'Here comes a thought' [P] | Page 2

His politeness almost worried her. Manners were important, but Solaria had always been more of the frisky, familiar type. She wasn't easily able to comprehend why the man was so formal- and, with a pout, she made sure to note it. "I'm not doing anything special, so don't act like I am. We're already friends, right? So no need to be worried about such things. Just relax!"

Surprised by the man's height, she let out a soft chuckle. "Wow, and I thought I went for tall. You're quite the interesting one more and more, aren't you?" Her grin, somewhat playful if not just plain silly, captured her face by storm. The smile took up a good chunk of her cheeks along with her lips, arms moving slightly as she reached to grasp his hand.

"A river? Let's see if we find it while we walk." Some fresh water was never a bad thing- after all, this game gave you needs like proper rest and liquids, too. So, wouldn't a river be a good place to refresh oneself?

Apparently, not so much. Drawing her sword, she looked dead ahead at the beast- but as if just as swiftly as she'd drawn it, she returned it to the sheath at her side. Ruh was an interesting one, healing and bandaging an injured creature that looked well ready to attack from afar. To Solaria, his actions were far more dangerous, but looking at the bridge, she had to admit, he had a point.

"It might let us cross, but it might not let us go farther than that. We'll have to hope it knows gratitude when healed...But considering that, have you thought of going into veterinary medicine? Since you like animals equally...It could be a new endeavor for you."

 

The lithe cleric blinked at her response, unsure how to respond. Solaria had been an interesting one, alright - there was a stark contrast in her personality against his very own. His mannerisms and actions went beyond just playing his role properly - the stalwart, religious figurehead who embodied his teachings, but even emulated him from beyond the game. Despite his success as a surgeon and his luck with people, he had never been of the loud or boisterous type - he was relatively soft spoken, reserved in his approach and mannerisms. Albeit, that didn't go without saying he wasn't incapable of pursuing a desire.

Those sullen, blue pools found themselves rising. His brow rose in a nonplussed manner as he considered her statement. It was a fact, wasn't it? "I suppose so..." The slender man agreed, nodding guardedly as he questioned himself on his response. Despite how inviting and cheerful Solaria was, he couldn't help but still feel stiff around her - despite his best efforts, he always felt guarded. He would shake the thought off, deciding it was best to not ponder on such complex and ambiguous things. However, in time, he would return to the small woman a gentle smile, his beryl eyes afire in emotion - as per usual.

He had succeeded in the conjuring of his love, that wispy fog that settled on the beast like a blanket. There was an air of caution about him, a foot planting its self cautiously upon wind-swept crossing. He advanced a couple of paces, before jerking back to settle his eyes on Solaria. He proffered his large hand, his fingers his palm facing her own as he waited to see if she'd accept it. If there was no resistance met, he'd hold onto it carefully but with a firm disposition as he had no intention of the woman slipping off. He approached slowly, one foot advancing after the other as they trekked along the logs.

He advanced with bated breath, unsure how the 'mighty' boar would respond. Across them, only a handful of feet, the beasts' wet, flaring snout stared them in the face. Yet, its once emboldened, ruby eyes seemed pacified as it stared at them directly. He set a foot off the long and the monster did no more, only looking at them as it silently offered passage for the couple. It was an interesting experience, one that Ruh Murad was grateful for - as grateful as the boar themselves was. The cleric would figure that, despite its AI, there was a sense of sentience in there.

He'd help the warrior down to her final step, eventually letting go of her hand when they were on even ground. "I admit it was a chance... but having you around gave me confidence - as if I could do well enough despite its nature." He offered. His head would be caught cocking to the side, those tufts of chocolate hair that slipped from beneath his turban swaying slightly. "I've never considered it... truth be told: I'm allergic to most animals." He chuckled embarrassed, a hand sheepishly retreating behind his head as he scratched it.

They found, as they continued onward, that the boar offered no threat as it simply let them be. "I feel, together, we could explore quite deep into these forests... I feel like, if we keep on, there may be something interesting we'll stumble upon." He mentioned, genuinely interested in the adventure. "You mentioned these pigmen before -- what is it that they did to harm you?" He asked as he walked slightly ahead, not turning back to speak.

 

Taking the extended hand, she followed his path with a cautious gaze. He had somehow pacified the creature- there was no other way to think of what she was experiencing other than a miracle. She'd never seen a creature follow such a gruff growl with a calm acceptance. Just what was this guy, anyway?

Still, it was a relief not to need her sword for a change. As they reached the opposite end, she opted to let go of his hand, though murmured a cheerful word of thanks before doing so. He was a gentleman, even if a bit unusual. She couldn't help but be glad for that!

As their stroll continued, he showed interest in her issues with pigmen. It caused a nervous laugh to leave her, but not before she smiled. "I was helping someone on a quest to protect a healer, and well...They kinda attacked us and almost killed the entire group."

Following him simply afterwards, she opted to grasp for his hand again, seeing as she was noticing the ground becoming a bit less steady below her feet. "What about you? Meet anything in your adventures yet, Ruh? Aside from the boar we just met, obviously."

