Light through the Darkness[Don, Perun, Duma][closed]

[Remus]

Remus was taken aback. Only in part from Duma's actual words. The other part though, was from the sheer distaste at seeing what he was. Donovan and Duma getting so heated. This distaste must've been evident on the priests worried expression, or perhaps it was simply the tension in the air. For a moment after Duma had finished his exasperated shoutings, and before Donny could get any more words out, a brilliant light nearly blinded the poor priest and likely all of the small gathering within the dark Lycian Night. A single voice, smooth as velvet despite the overwhelming burst and pressure of magical power which filled the air with sheer oppressive force.

"That's Enough~"

It wasn't a shout. It wasn't a loud tone. It was almost sing-song, and then the intense hiss of lightning crackling skywards from Lillisette's fingertips which had caused the aggressively bright burst followed. A discharge of wind magic followed suit, as if to buffet space between the two swordsmen. Ghostly pale hair billowed in silken strands before resting against skin equally shaded, as Remus turned his gaze towards his sister; once his eyes had re-attuned to the dark surroundings. He would've questioned what she had done it for, but he knew almost instantly.

Lillisette didn't know Donnovan and Duma like he did. Though it was true, he'd never seen them argue, he had absolute faith that they wouldn't attempt to harm one another, or himself. At-least not in a serious way. When the final small torrent of wind settled down, and the priest robes stopped flailing from the wind-press, Remus tapped his staff quietly and re-adjusted himself to press his weight into it. He looked to Lillisette once more, quietly gauging while he kept his gaze squarely on his older sister.

"Lilli..Do you know why these people would be after me? What could have been done to make anyone want to come after me..or abduct children?"

His expression of genuine pleading within his gaze truly brought depth to how lost the priest was in this regard. Remus couldn't understand what would justify harming children. In his mind, this was absolutely inexcusable. His sister shook her head in negative affirmation before lifting either hand to fold, clasping slender elbows with arms resting beneath her chest while shifting her gaze about her. Her small display, and feat of magic always had a likelyhood of drawing guards in what was effectively a private conversation.

"That, little brother, I do not know. All I know, is that you must take care. The man that you fought. This Michael. He's not alone. I don't stay nearly as well informed as I was a few years back, but I was able to scrounge up tidbits. An injured red haired man was spotted hastily moving through Sacae. Given what I've heard about your incident in Bern, I imagine he's going back to where ever he came from. That means he isn't alone. Combine that with the fact that your still not entirely liked within the church for openly voicing against their current..regime..that means you probably won't get the amnesty you might expect to from Etruria..should they come searching for you there. Just..be careful. I can't bring you with me, nor can I go with you. That means you have to use your head more. And stop trusting every damn person with your life. You lucked out with these lot..but you need to handle yourself more too. People can't always be there to pick you up dummy."

The priest could do naught but flash a sheepish grin at her final remark. Already, the priest was in better spirits. In part, just from being around his sister once more. He shrugged faintly before looking to Lillisette with a nod and clasping his staff tightly within his hands. He tried to take it all in. If anything, them going further into Lycia was the best option at this point before factoring in their rescue mission for Thomas. The young priest looked skywards quietly.

"Ahh..no. Your right. I am not as gifted as you though Lilli..and I don't have resources and connections woven into Etruria's foundation. So I have to trust those I do. If I hadn't...well..I'd be longgg gone by now..ahah."

[Donovan]

The silver tongued mercenary’s eyes were as bright as wildfire. He watched the swordmaster intensely, prepared to fight if he saw any movement. His attention so invested, he did not notice the sage releasing her magic. He could feel the wave of pressure from her spell, and was completely thrown off by the strange sing song tone she used when calling for the tension to cease. Strangely enough, the ethereal voice was just as commanding as Don’s earlier rendition. Looking over, he saw the tension in the Sage’s body. She was ready to fight. And he wasn’t particularly interested in a three way that would shed blood. “Alright then, Lillisette, we’ll all just take a deep breath and calm down. Right, Duma? We’re friends here, after all.”

