As the conversation turned into a story about the past of the darkness that haunts this world. As the conversation changed Riku’s eyes fell to the ground. He was still listening, but at the same time his mind wandered about what had just happened between him and Kairi. They had never had a fight like that. Yet, in this situation they both had a difference in opinion.
It didn’t take him long to dismiss his train of thought. Their problems would have to wait. Right now the Darkness is threatening this world. That's where his responsibility over his personal affairs. He would just have to work on this problem with her later. That is if they ever come back. He was unsure if Alexial or Kairi would return. If they didn’t he would know that it was his fault.
Then Goofy approached him Trying to reassure him that Kairi understood better than she let on. “I hope you are right.” Was all he said as he did hope that his friend was right. It wouldn't be good if she didn’t understand why he did what he did.
The story was intriguing to Raizel. He knew he could feel magical energies in this world, and he was right. Yet the magic of this world was not taught to each generation. It had been lost over time. There was also mention of a book that held incantations from this world within it. He would love to get his hands on that book. To be able to learn magic from a different world made his skin tingle. It might have been worth coming along afterall. Though the company might make this trip a little interesting.
“You mentioned a book that has magic in it. Do you happen to know where this book is now?” Raizel said as he still leaned against the wall next to Alinara.
Riku looked at Eve as she finished her story. He could tell that whatever happened at that time she felt it was her fault. Even if it was, she needs to not let it bother her. She is not the only one that has done stupid thing in their past.
“Then you have faced this evil before and won. That will be helpful in the battle to come. Yet the darkness that has come to this world is fare more dangerous than what you have faced before. You must keep that in mind during our journey. The Heartless are not something that you can defeat on your own.” Riku said as he walked over to the woman and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t let what happened weigh you down.” he said with a smile.
Vanigx had been listening to everyone and their concerns despite being worried about Alexiel at the moment. He didn’t want to lose any friends or allies. Not after everything he had gone through. At that exact moment, he clenched his fists tightly. “Riku’s right. We can’t exactly face this alone. We need to work together. Once we get Alexiel back and come up with a solid strategy, grab any weapons you can. Somebody might need to enchant them to harm the heartless. Any lead experts on battle strategy? I’m listening in.” Vanigx sighed with a faint smile after finally casting away his self doubt for the time being. He needed help to bring Alexiel back, but they also needed to work out a plan of attack to beat the heartless so they don’t go blindly charging in like shock troopers to save this world.
Evy nodded in response to Riku, promptly straightening herself up again. This was no time for self-pity, and besides, Riku was right that they had already defeated Imhotep before. The very prospect of an evil worse than Imhotep horrified her, and now she understood — at least in part — why Ardeth had wanted these people to know about all of that.
She turned her attention to Raizel’s question next, as therein lay the only secret they knew of to defeat Imhotep.
“The Book of the Dead is one of a pair, both containing all the secret incantations of the Old Kingdom. Unfortunately, we lost the books when Hamunaptra collapsed after Imhotep was defeated. The black book, the Book of the Dead, contains spells to resurrect the dead and, if Imhotep’s story is to be believed, to replace a lost heart. Its counterpart is the golden book: the Book of Amun-Ra, sometimes known as the Book of the Living. It contains the spell I used to strip away Imhotep’s immortality, and the cover alone bears an inscription Jonathan used to summon an undead army and put them under his control. And that’s just from what little we’ve actually read from the two books.”
Vanigx chimed in next, and his newfound resolve was a nice change to say the least.
“If it’s battle experience you’re looking for, I know Rick was once a Colonel in the French Foreign Legion.” Evy replied.
"I can place charms on any weapons you have, as long as they're not electric." Luna offered. "Or since this is Egypt, there must be some statues I can charm to fight alongside us.”
Just as Luna had finished speaking, Rick knocked on the door and opened it slightly.
“Everything’s all set.” Rick said, looking over the group for a moment. “The car’s not big enough to fit everyone, so some of us will have to follow along some other way.”
“Have you got a broom, or a carpet perhaps?” Luna asked in response. “Normally I’d apparate, but it’s not safe if you don’t know where you’re apparating to.”
