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RESPITE MARKETPLACE - JUST BEFORE THE STORM OF YZZAYT
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Enver is entertaining a small mixed crowd in the middle of the marketplace. There's a much happier mood about since the captives came home, though full on celebrations are delayed until the guard expedition returns from the larger mission. At the sound of the loud thunder, Enver looks up and then sniffs the air, frowning. He catches his juggling balls before looking to those assembled, waiting to see if a storm is going to roll in or not.
Narrator: As the sudden rain begins to fall, Enver darts into action, dismissing the adults among his audience and shepherding the unattended children into a sheltered alcove inside the wall on the edge of the marketplace. Luckily, the lightshow put on by the weather shield distracts a bit from the scarier elements of the storm, and the group isn't in a good position to see much of the giant dragon who is the cause of the incident.
Narrator: Once the storm has blown over, Enver brings the children back into the market square, looking around to try to spot any searching parents.
Narrator: Despite the terror of Yzzayt nearly crashing into the Weather Shield and flatting Respite and the defeaning roars that have left her ears ringing, Teis can't help but stare in wonder as Yzzayt flies off into the distance. Only once he is out of sight does Teis shake her head rapidly back into reality, now noticing just how hard her heart is pounding in her chest and out her aching ears. Enver. Find Enver. She leaves the Estate's grounds, headed to the spot in the marketplace Enver would typically perform, taking a few minutes to reach it. "Enver!? Enver!" Teis calls out as she approaches.
Enver is nearby, leaning against a wall as he comforts the last few stray children, many of whom are still crying from the loud noise and what they saw of the dragon. He looks up when he hears his name called and waves a hand to Teis, though he doesn't answer her vocally, not wanting to raise his voice and risk frightening the children again.
Teis breaks out into a modest sprint, closing the distance between herself and Enver. She tightly embraces Enver, hugging him, children be damned.
Enver hugs Teis back, equally tight. He even picks her up and spins her around a bit. "You're safe... thank goodness..."
Narrator: The spin takes Teis off guard, though it isn't unwelcome. Once she's set back down, she pulls back from Enver somewhat, keeping her hands on him, smiling at him. Her attention is now brought down to the crying children, frowning, glancing back up at Enver. ". . .Need help?" She asks.
Enver nods a bit. "If you don't mind..." He keeps a hand squeezed around Teis's paw as he turns back to help one young lad who got a good fright from the booming thunder.
Teis nods affirmatively back. She pulls her free hand away from Enver, clicking her fingers to display a dazzling array of lights for the children. She works with Enver to calm them down, using her magic in various silly ways to help. It's not so different from using her magic to empower Enver's performances.
Narrator: After another ten minutes or so, all the children are returned to their worried parents and the pair stand alone together.
Enver smiles at Teis, blushing a touch. "We make a good team..."
Teis waves the last child and parent off. She turns back to Enver, taking his other hand up in her free hand, leaving them clasping with both. "Yeah. . ." She warmly, slightly shyly and smitten, replies.
Enver giggles a bit, squeezing Teis's hands in his as he leans in for a soft kiss.
Teis senses the soft kiss, ready to accept it when something takes over her. She counters by pressing her own lips firmly into Enver's, kissing him harder and more passionately than she ever has.
Enver blinks a bit at the intensity of the kiss, but doesn't rebuff it at all, letting Teis kiss him as hard as she likes and returning the kiss in kind. His hands squeeze hers before letting go and wrapping around her back, pulling her tight against him.
Teis shifts her hands up to Enver's shoulders, grasping at them for the duration of the kiss. When they finally part, Teis keeps her head close, staring deep into Enver's eyes, smiling. She's silent for a few moments until her smile suddenly disappears, her expression saddening. ". . .What if. . .That thing had broken through? Killed you?" She frowns, her mouth quivering.
Enver smiles back, before mirroring Teis's frown. "You can't think like that. It doesn't do any good... something like that might as well be an earthquake or tornado for all any of us could do to stop it. It didn't get me... or you... so let's be happy about that for now. The shield held. Everyone is safe..." He leans in and kisses Teis's cheek. "Come on, no worrying about me. I'm hardly worth it."
Teis sighs, "I know, but. . ." She accepts the kiss. "Don't say that." She frowns harder. "Of course you're worth it!" She slides her hands off of Enver, moving them to pluck one of Enver's hands off of her back to cradle it in both of hers. She clutches it close to her chest, leaning her head down to embrace the hand for a silent, but brief, moment. "I. . .Don't want to take you for granted."
Enver takes the opportunity to kiss the top of Teis's head between her ears. "I know. Sorry... I just... you would find someone else. Someone smart and great like you, and you would be happy. I know it."
