You were shocked at what Gavien had to say about Runedis being a Half-elf. Apparently, Scrythe was too but you didn't notice it in your own surprise.
Runedis, on the other hand, looked as though someone had just slapped him in the face. A mixture of surprise and pain; that quickly faded as it turned into anger. "Go to hell." He had such a strong look of hate on his face that he couldn't even yell. The last statement came out as a whisper. Another ball of energy formed in the palm of his hand, although this one was different from the last-- it had the feeling of destruction. It was fire! Runedis had lost his mind-- what the heck was he going to do to Gavien?
---
a) "No, please don't!"
b) "What're you doing?!"
c) "Leave him be!"
d) "Don't hurt him!"
---
Before he could launch his attack at the newcomer, you rushed over and threw yourself against Runedis, sending the both of you to the ground. You landed atop of him. The fire in his hand was sent charging in the sky, disappearing into the blue.
Runedis was none too happy. "What's the meaning of this?! Foolish girl!" He quickly shoved you aside, getting onto his feet and dusting off his dark robes. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he hissed at you, his maroon eyes engulfed in what seemed like flames. This was scary-- you knew that he wasn't the most pleasant person in the world but you had never seen him completely lose his temper.
You bit your lip, unsure of what to say. Why did you save Gavien? He had wanted to kill Runedis, a member of your own party. You weren't even sure of your actions. How could you answer him? It turned out that you didn't need to. Scrythe spoke up. "Runedis, there's no reason to be so harsh with her. She saved you from making a fatal mistake-- if you killed your attacker then there would be no one to question, no way of knowing his intents and purposes."
The sorcerer seemed satisfied with this answer since he left you alone afterwards, though he still seemed irritated. He stared down at Gavien, who was still currently on the ground. The paralysis from the spell had worn off so he could have moved freely had it not been for Scrythe's blade at his throat. Gavien was looking at you, in complete surprise that you were risking your neck for his sake.
"Alright, scum," Runedis started again. "Who is your master?" There was that same glint of hatred in his eyes, although he was much more calm now.
The newcomer's eyes focused on his questioner. "I have no master."
"Then who the bloody hell sent you?!"
You were afraid that Gavien would cause the sorcerer to lose his temper again. This time, you probably couldn't save him from his fate if Runedis decided to launch another fireball. However, Gavien was smart enough to not play with his emotions. "...a mask."
Runedis' expression lightened. "A mask?" He looked thoughtful for half a second as he dug through his memories. "The gargoyle... was that who sent you? You! You were the one who broke into the Magic Academy a week ago, weren't you?!" There was that temper flare again. "You trusted that gargoyle, you fool! Do you know who he is, why he is imprisoned in that stone mask in the first place?" Those were obviously rhetorical questions, seeing as Gavien was given no time to answer. Runedis continued. "You're searching for the Goddess' Tear, aren't you?! That is the only reason why you'd be talking to that mask! Why?!"
"My reasons are my own."
Despite the fact that Runedis was about to explode (again), you had to cut in. This was too much information for you to digest. "Wait! What are you talking about? I'm not following."
Scrythe had an answer as always. He probably only spoke up so that you wouldn't have to deal with Runedis' more blunt answer. Who knew of the magic-user would even reply with his current rage? "_____, the Goddess' Tear is a tool of legend, guarded at the Magic Academy. It is said that it can restore anything to its true, natural state. That is all I know, I'm afraid." He then looked at Gavien. "So your reasons are your own. Very well. But we deserve to know why the mask sent you to kill Runedis."
"Because I was the one who imprisoned his soul in that material mask of stone. His name is Bakuto, a demon." Your attentioned turned from Scrythe to Runedis. The latter seemed more calm now. "If I die an unnatural death, then the spell I have set on him will be broken. He would be free once again." It all made sense now. That's why Gavien was sent to kill Runedis. "But that's not all, you fool," he added, his speech directed at Gavien. "What you don't realize is that Bakuto wants to Goddess' Tear for himself. He would never have given it to you. Once he was freed, he would have taken it for himself, leaving you empty-handed!"
