drawsblood | { psl with gwenhwyfar }

{ psl with gwenhwyfar }

[ It doesn't surprise him that the Gems are allowing them access to more and more places the longer they're here and this month a few more islands are allowed to be visited. Scenic and tropical, they're warned that some places on these islands have yet to be explored, but that doesn't bother Joric. He's used to being outdoors traveling over all kinds of terrain and he's confident that Gwenhwyfar is just as capable of exploring it as he.

It's still morning when they set off with a pack each to move through island forests to see what's beyond. Not even the locals' warnings about some people never returning seem to deter them. Between her strength and his ability to fly and move at lightning fast speeds, they should be perfectly safe. It's not like the ground is going to open up and swallow them. ]

It looks like there's a way through the trees there.

[ He gestures with a hand. ]

Are you ready to start?

[ He brings his gaze down to her face. Every time they're alone together, he's tempted to pull her tight against him and not let go for anything, and it's always a battle between his desires and his good sense. He hopes that traveling will occupy their minds enough. ]

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[ The terrain is not too dissimilar to Cymru's forests and high hills. It doesn't phase her, she had walked beside many treks, up and down the highlands, mountains, and even coasts as a small child. He forbade her to show any emotions, after all, that also meant complaining to him, especially.

It felt more like home than anything else. And to boot, Gwenhwyfar didn't need as much sleep, rest, or nourishment as much as Joric did. She was easily in it for the long haul, fully prepared. It gives her an excuse to dorn her wolf's pelt that sits on her shoulders, completing the look of a girl who looks she is meant to live in the woods.

Especially with her spear strapped to her back. She walks up the hill effortlessly with grace -- half-demons have prenatural balance to them. ]

I'm fine.

[ It reminds her of Myrddin scolding her, telling her to not complain or cry the way up back to his crystal cave. She won't even insist to Joric that she didn't need anyone to worry about her. She was a natural at it. ]

It's nothing I've dealt with before.

Then let us be off.

[ Like her, he carries his sword just in case, but he can't say the last time he wielded it against a foe. It's been nothing but sword training here in order to keep quick on his feet and not sloppy.

He leads the way into the forest before them, taking comfort in the cooler temperature under the canopy. Nothing seems unusual or eerie about it, so why were the locals so apprehensive of the place? ]

I wonder what keeps the local Gems away.

[ She's stopped worrying about the locals a while ago. As a matter of fact, she was even relishing in the quiet solitude of the forest, outside of Joric. Her body adapts to changes in temperature relatively easily, so there isn't anything Gwenhwyfar can offer in terms of the change in temperature.

Still, she keeps close to him, not out of fear, just out of her personal preference. ]

I can't say.

[ She sniffs the air. ]

I don't feel anything dramatically different.

Nor I.

[ His hand rests loosely at his side, not yet on guard enough to want to touch the hilt of his sword. It seems like an entirely normal, peaceful forest. And so they continue on to see what lies beyond it. He feels no great need to talk as they go, merely enjoying the fresh, cool air and her presence beside him.

A bird lets out a call from a branch high above their heads, but beyond that they appear to be utterly alone out here. On the one hand it's a pity, because this place should be enjoyed. On the other hand, he isn't a fan of crowds or tourists, so this suits much better. ]

[ It should be enjoyed, yes, and she may agree. But this is so much like her childhood, traveling alone with one other person. Though, it was nothing like Myrddin, Joric wasn't going to scold her for expressing herself and momentarily becoming distracted.

Although she has more freedom with Joric, she an adult, this time, not a fidgeting child, and as such, she has odd hyperfocus as they walk. ]

How will you fare in terms of food for the remainder of the day?

[ All because she's not sure how much food humans really ever need. ]

I have plenty.

[ Joric tends to eat a lot while he can because he never knows when food will become scarce. A few harsh winters in the mountains taught him that. ]

I brought dried things as well. And yourself?

[ He doesn't know how it applies differently to someone like her, if at all. Though he already knows that sleep is different for her, and that she can drink a great deal of alcohol without getting drunk, but if she's mentioned anything about food, he's forgotten it. ]

I usually do.

[ Either way, Joric looks like he has no worries about food or starving on this trek. Gwenhwyfar pulls lightly at her satchel that's attached to her belt. ]

I learned that through the caravans I traveled with. Other half-bloods. A man taught me it was a good way to stave off the hunger.

[ The hunger, she says, to denote something entirely different from a human's. Come to think of it, she's really never explained what would happen if she loses control, did she? And by now, she is reluctant to say it because of her attachment to him. She chooses to ignore what she's said, continuing. ]

Forgive me, I don't know how much you would need and for how long. Especially with what we're doing right now.

We can always forage too.

[ If it comes to that, of course. He doesn't expect it will, but if it does then that's an option. Naturally, as soon as he thinks things won't get out of hand, he's proven wrong by things getting weird. A strange light filters in through the leaves — a slightly reddish hue that certainly isn't sunlight. ]

Now what's that?