Teis tilts her head back up to Enver, keeping his hand close. "Maybe. . .Maybe not. You can't think like that." She echoes Enver's words, cheekily poking her tongue out at him.
Enver just nods, blushing more. "Teis... you're special to me. You know that..."
Teis: "And you I. . ." Teis replies, glancing away sheepishly and sighing. ". . .I know I always seem more attached to my work and study. . ."
Enver moves a hand up to rub at the back of Teis's head. "It's all right. I mean, you've got so much in here... got to keep it all ticking away properly, right?"
Teis' head snaps back at Enver's touch. She contemplates for a moment. ". . .Lets go back home. Let's. . .Um." Teis blushes, glancing away yet again, trying hard to get the words out, but failing miserably.
Enver takes a few moments to get what Teis has in mind before he just nods dumbly. He takes Teis's hand in his again. "Home... yes... let's uh... home..."
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NORTHEAST OF YZZAYT'S TRANSGRESSION - LATE MORNING
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Nesseth makes his way towards the medical tent of the camp, the guards and the Saurs that opted to join them on the return to Respite having moved a little ways off from the site of Yzzayt's emergence to somewhere a bit safer for the previous night. The morning saw him waking up very slowly, and definitely in a fair bit of pain, but he's thus far ignored the healers' requests for him to let them look over his wounds beyond simply patching them up. However, upon hearing that Xochi has regained consciousness, he immediately decided to stop by to check in on her.
Xochi is sitting up in her cot, her lengthy tail coiled down around around the base of it as she sips from a waterskin. She glances up as the tent flap opens, tilt back a bit at the sight of Nesseth. "By the gods, Nesseth, you look worse then I could have imagined."
Nesseth chuckles a bit, definitely looking worse for wear as he steps into the tent and takes a seat (more like unceremoniously flopping onto it) and smiling at Xochi, his injured left arm hanging loosely. "Wish I could say I've been through worse, but... well... I'd be lying by a wide margin."
Xochi looks down at herself, some cuts and bruises, singed scales along her left side, and burnt feathers through her wings, but somehow she has escaped significant injury. "I am sorry that I could not assist, though I doubt I would have been much help. At least I could have escaped unaided. I shall have to learn who dragged me out of the ampitheater in the end. I owe them my life."
Nesseth tilts his head curiously, but he nods after a moment. "True... you did get knocked out." He smiles sheepishly, "Sorry about that, by the by, Xochi... I might have done that while trying to tackle you out of the way of that thing the Whisperer summoned."
Xochi slowly recalls the horrors of the things summoned, and a shudder runs down her spine. She forces a chuckle, "B-better to have been pushed aside then suffer whatever fate he intended for me. The Whisperer, he was... unhinged. Though I am sure you realized this as well."
Nesseth nods again. "Mmh... We... I saw that pretty closely after catching up to him further into the amphitheater. He sounded utterly mad right at the end." He trails off, then tilts his head again, "So... I'm guessing you don't recall anything after the tackle?"
Xochi shakes her head. "Only waking up here this morning. The medics have checked me to make sure there is no significant injuries, but it seems I was quite lucky. Perhaps undeservingly, as it seems in the end I accomplished little."
Nesseth falls silent for a short bit at that, a pensive look on his face as he considers. "Well... I know how you got out with as few injuries as you did. Just... even I'm having a little trouble believing it, despite being right there in the thick of it."
Xochi grows curious, watching Nesseth's expression change. "I... would have assumed it was you who pulled me back. A lizard saving a coatl is quite hard to believe, yes?" There's an edge of humor there, but she's doing her best not to tease, as she can tell Nesseth is quite serious about this.
Nesseth quirks a bit of a smile at that. "Well... we did get out together, but..." He pauses, then looks over at Xochi curiously, "...How strong is your connection to the spirits of our ancestors, again?"
Xochi laughs again, quietly, "Not so strong as I wish, I think. Once, when I was younger, it seemed strong, but perhaps it was just the imagination of a child... but I did not lie when I told the Whisperer of the prayers I'd heard, this you know." She glances away, a bit embarrassed, "You will laugh, but when I saw what he had summoned, that foul necromancy, I recalled a prayer I had not recited since I was a child. A silly thing, that I used to say when I was afraid some monster might be lurking in the closet."
Nesseth blinks, curiosity now evident on his face despite his exhaustion. "A prayer? What sort of prayer?"
Xochi sighs, laughing quietly at herself, then recites in the common tongue, "It sounds something like; 'In darkness evil hides from the faces of the Father and Mother, but I shall not fear. For no evil can stand against the spears of those who are righteous.'" She slumps her shoulders, "It goes on like that, asking for protetion from those who can fight against evil, even naming some old mythic heroes..."