How clever. So Runedis imprisoned Bakuto where he did because the Goddess' Tear would have been very well-protected. Since he wanted the jewel himself, no one else would have been able to steal it under the mask's watchful eye.
---
a) I understand now.
b) Bah, could've thought of that myself.
c) How clever, indeed.
d) Smart.
---
There was an unemotional mask on Gavien's face. You couldn't read his reaction. Of course, he seemed slightly surprised but he showed no other facial expression. Was he ashamed? Upset? Indifferent? Asides from what emotions were running high, you felt as though this newcomer wouldn't be of anymore trouble. He learned that he wouldn't have gotten the jewel by killing Runedis so there was no point in doing so. You were curious as to why he wanted the item in the first place, but Gavien clearly wasn't going to let out his secrets so you didn't bother asking. Instead, you spoke: "I think we should let him go..."
"Are you insane?" Runedis asked you bitterly, his maroon eyes upon you now. "This man is a criminal."
A criminal? You wouldn't have gone that far... no harm was done... right? Granted, he wanted to kill someone for the jewel, which was wrong... but he had his reasons, whatever they were. Perhaps they were selfish reasons but all the same, you couldn't help but feel bad for what Gavien had gone through. He had apparently tried so hard to get that jewel, finding out that all of his efforts had been for nothing. Before you could respond, the stranger said, "And what would you do if you chose not to free me?" It was a question, not asking for his own sake but for what your trio could do. Seriously-- would you tie him up and carry him to Rilyus? Return to Nagasko? Kill him? None of them seemed plausible and all of them were required an unnecessary amount of work. Bringing him along would be risky and inconvenient. Killing him would be cruel. The latter was in your opinion, of course. Runedis probably thought otherwise.
Scrythe lowered his blade away from Gavien's throat. "He has a point. There is no need for him to kill you now," he said to the sorcerer. "We might as well set him free."
Runedis didn't seem very happy about the arrangement. However, he simply seethed and turned on his heels, heading over toward his horse who was grazing in the distance.
"I am... sorry." You looked at Gavien, who was now picking himself up from the ground and dusting the sand away from his clothes. His voice still had that calm tone to it, though you could sense the sincerity in his words. "I had no idea about the intentions of this... mask."
You quickly replied, "It's alright. Runedis is just a bit sensitive right now." You remembered Gavien calling him a Half-elf. Seeing as Runedis was so affected by it, you assumed that it could only be true. Was he hiding out among the humans as an Elf for a reason? Gavien's words were uncalled for but it made you wonder why Runedis was so bold to promote Half-elf rights under the cover of an Elf... it seemed hypocritical to you.
"Where will you go now, Gavien? You can't obtain the jewel." Scrythe said. Perhaps he felt the same way you did. It was a somewhat awkward moment. An enemy had just turned into an acquaintance, which was unheard of.
Gavien shrugged his shoulders lightly, sliding his sword back into its sheath. "I have much to do." That didn't exactly answer the question. He turned his gaze to you for a moment before stepping backwards. "Farewell." With that last word, he headed off from where he came from, possibly to travel back to Nagasko.
---
a) "Goodbye."
b) "Hn. Finally."
c) "Till we meet again."
d) "Farewell, Gavien."
---
You looked at Scrythe who glanced at Runedis. "Give him some time, _____. This must be difficult for him." You agreed.
The group set off for Rilyus in silence. It was almost as though even the horses sensed the tension. They remained relatively quiet and submissive to your cues. You felt bad for Runedis in a way. The other part of you wondered what made him do the things he did. Why hide from the world? Did he wanted to save himself and let the rest of his kin be subjected to social sufferings? Maybe you didn't understand things as well as you should have but the idea still seemed so foreign to you. Runedis... was he afraid and just not willing to admit it?
