Leto growled at the man menacingly before an orange glow enveloped him. Suddenly he was himself again and he knelt down to scoop Meliora up in his arms. "Don't drag her." He said calmly. "I'll carry her." He started walking with her back in the direction they were brought from without caring about the men. The orange glow was still around him as he walked calmly back. "It's okay now. I'm not disappearing on you like that again for a while." He reassured her.
Kronos looked back to see Nascha get blown backwards. (Cant stop. Sorry.) He thought. He hoped her and Meliora would understand.
Xaxis saw the oowl flying past him towards Caruso and Fenris. He reached up easily and grabbed her ankle before pulling her into his lap with seemingly no effort, all while keeping his eyes focused forward. (Should have known your wings wouldn't be able to keep up.) He thought.
Meliora rested her head on him and looked up at him. She smiled softly at him. "I thought I was the only one who glows." She said weakly. She was trying to go for light hearted but she didnt know how well she was pulling it off. The brand still hurt and she could feel her skin flaking away where it was in black ash. The man who led them took that role again to take them back to the basement. Meliora kept her eyes on his face almost sleepily.
Nascha exhaled when she was caught. "Shit. Thank you." She said with apology as she righted herself. She was grateful this strange scarred man had saved her or she would have been done for.
Leto chuckled. "It's a blessing from Vulir." He said grinning. "To give me strength and a message." He leaned in close to her ear then. "The clan knows where we are and they're coming for us plus two extras. We just have yo stay strong." He whispered. (Thank you Vulir. Kronos is on the way. Guide their path.) He prayed.
Xaxis merely grunted in response. (What was I supposed yo do? Let you fall?) He thought as they kept flying full speed.
Meliora sighed with relief then. She just hoped they got there in time. She didnt want to know what they had in store for her next. She was surprised how long he had gone since making a sexual joke. But she was grateful for it. And his kindness. "My glowing is more a curse than a blessing." She reasoned quietly. The man led them back down to the cells and gestured for them to get in their seperate cells. "It was a good day today. Rest and i will come for you in the morning." He said happily. Meliora hated how happy these people seemed with causing her pain. And she missed her coat already. The stone floor was going to be cold without it. She was waiting for anything else she had to say to Leto until they were alone. The man waited for them to oblige his request so he could lock them back in.
Leto carried Meliora into her cell and went in with her. He looked at the man then calmly. "She's been through enough. I'm staying in here with her." He said in a calm tone that suggested there was no room for argument. (Don't try anything stupid. I'll rip you in half.) He thought as he sat down with Meliora.
The man smirked at them. "As you wish." He offered before closing them into their cell. "Quite hot down here isnt it?" He added as he headed towards the stairs. And suddenly a cold blowing of air came from seemingly out of nowhere, cooling the room down by atleast twenty degrees. Meliora looked at Leto. "Thank you." She said softly.
Leto cocked an eyebrow at the man before looking down at Meliora. "No problem. I think that pervert thinks he can watch us fuck by making it cold in here." He said frowning. "He's an even bigger idiot than I thought." (Shit cant communicate fully because I know that asshole is watching.) He thought. (I just keep seeming to make things worse for her. Kronos is gonna be furious. Hopefully that anger gets directed at them not me.)
Meliora laughed lightly then. "You can put me down. You dont have to keep holding me." She reasoned with a soft smile. She didnt want to cause him more trouble. "I feel like I owe you a very big explanation and apology." She added sadly. She felt so guilty.
"You mean the time travel thing right?" Leto asked casually. "Long way to go for sexy me." He added jokingly. (Does it really matter? I mean it's too late to change what's been done. And it's not like it'll effect how we think about her.) He mused.
Meliora laughed more then. Was he not going to put her down? "If i tell you. You cant tell anyone. Im keeping your secret. I want you to keep mine." She requested, searching his face to make sure he wouldnt tell anyone what she was going to tell him. But he deserved to know.