Nesseth listens, then nods. "I see... I'm asking because, well..." He looks back up at Xochi, the tiniest of smiles on his face even as he keeps his expression quite serious indeed, "I'm pretty sure your prayers were answered, right when you got knocked out..."
Xochi watches Nesseth in silence, setting down the waterskin nearby. She closes her eyes, breathes in a few times. "Perhaps I should say your injuries have outpaced you, Nesseth. I... I do not understand what you mean... but I believe you. Tell me... tell me what happened, please."
Nesseth can't help but chuckle at the reaction, knowing he'd have said something quite similar if the roles had been reversed. "Maybe, but I wasn't injured when all this first happened. Most of them came from well into the fight deeper into the amphitheater." He nods as he settles a little more comfortably into his seat, "Right after you'd gotten knocked out, Xeilzrus' guards started fighting with those that accompanied us, and we had something like nine of those phantoms bearing down on just the two of us."
Xochi frowns, nodding, but stops. "The... two of us?"
Nesseth nods. "You were out cold, so I tried my best to protect you. Of course, nine against one... but I wasn't going to just leave you there." He sighs and dips his head, "None of us probably would have gotten out, but you'd gotten back up and we managed to fend them all off with a good bit of effort."
Xochi blinks. "In... my sleep?"
Nesseth shakes his head. "It was you... but not you." He gestures at Xochi's figure, "I didn't figure out who it was until after we'd all gotten out safely, but someone else was controlling your body while you were unconscious."
Xochi leans away from Nesseth as she tries to piece this together. "O-one of the heroes of old? Xolotl, o-or Meztii? That's... that shouldn't be possible..."
Nesseth shakes his head again. "Neither of them, no." He smiles a bit at Xochi, "I don't know how it happened, but I did share some words with them after we'd gotten to safety. It was your dad, Xochi. He answered that prayer."
Xochi gapes at Nesseth. She begins to speak, then stops, unable to find any words that would express the disbelief she feels in her mind, and the utter certainty of this truth in her heart. At last, she lowers her head down and hums quietly, considering these words.
Nesseth nods. "I know it sounds insane, but... Again, with the position we were in at the start of that fight in the amphitheater... neither of us should be here right now." He pauses and looks at the various injuries he's sporting, "I mean... I'm barely here as it is, but regardless. If what happened didn't happen, we'd be dead and the Whisperer would still be alive."
Xochi manages to stammer a response, "N-no. No... I mean, yes. It does sound insane. It does... but I know it is the truth."
Nesseth hums quietly. "At the very least, I know it wasn't you just trying to use some magic." He smiles a little wryly, "The way you moved... those were the movements of a veteran of armed battle. Decisive, certain."
Xochi takes another breath, "...I shall take your word for it. I have never handled a weapon in my life. But they say my Father was one of the most skilled warriors of the Empire, only the Red Emperor himself more powerful and skilled than he was..."
Nesseth nods with a soft hum of acknowledgement. "I've heard similar. It's thanks to him answering that prayer, though, that we were able to deal with the Whisperer and make it out again. He stuck around long enough that we were able to talk a bit, too, once everything was over."
Xochi sighs, bowing her head. She waits a moment, then pushes herself upwards off the bed, letting her tail lift her up until she is standing. "Then... I am thankful to him. Though I never met him within my memory... perhaps he seeks some atonement for his own past transgressions, and through me..."
Nesseth shakes his head a bit. "He... actually said a few things to me. Hints, more like, about all that. Along with a little message to give to you, specifically."
Xochi: "A message... for me?" She smiles faintly at Nesseth, "Well? You would leave me in suspense?"
Nesseth chuckles, grinning tiredly at Xochi. "Sorry, I had to try for dramatic effect, there." He nods slowly as he takes a moment to recall the talk he'd had with Xochi's dad, "The thing he wanted me to tell you was that he's proud of who you've become... and says you've grown into quite a lovely flower, strong and beautiful."
Xochi 's smile fades as Nesseth relays the message. She reaches a hand up, wiping unexpected tears from her eyes. "Xochicoatl... Serpent of Flowers." She takes a deep breath, then says something in native tongue [Father... I wish I could have met you, to understand your choices...]
Nesseth doesn't understand Xochi's statement, but lets her have a few seconds of quiet. He does speak up, however, once he's let her have some moments of quiet thought. "He also hinted at a couple of things. I'm not fully sure, but... maybe you might know a bit more, since you're a bit more scholarly than me?"
Xochi nods, "Ahhh... sorry. I was just... Y-yes. Yes, of course. I... do wish to know everything he said."
Nesseth hums. "It's fine, Xochi. I know it's a lot since you've not known your dad before, outside of what you've heard from others." He sighs a bit, "He mentioned a couple of times while we were chasing Xeilzrus that it's not the first time he's killed a tyrant. So... I have to ask, do you know if the Snakes were involved in any other wars before the one involving the Lizards?"