"That's the forest." The sorcerer's voice rang out for the first time in hours and it even surprised you, as you were getting adjusted to the silence. You had noticed the forest from afar but never had made the connection that this would be the Elven forest. There was some sort of magical property flowing through the surrounding air. "Rilyus forest, although protected by its Elven guardians, is dangerous. It is said that the denseness of the wood has a strange way of forming illusions for those who know nothing of them. Follow my lead closely."
Illusions? That didn't sound good... regardless, you urged Balenteo forward, her footfalls becoming more cautious as she went. She seemed to understand what was going on-- the mare felt the magic as well and was uncomfortable around it. The other two horses reacted in much the same way.
---
a) Ugh... I don't like this.
b) Let's get out of here already.
c) This is quite unpleasant.
d) Keep on moving.
---
A few hours into the forest, your earlier feelings were somewhat sedated. Nothing had happened yet and although the winding paths were maze-like in structure, Runedis knew where he was going and guided you and Scrythe carefully. The horses, however, seemed more agitated than ever. In the more difficult paths, you had to slide off of Balenteo to physically lead her across the gnarled roots of the large trees.
It was then that Runedis stopped.
"Runedis." Scrythe stated his name, as though he knew why the sorcerer paused. There was something wrong. In this area of the forest, it was too quiet. There was no sound of the wind rustling above the treetops, nor were there whisperings of the small animals among each other. It was simply silence.
A horrifying screech filled the air and you gasped in surprise. Currently, you were not atop of your horse. The reins were in your hand and in that moment, Balenteo broke loose. She was obviously frightened of whatever monstrosity let loose such a cry. You called after her, worried that she might become injured if left to run. "Balenteo! Come back!" In a rush of adrenaline, you followed the mare. It wasn't so difficult to keep up with those horse because of the dense forest-- Balenteo was greatly slowed.
"_____!" Scrythe called after you, though you didn't hear him. You were too focused on trying to get your horse back. For some reason, he didn't come after you.
You didn't worry, however, only thinking about your poor mare. "Balenteo, please come back!" There was that screech again and you covered your ears this time, as the sound was so close. You froze where you were, now aware of what kind of beast produced such a noise. There was an ugly creature perched upon a branch in front of you. Its eyes were a deep shade of red, even frighteningly so as it gazed downwards. It looked somewhat human, though it was a slight bit smaller, perhaps about four feet tall. The creature's skin was a tannish-grey color, with large ears protruding from it head. A long tail hung from the trees as it smiled wickedly at you, revealing pointed fangs. Balenteo was long gone at this point and you were occupied with whatever that creature was.
Your sword... where was it? Foolishly enough, you had it strapped onto Balenteo's saddle, thinking that she would always be with you. Apparently, you were wrong. Before you could think of anything else, the creature held out his hand. "Silly girl," he said menacingly with a cruel laugh. "Chasing after that cow of yours. Now you're all alone." In his palm formed an orb of dark magic, much like the magic Runedis had used earlier that day. You assumed that it was meant to paralyze. The creature sent it flying toward you. Frightened, you quickly dodged to your right. The magical orb hit the ground in a small explosion, the forest's carpet of leaves sizzling afterwards. You wondered what would have happened had you stayed in that same spot.
But you didn't stay long enough to find out. You took off at a sprint, dodging low branches and running through shrubs. The creature followed, cackling as it pranced from branch to branch-- it was amazingly fast and agile for someone of its size. To be able to maneuver so easily through the forest was something worth applauding. After a few minutes of this chase, you realized how tired you were getting. Even in such a dense forest, there was no way you could hide from something so quick, and you could barely run any longer. Your face and arms had red streaks across it from where the low-lying branches had grasped at your skin as you ran through them. You were completely out of breath as well.
"Eheheh!" The creature landed in front of you, blocking your path. "Think that you're going somewhere? No, no, no." Its voice was raspy, though it showed no signs of fatigue even with all of the tree-jumping that it had done.
"What are you..?" You asked, hoping that you could distract the creature, long enough so that Scrythe and Runedis would be able to find you.
