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SAUR CAMP - OUTSIDE THE WESTERN WALL OF RESPITE - EARLY EVENING
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Xochi slithers through the Saur camp as they begin to slow for the evening. The people here begin to find their ways back to their tents and other makeshift accomodations, preparing meals from supplies given by Respite, or salvaged and carried from Yzzayt's Transgression, or even some freshly hunted from nearby game. To Xochi, it is a rather curious feeling, and she has done her best to work alongside the Saur she has asked to trust her, putting in her fair share of labor to help them find their way as she has acted as something of an in-camp diplomat for Respite, continuing to do her healing work as well as doing her best to comfort those still suffering from the psychological impact of Yzzayt's sudden departure from their lives... and their religion.
Aerdrid lands nearby, having spent a good while just flying around alone, thinking about the changes to just about everything he's known as of late as well as just enjoying his regained freedom. As he lands, several nearby Saurs cast curious looks at him, since he's still in his (now slightly worn out) uniform, but he doesn't pay them much attention aside from acknowledging their quiet greetings. He wastes no time in moving to approach the unfamiliar figure, who he's assuming is Sister Xochi, once he sees her slithering about the camp.
Xochi slows her movement as she spots the unfamiliar figure moving towards her. Her hands are folded in front of her, and her rainbow feathered wings lay draped upon the upper length of her tail. When she recognizes this other flyer is heading directly towards her, she bows, "Greetings, friend. You are looking for me?"
Aerdrid comes to a halt a respectful distance back and nods. "I am, if you are Sister Xochi. I have spoken with Usid recently, and he has mentioned that you are doing much for our people in... settling somewhere new after what happened at the Prominence." He pauses, then shakes his head upon realizing he's not exactly making the greatest of introductions, "You may know me as the captured Saur from some time back... assuming anyone has spoken of me at all since then. My name is Aerdrid, of the same clan as Nyzai."
Xochi listens calmly, nodding at Aerdrid's assertations. "I am Sister Xochi, or simply Xochi, whichever you are most comfortable calling me, Aerdrid, yes. I am helping here however I can. I feel I have some obligation, simply to my own concious, to do all I can to aid your people." She smiles gently, "I believe Usid mentioned you. I am afraid few of your clan remained with those who came to Respite, but there are some here who surely will be glad to know you are alive and well."
Aerdrid hums and nods. "I figured as much, just from how zealous Nyzai was in commanding the clan's warriors during battle. I only hope that enough of my clan survived so that we do not disappear from the world." He scoffs quietly, "Though if that comes to pass, the fault lies with Xeilzrus. Tell me, Sister, what happened since I was imprisoned?"
Xochi sighs, lowering her head, "You were imprisoned upon the escape of Captain Louma. Her return to us occurred as the town was preparing to retaliate. The town's scouts believed they'd found the path to what we would later learn was Yzzayt's Abyss, and Captain Louma gave us the last information we needed to pinpoint it. We gathered our forces, and marched out to recover those that Usid and Nyzai took prisoner. I accompanied them, as a... negotiator? I had hoped to be able to find a peaceful solution to prevent more bloodshed..." She sighs.
Xochi continues, cautiously, "I shall not sugar-coat this, but it shall be hard to hear for you. An ambush was planned against us, by your clan, and Usid's. But... Usid came to us, warning of an ambush that he and Nyzai had planned. He desired his clan protected, and much, if not all, of his clan had turned traitor. This ambush occured in the dead of night, and without warning... without forewarning, and had Usid's forces joined... it would have been crippling to both sides. But... Usid did not arrive. Nyzai's forces were ambushed instead, and when forced to the ground, she and those who fought with her took their own lives. I... I am sorry."
