Elthana stands to the side, rolling the orb around in her hands, listening to the conversation. Her attention is solely focused on what she is holding onto, but the tips of her pointed ears are turning red. As Sam starts to walk towards her, she puts the sphere in her pack and looks up to him, tears brimming in her eyes.
She accepts the kiss and the bag, though her arms feel numb as she takes it. She is vaguely aware of Istram as he lists off everyone in the party and their apparent strengths and she finds herself slightly impressed as she just remembers him mainly drunk or in shock for the most part. But she never takes her eyes off of Sam.
Finally she pulls him to the side, at the edge of earshot unless those around are trying to hear. She looks down, unsure of herself, unsure of her words as saying goodbye was well... she never really had. Eventually, she looks back up into his eyes, the softest part of his countenance. "You are my rock. I.. I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you."she takes a breath and thinks back to when she was deformed and how he held her up and the many times after that. "I would and will stand by your side as long as you'll have me. But if this is what you want, you know I have to see this through. I can't leave with you. Not yet. Things are bad back home, get things started for us will you? We'll come join you when we can. When.. when I'm whole."
Then, lost for more words as this was not something she was accustomed to, she flings her arms around his neck and pulls him down to her, giving him a kiss on the mouth. Tears fall from eyes as she breaks away. "Be safe." she whispers as she walks away from him.
She walks over to Gewyn, holding both hands out to assist in helping him stand back up. Needing to focus on something else.
"It..." Sam says in reply to Elthana, if voice low and hesitant. And faltering. He really doesn't know how to reply...
"It isn't what I want," he eventually manages. "Not at all... but... I think it is necessary. You do need to see this through. For yourself. For me. For perhaps the whole damn world... But me and the group? We're just not working. Not like before. Not like we need to... And I think it is utter shite but it is me that is the problem. With me gone... Well, I think the group will work better and you'll have a much better chance of doing what needs be done."
"I thought perhaps..." he says and then tilts his head a bit, as if searching for words... or listening to them. "I thought maybe..." He loses his way again though and has to struggle to get words out. "You ever do a puzzle? One of them ones you put the pieces all together and they make a thing? I tried a few when I was young. Never was good at them. I just mashed the pieces together and tried to make them fit even when they didn't... but they never quite would for me. Maybe one day... but not yet. I'm sorry... but not yet."
"But listen," he says with some surety to his voice, finally. "You are whole. You are everything you need to be. Don't ever let anyone make you think you are lacking in any damn way. Only thing you really need is some happiness, eh? And you won't find that from her... But maybe once you take her down you'll have the time to?"
Sam smiles as she hugs him and struggles not to let the moment take him away, to break him down. He's a big strong man, damnit, he's not going to cry over a hug... But then that worry is shocked right out of him when she kisses him. In that instant a warm, pink hue surrounds Sam almost in an embrace of it's own with him... But then it begins to ooze over and encompass Elthana as well, gelling around them both before fading away...
He has nothing else to say. He wants to but he hasn't the words. He can do nothing but watch her tears as she breaks away, listen to her words as she walks away...
We don't fit together, he thinks... Not yet. But maybe one day. Maybe his his edges change they'll fit together like...
"Puzzle pieces," he says too softly for even a whisper. He then turns around and puts his helmet on... Perhaps it can protect him from whatever has gotten into his eyes.
Muir makes one last attempt to talk to Sam and hope to smooth things over once Elthana leaves.
“Sam, please don’t go. Again I am sorry for my questions. I didn’t know all that I do now and why you see me harshly. I understand better now and I hope that you will forgive me. We can move on from what happened and work together. By doing that the others will follow suit. Please don’t go.”
Sam listens to Muir and gives him a bit of a sad smile and a shrug once he finishes. "You are supposed to be asking questions, Muir," Sam insists. "And I have nothing to forgive you for. Maybe we can move on from what happened... But maybe just not yet. Maybe some moving on needs to happen before moving on can happen, if that makes sense?" It does to Sam but that doesn't mean it does, he supposes.
Sam reaches into a pouch on his belt and then holds his hand out to Muir looking to hand over the contents. "Maybe these will help you in finding answers to questions, at least about the portals anyway. Maybe not. But maybe at least I'll have less to be reckless with." If Muir accepts the items he finds himself holding three Golden Acorns.