Leto set her down with a casual shrug. "Not my secret to tell." He said with a smirk spreafing on his face. "Plus if I rat you out. It'll ruin my chances of fucking you." He laughed then and just ad quickly spoke again this time in a whisper. "You know they're watching and listening right?" He asked quietly. "Not very good hosts are they?" (I don't know if she should be saying anything while we're here.) He thought. (Maybe we should take a cue from Xaxis and just stay silent.)
Meliora laughed lightly at his joke as she nodded to answer his question. "You dont actually want to have sex with me Leto. I think weve established that." She reasoned with a small smile. She wrapped her arms around her bare arms for warmth and resisted the urge to touch her fresh wound to see just how bad it was. "They already know obviously. So it really doesnt matter if they hear or not." She added. "And you took my punishment. You saved me. You deserve to know." She reasoned.
Leto frowned. "Are you kidding me?" He said with a cocked eyebrow. "Did you hit your head or something. That asshole only told me I wasn't allowed to time travel while you got branded. I made the situation way worse for you." (Did she hit her head? I think she's confused.) He thought. "I have just kinda steafily made this whole thing worse not better. Kronos is not gonna be happy with this."
Meliora frowned back at him. "No. You made it far better for me Leto. Hence my secret. Kronos is going to be happy because im going to tell him that you deserve whatever high honor your people do. A statue? A thousand virgins? A medal at the very least." She said with a small amused laugh then.
Leto cocked an eyebrow at her. "I think you should tell me what the secret is. Because I really dont believe I made anything better." He said frowning. (Definitely delirious.) He thought. (We need to get out of here so Aglæca can take a look at her.)
Meliora nodded. "Im not from here. And i dont mean in the sense you think. I lied. I lied to all of you. I dont even know what year this is but based on the fact that your race arent all dead it has to be around two hundred years before i was born. Give or take depending on how long before you go extinct. A man pretended to be interested in me. And i started to trust him. And he captured me and Nascha. He took us to this strange place. With a broken clock. And a woman. And we ran through one of many doorways. And landed here. Then we were attacked and got seperated." She explained. She moved a small hand to place gently on the side of his face then. "You saved me. Because if they would have put that curse on me id never be able to go home again." She added softly with gratitude in her eyes.
Leto cocked an eyebrow at her in confusion. "Why hide that?" He asked baffled. "Did you think something like that would change our opinion of you or how we treated you? We Dyrid have a saying. Only the journey and destination matter. It means as a race in its whole. Where you come from doesn't matter. You need our help now and you're one of us now. What happened before. The things you've done or where you're from. Doesn't effect our opinion of you and we wouldn't have treated you any differently. I mean Caruso and Kronos would have a million questions but that's the only difference." He spoke honestly and sincerely as he looked at her in the eyes.
Meliora smiled softly at him, her hsnd still on his face. "At first i hid it because i dont know how things are in your time. That could be frowned upon. Also i didnt trust you all after i had been attacked three times in one day. By men. And then when I found out about this beacon theory I didnt want to say anything. At first because I still wanted to go home. But then because i didnt want you all to know you're dead. I didnt want to take that hope away from you or make you question whether youre saveable or not." She answered honestly. It had nothing to do with their opinions of her. She had wanted to save them from the truth. That they did die off.
Leto chuckled. "Well I don't believe in the prophecy anyway so no harm there. But I believe in Kronos. And who knows. Maybe you coming to the past changed the future." He said casually. "I mean look at the shit you've already changed. Because of you Kronos has real hope of saving the Dyrid where he didn't really before. You being with us brings us purpose other than just fighting just to fight. Now the Moonfang clan fights to protect." He leaned in close yo whisper. "Hell Kronos has picked up two more daasana to join the fight to free us. Things are changing. Probably for the better." He whispered.
Meliora finally dropped her hand from his face. "I dont believe in much of anything." She admitted. "I just...i look at all of you and youre dead where im from. I dont even know if Fenris gets a chance to grow up or not. If any of you get to find mates or have children. Or if you all die way too young. And it makes me sad." She said honestly. "But again, thank you. For taking that curse. Even though it seems meaningless to you it means everything to me."
