Roleplay on Dolor with Balgor/Rhys and Rhys/Ruby
Balgor is absolutely in another place spiritually altogether. This place, Dolor, is where it all started for him. This is the beginning of his tale, and he surmised, possibly the end. He could lie down and die peacefully here, if death would have him. But alas, it would not. Such was the curse of being an immortal god. It was almost, he mused, a curse of undeath, if one thought about it long enough. And had had millennia to think on it...
Yet here it was...suspended in time...Dolor. So peaceful. So plentiful. So untouched by the marrings of mortals. And yet so quiet and devoid of human life.
Rhys returns from a stroll around the island, a small bundle slung across his back and a long staff in his hand. In his other hand, he is nonchalantly spinning what appears to be a knife made out of shadow between his fingers.
As he makes his way onto the airship, he takes the knife and slams it through a piece of parchment and into a door frame of the airship, whereupon a message is scrawled in a fine cursive that somehow gives you the chills just like his voice does. it reads: "Balgor, I have found a message left for you. Upon your return, come see me. -Rhys"
* * *
Ruby is heading down the hall of the ship, making her way to the stairs outside. Having left the galley with a large basket in hand she turns a corner to see Rhys stepping into the ship. Her mind registers the thwack of the shadowy knife stabbing the wood and her blood runs cold; she freezes on the spot, almost in mid-step, her content smile turning into poorly masked worry.
"Oh no... What did Rodrick say to do about Rhys again? He has a weapon out--had--did he stab the door? What is pinned there? Did he see me? Maybe he didn't see me yet, I can back around the corner without him noticing..."
"Well... Hello Ruby. Going out for some fresh air?" Rhys points at the basket. "Are you gathering things?"
She blinks, looks down at the basket, back at Rhys and back down at the basket again. "I um... Yeah. T-the kitchen stores are gettin' a bit low from our extended stay in the Rift."
She keeps glancing at his exposed tattoos, watching them swirl in the dusty light of the ship's windows. They make her hair stand on end, like during a thunderstorm.
"I was just going to...uh, to try find somethin' edible out in those old farming fields yonder..." she fiddles with the wicker handle in her hands. "Thought somethin' fresh for everyone would be a nice treat."
"I see. Well, I for one would enjoy a fresh meal... if it would help, I planned on going fishing... I really do enjoy it. Would you care for some company?" Rhys follows Ruby's gaze to his exposed tattoos, smirking at her expression.
She realizes she's staring and, embarrassed, tries to make eye contact. "Sure, that'd be nice."
“Wait, why did I agree with that?? Is that even a good idea? Shoot I was going to try to loop Armella into comin' and now what, I'm stuck now. Good going, Ruby... Ugh something about his eyes makes him so hard to read. I can usually read intentions in the eyes but this guy is so different...”
"It’s...nice you enjoy fishing. Do you fish often?" She grimaces, knowing she's usually better at small talk than this.
"I do when I can... I enjoy catching different kinds of fish, so I'm hoping something unique will be up here."
Rhys leans around the corner and grabs a fly rod and a small bag of flys. He reaches into the bag and pulls out a thin leather strip and pulls his long black hair back into a ponytail, tying it in place.
"After you, Ruby..." He gestures to the side of the airship where it's tied down and docked, a smile coming across his face, the ever-so-slightest glint of gold in his eyes.
Seeing that flicker come into Rhys' expression makes Ruby take a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "T-thank you." She clutches her basket tighter and hurries by, heading out into the fresh chill air outside.
Rhys steps out into the crisp air, taking a deep breath. He shoulders the fishing rod. "So, what are you hoping to find in the fields?"
"There were farms here... Once." She tries to avoid looking at him, finding it easier to talk when she can't see that grin or those animate tattoos… or those eyes.
She continues, "I thought perhaps there might be wild crops that survived...perhaps. Whatever they possibly grew in a thin aired climate like this, anyway. I also think I saw some rabbits... I was hoping my practicing with a pistol these last few months would pay off."
"I saw those as well. They were near the lake, where I saw them. Well, we're here at the lake." Rhys kicks his boots off and takes his shirt off, tossing it over a nearby log that drifted ashore. He turns and stretches his arms out, letting the cool air and sun touch his skin. "Will you be nearby or are you going far?"