Aerdrid listens quietly, nodding along as he hears the details, having expected as much. He tilts his head, however, when Xochi tells him why she went along in the first place. As she continues talking, however, he keeps his questions and comments to himself until she finishes speaking of the events involving Nyzai's death. Oddly enough, his expression doesn't shift too much to sorrow, though he dips his head in acknowledgement of her apology. "I am not surprised. Nyzai and those that followed her reveled in our advantages. Brought down to the ground, I have no doubt, now, that they did so to deny your soldiers any joy of the hunt... or the kill." He sighs and shakes his head, "All in the name of the Whisperer, who brought ruin upon us. Perhaps Usid was correct..."
Xochi keeps her head down in a gesture of sorrow. "We freed our people from the Abyss, And Dyvrisse aided us to some extent, though she refused to join us. We then went to Yzzayt's Prominence. I... tried... I tried to negotiage with the Whisperer... but he only spoke words of death... used... foul magic... necromancy. He revived Nyzai, or, her body at least, and then fled. Nesseth was the one to kill the Whisperer in the end, in a great chamber where Yzzayt slept... But he said that the Whisperer did something to Yzzayt. Woke up the dragon, which is what caused the last great tragedy of all of this... which, as you say, brought nothing but ruin. I consider it in part my failure, that I could not do more..."
Aerdrid feels a chill crawl through him at the mention of necromancy, such that he winds up missing most of the rest of the details for the moment. "He... The Whisperer... revived Nyzai? You are certain?" He sounds quite shocked at that revelation, almost disgusted, even, that their now-former leader would have gone to such lengths, even in a desperate hour.
Xochi hesitates on how best to answer, but slowly nods. "I am certain. I was knocked unconcious for the duration of the battle... but I saw the Whisperer do this. 'Yzzayt's Greatest Gift', he called it. 'Life'. But there was no life in the eyes of the thing he revived..." She shudders.
Aerdrid tucks his beak against his chest for a moment in thought. "A mindless pawn... to think she would have fallen that far against her own will..." His apparent indifference to Nyzai's fate shifts towards pity and sadness, only really outwardly shown by a slumping of his shoulders and a hesitation to speak again, "Then... it is for the best that the Whisperer is gone. Zayzzes was right, and Usid saw why... now I only wish Nyzai and the rest saw it too."
Xochi sighs, "I cannot say what Usid saw... he has difficulty admitting it, but in our talks, he was afraid that following the Whisperer would end with the death of his own clan, yes."
Aerdrid sighs quietly. "Usid was correct, then. Unfortunately, the clan to bear the brunt of the Whisperer's effects was my own, not his. I just hope my clan can survive the losses we have taken."
Xochi reaches out a hand to offer some support. "Enough, I hope. The warriors who accompanied Nyzai are gone, as are those who protected Xeilzrus until the bitter end... but others, the civilians and children... we evacuated as many as we were able, and those who could fly had an advantage."
Aerdrid hums and lightly reaches out to grasp onto Xochi's hand, his grip surprisingly light and gentle despite his background. "I hope you are right, Sister... I will have to look around this camp and see who might be around still... and then seek out Dyvrisse and the rest to see who else might have joined her."
Xochi nods. "It is wise, I think, to seek out answers for yourself. It saddens me that Dyvrisse could not bring herself to trust us... but we will be open to her if she ever desires to seek us as an ally."
Aerdrid nods. "I do not know if I will be staying here or staying with... wherever Dyvrisse and the others settle, but I will be sure to relay the message if she does not already know."
Xochi smiles sadly, "She does. But reaffirming this message cannot hurt. And you can hear her own reasons for going her own way."
Aerdrid offers a slight smile. "Then I will do that, once I decide to fly back to the west. Call me foolish, but I still need to see... what happened to the Prominence for myself, eventually."
Xochi squeezes Aerdrid's hand gently. "Be prepared... it is not an easy sight. I... do not recommend this, but... I understand that you must do so."
Aerdrid sighs. "I am... prepared, I think. But I must see for myself what Xeilzrus was responsible for, even if it may be painful to see. At the very least, I may pay my respects to those who are buried there, even as my imprisonment means I am not among them."
Xochi lowers her hand from Aerdrid and nods, "It must be for a reason, then yes? A reason why you should live. Find it where you might."