Last edited by Lady Celeste; 03-12-2021 at 07:18 AM.
Alinara just kept herself silent for the most part during it all, eventually pulling out the assassin crystal and changing her job again in a brief black puff. She worked her arabian woman disguise back into place and straightened up. "I have experience in battle and leading people in it, but one I'm not what you people would follow and two... I want to understand the whole story. From what I heard from this side does give me some concerns about what the other side would say about it." She shook her head a bit. "Never mind what I'm saying. It only concerns me."
She turned her head to Luna. "There was a market of people nearby here. I saw a few people that had carpets amongst their wares. Do you think they take gil?" She pulled a handful of golden coins from her pocket, like it was nothing to be carrying out handfuls of golden coin. "If so we could get a carpet and you can do your magic thing."
I am the blade of shadows embrace. Just because I am a user of an unholy power doesn't make me evil. For without light, a shadow cannot exist.
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Heson Shadowbane is on discord! For those friends of mine that want to keep in touch with me just send me a message and I'll give ya my deets.
Raizel listened intently to Evy’s story about the magic books, and a small smile formed on his lips. Magic of that magnitude was not something that normal people would be interested in, but for him these words meant a lot. Not many spells exist that are capable of raising the dead. A spell like this would be wonderful to learn. It would give him an edge when it came to the number of spells he knew. And the fact that these spells are written only made it better. He could take the book and learn the spells at his own leisure. The only problem he could see was learning the language. Well he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
“So, these books are lost in the place we are heading to?” Raizel said as he moved from the wall and approached Evy. Now he had better reason to fight. The next thing that happened was that it was time to go. However the mode of transportation was not able to accommodate everyone in the room. That was not a problem for him.
“I can follow from the sky. I have a form of flight magic. I can also take a single person with me if needed.”
Riku was not one to jump into a situation without at least thinking. At least now. Back in the day he sometimes leaped before looking. Not as much as Sora, but he was not perfect. Yet for the moment he was just going to go with the flow. He didn’t know much about this world, and he wanted to speak with Ardeth about his world, and what they needed to know.
With everything that has happened not having information about the world might lead them into a disadvantage. These worlds were very different from what he was used to, and to top it off this Darkness they were fighting was more organized than the last. They needed more information, and he doubted that Undine would be willing to answer any questions that were placed to them.
“We need to find the others, time is of the essence.” Riku said as they needed to get going. Though how all of them were to get to the location was still up in the air. In a world that is not versed in magic it was going to be rough. However, for now he wanted to hear what everyone had to say before continuing.
As things continued to develop Raizel knew he had a spell that would allow their travel time to be decreased. However, it was a risky spell with the amount of people and things that they were wanting to bring. He would more than likely have the worst side effect that could happen with this spell, but they didn’t need to know this if they wanted him to use this spell.
“I am only going to offer this once. I have a spell that I can use to get this group to the end of the river. I just need someone that knows the way. I will also need a place where I can draw a symbol in magic.” Raizel said as he kept a serious look on his face.
Evy paced slightly across the office, listening to each of the suggestions that were made. Some of them sounded more fantastical than others, but as it stood, none of these options seemed like they would catch up with Ardeth and the others by the time they finished their trip downriver. Then one of the ones who had defended Jonathan proposed some form of teleportation, as long as one of them knew where they were going and he could draw something somewhere.
“So it’s like a more advanced form of Apparition, is it?” Luna asked, genuinely intrigued. “I can help you then, if you’d like.”
“As I recall, when we were traveling to you-know-where the first time, our boat was scheduled to travel from Cairo, where we are now, all the way down to Luxor.” Evy said, taking out a map and laying it out on the desk for everyone to see. “There was a bit of an issue back then, but assuming nothing of the sort happens to Ardeth’s boat, I’d suppose they would arrive in Luxor in approximately three days’ time.” She glanced up at Raizel. “Do you really think you can take all of us that far in one go, equipment and all? Or perhaps it might be easier for you to travel one-third of the way at a time, so we can still meet up with Ardeth in Luxor?”
