Complete Private Western Brisshal Thunderer

[Ash Vargold]

Ash was quiet for a long moment, the voices still chattering, caught in that moment of their own death. Fearing, hoping, praying, praying...

"We... I need you to help," Ash started, voice still strange as he pulled his sword away from the coffin, "Because h-I don't believe."

He was tired, and the voices were loud. It would be easier to let the dead take control, but the idea was still terrifying after what had happened before. So he grit his teeth and pushed through as he opened the box. Within was a collection of handmade trinkets. Dolls made of rough-spun cloth, toys carved from figured wood, all nestled around a collection of bones.

There were too many to be a single skeleton. They were too small to be from adults.

(At least, assuming they were human.)

He lifted the box and brought it towards the smouldering pyre. The light within it flickered - weak for now, but already it was starting to brighten once more. Fire licked across the lacquered surface, but it was resisting - even now unwilling to give up on what was within.

"They can't move on. They don't know the way." Ash sat down, the flame of his life continuing to gutter - but still he circled the pyre and placed a hand on Amy's shoulder. Energy passed from him to her, just enough to dull the pain of her wounds. "They won't listen to his-my voice. I'm too different. But they'll listen to you."

Ash waited for Amy, ready to lead her towards the pyre when she was ready. If she would ever be ready.

"They need you to send them home."

@Amy

 

[Amy]

Amy only now started noticed the strangeness in Ash's voice, "We...? What we?" He corrected himself midway, but Amy couldn't quite grasp why he would make such a mistake in the first place.

And it only continued... What did belief have to do with burning? Amy didn't understand.

Until Ash talked about moving on... She finally got it, "The ghosts are speaking to you..." Ghosts that need to move on... Amy did not understand much about ghosts. She had never been able to hear them, and she didn't know if they ever heard her.

But she certainly understood what was needed to move on. It wasn't just once that she lost a loved one, after all.

"... Understood." So Amy nodded and got up. She held onto her gift back tightly, and her walking cane as well, letting Ash lead her towards the pyre. Silently thanking him for lending her his strength.

Once she got close enough to have her walking cane touch the soil edges of the pyre that she had made earlier, Amy took a deep breath, wondering how to talk to those ghosts. Who were they? What did they go through? What kept them here?

Amy had no way of knowing... But she understood enough. Ash's words shared their feelings... They want to go home.

So, Amy started, "Hey. You all are in pain, aren't you? Lonely. Sad. Wishing to see those who loved you again; those who took care of you... You miss them, don't you?"

Amy allowed herself to smile as she continued, letting all those old happy memories flood her, hoping her feelings would pass to the ghosts, "I miss them too. The people who loved me. The people who cared for me. Very very special people. Wonderful people that cannot be substituted."

Amy took a small pause before continuing, "And they aren't coming back. They can't come back... And that's okay. They're happy out there, you know? They're safe. Free from the terrors of Zalrisis. Free from the harsh environment of Zalra... For the first time since they found a home, they can now rest.

"Yes. They're resting... They're resting because they found a new home. A peaceful home. A safe home. A home filled with the people they love... Sure, not everybody is there, but plenty are. And more are coming. More will always be coming."

Amy took a deep breath, "I'm not gonna say it doesn't hurt. I lost count of how many times I cried for them. For all the people I've missed. For all the people I can never see again.

"But at the same time... I know that they're happy.

"And I'm happy too." Amy's glass-filled eyes started letting out some tears, but she did not stop smiling, "Because even without those lovely special people. People who were dearest to my heart and more important than anybody else... I'm still alive."

Amy held her gift bag more tightly, "And by being alive, I can find new people that I can love. A different love than what I previously held. That love cannot ever be substituted... But that doesn't mean I can't find love again.

"This bag here? It's filled with gifts. I wonder if you can see them... The special toys made specifically for the children of Zalra. Toys that were made in a way to protect them from Zalrisis... Do you know Zalrisis? It's an evil sickness of Zalra. Those toys are protected against that.

"As I have started my trip back home, all I could think of were the happy voices of those kids. I want to hear them again. I want to surprise them with those gifts. Help them have a happy childhood in whatever ways I can."

Amy took another slight pause, "Did you all have a happy childhood? Do you smile when you remember the people who cared for you? Do you have special memories of them?

"If you had. Rest assured that where you're going, you'll find people who will care for you like that. People that will keep you safe and will do everything to make you happy.

"And if those precious people are still here... Be happy for them. Cheer them on. Let them find a new happiness even after they lost their most precious people.