Leto frowned. "You know you should tell the others right?" He said quietly. "Kronos would have better answers than me. I mean I know you don't want to stay in this time. But what if you realy are the Beacon? Then you staying would mean we do keep living. That the Dyrid will continue on. Maybe you're more than just the reason the Dyrid dont go extinct. I overheard Kronos and Aglæca talking. Because of you he plans to convince the Dyrid at Valen Dashmana to stop fighting each other and find the Flumen and take them in to protect them. Like an alliance between the two races. We Dyrid would get the fights we crave and a real purpose. And the Flumen would be able to really live without constantly looking over their shoulder."
Meliora looked at him seriously. "I know. He posed that idea to me too. Which would be amazing. Seeing as how as far as i know im the last of my kind in my time. And ive never even seen the Semper river because its all dried up. The forest we were travelling in? Doesnt exist anymore. Im not saying im going to leave right away Leto. I want to stay and help. To try to fix all of this. But once that's over what do i have to stay for?"
Leto laughed. "Because you have family here now." He said nudging her with his shoulder. "Everyone in the clan respects and adores you. Hell even Xaxis and goliath like you. And they hate everyone. Besides. Don't shut down the option for love in any time. Love is timeless. So your soul mate could very well be in this time." (Those are excellent reasons to stay.) He mused. (Maybe im not completely useless today?)
Meliora smiled softly at him and hid the pain him jostling her wound caused. "Well look at you Leto. Making me feel better. Whod have thought?" She reasoned teasingly. She doubted love was in the cards for her. Though she was a hopeless romantic, who would actually want to be with her? But she wasnt going to say so. "We should probably get some sleep." She added then. Who knew what tomorrow would have in store for them.
Leto nodded as the orange glow around him finally dissipated. "You go ahead. I'll keep watch." He said casually. "And before you argue. I sleep maybe five hours a week. I'm usually up just laying there." (I'll just sap energy from the riders if I need to.) He mused.
Meliora couldnt help but laugh then. She would have thought he would have slept the most out of anyone. But it turned out she was wrong. She moved to lay on her side then, doing her best to ignore the cold floor and icy air still blowing on them. But her arms were bare now and she bent her knees up to huddle to herself for more heat. "I used to have trouble sleeping like that." She mused softly.
Leto stretched out next to her and pulled her to him. "I'm not as warm as Kronos but I should keep you from freezing." He said casually. "And I can't sleep because I have fifteen riders inside of me." He added in a whisper. "I habe to find a time when they're all sleeping."
Meliora was grateful for his head and wasted no time in curling up against his side. She pressed every inch of herself she could to him. She kept her tail hidden however since he didnt even know she had one yet. "Cant you do something to shut your brain off enough to sleep?" She inquired softly.
"Nope." Leto said casually. "It's okay though. I usually just picture naked women all night." (That's actually true. But I'm not gonna say I've pictured you naked.) He thought with amusement.
Meliora laughed then. "Of course you do." She said with amusement. "Im sure you have plenty of reference material." She added. She liked how playful she could be with Leto. It wasnt like that with anyone else. He somehow allowed her to be more sarcastic and joke more without feeling like she wasnt being herself.
Leto chuckled. "Probably too much reference material but I'm not complaining." He said grinning. "Get some sleep. I'll make sure nothing happens while you're out." (I hope they get here soon. I don't want to know what they wanna do next.) He thought. (I hate how weak and stupid I am. She's wounded because I couldnt shut up.)
Meliora kept a smile on her face. She closed her eyes but she couldnt really sleep yet. She was still too worked up from the events of the day. "You know i had never even seen anyone naked before i met you all." She said softly. "Culture shock." She added teasingly. She just needed a few more minutes to shut her brain off.