Ruby blanches, stopping short as she sees the swirling black, smokey wings tattooed on Rhys back. "Wow..." She thinks, "Those are... He--they--really are Nerezza's offspring. So many of his traits are in Rhys specifically. Seeing Rodrick's reaction when his dad comes around.... No wonder the 'others' don't like to talk about 'him.'"
She watches him stretch in the sunlight for a moment. "And why do I get the feeling he gets enjoyment making people uneasy..."
"I'm... I'll be nearby, I suppose." She clears her throat, pulling a shawl tighter around her shoulders. "I think I'll circle the lake a ways for any special herbs that might be a growing, then head toward the fields."
"I hope you have some luck with fishing!" she adds at the end a bit awkwardly, trying to be friendly.
* * *
Balgor returns to the ship for some r&r...This island has taken its toll on him in recalling long memories. He rounds a corner and doubles back, a knifed message on the wall. "Rhys..."
Balgor takes a stroll out again upon the island with new purpose: to find Rhys. He wanders and wanders...and wanders some more.
Rhys is standing up to his knees in the water of the large lake, all his clothes except his tattered pants and belt laid on the beach. He is tying a fluffy fly onto the end of his fishing line before casting it out into the lake.
Balgor approaches, careful to be as casual as he can. He wades out into the water himself, several yards behind the elf. "You called for me?"
"Ah, Balgor... I happened to find a message left for you. It's back on the airship. We can go and get it, but I'm curious about the kind of fish that live here... do you mind if we wait?"
Balgor gives Rhys a dubious look. "I suppose. What got you out on this fine day, besides the fish?"
"I can feel something here... something... whole..." Rhys holds up his hand and begins to pull nearby shadows into it, causing a black spot to grow in his palm. He takes a deep breath and lets the shadows go. "Ahhhh, there's something about this place that just feels different. I wanted to see what might give this aura to a land... and I think I found out... there..." Rhys points at the large temple.
"Ahhh yes. It is the Temple of Dragonicos. His power over time froze this place forever in a bubble of magical energy that will never die. That much is apparent." Balgor wades further into the water, letting it rise to his chest. His dark eyes take in the scenery and the scent of the place. "Been a long time since I've felt any wholeness to this earth, let alone the cosmos."
"Yes, I've read about Dragonicos, both at the temple and Nerezza's library. I absolutely am fascinated by the feeling of power here. The only place I feel this powerful is in the realm of shadow..." Rhys jerks on his line, hooking a fish before fighting and reeling it in. "Bah, seems like a normal lake trout. Not surprising, but minorly disappointing..."
"Well, it seems nothing can be too surprising for the son of Shadow, can it?"
Rhys grins, his eyes glinting a slight gold. "Mmmm.... quite right it seems, Balgor. Actually there are things that surprise me, but not much... well, let's go get your letter..." Rhys walks up and touches Balgor's shoulder and pulls him backward, falling towards the ground, his other hand outstretched behind him. "Don't scream too loudly, you wouldn't want to attract a shadow beast..." as his fingers touch the surface of the earth, they pass through the shadow and into the dark realm of shadow.
Balgor holds his breath, not wholly used to this method of travel, but not unfamiliar with the means, being as Nerezza used to employ it all of the time, often times in jest. Seeing as this was not a joke, but an honest-to-goodness means of travel, Balgor would forgive Rhys...for now. The Shadow Realm has a strange effect of forever falling and yet ever-bouyancy. Balgor waited until the sensation was over when they arrived in the ship.
Rhys sets the fish down on the table and leans the fly rod against the wall. "Much faster than walking..." He mumbles out loud. He walks over to the blackened leather-bound chest and unlocks it with a wave of his hand. He reaches inside and retrieves the letter he found in the throne room. "Here you are, Balgor... now if you'll excuse me..." He grabs his longbow and quiver, steps into Balgor's shadow and disappears
"A little warning next time, would befit you, young lad, before pulling me directly into the Shadow Realm." Balgor brushes himself off and takes a seat near one of the ship's windows. By that time, however, the note is already in Balgor's hand, and Rhys is gone. Balgor unrolls the opened note carefully and begins to read it. A sharp intake of breath. The delicate curve of the handwriting. The slight hint of ice in the ink. Balgor is taken aback. He rolls the note up frantically, and leaps out of the chair. Making his way to the deck of the airship, he leaps off of it with a mighty leap, landing right at the doorway of the small citadel/manor house. He races in and past the throne room, into the funerary room where the bodies lay sleeping peacefully in death.