"... And if you didn't have the chance of finding happiness while you were alive... Allow yourself to find it now. Allow yourself to have peace. To find people who will show you that there is more to eternity than just suffering. That happiness is something we all deserve."

Amy then turned her head to Ash. To this ever-present magic of his that made him far too easy to see, "Do it."

Once Amy heard the sound of something landing on the pyre, she started praying, "Dear lord Urukhan, these lost souls now seek your domain. Give them the peace of death that they could not find in life. Let them find safety in your infinite everlasting domain. Give them a home like no other, where they never have to suffer again.

"Please guide them milord, and when our time comes too, we will remember that you will always be there for us... May this prayer be heard, and their souls be released from their far too long suffering." Amy finished.

She hoped it would work. It was hard to be sure of what the dead really wanted... How could she know when she couldn't talk to them? After all the years that passed, years that were filled with wishes to hear her precious ones again... Years that taught her how to accept that they were gone. That it was for the best that she could not hear them, after all. Years that allowed her to move on.

After all this time and all those feelings of suffering... How could she be sure of what the dead wanted, when she wasn't sure of what she wanted herself?

But if there was one thing Amy knew that she wanted... Was for those happy times. Those precious happy times to be everlasting... If she could only make the dead understand that their happiness was right around the corner... Then maybe her prayer would reach them. Maybe they would be able to move on... That's what Amy hoped for. That's what she prayed for.

That said... There was one more thing she had to say. Though this one wasn't aimed at the dead, even if it was for their sake.

She turned towards Ash once more, "Listen, I cannot convince you to believe in what you don't... But if you intend to continue your path as a warrior priest, then you need to learn how to bring peace to the dead. You need to learn how to properly exorcise them, and how to let them know that it's okay to move on... Otherwise, you'll just be a source of suffering, for both them and yourself."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

The voices within the box were "muffled" to Ash, both by the box's magic and the noise inside his head. But he could feel the fearful prayers begin to slow, as their attention turned towards Amy like flowers towards the sun. The box began to catch at last, the scent of wood tainted with paint and preservatives. Bit by bit the contents were consumed - the toys, the fabric, even the bones began to catch as if they were nothing more than wood themselves.

"They're listening." Amy had been through a lot. Ash had to remind herself that her experiences were artificial, something simulated in Terrasphere's obsessive pursuit of realism, but even fictional stories had an impact. "I think they're letting go-"

Something snapped, as the box burst into flames and the flame of Ash's life-force suddenly went out. He slumped forward, hand slipping off Amy's shoulder-

Oh, that's what happened...​

❰ UNDYING ❱

-and then with a sharp inhale he jerked back to life. He clutched at his chest, panting. "Fuck! When I said 'take what you need' I didn't mean you could use me as a bridge." It took a moment for him to stabilize, tail thrashing with frustration, but soon it was as if nothing had happened. In fact, he seemed to be healthier than before.

"...but it worked. They're gone. That... thing shouldn't come back."

He sat down and covered his face with one palm. "It was some kind of summoning. Adults have too many doubts, so they used children instead. " The voices had all but faded, gone with the magic that had been in the box, but the dregs of memory continued to linger. "Put them in a box, feed them lies and stories, and reap the benefits."

...it felt familiar in a way he didn't like.

Ash took a final deep breath, then glanced at Amy. He shook his head, remembered she couldn't see it, and looked back at the fire. "I'm not trying to be any kind of warrior-priest. I'm just using the tools I have to stay alive."

"It's not your ghosts that I'm here for. That person who told you about what Starcalled are - did they tell you about the third death?"

@Amy

 

[Amy]

Amy was confused when she suddenly no longer felt Ash's hand on her shoulder, "Ash?"

The loud inhale sound followed. And then Ash talked about being used as a bridge... Amy sighed, "You really need to learn more about the dead if you wish to commune with them regularly. You need to mean what you say if you wish for a healthy relationship."

Amy sat down. Letting herself be warmed by the flames, silently listening to Ash's explanation of what was it that they just faced. There was way too much to curse there about the monsters who summoned that other monster, but... Amy believed those monsters had already been punished by their actions by now. There was no point in doing anything. No point in saying anything... So this time, Amy stayed quiet.

At least until Ash went on to talk about his own situation, "You're correct. You're not trying to be a warrior priest. You are one. You're clearly past the point of trying.

