"Dakkru's Mercy"
Everything was a dark, red haze before her unseeing eyes. The pain seemed to be neverending, for even in utter darkness she felt it, twinging and stinging her mind in a sudden flash of red hot agony. Her veins burned, her skin was on fire, the life-sucking poison thickening within… until suddenly… nothing.
The blonde nolthrir looked up, barely even recognizing the stone surface surrounding her, forming a familiar, dark and foreboding cave. The cave that was known as the entrance into Dakkru’s domain, a place where only the dead could live and wander if the goddess would allow them to. Yet why… why did she feel so weak?
Time was lost to her as it flew past. She struggled over the trapdoors and rails that covered the death realm’s paths, wondering if maybe, maybe Dakkru shouldn’t have taken her this time. Or maybe, this was true death after all. She would never have the strength to find her way out, the poison ran too deep. Was she doomed to face the sight of her horrific city and its residents for all eternity?
The dead ran by in a blur of figures and faces, none would stop. Maybe an occasional glance her way as she lay still and silent on the edge of the bridges. Breathing, resting. Standing up again, pressing on. Stopping, resting, breathing…. Just breathing in the air of the dead, if there was any air to breathe down there at all. Until suddenly…A menki with two daggers in his skilled paws came to a halt. He spoke in a confident tone, a tone that threw her off.
“What an unexpected meet.”
Confused by the interruption to her endless cycle of nothingness, her eyes began to focus, and she noticed the weapons in the menki’s hands, stepping back instantly on her shaking feet. Her clothes were burnt, leaving nothing but brownish rags to cover her up. Hair and skin was dirty with dried bloodied sand that stuck to her from her previous endeavors in the howling well.
”Unexpected? Meet? What?” she mumbled, repeating his words as if trying to make any more sense out of them. The menki apologized and sheathed the daggers right away, his demeanor simple and polite. The nolthrir frowned in return, keeping her distance as she tried to bring her thoughts under control. “Who are you?”
“My name is Enkanu Mokratis, my lady. No need to fear me, I mean you no harm. I was simply surprised to see such a rare beauty in this ugly Talad forgotten place.” He spoke gently, his voice holding a ring of truth to it concerning his harmless attitude, yet… did she hear well enough? Mellas tried to hold her ragged clothes together and frowned again. “Do I know you? What do you want?”
The menki raised his hands, trying to calm her down. “I merely wanted to exchange a couple of words.”
Mellas slowly nodded upon seeing Enkanu raise his hands. 'Alright,' she said, softer this time. 'How can I help you?' He smiled, happy to see Mellas calming down. “Care to join me on the journey out of this place?”
A chance! Who would’ve thought? Someone to help her out, but just how wise would that be, would Dakkru let her go? Was she ready? Mellas shook her head carefully, eyes wide. “I can't, I can't leave now... I'm much too weak to step outside, if I ever find the way.”
Enkanu blinked slowly 'Embracing the fear will only bring more fear upon you, there's nothing to be afraid of outside... thanks to our gods, we can get back there as many times as we want. I've ventured myself through this place several times, let's go outside together.” He took several steps towards the exit, understating his point. “Are you coming?”
Mellas lowered herself back to where she sat before, on the edge of the dark bridge. “I don't want to die again, sir Enkanu. And I won't be able to keep up with you. The jump down over there will surely kill me anew,” she said, sighing. 'But please go, no one likes to stay here, don't let me keep you.” The menki proved to be more stubborn than she had expected, and refused to go. “I won't let you in here all by yourself,” he said as he calmly walked over to the blonde nolthrir. “What's your name dear lady?”
Mellas looked up at the unfamiliar menki, flinching slightly as she wonders anew about the stranger’s identity. They normally aren’t this kind, especially not in the Death Realm. “I was just wondering why you were so determined not to leave me, without even knowing my name,” she said in response, chuckling lightly. 'It's Mellas, Mellas Fenixxes. Pleasure to meet you Enkanu.” She still knew her manners after all, even if she was a long, long way from who she was all those years ago.
Enkanu smiled again, “The pleasure is all mine Mellas. Now come with me, I’ll jump first, my feet can take that height easily, then you will follow, and I’ll catch you. Deal?”
She returned the smile warmly; he was right. What did she have to lose? “I just wish it would be under better circumstances... “
“We create our own circumstances my dear, things are never a coincidence,” was his wise response. She looked ahead, trying to sort out the sudden available options, then sighed and nodded, staggering back up on her feet. “Very well... I can at least try.”
The menki took her hand as he smiled, taking her down the path and onto a broken pillar that lead the both of them to a large hole, with another one of those barred and railed bridges below. The nolthrir was already exhausted, close to her limits, and there was no other way down…
“You jump when I tell you to, alright?”
She breathed heavily and just nodded, too tired to even think of a complaint or objection as the feline easily jumped down the ledge.
“Alright Mellas, jump!” he shouted as he turned back to look up at her.
Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she tries not to think of the fall, or anything that would happen after. Just letting yourself drop, that shouldn’t be too hard…
Enkanu firmly caught Mellas, smiling warmly at her once more before setting her back on her feet. “There, it wasn’t that bad was it? Are you all right? Can you walk?” She gave Enkanu a slightly confused look, but then forgot as she tried to find her footing, holding on to him when they gave way.