It wasn’t surprising to him that Michael had survived and was returning somewhere, of course. They had known that he was not just some average bandit or mercenary. Someone like him was too rabid of a dog to be at the top of the food chain, which meant that he must serve someone. This was something they’d known since the fight ended and the bastard fled. “Well, as long as he doesn’t bring back a bigger army, I think we can all make sure Remus and the kids are safe enough. Last time they attacked us, we were completely unaware of what they were capable of. Hell, we didn’t even know we were being hunted. We’ll be more prepared next time. We will show them what we can do when we’re all on the same page.” The mercenary winked and flashed a grin at the Etrurian woman.

“I hafta say, Preacher. Next time we fight, yeah it’ll help for you to use your newfound light magic. But don’t wear yourself out trying to fight back, when you’re friends are getting cut up. You’re a damn good healer, keep that as your top priority. For my sake.” Don raised an eyebrow at the blue haired priest and chuckled.

[Duma]

Duma did what he could to quell his emotions. I the back of his mind he knew this frustration was useless. This anger, this confusion, it clouded his judgement. He couldn't think properly. He just wanted answers. Answerers to this madness so that he could be a better guard. A better guardian to the kids. Remus wasn't giving him any of the answers he wanted. That toppled with his exhaustion and overworked state did not help. Presently, he couldn't see how much of a threat he was actually being. His movements were so ingrained into his mind they were instinctive. Donny had placed himself in between him and Remus. Had the sage not intervened with her light magic there was a good chance he would have fought Donny right then and there.

The woman's light magic blinded Duma. The swordsman raised his hands up over his face in response. He stumbled back a few places and stood there as he tried to regain his vision. The others continued talking. Michael was returning to whatever hole he crawled out of. Duma knew that, he was afraid of whatever other things would crawl out of that hole with him. Remus had apparently said something in Etruria that earned him negative points with the Prophets holy army. Oh well that's just f*cking great. The Inquisition was another thing to add to his list of worries.

“You are just full of more surprises aren't you Remus!” He shouted. He was now rubbing his teary eyes and slowly bringing the world back into view. His eyes were a shade of pink that indicated irritation and lack of sleep.

“Did you piss off a dragon too? Or is there some other ancient eldritch abomination after you we don't know about?” His voice was shifting between sarcasm and seriousness. He held one hand over his right eye and used the left to glare at both of them.

[Perun]

"Fail-Not, it is a bow of Lightning, without any restrictions, we believe in the hands of someone with strength immortal it could be powerful enough to drop a dragon in flight in the sky above. Contained within it are the souls of our ancestors, the men and women who saw what needed to be done, and gave their lives to create this bow so that humanity might make it through its darkest hour. We would like to offer you the chance to wield it, Perun, if you can string it." The man let the massive horn bow pass into the Ilian giant's thick fingers, and then produced a silver colored bowstring and handed that to Perun.

The giant from the North was unwilling to believe that these men of the outside world had truly managed to capture lightning magic and force it into a bow, even one that wasn't made of wood. It looked like a fine weapon, but it probably was in no way any different than any other bow he had ever or would ever use. However, when the handle fell into his palm, the hair on Perun's forearm stood, and once more he smelled the familiar smell of singed hair. He quickly looked at the back of his left arm, but happily saw that instead of black and white, it was the same ruddy red that it was meant to be. The bow in his hand felt as if it was moving, vibrating, shaking back and forth a thousand times a second.

Without a word, Perun looped the lower half of the bow, then set it against the inside of his foot. He'd always strung his bows "the wrong way" and he wasn't going to change that now. As he ran his hand up the horn bow, preparing to bend it, one of the other cloaked men spoke again. "Prepare yourself, most we've come across have been unable to even move the bow an inch." As Perun reached the top of the bow, he grunted, and his shoulders locking like the jaws of a mastiff, bent the bow, and strung it successfully.