Xochi: "Not the first..." She shakes her head, "N-no... I mean, yes, of course... the Snake Empire was... a bloody one, even before... but my Father had not fought in any war. Never even fought in the war with the Lizards, to my knowledge. Save for his death in the Throne Room..."
Nesseth furrows his brow a little at that. "Never, hm...? So... if he was never involved in a war before, then... wouldn't that mean that the only tyrant he'd killed was...?"
Xochi shakes her head, "Im... impossible... they were both slain by the raid that day..."
Nesseth shakes his head again, confusion on his face. "And yet, he wouldn't have any reason to lie, right? He seemed honest and sincere while we were talking."
Xochi nods slowly, trying to take in quite another revelation... "It... I..." She shakes her head, then laughs. "N-Nesseth... I believe I need some air."
Nesseth chuckles with Xochi, nodding. "That... that does seem like a good idea. Let me just... ngh..." He grimaces a bit as he pushes himself to his feet, his muscles burning in protest, "...Stand up again. There we go..."
Xochi offers Nesseth a hand to help him up, and give him some support as they walk out of the temp into the still lightly raining weather. She looks out across the camp towards the crater that was once Yzzayt's Precipice and sighs, "The medics told me what happened but..."
Nesseth gratefully leans against Xochi as the two step out of the tent. He follows her look towards the crater and nods. "Yeah... Yzzayt is real, and a giant, wild dragon like in our myths. Xeilzrus woke it up, and..." He shakes his head sadly, "The Prominence had no chance when it emerged. Your dad and I... we saw Yzzayt up close, and barely got out before everything came down."
Xochi nods, "I am certainly glad you made it out... I'm glad I made it out as well! This devastation... Yzzayt... then, the Saur... they are leaderless? And their god has left them?"
Nesseth nods. "With Xeilzrus gone, they have no leader to unite them. Yzzayt is gone... somewhere to the southeast, I think." He sighs, "I did get to speak to Usid and Dyvrisse yesterday, though. Usid and his clan, along with those that trust us, are still all accompanying us back to Respite. Those that don't trust us yet are accompanying Dyvrisse to settle some place new... I hope."
Xochi glances around the camp, the pain and devastation evident especially evident here amongst the medical tents. "Dyvrisse returned as well? I see... And Usid... I suppose I shall have to speak to him again to see what we must do to aid him and those who follow him to Respite now."
Nesseth nods. "She was in the Prominence when we rushed out of the amphitheater, and she helped with the evacuation. And... yeah, talking to Usid might be a good idea. He's... uncertain, right now, about a lot."
Xochi: "I... can certainly imagine. A crisis of faith of everything their culture seems to have been built upon... Usid expressed doubts in the Whisperer, but never in Yzzayt itself."
Nesseth nods. "Usid might benefit from a talk, I'd say..."
Xochi takes a deep breath. "I... shall do what I can for him. I have much to consider beforehand." She gives Nesseth a flat look before breaking into a smile, "You have given me... a lot to think through, my friend. A lot indeed."
Nesseth chuckles quietly. "It's a lot on your plate, I know... for a lot of reasons. If you need any help, Xochi, feel free to let me know, and I'll do what I can to lighten the load."
Xochi chuckles, "I need... time to think it over first. And I am not sure where to start, but I must question the things I've known my entire life as well. I shall have to seek out the Loremaster who came to Respite when we return, I think."
Nesseth nods as he shifts his gaze back towards the ruins of the Prominence, only to shift his gaze up a bit as he notices the clouds starting to clear and the rain starting to taper off. "The Loremaster... Aurelius, I think, his name was? Yeah... I think it'd be a good idea for us both to seek him out."
Xochi nods, "I do not believe I've met him yet. This... information may be very good reason. Very good indeed." She glances up, "Ahh... it seems the storm is passing at last?"
Nesseth nods as he smiles, the morning sun's warmth settling against his scales for the first time since before stepping foot into the amphitheater the previous day. "Yeah... feels good to have the sun on my scales again..." He sags a little against Xochi's side, though only barely.
Xochi chuckles, giving Nesseth a little more support as he leans against her, "No matter how bad the storm, the Sun shall always emerge afterwards."
Nesseth nods, humming quietly as the warmth of the sun starts to soak into his scales, and his body finally begins to relax. "The sun's... always a welcome thing..."
Nesseth finally slumps over bonelessly against Xochi, unable to sustain himself any longer as the past days' combat and injuries catch up to him.
Xochi catches Nesseth as he slumps, "Nesseth? Nessth?!" She glances around, calling for help. Thankfully they are still standing within the area of the medic tents, such that her calls are quickly met, as several of the medics aid her in carrying the unconcious lizard back to the very cot that Xochi had just left.