 

The slender cleric found his head jerking back, feeling the soft touch of her skin on his very own - it had been unexpected, at the very least. He felt a flutter at the chest, not having bolstered himself against the action as he cautiously went along with it. Her small hand would find itself enveloped by his very own, his long and thin fingers wrapping around it as he held it firmly. In due time he would notice the uncertainty of the earth below them, the ground not as solid as it had been before - he exhaled at this realization, his mind now freed of this self-hastened leash of his. Truthfully, he spent longer than presumed mulling over the meaning of such a gesture.

"I see... although, you seemed to have made it out find." His head bobbed as he confirmed that, perceptive eyes glancing her over briefly. He paused for a moment, his hand still entwined with her very own as he gave it a small squeeze, unaware of such a twitch. He mulled her question over, considering what had been said. Truth-be-told, he hadn't spent very long in the game now - but there had been a few particular instances that came into mind as he reflected upon it.

"Well..." He had begun, seemingly slipping back into though at such a slow start in speech. "My most recent adventure began in a snow Faldaren. It had been cold and I was not dressed any more different than I was now." He stated - which was a shame, considering what little the man had actually worn- the cloak that hung from his mantle did well in thwarting this truth."I accompanied a Yladian with hair of fire and an intense, angry face - a paladin joined us too, her emotions far harder to read... but she had a beautiful vocabulary." He mentioned, both woman having left an impression upon him. "We had been there to retrieve a necklace, swept away by raiders." That had been the truth, that very action had been what incited the incident. "Taking up the quest we assessed them from a distance, having waited beneath a cold mound to excel with the element of surprise as the sky drew black." He continued, already having pressed a fair about of detail into the story. "At the end I provided support, bathing and dressing the wounds of both my allies." He stopped, a finger rising to tap his chin as he pondered a bit more. "As I am now, I'm not terribly suited for combat." A chuckle fled between his lips, a soft ruby haze settling on his ethnic, caramel visage. "Perhaps, at some later point, you may show me how to handle a blade?: It was a peculiar question to ask, but he had been warming up to her.

They traveled on for a while, the same orchestra of natural noises kissing the lobes of their ears as they went on. However, as they broke into a clearing, a dark and muddied gray image, initially shrouded by the leafy greens and distance, revealed something far more interesting. Before them stood a windswept monument, wrought of coarse stone with weathered markings - nature had dressed it in varying degrees of moss, vines creeping up the sides. The cleric, with a gifted swordsman in hand, stopped to gaze upon the sight. He analyzed it, no matter how focused his vision seemed there was no information to pull from the structure - it simply had no available information or a possible map. It was an unidentified building, its original forms had worn away but were still discernible as lions, surely a spirit animal of sorts.

He swallowed, moving forward slowly until he could extend a hand to touch it. The stone had been cool against the tip of his fingers, slowly swiping it down as the textures bought a tingle about him. Ruh stepped back, looking at it from a different perspective. "That seems to be a door... should we go inside?" The beryl-eyed man asked.

 

Following him with her eyes focused on his face, she noticed how eloquently he expressed his story. She tugged on his hand softly at one point, having found herself struggling with her balance, but soon enough was back to feeling stable as they got closer to a strange building- one he was clearly curious about it.

"While you may have had to heal quite a number of wounds on your quest before, we can only hope this one will lack such pain or concern. But, at the very least...We can both help each other if either of us is harmed. That's a nice bonus, don't you think?"

Her lips curled a bit further upward, eyes closing for a moment as she let go of his hand, wrapping her fingers around the doorknob and trying to tug it free. He'd seemed reactive when he touched the building himself, but she found her own hand was mostly accepting of the cold, if not even a bit grateful for it.

Though she'd thought it locked at first, with a bit of fumbling, the door opened a crack, a slight whine as it tried to show off the darkness inside it. "So it was open...I wonder who built it, though? I never thought there'd be such a building so deep in the forest...What do you think, Ruh?"

 

It was a curious thing, really. The cleric found his head cocking as he assessed it once more, staring almost emptily into the great stone walls that stood before him. A whine tore through the air, the unsettling creek was almost enough to elicit a twitch as he shot a curious glance over to stare at what had been happening. The blackness inside, so unaware of the light, cried the further she tested the door. He blinked as it threatened to swallow her whole by the end, the joints that held the door let loose a roar and stopped, the door opening no farther.

He stepped forward to investigate, peering onto the uncovered darkness. "I'm not so sure... even with the door open it remains so dark." He observed. The man stood there idly, silently as he contemplated for a few more moments. Ruh would look to Solaria, nodding his head before braving the darkness. A foot vanished into the blackness that was the room, his whole form seemingly engulfed by this ebon shade that plagued it, the darkness too unreal to be natural.

"Solaria... I haven't the ability to create light." He admitted, his palm touching a wall as he slowly moved it along. There was little to be seen, besides the light and Solaria's own small frame near the door. He had remembered, and well, after bumping into a table to arouse calamity - something had fallen over and broken. In an attempt to reach the otherwise he separated his hand from wall, shuffling his feet forward to avoid knocking anything over. He'd bump into the woof of a carpet, curling the woven floor piece and causing himself to hop back in a startle. It was here that he decided that it would be best to retreat back into the daylight, unsure if any accidents were worth his impatience.