"Watch Elthana's back for me, will ya?" Sam asks of him. "And if anything tries to kill you, you try to kill them right back!"
Griff seems deep in thought. Taking notice of the situation, listening but still struggling with his own decision. When Sam and Muir speak without harsh words, sarcastic comments or digs at one another involving rats, the soldier takes his moment. He walk up to Ingram and asks something in auran to which Ingram writes out a symbol for Griff. Then Griff approaches Sam. "I said to you before I would be having your back and my word is my honour, you are being right that my place is on the front lines of this fighting, which is why I am to be coming with you. I am being a general in Akiin's, though not as large or imposing as shenoh's army, they are still being my men and I will be leading them into the battle. I will escort you back to akiin safely and be awaiting Ingram's signal where I will be leading my men to Vox's thunder" he gives a nod to the group, not asking permission of anyone but more directly informing of what will happen.
Muir takes the acorns, nods to Sam “Good Luck Sam. I hope you find what you’re looking for….Perhaps start with your lineage and the earth realm….”Muir rejoins the group
Once all heartfelt or nonchalant goodbyes said, Griff speaks to the remaining Ginro teleporter operator and gestures Sam to move onto the circle, not taking no for an answer Griff joins Sam as the scientist uses their sending stone to make sure the other side is clear and then the group watch the circle light up and watch the teleporter work it's magic from the other side this time.
Ömertyr pockets the ring and frowns, calling something out to Sam before the circle does it's magic.
The forms of Sam and Griff elongate and disperse into glowing dust before completely disappearing, the whirring of the navigation matrix sphere over head continues for a few seconds before returning to its mundane lazy spin.
Ölertyr says something to the entire group. Ingram translates. "We need to set off, now."
Pulling himself up with Elthana’s help, Gewyn watches Sam make his farewells with an inscrutable gaze. As Sam moves onto the teleporter, Gewyn says, “Sam. Be well.” Then he turns to look at Vin.
Vin watches Sam disappear wearing a sullen expression before he shrugs at Gewyn, "What? I didn't tell him to leave the group, I wanted to stay behind. It's not like you tried to persuade him to stay".
His look is uncertain, very much the stubborn older teenager who doesn't quite have a grasp of the full consequences of their stubbornness.
"I stand by what I said though, any sort of apology or remorse...", he says before shutting up.
Elthana gives Griff a warm smile and a little salute as he readies himself in the teleportation device. "See you soon, soldier. And thank you for everything." She just watches Sam as he disappears, her throat closing up as she watches him disappear.
To Vin, without any meaning in her tone - just her voice, "There was definitely remorse there. I'm surprised you didn't see it."She gets with the rest of the group, ready to move on.
"Stryder..." Duun slowly lifts a hand to his beard in thought and muses for a moment, "I will have to... research and remember... before your return... your group is... interesting to say the least... your actions... unexpected... I will escort you out so that you can... make haste to the death giant." Neferox leaps up into the pack that Ömertyr has strapped to his back, making Ömertyr think that it might expedite things to have people on board, and the cloud giant lowers the pack for the rest of the group to board. Ingram puts on a helm and mounts his griffon instead, the rocs follow dutifully and are free if anyone wishes to travel alone like Ingram.
Ömertyr informs the group of something in his droning scraping language and Ingram translates shouting from under his helm, "It'll take an hour to get there if we haven't missed our chance, a little longer if we have to chase it."
And with that two large doors open up and Duun begins sprinting at impossible speeds down large and ornate corridors which become a blur to those who are in the back of Ömertyr's pack as he too begins moving at speed, his legs turning into a whirlwind of cloud and propelling him forward.
Before too long you exit into a crystal garden, a sheet like mountain on one side shields you all and this place from the winds of the falling isle, there are the chimes of a thousand hanging crystal decorations around you and one massive free standing gate in the middle, Ömertyrs feet disturb the circular patterns of the small stones underfoot that have been meticulously arranged and raked into patterns, but it does not seem to bother Duun or the people around reading and raking and meditating. The Griffon mounted Ingram and the rocs catch up in no time and Ömertyr looks to the sky above trying to locate something, once he has seen the unseeable he mutters something and before ingram can translate big Ö jumps and begins flying directly up at speed followd by the three birds.
“Would you mind if we chat a bit over this next leg of travel? I have something to say about the death giant, the lullaby, want to see how you’re doing, and a few other things if you’d be kind enough to indulge me?