"What am I? What am I?" It sounded appalled at your question. "I am a goblin. You humans are always so ignorant, hiding in those cities and towns of yours. You know nothing of the outside world. But seeing as you're going to die soon, I might as well inform you." Here, it paused, scratching its chin with long fingernails. "The Elves may be willing to protect their forest but they care little of its intruders. As long as we do nothing to harm their precious trees, they will lend no hand to save your sorry hides!" It stepped toward you, only to have you scoot back. Unfortunately, you tripped on a root protruding from the ground. You hit the ground with an "oomph," only to see the amusement in its face. "Humans are clumsy, filthy, disgusting creatures, capable of doing no good, though I must admit, you're a rather pretty thing." Now this goblin had a great advantage over you. There was no way you would be able to run away when it was towering above your fallen form, and his last statement was disturbing. "But I have no use for you in such a mannerism. The only thing you humans are good for is a meal." The last part made you sick. Was the goblin going to eat you?
---
a) "Get away from me, you creep!"
b) "Don't you dare touch me!"
c) "You disgust me."
d) "I refuse to be eaten by the likes of you."
---
Again, it seemed amused at your defiance, though you were quite fearful as well. "And what will you do, girl? You're in no position to argue." It extended its clawed hand out to touch your face. You recoiled, although it managed to slit the skin of your cheek with one claw just enough to extract a few drops of blood. Your face stung, though you hardly noticed the pain as the goblin returned its claw to its lips, tasting the crimson liquid. "What sweet blood..." it commented. "What an innocent girl... what a shame that you will die along with the rest of your friends."
Then it hit you. What had happened to Scrythe and Runedis? You hoped that nothing had happened to them... they were both seasoned warriors, weren't they? They'll be fine, you hoped to yourself silently. Please be fine...
"Heheh..." the goblin cackled again as an orb of dark energy formed in its hand once again. "Goodbye, pretty one."
You shut your eyes, bracing yourself for the blow, though it never came. Instead, you heard another terrifying screech and the tear of flesh. You dared to glance at the goblin who was no longer there.
---
a) "Scrythe, is that you?"
b) "Runedis..?"
c) "Eh..?"
d) "What..? Gavien?!"
A blur of red hair indicated that it was Gavien who had saved you. A blade was in his hand, now stained with dark red blood. The goblin had been slain. "So we meet again." He stared at the corpse of the creature, crimson liquid pouring from a wound in its chest. Then he transferred his gaze to you. "Are you well?"
Your jaw nearly dropped. You had left Gavien just a few hours ago and now he had returned already. What surprised you the most was that he acted as though nothing had happened-- slaying the goblin was no big deal to him, obviously. "I-I'm fine," you stuttered, still shaking off your fear from earlier.
Gavien was about to answer when a called echoed through the forest. "_____! Where are you?! _____!" It sounded like Scrythe.
"Those are your friends, I assume?" the red-haired swordsman asked lightly. "I shall be going. I doubt that they will be eager to see me." With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned to go but you stopped him.
"No, you saved me. I'm sure that Scrythe will be more than happy... Runedis, I'm not so sure... but please stay!" You gazed at the back of his head as you got up on your own two legs. He didn't do anything at first but then looked behind his shoulder at you. "I'm in your debt," you added quickly, now that you had made eye contact. "Thank you."
"_____! There you are!" Scrythe rushed forward from the cover of the trees, grabbing your shoulders gently, and hugging you to his chest. "You're alright..." he sighed in relief. His face was darkened with some smudges of dirt and perhaps even a bit of blood but you were too happy to see him to notice. You buried your face into his shoulder, glad that he was alright and glad that you were also in one piece. You couldn't help it-- suddenly a rush of emotions came forth and tears poured from your eyes. In the past few minutes, you had experienced so much-- surprise, fear and overwhelming joy. This was too much for you. Your cheeks stung where the salty tears slipped past the cuts in your skin but you didn't care. You continued to cry in Scrythe's arms... and you didn't remember anything afterwards. Your mind blacked out.
---
a) "...Scrythe..."
b) "Hn..."
c) "...ugh."
d) "..."