Raizel could see that his suggestion was well taken. Even by the people of this world. Through what intrigued him was the girl named Luna saying that it was a form of something called Apparition. The fact that this girl had a form of the spell he was talking about was interesting, but at the same time he wondered if it was possible for him to learn some of the magic from this girl's world? In fact he was wondering if he would be able to learn magic from all of the worlds that they were bound to visit? This theory would have to be explored, but for now he would just have to wait and ask later.
“I don’t know what Apparition is, but if it is able to move things from one location to another then yes it is. I don’t know how your magic works, but I think you will be able to help. As for if I am able to take everything that you are needing to take, I can.” Raizel said as then the woman laid out some parchment and showed him about the length the journey was to be. Granted he had no idea how to read this map, but what he could tell it was going to be at least three lunar days worth of travel. This was going to be a trying trip, but it was more than possible for him to do.
“It is possible to take us all the way in one go.” Raizel said as he knew the strain on his body would be less if he did it in one go. He knew that if he separated it then he just might not be able to make the third jump.
Vanigx listened in closely before he nodded and calmly got out a small canister and grabbed a specific cube of energy before throwing it on the ground carefully outside and put in a specific button combination. Suddenly, the cube began to glow before in the cube’s place stood a decently large ship big enough to fit a squad of three. “Anybody hopping in with me? I can fit two more people in here, but you’re both gonna have to man the turrets on this thing. I got the main cannon handled in the cockpit. Regardless, say hello to the Hammerhead.” He then went inside before firing up its highly advanced engine that definitely wasn’t powered by gas.
(For an extra laugh, read the lyrics in the video description.)
The cabins on this boat were quite small, so arranging the furniture inside to accommodate all three of them proved to be easier said than done. Still, Ardeth, Lowell, and Wilhelmina were able to make do with what was on hand, and soon afterward, it was off to the small dining area inside the boat for a hot meal. The provisions they’d been given had included a fair amount of money for food and other supplies, and there were several tables set up along the sides of the deck outside, so now all that was left was for them to order their food and choose a table.
The latter was easier than expected, and a lively tune playing on a piano gave the scene a cheerful ambience, even when some of the conversations nearby became decidedly less cheerful.
“Are you sure it’s safe out here?”
“Of course it’s safe, Louise; don’t be so paranoid! The crew have checked the whole vessel from top to bottom!”
“It’s not the vessel I’m worried about, Jason. Didn’t you hear what happened to the Sudan? Burned down by bandits, she was, along this very stretch of river!”
“Well don’t you worry none about that. If any of those desert savages attack us, we’ll just make sure to give ‘em a proper English greeting.”
“A lot of good that’ll do against bandits like those! I heard one of them caught fire when the Sudan burned, but even when his whole body was all in flames, he still kept on fighting!”
After some time of the group adjusting the room so everyone was comfortable, Wilhelmina decided to take a moment to herself taking her book with her. She made her way from the cabin to look out to the landscape feeling at ease near the water as the soft sweeping breeze swept through her silvery hair glinting in the light. Taking a deep breath she looked over her book for a moment and thought it would be better to read it in the cabin after dinner. “This place is so different from home, yet still so beautiful…,” she muttered softly to herself as she kept a firm grasp of her book as she leaned a little over the rail to get a better look at the water.
Wilhelmina soon snapped out of her daze feeling her stomach grumbled at her. Taking it as a sign to head to dinner she headed over to the tables, it seemed she was the first one of her companions to make it to the tables. As she waited for the pair Mina could hear of another boat being set ablaze by bandits, which was slightly worrying and a slight relief since it didn’t sound like the shifting creatures they were looking out for at the moment.
Lowell soon left to explore around on this boat after they had everything settled with their room, mildly curious of its craftsmanship. Stopping to listen in the conversation a couple was having, becoming curious of why someone would keep on going like while on fire. “People in this world are...odd.” Lowell thought as he continued on walking, making his way to where they’ll be eating. Finding Wilhelmina as he soon joined her at the table she found for them to eat at. At least, once Ardeth joins them. Till then, he will wait in silence as he contemplates things with his thoughts, while examining the silverware before him.
