely kill him if this does something to her bond, then something occurred to him. Mark suddenly shot forward, leaned in closer to the dwarf "I-what? The little nipper? H-half undead? So you.. k-know?"
It was getting clearer to him that this was no ordinary dwarf, the name should have already given it away, but he didn't see any reason in the god of wayshrines intending to kill off a Sunvaar's child, even if it was a hybrid, much or less trying to kill her bond too. Mark was highly confused, and a bit uncertain, he wasn't sure about presenting this to June, but nonetheless, hesitated and very slowly turned to the direction of where the stairs were, he gulped a bit.
The dwarf laughed heartily and slapped him on the back. "Don't be so nervous, lad. No need to worry, it's not for you. Blood, wraith essence, and Hutspot, it'll do wonders for her and she won't be feeling sick afterwards, neither. Vampire stomachs, they're not made for hearty meals, and yours isn't made for vampire food. Don't mix 'em up and you'll be fine." He grinned as Mark came forward, leaning in and asking. "Know what, lad? I'm just doing your girl a favour. Halflings, you gotta know how to look after them. Mix of digestive systems, energy and forms, it can all get very messy, y'know?" He slapped him on the back again and pushed him towards the stairs. "Now go and get it to them, good lad."
The dwarf laughed heartily and slapped him on the back. "Don't be so nervous, lad. No need to worry, it's not for you. Blood, wraith essence, and Hutspot, it'll do wonders for her and she won't be feeling sick afterwards, neither. Vampire stomachs, they're not made for hearty meals, and yours isn't made for vampire food. Don't mix 'em up and you'll be fine." He grinned as Mark came forward, leaning in and asking. "Know what, lad? I'm just doing your girl a favour. Halflings, you gotta know how to look after them. Mix of digestive systems, energy and forms, it can all get very messy, y'know?" He slapped him on the back again and pushed him towards the stairs. "Now go and get it to them, good lad."
Mark made an 'oof' sound when he slapped him on the back, he just grinned nervously, he never liked that much, and the others did it a lot. Listening to the dwarf explain this type of thing, to be honest, he never read up much about carrying a child in general, the topic of having a partner and settle down to have a family never crossed his mind once, he was very contented with how he was right now and it does bothered him that he always seem to be a target of unwanted attention sometimes, he was still a bit scared off the first time he met Tem and she teased him about helping him stop being a virgin. Call him childish, he was never one for anything beyond friendship, he had had a crush on someone once, but it didn't go anywhere and he was more than fine with it, what scares him the most is to lose a friend, more than not having a relationship.
He was still a bit lost for words, it seems that this dwarf knew more about this kind of thing than he and probably June did. The thought amazed Mark for a moment, a Sunvaar hybrid, probably the first one he had ever have the chance to witness in his entire life. He huffed again when he was slapped on the back, stumbled toward the stairs out from the surprise of being pushed towards it. Mark gave Janus one last look for support, he'd take a deep breath before finally setting his foot on the first step. He was gripping the plate so tight, trembling a bit, trying not to drop it, he went ahead and checking out the rooms, knocking on them in case he'd burst into the wrong one.
June had already placed her bond down onto the bed when she heard the knocking on her door "Come in." She turned to face the door at the same time Mark opened it and walked in. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the thing he was holding, it didn't smell like something deadly, if not, smelt like pudding, but that certain does not consisted of pudding for sure "What. Is. That." She gave him a look, her expression immediately darkened, and it made the crocodile panicked a bit "The dwarf said to give you this, for her!" He quickly explained.
"Is he trying to poison my bond?!"
"He said that it'd be good for her! A-and for... well ya know."
"How the hell does he- you know what, nevermind, did you barf in that thing, Mark?!"
"No! I-wha- why would I barfed in it for?!"
June was all puffed up and stormed her way over to him "If anything happens to her, I swear..." She murmured grumpily and motioned him to come along, he could only gulped and does so obediently. As June went around the bed again, she sighed and carefully bend down to gather Tem up in her arms, letting her rest on an arm, tilted her head a bit so that she wouldn't choke on the food when June feed her. Mark quickly hold out the plate, and the lynx was a bit hesitated but she grabbed the spoon and scooped up a piece in it. Given the black gooey thing a doubtful look, then at her bond, she really got no other choice.
