✪ Finweald Ennui Ascendant

[Jin]

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

The normal sound of his heartbeat played loudly in his ears as the Bloodsworn sat, swirling his index finger around the lip of his half-empty glass. It was past midday and the streets were bustling, but it was far too early for happy hour. Instead of doing quests or the things adventurers normally did, the Jin stared blankly into the amber pool where weary souls went to drown.

He could hear someone speaking to him, but could not bring himself to break the spell of boredom. It was either Player or Lander, whichever was irrelevant. No one came into this place that wasn't discussing frivolity. Jin sighed, glanced up, then immediately back down.

The ale promptly spilled over his chest and into his lap, and his attention was suddenly ripped back into the moment.

"I was drinking that," he said after a moment. His gaze focused intently on the culprit, but rather than immediate hostility, he regarded them with interest. Someone wanted to speak with him enough to spill his drink?

If nothing else, surely, they would buy him another.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

The trader had been kind enough to point Kyra in the right direction, a small bar - if it could be called as such - nestled away into the side of an even less appealing street. Bodies moved throughout the area, hustling to and from wherever it was they needed to be, passing by one another without a second glance.

She'd been directed to the area while following the trail of rumours that she'd picked up back in Falderen, weeks passed. It had originated with a haunted lighthouse, and had only expanded from there. Her current path had led her to Finweald in hopes of learning something of a blood magic wielder, one who was said to have found some means of immortality, or at least immortality for a Lander. The rumour itself held little in the way of any actual substance as far as Kyra had been concerned, but she'd pulled the thread and figured that she needed to see it through, at least.

She'd stepped into the bar just as something had begun to unfold; a pair of men staring each other down, one obviously having spilt the drink of another, the confrontation clearly rising between them. Her eyes passed over the two, recognising one as the man she'd been described, and realising rather quickly that she would need to step in against her own desires.

Placing a smile on her face and stepping forward, she moved up beside the two men, producing a collection of local coinage and laying them on the counter between the two, her voice holding a sweet tone to it, with a hint of something less sweet behind it's words.

I'm sure this man apologises for his...accidental step towards you. Consider this a round for each of you, on me, in reconciliation - and avoidance of something less favourable for all.

Turning towards the angered party, her eyes moving from spilt drink up to paled face, Kyra let her smile drop slightly, a more serious tone coming across her face.

I'm looking for one known as the hand of Eschaton...you wouldn't happen to be them, per chance?

She kept her eyes locked on the man, but her left ear had pricked backwards towards the other man, listening for the sounds of his retreat - or his intent of danger. At her side, her right hand hovered over the kusarigama that hung there, the chain rattling slightly as she touched it.

---

@Jin​

 

[Jin]

The brazen man who'd tipped the drink looked in no mood to reconcile before the woman stepped in and offered a drink. Peacemaker type, perhaps? Jin didn't take his eyes off of the man who continued to grumble begrudgingly until he had his drink safely in hand. Only then did the offending party make himself scarce.

Only then did the newcomer make her intentions plan.

As his would-be assailant traipsed away with half of the coin that the woman laid out, Jin's gaze moved to the woman. Her lips moved, but the sound was a scream in the Bloodsworn's ears. He did not need her to repeat the word, though.

Jin's eyes were not the only ones on her.

"Invoking the true name of a daemon is certainly one way to find it," there was no point in attempting to hide the truth at that point. The spirit shackled within Eschaton writhed and wailed in torturous rage, frothing at the proverbial mouth with the insatiable urge to feed on the offender.

How dare she name us.

With a half smile, he brushed the coin aside and gestured toward the other side of the table. "One would not knowingly seek out a fell spirit without a compelling reason, I wager. Tell me, quickly. What is it that you want?"

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Her eyes lingered on the man as he turned towards her. His face carried a half-smile, and yet Kyra could sense a danger behind each word spoken. Each word that was so carefully chosen, considered before it left tongue and lip, knowing it could not be taken back. She also knew, from the way in which his entire posture had shifted, that she had found the man she was looking for, the man whom she'd been informed to find.

You're right...naming such a fell creature could be...well, that's not what we're talking about now, is it?