Ardeth arrived soon enough, but lagged behind for a moment as he overheard two passengers talking. Unlike either Lowell or Wilhelmina, Ardeth vaguely recognized the incident that the couple was referring to, although now was not the time to bring that up. For now, he managed to keep as low a profile as could be expected of a tattooed man with a sword, and took a seat at the table his companions had selected. A slight smile even crept onto his face as he did so, observing that the overall setup felt much more civilized than his usual meal times while traveling by boat.
With everyone seated and ready, Ardeth signaled to a waiter, who handed each person a menu written in both English and Arabic. Ardeth placed his own order in a brief exchange in Arabic with the Arab waiter, who shifted slightly in Ardeth’s presence at first, but Ardeth’s calm demeanor seemed to put him a bit more at ease.
“What would you like?” The waiter asked Lowell and Wilhelmina, first in Arabic and then in English, his words clear even in spite of his heavy Arabic accent.
Wilhelmina greeted each of her companions with a warm smile once they joined her at the table. For a moment Ardeth seemed to smile which was a welcome surprise, it felt as if he was relaxing a little more since they first met. She couldn’t help but giggle lightly to herself in response hoping that this could be the chance to get to know her companions.
After Ardeth beckoned the waiter to their table each of them received a menu. She could see the waiter seemed a bit nervous under Ardeth’s gaze, though Ardeth seemed unfazed by this, “Curious…,” she muttered softly to herself as she took mental notes before dragging her eyes back over the menu in front of her.
“Let’s see… I’m between the pigeon dish or the kebab and kofta, but I think I’ll go with the kebab and kofta with some tea. If I could have it with some milk and honey, I would greatly appreciate it,” Wilhelmina replied to the waiter with a soft smile and a firm nod after coming to a clear decision as she gently placed the menu back into the waiter’s hands. She turned her attention back to companions and asked, “What are you two going to get?”
“Hm...I’ll have the same as hers, but with water please.” Lowell answered once he had stopped examining his silverware, looking up at the waiter and going the same chosen meal as Wilhelmina for it sounds rather tasty to him. Though he was curious of what Ardeth had ordered, but since Ardeth made his in Arabic made it hard to see what it was. “What did you order, Ardeth?”
The waiter nodded and promptly left to pass on their orders to the kitchen. As Ardeth was watching him go, he heard each of his companions asking what he had just ordered.
“Ful medames, with tea.” Ardeth explained briefly. “And he says he’ll bring out some bread for us to share, if you want some.” He smiled somewhat on that note. “I used to use the bread to clean my plate. And sometimes my father and I would make sandwiches with our leftovers before going out on patrol.”
“That sounds great, I can’t wait to try something new. It is quite exciting! I want to learn more about this world,” she replied enthusiastically as she made a few notes into her book before tucking it away for the moment as she listened to the other talking. “Sounds like a lovely memory, are you and your father really close?” Wilhelmina asked as her focus turned to Ardeth.
“Sounds like it’ll taste good, I used to just sustain myself with just bread and water. At least till one of the women would force me to sit down for a proper meal, which happens often as I put too much focus on my work.” Lowell declared with a hearty chuckle, partially to hide a frown upon hearing about Ardeth’s time with his father. Though he’ll keep quiet for now as he waits for Ardeth to answer Wilhelmina’s question.
Ardeth was just about to answer Wilhelmina’s question, but couldn’t help but chuckle as well in response to Lowell’s mention of working too hard and having to be sat down for a proper meal.
“My mother was the same way. Always making sure my father and I were well-fed, making us stay home if we felt even slightly unwell.” Ardeth commented. In spite of everything, it felt good to loosen up just this once and find something more positive to focus on as opposed to the war they were now involved in.
“My family has always been close.” Ardeth said next to Wilhelmina. “My father was the Commander of our tribe before he had to retire, so he was away from home often, but he would always make time for us.”
His face fell briefly on that note, but he quickly recovered. Eventually he would have to explain what had recently happened, but for now it would do no good to damage the little group’s morale at this point.
“Now he tends to the needs of the tribe itself while the rest of us keep watch over the Creature,” Ardeth explained. “and we’ve been able to see each other more often.”