"You have already shown that there is no point in me telling you about how disrespectful it is to refer to the dead as 'tools', so I won't bother. Just learn how to do your job better. Learn to enter a proper synergistic relationship with the dead. Learn how to commune with them properly instead of letting them possess you and start controlling your own body." Amy sort of figured out that this is what happened a short while ago, "And learn how to give them safety. Learn how to make the dead trust you... Otherwise, it will only be a matter of time before the dead lose faith in you and decide to take matters into their own hands. Simply using you as a vessel to make their wishes come true, regardless of how you feel about it." Judging by what he said about being used as a bridge, this almost happened today. But Amy figured that she didn't need to highlight that part.

Then he asked about the third death, "Have I not told you about how your blessings cannot keep you from lord Urukhan forever? I believe that speaks for itself.

"Though you misunderstand. No Starcalled told me about anything. It's something I concluded myself. You call yourselves players. Most of you don't pay any attention to us. Newer Starcalled who just came to Arcia often talk about how realistic things are here... It wasn't too hard to conclude that most of you don't consider me, or the rest of my family, real.

"It is a line of thought I cannot even begin to understand though. How could anyone seriously believe that we aren't real? That this is a game made for you, players? How could that possibly make sense? How could a game let you transfer your own soul to a different world? How could a game create a new world? None of it seems logical to me in any way." Amy sighed, "And yet, you still believe it regardless... I just don't get it."

It's not like Amy didn't remember playing games back when she lived on Earth. Those worlds created by amazing game designers that put all their passion into making an incredible experience for everyone playing it.

But it was very different from what Arcia was like. Those games had a limited scope. A limited number of quests. A limited amount of dialogue. A limited size to be explored. A limited number of characters to interact with. They were all limited.

Sure, people talked about how AI was the future of gaming. About how they could make procedure generated worlds, or procedure generated dialogue... Yet all those things led to nothing. None of it felt real. It always felt like a game.

But Arcia was not like that... We are real. We feel. We express ourselves. We touch. We talk. We live. We die... We have children. Things that were just not possible in games outside of very specific scripted events.

Why did those Starcalled remain in denial? Why did they keep on telling themselves that this was a game? It's so obvious that there is nothing game-like about Arcia.

Yet Amy was clearly unable to do anything to convince people like Ash otherwise... So she just prayed. She sent silent prayers to lady Rhiannon that they would be enlightened. That they would finally understand that their souls were brought here for a purpose, and maybe, once they do, they can finally start acting on their divine calling.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash grumbled, ears flat as he stared at the remains of the box burn away. Amy's continuing need to lecture him was frustrating, but worse than that was the fact that she had a point. He'd been struggling with the constant haunting, to the point where they'd almost made a choice for him.

"If they want a voice, they should find someone who's willing. I don't make them stay." He had been willing, once, back when this was a game he played for fun. Now it was more a matter of habit, because otherwise they'd just become more insistent. He laughed bitterly. "There are plenty of other shamans and necromancers around, and they follow the one guy who'd rather not deal with them at all. No accounting for taste, I guess."

His heart caught for a moment and he hissed, hand over his chest once more. It was as if his curse had caught on to his self-deception, his attempt to treat Amy as an ally rather than a threat. He focused on controlling his breathing as he processed her words, finding them... strange.

It wasn't strange for Landers to have opinions similar to Amy's regarding other worlds and spiritual transfer. Hell, there were players that believed that too. But this... resent about how players perceived them? That was different. They shouldn't even have the context for a "game" in the same way players did.

"To be honest, I'd prefer they not treat this like a 'game', to. But not the way you'd want anyway." Ash leaned back on his arms, staring at the ceiling as the rain went on. It was a little quieter now, but maybe not quiet enough to move yet. "I'd prefer us 'Starcalled' not be here at all."

T-t-th-thump. Th-thump...

The growing disconnect between them was swiftly becoming physical pain. If this went on any longer, he would have to log out, and hope that things would be better once the storm was done and they could part ways. But some stubborn part of him still wanted to be heard.

@Amy

 

[Amy]

"Truly? You don't want them around? Then why do you answer their call? Why do you let them do what they wish with you? Why don't you simply ignore them until they eventually go away?

"Not even a child would believe this lie. You want them. I just don't know if you're lying to me or to yourself." Amy stated.

And the more she heard him, the more she thought the lie was aimed at himself. Not just this one, but the lie about his beliefs of what Arcia is. Perhaps he has a reason to want to believe that she is fake. Perhaps he hopes that everything he experiences here is fake.

