Day 25:
Buddy
“By an Olnvorox?” Elias clarified.
“Buddy, you can’t be serious,” Cass cut in, her words wavering with the fear she was trying to hide. “How would an Olnvorox even get in here?”
“Does it matter?” he challenged, frustration blending with the echoes of emotions from whatever it was he lived through. He suddenly became aware of the headache that was pounding inside his skull. He closed his eyes against the pain, putting the weight of his head back into Elias’s palms. The man’s hands flexed against his neck and skull but took his weight with apparent ease. “It got in and it got its hands on me.” He opened his eyes only to meet his uncle’s gaze. “It toyed with me, killing everyone I knew and have come to know with such ease that it’s terrifying. The power these things have is terrifying. If an Olnvorox ever decided to actually take us out, this entire compound would be eradicated in a matter of minutes.” His breath shuddered in his chest but he couldn’t stop now. “The thing took everyone out, took people out by shattering their companion’s cores-” Elias flinched around him- “and all I could do was watch. Watch until…” He frowned. Strange. He couldn’t really remember what had actually changed. “Something happened. I can’t really remember what had changed but something did and I did something. The Olnvorox exploded.”
Dlmor shifted against his chest. “Exploded?”
He flinched from the pain but didn’t comment on it. He could live with the pain. “Yeah. It didn’t do the thing it had done when Trevak had bit it in half. It actually exploded, turned into dust or something and disintegrated.”
“So...does that mean it’s actually dead?”
The desire to say yes had him opening his mouth but his thoughts caught up with the action and he changed the words. “I don’t know. I’d be surprised if taking it out in the…the dream was enough.”
“But it’s not currently around?”
“No. Whatever Olnvorox attacked me - be it the one that Trevak had taken out or a new one - it didn’t stick around.”
Elias shifted above him. “Which means we don’t know how many we’re up against still.”
His uncle’s gaze wasn’t on him but he smiled weakly at that. “Unfortunately.”
“So what now, then?” Cass brought forward, her words tight even as her voice sounded tired.
“We could always go through with the initial plan,” Tolnoran suggested. “Get me and Elias out on the field if for nothing more than the incoming cluster.”
Elias’s gaze settled back on his face. “We’ll get you in a room and situated before we leave.”
He shook his head very carefully. “No. If there’s another one around and it decides to do anything, I’ll be weak against it. I have a headache that’s already trying to kill me and if one gets to me now, I doubt I’ll come out of it alive.”
Elias muttered a curse before looking towards where he assumed Cass was still located. “Can you find us a healer? We can’t wait anymore.”
“Sure. But you’ve got to get Trevak to move out of the way.”
He tightened his fist in Elias’s shirt, speaking up in his uncle’s stead. “Trevak. Ysle. Chief. I’m ok. You don’t have to protect me anymore.”
There had been a tension in the air he hadn’t noticed until it subsided after his words. What of Trevak’s form he could see started to move and shrink, the wing still stretched over their heads tucking close to the serpent’s body as it shrank rapidly. He heard other movement but the headache flared and he found his eyes closed against the pain.
He opened his eyes in time to see Cass’s outrage and disbelief as the Jaun that reminded him of a golden retriever sauntered up to her side, sat like a dog, and looking up at her, waiting. She masked most of it, leaving a confused and concerned expression on her face as she looked to Elias. The man shrugged over him. “We don’t even know what really happened, Cass. We barely know anything about the Olnvorox, let alone anything about any species from the Second Plane. At this point, it’s probably wise to just go with what is happening and ask questions about it later.
Cass looked down at the golden Jaun. “Right.” There was a pause as she stared at the patient creature. After a moment, she blinked and started in some direction. “Come on, Chief. Help me find a healer.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Eli?” Tolnoran inquired, coming closer.
“Dlmor, support him for me,” Elias directed instead of answering.
Dlmor moved off his torso, getting up onto four paws. The creature slipped under his shoulders and neck, the fur brushing against his bare neck when Elias withdrew his hands left his neck. He softly requested, “Dlmor, can you sit me up, please?”