"Byakkomyun...I am the one who is sorry..." His voice shakes. "I am the one who was lost and could not be found. You were never at fault. Sleep with no further guilt."
With that, Balgor knelt by the coffins and wept.
* * *
Rhys, having finished with his fishing, heads back to the airship with Balgor and his catch before returning to the lake for his clothes. He spies Ruby stalking a rabbit and decides to do some sneaking of his own, to observe how she will handle the situation. He takes a step backward, his foot passing into his own shadow and through the ground. A moment later, he emerges from behind a nearby tree, peering around watching intently.
Ruby crouches behind some of the tall grass, the green blades brushing against her dress. She's been acting a lot less frilly and proper since the trip started over a year ago, when they all met with Mr. Luther and took that train ride together. Or at least...at times she is.
With no one around, she has her hair pulled back and her gloves off. Her hands dirty from trying to clean her gun, she holds the pistol close to her as she eyes the speckled tawny rabbits. Several graze some distance away, feasting on a patch of sweet clover. They are just within range and upwind.
Ruby eyes the biggest one and levels the gun. "Come on, Delilah..." she whispers as she exhales, then pulls the trigger.
Bang!
The rabbits scatter as the shot echoes through the field. All is still again. With a sigh of relief, Ruby stands and makes her way over to pick up her catch; a clean shot. She smiles gratefully, happy for her improvement.
As Ruby fires her pistol, Rhys steps out from his tree, levelling his longbow across the field. He looses a volley of arrows in quick succession taking a large stag in the heart, lungs, and liver each with a different arrow.
Ruby jumps at the sound of the whistling arrows and the death grunt of the stag as it crumples to the ground. "You scared the daylights outa me, Rhys.”
He waves at Ruby as he begins walking towards the fallen beast. "Thank you for spooking him out of the tall grass, I had been watching him for a few minutes now not sure how to get him. That shot was impressive. I don't think I could have made it, especially not with that gadget..." he points at Ruby's gun with his bow.
“I didn't know you was nearby, I thought you might still be out fishin'..." She breathes deeply, trying to calm her racing heart.
"I was, but Balgor scared away my fishies... so I decided to come see how you were doing."
She looks at the elk. “What a beautiful animal." She holds up her rabbit. "I think your catch will fill more bellies than mine, heh." She chuckles and looks at her gun. "More... target practice, really. You're good with that bow."
He holds up the bow, a somewhat strange design from those you've seen before. "This old thing? My father gave it to me. Said it belonged to an old friend of his from eons ago... they don't make them like this anymore. The draw weight is nearly double of that of comparable size bows from today's age. It's actually made of horn, not wood."
Ruby admires the bow, observing it much more closely. She's impressed with the fine craftsmanship of it, and for it to hold up over such a long time. "I can see why you treasure using such an instrument as that."
He points at the rabbit, then to Ruby's gun. "That was quite an impressive shot. Those coneys are not easy to catch unaware... Especially with one of those... I don't know how anyone hits anything with them." He laughs at himself, a genuine laugh that actually has the opposite effect that his voice usually does.
Looking down at her gun, she chuckles. "T-thank you. I've really been doing my best. I'm not usually good with them either, but Mr. Karu's gave me some training with one, and I've been practicing with a smaller model... this one seems easier to wield than that one, less kickback. But it is louder..." She smiles kindly, taken aback by his laughter.
"He doesn't seem as... terrifying as I remember... maybe it just has to do with the situation, I suppose... Something about the air here seems to make everything feel... better."
"I use my bow for hunting, primarily. In a fighting situation, I use my glaive or more often magic... " As he said the final word, he turns his hand over, palm facing up and conjures a dagger made of pure shadow, twirling it around before throwing it into the air and absorbing it blade first.
Ruby unconsciously steps back at the flourish, and watches the dagger disappear again. "That is... amazin', that you have such fine control over it. I would not wanna mess with ya if we was in combat."
"This island has a lot to do with it... magic isn't broken here. It's safe. If I were to try that someplace else, who knows what could happen? The knife could fly off on a different direction, it could stay solid instead of being absorbed, it could shatter, it could cut a tear between realms... results of misuse of magic are... catastrophic...”
She fidgets. "Well I'm glad it's...safer to use here. It doesn't seem all that bad, honestly....magic I mean... When it's not broken and unwieldy." Ruby shuffles a bit, feeling odd for saying that.