A small smile as Lowell and Aredeth spoke about their lives as she listened intently, her eyes shifted between the two. For a moment she considered how distant she and her father are as she got older, she hardly spends time with him. WIlhelmina was happy to hear how close Ardeth is to his family, but wondered if Lowell had more to say and Ardeth’s face changed after talking about his father so she made a mental note.
“I’m glad to hear that spending time with loved one is important. I’m assuming that is one of the reasons we’re here. I’m quite curious about the Creature you have mentioned. Did you have something to add, Lowell? It sounded like there was more you could share,” she replied with a small nod and a smile.
“No I’m good, wanted to listen to what Ardeth had to say to your question. But I’m curious about this Creature, is the one you and your friend was talking about. The ones that was carrying a gun.” Lowell declared to Wilhelmina before looking to Ardeth, having equal interest about the mentioned creature that his group seem to watch over. Which must be important with how many of Ardeth’s people put into watching, that is quite a show of dedication on their part.
“Of course.” Ardeth nodded soberly. “Normally only my people are allowed to know of the Creature, but there is no harm in the story itself. And if you and the others are to face him, you will need to know what exactly you’re dealing with.” With that settled, Ardeth huddled a bit closer to the group before continuing.
Spoiler: Imhotep's Tale
“The Creature was human once, more than 3,000 years ago. In those days, he was Imhotep: High Priest of Pharaoh Seti I. But then he fell in love with a woman named Anck-su-namun, even though she was betrothed to the Pharaoh. Their love stayed secret for a long time before they were discovered, first by the Pharaoh’s daughter, and soon after by the Pharaoh himself.”
“Imhotep and Anck-su-namun both knew that they could not be together: not as long as the Pharaoh kept them apart. The Pharaoh’s daughter witnessed their attack and sent the Medjai to stop them, but they arrived too late. Imhotep escaped for the time being, but not before Anck-su-namun’s heart was consumed by the darkness.”
“To restore Anck-su-namun, Imhotep and his loyal priests broke into Hamunaptra and stole the Book of the Dead, intending to use its power and a human sacrifice to replace the heart that Anck-su-namun had lost. For the sacrifice, Imhotep’s priests kidnapped one of the Medjai from the Pharaoh’s home: a young man who had not yet seen his first real battle, whose heart was pure enough that Imhotep deemed it a worthy replacement. But the Medjai quickly noticed their comrade’s absence and stopped the ritual before it could be completed.”
“Imhotep’s priests were condemned to be mummified alive. As for Imhotep, he was condemned to endure the Hom-Dai: the worst of all ancient curses, one so horrible it had never before been bestowed. Sometimes I wonder if the Pharaoh who handed down that sentence truly realized the full extent of its consequences.”
“Imhotep was to remain sealed inside his sarcophagus, undead for all eternity. The Medjai would never allow him to be released, for he would arise a walking disease. A plague upon mankind. A flesh eater with the strength of ages, power over the sands, and the glory of invincibility.”
The nearby couple, having overheard the story to a certain extent, immediately burst into laughter.
“They cursed the bloke by giving him enough power to wipe them all out in one go?” The male quipped. “What idiot in his right mind would think up a curse like that?”
“Ah well; Hamunaptra is all fairy tales and hokum anyway.” The female chuckled as she and her partner left soon afterward, still snickering to themselves. Ardeth watched them go, but was not particularly fazed by any of their comments.
“It’s just as well that they don’t believe, but the man has a point.” Ardeth commented, shaking his head at the thought. “Imhotep’s crimes undoubtedly deserved a severe punishment, but his punishment was not worth all the suffering it has caused.”
Wilhelmina huddles closer to hear as well as she could possibly do so while giving Ardeth his space. She was engrossed in the story making mental notes about the story, the curse itself,and most of all the Book of the Dead. Her thoughts turned to how curses and magic works in this world compared to hers as well as others.
Before she could even search her book for any more info a few patrons joined their conversation with their laughter and disbelief. A sighed softly but decided to stay quiet for a moment, there was no reason for Ardeth so she trusted his word besides his secretive nature was enough to see it’s not something he would want to talk about.
