Forsaken Heroes (Kaisaan & Catalyst)

[Kaisaan]

Nodding sharply to show she'd heard, Ember focused her sharp, night-attuned eyes to their surroundings. Observing the Ezt'os drawing closer, she also took note of when an opening came for them to get away without notice. Without thinking, she reached back and captured Tohq's hand, pulling him after her as she rose and immediately darted for the next place of cover. It was further than they'd gone last time to get to the pens and the woman went nearly twice as fast as the first time. She was slightly ragged of breathing from adrenaline and the pace alone - mostly from the stress - when they found safety. Crouching behind the large rock, Ember didn't quite register she was still holding the male's hand until she had reassured herself after several beats that they'd not been seen.

It was only then that she saw just what she was doing.

Rather than immediately flinching back, though, amber eyes rose to gold, seeming to glow as they reflected the moonlight, appearing for all the world like those of a wolf's gaze caught in the passing beam of a flashlight. Yet, brighter still than her reflective vision was the spot of gold within her black pupil, glowing steadily from a light created from within instead of outside. It brightened and seemed to pulse like a heartbeat when it came in contact with Tohq's gold. Ember almost appeared to lean closer in that moment, to draw toward the alien when the first wave of rain hit them. With a faint, but surprised yelp, the woman jumped a little and released the male's hand, instantly hunching in on herself as sheets of water poured upon them. It was as if the clouds had simply broken and someone was pouring buckets from the sky. The rain itself almost seemed to sting it impacted with such pressure and the ground beneath them was rapidly turning to slick mud.

In the darkness and with the rain like a curtain around them, even Ember could not see more than a few feet away.

The fact made a thrill of fear travel down her spine as realization hit; there would be no climbing back up the slope, not in this weather....which meant the only safe place to hide - well, relatively safe - would be the caves. Ember shuddered at the thought, the motion lost in the driving gale. She had never wanted to return there. Being so close to them was bad enough. To have to go back?

But what choice was left to them? They couldn't stay here and they couldn't get back to the meeting place. Growling to herself at the situation, Ember wordlessly took Tohq's hand again, but this time more than aware of the contact. It didn't have the same kind of meaning it might have before. It was practical this time, to keep them from losing each other in the storm.

Damn, she could only hope that Luthran would find somewhere safe to shelter.

--

The caves were technically caves, but only when one got further into them. From the outside they looked like giant holes in the side of the crater. Still, it was into one of these that Ember ventured. They'd been struggling through the rain for nearly fifteen minutes now - though, there were no guards, so at least it was less complicated by that fact - and now, covered in mud, drenched, they found relief from the thundering sky and lightning blazes under the earth.

The woman released Tohq once more then, and brought her hands up to her head, slicking her hair back and the water with it. The desire to shake herself like a dog was almost overwhelming, but she held it back and instead gave one, two, three shudders before resigning herself to the misery of being soaked....and in a place she'd never wanted to see again.

Shivering already, Ember made a conscious effort not to look around the cave and instead moved her clearly dilated eyes to Tohq. "I don't know if we're safe here, but it's the only place I could think to go. We couldn't have climbed the incline in that rain." Not unless they wanted to kill themselves.

 

[catalyst]

As soon as they were able to, the two intruders had made a run for it, finding an opening through the void of darkness and enclosing enemies. Their hands found each other again. Tohq hadn't thought about that. His brain had registered the physical contact, but there was no deeper reflection. They ran as fast as they could, the dashing male hoping they could get a good distance away before the rain struck and all dirt became deep, thick mud that could slow them down.

Fortunately, they were able to find cover behind a large rock. For the time being, they could take a small break and make sure they hadn't been spotted, and also make sure that it was safe to continue. Immediately, Tohq had taken a cautious look around, squinting his eyes through the darkness. Because of this, his mind had looked over the fact that he and Ember were still holding hands. It was unnecessary contact, but he hadn't realized it until he felt that they were safe and he finally looked to Ember.

Their similar eyes met, except that soon Ember's seemed to glow. At first, it was perhaps the reflection from the last of the moon's light. But it became all too different and familiar as the same light as before began to glow from inside her pupil. Without realizing it, their faces were coming closer to each other, the human woman leaning more towards Tohq than he was to her. Just a few seconds more and something might have happened... a kiss, maybe. It kind of felt like one of those moments. But it appeared neither the alien nor the human realized what was happening until the rain began to pour. Literally pour. It didn't come as a beginning sprinkle or drizzle. It hammered down on them and the almost-moment between them was ruined.

Tohq was almost displeased. Now that he thought about it, it wouldn't be half bad to... no, don't think about that. He pushed all thoughts away, hence the almost displeasure.

As they began to move again, he only hoped that Ember knew where she was going through the thick rain and heavy darkness. To walk blindly now? It could very well lead to their misfortune.