Elthana looks down to Muir after she gets on the beast, he can see her red rimmed eyes as she does. She sighs but then nods. She had wanted some time alone after saying goodbye to Sam, but well.. they had a mission and she needed to get with it.
Time alone? What an absurd idea, who did she think she was? She stiffens as she reminds herself of her training from back home and quickly wipes at any moisture remaining on her face.
Vin and Gewyn do indeed find the pack cleaned of all remnants of loxodon blood and bone, though whether such cleaning happened upon the Isle of Shenoh or Ginro is unknown. Vin settles into his book finding that some chapters are beginning to repeat key phrases and words that worm their way into his mind and assist his thought process when it comes to gaining friends and influencing people. He reads on knowing this will help him become more charismatic in the future.
As Ömertyr lifts off, Ingram and one roc follow suit in an arrow formation, but the roc being ridden by Elthana and Muir takes a place in the slipstream created by Ömertyr's massive form and buffers them from the wind enough that they can speak relatively freely whilst being heard by the other.
Looking back through the windows in the pack the group can see that the shape Duun's isle takes is that of a diamond, like two square based pyramids stuck together butt to butt. The points on each side shielding a section each from the winds as it falls.
Vin is too consumed by his book, so unless Gewyn tries to make conversation he likely won't notice anything else unless the journey becomes uncomfortable.
Neferox is far more restless, having been cooped up for quite some time, and with Vin so distracted. She paces around the room.
Spyro preens and watches Neferox pace, his new scales having set in, his floral body slightly more solid and with more vibrant hues. He, also restless, begins making small talk with Gewyn.
After around 45 minutes Ömertyr's voice can be heard vibrating through the crystal of the pack, but with Sam gone and Ingram riding his griffon, there is no one around to translate.
Elthana stands to the side, rolling the orb around in her hands, listening to the conversation. Her attention is solely focused on what she is holding onto, but the tips of her pointed ears are turning red. As Sam starts to walk towards her, she puts the sphere in her pack and looks up to him, tears brimming in her eyes.
She accepts the kiss and the bag, though her arms feel numb as she takes it. She is vaguely aware of Istram as he lists off everyone in the party and their apparent strengths and she finds herself slightly impressed as she just remembers him mainly drunk or in shock for the most part. But she never takes her eyes off of Sam.
Finally she pulls him to the side, at the edge of earshot unless those around are trying to hear. She looks down, unsure of herself, unsure of her words as saying goodbye was well... she never really had. Eventually, she looks back up into his eyes, the softest part of his countenance. "You are my rock. I.. I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you." she takes a breath and thinks back to when she was deformed and how he held her up and the many times after that. "I would and will stand by your side as long as you'll have me. But if this is what you want, you know I have to see this through. I can't leave with you. Not yet. Things are bad back home, get things started for us will you? We'll come join you when we can. When.. when I'm whole."
Then, lost for more words as this was not something she was accustomed to, she flings her arms around his neck and pulls him down to her, giving him a kiss on the mouth. Tears fall from eyes as she breaks away. "Be safe." she whispers as she walks away from him.
She walks over to Gewyn, holding both hands out to assist in helping him stand back up. Needing to focus on something else.
"It..." Sam says in reply to Elthana, if voice low and hesitant. And faltering. He really doesn't know how to reply...
"It isn't what I want," he eventually manages. "Not at all... but... I think it is necessary. You do need to see this through. For yourself. For me. For perhaps the whole damn world... But me and the group? We're just not working. Not like before. Not like we need to... And I think it is utter shite but it is me that is the problem. With me gone... Well, I think the group will work better and you'll have a much better chance of doing what needs be done."
"I thought perhaps..." he says and then tilts his head a bit, as if searching for words... or listening to them. "I thought maybe..." He loses his way again though and has to struggle to get words out. "You ever do a puzzle? One of them ones you put the pieces all together and they make a thing? I tried a few when I was young. Never was good at them. I just mashed the pieces together and tried to make them fit even when they didn't... but they never quite would for me. Maybe one day... but not yet. I'm sorry... but not yet."
"But listen," he says with some surety to his voice, finally. "You are whole. You are everything you need to be. Don't ever let anyone make you think you are lacking in any damn way. Only thing you really need is some happiness, eh? And you won't find that from her... But maybe once you take her down you'll have the time to?"
