"Night never ending The weapons we bring are our souls You know, You know You know what it means to feel real So rise up, claim the sky We fight, We fight Night never ending."
Drizyrr♞Zaulyl
The stern, frustrated tone of her voice caused him to shrink back ever so slightly. Usually when he heard a tone like that, there was about to be some punishment dished out, and most of the time he could only hope it was physical. But this was Ceres! Surely she would never do such a thing to him. His trust in her kindness was the only thing that spurred him into standing straight and keeping her gaze in his eyes, even if that would have only caused more trouble before. It was sort of an oxymoron: scolding him for always beating himself up and seeking the approval of a superior. He supposed part of the problem was that they had been judging using different criteria: she looked at his overall efforts, even things he found quite mundane, whereas he was only judging the more extraordinary events. Oh s**t, she was crying in frustration now, he really needed to diffuse the situation, and maybe find some sort of compromise or something. ”Well, at least I still have the requisite number of eyes to see as you see.” Somehow he still had two eyes, even though they were not the most unusual thing to lose. Frankly, he wouldn’t have been surprised if he was down one, it was statistically more likely than him being down an arm and two half-fingers. ”I think…I think that might be something we both need to work on. I get the feeling that at times you do not think much of yourself, yet no matter what, in my eyes you are always perfect. Perhaps we can find a way to help each other see ourselves in a better light?” Yes he was seeking her approval, but for once it wasn’t a subservience thing. No, this time he was proposing something for them both to follow, so he needed to make sure that she was willing to go along with it. With her acquiescence, the door finally rolled back and they were allowed to pass through. They made it up a few more steps, but it was obvious they were both worn out from the intensity of that last challenge. Drizyrr found a little clearing, not big enough for someone to pitch a tent, but certainly big enough for the two of them. It would have to do for tonight. They needed their sleep if they wanted to finish the challenge, especially if it was even harder than what they had just done. He both dreaded and looked forward to the following day.
"Long was the hour for the valiant knight that would ne'er be sick or slain Lonely the bower in the candle light with neither kith nor kin Storm clouds over the full moon raced, as he swung to the dapple grey And man and horse to the westward faced on the eve of an All Saints' Day.
He's laid his hand on his hunting horn and with his dying breath Has blown a blast to the blazing morn that would rouse the angel of death High in the cusp of the starry night he heard his grey hawk mew As out of the misty morning light his ghostly greyhounds flew.
Waillee waillee my noble lord who wakes me from my rest There's none can heal the wounds of time that lie bloody on your breast"
"Night never ending The weapons we bring are our souls You know, You know You know what it means to feel real So rise up, claim the sky We fight, We fight Night never ending."
Drizyrr♞Zaulyl
He could understand now why this was considered such a difficult challenge: yesterday's challenge had been torture on them. The worst part, for him at least, was that Ceres thought she shared the blame somehow. No, it was one hundred percent his fault, he had been trying to protect everyone and minimize damage, but instead he brought a whole new level of pain upon them. It wasn't his intention, but that was the result nonetheless. Just going over what had happened, trying to figure out what had happened with the hopes of solving things (not that they could be solved, of course), was more arduous than any of the loyalty tests his second wife put him through. Once the door had opened for them, they didn't get very far before they had to turn in for the night. Drizyrr wanted to say it was purely because of the heat, but that sun hat she had made for him was really helping him out, though of course it was still horrendously hot and it felt like he was sweating out gallons of water. But no, the challenge had worn him out, it was like having a wound ripped wide open so that everything could be properly set before closing it up again: now he just needed time to let it heal properly.
Almost as if to counteract the test's attempts to break them up, he was rather affectionate with her once camp was set up. He would take any opportunity he could to sneak her a kiss, preferably when she didn't see it coming, and once they were ready to settle down, he invited her to sit in his lap (in whatever fashion was possible, given her branches). Attempting to be the voice of encouragement for the first time on the trip, he asked: "You say that once we complete everything, the fruit will show us a happy image of our future, correct? What are you hoping to see?" That question seemed perfectly innocent, but he wondered about his response to it. It was something they hadn't necessarily gone over much, so he wasn't entirely sure how well it would go over with her. Maybe he should just edit what he had originally thought of saying and leave the potentially rocky part out of it? Probably not a good idea in this opinionated forest. "As for me, I'm hoping for something kind of like this. The two of us in a clearing in the woods, the light of a full moon shining down on us. Preferably have better weather, I'll admit. But anyway, you would be settled against me, maybe even sitting in my lap kind of like we are now. Your skin would positively glow under the moonlight, and...um..." Ah! he wasn't sure how to phrase this! He was used to keeping his mouth shut, or at least saying as little as possible to get out of non-combat trouble, but this was an entirely different matter. He wrapped his arm around her, his palm resting against her belly. "And...ah, well, if you permit...perhaps...perhaps it could be one final such outing before our child is born- -only if that is something you want, of course." And if it wasn't? Well, he might get in a bit trouble, now couldn't he?