Aerdrid chuckles as he releases Xochi's hand. "A reason to live, hm? Perhaps, though I still doubt it was anything more than happenstance that I was the one that was spared... Had I not been captured, I would have almost certainly been present during the ambush, and had I been present there, I may have been among those Xeilzrus desecrated with his magic." He lets out another singular laugh, "In a strange way, perhaps I owe the guards a bit of gratitude, for their desire for a captive ensured I was not condemned to something worse."
Xochi does not laugh at the notion, merely listening to Aerdrid. "Perhaps, but I doubt they are looking for such recognition. But forgive me my own worldview, Aerdrid. I am one who sees purpose in everything. My ancestors watch over me, they guide me, they have purpose for me. It is up to me to discern this purpose, to embrace or deny it is my choice as well and I... have have done both, over the course of my life."
Aerdrid dips his head and smiles slightly. "Well, I will not be one to scoff at your beliefs, Sister. My own have been... torn well apart by this whole war and the end results. If I have some purpose to find in living, I will find it."
Xochi bows in response, "I shall wish you a safe journey, then, and safe returns, should you wish to come back to Respite."
Aerdrid bows slightly in turn. "I most likely will, especially if some of my clan resides here with the rest. Thank you for helping the Saurs settle the lands here, Sister Xochi, and... thank you as well for being a peaceful soul." He smiles a bit more, "Usid was correct... in another life, perhaps... you would have been a wonderful Whisperer, as you follow the ideas of so many that came before."
Xochi blinks, then shakes her head, "Ah, no... that is... that is to say, Thank you, Aerdrid. The sentiment is appreciated."
Aerdrid takes Xochi's reaction with grace. "As I said, perhaps in another life. For this one, we have our chosen paths to follow, wherever they may lead." He dips his head again, "I just hope ours will cross again in the future. But for now, I believe I need to find my clanmates, if they are here."
Xochi turns her torso and points off in one direction of the camp. "They were encamped towards the southern entrance, I believe. ...Good luck, Aerdrid, in finding your purpose."
Aerdrid dips his head gratefully to Xochi, then turns and makes his way in the direction she'd indicated. He decides to walk instead of fly this time, just so he can get a better feel of the encampment's mood on his way to where his clanmates are set up... and to maybe try and shed a little of the stuffiness he'd been holding while his clan was one of Xeilzrus' most prominent.
Xochi watches the pterodon, pondering the very same things, in her own way, of her 'purpose' and 'destiny', the concepts she threw away when she came to Respite, and yet... She shakes her head, and begins to slither through the camp once again, heading towards the western gate.
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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - EVENING
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Louma looks about the busy tavern, smiling at the various folks who recognize her, despite the totally foolproof disguise of a goldenrod colored dress of wrapped silk. While wanting to be among everyone in such a happy event, she and May have picked a side table away from the door, and with little room for a third seat once the Captain had coiled up. She looks across the table at May with a loving smile, silently hoping she's doing alright with the occasional attention coming her way. The shield's part in events isn't a big secret, after all.
Maybelline is wearing one of her newer dresses, a pale green dress with a red floral pattern embroided onto it. She's been managing the attention with a decent level of grace, even if there's some embarrasment on her face. She was simply doing her job, and doesn't equate her actions with any kind of heroism. The table off to the side of the celebrating patrons is appreciated though, as she sets the booster seat in place and gets comfy at the table, smiling at Louma with a giggle. "Our table, right? Same one we sat at on our first date~."
Louma nods with a giggle, tracing a talon on the top. Her eyes tend to not so subtly trace May's figure before she hops up to her seat, blushing a little bit, which the low light hides. "It is, though I must admit it's by chance, not design. But it's certainly appropriate. Everyone certainly seems to be having a good time tonight, hm?"
Maybelline nods, leaning forward to rest her chin on her folded hands. "Hmmm. Vix did a lot of work to get this whole celebration together. It's just a lot of stress and fear finally able to be let free." She chuckles, "I compared it to the spring break parties Policaster is famous for, but this is a little more earned."