She was sure he wouldn't answer if she asked though, so she didn't touch upon that point.

And then... He hissed? His breathing got off... "Ash?" Amy stared in his direction, and his already strange magic was... Off. It seemed to have started focusing on a single point... What was happening with him? "Alright, stop. Enough lies. What is going on with you? Why is your magic always leaking? Why is it focusing on a part of yourself? Why is your breathing suddenly ragged?" Amy questioned. She knew he was lying from the start when saying the magic leaks were just the ghosts, but this was far too strange for her to simply ignore. If he was dying, then they needed to do something about it. No matter how annoying he was, Amy did not wish for him to get a step closer to lose his status as a Starcalled.

Though his next words just confused Amy, "You want people to not treat this like a game, yet you still refer to yourself as a player? What kind of silly hypocrisy is this? If you want to make a change, then you should start with changing yourself. Stop treating this like a game if you don't want people to treat it like a game.

"Stop coming here if you don't want Starcalled to be here. There are surely other means available to you in your homeworld to stop Starcalled from coming to Arcia in the first place." Amy sighed, "Why do you think anyone will listen to you when you don't believe in your words yourself? 'Do what I say, don't do what I do' is a saying that shows hypocrisy in your home world, isn't it? I heard some Starcalled mention it before. Why are you replicating it while expecting people to hear you?"

Though after that, Amy heaved a much longer sigh, "Why am I giving you advice though? I want Starcalled here... No, I need them. I need you." Amy held her gift bag more tightly again, and her eyes once more got tearful, "No matter how much I hate you, I still need you. That's why I went to Finweald in the first place... To get help. To ask the Lions for help, because I don't know for how much longer we'll be safe in Zalra. Because each day I wake up, I am always terrified of the prospects of suddenly hearing one of the children start singing praises of Zalrea. Terrified of having to end the life of a precious child because they became a Zalri...

"... Not that this trip amounted to anything. Your kind only cares about your own problems, after all." With some rare exceptions, of course.

Amy stayed silent for a small while. She knew what she had to say, but she didn't want to say it. She hated that she had to say it... She was going to say it, "So please don't leave me... Ignore my advice and stay. Stay and help me go back home, please... I really need you."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Do you think I haven't tried all that? It is hard to ignore something with a backdoor to your brainstem." He scowled, letting frustration be his shield against the fact that more than a few of Amy's words hit home. He had been the one to pick spirit magic. He'd been the one to take the path of the dead when he still had a choice.

T-th-thum-thum-

"I am fine," he muttered, clearly not sounding fine. He knew how to survive this. Or at least, he knew that he could escape if things got too bad. "I still have no idea about this magic leak you keep talking about. But I've got a condition-" And there was quite a bit of disdain in those words, all of it targeted at himself, "-that I picked up after my first death. It's acting up, that's all."

He'd just had his whole... encounter, about his putting up walls and reaching out, but that didn't apply to Landers, right? No matter how real they seemed, they were still part of Terrasphere, and therefore they were a threat. Even if it was a threat he needed to keep on neutral ground until he got somewhere with more people...

"I've tried to warn people away. There's an entire organization in my world dedicated to keeping people from Terrasphere. None of it works. Being here and trying to understand this place is the only option I've got left." Breathe in, breathe out, focus on the world around and not the anxiety rattling in his chest, the song singing alonealonealone. "Your world is our Zalra. It takes our people and makes them yours. Does that explain things in a way you understand?"

He practically spat the final words, then fell silent other than his measured breathing. It hitched as Amy sighed and spoke once more, asking for his help... and he didn't know how to respond. Amy wasn't real - that much he would hold onto. But that didn't stop her from making an impact.

"...I've got a while before I have to worry about logging off, He said, the pain in his chest unclenching a little. At the very least, it was under control. "Besides, once you've had a chance to recover, you might be the one that can get us up that hill. I didn't know you were a geomancer before."

@Amy

 

[Amy]

"Of course. The ghosts just love accessing your mind because you happen to hate them, and definitely not because you constantly invite them in with your thoughts. Surely, what was I thinking? You're the ghost expert, not me." Amy would have rolled her eyes if she had any, but since that wasn't an option, she just sighed again.

And then he went back to lying... At least for a small bit, "A condition that came with your death..." Amy pondered for a second, that did seem to be a truthful reply for a change, "Then how do we stop it from acting up? You clearly aren't fine." She did not know enough about death afflictions to try making a guess on what was harming him. She didn't even remember her own afflictions anymore. They were all just a part of her at this point.