He was up a bit longer, enjoying her companionship; but eventually night had fully enveloped them and it was necessary to get some rest so they could be ready in the morning. At first he found sleep completely unobtainable, nightmares from the battle still floating about in his brain. After many moments of breathing in her scent, he finally drifted off to sleep with images of their potential future floating about his mind.
A couple hours before dawn, Drizyrr awoke covered in a light layer of sweat. At first he assumed he must have had another nightmare but somehow managed not to wake Ceres up. However, a moment of thought brought him to a different conclusion: it was really freaking hot out. At least we are coming upon the last challenge, then the fruit, and then we can go back home where Ceres can play outside as much as she wants, and I can find a cool spot from which to watch. I hope this place eventually has a winter... Fat chance of that, but there was no harm in hoping. Once more he headed out into the forest to hunt something for breakfast for them. Frankly he wasn't feeling particularly hungry, but he knew they needed sustenance in order to make it through the following challenge. Stalking about the forest, he found things quite quiet, a little too quiet frankly. He understood now what Ceres meant about the eeriness of the silence of the trees, he kept expecting trouble around every corner, for if there was trouble, at least it would confirm his suspicions. He walked for almost two hours before he found any sort of tracks, rabbit again, by the looks of it. Following the tracks more silently than a flake of snow, he came upon the rabbit about twenty minutes later. It hadn't noticed his arrival, so Driz was able to kill it with a single toss of his dagger, once more killing it instantly. This time, however, he heard steps coming closer. Perhaps this was the beast scaring things away? He levitated up into the branches of the nearest tree, crouched in midair watching the ground below him. The undergrowth shook and out burst...a pack of wild dogs? Well, certainly they would not be pleasant, but that was certainly no incredible threat. He waited for them to leave before he would jump down to...his line of thought broke his concentration and he tumbled down to the ground with a soft thud. Rolling up a second later, he was quite certain that he had not sustained any serious injuries but his ankle was a little tender. He didn't even notice the thin stream of blood which had trailed down his face from a tiny little cut.
By the time he returned to camp with the meat, it was already a few hours past dawn and was hot enough to make him uncomfortable. "Hunting wasn't very good, but I got rabbit again. You can have it, I think I'll be fine with fruit, if you have any to spare?" Once they started eating he would take out some bandages from his bag and wrap his ankle a bit, just enough to keep it from moving overly much.
"Long was the hour for the valiant knight that would ne'er be sick or slain Lonely the bower in the candle light with neither kith nor kin Storm clouds over the full moon raced, as he swung to the dapple grey And man and horse to the westward faced on the eve of an All Saints' Day.
He's laid his hand on his hunting horn and with his dying breath Has blown a blast to the blazing morn that would rouse the angel of death High in the cusp of the starry night he heard his grey hawk mew As out of the misty morning light his ghostly greyhounds flew.
Waillee waillee my noble lord who wakes me from my rest There's none can heal the wounds of time that lie bloody on your breast"
Relationship:Engaged
Mood:Exhausted/Hopeful
Pain:⚕︎ ⚕︎ ⚕︎ ⚕︎ ⚕︎
Ooc:__
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 9:58 pm
Ｃ Ｅ Ｒ Ｅ ＳxxxＣ Ａ Ｌ Ｉ Ｓ Ｔ Ｏ
❀The Protective Dryad❀ Human Form:
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After yesterday's rough emotional challenge, Ceres was pretty drained. While she was glad that the two manage to pass through those gates, she sort of wished that the task was a bit less mentally damaging. She stayed pretty quiet and reserved while they were setting up their camp for the night. Honestly, she didn't have much emotion until Driz began to spoil her with affection by little surprises. His tender and loving kisses instantly got her to smile a bit and even got her to release a few giggles here and there. If anyone knew how to get her out of a semi-depressive funk, it was him!
Once they were finished getting things set up for the night, Ceres gladly took his offer to sit on his lap. When wouldn't she? The little dryad felt perfectly calm being cuddled up with her beloved. Staying near him gave her a sense of security that she always liked. However, to make things a bit more comfortable, she did shift back into her more human like form. Having her branches in his face definitely wouldn't have been comfortable. She didn't want to poke him in the eye! He was already down an arm and a few fingers. The last thing he needed was to have one less eyeball!
