OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part Seven

[brave_kreyu]

It turns out that 'guarding the lair' involves more than just staying in one place. Kreyu has a goal today of scouting outside their borders, looking for possible trouble.

Given that Skellig can't speak the local language, yet, they're not trying to pass as locals. Skellig is just wearing a kilt as they stalk through the forest.

The wilderness is truly wild here, only barely touched by humans. Beasts of all kinds live in these woods, wolves, deer, boars, birds, rabbits, and more.

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[brave_kreyu]

She takes one feather, carefully. "People can do bad things, if they have a piece of you," she tells him. "And I'm LITTLE, what if they took your feather from me?"

[27_53]

"You are little, but you are very smart, and very brave. I trust that you will keep that feather safe as best as you can."

He weaves the other two feathers back into his wing easily, then threads the rock onto the cord with his owl amulet, tying an extra knot to separate the two pieces.

"If somehow that feather is taken, you do not need to worry. I promise." It is not a lie - one feather in the hands of a Dark being could not truly do that much harm to him, especially as it carries no blood.

[brave_kreyu]

"Okay," she says, softly. The feather is placed into the 'pocket' where the stone was, where she keeps her treasures.

"Thank you, for helping Momma." She doesn't realize that Skellig healed her too.

"He'll be back, though," she says, worry creeping into her voice. She's not wrong, Skellig can just sense the edges of THAT presence again, of the man who was chasing her.

[27_53]

"I can sense he will return," he says honestly. "But you need not worry. I am going to finish cleansing within these walls and then I will strengthen the wards you have placed before I go. You will remain here for the evening - have you enough food to eat? Water?"

Skellig is already looking for a jug of fresh water and taking inventory.

Replacing the amulet is easy enough, the shadow of his wings returning as they sit there on the bed. "Would you like to help me spread the Light within this space? I would need you to think very hard... think of the most fun thing that you and your Momma have ever done."

He knows given what they have within these walls and this section of town, it may not be extraordinary. But joy does not have to be.

[brave_kreyu]

"We have food, Nanny Ko who lives near us brings us leftovers. She's really nice. And I got the water this morning!" It took a lot of trips. The jug of water is clearly visible on the table.

She nods, her face scrunching up a bit as she thinks really hard. It wasn't all THAT long ago, time wise, when her mother was well, that they went to one of the fields just outside of town. There were so many butterflies, in so many colors and shapes, more than she'd ever realized there could be!

[27_53]

Even with his reserves as full as they are (healing both of them and chasing the plague from this space will drain them a little, as will dealing with the 'problem' once he leaves) he can feel the Light and Karma grow as the memory strengthens in her mind.

"That's it," he praises her gently - he does not DRAIN any of her energy at all, only uses it to better solidify the hold this cleanse will have on their home, as it is their space. He focuses for a few minutes in silence, working to rid the air and surfaces of any last specks where the disease may have held on. Once he is satisfied, he sighs and pats Neferet lightly on the shoulder. "Well done. Could you sense that, at all?"

[brave_kreyu]

Neferet nods. "It feels like a really BIG cat purring, when they're up against your chest."


She looks at Skellig, serious. "Are you going to make the bad man go away?" she asks, voice quiet.

[27_53]

Nodding, his voice takes on a serious - but not firm or scary, just straightforward and honest - tone.

"I am going to make this bad man go away, and he will not bother you or your Momma again, I promise you that. But in the future, there may be other bad men who might seek to come find you, which is why you must promise me you will be careful, Neferet? Listen to those who would caution you, for while you are Wise, you still have much to learn. I will speak to my friend as I mentioned and we will find you a teacher, which will help. But please... be careful. Can you promise me that?"

[brave_kreyu]

"I will be careful, Skellig," she promises.

That Dark presence is getting closer, he can't be far from the house now.

[27_53]

Gently, he presses a kiss to the top of her hair.

"You stay inside until the dawn breaks tomorrow, and then it will be safe for both of you to come and go as you please. I will be nearby, should you need me."

And without lingering any longer (he does not want the Darkness getting any closer to the house) he takes his leave; shutting the door behind him he mutters a ward that he has watched Kreyu do already many times before - and then allows his Light to freely FLOOD the space around the home and nearby area. This is a double attack - both on the disease which still lurks everywhere - and also an assault on the senses of the Dark, a distraction.

"You," Skellig growls roughly, grabbing hold of the Being (who is practically seething with his own rage because he WANTS THAT ENERGY and NEEDS THAT CHILD) by the back of the neck. "Are walking with me."

It is not a debate. Also, while he is tempted to simply launch himself skyward with the Being in tow, a nearby alcove in a dank and dark alley hidden from the sun will suffice to 'start' this conversation.

[brave_kreyu]

Skellig's Light HURTS, and he's angry, desperate! He snarls, claws at Skellig and tries to sap his strength.
"Let go of me, you freak!" Maybe he sees the wings, or senses them somehow, maybe it's just an instinct for words that stand the best chance of causing an emotional wound in the target.

"She belongs to me!"

[27_53]

He senses the clawing and scratching, the desperate attempts at a struggle - like rats trying to escape a larger predator - but his grip doesn't waver, even when a few slight points of contact are made.

"She belongs to no one but herself," he snaps back harshly. "And she is under the watch of the Great Lady, as well as myself. I am The Seeing One," he adds, using the 'title' of sorts he received when he last walked with Death. "You will not claim her."