“It doesn’t matter if this is a good idea or not,” Elias finally answered, facing Tolnoran. The larger man reached out to hold onto one of Elias’s hands, thumb rubbing the back of it. Elias’s hand gripped tightly around Tolnoran’s fingers. “Artemis cannot stay unprotected and, unfortunately, I don’t trust anyone else here.”
Dlmor got him sitting though he was still reclined. The creature was warm underneath him and he pressed his face into the soft fur at its neck, blocking out the light for a short while. He wasn’t sure if it made a difference but the warm fur against his face felt nice. Dlmor certainly smelt good even after everything.
“Artemis!” echoed in the hallway and he slowly pulled his face from Dlmor’s fur feeling more exhausted and not understanding why.
Dlmor informed him through Transference that he had started to doze as Elias and Tolnoran spoke together.
He caught sight of Elias leaning sideways into Tolnoran’s chest, the larger man’s arms slipping from around the other. Elias stood. Tolnoran helped him up before following after. Ysle pressed against the back of Tolnoran’s legs as Elias faced the person who had shouted for him. If he wasn’t mistaken, it had been…
“Bethany,” Elias spoke up as the sound of running feet became clear before slowing. “And the Walker that had fought alongside Artemis.”
Lora’s voice was crisp but polite, offering only, “Lora,” as Bethany came to a stop at Artemis’s knees.
“Elias,” the man offered in turn.
She leaned forward, hands burying themselves in his hair before running down his neck, shoulders, down his arms to squeeze at his hands. “Artemis, are you alright? We heard a commotion. Lora’s Ruhn went nuts to the point that it lost its mimic.”
What she said only made half sense. “What?”
A small creature looking deceptively like the Ilnu came scrambling over. It flung itself onto his left shin, hugging it tight before turning its large, yellow eyes on him.
Dlmor pushed the information towards him, though it skittered pain across his temples despite the care. Ruhn - which was somehow pronounced “rune” - were creatures that had the ability to mimic other creatures. He also received Dlmor’s memories of the interaction with Lora just before his uncle had shown up and took note of what Dlmor had noticed of the Belvren that had been standing behind Lora and the few details that gave the Ruhn away. Lora’s Ruhn was well versed in mimicry, though it was Dlmor’s impression that it was only with the Belvren form that this was accurate.
The thing that mattered to him was that Ruhn and Ilnu were indeed similar creatures. The difference was that Ruhn were generally smaller and were the only ones between the two types to have the mimic ability. Additionally, Ruhn were known to be far more wary when it came to following anyone’s orders compared to the mischievous Ilnu.
He was immensely grateful for Dlmor’s Transference ability. It made things so much easier to just know things instead of having to have someone explain it. “So this is Belvren, then?”
Bethany had been in the middle of wrangling the Ruhn off his leg when his words registered. She looked at him, eyes narrowing. The little Ruhn squirmed out of her hold and collided with his side. It didn’t have much force behind it but he still gave a soft, “Oof,” as he instinctively wrapped an arm around it. Dlmor pressed against his back to keep him mostly upright. The Ruhn buried its face into his chest, little hands clinging to his shirt. His sister gave him a narrowed look. “So you’ve met her Shadow, then.”
“Only once and I wasn’t able to actually see it at the time.” He looked down to the Ruhn gaining its large, yellow gaze. He offered it a soft smile as he rubbed the top of its head. “Thank you for coming and checking on me. Can you return to your Belvren mimic and go back to Lora for me?”
The Ruhn nodded and scrambled away, taking on the Belvren form he had briefly seen in the Olnvorox induced dream. They both watched it run off before Bethany spoke up. “I have never seen it not follow Lora’s commands before,” she offered, voice holding an odd distant sound to it. “I don’t think Lora’s ever experienced it either, though I’m not sure if she knew it was a Ruhn or not.”
He looked to her, curiosity and confusion pulling at his expression. “Wouldn’t she know?”
Bethany shrugged. “I think it would solely depend on what she had been taught and if her Ruhn never dropped its mimic, unless someone told her, I don’t think she would have known.”
“Could it be more she was trying to hide the truth?” Dlmor interjected.
He winced from the pain but his sister missed the reaction, much to his relief.
Bethany dismissed the suggestion. “I don’t know why you would hide something like that.”