----

Luthran had been a bit more keen on time than Tohq and Ember had been. He stayed as long as he could near his designated pen area, but as soon as he felt the prickling sensation of goosebumps on his skin, he turned and left, making a stealthy dash back to the meeting place before the rain hit him. He wasn't sure how lucky the rest would be, but he could only hope that at least most of the team would be back. He already knew they wouldn't be able to travel back from whence they came, but at least together they could brainstorm and think of a place to take shelter.

A few minutes passed after the rain started. He waited, but Tohq and Ember hadn't arrived. Tohq was usually a stickler for time, but the storm had rolled in faster than any one of them had anticipated. It was with a draining feeling that Luthran knew he wouldn't see Tohq and Ember for at least most of the rest of the night. He could only hope they would find shelter and safety.

----

When they reached the caves, it was like a blessing. Fifteen minutes they struggled through mud, rain, and pitch black surroundings, but it felt much longer than that. For the sake of his hair drying faster, Tohq squeezed water from his ponytail and then, with some difficulty, removed his hair-tie and let all his dark locks fall. He looked to Ember and merely shrugged before looking away again.

"It is probably the safest bet we have," he said. "It protects us from the rain, at least." He was silent for a moment, looking off in thought, before looking to her again. "Do you think the others will come here as well?" Luthran was on his own, so only with sheer luck would he find these caves. It was worrisome, but he believed in his comrade.

 

[Kaisaan]

Why she had the sudden, almost overwhelming, urge to curl her fingers through the male's dark hair was a mystery to Ember, but it hit all the same. Her hands twitched and the woman curved her fingers into her palm to control the strange desire, but it stayed with her, distracting. She was uncertain as to where it originated from - lust? Attraction? Was it care? She didn't know him, how could she care about him? And would it be a sibling kind of care or a friend? A...lover? Even the thought made her fingers curl tighter, twitching and Ember firmly shoved the thought away again. No. No, she wasn't going to even contemplate the thought.

No.

She needed to get a hold of herself. She needed to focus. She needed....to answer this question.

Tohq's words were a relief and Ember honed in on them, answering promptly. "No, I don't believe so." She looked back at the opening of the cave, the darkness outside deeper than the darkness within due to the multitude of glowing stones scattered on the walls. The rain was a driving force beyond their shelter and yet it seemed safer than this place to Ember. It was with another shiver that had nothing to do with her drenched state that she slid down against the wall until she was sitting, knees drawn up and arms around her legs. The simple change in positions alone took the feral, confident woman to a state of vulnerability and somehow made her appear very small - more in spirit than size, though, she was little in that regard, too. "Nick is the only one who knows of these caves and he won't come here."

Not after what happened. Ember didn't want to think about that, though. There was good reason she didn't live these caves, nor find them particularly comforting despite the fact that they would keep them dry through the storm....if they weren't discovered before it ended. Ember didn't want to tell Toqh that, though. She didn't want to tell him that it would be better if Luthran didn't make it to this place at all. Out of everyone in the group, they were probably the ones in the most danger.

How could she not tell him, though? He deserved to know.

Ember worried her lip ring for several long, tense minutes before finally making up her mind, her voice somehow steady despite her uncertainty. "Tohq, these caves are not safe. I...I was captured in one of them a while back and we've had many people who've died in them as well. I'm sorry for bringing you here. I just....I didn't know where else to go." Her amber eyes stayed fixed on her knees, on the ground, on the wall - anything but the alien's face.

 

[catalyst]

(( THE SEXUAL TENSION
...
lol ))

He watched her shiver and thought it merely due to the cold. Her sliding to the ground, though, that was cause for mild concern. There were several reasons as to why she looked so down; i.e., having to leave her comrades (and not just the team) behind, worrying about the rest of her team, being in the rain... as stated before, there were many reasons. Tohq wouldn't receive an answer, though, because he wouldn't ask.

Until Ember sparked more concern in him. If Nick wouldn't come here in even this heavy of a storm, then there had to be a very credible reason for it. The caves were close to the Etz'os base, so it was very plausible that they were monitored by the enemy. Tohq opened his mouth to ask about it, but he could see that the woman was contemplating something, and he figured he'd let her have some time to figure it out. Patience was a virtue, right?

In those long minutes, Tohq found himself a seat across from her with his knees bent and his outstretched arms resting on them. He hardly took his eyes off of her, though he occasionally looked away just in case his stare felt too pressuring or... you know, cold. Until finally, he heard her voice in the darkness and he looked to her again.

"You had been captured?" he asked. No other questions asked. No "how-could-you!?" No angry yells or stares. Though his face still bore a cold, almost bored expression, it appeared that his only concern was that she had been captured. And how she managed to get out. Hardly any of his people had ever managed to get out when held captive or hostage, so to be surprised was... sort of an understatement.