Leto laughed. "Fuck. You got to see all of us naked on the first night." He said grinning. "Bet you're glad we're not onw of the clans that have orgies almost nightly." He smirked at what he assumed was an amusing look on her face. "Some clans celebrate that way but we only have one female in our clan and she's second in command. So not what I would call a fun time." he explained grinning.
Meliora laughed again, her torso moving against him with the gesture. "Now that i know thats a thing? Very glad." She said honestly. She couldnt help but picture Aglaecas face if Leto even suggested such a thing. And it made it funnier. "Ive never even kissed anyone before." She admitted then, her eyes still closed and her mouth still pulled into a smile.
Leto laughed and shook his head. "Vulir's nuts that's depressing." He said grinning. "Okay I'll be your first everything. Let's just get started already." He joked but didn't move. (Never been kissed thats seriously pure.) He thought with amusement.
Meliora smiled and shook her head against him. "I know what youre thinking. But I'm not that innocent. How do you be with someone in my time when you have to hide what you are?" She reasoned. "I thought it was going to happen once. But he pulled away. So i entirely misread that one." She added before yawning.
"Then that guy was definitely into men." Leto said with a smirk. "You should have come found us sooner. The Dyrid dont care." (I can't even imagine having to hide like that and never having sex or kissing.) He thought. "I lost my virginity on my fifteenth birthday. And I've never missed it." He said with a grin.
Meliora chuckled uncomfortably. It had been Xaxis she was talking about. But she wasnt going to say that so Leto could tease him about it. She hoped her reaction didnt give it away that it was one of them. Her luck he would blame Caruso if so. "Youre lucky." She said honestly in an attempt to hide her silence about who it had been. "To be able to be that care free. I cant even imagine."
Leto chuckled. "Just give it some time. Kronos will make sure you can. At least in this time he will." He said casually. "He's good at that. Making misfits feel like they have a home and family." (I hope he gets here soon. I can't take these people on alone. And I don't want them to have another chance to get off on torturing us.) He prayed.
Meliora was glad he hadnt caught on. "He already has. I can show my antlers and fangs around you guys. Eat my raw meat. All of that. Its the most free ive ever been. He offered to be my sword and shield." She mumbled as she was really starting to get tired. But she wanted to keep talking to him.
"Well of course you can be free around us." Leto said simply. "And if he said he'd be your sword and shield then you can count on that. Kronos doesn't make idle threats or promises. Like it or not that man will defend you until his dying breath. And failing that. He would avenge you." (Wow I didn't know he did that. These people are fucked. He's going to be bringing the wrath of Vulir in a rain of blades and blood.) He thought. The thought gave him comfort that the people who held them would soon no longer be amongst the living.
Meliora smiled softly at him. "I know he would." She said honestly. She missed Kronos. And she really hoped they got here soon. And that was the last thought she had before she slipped into unconsciousness.
Leto noticed she had fallen asleep. "May you dream of happier times." He said quietly before resolving to sit and wait for morning. (I've had these riders for a long time. I've learned how to take from them to keep me going. But come morning I may have to draw more.) He thought.
(You fool.) One of the voices hissed.
(We gave you the ability to kill them and you squandered it.) Said another.
(I gave you my true form so their magic couldn't touch you.) Spoke yet another.
(If you would have used the girl as a distraction you could have escaped.) Another said angrily.
(Shut up!) Leto screamed internally. (She is part of my clan now. And we don't abandon our own.) After that silence.
Meliora was woken in the morning by someone coming down the stairs noisily. She looked up to see the man who had led them this whole time before sitting up quickly. "Blessed morning." The man said with a smile that suggested he was keeping a secret but dying to let everyone know. "Were going to take you to brief you and then start you on your tasks. You guys should be long gone before dinner time." He offered, gesturing for Meliora to approach the bars so he could let her out.
Leto stood and looked at the man. "Any way we can just take today to rest? Maybe do the rest tomorrow? Being branded is exhausting." He said casually. (Damnit. We need to buy time.) He thought. (Come on hurry up and get here.)
