koholint | [sample thread] In the Suhalla

[sample thread] In the Suhalla

[It was really hot out...

Sheba was certain that her mind ought to be on other things right now. Like how this desert was even more monster-infested than it had seemed to be at first glance, how those sandstorms were actually caused by monsters, how the guards escorting her back to Lalivero had been defeated, how she was now stuck in the company of... these people.

The blue-haired man at the front of the group had a smug little smile, though Sheba supposed he had a reason to be smug. After all, he had somehow managed to call water out of the ground... in a desert, no less. That was no small feat. There was just something about him, though...

She wasn't sure what to make of the old man and the young girl. They weren't unkind - quite the opposite, in fact - but Sheba was in no mood for anyone's company right now. Why they were traveling along with these people, she didn't know for sure, but she suspected their circumstances were not altogether different from hers. That didn't mean she wanted their pity, though...

The man and the woman at the back of the group sort of... frightened her, if the truth be told. There was just something about them that didn't seem quite right. They were clearly obsessed with something, and clearly had no qualms about forcing others to do their bidding. She'd thought some rather unkind things about them already, in the short time she'd known them, and she was sure they wouldn't like it if they knew. Luckily, none of them had her skills... she'd touched their minds, just briefly, but what she'd found there was enough to make her keep out, and certainly enough to keep her from making a break for it. She might have been able to survive the Suhalla on her own, after making it that far with the guards, but not any longer. Not with those two keeping an eye on her.]

Ugh...

[She frowned a little and brought up a hand to fan herself. It was absolutely sweltering, but the group didn't seem to be stopping and she wasn't going to be the one to call for a break. They could force her into their company, they could force her to go all the way to Venus Lighthouse and beyond - but they couldn't force her to show she was scared, and she wouldn't show weakness in front of them. If they were going to stop, it was going to be because one of them called for it, not her.

The last member of their group trudged on in the sand not too far away from her. He hadn't done anything outwardly threatening, but a small part of her couldn't help but be a little morbidly curious what lay in his mind. If he was traveling with this bunch, well...

Whatever it was, she told herself, it couldn't be worse than what was in Saturos' and Menardi's minds. She kept her eyes resolutely ahead and called upon her Psynergy. Whether she found anything interesting in Felix's mind or not, she didn't want to make it totally obvious that it was her doing it. The less these people knew about her, the better; the more she knew about them, the better off she'd be if she did try to make an escape when they neared Lalivero and got out of this godforsaken pit of sand.]

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[Felix was growing tired of the desert as well, though this was mostly because the more he mulled over all this, the more he wanted the chance to be sure Saturos and Menardi weren't going to do anything else to this girl. Surely he could just convince them to leave her in Lalivero whenever they go there, right? If she was from around here, maybe she was a different kind of Venus Adept. The Fire Adepts in Vale were nothing like the people of Prox, after all.]

No, they keep...

[But he trailed off as he thought about her comment a bit more. And, despite, trying to stay low-key, he stared at her curiously.]

Hold on, I never said anything about them breaking their word.

[Yeah, that was definitely her presence he was noticing in his mind. Not that he expected a straight answer, and if he was lucky she wouldn't give one. He'd just have to hope she didn't try it on anyone else or that they didn't notice. It was a good thing Alex was leading the way, he always seemed to notice...]

..!

[A slightly panicked expression passed over her face for the briefest of instants, and then she looked down at her feet as she walked. It was probably better that she didn't look him in the eye so her expression couldn't give anything away.]

...I thought they must have made some kind of a promise to you. You said "shouldn't" and "supposed to"... it sounded like the three of you had an arrangement of some kind.

[She had no idea if he'd buy that or not, but she really hoped he did.]

[He didn't quite buy it, but then again he didn't want to push it. Right now he was more concerned with figuring out how to get her out of this situation than anything else. They had already left enough people to die, and he wasn't putting up with that anymore. Nor was she getting forced into this business if she didn't need to.]