"It all comes down to how connected I am to the shadow realm... Nerezza, being born of shadow, draws all his power from there whereas me, being his son, have magic in my blood. Magic is always at my disposal, it's just not always a smart weapon to draw upon... much like how you wouldn't want Rodrick to use that flamthrower of his inside a wooden building..." Rhys pulls the arrows free from the stag and kneels down, muttering something. Ruby watches him closely.
Rhys places his hand on the animal, speaking in a low voice. "May your journey be quick and your detours few, though you travel through the realm of shadow, you don't want to linger there. Listen not to the creatures of the dark, for they want to take your place. Thank you for your sacrifice, I hope you felt no pain. Go now, spirit. Travel swiftly through the realms into your peace beyond."
Ruby hears his gentle prayer, and her eyes tear up from the sincerity of it. She shakes her head, and turns to discreetly wipe her eyes with her sleeve. As he finishes speaking, he stands and draws a knife off his belt.
* * *
Rhys makes short work of processing the large stag, quartering it and cutting the backstraps out, stringing it all together with sinew and slinging it over his shoulders. "Well, shall we head back?"
"That was fast. Sure, I think--" She stops short. A chilling howl echoes across the fields in the setting sun. It is a long, cold, and hungry note.
Eyes widening, she looks at Rhys and pulls out her gun. "Is that--here?? In the sky?" Through the craggy rocks several hundred meters away, a small pack of beastly looking wolves rush toward them, drawn by the smell of the fresh kills. Tongues lolling out from their razor sharp maws and a snowy sheen trickling from their backs, three of them close the distance like lightning.
Rhys drops the meat and rips his shirt from his body, the shadowy tattoos rippling and roiling across his skin. His face contorts between agony and pleasure, his grin flashing the same toothy maw Nerezza Nerezza is known for. His breathing begins to deepen, taking on an almost bestial sound. The shadow tattoos begin to move down his arms and up his back and chest, almost as if they're alive and moving off his flesh. They form wispy claws at the end of each of his fingers, demon-like horns protruding from his forehead, and the most noticeable, the tattooed wings are now extending a full 9 feet on either side of his back.
He has a dark aura pulsing around him, almost as if he is feeding on nearby shadows... a voice, not entirely Rhys's, but still noticeably his rings out loudly in Ruby's mind, "Do not run. If you do, they'll get you. Stand your ground. Fight. Never back down." Rhys charges the wolf pack, releasing a loud roar.
Ruby stumbles back away from the flowing shadows, watching even hers tremble toward the darkening mass of its betters. Frozen, shaking, and eyes open in terror, she watches the demonic shadowbeast grow in size. The wolves press forward, two cutting to the sides to flank the creature; Rhys' frightful presence seems to matter little to them, except to make them more cautious.
Hearing the voice in her head, Ruby shudders. “Run... I can't... I can't even move... Why am I frozen? Why am I so useless?” Her heart beating out of her chest, she starts telling herself, “Move... Move! MOVE!” Her adrenaline pumping, she twitches, hearing a sound behind her.
Not a moment too soon, she finally turns to see two more wolves leaping up from behind the carcass. A shot rings out, flying wide past the first wolf. It leaps next to her, unfazed...huge. Much larger than any wolf Ruby ever seen in her life (and not many were those as it was). It snaps its foaming, hungry mouth dangerously close to her, but just rips through her dress like paper.
“Think of your family... think of your friends...” Images of those people she cared about flashed before her eyes as Rodrick and Hikaru had told her. “I'm going to die here. I'm going to die on some lonely desolate mountain in the sky and never see them again... I can't let that happen...” She clenches her teeth and her eyes focus with a fierce gleam. She aims at the beast's head and shoots. A loud yelp of pain and blood registers in her mind as the animal backs away in anguish. She turns the gun to the other, ready to fight.
Rhys Lunges forward, beating his wings to gain momentum. As he gets to the closest wolf, he lashes out with both hands, shadowed claws extended. He slams hard into the wolf's back, picking it up and turning in place, throwing it back the direction it came. As he turned on the second wolf, he heard Ruby's first shot echo out and turned to see the second shot land.
The wolf took the moment of distraction to attack him, jumping up on his back, clawing and scratching its way up and attempting to latch onto his neck.
Rhys roared in pain and anger, beating his wings and launching himself into the air. As he reached the level of the treetops, he tucked his wings and threw his head forward, bucking the wolf off balance. Rhys spun and stretched the wings back out, beating them hard again, wrapping his arm around the wolf's neck.