She settled into the seat across the table from the man, placing her hands atop it and staring at the face across from her as she settled the words in her mind. She knew why she was here, but putting it into words was somehow more difficult than she felt it should be.

Carrying...something such as what you carry isn't common - in this world, or any other. In fact, some would say...that it is a rare gift indeed. If you can call it a gift.

She waved a hand to disperse of the barkeeper as they passed by, likely to ask if Kyra wanted anything to drink. Her eyes never left the man's face, however, as she continued speaking. Her tone remained calm, controlled - a sign that she was stowing her emotions away, trying to hide them - the fear she truly felt. The man was intimidating, and if half the stories she'd heard were true...

I've come quite a ways looking for you...and it's taken more time than I care to admit. I have a proposition, if you're interested in hearing it - although I warn you, it may take something of a heart to consider.

She bit her tongue as the final words left her mouth. It hadn't been what she had wanted or been meaning to say, and yet it had come out regardless. She didn't doubt that the man cared about something. Perhaps not the lives of Landers, or other players, but there must have been something they cared about. Kyra just needed to figure out what that was...and fast.

---

@Jin​

 

[Jin]

You're right...naming such a fell creature could be...well, that's not what we're talking about now, is it?

His eyebrow raised curiously. Wasn't it, though? She quickly dismissed the notion as if it were preposterous, but Jin blinked slowly. When he opened his eyes, he watched her blood pressure rising.

Oh, she was quite good. Her tone, her posture, her breathing all came under her command. Little, subtle microscopic changes in her behavior that anyone else might mistake for negotiation preparation. Her stress levels had risen in just the few seconds that he was attentive. A probable fear response.

That she was still willing to speak so brazenly- was she brave, or simply foolish?

Feast on her flesh. Strike the marrow from her bones.

Jin raised a hand politely to his lips and gave a quiet cough.

Carrying...something such as what you carry isn't common - in this world, or any other. In fact, some would say...that it is a rare gift indeed. If you can call it a gift.

"Not many would call it that." His flat response dispensed with the pleasantry. The idea of pandering to his abilities or praising his skillset was asinine to the Bloodsworn. He was cursed. "If you have a general idea of the nature of the weapon, then you know why it is that I must carry it."

Someone must always carry us.

It wouldn't do to let us go free--eeee-ee~

I've come quite a ways looking for you...and it's taken more time than I care to admit. I have a proposition, if you're interested in hearing it - although I warn you, it may take something of a heart to consider.

Jin cracked his knuckles, leaning forward to rest his chin on his clenched fists, both elbows resting on the table. He kept the woman in the center of his gaze, unblinking.

"You wouldn't be wasting my time with it if you thought that to be a prerequisite," Jin did not smile. "And I do value my privacy, and my time. So, if you would be so kind...?" He rolled his wrist in a full circle, the crackling and pop of oxygen built up between his joint like the rattle of bones. His fingers did a quick, vague movement in her direction to indicate that it was her turn to speak.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Her voice caught as the man across from her berated her - she could think of no other word for his tone, his response - before making it clear that he had no intention of wasting her time if she didn't provide him with something of value and worth. Kyra felt herself bite her lower lip in response, her fingers twitching on the tabletop as they tried to retreat, and were forced to remain there.

Waste...okay. I won't waste your time with pleasantries then...I come from a village several kilometres away from here, one that is...well, you wouldn't know of it. Let's just leave it at that. What you may know, however, is that they're being plagued by something which craves bloodlust. Which swears that it can devour the world...

She went silent as her eyes stared down at her fingers. She'd encountered just a brush of whatever it was that had consumed the nearby forests. She'd felt the wave of anger, fury, hunger that had swarmed over her as she stood on it's edges. She'd felt the need to be sated. It left a shiver running down her spine each time she thought of it, and she could do nothing about the shake that now took her.

I was told that Eshc...that the one who wields the sword...could possibly be powerful enough to overcome such evil. I was also told that you...don't care for most of the dangers that surround this world - they're beyond your control, or worry. But...

She bit her lip again, knowing this next part would either get the stranger on her side, or have her killed on the spot. Depending entirely on how master and subjected were feeling in this specific moment. There's no time like the present...time to just get it done. She straightened herself up as much as she could, pushing down the fear that caused her to tremble, and for the first time stared into the eyes of the man across from her.