[ They're already moving in the direction of it, so there's no need to even change course to get a closer look. The light suddenly shifts to a green as they get closer, though they still can't see the source. Whatever it is seems out of place, or at least it does until the light switches to blue, then purple. Even someone completely out of his element like Joric can put the pieces together. ]

It shines in the colors of our gems.

[ Gwenhwyfar's natural reaction is to reach under her clock to one of her pouches. Growing up with the stories of Tylwyth Teg, of course, her first conclusion is going to be it may be one of the fair folk playing a prank on them.

And her second is to turn around to look to see if they had stepped on anything precarious. Something not meant for human feet and coveted by the fair folk.

She draws a sigh rolling her eye at the thought that her luck would be that bad that she had happened to anger something fae-like. ]

I'm praying that isn't a puca, that is for certain.

A puca?

[ He's never heard of such a creature before, but he places a hand on the hilt of his sword just in case. Most of the things that happen here seem harmless enough, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been deaths due to unforeseen dangers.

It isn't much further until they step out into a clearing and can see the source of the light. A strange gem floats off the ground in front of them, switching between the colors of the four cardinal gems. Accompanying it is a low hum in the air. Joric frowns, eyes moving from the gem to the surrounding area. There's no one else here and nothing feels strange. But surely if these gems were common they would have hear of or seen them before now. ]

Have you heard of anything like this? I've not.

It's a type of fae.

[ For good measure, Gwenhwyfar sniffs the air for anything amiss. When she can't feel or smell anything off, Gwenhwyfar decides it needs further investigation. ]

Not really.

[ Nothing in the annals of her memory mention anything like this. And she could be feeling a bit protective as she takes fast strides to it, removing her spear off of her back and in her left hand. If something happened, she would like to be prepared. ]

Careful.

[ She seems to be ready to charge at it, and until Joric knows what it's for he isn't sure it's safe. But he's also not about to let her face whatever may come alone, so he draws his sword and using his amethyst magic he speeds up in order to catch up to her. ]

I don't feel any different. I'm not sure it's doing anything to our gems.

[ Now they stand before it and it simply pulses with light, changing to a different color every few seconds. Joric feels more curious than apprehensive about it and is just about to suggest they ask about it on the network when the light grows brighter. Much brighter. And suddenly it's not different colors, but a blinding white light. He raises a hand to shield his eyes from it when he's overwhelmed with a feeling of dizziness. He has a sense of being off balance; of moving while standing still. It all comes over him in an instant before he blacks out.

When he awakes, they aren't on Noctium anymore. ]

[ Gwenhwyfar manages to get her bearings before Joric does, not without panic, not without realizing that she's found herself in unfamiliar territory. As soon as she sees she's next to Joric, she is nearly all over him. ]

Joric?

[ It's when he's awake, Gwenhwyfar's anxiety finally dissipates, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. ]

[ He groans from that residual feeling of dizziness, but he forces his eyes open and blinks up at Gwenhwyfar. ]

What happened?

[ He places a hand against her side and props himself up in an elbow to survey their surroundings. The landscape is definitely different to where they just were, but before he can point that out, he's struck with a certain feeling he hasn't felt in some time. Eyes widening, he grabs at her arm in alarm. ]

It's gone! The walls— they're— the— the ones that hold the rage in. [ He stumbles over his words in a rush to get them out. To warn her. ] I could lose myself at any moment.

[ He's trying to be direct and clear, but that despair he once felt at having practically unchecked rage comes back to him quickly now. He knows she's stronger than a human and that perhaps she could withstand his outporing of rage, but he doesn't want her to see him that way in the first place. ]

I don't know, I-

[ To Joric's credit, his realization is able to still Gwenhwyfar for a moment. She listens as much as she can discern that whatever barrier he had previously was somehow gone. It's bitterly ironic given the many Gwenhwyfar herself warned others that she could lose control and it was best to avoid her when she was at her worst.

But she can't do that to Joric, not now. She does what she can to calm him. ]

Don't move, not yet. Catch your breath for a few moments.

[ She's not sure about him but physical exhaustion makes it worse for him. Freeing her arm, she loops them around his shoulders. ]

[ Sitting still when he feels this way isn't natural for him. He feels like he wants to jump out of his skin; to somehow put distance between himself and this thing that dwells within him. A foot starts to shake, wanting to do something about his pent up energy. ]

It's not my breath I'm worried about.

[ Even so, he draws in a deep breath at her urging. ]

Gwen, you told me once how to stop you if you lost control. You must do the same to me. If I try to kill you, you must protect yourself first.

I know.

[ It's the only thing that she can think of how to stop it from happening. All the times that she's nearly lost control were the result of emotional pain and physical exertion.

That was most times.

Her arms don't leave him yet, especially when Gwenhwyfar pulls herself closer. ]

Well, fortunately for you, I've had to do this on my own friends several times.

[ It didn't phase her if she had to ensure that he had to be rendered unconscious. ]

I won't turn my back on you, I promise.