... Yeah, that's right. They weren't supposed to involve anyone that wasn't related to this.

[A promise they obviously had never intended to keep. What kind of person made a promise if they weren't going to follow through?]

...

[She was silent for a moment or two, during which she cast a glance in Jenna and Kraden's direction. That must have been how those two ended up involved...]

It's easy to make promises. It's keeping them that becomes a problem...

[She finally looked back to Felix, her brows furrowing as she scrutinized him. Part of her wanted to try reading his mind again, but another, more wary part of her said maybe that wasn't a good idea. He'd already said that he'd have to tell Saturos and Menardi if he thought what she could do was related to their goals.

For now, she'd stick with talking. It was better than thinking about how ungodly hot this desert was. And if she was lucky, maybe she'd find something she could use.]

How are you related to this? ...If you don't mind me asking.

[If only she weren't right. He would definitely have to be more careful if he made any promises from here on in...]

That's true.

[He frowned and stayed silent for a few moments. It wasn't really a story he liked to tell, nor did he see much of a reason for her to know most of it. Then again, at least part of it could hopefully illustrate the patter of behavior.]

They saved me once a few years ago. I've traveled with them since then.

..so you're.. in their debt?

[Then the most obvious course of action was for Sheba to do something for them, to put them in her debt. Then they'd be even, and she could go home.

...well, that would be obvious if they were normal people. Which obviously they weren't.

She pursed her lips, lapsing back into silence. If her luck held they'd let her go once they reached Lalivero, and she usually had been pretty lucky, but she'd still feel better about all this if she had some kind of a backup plan.

She sighed lightly and brought a hand up to rub at her head. This whole situation was giving her a headache.]

Something like that.

[More like "dealing with an overly complex hostage situation", but debt summed it up well enough. She didn't need to know all the details anyway, did she?

He noticed her move her hand to her head and immediately felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe if he had just done a better job of speaking up earlier, she would be looking forward to getting home and not worrying about how long she was going to be used for some purpose even Felix wasn't entirely certain of.]

I'm...sorry about this, for what it's worth. And I'm sure Jenna and Kraden are, as well.

[Alex...eh, who ever knew with that guy?]

...they don't seem like bad people.

[She hadn't tried reading their minds just yet, but the fact that they'd tried to be kind spoke volumes about them. She paused for a moment, brushing some of her bangs away from her face, and looked to Felix again.]

You don't seem like a bad person, either.

[She offered him a very small smile. She wasn't sure what to make of Alex, Saturos, and Menardi, and she still wasn't entirely sure if Felix, Jenna, and Kraden were trustworthy, but at least he didn't seem inclined to cause harm to anyone. Which was a small silver lining in this situation, but a silver lining nonetheless.]

They aren't.

[He met her gaze for a second, but his expression remained fairly neutral. Felix really wasn't sure if he was a bad person or not. He had been helping Saturos and Menardi for so long as it was. True, he didn't have much of a choice, but he still could have found a way where he didn't have to play the villain and drag so many people he knew into this. Now even strangers were getting dragged in.]

Uh, right. Just do as they say for now, and hopefully you can stay in your hometown once we arrive.

Yes, hopefully.

[There were only a few things past the Suhalla that seemed likely to be destinations for this group - Venus Lighthouse, Lalivero, and the not-yet-completed Babi Lighthouse. The way Felix spoke made it sound like they wouldn't be staying in Lalivero for long...

So which of the two lighthouses were they intending to go to, Sheba wondered? ...probably Venus Lighthouse, she decided after a moment. Babi's construction project didn't seem to be the type of thing to catch the attention of this kind of group.

Whatever their goals were, the Elemental Lighthouses were involved somehow... But how did they expect to get inside?

...the caves in the ruins...

No, it couldn't be. Could it?

She frowned, just a little, as she considered everything. It was possible. They'd have to pass through Lalivero to get to the ruins, and--

No, she didn't like the way her thoughts were straying. Should she tell them about the ruins? That would be helping them. They might think she could be of use to them, and then she'd never go home. Should she keep quiet about it? If they ever found out she knew about them, if they ever found out about the visions... would that count as getting in their way? And it would definitely be getting in their way if she shouted a warning when they arrived in Lalivero.