"None of it works?" Amy scoffed, "What you call Terrasphere is what I call Arcia, right?

"Have you never heard of the Day of Disappearance? Of the day where almost all Starcalled left Arcia?" The day the led her to eventually losing her eyes... But also led her to her family, "Even now the Starcalled numbers haven't returned to their peak as far as I know. I don't know what happened that brought you all back, nor do I know what took you all away... But perhaps your gods have done something to protect you from our gods' calling. Even if temporarily" This time Amy was the one lying... She did not believe for a second that Earth actually had gods. That world was too cursed to have gods watching over it, "You could trust your gods to continue their work. You could give up on the people you can't save and simply focus on the ones you can... And instead you continue coming... Is it really for them that you come? Is it truly a selfless move that keeps you in a foreign 'fake' world, Ash?" Or did he just want to escape his own reality, like Amy once did, back when she was a Starcalled.

She couldn't help laughing at Ash's next statement though, "My world is your Zalra, you say? As in... My world is the home to those that aren't accepted anywhere else? The place where those who are tired of the pain of their lives go to? A place with harsh living conditions, but that also lets you freely live with a smile on your face as you're no longer bound by the shackles that others impose on you?

"Yes, I suppose Arcia for the Starcalled must be very much like Zalra. A terrifying place with an allure like no other. That you keep coming back to regardless of the risks because it just means way too much to you."

And then, Amy held her bag even more tightly. She started sobbing as the tears flew freely from her glass-filled eye sockets, "Do not speak of that which you do not understand. Do not try to speak of Zalra like it was a bad place... Zalra is my home. Zalra is where my family is... Zalra is everything to me."

She just kept on sobbing as Ash stated he was going to stay... A small relief, even if a painful one... She really didn't want to be with him, but she really needed him.

Still, she managed to get some words out once he was done talking, "So we fell off a cliff...?

"... I might be able to do it. I never tried anything like that before though... Just show me where I need to aim my spell at once this storm ends..." And then Amy really hoped she never needed to deal with Ash again.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash did admittedly think a lot about death. How could he not, when Terrasphere invited so much of it? But that was hardly an invitation, right? They weren't the ghosts he cared about. "Considering how long I've been dealing with them? I think I can consider myself more knowledgeable than most."

He was silent as Amy brought his affliction, and continued to be silent as she began to lecture once more. As if he didn't know about the Day of Disappearance, or the day Terrasphere returned. But it wasn't until Amy questioned his motives that he began to bristle and growl, heart catching and starting, trying to claw out of his chest. He wanted to run. He wanted to fight. He wanted to log out and leave this Lander to her own stupid convictions, let the world she so loved tell her what it thought of her once she was alone like he was-

The sound of sobbing continued to echo through the church.

...she's already alone.​

"...I'm not expecting stairs or anything. Handholds and footholds should do." His tone was flat as he bit back the urge to stay on the attack. It would just continue the feedback loop, make things worse. "Then we can find an outpost."

@Amy

 

[Amy]

Amy did not know what to take of Ash's reactions. He seemed more beast than human in how he reacted to her words. Saying nothing, making only strange growls. Like an angered wolf who was just hurt by another animal. A cornered beast who was about to fight back with everything it had.

She wondered if she should comment on it. She wondered if she should stay silent and simply wait until enough time passed.

... Staying silent sounded scary. He might not see any point in staying in Arcia if he deemed his business with Amy were done. She still needed him.

... And she wanted nothing to do with him.

Amidst her sobs, she pointed one finger at the part that most of his strange leaky magic seemed to gather at ((OOC: Should be his chest with the dissonant eye, I think?)), "Does that hurt?

"You did not answer anything..." Her sobs kept interrupting her sentences, but she kept on going, "But we need to take care of that... Can't let you get any worse." She wanted to be alone, "Your condition... It triggers when you're cornered? Scared? Angry? Is this it?" Amy's sobs got worse. Why did it have to be someone like him? "Your instincts are telling you to get rid of me to calm yourself? To feel safe?

"... Then why don't you leave!?" Amy snapped, "Leave me alone! Be gone from here and let me die in peace!" She started wailing... At least for a small bit, before reason returned to her mind, "Please don't go... I still need you..." Amy could no longer talk, as her sobs completely took her breath.

... She was so pathetic... She couldn't believe she let her feelings out like that.

She did not want to die. That much was certain... She would endure whatever she needed to get back home to her family... She had to endure...

