Double Double, Toil and Trouble (Aka, Evalin)

[Evalin]

In slow motion she watched it happen. She could see Aka as she dipped below the water once again, could see the new arrival seek to save her once more. What unnerved her the most, however, was the lack of feeling that came from the Familiar. Their link was open, like Tsenrika wanted her to see it all through him. There was no malice in his actions, there was no hate, not passion, not emotion at all. This act, to drown the girl, it was like he were simply swatting a gnat so lack was his reaction. The cold reverberated through their link, chilling her bones with the utter emptiness that was there. Evalin had never known, this calm, this peace. It did not last for long, for her skin began to burn, steam rising up from her arms as she gasped and stumbled back. Gripping her arms and gritting her teeth Evalin struggled to reimain focused, eyes searching for Aka as her body burned by invisible flames. Tsenrika's agony arched across their bond, the intense heat hitting him harder than either Evalin or Tinnok. As a creature of Ice the Familiar could not take it, and his grip released. Evalin felt him disappear into the darkness of the water, fading from her mind, not a whisper remaining as he blocked their link and she lost him entirely.

As Aka rushed from the water there was a bit of relief that spread though the center of Evalin's chest, yet the greater part of what she felt within her was something much heavier, and much darker. Looking back at Aka a moment, ensuring she was OK for the moment Evalin moved to the edge of the water, her eyes roaming the surface as she cast out with her mind, Where have you gone...? My dear Tsenrika, return to your Master. Never hall I allow you to harm the girl for her importance to my... Plans? Was that why she protected her? Evalin glanced back and then away, her mind confused as she stared over the water, Tsenrika! The call echoed across their bond, and she waited... and waited. A tick past, then another, and another, but there no response came...

Evalin gently touched the side of her head, her fingers splayed out over her temple as her brow furrowed. It was still there, however faint, but the bond's strength had dissipated. For the first time Evalin heard... silence in her mind. Deep, ringing silence. Darkness filled her mind, her consciousness struggled with the sudden independence. Her body felt hot and cold at the same time, and there was a crushing weight upon her chest, an emptiness in her she had never felt before. So great was this loneliness, this empty cold, that Evalin actually grimaced in pain and closed her eyes.

Tsenrika...

Evalin looked back at Aka, her mind slowly coming back to the present as she walked to the girl's side, kneeling down beside her and gently placing her hands on the Dhani's shoulders, "Shhhh now it is alright. It's gone..." for now is how she wished to follow it up, but she restrained herself, "You need not return to the water. Perhaps it is for the best."

The nuit's eyes then turned to Tinnok, two points of red like freshly spilled blood gazed at the Witch, a frown deepening on her lips as darker emotions began to bubble to the surface, "And what is this..." Evalin slowly stood, her eyes roaming up and down the woman, "Perhaps I should offer my thanks for aiding my Mistress, yet first I would ask of your identity. Who are you child...?" While she was not being threatening, Evalin did not make herself seem open or inviting in anyway. She kept the stern expression, the suspicious eyes, and one hand gently lowered to Aka's shoulder in a protective manner.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

OOCSorry for the short post, but Aka is still shaken up pretty badly and couldn't do much at the moment.

The Viper kept trembling, her mind gradually shutting down as she put up this self-delusion that everyone was trying to drown her so in order to avoid that, she should just curl up and be still, this way, anyone would think of her as a unmoving rock and walked pass her. Not even that black algae monster would pull her down again, however, what kind of rock had pale skin, long jet black hair, and shut crimson slits, which was gradually streaming tears to her cheeks. Also, this 'rock' emitted pitiful sobbing sounds, truly unfitting of a proud female Dhani.

She didn't notice that she accidentally burned Tinnok's limbs or the fact that Evalin looked so distraught by the disappearance of that monster, her body, mind, and soul were extremely shaken to the very core. She faced her most feared phobia, ended up saved by the half-breed she hated - but oddly respected -, then be dragged again to the very water Tinnok saved her form, witnessing a ghastly apparition trying to pull her down cemented the Viper's mind that large amounts of water pooling together was never a good thing. It became a home to monsters and horrors beyond reach of her flames, sure she could boil the water or try to vaporize it, but... she would die of overgiving before she even burned a third of the Basin.