“Well that’s the great thing about a story of myth and legend on a night like this. It is quite the tale, don’t you think?” Wilhelmina said with a small smile to Lowell before continuing, “The things some people would do for love… Makes me wonder how far someone would go for someone they love.” She trailed off glancing at Ardeth then shifted her gaze away as she pushed some stray hairs behind her ear.
“Indeed.” Ardeth mused, his tone turning more sober and solemn. He dared a brief glance in Wilhelmina’s direction after sensing her eyes on him, but by then she had just looked away, so he didn’t think too much of it.
“Imhotep went to great lengths for his love, knowing what it would cost him in the end. And what’s most remarkable of all is that even after all these years, after all that he has endured, he is still in love with her.”
Lowell listened closely to Ardeth’s story, this Imhotep person was certainly daring for what he wanted. The same with that Anck-su-nama...er namun, though he wasn’t quite sure how bethrothling worked in this world or even back then during that time period. He ponders on a few things he learned thus far as he ignored the couple and how they reacted to Ardeth’s story. He didn’t speak till they were gone from earshot, “and I’m assuming this Imho...tep was brought to life not long ago? Making you and your O’Connell friend to deal with him, is that correct?”
“Yes, along with a band of treasure hunters.” Ardeth explained, though he could not find an easy way to say the next part. “To most outsiders, Hamunaptra is nothing more than a myth, and the stories they tell tend to emphasize its hidden wealth above all else. Treasure hunters often search for it, but although most don’t learn enough to become a problem, the Medjai must deal with those who do by any means necessary. O’Connell did draw too close, twice in fact, but I spared his life both times. The second time, I gave him and the treasure hunters one day to leave the city, but they unwittingly unleashed the Creature that same night.”
At this, Ardeth’s gaze lowered slightly. “At first I blamed myself for letting it happen, for not simply killing them all when we had the chance. But then the treasure hunters freely offered their help in stopping the Creature, and I realized how wrong I was. The ones we might have killed were the ones who saved us all in the end.”
Ra had been sitting in the dining area since the beginning. Though he was not hiding what he looked like he made sure that Ardeth didn't see him. He was the only one of the warriors of light that knew what he looked like. He was sitting at one of the tables behind Ardeth, and was listening intently to everything that was being said.
Giving an un-audible sigh he could only shake his head at the stupidity of the people he was once a part of. How dumb could they be to use a curse like that? It was something he couldn't understand. Yet that was not important now. What was done is done. For now he only needed to worry about what he came here to do. The Heartless in the kitchen was already hard at work drugging the food that was ordered by Lowell, and Wilhelmina.
Yet telling these people about the mistakes that the Medjai have made must not have been easy for the leader. He knew the consequences of his actions, yet would he be willing to face up to those consequences? That is something even he wouldn't want to face. For now he would have to wait to approach the Medjai leader. Yet for now he wondered where the conversation was going to go next?
She wondered quietly to herself how much she would risk for someone she loved. After all besides her family and Alexiel she has been in love, but knew she’d risk everything for them. It came naturally after all, but for someone that’s not considered family seemed like a difficult concept for her to grasp. Her hands absently caressed the book in her lap, “I wonder how Alexiel and the others are doing…,” she muttered to herself before jumping back into the conversations at hand.
”It shows you’re a good person with a kind heart, perhaps you recognized it in those people so you didn’t want to bring them harm. It may have come with a cost but it did manage to work itself out in the end after all, right?” Wilhelmina replied looking off to the surroundings before drawing her attention back to the group. “I did want to ask, where’s your family now? Do you all still live close to one another?” Moments later the waiter returned serving everyone their drinks to which Wilhelmina nodded a thank you with a delighted smile as she took a few sips. It was even better than she expected.
Lowell listened to what Ardeth had to say, after Ardeth appeared to be finished as well as Wilhelmina. Lowell thought inwardly for a moment, taking in what was being said as he looked outside through the available window in view of him. “Hm...my world isn’t quite...open as this one is, it is mostly a city of foundries and factories for our crafting to be done. So there is no need for treasure hunting to be made by anyone there, we don’t even entomb our dead. We cremate them and the family assigned a blacksmith to forge a weapon or statue of their lost loved one.” Lowell explained to them, then smiled at the sight of the waiter arriving with their drinks as Lowell took a sip of his.