It called out for...it. By name. It whispered challenges, said that it could devour...it whole, unabated and without remorse...that it would replace it as the Terror of the World.

She waited, her fingers twitching in the only sign that her confidence was feigned, that her fear was one step away from taking ahold of her. She waited, to see whether she would live or die in this instance.

---

@Jin​

 

[Jin]

Hubrisssssssss.

The presence flickered, only for a moment, between rage and amusement. Jin took those precious seconds to replenish the breath he'd been holding. It was only on rare occasion that someone woke the chained one, but at those times, the curses were at their most oppressive.

The Bloodsworn massaged one of his temples as he suppressed a groan, listening as best he could to the words that this woman was saying.

It whispered challenges, said that it could devour...it whole, unabated and without remorse...that it would replace it as the Terror of the World.

His one open eye, burning deeply the color of blood, locked with the woman's unflinching gaze. The beast inside raged against its cage, pain searing through Jin's bones and raking the inside of his flesh.

She's baiting you, he directed his thoughts at last to the spirit. And now she knows that its working.

We will devour her no different from the rest.

"Hubris," he repeated the word that first came from the lips of a demon. "I've no interest in the bravado of lesser evils." Jin laced his fingers, asserting once more his command over the sword.

"I assume you came here thinking you could appeal to the blade," Jin blinked once more, slowly, "unfortunately, you have to deal with me. Tell me, what is all of this worth to you?"

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

She'd played her one hand, and felt a bit of disappointment at the fact that it hadn't worked. Still, she would've been somewhat surprised if the man had that little restraint over the blade he carried. The blade that he kept under control. Were he that weak, then those less than I would have easily swayed him into more destructive means. She remained silent, however, for a few seconds after the man posed his question. When she did speak, it was slowly, and with care given for each word that passed her lips.

Truth be told...it is worth very little to me, personally. Worth, in the sense that...these are Lander lives that are in danger. Lives which you and I both know are...created.

She paused again, trying to organise her thoughts even as her mind screamed at her to run. To be anywhere but across the table from this man. This man, who bore within him the signs of something dangerous, something entirely daemonic. This man who was her only hope at saving the village now.

Still...given the chance, I would do anything I could. I am not one to walk away when lives are in danger...not if there is any hope that I can save even one of them...not when I know there's something out there that can save them.

For the first time since she sat down, her eyes left the face of the man, glancing towards the blade that he carried. Perhaps it was a mistake, but Kyra couldn't restrain herself anymore. Or perhaps it was simply that she couldn't hold the gaze any longer - she felt it burning into her mind, as if it was reading her very core every second it stared at her. Unnerving.

What is that worth to me...? Everything, and nothing. I would say my very life, but that would be a lie. I want to live. I want to carry on living, so that I can help more. But I also don't want to fail. And...

She bit her lip again, thinking over her next words. She didn't want to come across desperate. She might be desperate, but acting so would be a sure sign that she wasn't worth the time, or energy.

...and, everything I've said here has been nothing short of the truth. It spoke words to bait the...your companion, and I came here hoping to use that to draw it out. To face the plague that now threatens innocent lives. I have no shame in what I did, and I would do it again were I to think it might work. Whatever power grows there...it will consume, and continue to consume, until those baiting words become truth.

She returned her gaze to the man's eyes. Held his gaze, as much to show her confidence in herself, as to show that she was hiding nothing. Desperation, perhaps, but if it got her what she needed, she would tell all.

---

@Jin​

 

[Jin]

Companion?

Jin quirked an eyebrow at the notion, even as the spirits chained within Eschaton howled in baleful laughter. The one thing both parties could agree upon was how utterly hilarious that it sounded when given voice. He was the Jailor who was himself Jailed.

To face the plague that now threatens innocent lives. I have no shame in what I did, and I would do it again were I to think it might work. Whatever power grows there...it will consume, and continue to consume, until those baiting words become truth.

His eyes lingered elsewhere for a moment.

"Beasts that gorge themselves endlessly become fat and useless in their complacency." Eschaton was a different manner of monster. Its diet was different from those that craved power, those that thought to measure themselves against something that beggared understanding. "Without doubt, there is nothing there that would come close to curbing the hunger," Jin said, speaking more to them than to Kyra.