As soon as the massive thing was strung, a bolt of golden lightning ran visibly up the string, and would have hit the giant's hand had he not removed it in time. The cloaked men were ecstatic, they almost fell over themselves rushing to his side. "Dear Elimine, in all this time I never-" "To do this is simply-" "-like a bear!" They all spoke at once, but were quickly drowned out by a voice Perun knew didn't belong to any of them. It seemed to vibrate into being, at the same speed as the bow even then shook in his hand, in the front of his skull. It spoke with many voices all at once, men and women of many different ages and accents combining into one swell. "TO BE WHOLE IS TO BE FREED, I HAVE NOT BEEN STRUNG SINCE MY CREATION! YOU, MAN OF STRENGTH, YOU ARE TO BE THE INSTRUMENT OF HUMANITY'S SALVATION. YOU ARE TO CREATE THE WORLD ANEW BY ERASING THE THREAT OF DRAGONKING FROM THE FACE OF HUMANITY!" Perun's brow furrowed, and his massive eyebrows connected. <How am I supposed to fight something that does not exist?> The voice came back, same speed and feeling, "YOU SHALL SEE 'PERUN' YOU SHALL COME UPON A DAY IN WHICH THE SKY WILL BURN AROUND YOU, AND THEN YOU WILL TURN ME TO THE SKY AND BLOW THROUGH THE WINGS OF DEMONS." <No, I will not.>

As he came back to reality, to voices outside of his head, the leader of the group was speaking again, apparently he already had been, "Now I am sorry, but it is time for you to leave your friends and come with us. There is work to be done, and other heroes to assemble before the coming crusade." Perun's eyebrows separated, and his right one raised. "Perun is being go nowhere he is not being want, and is wanting to being go back to commmmmrades." The man's face turned grave at that. "Perun, understand that that bow is our property, something our families have looked after for generation. We decide where it goes and how it is used. You will either come with us, or give it back and never speak of its existence. Make a decision." As Perun's head whirled, he actually considered handing it back to them. However, if the bow was powerful, and they wanted to use it to start a full scale war with fictional creatures, Perun thought it better that he kept it. "Perun will not be being go with you." "Then give the bow back to us." The men all changed then, their stances became ones suited for combat, and he saw a few of them muttering under their breath. In a flash, Perun dipped his right hand into his boot, and pulled the black arrow he kept there as a reserve from it, setting it on the string. The same gold strand of lightning came up the bow then, but instead of continuing, ran into the arrow, but not before sending a quick shock through Perun's hand. He didn't want to kill them, but a threat would do. He had to fight an urge summoned in the front of his head that told him to lower the bow and go with the men, but he managed to shake it off.

"No, Perun will not."

---

Perun had managed to wonder back to the inn relatively fast. He'd unstrung the bow rather quickly and made it home. Sadly, he wasn't sure how much he'd want to use his bow any time soon. He'd barely made it away from the mages before the Lightning had seemed to burn the arrow away. So he felt that it would need to be benched in the interest of conservation. Now however, he was excited to show something so powerful to his friends.

They were easy to find with all the screaming.

Perun came into view of them and shouted, "Duno-ven! Perun is beeing foooouuuuund you!" He noticed a figure he hadn't seen before, a young woman with blue hair. As he approached he said, "Oh hello, Perun is being this one."

[Remus]

The priest sighed with resignation as his sister beat it into his head, verbally, as usual, once more that he had to listen to her advice. Part of him wished he would have known better by now. Both in not heading her advice, but also in not needing it. Perhaps he'd never learn. Ahhh well. That's what he had friends for! If anything, he'd had that proven time and time again. He did not let it dampen his spirits though. Back to his cheery old self, he smiled brightly to his sister. Then, he smiled to Donovan and nodded warmly. Hands clasped his staff once more before he chuckled at Duma's response, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck as he tilted his head. "That's funny Duma. Everyone knows the dragons are gone! Ahah~"

He would've spoken up with something to his sister, before another voice broken into the clearing.

Duno-ven! Perun is beeing foooouuuuund you!

Another friendly and familiar voice. A warm grin spreading further upon the priests lips, as the bushy Ilian giant came into view. He even lifted an arm to wave warmly at him while he returned to look around at the group before them. Perun, like Donovan, seemed to notice the priests sister. For as he approached, he greeted her individually.

Oh hello, Perun is being this one.