[ He lifts his hands to frame her face with eyes full of gratitude. They're enough alike that they understand how important this is; how necessary. That doesn't mean he would relish having to strike her in the head or take his knife to her gut. Truthfully, he only would because of her resilience. She said she could heal herself, so he'll trust that she would do it should the situation arise. And she could heal him after stopping him from tearing her apart. ]

Thank you.

[ He's still shaking his foot because he needs that outlet, but he doesn't feel the rage twisting and brimming over in his mind yet. He says a prayer to the gods that they're both spared the moment as long as possible. But with the strange thing they've just experienced, Joric shifts his focus to that. Distractions are good at keeping him calm, so he looks out around them. ]

The last thing I remember is a white light and feeling dizzy.

[ His brow furrows as he realizes something. His hands have yet to leave her face and yet... ]

We're not producing Manna. We're— [ He pauses to place a hand to the back of his neck. The Amethyst gem is gone. ] I don't have my gem anymore.

[ Gwenhwyfar finds a hand to her neck, rubbing the back of it. It's odd, she doesn't want to say that she is gone from that world, not yet. That could mean so many things and the panic of being in a place that was unfamiliar.

At least then she was with someone she knew and already, she vowed to never let Joric from her sight. ]

Does any of this look familiar to you? It doesn't to me.

[ It crosses his mind that they're no longer on Noctium, but he doesn't want to jump to that just yet. Without knowing what the giant glowing gem did to them, it's impossible to say if they've been completely removed from the place, or just moved to a different part of it without their gems.

He draws in a deep breath, eyes scanning their surroundings. There aren't as many trees here as the forest they just left, and the types of trees are different too. The weather is slightly cool; not like Noctium's overly warm climate in most places. But seeing how Camp Whitegrave was in the snowy mountains, he knows that temperatures vary. ]

No, not at all. We've been moved.

[ And he quickly comes to the same decision as her: he won't let her out of his sight. They need to stay together and figure this out. ]

Let's look around. We might find signs of others.

[ The realization will hit her like a ton of bricks later that she is even further from home and her loved ones. For now, she suppresses the idea, especially when she lingers close to Joric, still not willing to move quite yet.

There is a sense of quiet dread in the back of her mind building up. ]

It doesn't even smell familiar.

[ Reluctantly, she pulls away and stands up to readjust her spear. But as she does, she checks her hand to see how she fairs.

When her hand isn't trembling, she knows that Joric is safe. ]

[ That's not a good sign, but he keeps that to himself. It's best to just assess the situation and see what they can make of it, so he stands too, sword luckily still with him. ]

Can you hear a water source? If so, we should go in that direction.

[ He honestly doesn't know the extent of her abilities. Can she hear as well as she can smell things? ]

Not here.

[ While they stand here, Gwenhwyfar won't be able to pick up the sound of water. Wordlessly, she reaches out and takes Joric's hand as gently as she can manage. It at least gives her time to gather herself and pick up on any new scents and sounds.

Fortunately for Joric, after ten minutes of walking, she can hear water close by, well out of the sight of a human. She pauses to sniff the air, again. ]

There, I hear something now.

[ It's Gwenhwyfar who's leading him, to pull him closer to the sound she hears so distinctly off in the distance.

Sometimes, there are perks to being a half-demon. ]

Why do you want to find water? Are you all right?

[ The hand she holds is well calloused and somewhat scarred from the battles he's been in and stupid stunts he's pulled in the name of fun or a laugh. But his grip remains steady and he feels grounded with her here. As long as he can stay focused on her and the goal they're working towards, he won't lose himself to the rage.

As they walk, he remains alert to their surroundings and considers what they'll need to do come nightfall. The two of them are used to building structures and living off the land, so he thinks they'll be just fine unless this place has some surprises for them. ]

I'm all right. People tend to build near water sources. If we follow one, we should find a village or something eventually. And it's good to have regardless for when we need to refill our water.

[ That does make sense, doesn't it? Gwenhwyfar opens her mouth to say something, but it falls flat as she tries to express her thoughts. When she lived with Myrddin in the forests, they had a way to trap water most times but were close enough to a creek.
But then comes the realization of the people they find are likely human, she assumes, not like her.

It wasn't that long ago she traveled with groups of half-demons in safe locations that they all had designated, far away from humans. And now she was traveling with a human, not another half-demon. As Joric realizes his own shield from his rage is gone, Gwenhwyfar is reminded of the ugly reality of her blood.

She is usually bold and insistent she can fend for herself. Now she can't deny the fact she's nervous at the prospect of finding strangers. Quietly, Gwenhwyfar squeezes his hand, still mindful of her strength.

She says nothing until the sight of water is well within her sight, limited depth perception and all of its glory. ]

I can go longer without water. [ A couple of weeks, at the most. He'll soon find out Gwenhwyfar will prioritize him first, not herself. Not out of any sort of fealty, but practicality.

He's human, she's not. She can forgo many things. ]

You first.

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