Before long he reemerged, a fine coat of dust having coated his fingers as they hinted vaguely towards its prolonged vacancy. "I'm beginning to think we've stumbled across someone's home... I think in my time there I'd broken a glass and messed up their carpet." He'd admit, not exactly proud of his clumsiness. Despite this, interest twinkled in his eyes. "I imagine that this may be someone' vacation home... but I wonder how long it's been since anyone has been here." He mentioned, raising his hand out in front of Solaria to show her the dust. "Do you think we should scavenge a torch and continue?" Ruh asked.

 

In normal circumstances, Solaria would have followed him through the door into the darkness, but she knew she couldn't make much light either. Adding on the possibility of the door getting stuck behind them due to some minor decay she'd noticed, somehow her impulses weren't as strongly pushing her into it.

When Ruh returned from his attempts to delve into the abyss, his struggles having been audible from the outside, the young elf hugged him with thanks to the local gods for his safe return. "A torch might be a good idea...But with how long it seems like this house has been unused, I'm almost afraid to see what's in there."

It didn't smell too bad, she told herself. Though she'd thought of there being possible corpses or some other dirty secret within, the scent of the house was only the musk of age, not evil intent. Still, something felt wrong to her. Shivering, she moved a few steps away from the building, a hand returning to grab for Ruh's.

"We might want to look around and see if anyone in a nearby village knows who owns it, too. But...If we're going to go exploring there, a torch is preferable. But...How do we even make a torch? I'm assuming neither of us has pyromancy...and I don't think alchemy can make fire..."

 

The cleric found himself seizing up the moment her wiry arms wrapped themselves around his waist, her head bound to rest against his bared midriff as he held his breath. His arms spaced themselves back, his shoulders widened as he made an effort to not touch the girl at first out of sheer surprise. This wasn't a gesture that he had come to expect - this Solaria had been an absolute curious woman, one so invested in her emotions that each of her actions felt so incredibly raw. In time, a hand lowered to pat her on the back in assurance to her warm embrace. As she made an effort for his hand, that crimson haze that thwarted him and befuddled his thoughts remained as his fast burned with an embarrassed heat. Despite all this, he held her hand all the same.

"I agree... we must find a torch." He echoed her message, making it his decision too. He stood and pondered, unsure how they would go about that - in real life he knew hot to light a flame, but he worried such things weren't possible in Terra without the appropriate skill set. He looked around and unfortunately there seemed to be no flint to strike a fire alive with. It was clear that their only true choice would be to venture further until the happened upon a village where they could get to the bottom of this mystery before them.

However, they would quickly find themselves staying put as their hands remained entwined with one another. "Ooooi!" A queer voice bellowed from behind shaking and trembling foliage. "W'at're yoo doin' near me home?!" It almost belted those words out as a huffing and puffing, stomping satyr of sorts emerged. It had been stout, to say the least: he had been more rotund than anything, a globe for a belly and a healthy sprinkling of body hair that expanded on his torso like the wings of a bird of prey in flight. His arms had been folded together, working as a basket to support the numerous flowers, stems, fungi and even berries on his person.

"'ve 'alf the mind to bury these berries in yer throats! Out- Out! Away from my house." He continued stomping, enroaching onto his doorstep where he threatened to shut the two of them out forever. 'W'at would yoo moms say, huh?!" He asked against, standing on his door step now as he turned around to give them one last and long stare, making sure to remember them for any possible trouble they may cause in the future."

"Wait a sec-" Ruh Murad hadn't managed to finish his attempt before he was batted away verbally, swat like a fly with nothing more than words. "YOO WAIT A SECOND!" He blurted out, pointing towards him as he huffed and he puffed, his hairy little man chest heaving as his hooves remained firmly planted on the ground.

 

The stranger that came at them was alarming in a few ways. For starters, he had hooves. Another issue was how loud he was- it felt like it was going to break her ears. But the very last straw was asking how their mothers would feel about opening the door. The only one he should've asked was her, after all.

Martyr complex taking over, she took a few steps and held her arms out before Ruh, wanting to avoid him getting involved. "As the one who opened your door, I should be the one to apologize. I was the one that asked him to look inside, because I've never seen a building so poorly maintained outside of Yladia- and those buildings were destroyed by a monstrous fungus."

She took a deep breath, before taking a few steps closer towards the stranger. "My mother told me it's wrong to enter a home without permission, this much you're right about...But my mother also taught me the importance of taking care of a home for your own health." Grasping for Ruh's hand, she pointed out the amount of dust he'd found just in a minute inside, before adding taking a closer look at the stranger's basket.

"And what is with those mushrooms? Why would you pick toadstools that could harm your belly!?" For once, her affliction- her own personality, multiplied- wasn't going to let her harm someone. This time, it was telling her to protect the stranger from themselves. "Those mushrooms I see in your basket are toxic. Instead of worrying about how we were raised, I worry about how your own mother would feel seeing you eat something so dangerous!"