A quiet look was drawn from the priests sister. She was just about to speak when a sudden shrill shriek drew the attention of both brother and sister. A familiar, tiny Amelia sounding shriek. The priest's exasperated look matched only his bewilderment as the two orphans came running out excitedly towards the Priest and, more importantly, his sister. Amelia's excited tones were followed by a cavalcade of giggles as she literally threw herself at the Etrurian sage.

"AUNT LILY!"

The raven haired blur of a child was jumping and excitedly bounding around her with hands wantonly thrown to the sky. The young blonde boy that served as Amelia's future Grand General of the Amelian Empire, was also visibly excited. Suddenly, Lillisette, had tuned out the world of Remus and his group as she knelt down before the children. A palm extended, and as if a well practiced act and gesture. The children gathered, and a multi-colored pulsating hue of vibrant lights cast upon their face as they watched in wonder. Their "Oooh's" and "Ahhhs" were momentary but almost dramatic. The priest beamed on-wards for a moment, before clearing his throat slightly and turned his gaze to Duma and Donovan, and now Perun.

"So...were close. The Lycian territories between here and Laus aren't that large..minus Santaruz. No matter what has happened, or will happen, I just want to thank you both. Amelia and Owain. Their alive, because of you all."

[Donovan]

The silver tongued mercenary pushed his hand into his forehead as the sword master continued to endlessly drone on against Remus. Dear god, this fool is pushing me to my limits. if it wasn't for the very welcome and convenient timing of a drunken Giant, the mercenary might have started beating his head into a wall. "Duno-ven! Perun is beeing foooouuuuund you!" The enormous man was swaying slightly, carrying his great bow as he slurred his words.

"And thank the gods for that!" The mercenary threw his hands in the arm and tilted his head upon seeing the magic bow in Peruns hands. "Where the hell did you get that bow, Perun? That thing is massive! Can you even string it?" He couldn't help but laugh at its absurd size. He could not think of a scenario in the short span of time he had been talking to Remus and arguing with Duma that Perun could have managed to get more intoxicated than he had ever seen him and stumble, or steal, a bow that was basically useless because of its size.

When the children leapt out of no where, Don was, more than anything, relieved. With Owain and Amelia here, Duma would be forced to keep his cool, the blue sage seemed to be placated, and Perun would be able to continue deescalating the situation. "So this trip is actually coming to a close, then? It will be strange not seeing the kids every day. Amelia no longer stealing my sword, Owain not trying to rip out Kitchi's hair. I might shed a tear."

[Duma]

Duma was becoming increasingly frustrated with how the rest of this played out. Perun finally arrived at the scene drunk. That was one less set of eyes watching the children. One less set of hands meant to protect the children and Remus. And the children were now running out towards Lillisette. Children that were supposed to be asleep and with another guard. He had had enough of this. Enough of everything. He felt his hand go towards his forehead and gently pulled it down his face. As if he was trying desperately to push away the frustration and tiredness he felt.

"Know what..I.. don't need to be here right now." He muttered. He closed his eyes and sighed. He had enough of this conversation for one night. Perhaps he would feel better in the morning. But for right now he just wanted to leave. He just wanted to be away. Maybe he'd follow Perun's example and get drunk. That actually sounded like a good option. He had been missing sleep due to his concerns and sheer lunacy of everything that had happened.

"I am going to drink something strong. And I am going to bed. You all can do what you want." He spoke coldly then merely turned around and walked back towards the pub. There were few things in the world that truly drove Duma to find a strong drink. And considering everything that had happened he felt that he needed at least one shot of whatever the heck this place had. It wasn't long until he was at the bar and ordered a shot of their strongest bottle. He paid coin for it and the drink was poured. A caramel colored drink with a weird haze to it. He didn't care at this point. Duma held his breath and drank it down with no problems. He ordered one more and gulped it down before retiring to his room.

[Perun]

The orange giant struggled to keep his feet as the children giggled and screamed into existence, popping up from somewhere he hadn't seen, as Duma, Donovan, and Remus appeared to be in the middle of some kind of thick tension. It was as thick as the humidity that hung in the air, and as Perun wavered he felt like he was swimming. Or rather, treading water trying to stay afloat as his head spun. It had been some time since his head had spun quite so fast from drinking, but it had also been a long time since he'd had quite so much to drink.