 

[Kaisaan]

(( *wiggles eyebrows* ))


The words, four simple utterances made Nia physically flinch and the amber eyes that had risen to look at the male for a brief moment looked away again.....but only for a short time before they were lifting once more, catching the gold ones of the alien in the semi-darkness. They were clear to her, though, as was his face and while most would have taken his expression as indifferent or harsh....in all truth, Ember found it....stabilizing. Not comforting. Of course she didn't find it comforting, but it was....soothing. Yes, that was the word. It helped her keep calm to look at his expression. Not his eyes. Not the warm golden honey that told far more than he seemed aware....or was it that she could see what he didn't show? It was just the calmness he radiated that steadied her.

Nothing more.

Somehow Ember felt the universe was laughing at her in that moment. Or maybe it was just the pounding of the rain.

"I was held by the Etz'os for six months....or so I've been told." Now she did look away, frowning, glaring really, at her hands as one nail picked at the skin around another finger and her teeth worried her lip ring when she wasn't speaking. It was rather clear that Ember didn't like the topic....and yet all the same she chose to speak of it, to tell Tohq what he no doubt wanted or maybe even needed to know.

"I don't remember more than the first three days after being captured and not until a week after being found at the edge of camp. I can't recall how I escaped or what happened to me. When I got back and came to, they told me I'd been gone six months." She gave a small snorting sound and shrugged, attempting to hide the discomfort such a fact gave her with nonchalance. "It's been nearly four months since I escaped, but the memory hasn't come back."

No, not that, but all these new abilities had. She tried not to think about that overmuch, though, and instead wrapped her arms a little tighter around her legs, only jerking slightly when the next crash of thunder brought with it a little streak of red into the cave. Asirin headed straight for the woman, chittering unhappily to himself as he climbed to her shoulder, scales wet and the Torsir clearly very unhappy about the fact. Ember let her hand rise to touch his muzzle, but she didn't uncurl more than that, her eyes back on Tohq, wondering what he'd make of her story.

Would he think her a traitor, like some, or would he have some other viewpoint?

 

[catalyst]

Six months. Ember had been held by the Etz'os for six whole months and she didn't remember 98% of it. Honestly, most Tih'ahl would call that a blessing. Whether it was her mind protecting her from the trauma or it was the Etz'os somehow clearing her memory, six months was a da** long time to be held captive - by anyone. And to get out alive? Most would think her dead a few months in, but here she was, even if her memory failed her.

And it happened recently, within a year. Tohq looked to the small, red creature as it sought shelter from the woman across from him. He was silent for a few moments, processing everything he had been told and going over questions or responses he could give her. The Torsir, the glow in her eye, the bewildering knowledge she held of the Etz'os... it all made sense now. No, scratch that. It didn't make sense. But it was connected, and Tohq's eyes found hers again.

"That would explain how you know some of our language." He criss-crossed his legs and crossed his arms. "Probably that little beast there, too." He paused for a second or two. "Are you... aware of that glow in your left eye?" Not to mention, it also almost wholly explained why her people treated her the way they did. That type of social outcasting wasn't secluded to one culture. Many people would be wary of a survivor who couldn't recall what had happened to them during their capture or how they escaped. It wasn't unheard of. Plus, Ember didn't seem to be lying.

 

[Kaisaan]

Know some of their..... Ember stopped her mouth from forming the words even before they came to her tongue, her mind instantly recalling the things she'd already said without thought. Eserk. Kaelyck. Both words she knew without being told. Torsir. Etz'os. Tih'ahl. All words she pronounced flawlessly, all words that had substitued themselves in her mind for 'dragon', 'morpher' and 'alien' already. That wasn't normal. That couldn't be normal and she knew it. No, Ember didn't argue Tohq's point.

But she didn't like it.

She liked even less the mention of Asirin - another word she knew was not in her own tongue - for it brought to mind the question she'd asked herself since finding him still with her a week after escaping; had that blood-soaked 'memory' in the woods been a dream.....or something that had actually occurred and if it was....who had she killed? What had she done and why had it gained her the loyalty of a Torsir?

No, she said nothing about that either.

The last sentence uttered by the male could not go ignored, though....just like what was happening to her wouldn't remain a secret much longer. The mention of her eyes had Ember's hand rising as if she might be able to touch the glow he spoke of and the woman frowned deeply, giving Tohq a puzzled look he might not catch in the darkness, even with the glow of the rocks lining the walls. "What? What glow?" Sighing, Ember thought - hoped - she knew what he might be talking about and shook her head. "I know, my eyes sometimes reflect light. I'm not sure why. Sorry if it's a bit....freaky."