His gaze then moved from Oblivion toward the woman once more. She was looking at him intently now, whether forcing herself or not. It cost him nothing but time to offer a response. "You want to live, yet you want safety for this village. The two things seem to exist on opposite sides of the scales, so you shy away from stepping onto either side, hoping to send someone heavier in your place."

Jin leaned forward, now refusing to let her pull her eyes away. He sat up from his chair, reaching out to let his hand stop just inches from her face. "Our reality then, is this: you would have me risk my life instead of yours. Then I am to understand that your very life is that what you value most, pre-eminent even to those lives of these Landers. Of course, who could blame you? Born of data, given life in a world that you can't truly relate to, subhuman one might even say."

He could feel the cold eyes of the Landers working the establishment on him as he spoke, letting his fingers linger dangerously close to her skin for a moment longer.

"Nothing more than has been implied, of course. I prefer to excise the fat from a conversation and cut straight to the point." Jin then pulled away to lift one of the dormant coins from the table and tossed it toward the barkeep without breaking eye contact. The man snatched it out of the air, sneering, satisfied.

"Then it must also be assumed you would pay a price equal to no less than your life. I'll ask you this, then- what do you have to offer that could satisfy such a cost?"

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Her silence must have spoken more than she'd considered it could, because the man saw through everything. The fear that she felt, at the idea of facing the threat alone. The horror at the idea of coming to them, and yet the need to do so. The way in which she desired nothing more than to walk away from it all - and yet that would be impossible to live with. Opposite sides of the scales...shy away from stepping onto either side... Was she too cowardly to do what needed be done? Was she so hypocritical that she would cry wolf among sheep, then hide among those very sheep?

I...have nothing to offer. Nothing to give one who requires little, and demands everything.

She bit her lip. Either he would help, or he wouldn't. There was nothing more Kyra could say that would sway the argument in her favour. Nothing more she could do to try and pulling forth the horrors that she sought, to fight horrors that she'd seen. But that didn't mean she would simply give up and walk away.

For the first time since sitting, she pulled back the sleeve of her left arm, revealing the mark within. Pale skin met open air where the forearm appeared, save for three single spots - markings only a few centimetres wide that stood out a mixture of dark green underscored by a soft blue. Swirling motions seemed to dance across the skin as the markings moved, swaying like waves against a shoreline of bright white stones.

I would offer my life, but that has already been claimed. What more you may look for...well, there's nothing more I can offer. Nothing more I could think to give. Either you devour it, or it devours me.

She sat there, mark upon the air, waiting to see how the other would react. She had little doubt that the markings she showed would be question - tested, perhaps. But she'd come to this table with a purpose, and if that purpose meant pulling every trick she had, then she'd use what she could. Desperation cuts both ways. It is nothing more than a means.

Whatever your decision here...it would appear that I am losing either way. The scales, for me, are unbalanced - and neither weight pulls in my favour.

---

@Jin​

 

[Jin]

I...have nothing to offer. Nothing to give one who requires little, and demands everything.

Whether by design or freakish coincidence, those words were the most accurate thing she had said yet. The ravenous burning in his eyes was just that. Avarice.

"That you would gamble so heavily knowing you have a losing hand is amusing, to say the least," he permitted, "but I am not the sort of creature who thrives on human kindness, nor one that dabbles in it."

I would offer my life, but that has already been claimed.

His eyes traveled to the mark offered, scouring it. He could sense something... spiritual, some kind of connection. But whatever meaning it held, it was not the sort of magic he spent a wealth of time on.

Either you devour it, or it devours me.

"Dear girl, you take me for the sort of fiend who simply seeks violence for its own sake. There is more to a body than a life, and more value to such an existence than the length of its wick to be burned."

She spoke of the beast devouring her, or him devouring it, but there were endless other avenues open to them that had yet to be broached.

Jin sat himself on the table now, looking down at her.

"You have much to give that I would gladly take. But perhaps you are afraid to offer it..."

