As Deygo neared Origin, he was wondering just how wise it was to have left Mars and RK alone. The Oraton Ruins – Day’ai’thu Lai’n’du – was a very dangerous place, especially for those who did not comprehend the immense power of the city’s history and destruction. He sighed. There wasn’t really anything he could do about it now, regardless of how he felt. As long as they followed the Rules he had laid down for them, they should be okay. Besides, where he was going would be far more dangerous than them staying by themselves.
His destination now in sight, Deygo altered his pace, slowing from his ground-covering walk to a stealthier gait. He circled the building that was Origin until he found the broken lower-level window he knew to be the only way in and out. Drawing a knife from his belt (knowing that it would most likely do him no good inside, but feeling more secure with it, anyway) he prepared to enter through the window. Stirring sounds from within the building made him pause. Deygo considered the implications of these noises, then decided to drop back behind some bushes and wait to see what would appear.
After another moment or two, the head and upper body of a woman emerged, her light brown hair tousled in a rather becoming way. She hauled her small frame the rest of the way through the window, stood up facing away from Deygo’s hiding location, and began brushing herself off, having picked up much dirt and dust from inside. Deygo silently moved out from behind the bushes, knife still poised for use. His heart was beating fast. It is her, he thought. Gods, it is her. He took a couple of deep breaths, focusing himself back to the task at hand, pushing the past and his feelings away. This was no time for such thoughts. The woman had not yet heard him. He moved another step forward, accidentally crunching some gravel under his foot. He froze, as did she. Slowly, she turned to face him.
Upon seeing who it was, she smiled brightly, her body visibly relaxing. “IndiEygo Ezion! Ee’teh hai’seh bay’neh j’ai wee’lay’loo! Stee’lu wu’r’kee’ng’tu fu’reh thai’teh twees’tay’deh rai’teh-bai’s’tai’r’du fray’ai’keh, Veymos?”1
“Eris Alce Fehr-Ati. Bloh’n’tu ai’seh ay’vay’reh, J’ee say’loo. Ai’n’du ah’ay’seh. J’ee hai’vay’loo ku’may’loo tu’loo tai’kay’loo tute bai’k’u tu’loo hee’meh.”2
She laughed lightly and resumed brushing the remaining few bits of debris from her clothes. “{{And what? If I refuse you’re going to use that knife?}}”3
“{{If I have to,}}” Deygo said, his face and voice betraying no emotion.
Eris looked up sharply, surprised by his reply. She was suddenly much more serious. “{{You know I cannot go back. I will not.}}”
“{{I’m afraid you have no choice.}}” Deygo advanced toward Eris.
“{{I always have a choice!}}” Eris said, bringing her hands up swiftly, raising a cloud of dust and rubble with them. She sent it flying at Deygo. Knowing she would have an amount more of protection if she fled inside the building, she turned to enter, only to find the entrance blocked by a ball of solid shadow. She turned and glared at Deygo, who was kneeling under a dome of dark energy, using it as a shield from the debris that was still flying about. He had one of his hands pointed upward, keeping his shield in place, the other was pointing toward the window, holding the ball of shadow there as an effective barrier.
“IndiEygo,” Eris said, her voice containing no small amount of menace. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes a moment, trying to be reasonable. “IndiEygo,” she started again, this time sounding much calmer and looking directly at him. “{{You know my reasons for not going back. Try to be rational about this. You know I’ll just escape again.}}”
“{{NO,}}” Deygo said firmly. “{{I must bring you to him.}}”
“{{But why, IndiEygo?}}”
“{{BECAUSE I MUST!!}}” Deygo shouted, dropping both the shield and the barrier, and sending all his energy in a single blast towards Eris. Caught off-guard by the suddenness of his redirection, Eris was hit full-force in the stomach chest, and was knocked backwards against a tree, hitting her head sharply on the trunk. Knocked unconscious by the force of the blow, she slumped down at the base of the tree.
Deygo stood where he was, breathing heavily, trying to regain his composure, and fully comprehend what he had just done. As he realized that Eris was knocked cold, and it had been by his hand, he felt a rush of emotion pulling at him. He hurriedly pushed these feelings back, alarmed by his lack of control – both emotionally and magically. He moved toward the fallen woman, berating her quietly. “{{Dammit, Eris. I didn’t mean to do that. But why must you always be so difficult?}}”
He kneeled down beside Eris’ collapsed form and pulled out from under his cloak what appeared to be a headband. Gently lifting her away from the tree, he placed the band around her head, then bound her hands behind her back. The cuffs were made from a special anti-magic substance that Veymos had acquired for just such occasions.
“Uunnnggghhh…” Eris groaned as she began to come around.
“Ris?” Deygo asked softly, sitting down and holding her.
“IndiEygo? {{You… you hit me. Hard.}}”
“{{Yes, I’m sorry. I did not mean to.}}”
“{{That really bloody hurt,}}” Eris said, still slightly shocked that Deygo had actually hit her.
“{{Yes. I’m sorry,}}” he said again.
“{{…So, now what?}}” Eris asked after a moment’s pause.
“{{We’ll wait here until you are stable enough to walk – you took a very powerful blow. Then we’re leaving to go get the two foreigners before they cause too much trouble.}}”
“{{Foreigners?}}”
Deygo nodded. “{{I encountered them in the forest on my way here.}}”
“{{Oh? Please, elaborate,}}” Eris coaxed. She was hoping to get him to a state where he was unsuspecting enough for her to be able to use her illusionary power on him. Deygo smiled slightly as a look that could only be described as utter perturbation crossed Eris’ face.
“{{You put a ‘thought-binder’ on me, didn’t you? Bastard!}}” she accused, while pulling angrily away from him.
“{{And now I’m glad that I did. You don’t think I’d make the same mistake twice, do you?}}”
“{{One could hope,}}” she said, still looking quite pissed off.
Deygo laughed at Eris’ expression.
“{{It’s not funny,}}” she growled.
“{{I can’t help it. You just look so… cute when you’re annoyed.}}” She glared savagely at him. He caught the look and realized that he would be so dead if that band ever came off, and decided that he ought to change the subject.
“{{Do you still want to hear about the foreigners I found?}}” he asked her. She shrugged and turned her back to him, moping. “{{I’ll take that as a ‘Sure, Deygo. Why not?’ You should probably know what you’ll be traveling with, anyway. First, let me tell you of the Destructive One…}}”
1 “IndiEygo Ezion! It has been a while! Still working for that twisted rat-bastard freak, Veymos?”
2 “Eris Alce Fehr-Ati. Blunt as ever, I see. And yes. I have come to take you back to him.”
3 Note: When you see these: {{dialogue}} that means that wot’s in the brackets is being spoken in Nay’weh Spay’chu.
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