Relaxing in his embrace felt nice especially during the night when the sun wasn't practically melting him. Ceres was enjoying the starry sky when Driz finally spoke up and asked her what happy vision did she wish for. Honestly, anything with them still together and happy and in one piece was good enough for her! In fact, what he had described seemed really ideal until it got to the last part. " B-B-BABY...!!! " That was a total surprise! Ceres sincerely had no clue that Driz even wanted more children. For a second, the dryad froze before her face nearly went completely red. " YES, OF COURSE! " She replied in excitement before she quickly realized that she nearly shouted her answer and covered her mouth. Whoops... she probably should have at least tried to compose herself rather than be a blubbering, loud idiot. Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh!! Having a little family of her own was one of her biggest dreams. It wasn't something that she had discussed with him since they hadn't been sexually intimate, but at least it was out in the open now. " Ehehe... sorry about that. I had no clue that you even wanted more kids, but... I'm not opposed to your happy image~ Having a little family together sounds perfect! "
The night deepened soon after her little excited explosion, which meant it was bedtime for the two of them! You best believe this little willow went to bed happy as could be. She actually had a pretty good dream because of it. Just picturing a little family with a few kids was simply blissful. Although, she had hoped that her future children would be okay with an air-head momma - especially their first borne! Well, since Driz had daddy experience, he'd probably end up being the more responsible parent. Ie: making sure that she didn't try to plant the baby in the garden thinking that they grew like literal weeds.
Again, Ceres slept deep through the night and wasn't waking up until she smelled food again. Yum, it was rabbit again! She didn't mind it, but what she didn't like was the little cut on his face. " Did the you and the rabbit have a sword fight? While he bandaged his ankle, Ceres took the liberty in cleaning up his face. Luckily for him, she still had enough magical energy to use her healing magic. She actually had been practicing a bit on and off before this journey, so she was able to heal tiny wounds with just a simple little kiss.
"Night never ending The weapons we bring are our souls You know, You know You know what it means to feel real So rise up, claim the sky We fight, We fight Night never ending."
Drizyrr♞Zaulyl
To be sure he was shocked at her outburst! Though his main concern was that he had offended her or stated something very far from her wishes. His conscious brain would have told him to just wait and everything could be talked out, but his subconscious reaction, even though dulled a little, was to flinch back and steel himself for whatever fallout was about to come. But her exclamation, well it was still startling, but at least she clarified that she was in agreement. Possibly because she noticed how flinchy he was getting, she sort of awkwardly calmed down, and give a more full answer. "Well, I never got the chance to be the type of father I wanted to be. I was hoping to get a chance to try and do things right, I'm sure the two of us together could make alright parents, right?" Oh geez he was really going to need her help on this: back home raising a kid meant teaching them how to survive in a world where everyone and everything wanted them dead, the only way to survive was to keep fighting. This world was nothing like that, kids needed to be taught to share and treat others with kindness, they needed a gentle hand and affection. He just knew Ceres would be good at it, she mothered most everyone she met, a child of her own blood would inspire even more of that maternal care, right?
***
She picked up on the slight injury pretty quickly, had there been some sort of external sign. Fingers brushing lightly over where he felt the most sting, even without looking he could tell they had run through mostly dried blood. "I'm just a trouble magnet, aren't I?" He smiled at the notion of dueling with a rabbit, "frankly I like that story better. If anyone else asks, that's what I'm going to go with. But no, this forest is starting to get to me too, it's just so...unnaturally quiet. There were practically no animals about, it took me hours just to find that rabbit. Second after I killed it, I heard some rustling in the bushes nearby. Thinking that it could be some monster which had scared the wildlife up, I levitated up into the branches of the nearest tree. It was just a small pack of wild dogs which soon retreated back into the brush. And...I kind of forgot I was levitating and not actually secure in a branch. Fell the whole height, but, of course, I landed in a roll which dispersed most of the damage. Light punishment for a dumb mistake, it would seem." With an extra emphasis on "dumb," he couldn't believe he had made such a childish mistake! He shrugged, "I've always been bad with magic, even back when I was first learning it. No talent whatsoever. It infuriated most of my teachers, but it annoyed my sister the most..." His voice trailed off, though it was hard to say what sort of mood he was in, maybe ambivalent was the best answer. Well, ambivalent until she healed up the little scratch with a kiss. "Mmm, I love this new healing method...maybe I should fall out of trees more often?" Eh, his body was already in bad shape, no need to add accidents to the damage report. Today he divvied the rabbit differently, giving almost all of it to her and keeping only a little for himself. "I can't say I'm particularly hungry, so please do take it." Granted, he would never say no to an orange...