"Well..here goes nothing.." She sighed, parked Tem's lips then proceed to feed her the thing, hopefully that she wasn't slowly killing her bond as well, otherwise she'd crack both Mark and the dwarf's skulls together.
Mark made an 'oof' sound when he slapped him on the back, he just grinned nervously, he never liked that much, and the others did it a lot. Listening to the dwarf explain this type of thing, to be honest, he never read up much about carrying a child in general, the topic of having a partner and settle down to have a family never crossed his mind once, he was very contented with how he was right now and it does bothered him that he always seem to be a target of unwanted attention sometimes, he was still a bit scared off the first time he met Tem and she teased him about helping him stop being a virgin. Call him childish, he was never one for anything beyond friendship, he had had a crush on someone once, but it didn't go anywhere and he was more than fine with it, what scares him the most is to lose a friend, more than not having a relationship.
He was still a bit lost for words, it seems that this dwarf knew more about this kind of thing than he and probably June did. The thought amazed Mark for a moment, a Sunvaar hybrid, probably the first one he had ever have the chance to witness in his entire life. He huffed again when he was slapped on the back, stumbled toward the stairs out from the surprise of being pushed towards it. Mark gave Janus one last look for support, he'd take a deep breath before finally setting his foot on the first step. He was gripping the plate so tight, trembling a bit, trying not to drop it, he went ahead and checking out the rooms, knocking on them in case he'd burst into the wrong one.
June had already placed her bond down onto the bed when she heard the knocking on her door "Come in." She turned to face the door at the same time Mark opened it and walked in. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the thing he was holding, it didn't smell like something deadly, if not, smelt like pudding, but that certain does not consisted of pudding for sure "What. Is. That." She gave him a look, her expression immediately darkened, and it made the crocodile panicked a bit "The dwarf said to give you this, for her!" He quickly explained.
"Is he trying to poison my bond?!"
"He said that it'd be good for her! A-and for... well ya know."
"How the hell does he- you know what, nevermind, did you barf in that thing, Mark?!"
"No! I-wha- why would I barfed in it for?!"
June was all puffed up and stormed her way over to him "If anything happens to her, I swear..." She murmured grumpily and motioned him to come along, he could only gulped and does so obediently. As June went around the bed again, she sighed and carefully bend down to gather Tem up in her arms, letting her rest on an arm, tilted her head a bit so that she wouldn't choke on the food when June feed her. Mark quickly hold out the plate, and the lynx was a bit hesitated but she grabbed the spoon and scooped up a piece in it. Given the black gooey thing a doubtful look, then at her bond, she really got no other choice.
"Well..here goes nothing.." She sighed, parked Tem's lips then proceed to feed her the thing, hopefully that she wasn't slowly killing her bond as well, otherwise she'd crack both Mark and the dwarf's skulls together.
Tem was drawn from her dream by the smell of something delicious, stretching out and yawning sleepily before she opened her orange eyes. Her stomach was rumbling painfully, something that hit as soon as she was awake, sitting up against her bond and looking down at the plated monstrosity, her expression lighting up. "Is that Tavvan? I haven't seen it in years!" She grinned, taking the plate. "How did you get it? How did you know?" Wraith essence was impossible to get hold of, and the mix of blood and normal food, although messy, was amazing to a vampire if they were tied together with the stuff.
It was the type of food gourmet vampires liked, the ones that occupied themselves with curious little hobbies around cooking. Vampires liked to have hobbies. Tem's were her clothes, so she'd never bothered trying to make Tavvan or anything out of blood. June's blood was good enough to keep her going, and she loved clothes far more than a varied diet.
She took the cutlery and started to wolf the food down, surprised at the feeling of something other than blood settling into her stomach. It was a little uncomfortable, but it was food made for undead, and it wouldn't make her sick. She concentrated on nothing else until she was done, handing the plate back to Mark. "Is there any more?" She asked him, grinning to show her needle-point teeth.