Sam smiles as she hugs him and struggles not to let the moment take him away, to break him down. He's a big strong man, damnit, he's not going to cry over a hug... But then that worry is shocked right out of him when she kisses him. In that instant a warm, pink hue surrounds Sam almost in an embrace of it's own with him... But then it begins to ooze over and encompass Elthana as well, gelling around them both before fading away...
He has nothing else to say. He wants to but he hasn't the words. He can do nothing but watch her tears as she breaks away, listen to her words as she walks away...
We don't fit together, he thinks... Not yet. But maybe one day. Maybe his his edges change they'll fit together like...
"Puzzle pieces," he says too softly for even a whisper. He then turns around and puts his helmet on... Perhaps it can protect him from whatever has gotten into his eyes.
Muir makes one last attempt to talk to Sam and hope to smooth things over once Elthana leaves.
“Sam, please don’t go. Again I am sorry for my questions. I didn’t know all that I do now and why you see me harshly. I understand better now and I hope that you will forgive me. We can move on from what happened and work together. By doing that the others will follow suit. Please don’t go.”
Sam listens to Muir and gives him a bit of a sad smile and a shrug once he finishes. "You are supposed to be asking questions, Muir," Sam insists. "And I have nothing to forgive you for. Maybe we can move on from what happened... But maybe just not yet. Maybe some moving on needs to happen before moving on can happen, if that makes sense?" It does to Sam but that doesn't mean it does, he supposes.
Sam reaches into a pouch on his belt and then holds his hand out to Muir looking to hand over the contents. "Maybe these will help you in finding answers to questions, at least about the portals anyway. Maybe not. But maybe at least I'll have less to be reckless with." If Muir accepts the items he finds himself holding three Golden Acorns.
"Watch Elthana's back for me, will ya?" Sam asks of him. "And if anything tries to kill you, you try to kill them right back!"
Griff seems deep in thought. Taking notice of the situation, listening but still struggling with his own decision. When Sam and Muir speak without harsh words, sarcastic comments or digs at one another involving rats, the soldier takes his moment. He walk up to Ingram and asks something in auran to which Ingram writes out a symbol for Griff. Then Griff approaches Sam. "I said to you before I would be having your back and my word is my honour, you are being right that my place is on the front lines of this fighting, which is why I am to be coming with you. I am being a general in Akiin's, though not as large or imposing as shenoh's army, they are still being my men and I will be leading them into the battle. I will escort you back to akiin safely and be awaiting Ingram's signal where I will be leading my men to Vox's thunder" he gives a nod to the group, not asking permission of anyone but more directly informing of what will happen.
Muir takes the acorns, nods to Sam “Good Luck Sam. I hope you find what you’re looking for….Perhaps start with your lineage and the earth realm….” Muir rejoins the group
Once all heartfelt or nonchalant goodbyes said, Griff speaks to the remaining Ginro teleporter operator and gestures Sam to move onto the circle, not taking no for an answer Griff joins Sam as the scientist uses their sending stone to make sure the other side is clear and then the group watch the circle light up and watch the teleporter work it's magic from the other side this time.
Ömertyr pockets the ring and frowns, calling something out to Sam before the circle does it's magic.
The forms of Sam and Griff elongate and disperse into glowing dust before completely disappearing, the whirring of the navigation matrix sphere over head continues for a few seconds before returning to its mundane lazy spin.
Ölertyr says something to the entire group. Ingram translates. "We need to set off, now."
Pulling himself up with Elthana’s help, Gewyn watches Sam make his farewells with an inscrutable gaze. As Sam moves onto the teleporter, Gewyn says, “Sam. Be well.” Then he turns to look at Vin.
Vin watches Sam disappear wearing a sullen expression before he shrugs at Gewyn, "What? I didn't tell him to leave the group, I wanted to stay behind. It's not like you tried to persuade him to stay".
His look is uncertain, very much the stubborn older teenager who doesn't quite have a grasp of the full consequences of their stubbornness.
"I stand by what I said though, any sort of apology or remorse...", he says before shutting up.
Elthana gives Griff a warm smile and a little salute as he readies himself in the teleportation device. "See you soon, soldier. And thank you for everything." She just watches Sam as he disappears, her throat closing up as she watches him disappear.