"We're getting a late start today, we may need to push on a little later than normal, but I think we can make it today." He damn well hoped they could, this mission was beating him up, but the reward was too good to pass up. He made quick work of packing up then leading the little expedition up to the fifth and final challenge. Just like usual it was a long, exhausting walk, but he managed a little better than he had before. Maybe he had already succumbed to the heat, or maybe his drive to have irrefutable proof he belonged here drove him forward. Even if he was covered in sweat, he didn't take a break and was still standing when he got to a well, rather disturbing statue. Maybe it was supposed to suggest two people intertwined, but it seriously looked like lovers in the grip of death. That was not a good sign. The pedestal with instructions was completely covered in moss, which he hurriedly cleared away so that Ceres might tell him what sort of torment they were up against now.
"Long was the hour for the valiant knight that would ne'er be sick or slain Lonely the bower in the candle light with neither kith nor kin Storm clouds over the full moon raced, as he swung to the dapple grey And man and horse to the westward faced on the eve of an All Saints' Day.
He's laid his hand on his hunting horn and with his dying breath Has blown a blast to the blazing morn that would rouse the angel of death High in the cusp of the starry night he heard his grey hawk mew As out of the misty morning light his ghostly greyhounds flew.
Waillee waillee my noble lord who wakes me from my rest There's none can heal the wounds of time that lie bloody on your breast"
Relationship:Engaged
Mood:Resolved
Pain:⚕︎ ⚕︎ ⚕︎ ⚕︎ ⚕︎
Ooc:__
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2020 2:30 pm
Ｃ Ｅ Ｒ Ｅ ＳxxxＣ Ａ Ｌ Ｉ Ｓ Ｔ Ｏ
❀The Protective Dryad❀ Human Form:
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Regardless of how Driz got his injuries, she was glad that he was still in one piece. " You sure are a little trouble-maker, Dear~ Just be careful, though. While I might be able to fix just about anything, my magic can't make you re-grow your limbs like a Salamander. " That would've been cool, honestly. However, their limbs took time to grow. Ceres couldn't imagine Driz having a tiny baby arm growing from his missing one and tiny little fingers from the nubby ones. Oof. That wouldn't be great... Seeing as she got the bigger portion of breakfast again, she gave a bit of a pout before shoving a couple oranges his way. " You gotta eat something! Oh, but we also gotta save room for the Nanoa fruit, too! " The dryad said as she stuffed her face per usual. Today was the day. They were gonna get that fruit! All they had to do was pass through the final gate. How hard could that be?
As soon as breakfast was finished up, and the camp was packed up, it was off to the final challenge. Maybe her over-confidence made her a bit too cocky. The previous task was mentally draining, so so was this one! " At last the final act of devastation lays before you. Pass this trial and all will be revealed within the next few moments. Fail... And you may fear your lack of return to this very stone. For this trial and tribulation, you must converse on your darkest memory within your mortal - or immortal - life. Secrets devoid of the other's presence; whether they pertain to your past, your possible future, or the present as you set across your loved one. The establishment of minor or major stress that haunts your life with its eternal grappling. Should your partner accept you even then, you may surpass the damnation of this test and continue on to the fruit of souls; the legendary Nanoa of which will tell you the answer to your search. With all secrets clarified, we wish you the greatest of luck... And hope that the goal will not destroy your life. " Immediately, Ceres hunched over with the slight look of defeat on her face. " Whoever came up with these challenges sure are sadistic. They couldn't give us like... another trust fall, or somethin'? " Letting out a deep sigh, she quickly plopped down in front of the gate just lost in her thoughts. What was a dark secret that she already hadn't shared? Their whole time in this silent jungle they were throwing everything out on the table. This would be more difficult than she thought...
"Night never ending The weapons we bring are our souls You know, You know You know what it means to feel real So rise up, claim the sky We fight, We fight Night never ending."
Drizyrr♞Zaulyl
Oh he was a troublemaker in more ways than one, but the one she was commenting on was pathetic to be sure, but at least it was legal. "No new limbs huh? What a pity. I was hoping to get a custom arm with extra fingers and maybe a few other additions." Not that he had even expected her to be able to regrow lost parts, especially ones that had been gone for centuries, but the notion was somewhat humorous. And as for taking some fruit since he wouldn't partake of much meat, he of course obliged. He'd have to be pretty darn sick to turn down an offer of oranges. ”You know all of my weaknesses, don’t you?” He was mostly kidding as she probably didn’t actually know all of them, but bribery with oranges was a trick she had learned, and thus far it had proven one hundred percent successful.