...the Laliverans might try to get in their way if they saw her with this group... especially after Babi had taken her once already.

That was almost enough to make her stop in her tracks. If the people from her hometown got hurt because of her... if they got killed...

But she'd be of no use to anyone if she defied them and got herself killed here. What was she supposed to do...? Maybe if she'd waited a little longer to leave Tolbi, this wouldn't have happened. Or if Babi had let her leave sooner - but no, the monsters in the desert still might have attacked, and if not for this group happening to pass through just then, where would she be now?

...but if someone from Lalivero tried to help her, and they got hurt...

This was complicated. More complicated than she wanted to deal with right now, but she had to come up with something, somehow. She had to.

She just didn't know what.]

[Sheba seemed bothered. He couldn't really blame her, though. She had no idea what was going on, and he wasn't about to go into details. Not when there was still a chance for her to get back to her family and have a more normal life than he ever would at this point.

Still, Felix did feel bad about this. He kept spotting similarities between their situations, which was exactly why he was feeling more and more determined to make sure she didn't end up in the same situation he was in if it could be helped.

Of course, he had also had his parents and Kyle there for support when this all started. Sheba didn't know who any of them were, so this couldn't be easy on her. Maybe he should check on her. ...Somehow...]

How are you feeling, anyway? You've been in this place longer than we have.

I don't have any water. How do you think I'm feeling?

[That was, perhaps, a little snarkier than she'd meant it to be, but the ungodly heat coupled with the rather unpleasant way her thoughts were straying didn't leave her in the best of moods. If she were less wary about giving herself away she might have tried stirring up a small breeze of some kind to cool herself down, but that would probably be a bad idea, all things considered.]

...sorry. That was rude. I'm feeling alright, I suppose.

[If anything, it was actually kind of a relief to hear her react like that. She was obviously willing to stick up for herself, which could help under the right circumstances with Saturos and Menardi. As long as that didn't go too far.

...Nevermind, he was growing more concerned about her overall safety every minute.

He shrugged slightly, almost as if to express that he didn't blame her for the attitude given the circumstances.]

If you need water, I could try to get some for you.

[As much as he doesn't want to ask Alex. He could probably convince him, seeing how he was already using his Psynergy to get them through this desert. Like he would ever claim to be drained, anyway.]

You... could?

[For a moment, it looked like she might say "Yes, please." In this heat, water would be a godsend. But...

She pursed her lips and looked at the others. Alex wasn't drinking. Saturos and Menardi weren't drinking. Jenna and Kraden weren't drinking. Felix wasn't drinking.

If someone had to be the weak link here, she didn't want it to be her.]

...no, that's okay. Thank you, though.

[Felix was right to be concerned. The girl could be as stubborn as a Mars Adept when she put her mind to it.]

[Yeah, he had been around those stubborn Mars Adepts his whole life. So, while he still wasn't sure about her powers, he could at least recognize the behavior. He remained silent as he thought for a few moments.]

We have been walking for quite a while. I can try to convince them to take a break if we find some shade. I'm sure everyone could use it at this point.

[It almost looked like she might ignore his offer, but after a bit of silence, she gave the smallest of nods.]

I wouldn't mind a rest, if everyone else is resting too.

...thank you.

[He nodded in response. Eh, so she wasn't the sort to back down. If anything he was just learning how best he'd need to look out for her if he wanted to be sure she got out of this.

So with that, he stopped and waited a few seconds for the Proxians to catch up to him. He frowned as he addressed them, once again speaking in his normal tone.]

Hey, we've been going for a while now. Some of the others could probably use a break, right?

What do you suppose the two of them are up to?

I daresay we'll find out soon enough.