To Vin, without any meaning in her tone - just her voice, "There was definitely remorse there. I'm surprised you didn't see it." She gets with the rest of the group, ready to move on.
Muir says before they leave “I need to return here for any records on the elf that portal traveled here. I hope you’ll be able to help me Master Dunn”
Vin just shrugs at Elthana's words, having no clear idea if Sam was remorseful or not, and if so exactly what about.
He then makes his way over to Ömetyr ready to follow, or get into his pack, or whatever the plan is.
"Stryder..." Duun slowly lifts a hand to his beard in thought and muses for a moment, "I will have to... research and remember... before your return... your group is... interesting to say the least... your actions... unexpected... I will escort you out so that you can... make haste to the death giant."
Neferox leaps up into the pack that Ömertyr has strapped to his back, making Ömertyr think that it might expedite things to have people on board, and the cloud giant lowers the pack for the rest of the group to board. Ingram puts on a helm and mounts his griffon instead, the rocs follow dutifully and are free if anyone wishes to travel alone like Ingram.
Ömertyr informs the group of something in his droning scraping language and Ingram translates shouting from under his helm, "It'll take an hour to get there if we haven't missed our chance, a little longer if we have to chase it."
And with that two large doors open up and Duun begins sprinting at impossible speeds down large and ornate corridors which become a blur to those who are in the back of Ömertyr's pack as he too begins moving at speed, his legs turning into a whirlwind of cloud and propelling him forward.
Before too long you exit into a crystal garden, a sheet like mountain on one side shields you all and this place from the winds of the falling isle, there are the chimes of a thousand hanging crystal decorations around you and one massive free standing gate in the middle, Ömertyrs feet disturb the circular patterns of the small stones underfoot that have been meticulously arranged and raked into patterns, but it does not seem to bother Duun or the people around reading and raking and meditating. The Griffon mounted Ingram and the rocs catch up in no time and Ömertyr looks to the sky above trying to locate something, once he has seen the unseeable he mutters something and before ingram can translate big Ö jumps and begins flying directly up at speed followd by the three birds.
Elthana mounts one of the rocs if it will have her, and once settled, she tries to see what big O is looking for.
Once they take to the sky, she holds on for dear life.
Muir approaches Elthana as she approaches a roc.
“Would you mind if we chat a bit over this next leg of travel? I have something to say about the death giant, the lullaby, want to see how you’re doing, and a few other things if you’d be kind enough to indulge me?
Elthana looks down to Muir after she gets on the beast, he can see her red rimmed eyes as she does. She sighs but then nods. She had wanted some time alone after saying goodbye to Sam, but well.. they had a mission and she needed to get with it.
Time alone? What an absurd idea, who did she think she was? She stiffens as she reminds herself of her training from back home and quickly wipes at any moisture remaining on her face.
Vin looks at Ömetyr’s pack, and pauses on his way to following Neferox.
He briefly wonders if the mess inside had been cleaned up, before entering regardless.
If all is well, he will settle down to read his book during the journey.
Vin and Gewyn do indeed find the pack cleaned of all remnants of loxodon blood and bone, though whether such cleaning happened upon the Isle of Shenoh or Ginro is unknown. Vin settles into his book finding that some chapters are beginning to repeat key phrases and words that worm their way into his mind and assist his thought process when it comes to gaining friends and influencing people. He reads on knowing this will help him become more charismatic in the future.
As Ömertyr lifts off, Ingram and one roc follow suit in an arrow formation, but the roc being ridden by Elthana and Muir takes a place in the slipstream created by Ömertyr's massive form and buffers them from the wind enough that they can speak relatively freely whilst being heard by the other.
Looking back through the windows in the pack the group can see that the shape Duun's isle takes is that of a diamond, like two square based pyramids stuck together butt to butt. The points on each side shielding a section each from the winds as it falls.
Vin is too consumed by his book, so unless Gewyn tries to make conversation he likely won't notice anything else unless the journey becomes uncomfortable.
Neferox is far more restless, having been cooped up for quite some time, and with Vin so distracted. She paces around the room.
Spyro preens and watches Neferox pace, his new scales having set in, his floral body slightly more solid and with more vibrant hues. He, also restless, begins making small talk with Gewyn.
After around 45 minutes Ömertyr's voice can be heard vibrating through the crystal of the pack, but with Sam gone and Ingram riding his griffon, there is no one around to translate.