That was a nice word for what she'd been called in the last few months and Ember almost braced herself for something similar now. The tension that came over her registered to the Torsir on her shoulder's keenly and a threatening hiss left his mouth as he turned his head to Tohq - the obviously cause of the problem. Ember shushed him silently, though, waiting for the alien's response, almost anxious about it, however. He'd only mentioned one eye....not two.

Gods above, please...please, she'd gone through so much change already. Not something else. Please.

"....that's not what you meant, is it?" Might as well just rip it off in one go, like a band-aid.

 

[catalyst]

Okay, so Ember didn't know about the glow. Or maybe she was trying to play dumb, but her tone sounded as if she was genuinely confused. Hearing her say that her eyes reflected light, Tohq looked down and shook his head. No, that wasn't it. While that part was of interest, it was overlooked compared to the way her inner left pupil actually glowed. There was no reflection. Tohq had gone over it several times in his head ever since the first time he saw it back on that highway. It was definitely a glow.

He shook his head again when Ember practically asked him to explain. She probably couldn't see his head shake, though maybe she could considering what she could see back at the Etz'os base....

"No, it's not." He looked between the two dark figurines across from him for a moment. "Back on the highway, when we were looking at each other, your left pupil began to glow. It wasn't a reflection of light. Considering your reaction to my asking, I assume you really don't know that you do it, but... I'm not sure if the others know about it." He paused for a second. "It happened a couple of other times, too..."

 

[Kaisaan]

"....when we were looking at each other...."

It was that part of the sentence, that simple, innocent part that made Mesenia go rigid - even as she didn't mean to - and Asirin's response was instant as he let out a savage growl, his glowing green-yellow eyes centered on Tohq in clear threat. The male was causing this distress and the Torsir wasn't going to have it. With another snarl, he tensed, muscles coiling, ready to spring and that's when Ember snapped out of her trance, quickly grabbing the creature at his neck, just behind his head and giving a sharp growl of her own. Her's was far more controlled, high-pitched, but commanding and Asirin hissed unhappily, but complied. He still moved from her shoulders to her lap, though, alert and ready for the slightest wrong move on Tohq's part.

Ember kept her hand on his back. Just in case.

Much as she didn't want to think about this, Tohq didn't deserve to be attacked for asking about it....and she's the one who had brought all this up in the first place. Why had she said she'd been captured? He hadn't needed to know that! At least not yet. Someone would have told him, but it wouldn't have been today, in this cave filled with whispering memories of horror.

Gods above, she was an idiot. And why was she talking to him about these things in the first place!? He was a stranger. An ALIEN. This mission was just as much about getting information on their people as it was about seeing if the Tih'ahl could be trusted, could actually be helpful, could lend something to this fight, this war that the humans hadn't already done themselves. The jury was still out on that decision....so why was she getting closer to Tohq? Screw the fact that he was an alien, take that out of the equation all together, and the question still remained: why was she trusting him? She didn't trust anyone. Not fully. Not even Michael knew everything and he knew more than most. So why....why tell the male before her? Why tell the silent one who gave her next to no clues about what he was thinking or why he wanted the information that he asked about? Better question.....why, despite his silence and his stern face....did she sense she knew more about what he was thinking than she had right to?

None of them were questions that Ember could answer for herself and it vexed her. Far more, learning that there had been a side-affect to what she'd done on the highway frustrated her, too. A glow in her eyes? What the hell was that about? Wait...

"What....color is the glow?"

Don't be gold. Don't be gold. White. Pale yellow. Green. Even demon red will do! Just not gold....

 

[catalyst]

He didn't know what made her so rigid, but he took that as a sign to maybe lower the level of questions. Asirin was about to pounce on him, too, and he didn't want anything else to go wrong with this mission. Like, you know, having to kill your partner's partner in defense. Or even just hurting him would probably score some real negative points.

Ember kept Asirin back, though, which Tohq was grateful for. It gave them both time to think. Tohq wouldn't say anything else until Ember responded, and if she didn't, he would probably have to apologize and change the subject. Or maybe just stop talking in general, he was okay with that, too. Ember probably would be, considering how tense this subject was in the first place.

"The color?" he repeated. The color was... "Gold. Almost like the sun." He almost looked outside on instinct, but he knew he would find nothing but darkness so he kept his eyes on Ember and the Torsir.

 

[Kaisaan]

Gold.

Like the sun.

Like -

"Like your eyes." The words slipped out without conscious thought, quiet but still loud enough to be heard over the rain and wind outside the cave and in that moment, Ember didn't care that Tohq would hear them. No, her mind was desperately trying to focus on something else entirely. Like how cold she was. Rain had not agreed with her since her 'escape', nor had any drop in weather. She found herself craving warmth, seeking it like a lizard to sunlight. Any kind of heat was coveted with a primal disregard for where it might come from or how she might obtain it.