***
Ceres seemed quite optimistic about the upcoming challenge, but Driz wasn’t too sure: they were supposed to be getting harder as they went, and thus far the trend had proven true. Given how difficult the last one had been, he couldn’t imagine the fifth being too terribly easy. The oranges she gave him must have had more vitamins and nutrients than most, for he had less difficulty making it up this flight of steps than the previous sets. Or maybe he was just too focused on completing the task at hand and getting the confirmation he so desperately desired. Listening to the challenge, it was rather verbose, but the practical instructions were easy enough to follow. Frankly, the challenge made sense: the last one had been about working out memories between the couple, now they were to take care of things that did not directly involve one’s partner. He had been thinking along those lines, so that by the time she finished reading the plaque, he already had a train of thought rumbling on. Not that it was easy to say by any stretch. He sat down beside her, his only arm around her shoulders, ”sadistic perhaps, but on the other hand, they are making us reveal everything so that we both come to know the true nature of our partner. It is better to see the less than perfect reality over a perfect illusion, wouldn’t you say? Especially if you are going to be married to them for a long while.” Yeah, he might speak well of the challenges, but he definitely loathed this one.
”While you are thinking, I’ll give my answer and hope I can make it through the response well enough.” He sighed, then drew in a deep breath and began. ”I fear and genuinely believe your sister was right about me: I am a drow and thus inherently evil. I wanted to think I was different from them, and perhaps I am to some degree, but I am far from a good person. Ceres, I have so much blood on my hands, so many deaths weighing on my conscience, that I can’t even feel when another is added. I’ve killed hundreds upon hundreds of people: some of them made attempts on my life first, but others…others were completely innocent, completely defenseless even. I was ordered to kill them, would likely have been killed and tortured if I hadn’t, but is that really an excuse for killing defenseless people, children, even infants? I tried to leave as many alive as possible, hiding them as best I could, but what are a few lives saved in comparison to the innumerable slain? Though I feel guilt for those, there is a sanguinary perversion in my blood which can only be quieted by bloodshed. There’s a certain…euphoria whenever I draw blade against an opponent, and my subconscious always goes for killing blows. Whenever I was sent on assassination work, killing my own kind just to eliminate a threat or move up in rank, I would be assigned to taking out the matriarch and her daughters. Killing them, watching them realize they were doomed, it was more intoxicating than any substance; I couldn’t get enough of it.” He wasn’t even done yet, and already he had doubts about her continuing to accept him. ”I thought things would change when I came here, thought I would settle down in order to die in peace, but I’ve yet to divest myself of this infernal bloodlust. I’ve killed a few people since we met. Not as many as I used to, but still in four months I’ve killed five people. They were all patrons at the Deck. Whenever someone upset you and refused to apologize or stop, I would follow them outside as soon as they left, and I would kill them so silently, no one has noticed thus far. And those people who spontaneously lose parts of their body? That is my work as well. If someone touches you in a way you don’t like, I remove the offending hand, looks at you the wrong way and they lose an eye. That’s why everyone there fears me, and why they have gotten so much more respectful in your presence: they know if they are too rowdy I will maim or kill them.” Well, at least it meant he was looking out for her, but he doubted she would be happy to know to what lengths he went to protect her. ”Oh, and here’s a much less dower confession: remember that date we went on to The Shimmering Starfish? You ended up getting pretty drunk and we ordered most of the food off of the menu. That was intentional on my part. I still couldn’t believe the diet was your idea, didn’t seem like something you would do, and I’m still a tad suspicious about it. Anyways, I was trying to get you to break it, so that you might reevaluate your choice. I know it was a bad thing for me to do, but I promise I thought I was helping.” It was still cruel of him, but even still he had his doubts about the whole diet concept.
"Long was the hour for the valiant knight that would ne'er be sick or slain Lonely the bower in the candle light with neither kith nor kin Storm clouds over the full moon raced, as he swung to the dapple grey And man and horse to the westward faced on the eve of an All Saints' Day.
He's laid his hand on his hunting horn and with his dying breath Has blown a blast to the blazing morn that would rouse the angel of death High in the cusp of the starry night he heard his grey hawk mew As out of the misty morning light his ghostly greyhounds flew.
Waillee waillee my noble lord who wakes me from my rest There's none can heal the wounds of time that lie bloody on your breast"