Louma chuckles, leaning forward as well so they can continue to talk at a reasonable volume amongst the partiers. I've heard she was working on something. I'll certainly have to thank her for the effort later. I thought the break would be earned though, with all those months of study leading up to it."
Maybelline shrugs before reaching a hand out towards Louma's across the table. "I don't know. Kinda feels like nothing now. I mean, there's being afraid of failing an exam, and then there's..." She shakes her head to dismiss those thoughts. "But we're through it now. So, why not a little bit of partying?"
Louma rests her hand over May's, squeezing gently. "You're right, why not? I suppose most of our new neighbors are having a celebration of their own, of one sort or another."
Maybelline blushes, though her expression is a little conflicted. "New neighbors... these 'saur'? I'm still... I don't know how to feel about them here. I guess the town is lucky I built in some planning for long term expansions to the generator, so the city getting a pretty big population spike won't impact the power grid, at least."
Louma sighs, casting a glance aside. "I don't know if I like them being here, either. I know most are peaceful, since I was living among them... But they've lost so much more than they originally thought we were taking. Not all of them moved to live cooperatively with Respite, either." She shakes her head. "Things to worry about another time, though."
Maybelline takes a breath and nods, rubbing her hand against Louma's. "You're right. Folks will figure it out in time. For now... celebration, right? We've got a lot to catch up on, now that we can do it without worry."
Louma rubs her thumb across the back of May's hand, smiling warmly at her. "You're right, of course. We didn't get enough time together after all. Of course, what the upper limit on that is will probably remain a mystery. A lot of important things have been going on, but one important thing flew by in the blur." Her tail rises up, Louma's free hand retrieving a sparsely wrapped box from among the coil. She hadn't had it with her on the trip to the Minnow, just to keep the surprise surprising. "I never forgot, but I am sorry it's two months late, sweets~" She slides the gift across the table to May.
Maybelline blinks, jaw dropping as the gesture takes her by surprise. She is suddenly at a loss for words, choking up for a moment before she finally pulls herself together with a laugh, "N-now you're making me look bad f-for not being ready with a gift for you, scoops~"
Louma scoffs, turning her face away. "You didn't get me a gift for your birthday? How could you?" She giggles, giving May a sly look. "If you mean for our anniversary, I know exactly what I want for that~"
Maybelline blushes. "W-well, that can be arranged I'm sure. It'd be a pretty good shared anniversary gift, I imagine too..." She trails off, blushing a little more before she removes her hand from Louma's to take the box. It's not a large box, fitting comfortably in May's hands. She stares at it a moment before laughing, unwrapping it carefully. "You're too good to me, Louma. Much, much too good to me."
Louma watches Maybelline unwrapping the gift with suppressed excitement, though she can't help but grin. "Believe me, May, nothing is too good for you as far as I'm concerned. I do hope you like it, though." The paper pulled away would reveal a simple chain, delicate and unassuming to not take away from the centerpiece. Set into an oval frame is a piece of volcanic glass from Sarn, its polished black surface revealing cracks that shimmer in a rainbow of colors. Cored into the middle of the glass, a pearl from among the Orelan archipelago is set. The piece in it's entirety isn't large, but certainly has the weight of a well made piece.
Maybelline lifts the necklace up by its chain, leaning down to examine the centerpiece, turning it carefully to examine the colors before at last clutching it to her breast, and trying not to cry (mostly unsuccessfully) "I love it. Thank you, Louma." She fumbles a bit with her emotions as she reaches back around with the chain, laughing awkwardly before at last she manages to clasp it together and carefully let the stone settle down against her. She looks up at Louma lovingly and smiles, "W-well? How's it look?"