Thomas had often complained that she curled into him on missions when they were forced to all sleep in close proximity. Because he was her friend, he made light of it, joked about her secretly loving him and Ember let him do so....if only to save herself from having to tell the truth of the matter. Like now; Tohq was the only warmth available in this cave. To keep herself from moving toward him, Ember had to physically keep her arms wrapped around her legs, had to force herself not to move. But she shivered, a constant stream of shaking she couldn't control.

That was better than focusing on the gold in her eyes....the same gold in Tohq's. What that meant, she couldn't have said. What she did on the highway....she didn't even understand. Ember knew better than to look into people's eyes for long, to truly LOOK at them. The first time she'd done it, three months before....she'd told no one what had happened.

The man had been a criminal, sure, and the rebellion had been in the process of escorting him to their 'borders' and chasing him off, but....that didn't mean he deserved to die...right? All she'd done is look at him in the exact way she had Tohq. The man had died screaming, blood pouring from his nose and eyes, ears and mouth. It had terrified Ember and puzzled everyone else. From that point on, she'd not looked anyone in the eye, not like that......not until Tohq and he....he hadn't died. He hadn't even blinked and she.....

Now her eyes glowed.

What did that mean? What had she done? HOW had she done it?

Curling more tightly into herself, forcing Asirin to once again perch on her shoulders, this time his crooning noise one of concern, Ember took a breath and finally spoke again. She hated that her voice trembled. It would be seen as weakness. "I don't know what the glow is. I...I don't know a lot of things about myself right now."

Like, again, why she was telling him this at all.

 

[catalyst]

(( Also... who's Michael? I feel like you may mean Thomas, but... ))
Like his eyes. That almost made him smile. He wasn't sure if his eyes and her glow were the exact color, but... he could take that. Details didn't matter much in that situation.

Tohq could see Ember's shaking form, but more-so could her her slight shivering of breath. He looked down to himself, wondering if maybe there was a miracle of something dry on him. But everything was soaked and would continue to be for a while, so both of them had no choice but to face the cold... unless they wanted to have direct contact with one another but he wasn't sure Ember would have it.

But maybe she would have to because even Asirin paused the threatening glares and growls to try and give some comfort to Ember. In addition to that, her voice was trembling.

"Well... for now, that's okay," he said, voice a little softer. "I was simply curious if you knew about it... it is probably better that you do." He rubbed his face to try and take away any leftover raindrops. Now the silence was a little awkward. It felt like she probably needed comfort, but Tohq...

"You're... cold, are you not? If you'd like, you can... come sit by me." It was about all he could offer, and if she rejected his offer there wasn't anything he could really do about it.

 

[Kaisaan]

(( Damn, I forgot my own minor character's name! ))

Ember didn't know if it was better that she did, but she nodded all the same and tried not to think about it too much. It was easier said than done, but Tohq provided the perfect distraction. At his offer, her head immediately snapped up like a hound caught on to a scent and even before he'd stopped speaking, she was moving. Her lithe and small frame of 5'3 whole feet nearly scrambled across the cavern floor until she was near the alien. At this point, most people would have stopped and remembered themselves - like someone starving and starting to devour food before recalling that he was indeed a human being and should have manners.

The amber-eyed woman did not such thing.

The moment she was close enough, her small body curled into the male's larger one, shivering and trembling even more as it finally got what she'd been denying it; warmth. Oh, Tohq was wet, just as soaked as she, but there was a warmth, a core body temperature within him that radiated outward....or at least it did to Ember and her own body absorbed it eagerly, greedily. It gave her no room for embarrassment or shame - just need. There was only need.

Ember was conscious enough not to cling to the male, not to grab at him or to curl herself into his lap like an overgrown cat - though, the thought was tempting. No, she forced herself to stay at his side, pressed against his side, but semi-appropriately so. She wouldn't make this more awkward for him than it already had to be.

Stars, she could have at least pretended to hesitate before latching on to him like a leech!

The mere thought of waiting a second longer, though.....she couldn't do it.

Ember sighed, both parts relief and exasperation with herself. She carefully ducked her head behind her black hair, regardless of whether or not Tohq could see her face. She could see his. "....sorry..." There really wasn't much else she could say.

 

[catalyst]

(( It happens! ))

Before Tohq even finished his offer, Ember was on to him like a kid having her first taste of sugar. He stayed still as she moved across the cavern floor within seconds. There was an instinct to wrap an arm around her shoulder, but he did no such thing. Even if she didn't seem to have any hesitation about this, he didn't want to make a move and end up scaring her off. He had to keep reminding himself of boundaries with her... which was strange because usually he didn't have to. And maybe it was because it was Ember, but even that thought was strange.