Tem was drawn from her dream by the smell of something delicious, stretching out and yawning sleepily before she opened her orange eyes. Her stomach was rumbling painfully, something that hit as soon as she was awake, sitting up against her bond and looking down at the plated monstrosity, her expression lighting up. "Is that Tavvan? I haven't seen it in years!" She grinned, taking the plate. "How did you get it? How did you know?" Wraith essence was impossible to get hold of, and the mix of blood and normal food, although messy, was amazing to a vampire if they were tied together with the stuff.
It was the type of food gourmet vampires liked, the ones that occupied themselves with curious little hobbies around cooking. Vampires liked to have hobbies. Tem's were her clothes, so she'd never bothered trying to make Tavvan or anything out of blood. June's blood was good enough to keep her going, and she loved clothes far more than a varied diet.
She took the cutlery and started to wolf the food down, surprised at the feeling of something other than blood settling into her stomach. It was a little uncomfortable, but it was food made for undead, and it wouldn't make her sick. She concentrated on nothing else until she was done, handing the plate back to Mark. "Is there any more?" She asked him, grinning to show her needle-point teeth.
They were both startled as the vampire opened her eyes again, probably because she smell the thing, June was awestruck while Mark was a bit mortified. They both widened their eyes in surprise as the vampire’s expression lightened up, June couldn’t help but to smile at the sight of her bond, knowing that she’ll be alright, maybe she shouldn’t have been too paranoid over the food as Tem was having a positive reaction to it, but she couldn’t help it, it was better to be safe than sorry. While Mark was still horrified at the thought of Tem gobbling down the food, which she was about to do exactly just that.
The crocodile Sunvaar had already bolted out of the room as soon as he got the chance, with Tem wolfing down the god forbidden dish and June being distracted and stupidly whipped at the horrifying sight of her bond eating that black gooey thing like it was pudding. It made him sick by just watching the mere horror scene, and that he was always a bit unnerved being around Tem. This is why he was still single. It slowly occurred to June as well, as much as she loves her bond, but she’d admit the sight made her feel uncomfortable, but as long as Tem was full and happy, she wouldn’t have any complaints, just that the vampire doesn’t kiss her with that mouth directly after she ate that thing. June was honestly worried for the child too, she knew that it was safe for the baby to consumed, she was more likely to worry about her own sanity more.
“We’ve arrived at this tavern, love. The owner here, a dwarf, offered us a place to stay and provide us with anything we need. Well, we got... that for you, as he suggested.” June decided to update her bond on their currently situation, seeing that Mark had failed doing that “I’m sure he has some more if we were to ask..” She chuckle, a bit nervously as she’d take the plate from Tem and set it down on the table nearby, of course that water lizard abandoned her as soon as he saw opportunity offered. Turning to face Tem again, smiling softly down at her beloved “How are you feeling?”
They were both startled as the vampire opened her eyes again, probably because she smell the thing, June was awestruck while Mark was a bit mortified. They both widened their eyes in surprise as the vampire’s expression lightened up, June couldn’t help but to smile at the sight of her bond, knowing that she’ll be alright, maybe she shouldn’t have been too paranoid over the food as Tem was having a positive reaction to it, but she couldn’t help it, it was better to be safe than sorry. While Mark was still horrified at the thought of Tem gobbling down the food, which she was about to do exactly just that.
The crocodile Sunvaar had already bolted out of the room as soon as he got the chance, with Tem wolfing down the god forbidden dish and June being distracted and stupidly whipped at the horrifying sight of her bond eating that black gooey thing like it was pudding. It made him sick by just watching the mere horror scene, and that he was always a bit unnerved being around Tem. This is why he was still single. It slowly occurred to June as well, as much as she loves her bond, but she’d admit the sight made her feel uncomfortable, but as long as Tem was full and happy, she wouldn’t have any complaints, just that the vampire doesn’t kiss her with that mouth directly after she ate that thing. June was honestly worried for the child too, she knew that it was safe for the baby to consumed, she was more likely to worry about her own sanity more.