Ardeth’s eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the funeral practices of Lowell’s world. He wasn’t sure yet what exactly to think of the practice of quite literally turning the dead into works of metal, but the idea behind it was actually rather heartwarming, honoring the dead in a very unique way.
“That’s quite a concept.” Ardeth said, leaving it at that for now. Respect for the dead had been firmly ingrained into Medjai culture for thousands of years, and so Ardeth would not make any remark that might come off the wrong way to Lowell, at least not until he could learn more about Lowell’s culture.
As he turned his focus to Wilhelmina’s end of the conversation, her reassurances both lifted his spirits and gave him a lot to think about. He had known little to nothing about any of the treasure hunters at the time, and yet he had felt compelled to spare at least the same few at every encounter. Even at their confrontation in the museum, Ardeth realized, Ardeth had not been able to truly hate any of them, and Evelyn’s genuine concern for the innocent lives being lost had been especially admirable. Perhaps, on some subconscious level, he really did sense the good in them, just enough to stay his hand where any other Medjai would not have hesitated.
“It did. Only three of the treasure hunters survived, including O’Connell.” Ardeth said, reflecting on the cost of their aid. “Those three were the bravest of all. They owed us nothing, but they risked their lives regardless, and the Creature would not have been stopped without their help.”
Then came Wilhelmina’s next question, and Ardeth took a moment to sip from his tea before continuing.
“We do, but…” Ardeth hesitated for a moment, but could not avoid the subject any longer. They had a right to know, and all of them needed to be prepared.
“My father was kidnapped not long ago, by one of the wraiths Noctis spoke of.” Ardeth said solemnly, his gaze dropping to the teacup. “The wraith nearly tricked me into handing over my Keyblade, but my father saw through the ruse. We fought him and the Heartless he summoned, but then the wraith created a dark hole in the ground. By the time I realized what was happening, my father was gone.”
Ra just sat there as each of the warriors spoke. Each of them had different things to say, and it was interesting to learn a little about the people that they will be fighting against. Each of them were similar yet so different. Like the sands that the Medjai call home. Yet for how well the conversation was going it turned sour once Ardeth began speaking of the time he first attacked him.
It was not something he was proud of, but it was something that needed to be done. The warriors of light had to be forced to begin their journey. If not, Ardeth would have never thought about leaving his world. Everything that has happened was going according to the plans Noctis played out. He wondered if Noctis knew that he would have decided to come here tonight? If even this was a part of the denizen of Darknesses plan. Only time will tell. Yet he was becoming impatient waiting for the meals to come out. Even he was on a time limit.
Then like clock work the three meals came out of the kitchen. The waiter set each corresponding dish to the person that ordered it.
Wilhelmina instinctively reached out for Ardeth’s hand giving a comforting squeeze, her gaze softened for a moment understanding how worried he must be. “I’m so sorry, Ardeth… I didn’t mean to bring up something painful. I hope we can find your father, perhaps the wraith that took him knows where he is. If we can find them maybe we could find your father,” she replied quietly as she was deep in thought wanting to keep hope alive. She hasn’t had to deal with the wraiths herself yet but she couldn’t help feeling the odds were stacked against them.
“No need to apologize.” Ardeth said. Feeling the gentle squeeze of Wilhelmina’s hand, Ardeth appreciated the gesture and returned the squeeze as well, without even thinking about it. It took him a moment to realize what he was doing, and he was just about to let go and immediately apologize to Wilhelmina. What was he thinking, showing such disrespect toward her in response to her kind gesture?
But the moment was short-lived nonetheless, as the arrival of the food prompted them both to let go anyway.
After a moment the food arrived at the table so Wilhelmina pulled her hand back into her lap. “By the goddess, this looks delightful! I can’t wait to taste it,” she responded with a big smile on her face, turning to focus on the food before them. She quietly started eating her meal and sipping her tea feeling more relaxed than she expected, perhaps she’ll walk around the deck a bit afterwards to stretch her legs a bit.