Louma is smiling wide watching May put the necklace on as she nods. "It looks great on you, my love. I'm glad you like it." She reaches out, tracing a gentle caress on May's cheek. "Of course, it only adds a small amount to your natural beauty, sweets~"
Maybelline sniffles, still emotional as Louma touches her. "It's lovely... but still a pale comparison to you. I love you so much, Louma. I..." She sighs happily, deflating slightly with a laugh, "And I-I thought I was gonna catch you off guard tonight... I... thank you. Thank you, love."
Louma chuckles, dropping her hand to hold May's again. "Dear, I am guard. I love you too." She giggles again, glancing around. "Sorry to drop that on you at the gathering, I didn't consider how busy the Minnow itself would be."
Maybelline laughs, squeezing Louma's hand back. "I... w-well, I guess there's some folks here, but... don't really care about them. I care about you..." She swallows. "W-Would you be willing to go home with me? -T-to Sarn, I mean! Not- I mean, we're doing that anyways. I just thought, maybe, take a vacation? You've certainly earned it."
Louma blinks at May, blushing as she nods with a little more vigor than she probably meant to. "Ah y-yes. Absolutely. We've both earned it, and ah... Nesseth shouldn't mind taking a few weeks of desk work. Brunilda and-" she giggles "Strix can take over at the generator."
Maybelline grins, giggling back, "That... that was my idea for an anniversary surprise. Let the other Captain's keep things together. Brun and Strix can keep an eye on the Generator, and you can meet my family..." She blinks. "M-maybe that last part isn't completely relaxing... but we don't need to spend a ton of time meeting them. I just... I want them to meet you."
Louma sighs, melting a little under Maybelline's insistence. "Of course, I want to meet them, too. Maybe they'll provide a little insight into how I got so lucky to be with you. I ah... Don't think we'll do the same with my family, unfortunately."
Maybelline 's grin fades a little, but she nods. "I understand." She gives a sad smile, "The good news is, even my family hates you, you are with me. Nothing changing that, scoops~"
Louma regains her smile, leaning toward May and squeezing her hand gently. "Good, you're not getting rid of me that easily, either. I do hope they'll like me. They ah... Wont have problems with you dating someone cold blooded, will they?"
Maybelline shakes her head, "They'd better not." She stands up to lean in and kiss Louma's beak. "If they care about anything other then the fact that you make me the happiest I've ever been, well... then I'll have problems with Them."
Louma hums into the kiss, tilting her head a bit. "We'll make sure they like me, then. I love you, I wouldn't wish to be a wedge between you and your family."
Maybelline reaches a hand up to the side of Louma's face, "You won't be. They'll love you." She grins, leaning back. "I'm already putting too much pressure on this. I want you to relax! This is going to be a vacation!"
Louma giggles, pushing her cheek into the touch. "You're right, nothing to overthink. I'll make arrangements for my replacement, hm. Plan on leaving in a couple weeks, for ah... Six weeks, minimum? Considering all the travel. If we keep our luggage light, we could get to Bairnell in two days."
Maybelline nods, "And I'll do the same for making sure Brunilda can watch over things. And that Strix is available if things go wrong. But... I'm pretty confident in the generator. Brun and I built it right."
Louma grins, nodding. "Damn right you did, sweets."
Maybelline pecks Louma once again before slipping back down into her seat with a giggle, "Lets order some food before they kick us out for loitering, Love~. We've still got a good date night ahead of us before we get home and you tell me what you want for your anniversary gift~."
Louma giggles, looking aside for the barkeep, her tail tip grazing against the back of May's calf. "Mm, you're right. Could go for something tender and sweet tonight, perhaps~" She glances back to May with a saucy look before ordering honey-glazed roast with some crispy greens for herself.
Maybelline wiggles at the touch of Louma's tail, giggling along, "Up to you scoops, consider it an open menu~, and you can help yourself to whatever sounds best~" She returns Louma's look, then orders herself some steak medallions in pasta, and opting to indulge with a bottle of wine for the two of them.
Louma blushes at May's look, trying to not get too distracted from the coming meal. They share the evening together at the Minnow, enjoying the celebrations for another hour or so before heading home to share eachother into the late hours.