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra sat back, covering her arm and letting the magic drift away. It had been an attempt - her last attempt, if she were being honest - but the illusion had done nothing to sway the man. Perhaps he had sensed what it truly was, nothing more than an image crafted in Kyra's mind and summoned to be held on display. Perhaps he truly cared so little. Either way, she was losing this discussion quickly, and she wasn't sure how else to call his interest.

His final words caught her attention, however, and Kyra felt herself shift in her chair. He seemed confident that there was something she had to offer - but if she were being honest with them both, nothing immediately came to mind. Her teeth bit into her bottom lip again as she tried to figure out what he could be eluding to, tried to think of what she could possibly offer, what clues he'd given.

Finally, she decided that the best way forward would be honesty. Admittance that she wasn't sure what he wanted, and to simply ask.

I...do not know what it is you desire, clearly. Speak then, what is it you wish from me in trade of so many lives?

She kept her tone reserved and quiet, subdued in a manner that would appear submissive and broken. She hoped that it would lure the man in, draw him towards whatever answer he held back from her - and hopefully end whatever games she was trying to play that were well out of her league.

I cannot promise anything, but I will take it under consideration...assuming it's within my power to give, willingly.

She waited, her hands still on the table, opened with the palms flat against the top, and quivering slightly from the pressure she was putting on them to keep them in place. She'd felt she was at her last straw numerous times during the conversation - and yet it felt so again. I am so far out of my depths here...but if I can just get him to help...I know...I just know...

---

@Jin​

 

[Jin]

I cannot promise anything, but I will take it under consideration...assuming it's within my power to give, willingly.

Jin reached out and took her chin gently between two fingers as she made the mistake of feigning timidity. Lifting it gently, his narrowed eyes bored deep into hers.

"If one seeks to barter in blood, necessity dictates that their word is binding. If you "cannot promise anything," then you have nothing for trade."

He let go of her and withdrew his fingers, patting her on the head like an admonished pup before recalling his hand from her entirely.

"I will be a bit more direct, then. If you have any real designs on securing my aid, then you must decide what you are willing to give for it. There is no world, this one or the next, where you appeal to my good nature for humanitarian aid."

Jin sat back with his weight on one hand, grabbing a flag flagon of mead off of one of the passing barwench's trays. He took a sip, then stared into the frothing brew as he continued.

"Further, I have no qualms with your life being promised to another. I can wait. You don't have to be breathing for your soul to be of use to me."

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra forced herself still as the hand reached out. Forced herself not to recoil as the fingers placed themselves on either side of her chin. There was no aggression behind it, no attempt to hurt her. Still, she felt an almost scorching mark where the fingers had touched, a match to the feeling that washed over her as she was admonished.

The man before her didn't care, truly. There would, as he stated, be no appealing to his humanitarian side. It is as they warned, then. Folly. She remained silent for a time, thoughts passing through her head. Half-thought attempts that rose to the back of her tongue, but died before being spoken. She knew now, at least she thought she knew, what he wanted. But she wasn't sure that she could give him what he desired. It would be no better than what I am attempting to stop. Perhaps...

Her eyes flicked up from the table she hadn't realised she'd been staring at, locking onto the man with an almost pleading, desperate look to them. The mask that she'd been wearing had worn off, broken away, or otherwise disappeared without her noticing. In it's place was the face of a girl trying to solve a woman's problems; someone trying to pretend to be more than they were.

I cannot give you what you ask...as much as I may want to do so. I promised another. Which means they you won't fight the battle I ask you to fight.

Her words were slow, as if she was chewing on each one as it came out. She fidgeted as she spoke, knowing that there was little she could do here, aside from begging. Begging won't get you anywhere, but perhaps asking will. She had nothing left to lose, at least.

I know now...that I cannot persuade you to assist me. To assist them. But...I would ask one thing of you. How did you trap away that which you...guard. Is there...is it possible that I could defeat something like that, if none other would?

She didn't hold the gaze any longer. She thought she already knew the answer, knew it in her heart. Somehow, though, she wanted to hear him say it. To hear the words come from him. If nothing else, he could confirm that her entire endeavour had been fruitless, beyond waste. There was nothing she could do, not now...maybe not ever.

