Night of the sixth

The group was now on high alert. They have come to find out that a cult from the underdark has been creating an army through sacrifices to summon Lolth, the spider goddess of discord. However, the cult has been working with a fiend, the demon Bishnar, to instead awaken a demon lord of chaos and let loose Armageddon upon the underdark and common realm. Through the information they acquired from Naleth, the party now must decide what they wish to do with him. Sarale knew him as an alley from the underdark, but his mannerism made them all think otherwise until Tunda explained to them what he was. 

Naleth was a revenant. A broken soul forced to reawaken from death in order to seek vengeance.

The day has passed and the group has finally moved along the path again. Vajor's ear twitches and he shifts as he eyes Sarale on the back of Ithildin. Sarale quirks a brow, but doesn't look at him.

SARALE:

"You know if you keep looking at me like that I'm going to think I'm in trouble."

VAJOR:

"I'd just rather ya be here with me. It'd make me feel more at ease in case we get jumped."

KARMA:(irritated)

"It' make everyone feel at ease if she was sitting with you instead of sitting on her dire wolf, but I guess she's strong enough to not need to- mph!?"

Aktlass quickly covers Karma's mouth to make them stop talking. They growl in annoyance as their tail ticks and hits his arm. Sarale grows quiet and sinks down closer to Ithildin like a timid child sinking into their stuffed animal. Her eyes looked everywhere, but Karma and Aktlass. Vajor glares at the back of Karma's head and sighs before looking back at Sarale.

VAJOR:

"Dove, ya know we're just worried about ya right?"

Sarale nods, but doesn't look at him as she fidgets with Ithildin's fur nervously. Tunda keeps his attention on the forest as he keeps his head down, having Naleth with him on Loonu as they stayed behind the group. Naleth held onto Tunda closely and comfortably as he rested his head on Tunda's shoulder to watch over the others in front. despite Tunda's discomfort, he couldn't say anything by Karma's orders. Vajor looks back and his eyebrows twitch, 

VAJOR:

"Dove, why don't ya ride with me an' let Naleth ride Ithildin? Might make everyone more comfortable."

Sarale sniffles and nods, her voice a quiet whisper.

SARALE:

"okay."

NALETH:

"That's a bad idea. for a plethora of reasons, but the biggest being a traitor of my own. The only one that would be willing to protect me is her. I will agree that it is best to ride with someone, child. It won't be good if you suddenly collapse and we have to stop again."

Sarale stares at her hands, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt and nods.

SARALE:

"Okay."

She climbs from the back of Ithildin and Vajor helps her onto his horse. She leans back against Vajor's chest as a silent tear escapes the boundary of her lashes.

NALETH:

"Now don't you feel a bit more relaxed with someone that loves you being so close? Stop your tears and hold up your chin, child. You are safe here."

SARALE:

"It's not that... I know I'm safe."

NALETH:

"But do you feel safe? That's what's important."

Vajor tightens his grip around her waist and she nods.

SARALE:

"yeah? But I don't think I've ever felt unsafe with them either."

Vajor rubs his thumb along her armored stomach and smiles.

NALETH:

"then stop making your friends worry so much. They love you just as much as you love them after all. You already know what they felt when you woke up this morning, yes. Be more understanding and take their help when they offer it."

Sarale opens her mouth to speak, but clamps it shut with an annoyed sigh as she looks off into the forest. The group continue on their way down the road and take another rest for the night. They find a new checkpoint just as destroyed as the first. Not many enemies were wandering around the place, and hardly any bodies could be seen either. The place was deserted by all natural life.

NALETH:

"Looks like a larger team decimated this place and took the bodies. We should be able to have a good rest here without worry after those are gone."

He points to a few wandering homunculi at the entrance doing nothing but aimlessly stalking the grounds. Sarale taps Vajor's leg and he climbs from the back of the horse offering her a hand. She shakes her head.

SARALE:

"I'll stay out of this one."

Vajor nods with a sigh before drawing his greataxe.

VAJOR:

"I'll stay here with ya then. In case any of them get through."

Karma and Aktlass hop off their horse and go forward.

KARMA:

"stay here, Tunda. you need to watch him."

Tunda's face matches Karma's as they show pain on their faces from seeing the ruins from afar. Aktlass pats Karma's back as he looks back at Tunda with worry. Tunda falls forward on Loonu shivering and breathing heavily as he stifles his laughter and tears.