The 'freak' comment does bring with it a sting, which in turn causes Skellig to tighten his grip. He pushes them further into the alley, until they are as far as they can go.

"What is the reason you would try to claim her?"

[brave_kreyu]

"Promise," he snarls, like the answer is being dragged out of him. "Firstborn, she wasn't supposed to exist!" His feet kick against the bricks, trying to get purchase, leverage. "Price was never supposed to come due."

But it did, and it has, and he's DESPERATE, TERRIFIED.

[27_53]

She wasn't supposed to exist.

Skellig tilts his head slightly at that comment. Because he has met the child, and she is truly gifted in ways that even he has yet to fully understand. She most definitely WAS meant to exist.

"You are the fool who made promises your cock could not keep."

He relaxes his grip ever-so-slightly. No purchase will be gained, but now the man can struggle harder (and tire faster) if he falls for it amid his desperation and fear. "Who wants her?"

[brave_kreyu]

The man laughs, but there's no humor in it. "They wouldn't give the likes of ME their name. A gentlemen, except he's not a man and never was." His energy has turned manic, wild. "From down, deep, deep, down where the light never goes."

"Hope you're still around when the world ends so he can tear you apart, slow!" He tries to spit in Skellig's face.

[27_53]

Despite his best effort to avoid the spit, he's not quite fast enough with the range being so close and it hits him in the side of the face.

And something snaps in his mind, a break in the haze and static that clouds his memories from Before.

(He's sitting on the ground, just begging for change, he just wants enough to buy a meal and some polished leather shoes are in his line of vision, maybe this will be enough, and then he gets spit on instead, get a job you fucking freak.)

The rage that floods his system is white-hot and Skellig does not even bother to step out of the alleyway properly before he sinks his talons into the neck of the Dark and launches them skyward; the 'nudge' he gives off as they crash through a linen awning and window shutter is enough to distract EVERYONE for several blocks as he turns sharply and heads for the coastline.

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu feels his 'push', turns in concern from where she's shopping. She starts to head toward the coastline, worried about Skellig.

He's loved, here. She would never let THAT happen to him!

If Skellig is far enough up when he lets go, he won't have to worry about the effects the Dark being's death by drowning might have on him.

[27_53]

Normally Skellig would respond to Kreyu with something a bit more detailed - something like I am fine just dealing with a problem but all he can manage in his current state of mind when he feels her gentle probe of concern across their connection is a brief, simple four words:

Not hurt. Bring soap.

He does not waste time with arguing with the Dark being or telling him why he's doing this. It is clearly obvious. So once he is far enough out and over deep enough water, he drops him without preamble and then banks hard, heading back to the shoreline (the death is swift, nothing more than a twitch across Skellig's 'radar') and landing on a deserted strip of beach, the white sands surrounded by high cliffs, inaccessible except by air.

She will find him stripped of his kilt and standing at the waters edge, he has scrubbed the spit off his face with saltwater but the rest of it he's about to deal with when she arrives.

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu does bring soap, and cloth for drying off with, and quite a LOT of worry.

"Skellig? Love? You smell like blood, and the White Death." She hangs back a bit, uncertain, but fidgeting, anxious.

[27_53]

"Not my blood. Long story."

When he looks at her, she will notice a hint of a storm behind his eyes - there is anger and sadness and worry all wrapped together with a bit of his feral nature creeping through, but he is not wounded. Nor are his reserves that low, but some of his Light is noticeably gone and drained.

"Healed two of it. Not sure if it can make you sick." He strides into the water - thankfully the surf is not too wild here, as he goes up to his chest, not caring that his wings are getting wet. "If it can, stay back until I am clean."

He steps deeper, struggles a little - being light means it is hard for him to 'sink' beneath the waves, but that also frustrates him. With an irritated growl, he forces his entire body underwater and then comes up shaking his wings awkwardly. He just wants this OFF of him, needs the soap, but doesn't went her sick!

[brave_kreyu]

"I can cast a spell to make it safe for me to approach you, but it will sting," she tells him when he surfaces.

"We will have to go back there soon, then, if two were sick there are likely more." WE, because she's not letting him handle EVERYTHING by himself.

[27_53]

"I do not want to pass anything to you. Do what you must."

His voice is a little curt, but it is not directed towards her, just the situation. Skellig dunks himself under again and then as he resurfaces, scrubs furiously at his upper arms with a handful of fine white sand. This will help, until he gets the soap at least. He is going to clearly be a mess, and he's still struggling.

[brave_kreyu]

The spell does sting, as it crawls across his body, but she's THERE, moments later, with soap and cloths to dry off with.

And with touch, gentle, on his shoulder, worried, but full of Light.

The soap smells like honey and cinnamon, as she passes it to him. "Do you want my help washing off?"

[27_53]

"I will need it, there are places I cannot reach easily. My wings are going to be a wreck," he huffs and shakes them, already VERY irritated with the sand and water being EVERYWHERE but at least now there is soap. "But I could not avoid it. There was a young child, and her mother."

Skellig looks up at her as he is harshly scrubbing at his chest, where the worst of the blood spatter - rinsed off by the waves, but he can still FEEL the sickness despite the sting from her spell.

"I was pulled."

[brave_kreyu]

"Ah, no wonder." She picks up some soap and the cloth, starts working on the parts of his body that are harder to reach.

"They are lucky you were called to them. The White Death is a dreadful thing, impossible to cure without magic."