---

@Jin​

 

[Jin]

Jin exhaled softly. The woman was persistent, which was a credit to her under most circumstances. Unfortunately, as she had clearly identified, she was out of her depth. Abandoning her effort to outfox the Bloodsworn, she shifted her tactics.

But...I would ask one thing of you.

Jin tilted his head. It was clear the woman believed that there was some shred of benevolence in him that literally no one else had seen. His eyes narrowed a bit as he listened to her request, mostly out of amusement.

How did you trap away that which you...guard. Is there...is it possible that I could defeat something like that, if none other would?

"Knowledge is power," Jin reminded her. "Power only ever comes at a price."

That was, ironically, the closest thing that Kyra might get to a straight answer from him.

He shifted his posture and sat up, making the weapon at his hip clearly visible. The wicked aura resonated around the weapon and permeated the very flesh of the swordsman, but it remained constrained within several centimeters of his body. Until that moment, Kyra might not have noticed it at all.

"If you want something, be ready to get your hands dirty."

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra held the man's glance as long as she could, before looking down at the table. She hadn't expected to get any real response from the man, not after how the conversation had gone thus far. His answer, however, gave more than he may have intended - or perhaps he was leading her on, to a degree. Kyra wasn't entirely sure, she was well out of her capabilities in this discussion by now, and felt she was being pulled down a river without a paddle, or any sort of instrument that she could use to guide herself. She felt lost, in a single word.

You keep talking about cost...but I've found you're reluctant to mention what that cost is. Do...you not know, or do you think I'm too innocent to know?

She didn't look up from the table as she spoke, fairly certain she knew what the answer would be. She was new to this world, new to the entirety of how everything here worked - in fact, she couldn't even be said to understand how some things worked. It was likely highly naïve of her to even assume she could do anything in this instance, and yet she felt the desire to continue pushing, continue trying to get forwards.

What would you suggest...that I simply give up and walk away?

It sounded like the best answer, even as she said it aloud. She doubted there was anything she could do if the man wasn't willing to come help himself. And yet, she found something within her fighting against that, arguing, silently, that she could at least try.

---

@Jin​

 

[Jin]

Hmmm...

Jin's shoulders sagged as he looked her over, watching her mannerisms for even the smallest change. Her heartbeat remained fairly consistent, which was indicative of a stable state of mind. Was she cunning, perhaps? Always a possibility.

You keep talking about cost...but I've found you're reluctant to mention what that cost is. Do... you not know?

"You're far too preoccupied with the tangible. What is, and what is not."

Or do you think I'm too innocent to know?

"That you don't know speaks more to your innocence than what I think. Cost is a thing in flux- it is ever changing, always variable, always situational. What you've asked for is information that might compromise the nature of my abilities for the slim chance that you might gain comparable power for yourself. Do you see now? How price changes based on what you seek?"

He gestured vaguely toward her.

"This is perhaps the best lesson you could have asked for, and you haven't paid a thing to get it. What a bargain!"

What would you suggest... that I simply give up and walk away?

Jin stepped closer now, close enough that his eyes were a meter or less from her own.

"What I suggest is that you decide what you want, and what you're willing to pay to get it." He remained there, close to her for a moment, "because unwillingness to commit, or to pay a price, is guaranteed to get you nothing and nowhere. Now, that's all of the time I'm willing to give up without payment so I'll be on my way. If you seek to protect anything, pray that your resolve grows stronger on your path."

As close as they were, the overwhelming presence of Eschaton was unmistakable. The gnashing of teeth, the wailing, the insatiable hunger swirled like a maelstrom around Jin, infecting his eyes with that indelible, bloody color. GIVE HER TO US! Jin took a half-step back, smiling, one thumb resting on the guard of his weapon, barring it from release. SHE IS OURS BY RIGHT!

With his eyes closed, Jin placed a hand on his chest and took a deep breath, then he smiled.

"With no risk, there can be no reward."

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

She felt herself naturally pull back as the man came closer, the very aura of his presence doing more than his attitude ever could. There was something about the man that made Kyra want to run, to get as far away as she possibly could. It was only through sheer will - her teeth crunching slightly as she bit down on them - that she managed to remain rooted in place, listening as he once more tore apart her entire endeavour.