Karma grabs their double bladed scimitar and picks up speed. jumping into the group and killing one of the five homunculi, taking its head and core. they swing at another and it jumps back with a screech. a second attacks them from behind when Aktlass jumps in front of them and takes out the homunculus with one more next to it. A fourth rushes Aktlass and suddenly finds his tail in its mouth. He swings his tail and sends the fourth homunculus flying into a wall and destroying them. The last one flees into the camp when a large monstrous construct steps on the last homunculus with one other.

one of the large constructs reaches for Aktlass and he jumps out of the way, while the other goes to Karma. it backhands them and sends them to a wall. Karma drops to ground with a heavy heroes landing and dusts themself off to rush in again. They rush in and decimate the constructs arm with booming blade covering their Scimitar, making it roar as Karma goes for the head and land behind them the homunculus staggers around to swing at them again and scratch Karma with its claw as they jump back from the hit. 

Aktlass' construct slams into the ground at him only to have him slice into the construct's arms, causing it to disintegrate and fall off at the elbow. He swings again at the constructs and takes it another arm at the shoulder before kicking it to the ground. and slamming the ax through its head, destroying the core inside.

Karma Slices at the construct, blasting away at its arm and sides breaking away at it piece by piece. until it drops to the ground, struggling to reach for them. Karma puts away their scimitar and raises a hand to it, a stretch of lightning creeps up Karma's body and fires straight through the construct's head and destroying the core from the inside.

Karma looks at Aktlass and tilts their head with a sigh. They were more relaxed than earlier.

AKTLASS:

"Are you well?"

KARMA:

"... yeah. I'm good. I just had to let off some steam. Thanks for the teamwork, handsome."

Karma smirks at Aktlass tiredly as he approaches them to give them a hug. Karma sighs into his embrace as they hug him back and kiss his cheek. "I'll call everyone."

Aktlass nods and goes to find a place to rest.

Tunda finally stops shivering as he looks out to the ruins ahead. his voice sounded groggy and scratchy as he spoke.

TUNDA:

"... it's clear to go. they finished cleaning up."

Vajor puts away his greataxe and takes the reins to guide the horses into the camp. Once they arrive he helps Sarale off the horse and she stands slightly behind him, quietly. Vajor's brows furrow as he looks around.

VAJOR:

"what tha hell is goin' on in this forest? That's way too big to be a normal homunculus."

NALETH:

"A Maddgoth construct. Or an imitation of his works anyway. Experiments made from larger beings or a mass amount of them. They tend to be a bit more intelligent and hear others out but these are just the mindless failures it seems."

Naleth and Tunda dismount and stand by.

KARMA:

"I wonder if this is the reason that wanderlust fae is so on edge with us being here?"

VAJOR:

"That would make the most sense. I'll start cleaning up. Dove, ya wanna set up a campfire for us? We can cook somethin' for everyone after."

Sarale nods and starts collecting broken lumber around the old structures and creating a campfire to cook over. Karma goes to her to help out.

KARMA:

"... hey. I'm sorry about earlier. and I didn't mean to yell at you last night either... I know what it feels like to be worried about your own usefulness, so... I hope you can feel better soon. I really wanted to keep you safe, but being forced into a slumber for so long kept me on edge. So come back to chat with me later if you feel like talking again, okay?"

Once the wood is in place, Karma strikes it with a lightning bolt and sets it a blaze.

KARMA:

"I got a new friend I think you might like. so make sure you find me."

Sarale watches them leave before going to help Vajor. Once they were done she went to find Karma sitting in one of the abandoned buildings. The single window is not letting in much for light. Sarale peeks inside.

SARALE:

"Karma? You wanted me to come find you?"

Karma's eyes glow in the darkness as they look at her and smile sadly. They stand and go to her and give her a loving hug. Sarale hides her unease behind a hug and pats Karma's back, waiting for Karma's cue to let go and standing there awkwardly. Karma releases her and looks at her sadly and forces a smile as they guide Sarale to the bedding to sit. They look at the window.

KARMA:

"...Icher."

not long after, a small raven with a fiery golden shimmer to its feathers, flutters into the room through the window. its eyes are just as pale as Karma's as it lands in their lap and settles down comfortably.

KARMA:

"this is my new familiar, Icher... I just made a contract with him through my mark. I should tell you about that first."

Karma begins to explain a mark on their back as they show it to Sarale.

KARMA:

"I'm sure you saw what I went through to get him, and why I have him."

SARALE:(nods)

"I've always known about your mark."

KARMA:

"Yeah, I figured that. Those deep dreams I was forced to have almost put me in a state of vegetation. And because of that, I was able to talk to the devil that I'm connected with. I um... decided to take on a trial for him to become stronger and show that I'm worthy of his favor as an emissary of strategy and warfare... I'm gonna end up saying things I may not mean as a side effect of it. I'll probably start looking and acting a little different too. but I hope you can understand that I won't ever try to do anything to make you feel like you don't belong... not on purpose..."

