The Verdant Dreamer (Closed)

[CyclicalCycal]

"She...didn't need to. It would be better if she hadn't. I cannot remain awake for long, thus, I cannot care for her. My name is Tharron Ovun." Tharron glances around the area. "...and this place...is...ha. Our last grove. Oh, kfq bkm olxbbb pcyv ziotgq..."

[Medievarad]

Rin nodded. "None shall know of this grove," she answered. "Does she need a caretaker, lord Ovun?" Rin asked, resting her hand on the hilt of her sword.

[CyclicalCycal]

"Lord...? LORD?!" Tharron bursts into laughter. It's fake. Hollow. None of the sounds he makes even seem real, all some form of twisted illusion. "...that theatrics...is mostly to scare...the unlucky traveller. I am no lord..." The dreamer looks to Rin. "...you wish to take that role, do you not? Care for Cara Ovun, until I can...remain...awake?"

[Medievarad]

"It is common courtesy in another's court," Rin explained, failing to see what was so funny. Instead, she nodded slowly to his question. "I may have overstepped and brought harm to you or your daughter, I wish to redeem myself."

[CyclicalCycal]

"Redeem. Cara...will not survive on her own. I see two paths..." Tharron babbled on, mostly to himself. "...I think. I think."

"...I think if you wish to help...Cara...there are two choices. You can either care for her...yourself. Be warned, though, that she is able to make nature do what she wants with her mind. Or...you can take the less savoury route and give me the...opportunity...to be awakened permanently. I will leave the decision up to you."

It seems Cara got her habit of not elaborating on vague things from her father.

[Medievarad]

Rin frowned slowly. "I have no idea what the less savoury route is," she answered, glancing at the lifeless golem. It gave her a pretty good idea, however. "But I will care for her, if that is required."

[CyclicalCycal]

"A sacrifice." He stated, bluntly. "Or more magic than is entirely reasonable. If...if you wish to care for my child. Do so. But...promise me two things."

"One. You will attempt to find either someone who wants to die, and is willing to be sacrificed to...awaken me...or find enough mages who practice...tasteful magic...and are willing to devote power to helping me."

"And...two..."

The area around the duo shifted. The trees loomed, ever hungry. Tharron seemed angry. His 'voice', for want of a better term, twisted into one of hate.

"...you will not harm my daughter. If you...do...as...such...then the entire forest...will rise up against you."

[Medievarad]

Rin frowned. She had suspected something like that.

At his second remark, however, she glanced at him. Unimpressed and mirthless. Uncaring for the trees looming closer. His threats and intimidation simply didn't seem to get to her. "If I wished to harm her, I wouldn't have taken her here in the first place."

[CyclicalCycal]

"...very good point." He responded, laughing as he moved back to underneath the tree where he was originally found. "So be it. I have a single, last request. Please..." Tharron's voice...shattered. He was weak, frail, now. This request got to him. "...please do not tell Cara...I was awoken...I cannot bare to speak with her. I so desperately wish to stay with her...but I cannot...only rarely is it I can awaken. So , I only awaken when it is needed. Tell her...tell her I was still sleeping."

The entity seemed drained, staring at the ground. "...I thank you, traveller Rin. I assure you, we will meet again."

Tharron's lights began to dim out, slowly. It was going to take a good few minutes, before he became inert, but it had begun.

[Medievarad]

Rin nodded slowly. "As you wish," she answered, inclining her head again, before pulling a paper seal from her belt, walking over to one of the trees, pressing it against the bark, leaving it there. "If you require of me, touch this seal. It will allow me to transport immediately to you," she explained, glancing over her shoulder.

"Be well, lord of the grove," she answered, stepping back to circle her arms underneath Cara's armpits, other arm underneath her knees, before she stood up and turned around. Taking her leave.

[CyclicalCycal]

"I cannot be well...but thank you...for your gift." Tharron's otherworldly, ethereal voice howled out. "But do try...to find someone...anyone...who could release me from...this...prison..."

The Verdant Dreamer's voice slowly faded away, the lights dying from his form. The forest seemed dead, empty, Rin and Cara being the only things there.

At least, though, Cara was healing. She curled up against Rin, as she picked her up, mumbling softly in the alien tongue she and her father shared.

[Medievarad]

Rin glanced back once at the grove, before shaking her head and trudging onwards with Cara in her hands.

For now, she had to get away from the grove and set up camp. It took several hours of walking, but finally, Rin managed to make some distance from the grove and finding a proper spot to camp. She put Cara down against a tree and left a protective seal with her, before heading out to gather some deadwood for a fire.

[CyclicalCycal]

A few minutes after Rin left, she could hear a soft, croaking voice call out from her camp.

"Irnphz...? Cuv swx bjhiy...? Ekmth rg Q...? L nghc qmds..."

It was Cara. It sounded like she was awake. It also sounded like she was still deathly tired and weak, but at the very least, she was awake.

[Medievarad]

Rin, having collected some deadwood, glanced over her shoulder and turned back to camp, laying down what little she had collected and walking over to Cara, kneeling down in front of her. "How are you feeling?" She inquired with a smile.

[CyclicalCycal]

"I-I feel...tired...a-and...tired."

Apparently, Cara was so tired she couldn't articulate her points properly. She weakly moved up to rub at her eye, blinking blearily. "R-Rin...?" She asked. There was a great purpose, to her voice, her next question was something she needed answered.

[Medievarad]

"I'm here," she whispered softly, resting her gauntlet on Cara's cheek. "Just sleep a bit, I'll make a fire."

[CyclicalCycal]

"W-where's...my...fa-ther...?" Cara asked, weakly. Her voice gave her away, though. She knew the answer, she knew he wasn't here. She just so desperately wanted to hope he was near, or that he was awake, or something.

[Medievarad]

"In his grove," she answered. "Some kind of.. Wooden creature led me in and helped you," she answered. "It told me that your father couldn't wake yet."

[CyclicalCycal]

"...oh." Cara didn't cry, or sob, or scream out. She just had a crushing look of hopelessness and woe cross her face. She slowly looked down, staring at the ground, rubbing at her working eye. "...o-o-okay."

[Medievarad]

Rin slowly alternated her hand under Cara's chin, softly pushing her head upwards. "I'm sorry," she answered with a soft sigh, before gently pulling the girl in a surprisingly tender hug. "I was charged to take care of you, I will do so until the time is right."