Curiosity Never Hurt Anyone, Right? [NIX] [M]

Tally · January 30, 2013, 11:05:30 PM

The warmth of holding someone close helped, if only a little. With his face buried in Amal's neck, he could tell himself he was elsewhere, that there weren't tons of rock overhead waiting to crush him. "No."

Nix · January 30, 2013, 11:15:15 PM

Amal sighed softly and blew out the candle. After placing it back on the floor he put his arm around Knai once more. He wasn't worried about this part of the basement caving in, he was worried about the crumbled tower above them. It was much more than the rocks blocking their way on the steps and to the door, they would probably never be able to get that door open from all the rubble on top of and on the other size of that doorway. He couldn't tell Knai this.

Hopefully in the morning he would have enough strength to shape shift into a mouse or something and crawl out between the rubble to bring back help for Knai before succumbing to his injury. That was the important part... finding help so that Knai would be rescued. "...I bet there are a lot of people looking for you, worried about where you are..."

Tally · January 31, 2013, 12:15:26 AM

Those words nauseated him. His retainers, his guardsmen, his steward—all of them would be out in the storm searching for him, putting themselves at risk to find him. All because he wanted to explore some stupid tower. If he died, it would ruin all of them. It would ruin House Siilan and it would ruin Ravensway.

And Lorin. Lorin would be so disappointed in him.

Knai hugged Amal close and made his thoughts go a different direction. They talked a bit more, but nothing Knai would remember later. He must have dozed off some some time—an hour? Two?—because an odd noise jolted him awake.

Confused, he couldn't place the sound for a few moments. It was the sound of running water. Knai grabbed at Amal and shook him. "Amal! Amal!"

Nix · January 31, 2013, 12:30:43 AM

Amal had fallen asleep as well, with the pretty little thing all snuggled up to him. Despite sleeping on the basement floor he was comfortable. Until someone started shaking him. His wound hurt from being shaken like that and he let out a small groan.

"What is it?" He sat up and asked groggily, his wound almost hurt more now than when it first happened, partially because his adrenaline had worn off. Then he heard it too. Shit. He grabbed the candle and made fast work of lighting it.

In the glow of the candle what he had feared was more obvious. The basement was filling up with water. He stood up, handed the candle to Knai, and headed for the stairs. Throwing caution to the wind he began to move the rubble away frantically, he could feel fresh blood start to seep from his wound. He had probably already begun healing, but not enough to be lifting things like this.

He managed to get to the door way after about ten minutes of adrenaline fueled clearing, but their was no way that it would budge. He pushed against it with all his might, but it wouldn't move. "Fuck. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK!!!"

Tally · January 31, 2013, 12:53:53 AM

The sound felt immense in the darkness. In the sudden light of the candle, Knai saw that only a small area of the basement floor was yet covered in a shallow puddle, but what alarmed him was the swiftness of the flowing water. Even as he watched, three more rivulets broke through the rubble and added to the growing amount of water on the floor.

Knai followed after Amal, crouching down to get to the door, there was so much rubble. He had no idea how Amal could move those immense rocks. Momentary triumph welled up in Knai as Amal reached the door, but he gasped when the candlelight caught the floor. Water was running from the bottom of the door down the stairs.

"Amal! We'll never get out that way!"

Nix · January 31, 2013, 01:07:13 AM

Amal knew Knai was right, he knew water was only pouring in more now. He took a deep breath and started directing the water, keeping it from coming down the stairs, forcing it to build up on the other side of the door. "Stand behind me, ok Knai?"

He pulled the water from the puddle too and made it flow up and out under the door crack. There was too much rubble on the other side of the door for him to open it, but maybe if he could force the water up against it from the other side he could get it to collapse in. It was going to be dangerous, and there was probably going to be a lot more rubble coming in on top of them once it did, but they would have a shot at getting out.

There weren't any other exits or tunnels, it was a small simple cellar. This was their only way out.

He put both of his hands on the door, using the water he was stopping from coming down, he pushed light on the door in a rocking motion. He was trying to make a wave of water on the other side.

Tally · January 31, 2013, 01:18:16 AM

Ah, a water mage. Knai worried at his bottom lip. That was good, a water mage. He could at least stop them from drowning, right? If not get them out?

"What are you doing?" Knai ran up behind Amal like he was told, shielding the candle from droplets of water that now fell from the ceiling. Even as Amal began pushing against door, the back part of the cellar collapsed, the rubble crashing inward. Their little hole in the ground had just gotten alarmingly small.

Nix · January 31, 2013, 01:32:39 AM

"I am gathering water on the other side... to make a wave... and collapse the door in... so we can get out." He said between the back and forth rocking against the door.