[The conversation between Felix and Sheba had not gone unnoticed. With Alex in the lead, Saturos and Menardi were free enough to keep an eye on the members of their not-so-happy little "family," and they weren't quite sure they liked what they were seeing. Felix had been ever so persistent in his attempts to keep them from involving others, but really, he ought to have expected this. They were always going to have to add another member to their group, and that little brat that had taken up with Isaac didn't seem worth the trouble. He'd already long since made up his mind to oppose them.

Whether or not the next member of their group had to be Sheba was as of yet undecided. They had their suspicions, especially after they'd each felt the faintest touch of another presence in their minds, but what happened next would depend on how things went when they lit Venus' beacon...

Saturos raised an eyebrow as Felix slowed and then stopped. He and Menardi caught up to him in just a few short strides, and they exchanged glances after he spoke.]

If I didn't know better I'd say you had ulterior motives, Felix...

[Menardi had always been rather blunt. Saturos sighed, then shrugged. It was true that he, Menardi, and Alex were more than capable of making it through this without resting, but he did so detest whining. If this could stop it in its tracks before either of the girls or the old man started complaining about aching feet...]

Be that as it may, some members of our group could do with a rest. We'll stop as soon as we find somewhere suitable, but only for a little while. We're very close to our goal and there's no sense putting it off when we could soon have that beacon shining bright.

[He frowned a bit at Menardi.]

I was just concerned about the ones in this group who don't have as much travel experience.

[Still not smiling, he turned his attention to Saturos and nodded.]

Good. I'll let the others know.

[He quickened his pace to catch up to Jenna and Kraden, and after speaking with them for just a few moments, he adjusted his pace again and headed back to Sheba. There was no point in telling Alex, he may just argue the point anyway.]

They'll stop for a bit once we find a good spot.

...thank you, Felix.

[It would have been a lie to say that Sheba's expression wasn't at least a little relieved. She could be as stubborn as she wanted but that didn't change the fact that it was ridiculously hot in this desert.

She wasn't quite sure what would count as a good spot, but she'd keep her eyes out nonetheless...]

Look, over there... do you think that would work?

[There was only a little bit of shade from the sun, but it was better than nothing. Besides, the ground over there looked a little more solid than the sand they were on now, and the cliffs on either side looked pretty solid as well. Maybe not the best spot, but certainly better than just plopping down to rest in the middle of the desert.]

[He nodded slightly in response to her thanks. It wasn't a huge deal, he was just doing what he thought anyone should do.

Upon her suggestion, he looked in the same direction she was. It did seem like a fairly good spot. He was a bit impressed she had found it so quickly, but then again if she was really from Lalivero, she was probably more accustomed to desert landscapes.]

It might. I'll see what they think.

[He turned toward Saturos and Menardi and pointed in the direction of the area.]

What about there?!

[Saturos turned his head to look in the direction Felix had indicated. While it was true that there were probably better places to rest in the desert, he wasn't sure of how many of them he'd find this far out. He sighed.]

It will do.

[Menardi rolled her eyes, but for the moment Saturos ignored her and called out to the rest of the group.]

All of you stop! We'll be taking a short rest.

[This came as a bit of a surprise to Alex, who was still leading the way since he was regrettably the only one who could. It was such a burden being him, it really was. He did stop and turn to approach the others before speaking, however.]

Are you sure? I suspect there's not much further to go in this desert. Or is this for the benefit of our "guests"?

More like it's for your benefit. I'm sure they're just worried about whether or not you're able to handle yourself here.

[Surprisingly, the biting comment came from the youngest member of their group, and not Jenna. It also came more quickly than Saturos was able to speak.

A beat passed, and then Sheba ducked her head and tried to look as innocent as possible while shifting herself to stand a little behind Felix. Oops.]

[Alex seems a bit surprised at her comments, however no hint of anger ever crosses into his expression.]

Ah, you'll learn soon enough just who in this party is capable of handle what.

[And top it off with a pleasant smile~]

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I tried and I tried but I couldn't get myself to post them from Sheba's account...

Well this is amazing so no worries XD

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