You woke up, feeling somewhat groggy but other than that you were fine. You shook that grogginess off, only to realize that you were in a bed with white sheets. Sunlight poured into the room, giving off a gold light, while the arches and curves of the walls gave the room an elegant appearance. The windows held no glass in them, as you could feel the cool breeze blowing through them. "Mm..." you hummed to yourself. You looked to your left, pausing as you saw Scrythe. He was sitting in a chair next to your bed, his head resting upon his folded arms atop the white sheets. Had he been here the entire time you had blacked out? It seemed like something he would do...
"Scrythe?" you asked softly, reaching out to gently touch his arm. "Scrythe?"
In an instant, Scrythe lifted his silver head from his arms. The golden sunlight highlighted his hair well. "_____... you're safe. I'm so glad." He sat up, straightening himself before asking, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling kinda tired... but I'm alive, aren't I?"
"Yes, and for that, I am thankful." Scrythe paused before reaching up to brush a few stray bangs from your eyes. "Your mother would never forgive me if you suffered because of my lack of strength. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you..." He seemed distraught at this idea, though you were glad that he cared enough to even be with you. It didn't matter to you that Gavien was actually the one who had killed the goblin.
"Oh Scrythe... don't." You didn't want him to apologize. He really didn't need to. You knew that he cared either way and the circumstances were so difficult that it was a miracle you were saved at all. "Don't feel sorry... there wasn't anything you were able to do. What happened after I ran after Balenteo anyway?"
Scrythe laid back in his chair, thinking. "Goblins surrounded Runedis and myself. There were so many of them, _____... although they were not particularly strong, they possessed magic. Luckily, Runedis surpassed all of them in that area. We defeated them rather easily but we had a difficult time searching for you... Balenteo came back to us and she led us toward you."
So that was how they found you. "Scrythe, thank you... I know I had probably been a lot of trouble in that forest. I'm glad that you came to my aid... that goblin scared me, said something about wanting to eat me." You shivered but then laughed. "I guess he didn't get a chance to do that, eh?"
"No," Scrythe smiled. "No, he didn't. You're safe now. Welcome to Rilyus, the city of the Elves."
---
If you have mostly b's...
The Elf:
Sunlight drifted into your eyes as you rolled over in your sleep. Slowly, your eyelids lifted, revealing your senses to an entirely new sight. Where were you? Beneath you was a bed, draped in fine, white sheets. The room was decorated with the finest carving along the domed roof and the many elegant pillars. You stared at everything in awe for a short while before the door opened, revealing a blond man. ...a blond Elf! You had noticed the pointed ears.
"Hello there, M'lady," he greeted with a light bow. He closed the door behind him gently, before stepping toward your bed. "Welcome to our grand city. I am Velen Perinc."
"Oh... a pleasure to meet you, Sir." You studied the Elf for a few moments, noticing his graceful movements and his lanky body. He was tall with a lovely shade of blond hair, which cascaded down his shoulders and across his forehead in an elegant manner.
He smiled, which highlighted his slim features and his light skin. "None of that, please. Velen will do just fine, Lady _____."
You blushed slightly. "How did you know my name?"
"Your friends have arrived with a message for the Elven Lord. You were unconscious at the time you were brought in but I said that I'd look after you while they settled matters with Lord Larkah."
"Are they alright?"
"Yes, of course. They are all in good health."
This comforted you greatly. "I'm glad to hear that."
He nodded briefly before he asked, "Are you hungry?"
You just then realized that your stomach was trying to tell you something. "Um... yes." Velen said nothing, bringing you a small tray of food from the nearby table. Your eyes studied the foreign foods curiously. There were different sorts of fruit set on on the tray, many of which you did not recognize but all of them looked ripe and delicious. Also, there was a sliced loaf of what you assumed to be bread-- butter, something you did recognize was also available. Velen smiled at your curious expression and proceeded to explain to you what everything was.
After your small but filling meal, he took you hand and led you from the bedroom. "Allow me to introduce you to Rilyus," Velen said. You eagerly agreed.