“We’ve arrived at this tavern, love. The owner here, a dwarf, offered us a place to stay and provide us with anything we need. Well, we got... that for you, as he suggested.” June decided to update her bond on their currently situation, seeing that Mark had failed doing that “I’m sure he has some more if we were to ask..” She chuckle, a bit nervously as she’d take the plate from Tem and set it down on the table nearby, of course that water lizard abandoned her as soon as he saw opportunity offered. Turning to face Tem again, smiling softly down at her beloved “How are you feeling?”
Downstairs, the dwarf leaned across the counter to talk to the Whisper. "So, your friend over there... suffers from magic comas, does he? I got just the thing for that," he winked. "I got just the thing for everything. Tell you what, you bring him out to the Mage-lights with us tonight, I'll show you what true potential is." He winked as he finished, as though the room hadn't seemed to grow closer and darker as he spoke. He slapped another flagon down jovially. "Anyway, help yourself! We've got a lot of celebrating to do tonight! Mage-lights only come once in a dozen decades! You don't want your lad to get sick now, eh?"
He winked again. "You ain't gonna compete for your lad? That girl's going all over him. Ah, well, each to their own. If you're short of company you can always drop by." He filled up his own pint glass for the third time, this time downing the whole thing in one. "Squeamish lad, that Mark, isn't he? A plate of blood and wraith essence and he probable needs to use the outhouse. Only, I don't recommend it, 'cause there's sarcosuchus 'round there."
Tem sat back comfily after she'd finished, listening to June talk about the tavern. They could hear the swamp noises through the glassless window; this room had a double bed stuffed with feathers and spirits knew what else, with a coarse thin blanket and goose-feather pillows; it was a surprising mix of rich and scratchy, average accommodation. Average was used loosely - the swamp drifted in through the window that was just a hole in the wall, the planks nailed together so loosely they wouldn't have needed the window to experience the swamp. A slimy vine had drifted into the window and was trailing its gloop across the wooden floor. Tem took this all in.
"This is a tavern...? We were in a swamp..."
Downstairs, the dwarf leaned across the counter to talk to the Whisper. "So, your friend over there... suffers from magic comas, does he? I got just the thing for that," he winked. "I got just the thing for everything. Tell you what, you bring him out to the Mage-lights with us tonight, I'll show you what true potential is." He winked as he finished, as though the room hadn't seemed to grow closer and darker as he spoke. He slapped another flagon down jovially. "Anyway, help yourself! We've got a lot of celebrating to do tonight! Mage-lights only come once in a dozen decades! You don't want your lad to get sick now, eh?"
He winked again. "You ain't gonna compete for your lad? That girl's going all over him. Ah, well, each to their own. If you're short of company you can always drop by." He filled up his own pint glass for the third time, this time downing the whole thing in one. "Squeamish lad, that Mark, isn't he? A plate of blood and wraith essence and he probable needs to use the outhouse. Only, I don't recommend it, 'cause there's sarcosuchus 'round there."
Tem sat back comfily after she'd finished, listening to June talk about the tavern. They could hear the swamp noises through the glassless window; this room had a double bed stuffed with feathers and spirits knew what else, with a coarse thin blanket and goose-feather pillows; it was a surprising mix of rich and scratchy, average accommodation. Average was used loosely - the swamp drifted in through the window that was just a hole in the wall, the planks nailed together so loosely they wouldn't have needed the window to experience the swamp. A slimy vine had drifted into the window and was trailing its gloop across the wooden floor. Tem took this all in.
"This is a tavern...? We were in a swamp..."
The Whisper watched the interaction between Mark and Janus, going over the latter name in its head. It thought it knew that name somehow. It had a lot of knowledge, after all. It wanted to know how this guy had everything in the back of his house. Maybe he was some kind of God...? It knew who Malarich was, as well as the Spirits, but perhaps another God would be added to the list, if this dwarf was one.
It watched as he retrieved some kind of black pudding. It wanted to comment on the food, but it didn't. It only observed Mark's nervousness, feeling the urge to chuckle. Boy, was he nervous. It recognized the food as being Tavvan, a gourmet dish favored by vampires. How the f**k did it know that? Oh well. Its eye followed the nervous Mark as he retreated up the stairs to deliver the dish, wondering how June would react to seeing such a thing.
