Tikwill

Tikwill was sleeping somewhere calm and dark, when she heard the most beautiful music.

It was such a peaceful sleep - the night had a deep, perfect blackness that made it ever so easy to shut her eyes; the covers were pleasantly heavy over every inch of her body, from her head to her toes. It was a wonderful rest. She should go back to it, but... there was the voice again, soft and melodic. What were the words, the instrument that carried through the stillness? If she listened closely, she could almost make it out.

She strained against the covers, gently coaxed from her rest. It was not a sudden, harsh awakening - it felt like a ray of sunlight trickling through her bedroom window, like the smell of fresh bacon and pancakes downstairs. There was something about it that filled her with a deep, homesick longing that she couldn't place.

So she began to rise from the covers, her limbs and eyes still heavy from sleep. The covers were thick and unusually heavy, it took a surprising amount of strength to throw them off of her. But she did it, she managed it, the gentle rays of morning light peaking through the empty blackness. And when she tossed her blankets aside, the voice stopped, giving a startled yelp.

Oh! She'd startled the singer. That was no good. She tried to call out an apology, but her mouth was horribly dry. And there was a horrible itch in her throat, now that she thought about it, like there was something lodged there. She poked her head into the sunlight, then her limbs, one by one, dragging herself out of bed.

Before her, dumbstruck and having landed uncomfortably on her tail, was a Skydancer. She clutched a harp over her heart, a finely crafted instrument of bone - a little morbid, was Tikwill's first impression, but it was at least cared for well. She had to cough before trying to speak to the startled stranger, leaving... a small pile of dirt on the ground, hacked from her tired lungs.

It was only then that she blinked in confusion. Something wasn't right.

"Oh, gods, are you okay?!" The Skydancer hurries to her side, recovering from her shock. "I didn't mean to do that, I'm so sorry! There, there, you're, uh, you're alright."

"Hello!" She tries to greet, but when she speaks, her voice sounds so tired. It's cracked and dry, and... yup, she's still really thirsty, turns out. "Hi." She tries again, slightly more stable. "I'm Tikwill! It's nice to meet you."

The stranger blinks, taken back by... something, for some reason, before managing a nod. "It's... nice to meet you too?" She lands on, before sitting back up abruptly, offering the Tundra her flask of water. Normally Tikwill would be a smidge suspicious. She liked to believe the best in people, but she wasn't gullible. Still... her throat hurt so badly that she couldn't resist gulping down the whole bottle, and the Skydancer finally seemed to settle down just a smidge.

"There, that... should be a little better... oh, gods, what else do the freshly risen need-"

"-risen?"

She puts her hands over her mouth, as if she's said something she wasn't supposed to. There's a dim awareness in her eyes that she's made a mistake, but there is no taking it back now. She clears her throat, and Tikwill catches the shivering she does her best to hide. "We can talk about it after you rest up. Can I take you back to my camp? It's a better place to recover than here, we're in the middle of nowhere."

She can't argue with that. Not to mention the monsters out here... something in her tenses at the memory of them, though it feels oddly far-off. Shelter, maybe some food, maybe more water - it will do her a lot of good. The stranger offers Tikwill her shoulder, and the Tundra is all too happy to lean on it.

---

Tikwill offers to help start the fire, but the Skydancer fixes her with a slight glare when she offered, and Tikwill can only offer a sheepish smile in return. She has the distinct feeling that she's not used to this, being the one protecting instead of the protector. It's mid-afternoon when she and the Skydancer are gathered around her fire. There's a slightly worried look in her eyes as she stares down at the fire. Or perhaps she stares at something else, far away?

"Thanks for the help. Are you holding up okay?" The Tundra asks earnestly.

"You- you shouldn't be asking that." Her feathers ruffle in something that's either amusement, annoyance, or both. "You just- you've been through a lot. And I... messed up big time." She buries her face in her hands, an anxious ripple traveling through her feathers. "Not that I'm, not happy you're here, I just, didn't mean to... disturb you."

Tikwill tilts her head. She's not entirely sure what the Skydancer is saying, but there's clearly some meaning to it that she doesn't fully get. It's the Skydancer's fault she's here - has she been teleported, perhaps? She does have the nagging feeling that she's missing something, and her mind feels a bit foggy. It being the side effect of a spell would check out. But, first things first. There's someone anxious in front of her, and Tikwill's always been a bit of a softie.

"It's okay!" She nods, shooting for an encouraging smile. "I feel fine now, whatever happened, I'm not upset with you. Accidents happen! What's your name?"

She smiles wistfully, in a way that indicates that she almost finds something funny. "Sylph." She manages. "My name is Sylph."

"It's nice to meet you." She echoes, and she does mean it! Sylph seems quite nice enough, despite whatever mistake she's made. Tikwill doubts it's anything that serious, anyhow - and if it is, surely they can fix it together. "What brought you to this forest, Sylph? Are you an adventurer too?"