Without missing a beat, Ruby fires a shot at the second wolf. It pierces right through the creature's neck, lodging into its shoulder with a sickening sound. Howling in pain, it stumbles past her in a gallop turning and foaming blood at the mouth.
The second wolf turns back toward her, blood dripping across its right eye. It snaps wildly about and a chilling breath escapes, filling the air around it with fog. The temperature drops rapidly. She tries to fire again, but this time her hands shake with cold and it flies past his ear, clipping the fur off. She tries to keep steady, the metal burning against her skin.
The second circles behind her and leaps up, spitting blood. Knocked to the ground, Ruby yelps as she struggles to hold onto her weapon, fighting in vain to keep the creature's teeth from her face. They drip freezing red saliva on her neck and tear at her head; the pointed canines keep trying to get a grip on her scalp, her arms weakening with fatigue. In a final desperate attempt she shoves the gun (and her hand) into its mouth. Screaming out in pain she fires, the blast sending bone and blood everywhere.
Rhys punches the wolf hard in the face before tucking his wings and diving toward the ground. He grabs a handful of hair and skin on the wolf's back and a few feet before they hit the ground, Rhys threw it hard at the wolf circling Ruby. It barely misses, but impacts the ground with a sickening crunch.
Rhys buffets the air with his wings again, gaining another few feet of altitude before wrapping his wings around him and spinning as he descended to the ground. As he lands, he spreads his wings to cover and protect Ruby before releasing a hellstorm of needles at the wolves still alive and circling them.
Ruby, having shut her eyes after firing her last shot, breathes shallowly as the weight of the dead wolf presses down on her. The only warm sensation she feels is some blood trickling through her hair, and she braces herself for the bite of the second wolf. Feeling a rush of wind instead, followed by a deep-chested, beastly breathing and muffled howls of pain, she gingerly opens her eyes, blinking away her cold sweat.
Shadows swirl about, writhing and twisting like serpents as they are drawn against their will toward the pitch black wings above her. She sees Rhys up close, protecting her from the remaining winter wolves, but just as frightening as they are. Almost like a beast himself with his large shadowy horns and shifting tattoos, his golden eyes shine brightly with a cunning and a mastery that she's never encountered.
She sees ice and fresh claw marks across his bare shoulders, when they are not covered by the flooding shadows. Now that the fever of battle wearing off, her mind registers the fatigue and pain more acutely.
With the remaining wolf wounded and fleeing, Rhys stands up and his breathing begins to slow. The moving tattoos slow down, returning to their original positions. He reaches his hand back and touches his shoulders, feeling the cold claw marks and winces. "Well... that is a form of pain I haven't felt in a while..."
He takes a step and drops to a knee, breathing heavily, his chest heaving and brow pouring with sweat.
Crawling out from under the dead wolf, Ruby stumbles and sits nearby. She cradles her arm with her gun lying beside her in the wet grass. "That... was... quite an adventure, wasn't it?" She tries to joke as she breathes shallowly, somewhat lightheaded.
Wiping her face free of some of the grime, she tries to steady her vision on you. "You..." she pants, watching you kneel and return to a more elven stature, "...You don't look so good. That looked very... very exhausting."
Rhys lays down flat in the wet grass, closing his eyes. "Quite... I've only done that a handful of times, and never here. It's always been in the shadow realm..." He pushes the hair out of his face, running his fingers through it trying to cool himself off. "Are you okay, Ruby? I saw the wolf managed to get you..."
Ruby looks down at her hand, a mix of blood smears and bite marks marred with frostbite. "I'll be right as rain after some rest, I'm sure..." she tries to play it off and winces. "Just need to clean it up a little." She touches her head and pulls her hand away, grimacing. "Honestly lucky they came up close, harder to miss a shot that way."
Sighing she bows her head forward, quiet for some time. Her head swimming in and out of a light doze, she jerks back to consciousness and lets out a small cough. "You say in the shadow realm... I've--I've been there, I think. I've shadow-stepped with you before. Well.. not.. you, but.." She coughs again. "You've done... this before there? Are there a great many things to fight in the shadow realm? It sounds much more menacing than what we faced..."