The man shook his head. "Pennance should be paid quickly. Then we can get you on your way." He offered. Meliora cast a fearful glance at Leto before slowly walking towards the bars as if it were the hangmans noose. She was terrified. And she hadnt thought about how she was going to have to go and do this by herself. She hated being by herself.
The red man finally spoke after all night riding in silence. He looked over casually to address the group and saw that at some point Nascha had fallen asleep. He rolled his eyes at her. "We should get there within the hour. So prepare yourselves. I dont know how well guarded this place is." He said to give them a heads up. They would be there soon. And they needed to be ready. He was glad they had forsaken rest to get this done.
Leto put an arm around her protectively. "We stay together." He said seriously. "We've been more than agreeable this whole time and haven't resisted. It's not much to ask." (No way in he'll am I letting her out of my sight.) He thought.
Kronos drew his sqord then and held it up with a mighty roar as he shifted into his beast form. Aglæca drew her scythe with a flourish and held it up. She roared as well while she shifted into a snowy white wolf woman. Caruso drew a large double bearded battle ax and followed suit. He shifted into a tiger man that was twice the size of his human form.
Xaxis drew his bladed whip and did the same.
Even Fenris drew his sword and held it over his head with the mightiest little roar he could muster.
"This is where we make the world tremble!" Kronos roared. "We will make these bastards fill their boots and regret the day they were born!"
His words were met with another mighty roar, made even more fierce by their beast form, from the others.
Meliora put her arms around his waist and squeezed gratefully. The man shook his head. "Pennance is meant to be paid alone. Dont pretend like you werent going to attack the man who branded her. She'll be back in a few hours. So cooperate. It will be easier on you." The man said, clearly losing patience. Meliora looked up at Leto then. What was going to happen to her was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not. There was nothing he could do but cause problems for himself. "Its alright. I can go by myself." She said softly as she dropped her arms from around him.
Nascha was jolted from her sleep by roaring and blinked around to see all of them in beast form. It was so strange. But it mustve meant they were close. So she sat back up and readied herself for the rescue. The red man looked forward again and focused his attention on getting them there properly. They were close. He could feel it. Now if only he knew the lay of the land here.
Leto shook his head. "I was having issues honestly. I shifted against my will but I'm in control now. And she's not going anywhere alone with you people." Leto said looking the man in the eyes unafraid. "You and your people have done nothing to garner trust and as such I'll be staying with her. Im not going to interfere but us sticking together will keep us both calm. Unless you want me to shift into that beast your magic couldn't touch again? She's the only thing keeping my in my right mind." (Not gonna happen asshole.) He thought.
The man exhaled loudly. "Alright. But you will be restrained the whole time." He said as he made the bars disappear and cuffs appear around both of their wrists, pulling their hands together. They werent tethered together this time. And the man gestured for them to follow him. Meliora blinked up at Leto as if to ask him how he managed to keep getting them to give into his requests? It was crazy to think they let him have his way so easily. Meliora started following the man then, still impressed with Letos work.
Leto followed beside Meliora with a smirk. (I might be the only Dyrid ever that can talk his way out of or into anything.) He mused. (The most likely situation though is they have something horrible planned for me and her.) So are the cuffs really necessary? I mean it's ot like we're going anywhere." He said casually. "Yesterday was a fluke. You guys picked me up when I was already losing control so I can promise it won't happen again." (Let's see how confident you really are.)
Meliora smiled easily at him. She was relieved she wasnt going alone. The man chose to remain silent as he led them up the stairs and to a random door on a random floor. It opened to a stone corridor with several doors on either side. One of the doors was opened as they passed and Meliora saw an office. This wasnt at all what she was expecting. What exactly were they doing here? Were they really just going to clean offices?
Leto's heart dropped when he saw the office. He had a terrible feeling in his gut about it. (I swear to Vulir if you touch her asshole I will kill you with my chained hands around your neck. I'll let out all fifteen riders on your sorry ass.) He thought. (Like he'll I'm ever letting her out of my sight while we're here.)