As she apologized, he shook his head. "I was the one who offered. There is no need for apologizing." He looked across, sure that the little beast had taken off before she clambered over to him. He was here in the cave somewhere...

Tohq looked back down to Ember. She was so tiny compared to him. "If you're tired, you can sleep. I have a feeling we'll be here for a while."

 

[Kaisaan]

As Tohq spoke, she had to wonder if he was genuinely accommodating or merely being polite. In the end, Ember couldn't decide and she came to the realization that it didn't matter at the moment. He was allowing her to stay and that was all she wanted to focus on....and perhaps on how very good he smelled, even when wet. Spice and wood smoke filled her nose and the woman had unconsciously leaned her head closer to him before he spoke again and she remembered herself, doing her best not to start like a guilty child caught doing something they shouldn't.

His offer made her look up, surprised as her eyes met his own in the dark with eerie accuracy - but then, she could see him, clearly, even if he could not to do the same with her. That was perhaps for the best. He wouldn't see the blush creeping across her face oh so faithfully. Even the flush to her skin couldn't stop the temptation sleep represented. Her eye-lids felt heavy at just the mention of it and Ember yawned unwillingly before making a humming sound of agreement. With that simple form of a 'yes', she curled closer to the male and after a moment's hesitation, let her head come to rest against his chest.

A heartbeat sounded in her ear then - on the right side of the body! - and a smile curved her lips as she listened to the steadiness of it. No skips, no jumps in rate, nothing to indicate nervousness or fear or anything but the calmness he always exuded. It was nice. In a world of chaos and with her own life in tatters - regardless of whether or not she faked it being fine - it was a soothing, reassuring thing; his heartbeat. Why it should be such a comfort, Ember wasn't sure but the fact remained that it was and she unconsciously moved her hand from her own lap to curl her fingers gently in Tohq's shirt, nuzzling in closer as her mind already drifted somewhere between waking and sleeping. The warmth he radiated, the scent that surrounded her and the sound of a steady beat in her ear all worked to send the usually high-strung woman into sleep.

It was sleep she would have never been able to accomplish in this place with anyone else.

As she drifted off completely, Asirin finally came out of hiding, approaching the two confidently. His sleek body found Ember's lap and while he gave a slight hiss to Tohq, the creature seemed to understand it had to tolerate the alien and he merely curled into the woman's lap with a crooning, growling kind of sound before settling himself.

 

[catalyst]

Tohq heard the shift in Ember's movement, the way she looked up at him when he volunteered to take the first watch. He met her gaze in the dim lighting of the glowing stones, being able to make out her facial features the longer he looked at her. Even still, however, he couldn't see the blush growing across her cheeks, fortunately for her. With her version of yes and her curling more into him, he decided that now would probably be okay to put an arm around her shoulders. It would probably be more comfortable for the both of them, after all.

Before she rested her head on his chest, he put said arm around her and it surprisingly didn't feel as weird or as awkward as he anticipated. It wasn't weird unless you made it weird, right?

Soon he felt a slender hand curl into his shirt. He looked down, a little taken aback by the motion, and then looked to Ember before simply letting his head lean back against the cave wall. The smell of rain radiated from both their bodies, but the smell of a flower from home was subtle. The source could only be from Ember, because whenever his nose was in just the right place near her hair, he could smell... calming, something a bit exotic. Sweet and warm, but still very... floral.

To humans it would be the scent of jasmine, or at least very similar. There was also something a little creamy and a little sweeter there, something that Tohq felt was there to almost... balance the floral smell.

Not only did Ember smell good... but her scent was also comforting.

The hiss from the dragon broke the alien's thought, though, and Tohq peered down at him. He smirked and was tempted to pat the creature's head, but opted not to. They weren't quite to that point in their relationship yet. Instead, Tohq looked ahead and waited for the rain to stop.

----

At least two hours had passed before the Tih'ahl was starting to feel the sleep in his eyes. He knew he should have stayed awake, should have fought harder, but with the rain having stopped (or at least stopped down to a soft pattering) and Ember sharing warmth, it was hard to keep his eyes open.

He felt... safe. Comfortable.

And he made the mistake of dozing off.

It was probably almost an hour later before he was snapped awake. Unfortunately for the both of them, it wasn't a warning sound. It was them being full-on captured. Ember had been separated from him and immediately he tried to look for her in the darkness and chaos. "Ember!?" he called out as he tried to fight back, hoping to the stars that she hadn't been taken away yet.

S**t! He shouldn't have fallen asleep!

 

[Kaisaan]

Warmth. Safety. Home.

