Fourth Mission [Open Commentlog]

[bellator_lucis]

[The first thing that the Warrior had done upon being reanimated was fall on all fours and throw up. He had been horrified before - he had seen things that chilled him to the bone - but nothing - nothing - like this. And to be immobilized, unable to move, speak, even to breatheHe managed to get back to his pod and change into clean clothes, but he

Comments

[bondedgryphon]

[Zhaneel was perfectly aware of what had happened to her and the memories surrounding her stone entrapment would long return when she closed her eyes. The cockatrice was unlike anything she had encountered in the past and like nothing she was aware of in the realm of Valdemar. Who would have thought that such a seemingly non-lethal creature could inflict the amount of damage it had

[bellator_lucis]

[The Warrior was so lost in his own horror that he didn't hear Zhaneel's approach, and he will flinch when she leans against him. But in his own state of numb horror, the presence of another being - moreover one as warm and soft as Zhaneel - and one that he trusts completely is nothing but welcome, and he begins to run one hand through the feathers on her neck.]

Were you...also...?

[His voice is rusty.]

[bondedgryphon]

[The gryphon feels Warrior flinch away from the initial contact, but she makes no motion to move away from him. She is too desperate to prove that she is once again breathing and moving to move away. Personal space is not something she is going to grant much of just at the given moment.

She can't seem to still the trembling that shivers through her entire body, a chill unlike any she has ever felt seeming to settle into the hollow of her bones. She swallows convulsively, inner lids flicking across her eyes, pupils pinned to the smallest of points within a circle of gold.

His hand burying into the feathers of her neck, though, that helps. That contact and realness is something she can latch onto just now, and so she will. His question is voiced gruffly, but like someone that is unaccustomed to speech. The questions' meaning sinks in a moment later, the two pieces of information mentally clicking together still another beat later

[bellator_lucis]

[His heart contracts within him. Oh, Cosmos, Zhaneel as well... Tears prick at his eyes - for his friend, for those who are dead...for himself.

As Zhaneel curls around him, he lets go of the crystal and it dissolves into motes of light above him. The Warrior keeps stroking Zhaneel, hoping that the contact will help her as much as it helps him.]

I would have done anything to spare you that, my friend.

[He means it, too. What they have endured - he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy. Not even Chaos deserved that kind of experience.]

[bondedgryphon]

[She feels him tense at her reply, but his hands never leave her feathers and for that she is eternally grateful. That he seems to understand the need for physical comfort is a blessing that she will never forget.

The crystal he is holding vanishes, and the small prickles of light it releases play off her white feathers until they fade entirely. In his face she had seen reflected everything she had been subjected to and that pained her with more of a weight than being cast in stone.

His words cut through the fog of wrongness that has settled over her and she wishes that she were smaller so she might simply crawl into his lap entirely.]

I naught wisssssh it upon any I have everrrrr known .. not even Ma'arrrrr himssssself ..

[She understands all too well and very much feels the same.]

[bellator_lucis]

[Oh, he understands. He, too, is grateful that Zhaneel is allowing him this. He rarely moves to touch others, using it as a means of underscoring his own words... But he doubts that he could bring himself to stop stroking even if Zhaneel asked him to. The music of the waterfall and the feel of soft, smooth feathers under his hands are very far away from the horror of the stone prison.]

Neither would I.

[He keeps stroking, and after a while... He begins to speak again.]

I had intended to end the threat before any more innocents could be lost... I hoped that once the creature was dead, then the villagers would be freed. But I was reckless, and I was caught.

[bondedgryphon]

[Zhaneel will not pull away from the offered contact as long as it is being offered willingly. She's been gun-shy of much contact since her fledgling days, and it has not been something she got much of in a positive way. Cuffs to the head or swats when she'd done something wrong, certainly, but gentle touches were something she'd rarely been blessed with.

She is silent while he speaks, letting him find his words in his own pace. Her ear tufts flicking in his direction and the slow rise and fall of her sides is the only indication that she is even awake. But she is and misses not a single word. Her voice is soft when she speaks, trying to calm herself enough to enunciate.]You had theirrrr well being at hearrrt and could neverrr be faulted forrrr such. Norrr sssshould you punissssh yourrrsssself forrrr being ssssseen. I knew naught of thisssss crrrreaturrrre at all .. we have nothing like itssss kind on my worrrrld .. Even the Cold Drrrrrake simply parrrralyzesssss itsss victimsss with itsss gaze. Nothing asss malevolent as thisssss

[bellator_lucis]

[He's starting to come back to himself, now that there is another's wellbeing to worry about, and he applies a little more pressure in his next few strokes, hoping to tie Zhaneel to reality.]