"Yes, in the shadow realm there are what I call shadow beasts. They're brutally aggressive. When Rodrick stepped through there with you, you caught but a glimpse of the shadow realm. It's a vast space of emptiness, but there is also a semblance of overwhelming claustrophobia... It's difficult to explain."
"I know I didn't feel quite well afterward..." She chuckles, trying to stand and struggling to do so. "I'm glad you--and the others--can hold your own there. I suppose that comes with the inheritance from your father..."
She winces and tries to scoot closer, looking at your gashes. "I'm not sure how much good it will do, but I have some healing salve back at the ship in my room. I usually carry it with me in my belongings but..." she pauses to breathe deeply, "It's been hard to acclimate here in the thinner air. Carrying extra weight seemed unnecessary, with how... tranquil it seemed."
She's quiet for a moment, but then musters up the courage to ask, "Are you well enough to shadow step us back there in your current state? I'm not sure if that would be easier than walking all the way, at this rate... I could grab the food..." She looks over at their meat, laying abandoned in the grass nearby.
Rhys sits up and grabs the tattered remains of his shirt, the meat from the stag, and Ruby's rabbit. "Shadow stepping shouldn't be any worse than walking, especially since we're here where magic is pure. I'll definitely need something to drink when we get back, I'm already thirsty and I'll be parched when we get to the airship. Help me stand up, and hand on tight..." Rhys smiles at Ruby, his eyes flashing just the tiniest bit of gold.
Ruby kneels next to Rhys, hooking her left arm underneath his shoulder. Straining to stand, she gets them both upright after a moment, despite their height difference. "Okay, I-I'm ready." She steels herself against the dread of shadow stepping again, knowing it will at least be less agony than walking in the shape their in. "As long as we don't run into... any of those creatures you mentioned." She smiles back as best she can, and tries to hold on.
Rhys takes a small step sideways, his foot passing through Ruby's shadow and into the realm of darkness. The feeling of falling while floating takes over, and almost as suddenly as it started, it ends. Rhys slams into the table in the kitchen as he stumbles into the airship, falling through the shadows. He sits down on a bench, clutching his chest gasping for breath. "Shadow beast almost had us... had to run..."
Ruby staggers, trying to keep her footing as the ship manifests around them. She reaches out to brace for the wall and catches herself roughly against the paneling. Biting her lip to keep from crying out, she crumples to the floor, her hand leaving a smear of blood behind.
"S...s...shadow beast? You're kidding..." she hisses out, trying not to vomit from the weightless spinning sensation of her stomach. "W...we were only there for a second... I couldn't see a thing..."
Looking around the kitchen, her eyes land on a bottle of cooking wine, watered down to extend its use. Not wanting to give up just yet, she struggles though the numbness in her limbs and stands. Grabbing the bottle, she sets it on the bench next to Rhys.
"I'll.... I'll be right back."
Arriving in her room, Ruby grabs her alchemical bag. Changing a hesitate glance in the mirror, she lets out a groan. "Tarj almighty, I look like hell. Feel like it too..." she picks up another few things off her desk before turning to head back to the kitchen.
Rhys has drank a good portion of the watered down wine and cleared off the table, turning it into a makeshift first aid station. He has a few bowls full of water, as well as a bottle of strange liquid. "For the pain if we have to do any stitching." He says, holding it up.
Ruby bites her lip, not super keen on the idea but willing to do what they need to. She nods and comes over to him.
Setting her bag on the end of the table, she adjusts a makeshift sling on her right arm, wanting to help you first. She pulls out and slides you a few jars of homemade salve. "Can you open these, please?"
She walks behind his back with a soft cloth and grimaces. "Lordy... They really got ya, didn't they Mr. Rhys?" She dips it in some warm water and starts dabbing at the blood and dirt.
"Well, I won't say they didn't get me... but I've had worse." He says through gritted teeth from the pain of the warm water on the frostbitten wounds as he opens the jars. "I'll help you with your arm once we're done with my back."
"That would be nice...thank you." She wrings the rag out into an empty bowl nearby, rinsing it in the clean water after. Red ribbons stream out from the cloth into the water, swirling a tinge of pink.
"Some of these are definitely...deeper." She carefully works around a jagged claw mark, running to the left of his spine. "Lucky it wasn't more center on your backbone... Would have been a lot worse. This one might need stitches after all, I think..." She says with a pang of concern.
Rhys pops the cork on the dark liquid and takes a big drink. "That Rolland, as pompous as he is, sure knows how to brew some powerful stuff. This here is what he calls Mireshine. Too much of it can make you blind, but a good swig makes you numb to just about everything..."