So, she couldn't let her anger get the best of her... She couldn't let her fear get the best of her... She had to... She had to be strong... To get back to her family... To get back to the ones she loved... Those who weren't gone yet at least...

She had to...

... Amy kept on sobbing.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Do I really need to?" Ash's voice remained flat, though the growl continued just below it. "It sounds like you already decided the answers."

Breathe in, breathe out. Ignore the feeling that something might already be squirming beneath his clothes, or the fear that he might see his UI flicker. The magic within twisting like a living thing, giving the impression of something watching Amy as she observed.

"What I have is not something you can help," Ash said, idly opening and closing his palm menu as he considered his options. "I could log out and avoid it, but so long as I am alone, And for a moment the flatness of his tone was replaced with painful frustration, "I'll just have to deal with it."

In, out. Open, close.

"Which means you should make up your mind already. I'm only sticking around because you asked me to." Open, pause. Ash glanced at Amy, still stuck somewhere between anger and pity. "But if you want me to be the kind of person that looks away from suffering, I can be that instead."

@Amy

 

[Amy]

Amy listened to Ash talk. She let her sobs be the answer, waiting until he was done. Not wanting to interrupt him. Not wanting to try voicing out anything.

The feeling was strange. He growling. Some odd sensation at the back of her mind that she couldn't quite understand. That magic that kept on focusing on a single point. Ash's refusal to answer if it hurt.

... But she now understood it at least. As long as he is alone, he will be in trouble... And he feels lonely while next to Amy.

"... Loneliness hurts." Amy muttered. She knew that way too well. Talking about it just made her sobs more intense, "Being next to someone... And feeling lonely... Is the worst." Amy hugged her bag even more tightly. Tears falling the fastest they have fallen so far. She really tried to not think of that usually. She was very happy with her family. That was undeniable.

But that didn't mean that loneliness didn't assault her from time to time. And she hated it. She hated it so, so much.

Amy tried taking a deep breath. Trying to control herself a bit. Trying to stop the sobs so that she could talk again, "I need you." She managed to state, "I don't want you. You don't want me." She sobbed again, "Being with me hurts you. Being with you hurts me.

"... But I still need you." She took another deep breath, "Does that function as an answer?" She had already made up her mind a while back... She wanted to live. Being alone and defenseless in an abandoned heretical church, located gods know where, and in the middle of a storm was not the way to live through this.

This was not her decision to make though... And while she did not understand what was this condition that pained Ash when he was lonely, she understood the pain of loneliness enough, so she forced herself to say, "Do what your heart tells you to... Lady Rhiannon won't blame you regardless of what choice you make." And Amy hated that she actually said this much instead of telling him he absolutely should stay... But nobody deserved this pain.

It was hard enough to endure it as is... Amy shouldn't put anybody through this as well.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"What my heart tells me. Ash couldn't help but snort at the statement. "Right now that's the least reliable opinion in this room."

Ash closed the menu once more. Amy had the situation down - and while he wouldn't admit it out loud, he needed her, too. It was a step closer to common ground, and that was what he desperately needed right now.

"I can work with that. Not a friend, not an ally, but we're both stuck in the same foxhole." He took a deep breath as his heart hammered away. It was a little slower now, a little less erratic. This, at least, was familiar territory, and enough to satisfy the arcane rules of his affliction. "You get us to the road, and I'll get us to the closest outpost. Sounds like a deal."

He held a hand out towards Amy, flicking his fingertips against his thumb so she could hear where it was. "Shake on it?"

@Amy

 

[Amy]

Amy wanted to say that the heart is something we should always be willing to listen to, but... Considering what zalrisis did to the heart, she had to admit Ash had a point that sometimes it was not worth listening to the heart, and we should instead listen to logic.

So, she just silently nodded to his statement.

She was a bit confused at the term 'foxhole' though. Was that a Starcalled idiom? Amy kinda wanted to ask about it, but at the same time the meaning was intuitive enough to not bother.

And when he suggested their course of action for when the storm passed... "Sure, a deal." Amy muttered.

The words 'shake on it' were not what Amy was expecting to hear next though... And... That other noise near... Was Ash trying to signal her towards something?

She tried to understand what it could be, but... She didn't have enough clues to figure out what it was supposed to mean.

So... Well, she sighed, and moved her hand in the general direction of the sound. Figuring she'd find something if she tried... Didn't take long for her hand to bump onto something, and after a bit of fumbling, she figured she had hit an arm, so... A bit more fumbling, and she reached a hand, which she was able to hold, and shake.