All three feelings wrapped around Ember securely for the first time in her life and even in sleep she was aware of it. She would look back upon this moment at a later time and try to understand it....and would both long for it again and yet be wary of it for the simple fact that she would harbor fear of it being abruptly shattered for some time to come. Such was the case this time as the soft heat and solid stability was suddenly gone, replaced with harsh hands and harsher voices.

Ember came awake with a start and a cry wrenching itself from her lips as the arm attached to her only semi-healed shoulder was pulled behind her back. She didn't get time to fight, to react with more than just shell-shocked panic, and the woman found herself subdued quickly. Still, she thrashed against the hands that held her and screeched around the gag in her mouth when she heard Tohq call out for her. Somehow his voice sparked an even greater surge of fear within her, but it wasn't for herself. It was for him.

They would know he was Tih'ahl! Oh gods, what would they do with him?!

Perhaps she should have been worried about herself, but Ember couldn't find it within herself to be overly concerned with her own welfare. She'd been through this already. Right? She would be fine. But Tohq....what would they do with him? Would they kill him? The thought brought the strangest clenching, painful sensation to her chest and Ember struggled harder against those who held her. A sound of pain escaped one Etz'os holding her as her heel found his shin. She was reward with four hands tightening sharply on her arms, pulling back on her shoulders tightly and Ember gave another involuntary sound of pain that earned a sharp command from another alien that the woman knew she shouldn't have understood, but did.

"Do not damage her!"

Her arms were immediately released of pressure and the male behind her gave a sound of disgust, grabbing her dark hair by the fist-full and pulling her head back so that she was able to view the six Etz'os around them. Their yellow bio-luminescent patterns stood out in the darkness of the cavern, but even without that she could see them fully - though, they didn't seem to know that yet - and they her. "Damage? What is there to damage? It's useless! Just like the others." Ember's head was roughly released, leaving her free to look for Tohq. She found him, held between two Etz'os whereas she was only secured by one....but he was a great deal bigger than her and likely a great deal stronger. Even captured, the sight of him was relieving and despite the situation, some tension left her frame.

The alien holding her noted it immediately and gave her a swift shake. "Don't go fainting on me, drascu."

Ember's amber eyes, reflecting all the yellow light coming off the aliens around her, narrowed instantly at the word they assumed she wouldn't understand. It meant, in the Earth-equivalent, 'rat'. The others snickered....or at least they did until the woman purposely lifted her foot and with equal precision, stomped as hard as she could on the foot behind her. There was an explosive curse, more laughter - this time at her handler's expense - and then there was sharp pain exploding in her head. Then blessed darkness.

"Asculor! I said don't damage her!" The leader of the group barked his words as Ember slumped, unconscious with the force of the strike to her head, blood already starting to trail from her temple and down her face. Asculor looked anything but worried about the human and he let her go to fall to the floor despite his superior's glare. "A little blood hardly hurts these things, Baqou. It will live for Tel'neeri's experiments. She shouldn't have let her favorite pet escape in the first place." Even as he spoke, he stepped over the prone form of Ember as if she were nothing more than a piece of trash in his path and moved closer to Tohq instead.

"Ah, a Tih'ahl. What are you doing with one of these lower-life forms, cousin?"

 

[catalyst]

Tohq had a good fight going. The Etz'os hadn't realized exactly who and what Tohq was thanks to them being a little more than dumb lackeys... they didn't see the material on his body that was from their planet, they didn't spot the familiar weapons, and they didn't see his markings until he was punching them away with all his strength, practically roaring with anger and adrenaline. Those feelings only amplified when he heard Ember's cries of pain.

He never got an opening to draw his sword, though. The two simple lackeys had been quick to reestablish themselves along with two other stronger soldiers. It was these two that were keeping Tohq at bay when Ember saw him. Even so, he managed to keep up a good fight until there were simply too many to handle and he was quick to see that he was only wasting energy. So, with one last punch and kick, he let himself be subdued onto his knees where he quickly found Ember across the cave. The leader, a man the brunette didn't recognize, commanded that she wouldn't be harmed and it was with this that the Tih'ahl narrowed his eyes. There was already an important purpose for her, and he knew it had to do with her earlier capture. He just found himself... very worried for what that purpose was.

Quicker than anything, her holder raised his hand. Tohq jerked forward, intent to protect her on instinct as his voice cut through the humid hair. But it was too late, and Ember's body fell to the ground with what Tohq was sure was blood dripping down her face.

Upon his face was a frown, almost as if he was about to growl. He was breathing heavily from all the action in addition to trying to calm himself down. For now, he simply looked angry, and dangerous, as he stared up at the one known as Asculor.

"Tel'neeri?" he repeated in their language. "She's still in business?" He wasn't surprised. He was more-so mocking his "cousins" as he evaded Asculor's question. He wasn't usually doing the talking in these types of situations, but the mention of Tel'neeri had to have attention drawn to it.