“Ruhn are not a common creature to be bound to a Walker,” Dlmor pointed out.
Bethany frowned at the creature. “What do you mean?”
Dlmor gave her a flat look. “Do you even know what a Ruhn is?”
Bethany scoffed. “Of course.”
“Oh really?” A grin stretched across Dlmor’s face. “Tell me: why have the Ruhn counts gone down since the Dawning?”
“Enough,” Tolnoran directed gently, hand wrapping around Dlmor’s snout. The man sent the creature a disappointed frown. “Do not drill her, Dlmor, or there will be repercussions.”
Dlmor yanked its snout from Elias’s hand, snapping in turn, “Oh please. Like there’s anything you can do to me that will get me to stop.” Tolnoran’s Kret hissed, though it sounded more like air escaping a hose than a hiss to him. He missed the words if there had been any. It didn’t stop Dlmor from adding, “Want to try me, Kret? It’s been a long time since I’ve been up against one of you. I hear your Core can be quite decedent.”
“Dlmor,” he warned. It ducked its head immediately, looking at him as its long ears went back and pressed flat against its neck. “Enough. We’re all on edge. No need on making matters worse.” He ran his hand over the creature’s head, exhaustion making the limb heavy. “Besides, I would appreciate it if Torra actually survived all of this. Taking his Kret out is counterintuitive to that.”
“Of course,” Dlmor ceded.
The creature’s response rubbed him wrong but the headache wasn’t letting him handle more than one thought process at a time. He looked to Ylse. “Protect Tolnoran to the best of your ability. That means keeping yourself whole to the best of your abilities. Alright?”
The large, slightly stretched komodo dragon bowed its head from where it stood against the back of Tolnoran’s legs. A worried look crossed the man’s face as Tolnoran reached down and stroked down the Kret’s back. “It might be wise if you didn’t do that in front of others.”
The confusion that flittered through him was brief. He rubbed at his head. “I apologize. I’m doing it without realizing I have an ounce of power over any of them.” His hand fell back into his lap, heavy. His head was heavier but he managed to lean it back enough to meet Tolnoran’s gaze. “I’ll do what I can to keep the…commanding to a minimum.”
“Buddy, you can’t be serious,” Cass cut in, her words wavering with the fear she was trying to hide. “How would an Olnvorox even get in here?”
“Does it matter?” he challenged, frustration blending with the echoes of emotions from whatever it was he lived through. He suddenly became aware of the headache that was pounding inside his skull. He closed his eyes against the pain, putting the weight of his head back into Elias’s palms. The man’s hands flexed against his neck and skull but took his weight with apparent ease. “It got in and it got its hands on me.” He opened his eyes only to meet his uncle’s gaze. “It toyed with me, killing everyone I knew and have come to know with such ease that it’s terrifying. The power these things have is terrifying. If an Olnvorox ever decided to actually take us out, this entire compound would be eradicated in a matter of minutes.” His breath shuddered in his chest but he couldn’t stop now. “The thing took everyone out, took people out by shattering their companion’s cores-” Elias flinched around him- “and all I could do was watch. Watch until…” He frowned. Strange. He couldn’t really remember what had actually changed. “Something happened. I can’t really remember what had changed but something did and I did something. The Olnvorox exploded.”
Dlmor shifted against his chest. “Exploded?”
He flinched from the pain but didn’t comment on it. He could live with the pain. “Yeah. It didn’t do the thing it had done when Trevak had bit it in half. It actually exploded, turned into dust or something and disintegrated.”
“So...does that mean it’s actually dead?”
The desire to say yes had him opening his mouth but his thoughts caught up with the action and he changed the words. “I don’t know. I’d be surprised if taking it out in the…the dream was enough.”
“But it’s not currently around?”
“No. Whatever Olnvorox attacked me - be it the one that Trevak had taken out or a new one - it didn’t stick around.”
Elias shifted above him. “Which means we don’t know how many we’re up against still.”
His uncle’s gaze wasn’t on him but he smiled weakly at that. “Unfortunately.”
“So what now, then?” Cass brought forward, her words tight even as her voice sounded tired.
“We could always go through with the initial plan,” Tolnoran suggested. “Get me and Elias out on the field if for nothing more than the incoming cluster.”