When Evalin put a hand to her shoulder, Aka simply batted her hand away as she retreated further into her own form, curling up herself almost into a ball due to her nimble limbs. "N-no... I don't... no..." She mumbled unintelligible words over and over again, her mental faculty missing any words said by the Nuit. She heard them, but she couldn't process them. It would be clear to both Witch and Wretched One that this Reimancer's spirit was utterly extinguished and would require some time before she could function as she should be again.

[Tinnok]

Like dumping a pail of water over a campfire.

Tinnok mused as she looked over to the quivering viper. She looked more like a child than ever, curled up, shivering and muttering, clearly frightened and shaken. Perhaps her metaphor was only breaching the surface of the power Aka commanded, but truly it looked like the basin had sucked the fire and verve out of the Dhani.

As Evalin assessed the half breed, Tinnok's yellow eyes looked upward. At first she appeared Myrian. Tan skin, long hair. Young looking, younger than her, but those eyes were like congealed blood, and she referred to Tinnok as a child...

A pain lanced up Tinnok's arm again and her hand grasped her Gnosis. At first she thought perhaps the burning sensation had reached up there as well, but a glance at the skin revealed this not to be the case. The vibrant design of the strangler fig leaves blowing faintly in an unseen breeze were undisturbed. Her mind itched with curiosity.

When her slitted gaze returned to Evalin she got the first sense of the Wretched One's Aura. Perhaps it was her role as a Phylonurist, a Witch of life ad its natural cycle that made it more painful, but she realized swiftly that something was off about this being, something that made the skin at the nape of her neck prickle.

"I am Tinnok, formerly of the Tempered Steel, Daughter of Caiyha, Witch of the Wilds." She said experimentally in Myrian. She watched Evalin's face for recognition, and when she saw none, sighed softly and began in her lurching understanding of common, her eyes narrowing as one suspicion was confirmed. Looks like a Myrian, but isn't.

"I, Tinnok. I sorry, Common not know well." She paused, trying to think of the best way to formulate and explanation.

"Met Aka before, in jungle. Not know so well, share..." She trailed off with a shrug. "Not....foe." It was too much of a headache to put together an explanation. Well you see, Mamoru wanted to petch me, but not her, so she was mad at me, and probably wants to kill the child he thinks is in my belly, but don't worry its not there.

She grimaced, shifting so that her legs were crossed and her eyes scanned the basin.

"That thing...I do not know what was. No 'dile, no fish, no snake, no tuttle." Then her gaze twisted back to Aka, not knowing what solace to offer her.

OOCSlap me if I made assumptions about Evalin's knowledge of Myrian!

[Evalin]

Evalin glanced down at Aka as her hand was swatted away, a mixed look of pity and disdain marking her features as she folded her hands before her waist. At the strange tongue of the Myrian language Evalin would raise an eyebrow, equal parts annoyed and curious. The nuit had been speaking common after all, why would she bother to try the Myrian tongue? Of course it was at that moment Evalin realized it was her body, which so easily the nuit could forget. Perhaps the little one thought her some lost sister, and somehow that brought an amused smile to Eva's lips.

"Tinnok is it? A curious name, and one I have not heard before." Evalin said as she slowly stepped around Aka, making a slow circuit to the side, drawing closer slightly but not too much as she pulled her hood up, staring out from the darkness with her red tint eyes. She would pause then, simply staring at Tinnok as she felt the growing lust in her mind. The need to taste this girl's blood, to sample something so strange and exotic, it was almost too much to bear. Perhaps it would show a bit in her eyes, but Evalin would then turn away to look out over the water, "Need you worry not of that creature. It has fled for the time being..." There was a sadness, a sense of longing Evalin could not quite hide from her voice as she said this. She quickly tried to shake it off, but the silence in her mind and the loneliness in her chest was almost crippling.