We are free, now. And we shall learn from this, so that we shall never have to experience such a horror again.

[His head dips.]

I knew of no such creature, either, but perhaps on some world they are known.

[What he should have done seems really obvious now.]

When we face the next threat, we shall ask others whether they know of something like the creatures we face.

And we shall face it together.

[You are now, officially, stuck with the Warrior, Zhaneel.]

[bondedgryphon]

[Funny, that .. Warrior comes out of his haze with concern for her and she does the same for him. ♥ At his softly spoken words she nods, bumping her head gently into his chest as he continues to stroke her feathers.]

I am uncerrrtain I will everrrr eat anotherrrr birrrrd again .. orrr perrrhapsss I will eat them morrrreso than beforrre.

[What's this? Sense of humor engaged! Even if it's strained, it's a step in the right direction. She turns her head so it remains pillowed on his lap, but so she can look at him steadily with one eye.]

I believe that issss a good plan .. cerrrtainly sssomeone will know sssomething, even if the worrrld is differrrrent. With sssso many frrrom sssso many placesss, therrre isss bound to be ssssomeone amongsssst all of usss that will know sssomething.

[That last bit right there, Warrior. yeah, that earns you the gryphon equivalent to a soft smile. She rubs her cheek against the top of his leg, tremors coming to an end.]

Then will ssssshall certainly ssssucceed asss we grrrow and learrrn frrrom each

[bellator_lucis]

[Zhaneel's strained joke draws an equally strained chuckle from the Warrior, and he continues to smile as he looks down at her affectionately. He meant what he said to you a month ago, Zhaneel - he never would have dreamed that he would find a true friend so quickly in this place.]

I think that we - all of the Called - must make greater effort to work together, to share our knowledge and experience. If nothing else, this experience has demonstrated to me that we cannot afford to act on our own. The risk is too great.

[He scratches lightly at the back her neck without really thinking about it.]

We shall. I will be interested to see what we can learn from one another, since we are so different. We shall have to be creative in learning to fight together.

[He's kind of looking forward to it - yay, something to do besides practice on his own!]

[bondedgryphon]

[Zhaneel is trying desperately to ease away from the horror that was the last week of her life. She'd not have any chance of succeeding if not for you, Warrior! She empathizes with you entirely and never could have hoped for such a truthful and meaningful friendship to form so quickly after arriving in this strange place.

She listens to his words as he speaks, lids only half open as he continues to scritch the back of her neck absently. She makes a small sound of agreement in the back of her throat and clicks her tongue softly.]

I think working together and forming a more cohesive bond amongst us is truly the only way that we shall succeed at defending Vertiline. We are not all fighters, but we all have talents and being from such varied surroundings and worlds means we might all have varied insight on any problem we might encounter.

If we could lessen the chance of such a tragedy as we have had occur even by the slightest, then it would be a gain.

[As is she! Something to keep her busy and thinking is okay by her!]

[bellator_lucis]

[The half-lidded eyes at the scritching make him smile softly. Why are you so adorable, Zhaneel.]

I am entirely in agreement with you.

[His smile fades, and his eyes focus out on the pool. His hand does not cease its scritching.]

But I fear that it will be no easy to task to work together, simply because we are so difficult. We are all still trying to gain one another's measure, and it would only take a perceived insult to create...difficulties.

[He doesn't sound any less determined, but he does sound more solemn.]

[bondedgryphon]

[She's just who she is, Warrior. She'd certainly not think herself adorable, of any degree. :(

She watches as his smile slips, although his hand does not cease it's constant motion. She very nearly snuggles in, tugging at the front of his shirt gently with her beak.]

It sssshall take worrrk, yessss, but we sssshall ssssucceed. We ssssshall worrrk togetherrr to make thissss work. We sssshall not be able to prrrroperrrly carre forrr thessse people until we do.

[She tilts her head, laying it across his lap once more and staring at him plainly with one open eye. She's not about to abandon you to this, Warrior. You're right and properly stuck with one gryphon.]

SO LATE

[bellator_lucis]

[Well, the Warrior thinks she is. So there. :|

And he is totally fine with being stuck with her. She gets a proper smile out of him.]

I can think of no one in this world that I would rather have by my side.

You are so not alone! I never got a notif for this!! ;____;

[bondedgryphon]

[Oh, well that's the important thing! ;)

She watches the smile as it genuinely warms his features and it eases the ache settled deep in her chest; as do his words.]

Nor I, my frrrriend. Nor I.