He stumbled over to Donovan, and clapped him on the back. "Duno-ven, who is this woman being? Perun can be being string bow, but it is being make string burn if is fully strung. Perun is being getting bow from magic men who are watch him win drink contest, mages are being telling Perun bow is being called Fail-Not. Why Duno-ven is everyone being so angry?" Perun's use of the common tongue was tenuous, but drunk and he could barely find the words of the people from outside of his valley as thoughts swirled about in his head. It was hard to pick the right ones when most of them spun around in his own language.

However, Duma went into the tavern to drink, and Remus said they were nearing the end of their journey with the children. As Donovan pretended they'd be happy to see the children go, Perun threw his arm around his companion's shoulder and said, his voice gurgling slightly, "Perun is be sure you are going to be being crying once they are being gone Duno-ven." Perun was ready to head inside, or stay outside and start talking to the odd woman he'd never seen before. Either or.

[Remus]

The children were beyond distracted by the multi-hued light show and giggling wildly as they chased it around or were chased around by it, when Lillisette sent it swirling through the air after or away from them. The slender woman's mastery of magic at such a finite level that it was as much a game to her, as it was to the children. This served as a lovely distraction for the priest from the tension a moment later. He turned his warm gaze to the swordsman and Perun, as Duma had just stormed away. It would've bothered Remus, had he not returned to full on happy go-lucky priest that he usually was. His gaze leveled with them, before he chuckled and nodded at Dnovan's words with his head tilting slightly. Messy blue hair brushing in the soft current generated from his sisters magic.

"Well I would just like to say, that our home in Etruria is always open to both of you. My uncle and my father argue a bit often than one should like about the state of things back home, with father being a faithful type and uncle an old soldier, but mother keeps the peace. Lilli is usually in her room or the study when home, and I can only imagine the chaos the kids will cause when we get back to a safe and warm environment. If their still running their orphanage back home I might help out with that until I can find a new sense of direction or purpose. I suppose er...the church will figure out what to do with me haha. This IS supposed to be my pilgrimage of spiritual learning after all. I um...may have fibbed just so I could try and get our stray back home safely. Ahh. I think...it will be nice to have them in safety again."

He turned to the kids scrambling now over one another to catch the multi-pulsing light that was taking the form of a small bodied large winged butterfly. He smiled even wider and looked to them once more.

"I think we will be okay for now. I'll spend a bit more time with my sister and the kids, and we'll return to the room! And guys...thank you so very much for everything up until now. We could not have made it this far without all of you...This trip..this adventure...it would have never happened. It would have likely stopped in Sacae and well..I hate to think what would have happened then."

[Donovan]

The mercenary couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the melodramatic behavior of his sword master. “No, you definitely don’t,” the mercenary muttered under his breath as Duma walked away. The kid’s couldn’t help but lighten the mood, and Perun’s extremely inebriated state certainly could not help but make Donovan laugh. “This is Remus’ sister. She’s… about as interesting as you’d expect her to be, in the entirely opposite way than you’d think.” He chose to ignore the talk about the bow as it seemed to be the drunken ravings of a mad giant and he was far too tired and Perun was far too drunk for them to engage in an in depth conversation. “Everyone’s angry because Duma needs to sleep and doesn’t know how to communicate without pulling out a sword. Come on, we should all get some rest. You’re so drunk you’re suggesting I have a heart. This is a whole new level of intoxication you have never reached your whole life, Giant.”

“Well, if I’m ever in Etruria, I’ll be sure to take you up on your hospitality. I mean, I’m sure we’ll need a healer on our side, if we ever head into that neck of the woods. We rather like our lives, and having someone who can save them is rather beneficial to our cause. Of course, I suppose we could get to know your quirky family in the process.” Smiling, the mercenary begins helping Perun up to the top of the hill, back toward the inn. Donovan was worried that tensions would continue to be strained during the rest of the trip, but at the moment, this thread of conversation had run its course.