Nakaris gave a visible start as his name was spoken, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at the man--though not in suspicion or loathing, but as though he was scrutinizing the man for any signs of familiarity. But he didn't recognize him. He'd never seen him before in his life. Or, if he had, it had been before he had been mutilated; he would certainly remember a face as distinctive as his.
How did...how did he know his name? Well...if he had been sent by fuckface, he would have learned it that way. But, then again, he was still trying to figure out how the hell the sick bastard had even learned his name to begin with. Nakaris had never told him, and he had never asked, nor would he have told him his name had he asked. Not that the man had even been interested in interrogation to begin with, the bastard. And, hell, Nakaris didn't even know why he was so angry that he hadn't even been interrogated...that was kind of an odd thing to be pissed about. He supposed it was...well...just because if he had been questioned and hadn't answered, then at least there would have been a reason for his treatment. He wouldn't have answered the questions. Not for as long as he could stand it. He would have suffered anyway, and he knew it. But...at least there would have been a reason for it, then...instead of it being so blatant...instead of the bastard getting off on it...there would have been a reason for it...
But, then...there had been a reason for it...he'd killed...he'd lead a bloody seige...it was J'aari's doing, truly, but he'd done it...the blood was still on his hands, along with all the other blood coating his spirit...
Yeah...he knew he had some pretty screwed up reasoning there...
In any case, he could feel his metaphorical hackles raise, not necessarilly because of this man anymore, but because of the idea of who had sent him. He didn't like his choice of words, either, but then again, the man couldn't have known. He hoped he didn't know. That was just not something he wanted other people to know about...but it wasn't important. He ate up the man's words eagerly. No time to be picky. Vai was at stake.
Forest...house...which forest and which house? He chewed the inside of his cheek to keep silent and listen. Strong magic. He knew that. He'd seen what the bastard had been capable of, summoning a bloody demon.
But, then again...Nakaris had a little bit of demon in him, too. He'd always heard from his village that J'aari, the magic that possessed him, was the handywork of a demon. Some had even wagered that it was a demon, though he didn't know or care which tale was the truth. All that mattered to him was what it did. Despite himself, for the first time in what felt like ages, he felt a tired smirk tug at his lips, just slightly.
Let the fucking magic possess him again.
He just didn't care anymore. And if he could get it to work, if he let it take him over again--well, whether he wanted it to or not, it would claim him again, so why even try to fight it anymore? He was tired of fighting, tired of struggling against something he could do nothing about--then he could for sure kill the bastard. He would kill the bastard, and get Vai back. He'd make that bastard suffer...J'aari could not kill--his hands and weapons had to do the work--but it could torture.
Even as he thought it, he knew his thoughts were off. He shouldn't be thinking that. And he couldn't even tell if those were truly his thoughts or not.
He opened his mouth as the man finished, ready to ask for more specific details, but then the man was gone.
Just like that.
And in that same moment, Mina sprung into action, and he grunted softly as he dropped into a crouch on the sand when she released her hold on him, still shaky and jelly-limbed.
And then went into Commander mode, ordering him to stay.
He watched her through swaying vision as she whipped a portal into existence, and a soft string of words that sounded unmistakingly like his favorite expletives left his lips. As if she honestly thought he would!
Yes. He could hardly even support himself, hardly even see straight, he was still cut up and bruised all over, and scared as hell to be reaquainted with his tormenter, and yet he was determined to go with her and face the very man that had done this to him to begin with. Not really smart. He knew it wasn't.
Yet as the vortex swirled into existence, and as Mina and Raistlin went through it (I assume? ^^;; ), he cursed again and used his last bit of hidden strength to push himself up off the ground and through that damned portal.
He was not letting Mina do this alone.
If they were getting Vai back, they were doing it together.
And he did not want her to be alone with that man.