... It was so ridiculous that it made her smile, "Word of advice... 'It' is a bit too much of a generic term to make me understand. 'Shake hands' would have been a much better proposal.

"Also, I can't get a perfect grasp of where your hand is from a single source of sound. It would be easier if you had just poked my hand with yours instead." For a moment Amy thought that this should have been obvious, but then she remembered that she had been blind for years, and her family had been dealing with her blindness for years, so maybe not so much. This one could be blamed on a simple lack of experience from Ash.

It was... A bit nostalgic. Remembering what it was like on the first days after she lost her sight. When both she and her family were all learning how to deal with it... She smiled fondly at those memories, even if she was terrified and lost back then.

Amy wondered when she had stopped sobbing... She couldn't pinpoint any moment where it may have had happened, but... Perhaps it was just the fact that she understood Ash a bit better now. That she could relate to his loneliness, even if the reason behind her and his were completely different.

And perhaps... Because she finally wasn't scared of being left alone anymore, "... Guess we just wait for the storm to pass now?"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Didn't want to grab your hand without permission," he said, pulling his hand away once the deal was sealed. He snorted softly, though it sounded more amused than annoyed. Not that he wasn't annoyed, but it wasn't worth pitching (another) fit over. "But if you plan on interacting with Starcalled, you'll have to pick up the dialect. Most of us aren't as open to criticism as I am."

He glanced up at the ceiling, and shrugged. "I guess we wait."

---

Ash was half-asleep by the time he noticed the rain had let up. He blinked at the firepit, briefly confused as to who or where he was, then shook his head and stood up. "Sounds like things have calmed down outside. This might be our best chance."

Somewhere between then and now, the rhythm of Ash's heart had finally settled - not completely, but enough that the growling edge that had haunted his voice was gone.

He walked up to the heavy door and dragged it open. It was still raining outside, but it was far from the heavy downpour from before. "It's still coming down, but it's a lot better than before, he said, approaching Amy. He hesitated to straight up take Amy's hand, but he reach down and tap it, letting her make the ultimate decision. "Are you recovered enough to use magic? I can lead you to the hillside."

@Amy

 

[Amy]

Amy didn't quite know how to reply to Ash's statement. The words 'don't worry, I have no plans of further interacting with Starcalled' came to her mind, but... It was not the truth. There were a handful of people she still respected, like Hanno and Seigi, and much more importantly... She still needed the Starcalled, so Amy was going to interact with them again in the future. She would do it as many times as she needed to.

So instead, she just mumbled, "Don't be surprised if I end up grabbing someone's tail if they ask me to 'shake on it' though." The tone was flat, but it was a joke... Sort of. It could actually happen if the person didn't give a clear signal of where the thing she was meant to hold was.

Either way, there wasn't much more to be done or talked about now, so Amy just waited until the rain sounds got weaker.

---

She hadn't heard much more than her own and Ash's breathing for a while now. She wondered for a bit if he had actually returned to Earth, but then she remembered that, during the trip, his body disappeared whenever he left, so this shouldn't be the case now. He was still with her.

And his magic seemed to have stabilized too, which brought some relief to Amy... She still didn't fully understand his condition, but it being made worse by loneliness hurt her. And she also didn't want him to completely run out of stamina. That would be terrible for both of them.

Well, there was no use worrying about it. Especially not after Ash actually got up and told her the rain was weaker now. A bit worrisome to consider the idea of climbing a cliff on slippery grounds, but it would have to make do.

Feeling the touch on her hand made her smile though, "You learned fast." And she grabbed his hand, and used his help to get up, "I should have recovered enough." Amy nodded.

So, she followed his lead outside. The rain was uncomfortable, but way more bearable than the storm... She still couldn't hear any voices near them though. She clicked her tongue when understanding that this meant the other Starcalled hadn't come back yet... Or if they had, they left this place on their own without even checking the surroundings to see if there was anyone in need of help.

No matter... She just followed Ash's guidance until her cane reached the place she needed to start making her magic on... It was probably going to be draining, but Amy would have to manage...

She took a deep breath and started... Using her geomancy to make a small platform that they could both get on top of.... Then, using her cane as guidance, she used her geomancy again to make another platform that they could reach, and climb on top of. Essentially creating some makeshift stair-steps that wouldn't hold much more than the weight of them both.