The man led them to a door then and knocked. Leaving Meliora still very confused as to what they were doing there. "Come in." A voice said and the man obliged, opening the door to reveal a rather large office. A big heavy wooden desk sat in the middle and there was a sitting area off to one side. There was another door in the room but Mel couldnt see where it went because it was closed. Standing at the desk was the man from the podium. "Oh. Good. Youre here. Come in and have a seat. We can get started and you can move on to Bas." He said casually. Meliora entered the room and obliged by sitting in a wooden chair in front of the desk. And she wasnt surprised when it turned blue, locking her in place, her back even unable to move since she couldnt resist the pull to sit straight in it or her legs to press to the legs of the chair.
Leto sat as well begrudgingly. He didn't show any emotion on the outside. Yet on the inside he wanted blood. "Can you explain what bas even is so we know what to expect." He said with casual ease. (Fuck I hope they get here before anything else fucked up happens.) He prayed.
Meliora listened and hoped the man would oblige the question. "Bas is cleansing. I told you that already." He said with a sigh. He pressed his fingertips together and remained standing. He had a smile on his face that she really didnt like as his eyes stayed on her. "Lets focus on one thing at a time shall we? Were going to start in here. And then work our way around the rest of this floor. I see you brought your friend here to watch. Which is fine with me. But hes not allowed to participate." He added before opening a drawer on his side of the desk. And Meliora was starting to panic again. He pulled out two bottles of strange liquid and set them on the desk. "Youre going to sit here. On my side of the desk. And i will bring you things to take care of. This big bottle here is polish so well start with that. You will be chained to the desk to make sure you pay your pennance. And then we will move on." He said, gesturing for her to move around the desk. The man who led them was still in the room and the chair released her long enough for her to nervously walk around the desk to sit again. She could move this time but her wrists were still magically chained to the desk, the chain only allowing her about a foot of give. She was so glad Leto was with her. Though she didnt know why, she didnt like that she couldnt reach him even if she wanted to. It made her feel like he was a million miles away.
The red man pointed a hand at lights in the distance. It was remote whatever it was and secluded atop a mountain. He didnt speak, not needing to. He knew they would know what that was. And he knew they were ready to wreak havoc.
Leto frowned and gave Meliora a look to suggest that she take her sweet time so they would have a better chance of not experiencing this cleansing the man was so cryptic about. Suddenly he could feel the presence of Vulir getting stronger. (Praise Vulir they're getting close.) He thought. (I just hope she can stall long enough to not have to do much more. This asshole hasn't said what the second bottle is and I still have a terrible feeling in my gut.)
Kronos spotted the lights when the man pointed. He let out another mighty roar and brandished his weapon. "Vulir great us your strength to save our own!" He called then the others all repeated his words roar and actions. "Grant us your speed that we may quickly put down your enemies!" He called out and the others repeated. Grant us your fury that all may tremble in fear at the sight of glory before them!" He called and again the others repeated. Then all together they let out a mighty roar like thunder. Suddenly each of them had an ominous red glow about them and each wore fierce faces of rage as their bodies started to shake with anger.
Meliora nodded as the man put a hand on her shoulder. "You can wait outside now Baxtare." The man said to the one who led them to the room. Baxtare obliged him with a head nod and closed the door behind him. The man set a small metal dish on the desk then that looked somewhat like a bronze offering plate. Meliora didnt know how she was meant to polish it without a rag. Actually she had never polished anything before in her life. And she didnt even know how. But she wasnt going to say that to him. The man reached down then and grabbed the dress she was wearing around her thighs. He ripped a large section of it off easily with his hand with a smirk on his face as she gasped and locked up with surprise. "Here. Use this." He offered, holding it up to her, his free hand hidden behind the desk and on her now bare thigh.
The red man flared himself then, his eyes and hair turning into bright red flames, his hands following in suit, illuminating around his skin. Nascha didnt have anything to contribute to them then.