Elias’s gaze settled back on his face. “We’ll get you in a room and situated before we leave.”
He shook his head very carefully. “No. If there’s another one around and it decides to do anything, I’ll be weak against it. I have a headache that’s already trying to kill me and if one gets to me now, I doubt I’ll come out of it alive.”
Elias muttered a curse before looking towards where he assumed Cass was still located. “Can you find us a healer? We can’t wait anymore.”
“Sure. But you’ve got to get Trevak to move out of the way.”
He tightened his fist in Elias’s shirt, speaking up in his uncle’s stead. “Trevak. Ysle. Chief. I’m ok. You don’t have to protect me anymore.”
There had been a tension in the air he hadn’t noticed until it subsided after his words. What of Trevak’s form he could see started to move and shrink, the wing still stretched over their heads tucking close to the serpent’s body as it shrank rapidly. He heard other movement but the headache flared and he found his eyes closed against the pain.
He opened his eyes in time to see Cass’s outrage and disbelief as the Jaun that reminded him of a golden retriever sauntered up to her side, sat like a dog, and looking up at her, waiting. She masked most of it, leaving a confused and concerned expression on her face as she looked to Elias. The man shrugged over him. “We don’t even know what really happened, Cass. We barely know anything about the Olnvorox, let alone anything about any species from the Second Plane. At this point, it’s probably wise to just go with what is happening and ask questions about it later.
Cass looked down at the golden Jaun. “Right.” There was a pause as she stared at the patient creature. After a moment, she blinked and started in some direction. “Come on, Chief. Help me find a healer.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Eli?” Tolnoran inquired, coming closer.
“Dlmor, support him for me,” Elias directed instead of answering.
Dlmor moved off his torso, getting up onto four paws. The creature slipped under his shoulders and neck, the fur brushing against his bare neck when Elias withdrew his hands left his neck. He softly requested, “Dlmor, can you sit me up, please?”
“It doesn’t matter if this is a good idea or not,” Elias finally answered, facing Tolnoran. The larger man reached out to hold onto one of Elias’s hands, thumb rubbing the back of it. Elias’s hand gripped tightly around Tolnoran’s fingers. “Artemis cannot stay unprotected and, unfortunately, I don’t trust anyone else here.”
Dlmor got him sitting though he was still reclined. The creature was warm underneath him and he pressed his face into the soft fur at its neck, blocking out the light for a short while. He wasn’t sure if it made a difference but the warm fur against his face felt nice. Dlmor certainly smelt good even after everything.
“Artemis!” echoed in the hallway and he slowly pulled his face from Dlmor’s fur feeling more exhausted and not understanding why.
Dlmor informed him through Transference that he had started to doze as Elias and Tolnoran spoke together.
He caught sight of Elias leaning sideways into Tolnoran’s chest, the larger man’s arms slipping from around the other. Elias stood. Tolnoran helped him up before following after. Ysle pressed against the back of Tolnoran’s legs as Elias faced the person who had shouted for him. If he wasn’t mistaken, it had been…
“Bethany,” Elias spoke up as the sound of running feet became clear before slowing. “And the Walker that had fought alongside Artemis.”
Lora’s voice was crisp but polite, offering only, “Lora,” as Bethany came to a stop at Artemis’s knees.
“Elias,” the man offered in turn.
She leaned forward, hands burying themselves in his hair before running down his neck, shoulders, down his arms to squeeze at his hands. “Artemis, are you alright? We heard a commotion. Lora’s Ruhn went nuts to the point that it lost its mimic.”
What she said only made half sense. “What?”
A small creature looking deceptively like the Ilnu came scrambling over. It flung itself onto his left shin, hugging it tight before turning its large, yellow eyes on him.
Dlmor pushed the information towards him, though it skittered pain across his temples despite the care. Ruhn - which was somehow pronounced “rune” - were creatures that had the ability to mimic other creatures. He also received Dlmor’s memories of the interaction with Lora just before his uncle had shown up and took note of what Dlmor had noticed of the Belvren that had been standing behind Lora and the few details that gave the Ruhn away. Lora’s Ruhn was well versed in mimicry, though it was Dlmor’s impression that it was only with the Belvren form that this was accurate.