Karma starts to shed tears and they wipe them away to continue. Ichor looks at Sarale carefully watching her, tilting his head every now and then as if thinking something.

KARMA:

"... this is my best friend, Ichor. Her name is Sarale. I'm showing you to her because I trust her the most, okay. You already know our circumstances."

Ichor stays staring at Sarale a bit longer then suddenly appears in Sarale's lap.

ICHER:

"... I shall be in your care, Master's trusted friend, Sarale."

He vanishes again and reappears as a rat on Karma's shoulder digging his way into their shirt and hiding. Sarale keeps her hands folded in her lap, staring at her fingers.

SARALE:

"It's okay. Thank you for showing me."

KARMA:

"... Sarale…?"

SARALE:

"Hmm?"

KARMA:

"I never want to hurt you again. So I'm showing him to you to prove how much I trust and love you... not even Aktlass or Tunda knows he exists... not yet... So please, no matter what, don't ever think I would abandon you... you're the only one keeping me sane here in this forest." Karma takes a deep breath and sighs in anguish. "I can't even trust myself with the man I love anymore. I've hurt him so many times... I can't bring myself to understand why he's still with me now, and it hurts knowing what I'm doing to him is wrong... I don't want to do that to you too. Especially knowing what you've gone through in the underdark before we met... I don't want to scare you like that too."

Karma keeps their head low as they stare at their feet, not wanting to make eye contact. Sarale watches Karma quietly before reaching for their hand nervously squeezing it gently.

SARALE:

"It's okay. You're not my dad. You're hurting and confused and it's okay. We all are. I don't blame you. We can make it through this together."

Karma doesn't look at her as their tail slides under Sarale's hands.

KARMA:

"... yeah... Please forgive me... I don't want to lose you. I don't want to break you like I've been doing to Aktlass... it hurts so much... That I can't allow myself to show him my love anymore... we're not going to be staying in the same room for a while, because I don't want to hurt him anymore... so keep him company for me will you? I'm begging you, you're the only one I can trust myself with right now."

SARALE:

"Karma? You know I love you, right? Even if things are a little weird right now and I may get nervous. I trust you. I just don't want to lose you and I know the others will understand in time. You're my best friend. I'm sorry my actions hurt you so much. I didn't realize, but I am trying. I'm making progress. At least I think I am. Everyone keeps scolding me for it though. I guess what I'm trying to say is our situations may be a bit different, but I understand."

Karma looks at Sarale with dead eyes, seemingly exhausted and worn from their struggle. they choose to rest their head on Sarale's lap, facing her stomach with a heavy sigh. Sarale plays with Karma's hair and begins humming an old lullaby from her childhood. One that always brought her peace of mind and heart.

SARALE:

"Karma? Do you want me to cuddle with you?"

KARMA:

"... I... (sigh) I don't need it anymore... but yes... if you're okay with it, then please."

SARALE:

"I didn't ask if you needed it. I asked if you wanted it."

She shifts behind Karma wrapping her arm around their waist and pulling them close as she snuggles against their back letting Karma use her arm as a pillow.

SARALE:

"Is this okay?"

Karma starts to shiver in Sarale's embrace as they cuddle closer to her, their tail wraps around Sarale's leg gently as they wrap their arms around Sarale's waist to hold her close.

KARMA:

"... please help me... I'm so sorry... I don't want to chase you away. I don't want to lose you too..."

Sarale holds Karma closer.

SARALE:

"shh~ it's okay, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together, you have my word. I'll do everything I can to help. I'll never abandon you, Karma. You're the first real family I ever had."

KARMA:

"You are for me too. I love you so much, sis."

Karma finally shuts their eyes in an attempt to sleep.

SARALE:

"I love you too, Karma."

Vajor sits next to the fire and watches the building Sarale disappeared into with Karma before looking back at Aktlass.

VAJOR:

"get some rest. You look like hell."

Aktlass sits by the fire and finishes his food. He didn't eat as much as he usually would and his entire body was somber and quiet as he watched the fire. He looks at Vajor and sees his demeanor was a bit off.

AKTLASS:

"like you're one to talk."

VAJOR:

"I never said I was okay. I just said ya looked like hell. Ya wanna talk about it?"

Aktlass tilts his head in wonder. 

AKTLASS:

"... Karma... I'm sssure you noticed they haven't been normal for a few daysss."

VAJOR:

"aye, none of us really have, I just thought it was this forest. Whatever they're goin' through though, we can help them get past it as a group."

AKTLASS:

"... nm. I hope they can rely on me again. that'sss all."

Aktlass stands and heads to a different building to attempt to sleep. Vajor sighs and runs a hand through his hair as he begins cleaning up the nights dinner.