Heirot

Kendra put a slender dark finger to her chin. "I believe they were helping him learn to swim," she said with a faint grin as if there were something immensely amusing missing from that story. "But there is no need to worry. He's not going to try anything my girls can't handle."

At about that moment, one of Kendra's male servants came running into the room from a rear tunnel. He stopped just inside the cavern, putting his hands on his knees to try to catch his breath. “My lady, the girls are having difficulty handling the sun walker’s Arai’sith,” he gasped, just as a pale-skinned figure loomed in behind him.

The messenger jerked like he’d been bitten by something and then slumped to the ground as Soran emerged from the cavern looking ready to fight. The rogue was soaking wet and still wearing the pants he’d cut off at the knees. His blades were drawn and his expression screamed out that he was on his last nerve. He took in the room in a brief sweeping glance and his gaze froze on Mizuki. “Mizu?” he called to her, out of breath. He tried to tell if she was okay, but he was too far from her to make out much detail.

Three dark elven women chose that time to catch up to him. They looked like they were enjoying their little hunt as they ran out giggling amongst themselves and surrounded the elf, although their laughter lowered when they noticed their queen there. Soran wheeled on them, weapons raised to them in a lethal warning.

“The sun walker Arai’sith cannot swim and knows no manners,” one of the women called to Kendra laughingly in the surface tongue. “He raises his blade to a female!” They seemed indifferent to the unconscious male on the floor.

Mizuki spun around and made as if to run into his arms. But she stopped. Gods, how would that make herself look after what she was telling? Soran looked ready to kill the next person to touch him. She noted his desparation by just how he said her name. He never shortened her name. Dear gods this poor man that she loved so much.

"The sun walker Arai’sith cannot swim and knows no manners,” one of the women called to Kendra laughingly in the surface tongue. “He raises his blade to a female!" Mizuki recomposed herself. Stay in control, she told herself, hoping beyond hope that Soran didn't kill any of the women. They could've cared less for the man, but if a woman was killed...

Oh Gods...

"Did I not tell you?" Mizuki said, a matter-of-fact tone in her voice, Turning back to Kendra. "He does whatever he can to get back to me." Soran, please, oh please..., she prayed with all her might, wishing terribly that her magic had not left her, Please trust me. Trust me blindly my love. She had been concentrating on his mind, like her magic never left. Her hope was that something, even the barest messag, could connect to him.

Soran looked over his shoulder at Mizuki, lowering his blades slightly. Does whatever he can to get back to me? Why did it sound like she was trying to get the dark elf's buy-in for something? He studied her expression and tried to guess at what in the world was going on, lowering his weapons just a little more to see how she reacted, but leaving them menacing enough to keep the drow women off of him.

She turned herself back to Soran and said, "Come to me." Extending her arm out to him, beckoning him to come. She tired to make it sound like a command, without offending Soran too much. "Please, don't cause too much more trouble dear."

Kendra turned an expectant look on Soran, and when he glanced at the other women, he realized they were all giving him the same look. The rogue stared at them in complete confusion, and then turned an uncertain gaze to Mizuki. It was beginning to sink in, just a little, what the gender roles were here. Just enough that he didn't trust his tongue at the moment. He lowered his weapons and backed away from the dark elves before turning and making his way to Mizuki. Despite his urge to address the queen who had clearly been responsible for their abduction, he trained his eyes on the person he loved. "Are you hurt?" he asked her in a low, level voice as he reached her side. He reached up to touch her cheek.

Kendra raised an eyebrow and studied them closely.

Mizuki flinched away from his hand. I'm sorry... "I am fine." She tried to keep her voice even. Tried to not just cry and end it all for them. Just hold me fool! she wanted to scream. Damn these women for making her have to act like this! It was like taking a step backwards and suddenly switching places with Soran back in their past. I'm the one flinching away now. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest, she wondered if the people in this room coud here it.

Kendra was looking at her now, expecting something. What was she expecting from her? She couldn't figure it out and she felt panic creep into her mind. Something... Something dreadful. Just what was it that she-? She couldn't tell if it was her powers ever so slowly leaking back to her, or just natural intuition, but suddenly, she just knew. And it was terrible knowledge to have.

Keep strong. she told herself. But that was extermely hard. Her hand lifted, feeling shallow hearted, Mizuki smacked Soran. "Remember your place my Arai'sith."

Her heart cried. Please forgive me!

Soran accepted the smack and glanced at her with a look of complete bafflement. Something was definitely going on. He could see traces of pain in her expression. Mizuki had never hit him unless he'd deserved it, so his first instinct was to wonder if he'd done something. But that look in her eyes told him something different was going on.

He took an uncertain step back, lowering his hand. He thought about the man he'd just knocked out and the way he was lying unattended on the floor. He thought harder about what Mizuki had just said to him. She was trying to do something. He trusted her.

Slowly, the rogue dropped to one knee and lowered his head gracefully. "Forgive me," he said. It was easy to sound like he meant it after being smacked.

Kendra smiled. "Your Arai'sith is strong to give my servants such trouble," she said. It went without her saying that only a strong queen was expected to have control of such a strong male servant. Even if that queen was currently injured. Opportunity gleamed in Kendra's eyes. "Commit yourself to my service, and I will grant you safety here," she said. Soran was not included in the discussion; he was an accessory to Mizuki.