Ruby's eyes widen, surprised. "Well...each of you definitely have your strengths..." She draws a thin thread and needle from her bag, wincing at the thought.
Setting it down, she draws out a bundle of herbs from a side pocket of the purse. She dabs them to the wound. "I found these a few days ago here... Artic creeper. Poisonous to ingest, but they can also help with the sting all the same. Have a few good properties, thankfully..." She rubs some on the needle and sets to work as carefully as she can.
Rhys laughs again, the same genuine laugh that has the opposite effect of his voice. "Ruby... " He looks over his shoulder and looks her in the eyes, a calming smile on his face. "Look at me. I am covered in tattoos. They may be magic, but they were put there in the regular fashion... I'm no stranger to needles..."
"Oh..." she looks him in the eyes, then down at his body, the tattoos covering almost everywhere. "Right, that makes sense..." she chuckles embarrassedly. "I guess I didn't think of that."
She quietly finishes up a few more sutures and snips the thread. Taking some of the opened jars of ointment, she generously slathers the healing salve on the gashes. As she works, she says quietly, "Thank you... for saving me. That was the second time on this trip I felt sure I was a goner." She adds after a moment, "You're a good fella."
"I don't necessarily know about that, Ruby... you see, I am not quite like the others... I... shall we say... remember? That's not the right word, but we'll use it for now. I know things. I see things. I hear things. Even when I'm not the outward face, I'm listening. Watching... and I know that you, Ruby... are worth protecting. Worth saving." Rhys smiles, the creepy feeling returning to his smirk.
The hair on the back of her neck stands up. She chuckles a little nervously. "Is that because the others would be mad with you, or because I'm a useful... tool?" She hesitates on the word, not sure if that is the right one to use. She finishes with the salve and begins to wrap bandages around your chest and across your back, trying to keep a straight face.
"More like the means I use aren't exactly appreciated by most people..." Rhys grabs a clean cloth and carefully begins to wipe the blood and frost off Ruby's hand. "And also that if the others knew, they could be quite angry...."
"You aren't a tool, Ruby. You are useful, yes... but I wouldn't reduce your being to a tool. Everyone has use, it's just a matter of finding that fit. Take your old companion, Trident, for example... if her outlook on magic could be shifted just slightly.... just enough so that she realized not ALL magic was evil... she would be a most powerful ally for the cause of making the world safe for Rodrick's wife and child." As he spoke, he carefully and meticulously cleaned and cared for the wounds on Ruby's hand and arm.
"I hope I've not cause offense, as I didn't mean it." He looks up from his work and meets her gaze, a look of concern and truth on his face.
Ruby tries to meet his gaze and fails, looking down with a bit of shame. "No. No, I..." she's quiet, watching Rhys work so gently and carefully.
"I've always struggles to trust others. Mr. Luther was one of the few people I felt I could. This... adventure..." She seems to chew on the word a little as she says it. "It's forced me to confront some of my greatest fears. To put my trust in others I would have hated--" she grimaces as she says it. "Before I knew better. I know better nowadays..."
"There is power and mystery about everyone. But I've learned things aren't as black and white as I used to think." She watches your expression. "Everyone has... Secrets. Everyone does things that might be considered evil to others... Even me... But also do things that bring great good. That bring help, healing... Like light and shadow." She chuckles, then grows somber again. "Tarj teaches order is good and chaos is bad. But... The more I see of it, being out here? The world is just all organized chaos."
"I guess what I'm trying to say, is you didn't offend me... I offend me." She looks away. "I've been working to change that. I'm sorry for worrying you meant something ulterior. Might I ask your forgiveness?"
Rhys smiles at Ruby, a genuine expression on his face. "Ruby, you have no reason to ask my forgiveness... I appreciate you striving to see the world for what it really is... shades of gray, not merely black or white." He finishes cleaning the wound, dipping a clean cloth in the salve and rubbing it on before bandaging the wounds in a fine cloth that appears to be silk strands. "That should do it. The bandages are a special fabric that will help promote the healing. I'm going to head down to my quarters. I'll check in on you later. Thank you, Ruby."
She strokes the bandages lightly, remembering Rolland saying Rhys was 'like a laceglove' compared to the rest of them. "You're welcome... It has been nice getting to know you more. Have a good rest, and... thank you."