"I'd like to be, but- no. Hardly." There it is, that wistfulness in her tone again. There's still something weighing on her shoulders, and Tikwill's attempts at friendly conversation don't seem to be doing much to lift it. "I was just... looking for somewhere quiet to practice my playing. I like music." She manages weakly.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" The Tundra beams. "I think I heard you playing? I'm very sorry I interrupted! Your voice and your harp are beautiful, though. I hope I didn't startle you too much."

Sylph looks down, biting back a sigh. "Please, stop apologizing to me." She says weakly, sounding hurt in a way that Tikwill can't quite place. She falls silent, sensing the Skydancer isn't quite done talking yet. "I was looking for somewhere quiet to play, because I... struggle to control my magic, at times. And it's not pretty magic! It's terrible things like death and decay, and, um. And necromancy."

A heavy silence falls over the clearing. Tikwill remembers the deep sleep, the dirt in her airways.

She looks down at her paws. "Oh." She says, quietly. "I died."

Sylph swallows hard. "And I raised you by accident, so- so it's my job to help you get back on your feet. I was just playing my harp, when I heard something moving behind me, and it was... you, crawling out of the dirt. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that, not that I'm, not happy to meet you, it's just a lot to put on someone, that they died, and-"

"Thank you!" Tikwill cuts her off, sensing she didn't intend to stop anytime soon, and the necromancer... looks up at her, stunned.

"I'm sorry?"

"Thank you." She echoes, shooting her a smile. "It's not your fault I died. And I don't mind being back, of course! So... why would I be mad at you?"

Sylph is very, very quiet. "It's- it's not always easy being reanimated!" She protests. "You can't breathe or have a heartbeat, and if you run into a necromancer they could put you under your control, and I'll need to recast the spell every once a week or so to prevent you from decaying, and you might not remember much from before you died?" She scrambles to hurry out all her protests.

Tikwill... she can't help it, she has to bite back a laugh. She smiles again, hoping it's reassuring. "None of those sound that bad." She assures her, trotting up closer to the Skydancer with a chuckle. "I didn't tend to run into many necromancers before, and I doubt that'll change now. Meeting up with you once a week doesn't sound too bad, either! I have plenty of stories to tell, and even more survival tricks if you make a habit of camping out in the middle of nowhere. As long as it doesn't hurt you to recast it?" Sylph slowly shakes her head.

"No, it doesn't, but, your memories-"

"Sylph." She raises an eyebrow playfully. "Look at me. Really take a hard look."

She squints for a moment, unable to place what Tikwill is hinting at. She feels a little bad and takes mercy on the clueless necromancer. "I'm a Tundra." She says gently. "Memory's always been a bit unreliable. That's nothing new."

"... oh." Sylph echoes, feeling a smidge silly. Tikwill can't hold back a chuckle.

"So... I'm okay with it. Obviously it's not ideal, but- it's not your fault! If anything, you're the one who bailed me out." She nudges, and slowly, the weight seems to lift off of Sylph's shoulders.

"... the newly risen don't... usually take it so well." She explains, clearing her throat. "You're, ah, very exceptional. But I know that it's also a lot to adjust to, and it's at least mostly my fault. So if you're putting on a brave face to make me feel better, that's really kind, but I can help you too, if you need to talk about anything."

Tikwill is a little taken aback by that. "I'm not really lying, though. It's a lot, but I think it's gonna be okay." She offers a smile, and Sylph squints at her, as if trying to figure out if she buys it. Tikwill means that, but... something is nagging at her.

"I guess I am kind of... curious about how I died?" She finally lands on. "Not even that, exactly, but, I have this feeling like there's something I'm supposed to be doing before I got interrupted. I'm an adventurer, I was helping two dragons do... something." She crinkles her nose, trying to remember. If only she could smell them, maybe that would jog her memory. But there's nothing. She can't remember their names, their faces, even the slightest scraps of memory slip through her grasp. A voice, a smile - that's all.

"And they didn't have much experience- oh no. I hope they're okay." She frowns deeply, and Sylph gently pats her shoulder. "I... think they might still need me? They hired me to do a job, at least, so I should go back and try to do it!"

"You hadn't decayed when I found you, so you couldn't have been gone for very long. I'd be happy to help you look for them." It's a daunting task, finding two people she doesn't have names, faces, or any substantial memories of. The idea of not having to do it alone, well - it's pretty welcome! Sylph's face grows sterner, though. "You need to recover first, though. You literally just walked out of a grave, you know. I needed to head back to my clan to restock, we'll get your body stabilized there and get you checked over by the medics."

Tikwill, well... she does want to rush after them, but she's not going to be much help to them if she starts literally falling apart, huh? Probably best to avoid that one. She gives a sheepish nod, turning to face no one in particular. "They better not kill each other before I come back for them! Hang in there, you two!" She huffs to thin air, before turning back to her new friend with a smile.

"Alright. I'm ready! Let's get moving!"

It's certainly a lot to adjust to, but Tikwill isn't angry. How could she be angry that her adventuring days aren't over yet? She didn't intend to retire anytime soon. She still doesn't!

What did the Windsinger say? East to west or west to east, there's an exciting journey to be had.


- Art by Gakipper! Tikwill was originally from their Nuzlocke, thank you very much for passing her onto me. I hope you enjoyed the lore update. ^^