No risk, no reward. She'd heard that more often than she cared to admit, especially as of late. She knew what they meant; she wasn't offering anything of substitute in return for what she was asking - in fact, she realised belatedly, just how much she was asking. She couldn't look up as the man stepped back, realising just how at a loss she truly was. She wouldn't run away, that much she could at least credit herself for, but she certainly wasn't going to get any further with this.

You...you're right. And I thank you, for the lesson that you have provided. It has been...well, I would say eye-opening, but I think I'd prefer to keep them closed.

She glanced up towards the ceiling, passing over the man as her head tilted back. She still couldn't bring herself to look at him, but she realised that looking at the floor may appear weaker than she desired.

I came to you with assumptions, and...those assumptions were clearly wrong. For that I apologise. I owe you at least that, for everything you have provided me. I-

She stopped suddenly, forcing herself to look down towards him. Her eyes landed on his chest, unable to look him in the eyes as she fought back the disturbance that seemed to wash over her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself to continue, determined to at least leave some sort of positive impression at the end.

I assumed that I would be able to outwit, outplay, or perhaps outperform you, and gain your trust, knowledge and skillset. Not for myself, but for others. I was too confident on the ideology that you did what you did, in order to help the world. I was wrong. I won't make that mistake again.

She had no expectations of her comments changing the man's mind, nor did she think that she was attempting to do so - if anything, she simply wanted to impart in him that the lesson he had given her had been recognised and understood; to instil in his understanding that next time, she'd come more prepared.

---

@Jin​

 

[Jin]

He watched her like a wolf might its prey.

You...you're right. And I thank you, for the lesson that you have provided. It has been...well, I would say eye-opening, but I think I'd prefer to keep them closed.

His head tilted again, but he did not speak.

I came to you with assumptions, and...those assumptions were clearly wrong. For that I apologise. I owe you at least that, for everything you have provided me. I-

A kinder man might have stopped her from stumbling over herself. Someone gentler would have accepted her apology, perhaps even reassured her. Jin could taste the fear and uncertainty, and he gorged himself on it. The kind of "strength" that existed in civilized society had no place here. The false virtue of human kindness and compassion had shriveled up and left only the bitter lesson in its wake.

I assumed that I would be able to outwit, outplay, or perhaps outperform you, and gain your trust, knowledge and skillset. Not for myself, but for others. I was too confident on the ideology that you did what you did, in order to help the world. I was wrong. I won't make that mistake again.

"This is a world that will not give you anything," Jin said flatly. "It will take, and it will take, until you have nothing left that it wants. Only those who learn to take in the same way will ever get anything that they want."

Jin turned, headed toward the door. One foot out, he glanced back over his shoulder.

"Ware those who offer or seek something for nothing. There's always a catch."

He turned the corner without another word, and was gone.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra looked up only as the man gave his final warning. It will take, and it will take, until you have nothing left that it wants. Only those who learn to take in the same way will ever get anything that they want. Kyra couldn't help but smirk at the commentary, suddenly realising what she had missed earlier - what had been so blatantly obvious had she walked into this without misconceptions, or ideals.

This world, or the real one, whichever you come from...took everything from you. But you're wrong, and I'll prove that to you one day.

He was gone long before she managed to say anything, the words hanging in the air, spoken to no one. Kyra remained seated for a time, considering her next options. She still wanted to help the village, the people here, but there was no chance that she would be able to do so without the help of others. Help which, clearly, wasn't going to come from the man she'd been sent to chase after.

Back to square one, then...at least I know it wasn't an entire waste of a trip.

She may not have gained the experience, the skillset, or the assistance that she had originally set out to find. She had, however, gained something else. Knowledge that it was possible. That there was a way to defeat even that which appeared beyond reach. If one is willing to sacrifice. The question lies in...what are you willing to sacrifice? She had no answer to that question, yet. She knew that there was only one way to find out, but she was also aware that she wasn't prepared to take that step - not yet, anyways.

In time...in time I'll show you. Maybe it'll even...

She shook her head with her final words, standing up and leaving the small bar behind. For now, she had more pressing matters to attend to; perhaps one day she'd meet the man again, and perhaps then she'd be less timid. Less terrified. Only time will tell...

---

@Jin​