“Eh oh, easy now. Better I carry you on my back. What do you say? Come.” Mellas looked hesitant at that suggestion. 'Why? Why are you doing all this?” She had never even met this enkidukai. What was he up to? Why did he even care? But the menki wouldn’t listen to her question as he simply swung Mellas on his back, grappling her feet close to him. 'Hold on tight to my neck all right? We don't want you falling off,” he said as he continued the journey with small steps, careful not to frighten the poor girl. And she, she just blinked and held on to Enkanu's neck, now thoroughly overwhelmed and confused.
Soon enough, the portal comes into sight, both of them recognizing the designs of freedom, of life. Mellas slightly tightened her hold on Enkanu’s neck when she realized where they were. “Why are you doing all this?” She asked fuzzily, trying once again to understand, but he shakes her off with a smile as he continued to walk. “I'll tell you a story when we get out.” Half unconscious on Enkanu's back, almost entirely drained of energy, the blonde elf can only agree as he takes her out of the darkness, and back into the light, back amongst the living. A place she was never meant to see again.
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Fresh air, afternoon light from the shining crystal. Bright, clear, and very much alive, Mellas took her time to enjoy the little things that made life so special. Yet, as glad as she was to have left the Death Realm, she had to watch her back. *They* would probably send her to an eternal death all over when they saw her, *it* would know she had returned.The menki put her down gently into the lush grass behind Harnquists’ smithy, and grabbed a few herbs from his backpack, starting to prepare a greenish concoction. “How do you feel?” he asked shortly after, offering her the potion he just made. “Drink this, it will give you strength.”
The nolthrir took a small sip, pulling a face at the taste before she concentrated to get back on her two feet, eventually slumping back to the grass again. “What is it?” she managed to ask. “It's one of my special brews,” he replied. “Drink up girl, come on! You will feel a lot better when it kicks in.” Nodding, she took a deep breath before she drank it all, wiping her mouth afterwards. 'It does give me more strength,' she admitted, looking around wearily. Too public of an area, she could be seen. "But I still feel so tired... Let’s please leave this place.”
Upon her request to find a safer spot, Enkanu looked around and lifted her up carefully into his furry arms again. “Alright, let's go then.” However, it was already too late. She had been seen by another member of the dark circle… no one other than Thidin Pelusi, who frowned the moment she saw the elf in her weakened state… and followed.
It was a long run over the roads to Ojaveda, through the last hours of the afternoon as dusk began to set. The menki slipped off the path, heading towards a familiar lake, none other than the pool of stealth. The moment he caught sight of a campfire, he slowed down and approached the silent hilltop.
Thidin jumped off her rivnak, instantly confronting Enkanu. She had made no secret of her pursuit. "What happened to her?"
The elf in question held on to Enkanu and still looked pale, jostled about by the long run. Her gaze was somewhat hollow, body wrecked with shivers, unsually weak for someone who just came out of the Death Realm. Enkanu carefully explained what happened down in the Death Realm, to which Thidin answered with something rather unexpected. "She needs help," she stated, handing over a purple cloak to keep the elf warmer and more covered up. Why was Thidin helping her? Was it for Marqsaynt? Or was she helping her because she was a member of their organization? Didn’t the fenki know?
Enkanu and Thidin appeared to be bickering for a while. Mellas’ ears couldn’t quite catch everyone that was said, as she lived in thoughts of her own, pointed ears twitching uncomfortably. The menki seemed determined to take care of her as he cooked some food to give her the strength to survive. How long would she survive before she would be found again? A certain fenki already knew her location after all. It was over. It was all over.
Yet Thidin just walked over to her Rivnak. "If she is hurt, I'll find you." She hissed the warning to the menki before taking off, leaving Mellas even more confused than she was before. She had half expected Thidin’s dagger in her back, but instead the fenki seemed to offer protection. Why? Why on Yliakum would she…?
Enkanu breathed more easily as Thidin has left and talked to himself. “Finally, some peace and quiet.”
In response, the blonde elf sighed and nodded, her exhausted body falling back against Enkanu, who would stroke the nolthrir’s hair while whispering, "Go to sleep for now girl. Everything will be fine." Looking at the fire before closing her eyes, she remembered how that same kind of fire ran through her body not long ago, remembered how it destroyed so many things as she fell into a slumber, holding on to Thidin’s purple cloak. No thoughts now, just peace.
Enkanu looked at the fire as well while holding her tight. Thinking how nicely the wood cracks, admiring the colors of the flames. He followed one of the sparkles with an empty gaze towards the sky, before he joined her in a deep, healing sleep.
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During the night, a small groffel appeared on top of the hill. The adorable creature was battered and scratched and looked close to death. His little face lit up when he saw Mellas safe and sound, sleeping beside Enkanu. He dragged himself to her side, trying to give her foot a nudge to wake her, before the light was extinguished for this brave little groffel, and he died. A small note was attached to his collar, which read: "Mellas, I send this as a final play to this game of ours. Should you wish to find me, and are indeed still alive, I will be at the place where I first hid, where you came and sat with me, some weeks ago. I will be there in one weeks time at midday for one hour only. Take care of Puk for me. I don't want him getting lost on the way home."When Enkanu woke the next morning, the blonde nolthrir was gone.