Looking back at Tinnok Evalin paced back toward them, walking between Aka and the half-breed as she let her cloak fall around her shoulders once more to hide her hands and form, "You say you are no foe, yet neither have you said you are an ally... Your appearance is odd, and your eyes... Never have I seen a Myrian with eyes such as yours. Know I not who or what you are, thus I ask you to speak your nature before me so that I might know you for what you truly are." She could not help it, her tongue licked her lips as she longed to taste the blood of this girl, the urge beginning to grow too strong, and without her guiding voice her urges were nearly more than she could bear, "Be warned child, do not lie to she who walks the edge of time. Many over the centuries have fallen for sweet lies whispered to I who can see to the hearts of men and divine their true soul." A minor bluff, for certainly people have died at Evalin's hands who did not speak the truth. Though whether it was their truth, or Evalin's they did not speak that is left still to speculation.

OOCYour good

[Tinnok]

Tinnok knew hunger when she saw it. She had seen it Myrian tigers, leopards, jaguars, even once a massive wolf. She had seen a different kind of hunger in those supposed to be her peers, the hunger to control and belittle her because of what she was, to have power over her and take advantage. Yes, she could see that desire, but was not sure what need it stemmed from. She met those red eyes with an even gaze, refusing to back down from whatever this creature was.

Too many things were wrong with this woman. Not the eyes, not even the strange feeling, the unsettling worry that seemed content to sift into the halfbreed's very bones. She didn't know Myrian, didn't recognize the tenor of her name, and had the gall to point out the strangeness of her eyes when she had blood red orbs fixed in a young head? Tinnok opened her mouth to retort, but closed it slowly as Evalin continued speaking. It was hard enough for her to grasp common when one spoke simply, but this being was making complex sentences that hse had to piece together slowly.

It was clear this being held themselves in high esteem. The strange cryptic threats and the way she spoke suggested the age to which her body did not show. Again she wanted to retort, to tell her to petch off because she had received the painful burns lancing up her legs and arms in trying to save Aka, not her who had merely sat watching. And then when she spoke of the creature, a knowing morose tone...

Tinnok had learned long ago that those that thought they were stronger, smarter, better than you, did not like being spoken to otherwise. She didn't know what power this thing possessed, but best not to anger her before that became clear. Perhaps she was only a bag of wind able to speak at great length about things that made her seem more important, but...better to air on the side of caution.

"I only not say ally, for it may be Aka not think that." Her brow furrowed again trying to tame the ugly common words into something sensical. "I am Dhani and Myrian, it why my eyes are. I and Aka killed other Myrians as one, but only met the one time, never gain till this time."

Tinnok shifted painfully upright standing her full height over Evalin. "What is one who 'walks the edge of time'?" There was genuine curiosity in her voice, but also a hint of disrespect as well. If she was going to be grilled she wanted answers in return.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Aka didn't even realize she was batting away her own lover's concerned hand, her body was mostly still acting on self-preservation instinct and her mind plagued by the need to just curl herself into a ball and close off everything, but no, she was no longer the weak scared girl, she was an Azenth, an agent of Ivak, the Flame God, and like flames themselves, nothing shall quench her spirit. The Viper clenched her fists as slowly raised her head, finding Evalin in a tense conversation with... of course, Tinnok, the half-breed abomination.

She had much to say to her and it looked like Evalin was speaking in her complicated Common again, Aka could hear what the Nuit said, but couldn't comprehend all of it, granted her basic fluency of Common was higher than Tinnok, but still not enough to perfectly understand Evalin's flowery words. Aka slammed the bark behind her with her elbow as she heaved herself up, standing in all her clothless glory, not giving a care as both of them had seen her naked anyway. The Viper put her right hand to her hip as she gave a smirk at Evalin, "Ev-..." Could she say Evalin's real name in Tinnok's presence? Well, better be safe than sorry, "Katherine, thisss woman you ssse before you," She tried her best to emulate Evalin's fancy Common, "Isss a half-breed! Half Dhani, Half monkey..." Aka didn't hide her disgusted tone. It was interesting to note that Aka didn't mind Tinnok's Myrian blood really, it was her dealings with Mamoru that fueled her hostility.

"You..." Aka stomped towards the taller half-breed, not noticing the burns on her limbs yet due to anger, "Y-you, bitch! Ha... haha! S-ssso... where isss thisss 'child' of yoursss? Huh?! Where are they?!" Aka raised her hand to slap Tinnok, but stopped mid-way, a part of her mind screamed at her that this was wrong and she was being a spoiled brat, heck, an ungrateful little shyke, her conscience kicked at her for raising her voice at the person who just saved her life, "I..." She wanted to say 'thank you', but her pride stopped her, pursing her trembling lips, Aka looked away, "Hmph!" She gave a flinch at the basin, fearing the monster might still be about.