He had heard the terrible sound of the other cave in, but he had to keep his focus right now.

Amal felt like he had enough water going and a good rhythm so he began to make his wave smash against the other side of the door and pull back and continued to do the same, keeping the water on the other side of the door. "Knai. There will probably be a lot of debris on the other side... I am going to try and hold as much of it back... as I can with the water... when the door breaks... you need to climb out as quick as you can... and just keep going till you are out."

It felt as though there would be a bit of a path on the other side, his wave's ebb an flow was probably carving one out a bit on the other side. The door was starting to buckle from the force of the wave now. Soon they would have to make their escape.

Tally · February 04, 2013, 02:37:08 AM

Whatever Amal was doing, it was creating awful, dire noises that echoed and traveled all about the basement. It sounded like every bit of rock above them was about to tumble down. Knai braced a hand against the rubble above him, cringing at every crash of the wave.

"You think I can climb out of there?! I can't do that!" The water, the rock! The flood up above! He'd drowned or crushed before he even made it two feet. The man was mad! Knai opened his mouth to tell him that, too, but the cracking of the door arrested his attention.

It cracked again, and again, and though Knai braced himself each time, no water rushed to flood them. Finally the door rent itself clean in two, leaving a gap big enough to run through, but Knai was rooted in place, clinging to Amal.

Nix · February 04, 2013, 07:32:55 AM

When the door broke in half no water flooded in on them, and no rocks fell in the path. Amal parted the water and was managing to hold the debris back within the now split wave. Under any other circumstances Knai clinging to him would have been wonderful. but not now.

"Go Knai! I can't hold this for long." Already it was taking its toll on him. His wound was bleeding heavily and he knew it was just a matter of time before he died again, but he was not about to leave Knai in this mess. "GO!"

Tally · February 04, 2013, 04:25:06 PM

With the open door came a pale, gray light. The water parted on either side of the stairwell made for a treacherous tunnel. Knai couldn't get his feet to move until Amal's shouting jolted his attention. He fumbled with the candle, with where to put it, then remembered Amal cold see in the dark and dropped it to the floor. He bolted up the stairs, minding only his footing and trying not to look at the water hovering all around him.

At the top of the stairwell he stumbled into knee-deep, rushing water. One ragged section of wall still stood, and Knai grabbed onto a torch sconce to keep from washing away. It was still raining.

"Amal?" He yelled above the rain and wind to be heard.

Nix · February 04, 2013, 09:00:55 PM

He had to get Knai to safety, that was the only thing on his mind. No attention was paid to the fact that his skin had reverted to his natural state, glowing softly in the dim light. Amal pushed forward, drawing all the water he could around him, leaving only a small bubble of air around him. He winced as he pushed forward, blood dripping down his back and leg as he walked, trying to gather the water so that Knai could get somewhere safe.

His rabbit ears flattened against his head as the strain took its toll, but at least Knai could keep going now.

Tally · February 04, 2013, 10:54:02 PM

Wispy tendrils of blood spread out in the water about Amal. It dispersed and lost itself amidst the dirty, tumultuous water. Their tower was not the only thing that had flooded. Ever street that Knai could see bore a foot or more of water. He had nowhere to go, and he couldn't leave Amal there even if he did.

He stumbled over to Amal, but before he could reach out a hand for him, a shadow fell over them both. A rider on a dark horse, the noise of his approach lost beneath the wind and rain. Knai cringed away, but then he saw it—the sigil and colors of his house. Eivas! An older, bearded mountain of a man. Knai had been trying to bed him for years and resented his resistance, but he'd never been so happy to see anyone in his life! Eivas rode a horse suited to his size, a tall beast with legs like small tree trunks, the only kind of horse that could have fought this current and succeeded.

"My lord!" Eivas lifted Knai into the saddle with one hand and made to charge away with him, but Knai hauled on the reins.

"No! Take him too!"

Nix · February 05, 2013, 12:01:51 AM

The water around him was stained by red lines, but it was of little consequence because all he could focus on was that cute little blond. Why was he coming toward him? Knai should get somewhere safe in this deluge...

Amal put his hand up to reach for the beauty.

And then, a huge man on an equally huge steed scooped Knai up. Ah, he called Knai lord. Knai would be safe with him. It was ok. Amal couldn't help but smile at the blond. He couldn't hear anything else though, just the rain echoing in his ears as he lost what little control he still had on the water and was easily knocked over by it.

Tally · February 05, 2013, 12:20:01 AM

"Amal!"