Ash had mentioned something about just making footholds or handholds, but she didn't think she'd be able to climb something without proper stability, "It might take a while. But this should get us there, eventually."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Well, you gave me permission." Ash shrugged, making sure to navigate around rougher patches of the ground once they were off the cobbles. There wasn't exactly a "good" place to start making a magical staircase, but some areas were less steep than others, and as far as he could tell this bit of hill was the best they'd get.

Once Amy had finished the first two platforms, he leaned on the lower one, testing the stability. "Right, seems sturdy... this should work." The air shifted as his tail wagged - he was so ready to get out of this valley and away from the abandoned church. "If you run low on energy, let me know and I can give you a boost. Can you manage the steps yourself, or do you want me to carry you?"

Ash didn't exactly want to, but if it would get them out of here faster he'd deal with it. Especially if it kept his condition under control for a bit longer.

@Amy

 

[Amy]

"That I did." She plainly replied. It was easier to work with people who listened for sure... And it was nice that Ash could at least listen on this, if nothing else.

With her hearing some noises coming from the direction of the platforms she made, as well as Ash's voice shortly following that, Amy understood that she had Ash's approval on this method of getting out of here, "I should be able to manage. Though don't let go of my hand." She didn't think it was going to happen, but if she tripped, she needed him to catch her, "And I'll keep the energy thing in mind." It would certainly be better to borrow his energy than to have to rest on top of a makeshift platform that only lady Rhiannon might know how long would last.

So, she used her cane as guidance to carefully step on top of her first platform, and then the second one, and then she proceeded to make a third one. And then a forth. And then more climbing... A very slow and steady process, but that was surely moving them up.

Amy did not know how tall the cliff they had fallen was, so she didn't know how close or far they were from getting out of there. All she could do was to keep on making steps while relying on Ash to tell her about their progress from time to time, as well as relying on his energy when she felt too drained to continue.

Until eventually... They were out of it. She could finally hear the day-to-day sounds of nature again. She could finally feel a normal flow of wind on her face again.

The relief washed over her with such strength that she almost fell down, but her body ended up leaning against Ash's instead, stopping her from going down all the way they just came, "Sorry... I'm a bit tired... And dizzy."

They should be parting ways soon though... Ash just promised to take her to a station, if she recalled correctly, and then that would be that... Then she wouldn't need to deal with him anymore, nor would she have his protection or guidance.

It was just a bit longer...

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"...and we've reached the top. Thank god." Ash couldn't help but sigh in relief as they reached the top. The climb itself wasn't too difficult compared to the strain of combat, but the constant need to bend over and keep Amy moving and motivated was almost as tiring. He hadn't been the one using magic, but he'd given enough of it away that he felt like he had.

"Should be smooth sailing from here on o-oh." He moved to stabilize Amy as she slumped against him, clearly more exhausted than he was. He looked down at her, ran a hand down his face, and then squatted down. "You know what? I'm carrying you the rest of the way. It'll be faster."

He didn't give Amy much in the way of a choice as he maneuvered her onto his back and stood up again. She was surprisingly light... or he was just stronger than he was used to.

The rain continued coming down - there would be no dramatic sunbeams breaking through the clouds today. But it was steady and predictable, and Ash would take that any day. He shifted to make sure Amy was more or less secure, took a deep breath, and started walking down the path. They couldn't reach the gatehouse soon enough.

@Amy

 

[Amy]

Amy couldn't help wondering what god Ash was actually praying to... Before she remembered he was a Starcalled, and that they liked invoking the gods without actually meaning it. It was something that Amy had never understood; not back when she was one of them, and definitely not now.

"I can walk..." Amy replied as Ash said he was carrying her, but... It wasn't long before she felt herself being pressed against something she could only assume was Ash's back.

Amy sighed, "Don't let me fall." She did not have the strength to try stopping him from carrying her, and now was far too late to doubt his intentions, so she figured she'd just trust him to take care of her for a while longer.

Besides... She was tired. That much was undeniable. Being carried was far from the worst thing she could go through right now.

And while the rain was uncomfortable, and Ash's back was actually kinda hard too... She could feel a bit at ease... Enough at ease to slowly feel her consciousness slipping away from her.

She tried keeping herself awake, but... She truly was exhausted, and her fear was too strong back when they were next to their makeshift fireplace to let herself fall asleep at that point... Now... Now was obviously still a dangerous situation, but she was no longer scared of being left alone. She felt like she could trust Ash enough to entrust herself to him.

And so... Amy fell asleep.

@Ash Vargold