---
If you have mostly c's...
The Half-Elf
So this was the Elven city! You had just woken up, now peering through the domed windows of your room. It towered high above the actual city, perhaps three or four floors above. You were absolutely amazed at what you saw, though you didn't recognize anyone or anything. Thinking that you might have been able to find someone, you slipped out of the room and into an elegant hallway, draped in white-washed walls and heavenly carvings and paintings. There were many doors. You figured that since your companions must have been housed nearby, you might as well try opening them.
Your first pick was the door to your immediate right. You knocked softly on the white wood before hearing a, "Yes? You may enter."
Eagerly, you opened to see Runedis seated at a desk, scribbling something down on parchment with a quill. He didn't bother looking up at you, simply continuing his work. You watched him write, curious about what the strange words and shapes meant. After a short while, he said, "I suppose you're feeling alright, mm?"
"Yes," you replied, folding your hands together in front of you. "What about you?"
"I'm quite fine."
Silence again. He returned to his writing. Runedis just wasn't very talkative, was he? He seemed to be feeling fine at the moment though. It was one of his more pleasant moods, you guessed, so you dared to ask him: "Runedis... are you really... a... um..." Somehow, it was difficult for you to get the word out, afraid that you may insult him.
"A Half-elf..?" he responded quietly, almost whispering the word. Runedis stopped what he was doing, gazing at you. There was that stare of his again. It made you feel uncomfortable, although it wasn't necessarily a defensive glare this time around. "Yes, I am."
He seemed so... saddened. You drooped your head. You knew that you had more questions and he probably did too but you restrained yourself, unwilling to arouse any more unwanted emotions. "Thank you for telling me," You managed to say before exiting the room.
"_____..?"
You turned back to look at Runedis. He merely shook his head, replying "Never mind. Go on." You obeyed.
---
If you have mostly d's...
The Mystery:
You stirred in your sleep, waking up to discover an unfamiliar surrounding. "What... where am I?"
"You're safe. In Rilyus."
Looking up, you saw the red-haired man from before. "Gavien?"
"Yes, I'm here."
You remembered what had happened in the last few hours, shaking your head to sort your emotions out. The room was gorgeously decorated. You could've easily suspected that the Elves were such good artisans. The room was filled with golden light from the sun and most of the furniture was made out of a lovely brown shade of wood. "Mmm..." You saw that Gavien was leaning against the wall below the open window, peering out at the city. With a soft yawn, you slipped out of the bed and joined him. You were utterly amazed at what you saw.
"It's beautiful, is it not?" Gavien asked you. "I never regret coming back to Rilyus."
"You've been here before?" Gavien was so mysterious to you. There were many things that you had yet to find out about him.
"Yes."
He was also very blunt when it came to answers. It seemed as though only answered direct questions, nothing more, nothing less. "Gavien," you started, "Why did you save me in the forest? You had been following us, hadn't you?"
There was a brief silence. "Don't you realize it? You saved my life earlier today. It's a life for a life."
Now that you thought about it, it was true. You had prevented Runedis from firing a dark ball of energy at the man. In doing so, you had saved him-- again, you had no idea why you did so but you were glad of it now.
He continued. "As for following you, I was curious. Mostly about you. Why did you save me?"
Your mind drifted back to the question. "I... I don't know. You nearly killed Runedis but I still couldn't let him murder you like that. It wouldn't have been just."
You weren't entirely sure if you meant everything you said but if Gavien didn't understand, he said nothing about it. Instead he changed the subject: "Justice. It's a strange word."
You nodded. "I agree... it's difficult to define and even more so to carry out successfully. There are those who deserve to life and those who don't. It's just funny how their fates are decided sometimes, especially when you're the one caught in the middle with the decision."
Gavien's blue eyes focused on you and you turned to see him, only to blush. "You are wise beyond your age."
That surprised you. You had never thought of yourself as wise. "Um... thank you." The two of you remained quiet for the rest of the time, staring at the city with a bird's eye view.