"I... I think we better kill that thing before it showsss up again..." Waving off the topic, the signature tactic of a prideful person who couldn't be honest with her feelings.

[Evalin]

Evalin raised an eyebrow as Tinnok gave her response, and as she stood over the nuit Evalin folded her arms behind her back, though her cloak hid this motion from view. A smile was touching her lips, and as Evalin began to give a rather lengthy explanation for her existence she heard Aka's voice from behind. Blinking, Evalin looked back as the girl came forward, the nuit stepping back herself to let the Mistress take the lead. Evalin pulled on a bit of her power, drawing res to gather beneath her cloak just in case... just in case what?

Evalin frowned and closed her eyes, trying to order the suddenly jumbled thoughts in her head. She kept... circling, round and around with musings and plans, thoughts and questions that confused and disorganized her mind. She felt she had to do something, but was not quite sure... what. LIke the guiding voice was gone from her, and without it she was unable to completely order herself any longer.

Opening her eyes once more Evalin looked out into the distance, over the water as her expression became a mask, "You will not find it again until it is ready to finish what it began... It would be best to avoid him--" She hesitated for just a fraction of a tick as she realized what she had said, "it until we are better prepared. For now Mistress," Evalin turned her eyes on Tinnock once more, the hunger growing stronger and stronger. There was nothing there to curb it now, nothing to ease the tension it caused, to distract Evalin from its growing strength, "What would you wish for me to do this this one? Shall we kill her?" She said this as if she were talking about the weather, "I fear the thirst grows, and I would satisfy it with the blood of the child who is no ally of my Mistress."

Evalin smiled slowly as she came beside Aka, resting a hand on the girls waist as she looked at Tinnok like another might look at the evening meal.

[Tinnok]

The abomination turned her attention to Aka, just in time to flinch from a slap that never came, watching her vibrant eyes and the roiling emotions behind her. This meeting seemed not so different from their last in that regard. At the mention of a child Tinnok's face turned away.

She struggled to find the words, speaking them slowly. "There is...no child." She had had unspoken relief when her Leth's Blood had come again, no sickness in her gut rising with Syna, no bulging object growing inside her. She wasn't sure if it had anything to do wither prayer to Oriana, but she thanked the bear Goddess every morning with the other deities she paid homage to...just in case. When Aka turned her attention back to the water Tinnok only nodded.

"Yes, it come back, perhaps wait until Leth shine." That was what she would do if she wanted to kill someone and her attack failed. They would be expecting an attack regardless, but the cover of night would help with confusion and perhaps even an ambush.

Rounded slits turned to thin lines of consternation as Evalin spoke about the creature. She knew what it was yet she wasn't going to share anything more than what she had to. The half breed's Phylonura mark itched something fierce, and her hand instinctively covered it, the feeling of uneasiness that Evalin exuded washing over her like the water in the basin.

At the mention of killing, Tinnok's hand dropped down to the dagger bound around waist and torso, out of instinct if nothing else. She took a single, long measured pace back, glad to be a bit farther from the hungry looking creature as well. Her yellow eyes buzzed past the thing to look at Aka.

"Yes, mistahress, we kill it?" Her tone was mocking. They could try to kill her, but if it was through Aka's flames they also risked bringing Myrians down upon them. She pictured her possibilities. Best scenario would be to simply run into the jungle. She could always circle back and reclaim her supplies high in the trees at a later date. Diving into the water was also tempting since Aka seemed petrified of it, and the creature didn't seem keen to go near it either, but if whatever monster attacked them was still lurking there...it didn't seem the best plan. What was this thirst, and what had Aka gotten herself into with this strange being?