It turned its attention back to Janus as the latter leaned across the counter, talking to it. It thought about floating again, but for whatever reason, it didn't, even though its legs felt odd touching the ground after a while of not walking or standing for that matter. It glanced in Lucine's and Call's direction when the dwarf began to talk about the latter, calling his condition a magic coma. It hummed under its breath, as if expressing interest. Maybe it could even prevent these kinds of things from happening to him ever again so he and Lucine wouldn't have to worry so much. That included Thalia as well. Probably everyone, actually.
It leaned sideways and rested its elbow on the counter, noticing something strange happening to the room. For whatever reason, it had grown... closer? Was that even possible? Not only that, but the light filling the room had been dimming, making the room darker as the dwarf spoke. It squinted a bit, wondering if anyone else happened to notice this. It was peculiar, that was for sure. Maybe Janus was a God after all; either that or the house itself did this on the daily.
It looked back at Janus again, processing the last thing he said before he slammed another flagon down on the counter. You bring him out to the Mage-lights with us tonight, I'll show you what true potential is. If Janus had been paying attention when the tendrils of Shadow magic twisted around its and the boy's fingers, even coating the latter's hand for a moment, he would know of their identities as Shadow mages. Of course, if he was a God, he would automatically know. They tended to know who everyone was. Watching from up above, that kind of thing.
Or watching from the center of the world.
It eyed the flagon for a moment, honestly tempted. It remembered its thought process when it was back at Colsar, saying it might go for a pint later. It didn't get the chance to do that, of course, but it didn't know if drinking would affect Call as well. The kid was, well, a kid. Underage. He wasn't old enough to be drinking yet, and it doubted he even wanted to get into it, due to the habits his father practiced. The old man ought to be dead at this point. What was the point of him being with his children if he couldn't even take care of them? Thalia might as well have been the parent around there, even when she was a mere child.
It surely wouldn't hurt to have some... just as long as it didn't drink too much.
It stared at the flagon, assuming it was offered, taking it, but not drinking yet. It shook its head before Janus began speaking again, commenting on company or something like that. Its glowing eye widened a bit, embarrassment taking over. It didn't blush, as it really couldn't, but it did feel a little flustered, just as it had when June questioned its relationship with Call. "Oh, um... it's not like that," it explained, somehow not stuttering. "You see, we're just linked together... it's platonic. Even then, we don't cuddle or anything. We more or less kick a** together when we can. We kicked a** when a bunch of wraiths decided to attack us, you know."
It put on a sharp grin, almost hearing music playing in the background. That was just its own imagination; it wasn't like it could summon instruments or anything. It knew how to play, having all this knowledge, but there didn't seem to be any instruments around. Maybe there were some in the back. Janus said he had everything in the back, after all. It was beginning to like this place, actually. Besides the swamp itself, this place was quite alright. In fact, the swamp was bothering it less.
"Certainly seems squeamish," it replied, referring to Mark as Janus did. It hadn't been too bothered by the Tavvan; it wasn't bothered by its own vomit, so it couldn't get too squeamish. It grinned. "Oh man, if he had been there to see me retch, he would've probably fainted," it joked, chuckling. It felt kind of bad for having a good time while everyone else wasn't, but hey, there had to be at least one positive soul in the group to hold everyone up.
"Sure, I'll bring him along," it agreed, touching upon Janus' earlier request to bring Call along to see the Mage-lights. "He just needs to be patched up first, probably to the point where he can walk without immediately losing his legs or some s**t." It paused for a moment. "So... how do you treat magic comas, exactly? I'm rather curious," it prompted. "Also, I'm assuming you have some toast, maybe a plate to hold the crumbs, some water, medicine for bruised organs to put in the water, perhaps?"
The Whisper watched the interaction between Mark and Janus, going over the latter name in its head. It thought it knew that name somehow. It had a lot of knowledge, after all. It wanted to know how this guy had everything in the back of his house. Maybe he was some kind of God...? It knew who Malarich was, as well as the Spirits, but perhaps another God would be added to the list, if this dwarf was one.