“How’s the food? It tastes pretty yummy for me,” Wilhelmina asked the boys once she took a moment to drink her tea.
“Indeed. The beans are cooked perfectly.” Ardeth commented, a more cheerful smile gradually creeping onto his face as he continued to eat. The battle ahead would not be easy, but for now at least they could relax and enjoy themselves, and Ardeth would not deny them that. Lowell was already eating to his heart’s content, and seeing both him and Wilhelmina so visibly pleased with the food helped Ardeth to loosen up considerably.
“If you’d like to save some for later, you can do this.” Ardeth took some of the bread offered with the meal and opened it, putting a few scoops of his Ful Medames into the bread before closing it up again to create a sandwich.
Ra could only watch as the group of warriors ate their meals. Seeing them enjoy themselves reminded him of a time very long ago where he once broke bread with his friends, and family. A time when he would've never thought that his heart would be corrupted, and his actions dictated by a man that hated the worlds. His life turned into nothing more than a slave. A deep sadness filled his eyes as he continued to remember his past. Yet, suddenly his eyes became hard. He couldn’t allow himself to get lost in those thoughts. If he did then the Darkness within himself would manifest, and he would no longer be himself. It was a tight rope he walked to keep himself from completely turning. If this little moment lasted too much longer he would lose his opportunity to do what he came here to do.
Lowell was indeed enjoying his meal, he was never one to turn down a meal when he got nothing better to do. Since it be a long time till they reached their destination on this ship, what else is there then to enjoy the ride and the provided meal. “It taste good, different...but still good.” Lowell declared as he continue to eat his dinner, though feeling groggy a bit as he might consider taking a nap later.
A soft yawn escaped Wilhelmina’s lips as she was finishing up eating and focusing on sipping her tea. She felt as if sleep was pulling her away, making her body heavier as the moments passed, “I feel… so… sleepy,” she muttered quietly aloud as her cup slipped from her fingers. Her vision felt a bit foggie almost if if things were slowing down and working against her attempts to get up and head to the room.
More words were mindlessly uddered under her breath that could barely be understood. Soon Wilhelmina gentle leaned against Ardeth taking a moment as her eyes fluttered closed, now she was left vulnerable and defenseless beside Ardeth without knowing what had become of her or why.
As the meal was coming to a close, Ardeth set aside a few Ful sandwiches for later. Just as he finished them, however, he felt a sudden weight next to him, and turned to discover Wilhelmina unconscious by his side.
“Wilhelmina?” Ardeth asked, shaking her lightly to try to wake her, but to no avail. She was fast asleep, and Lowell was starting to look groggy as well. Was it really that late? Or could there be some other cause behind this? In any case, Ardeth would first need to attend to them both before worrying about possible causes.
“We should go back to the cabin.” Ardeth told Lowell. “I’ll carry her; you go on ahead.”
He gently reached to pick up Wilhelmina, being especially careful not to touch her anywhere inappropriate. They barely knew each other, and yet she already trusted him enough to lean on him as she fell asleep. He would not betray that trust.
With that done, Ardeth led the groggy Lowell out of the table and back to the cabin, calling on a waiter along the way and informing him of what had happened. The man agreed to look into the matter and see if their food had been tampered with in any way. Ardeth then proceeded to set Wilhelmina down on the cabin’s only bed, covering her with the blankets and drawing the curtains, while Lowell settled himself into the chair he’d reserved for himself in the cabin, leaving the sofa for Ardeth.
After a few hours with no news from the kitchen, Ardeth eventually had to concede that it had gotten late, and locked the door and windows before laying himself to sleep as well.
“Hm...yeah, sure...feeling quite...sleepy myself.” Lowell replied with a nod as he too started yawning after he had finished his meal, then sluggishly got up from his seat and tried to make his way to the exit. But by the time he got to the doorway, he harmlessly fell flat on the floor with a loud thud, followed by a loud series of peaceful snoring as the young blacksmith slumbers right there on the cold wooden floor. Not a care to the world around him, or the stares he is getting from anyone present.
Last edited by Lady Celeste; 11-08-2021 at 03:49 AM.
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