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Aka quirked an eyebrow at Evalin's odd attitude, she was acting as if she knew this creature or already, or at least, these kind of creatures. "Very well..." Aka shrugged, Evalin was centuries years old, it would be obvious that the Nuit would know much more than her, especially regarding strange and dangerous creatures, heck, Evalin was one herself, being a transforming undead creature. Still, Aka couldn't let it go, not without a warning, the Viper clenched her right first as res began covering it then she opened it into a clawing position, the gaseous res forming into a ball, in which she quickly ignited into flames. "Aaaargh!" With a scream of anger, Aka tossed the palm-sized fireball into the water, then she quickly detonated it, causing streams of water and vapor to burst everywhere. "Hmph..." With her anger vent, Aka turned her attention to the half-breed.

Evalin's suggestion looked sound at first, yes, why didn't she just kill Tinnnok in the first place? She would be doing Zinrah a favor by eliminating this abomination to ashes. Aka gave a hungry grin at Tinnok, putting her right hand to her waist, Evalin also rested a hand on her clothless body, Aka simply used her other hand to caress the Nuit's cheek. "Now I wonder..." she gave a scrutinizing look at Tinnok, the only thing that prevented her from acting right away was some semblance of gratitude that Tinnok saved her life, also a sense of kinship after they both defended each other from a group of Myrians.

"No child?" Aka released herself from Evalin at the words though, it couldn't be, was Tinnok lying? The Viper turned her eyes at the half-breed's belly, well, she didn't look pregnant and leaving a newborn baby by their own in a jungle would be suicide. "..." The Viper's gnosis prickled at Tinnok's current most pronounced emotion, relief, "Huh..." It looked like half-breed was indeed telling the truth. Of course, an abomination like Tinnok would be sterile, she was broken halves of two arch-nemesis races after all. The Half-breed, unsurprisingly, went alert went Evalin threatened to kill her. Taking a nimble long backward step while raising her weapon, Aka noted that Tinnok moved even nimbler than her... how could it be possible? She was a Viper Dhani and yet... this half-breed outmatched her in terms of acrobatic movements.

"..." The Viper went silent, it would be foolish to kill Tinnok and frankly, making her as an utterly ungrateful shyke, further tainting the already dubious reputation of the Dhani. If Aka took her revenge on Tinnok for saving her and for a child that wasn't there, she would act exactly how snakes were portrayed in fables, betrayers and back-stabbers. "No." Aka said simply, holding Evalin's body back, "Ssshe... isss..." She stammered her words, but finally flowed on, "Friend." With a quiet 'hmph', Aka turned her back as she went for her clothes, quickly putting her simple black robe then finished by tying it with her red sash.

"Tell me, Tinnok," Aka walked back, now daring herself to approach the half-breed, "Why are you here? I thought you are running away, from usss, from the monkeysss..." She was curious, she had not seen the half-breed for a long while, what made her come back, there must be something? "Alssso, thisss isss Katherine, my sssla-... ssservant." She gave a forced brief introduction.

[Evalin]

Evalin's smile widened as the half-blood reached for her dagger, one eyebrow raising almost as if to mock the efforts to defend herself. She lifted one hand, already preparing to summon her power to the tips of her fingers, and would have were it not for Aka stepping between them once more. The smile quickly faded, those red eyes, for just a moment, staring into the back of Aka's head with a mix of annoyance, and slight loathing which was quickly masked once more by a blank expression as she lowered her hand to her side once more, "As you wish Mistress..."

She could not hide the reluctance in her voice, for even now as she looked back at Aka the craving stirred in the back of her mind, painting a fog over her thoughts and pressing against the back of her eyes in the form of longing so deep it scarred without leaving a mark. Evalin's eyes followed Aka as she turned with more than a little personality, though she looked back at Tinnok as she adjusted her hood to pull it lower over her features, "A friend in words perhaps... Wonder I how long till such ties as these will fade to nothing. Perhaps then I shall taste the life that courses through your veins. We shall hope." She smiled and chuckled, not even noticing she refers to herself as 'we'. It was an odd tick, one that would come to annoy her later on.

As Aka returned Evalin stood back to take her place behind her Mistress once more. When she was introduced Evalin would dip her head slightly, though certainly not as far as a true servant might, "It... Is a pleasure to meet a friend of my Mistress. I do hope that we shall spend much time together."

OOCI apologize for the really long wait for this reply. I had to get my head back on straight before anything else. I feel a bit rusty, but I still hope it was ok