It watched as he retrieved some kind of black pudding. It wanted to comment on the food, but it didn't. It only observed Mark's nervousness, feeling the urge to chuckle. Boy, was he nervous. It recognized the food as being Tavvan, a gourmet dish favored by vampires. How the f**k did it know that? Oh well. Its eye followed the nervous Mark as he retreated up the stairs to deliver the dish, wondering how June would react to seeing such a thing.
It turned its attention back to Janus as the latter leaned across the counter, talking to it. It thought about floating again, but for whatever reason, it didn't, even though its legs felt odd touching the ground after a while of not walking or standing for that matter. It glanced in Lucine's and Call's direction when the dwarf began to talk about the latter, calling his condition a magic coma. It hummed under its breath, as if expressing interest. Maybe it could even prevent these kinds of things from happening to him ever again so he and Lucine wouldn't have to worry so much. That included Thalia as well. Probably everyone, actually.
It leaned sideways and rested its elbow on the counter, noticing something strange happening to the room. For whatever reason, it had grown... closer? Was that even possible? Not only that, but the light filling the room had been dimming, making the room darker as the dwarf spoke. It squinted a bit, wondering if anyone else happened to notice this. It was peculiar, that was for sure. Maybe Janus was a God after all; either that or the house itself did this on the daily.
It looked back at Janus again, processing the last thing he said before he slammed another flagon down on the counter. You bring him out to the Mage-lights with us tonight, I'll show you what true potential is. If Janus had been paying attention when the tendrils of Shadow magic twisted around its and the boy's fingers, even coating the latter's hand for a moment, he would know of their identities as Shadow mages. Of course, if he was a God, he would automatically know. They tended to know who everyone was. Watching from up above, that kind of thing.
Or watching from the center of the world.
It eyed the flagon for a moment, honestly tempted. It remembered its thought process when it was back at Colsar, saying it might go for a pint later. It didn't get the chance to do that, of course, but it didn't know if drinking would affect Call as well. The kid was, well, a kid. Underage. He wasn't old enough to be drinking yet, and it doubted he even wanted to get into it, due to the habits his father practiced. The old man ought to be dead at this point. What was the point of him being with his children if he couldn't even take care of them? Thalia might as well have been the parent around there, even when she was a mere child.
It surely wouldn't hurt to have some... just as long as it didn't drink too much.
It stared at the flagon, assuming it was offered, taking it, but not drinking yet. It shook its head before Janus began speaking again, commenting on company or something like that. Its glowing eye widened a bit, embarrassment taking over. It didn't blush, as it really couldn't, but it did feel a little flustered, just as it had when June questioned its relationship with Call. "Oh, um... it's not like that," it explained, somehow not stuttering. "You see, we're just linked together... it's platonic. Even then, we don't cuddle or anything. We more or less kick a** together when we can. We kicked a** when a bunch of wraiths decided to attack us, you know."
It put on a sharp grin, almost hearing music playing in the background. That was just its own imagination; it wasn't like it could summon instruments or anything. It knew how to play, having all this knowledge, but there didn't seem to be any instruments around. Maybe there were some in the back. Janus said he had everything in the back, after all. It was beginning to like this place, actually. Besides the swamp itself, this place was quite alright. In fact, the swamp was bothering it less.
"Certainly seems squeamish," it replied, referring to Mark as Janus did. It hadn't been too bothered by the Tavvan; it wasn't bothered by its own vomit, so it couldn't get too squeamish. It grinned. "Oh man, if he had been there to see me retch, he would've probably fainted," it joked, chuckling. It felt kind of bad for having a good time while everyone else wasn't, but hey, there had to be at least one positive soul in the group to hold everyone up.
"Sure, I'll bring him along," it agreed, touching upon Janus' earlier request to bring Call along to see the Mage-lights. "He just needs to be patched up first, probably to the point where he can walk without immediately losing his legs or some s**t." It paused for a moment. "So... how do you treat magic comas, exactly? I'm rather curious," it prompted. "Also, I'm assuming you have some toast, maybe a plate to hold the crumbs, some water, medicine for bruised organs to put in the water, perhaps?"