(( I felt like Tohq - and most Tih'ahl - would know who Tel'neeri is, so... but if you wanted her to be an unknown surprise, I can edit. :P ))

 

[Kaisaan]

Asculor sneered at the question. "Of course she is. Your people couldn't hold her for long."

"Nor can you hold your tongue. Be silent, Asculor." Baquo snapped, stepping closer to Tohq, studying the Tih'ahl carefully. What he saw brought a scowl to his face and a hardness to his eyes before he moved back again. "Secure him. The Madkor will want to question this one." So saying, he turned away, gesturing to Ember. "Asculor, carry her." Such a task was clear punishment for knocking the human unconscious and the other male looked disgustedly down at the woman, but picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. They left the cave then, back out into the drizzling rain and marched toward the Kaelyck.

As if sensing its nearness, Ember started to stir, her head lifting just slightly, raising fully as they approached one of the great thing's entrances. Just before the threshold, Asculor nearly dropped her entirely as a sudden and piercing scream left the woman's mouth. She began to struggle then, wildly, frantically in her panic and the alien, for all his size and strength, was hard-pressed to keep a hold on her. The other Etz'os were laughing, amused by Asculor's struggles, but he was not and Ember found herself receiving another strike that made her mouth bleed around the gag that had come loose and was doing little to muffle the shriek still pouring from her throat in what seemed like an endless wave. No matter how she struggled, appearing not to take note of the pain she was in at all, Ember could not get free and the group moved on, passing through the doorway.

As soon as Asculor did the same....Ember stopped screaming, going eerily, deafeningly silent. Her amber eyes seemed to go blank, the fear dying away to be replaced with absolutely nothing. She didn't fight the alien anymore and Baquo took one look at her and laughed, moving back to the human with a grin. "Well, well, Tel'neeri's talent hasn't left her after all."

He waved a hand at Asculor. "Release her."

The younger Etz'os looked bewildered, ready to protest, but one look at his superior stopped the words and for once he simply did as he was told, setting Ember down and then unlocking her bonds. The human didn't move as her arms came free and Baquo slowly waved his hand before her face, watching as her eyes refused to follow it with a chuckle. He stood and turned away. "We won't have trouble from this one. Let her walk. She knows she's home." With that, they continued on into the labrynth that was the Kaelyck. Made from organic matter and yet technology as well, it was a combination of wires, moving walls, tissue and metal. It had many passageways, many levels and many rooms.

And it was filled with the echo of screams, roars and above all else - or beneath it - was the constant humming, thrumming sound of the Kaelyck itself. It was a place like this where genetic and mind testing, mending and manipulating was done. It was not just humans in this place but a few other species spattered here and there, and no shortage of Torsir. They came in all sizes, some no bigger than Asirin and others able to carry three or four people. There was no telling how many were within the Kaelyck.

Ember knew, though. She knew. She could hear them, sense them.....and she could feel her. The one who called so powerfully, the one who held the key to her mind.....a mind she could no longer really feel anyway. Everything had gone dark. Emotions unimportant. The panic was but a distance memory. Nothing mattered anymore.

 

[catalyst]

If there were any changes to Tohq's expression that could be noted, it was that his eyes narrowed once more at Asculor's response. How long Tel'neeri had been free to reign with her experiments again, Tohq didn't know. But it had been long enough for her to establish herself with the Etz'os and form more and more experiments. Of what, Tohq didn't know that either. It had something to do with the humans, though, he knew that for sure. Anybody would be a fool to underestimate Tel'neeri and her power.

Ember... Ember had been a captive. She had already experienced this and here they were, about to reenter those memories lost to her.

As he was secured, he gave a little fight to let the two soldiers holding him know that he wasn't exactly something they could just push around. Their grip only hardened though, and it was within the next couple of minutes that they headed out of the cave and into the darkness and rain again.

As they neared the Kaelyck, Tohq stared up at its great size. He took in every little entry way that he could see, anticipated where others could be, and estimated the height and span of the large space. However, his thoughts were disrupted by a piercing scream that came from Ember. The Tih'ahl's head whipped forward, as he was behind the woman, and he wanted to go to her but he was quickly held back as they paused for Asculor to get a hold on her.

Once he did, they continued and passed on into the Torsir-filled base. Immediately Ember fell silent. It wasn't a good silent, either. It was an eerie quiet, one that left Tohq feeling very concerned.

It soon became clear that it was Tel'neeri's doing. It was as if she had the mind control of the human woman, and to be quite frank... it frightened Tohq. If the bloody witch was capable of doing this, exactly what else was she capable of?

"Ember," the brunette male called out. He hadn't a cloth in his mouth because he was a silent one anyways and the Etz'os had quickly taken note of this earlier. "Ember," he tried again. It was worth the risk of getting gagged.