The thing that mattered to him was that Ruhn and Ilnu were indeed similar creatures. The difference was that Ruhn were generally smaller and were the only ones between the two types to have the mimic ability. Additionally, Ruhn were known to be far more wary when it came to following anyone’s orders compared to the mischievous Ilnu.
He was immensely grateful for Dlmor’s Transference ability. It made things so much easier to just know things instead of having to have someone explain it. “So this is Belvren, then?”
Bethany had been in the middle of wrangling the Ruhn off his leg when his words registered. She looked at him, eyes narrowing. The little Ruhn squirmed out of her hold and collided with his side. It didn’t have much force behind it but he still gave a soft, “Oof,” as he instinctively wrapped an arm around it. Dlmor pressed against his back to keep him mostly upright. The Ruhn buried its face into his chest, little hands clinging to his shirt. His sister gave him a narrowed look. “So you’ve met her Shadow, then.”
“Only once and I wasn’t able to actually see it at the time.” He looked down to the Ruhn gaining its large, yellow gaze. He offered it a soft smile as he rubbed the top of its head. “Thank you for coming and checking on me. Can you return to your Belvren mimic and go back to Lora for me?”
The Ruhn nodded and scrambled away, taking on the Belvren form he had briefly seen in the Olnvorox induced dream. They both watched it run off before Bethany spoke up. “I have never seen it not follow Lora’s commands before,” she offered, voice holding an odd distant sound to it. “I don’t think Lora’s ever experienced it either, though I’m not sure if she knew it was a Ruhn or not.”
He looked to her, curiosity and confusion pulling at his expression. “Wouldn’t she know?”
Bethany shrugged. “I think it would solely depend on what she had been taught and if her Ruhn never dropped its mimic, unless someone told her, I don’t think she would have known.”
“Could it be more she was trying to hide the truth?” Dlmor interjected.
He winced from the pain but his sister missed the reaction, much to his relief.
Bethany dismissed the suggestion. “I don’t know why you would hide something like that.”
“Ruhn are not a common creature to be bound to a Walker,” Dlmor pointed out.
Bethany frowned at the creature. “What do you mean?”
Dlmor gave her a flat look. “Do you even know what a Ruhn is?”
Bethany scoffed. “Of course.”
“Oh really?” A grin stretched across Dlmor’s face. “Tell me: why have the Ruhn counts gone down since the Dawning?”
“Enough,” Tolnoran directed gently, hand wrapping around Dlmor’s snout. The man sent the creature a disappointed frown. “Do not drill her, Dlmor, or there will be repercussions.”
Dlmor yanked its snout from Elias’s hand, snapping in turn, “Oh please. Like there’s anything you can do to me that will get me to stop.” Tolnoran’s Kret hissed, though it sounded more like air escaping a hose than a hiss to him. He missed the words if there had been any. It didn’t stop Dlmor from adding, “Want to try me, Kret? It’s been a long time since I’ve been up against one of you. I hear your Core can be quite decedent.”
“Dlmor,” he warned. It ducked its head immediately, looking at him as its long ears went back and pressed flat against its neck. “Enough. We’re all on edge. No need on making matters worse.” He ran his hand over the creature’s head, exhaustion making the limb heavy. “Besides, I would appreciate it if Torra actually survived all of this. Taking his Kret out is counterintuitive to that.”
“Of course,” Dlmor ceded.
The creature’s response rubbed him wrong but the headache wasn’t letting him handle more than one thought process at a time. He looked to Ylse. “Protect Tolnoran to the best of your ability. That means keeping yourself whole to the best of your abilities. Alright?”
The large, slightly stretched komodo dragon bowed its head from where it stood against the back of Tolnoran’s legs. A worried look crossed the man’s face as Tolnoran reached down and stroked down the Kret’s back. “It might be wise if you didn’t do that in front of others.”
The confusion that flittered through him was brief. He rubbed at his head. “I apologize. I’m doing it without realizing I have an ounce of power over any of them.” His hand fell back into his lap, heavy. His head was heavier but he managed to lean it back enough to meet Tolnoran’s gaze. “I’ll do what I can to keep the…commanding to a minimum.”