She was shaking and her wrist was throbbing, she had been careless to choose her injured hand. Her legs were shuddering beneath the dress given to her. COuld she keep standing?

"Your Arai'sith is strong to give my servants such trouble," she said. "Commit yourself to my service, and I will grant you safety here," Mizuki felt that there was something else that Kendra wanted. She thought carefully. They couldn't get stuck down here. Blade, Rai... Gods even Sid! She'd hug that man too when she saw him again.

"I am humbled by your offer to accept us from the upper world into your service, but we have buisness still to attend to." She tried on her best stern face. She hoped it worked. "I have yet to repay the ones who captured me."

Lie... she already did. His skull shattered, it made her sick to remember it, but she held fast. But how much longer could she keep this up? She felt like she could snap. Everything up to this point in her life from the time of her capture was haunting her terribly.

When would her resolve break?

Kendra wrinkled her nose. "You are saying you wish to return to the surface," she clarified unpleasantly. The look on her face said she was already lamenting having to kill her would-be new super soldiers. "I value allies far better than lost kittens," she noted with a snakelike tone.

Soran raised his gaze enough to notice the falter in Mizuki's expression. He hoped she would be able to get through this. He wondered how hard he'd need to be smacked, or worse, for this next act of insubordination. "Mi-...Mistress, do not whore your strength to this petty queen. She is small compared to your power. There is no telling what petty rivalry you'd become involved in if you lent your magic to this woman. The future is not something to be shared with every passing beggar."

Kendra glowered at him. "Passing beggar?" she hissed, marching toward him with violence in her eyes. But it there in the back of her voice - in addition to pissing her off, he'd also gotten her curious. Maybe this sun walker really could predict the future?

Her face went pale and at the same time, she wanted to laugh.

And for some reason that seemed like the right thing to do. So she did, albeit forcefully.

"Hahaha, my dear Arai'sith has noticed this well. But I do frown upon your stating this before me." She gave Soran a hard look for emphasis. She felt like she wasn't in her body anymore. Like, something else took over because her psyche couldn't take it anymore. At this point, she didn't mind. She took careful note of Kendra's growing anger and how she was now dangerously stalking Soran. "But yes, it is not. Nor wise for this Queen to even know her future."

But please don't ask me to try.

Kendra loomed up on Soran and raised her hand, swinging it down to hit him as Mizuki had. Soran raised his arm and caught her hand, stopping it in the air. "You don't get to hit me," he clarified, giving her a cold look.

The dark elf stared at him like a rock had just started talking. It was a gamble. She could revenge herself upon this outrageous male, or she could get more information.

She jerked her hand back out of Soran's grip and frowned at Mizuki. "I demand you atone for this insult. If it is true that you see, then you will help me. My enemies are said to be attacking this night. Tell me from where, and how. Then, I will return you to your home."

Mizuki's hand shot up and grabbed Soran's ear. Rather painfully. "Darling, look what you have gotten me into? Now I must save ourselves because of your mouth." She didn't even sound the less bit concerned. She turned her gaze hard onto Kendra, pretending to be 'seeing'. Could her lie hold up? What a gamble...

She let go of Soran's ear and leaned her head back for show. Her lips parted and she made her eyes flutter. Exactly how much was she risking here? Their lives, of course.

"For you, Queen Kendra... I see..." she paused for dramatic effect, making it seem like she was searching further. "Destruction..." Mizuki brought her head back up to see Kendra's reaction.

Kendra made to open her mouth for an angry exclamation but Mizuki cut her off.

"The destruction of your enemies. Mmmmm, it matters not the how, where, and why. You knowing it will bring your clan crashing down. Only know that there will be victory in your name." Sadly, that was completely backwards. Not that she'd let kendra know this. She bargained that Kendra's vainity and pride would make her readily accept such a 'prophecy'.

Kendra frowned at Mizuki, clearly considering very seriously the viability of her words. "You cannot tell me how?" she demanded. But it was there in her voice - her victory was something she found believable, and therefore, she was inclined to believe the sun walker's prophesy. She sounded more disappointed than skeptical. "Look again, there must be something you can tell me."

Soran glowered at her, irritation written across his features. "To call upon the same vision twice imparts dark power to it. Unless you want your luck to change, you should be content with what you have been shown," he said to the dark elf coldly. He was having a little bit of trouble keeping a straight face, so he sobered his expression by reminding himself of how exhausted Mizuki looked. He wanted to get her out of there, asap.

Kendra scowled at his impudence and turned back to Mizuki. "Is this true? Nothing more?"

Mizuki shook her head, which ended up being a mistake. She swayed on her feet for a second before regaining her compsure. She wanted to rest against Soran, badly. But doing so, she felt, would put a distasteful brand on them. Getting out was key, and that time was getting close, they just had to maintain the guise. I cannot fail now...

"To tell you more, would risk your victory." she said in all seriousness. "I imagine that as this clans Queen, you would not risk that. Something so important..." She let the thought linger in Kendra's mind. If only she could read it.

If her powers did work, she would have been utterly flabbergasted that her 'prediction' of victory, was actually right.


(I felt like it. lol)

OOC: heehee!

Kendra cast an uncertain look at Mizuki. "Very well," she finally said. "I will return you to the surface. But know this. If a day comes where I find that you have lied to me, no matter where you are, I will find you. Are we clear?" she said.