One moment he was there, and the next the water overtook him. Eivas turned the horse about to leave, but Knai scrabbled and clawed at him and screamed until he thought better of that.

Growling under his breath, Eivas sent the charger crashing through the water toward Amal. He leaned down and scooped him up with one hand with no more effort then he'd needed to lift Knai. Amal went on his belly over the saddle, Knai sliding around to hold on to Eivas from behind.

The roads were no better leading up to the inn, but the charger was monstrous enough to force his way through the rain and flood waters. Knai found himself hauled from the saddle and handed off to a healer, just inside the inn door. His retainers all spoke over themselves so that he could not discern a word any of them said.

Nix · February 05, 2013, 12:45:53 AM

Amal had been certain he would die there, in the rain, alone, drown or bleed out, but instead he was picked up and laid over the saddle like a limp rag doll. He was really tired and all he could hear or focus on was his own shallow breathing and the rain. Even with his long rabbit ears he couldn't make out what those voices were saying. Everything was a sort of numb hush, except for the rain. That was beginning to pound in his ears.

Maybe this time when he died he'd face his sentence on Jericho. Running was exhausting, besides Knai was safe, he could rest easy knowing that for once there were no strings to clean up here. Amal turned his head to look at Knai who had been handed off to someone. When did they get to the inn? It didn't matter. He smiled weakly. He protected Knai. Promise kept. Mission accomplished.

Tally · February 05, 2013, 01:09:39 AM

"Go and see to him!" Knai pointed back at Amal, who Eivas had carried inside and laid upon the floor of the inn.

No one listened to him. They spoke over him, they ignored him. After all that, after all they'd been through, and Amal would just be left there to bleed out on the floor? Anger burned through all of Knai's residual fear. They would never have ignored Lorin like this!

He nearly screamed at them, but that wasn't right either. Only children screamed to be heard. Lorin never had to yell. When he spoke, people shut their fool mouths and listened. And if they didn't, he made them.

Knai grabbed the healer by the collar and hauled him over to Amal. "Are you deaf? I said see to him!"

"I understand, my lord, but I must—"

Knai slapped him across the face. "I owe this man a life debt. If I am forced to renege on that because of you, I will have your life as payment."

The inn had grown quiet finally. His retainer were definitely hearing him now. Knai let the healer work and moved to stand by the fire, resisting the urge to huddle about himself for warmth. Dry clothes were brought for him, and—he was pleased to note—for Amal as well.

Nix · February 05, 2013, 01:43:51 AM

Everything was a blur to Amalendu. He felt the hard surface beneath him but didn't realize it was the floor, he just closed his eyes. There was a commotion above him, and the rain wasn't so loud anymore. Time was being particularly hard to keep track of. The next thing he knew, though it seemed like an eternity, he felt the warmth of healing magic on his wound. His own magic was trying to aid with the healing, he could feel it congregate to that area of his back, compelled and stimulated by the healers magic. Maybe he wouldn't die here after all?

That would be nice. He did like it here among the humans, and various interesting peoples. He could keep protecting Knai for a bit... that would be nice... to see Knai smile would be a treat worth surviving for in and of itself.

The healer continued working till the wound was closed up and then stripped off the blood soaked make-shift bandages before applying cleansing potion to the area. It stung and Amal winced, rabbit ears twitching. His opalescent skin was pale and lacked its normal swirl of colors, the glow was so faint it was barely noticeable in the well lit inn, but at least his body was cooperating with the healer's work.

Tally · February 05, 2013, 01:56:24 AM

There were no rooms left in the inn, so Knai had Amal brought to his room. Eivas glared at that but said nothing. There Knai waited out the storm, Amal in his bed and a fire in the room's hearth for warmth.

He got himself dry and fed and, as soon as he was left alone, he crawled into bed next to Amal. He was too tired even to get himself beneath the sheets, and fell asleep right where he lay.

Nix · February 05, 2013, 02:07:57 AM

He awoke in the middle of the night, still groggy but felt the warmth against him and opened his eyes to see that cute blonde in bed beside him. A small smile and wrapping an arm around the boy was all the energy he could muster to spend before drifting back to sleep.

When morning found him- or perhaps afternoon already? Amal felt positively ill. It was a strange feeling, one he hadn't experienced much on earth, but that was all part and parcel with staying here so long. He could remember much of the previous day's affairs, but was too light headed to do much. Did he have one of those fever things? Maybe it was a side effect of almost dying?

"Knai?" He called out softly. His rabbit ears twitched a bit, so he was still in his natural form... well he'd have to fix that as soon as he had the energy to do so. At least change to his default human looking version of his normal self once again.