Lykourgos
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Standing upon a hill, barefoot and alone, was a young man with wild silver hair dancing around him in the wind. His expression was mixed, his eyes flashing something like that of an animal resisting with all it's might to act against it's natural instincts, and yet he looked gay and without stress. He looked it at least. It's good to finally be back in the fields. Stretching his arms, and popping his back, he reached up and pulled his hair back into a ponytail that exploded behind him in a tangled mess that showed it had not seen a brush in many months. Flexing his fingers, his toes scraping at the soft soil he stood upon, he leaned forward and kicked off the ground.
Lykourgos was running now, moving zigzag motions, leaping into the air to perform somersaults and rather exotic and wild moves. He continued to run around the field, until much of the energy he had been burst with was exhausted. 'This may be the last time I see this place for a while...' He thought soberly, walking with a bounce as he moved back up the hill he earlier stood upon. He was heading home, or at least the one and only place he thought of as home. It was Cloris' cabin, and after being absent for so many months it was like being in Heaven. The fields of flowers and the cabins scent of herbs and burning incenses brought a smile to his face, and made his eyes light up. 'If only I could stay but a while longer.' His expression dimmed, the smile straightening and eyebrows coming together in a frown.
The boy didn't loiter any longer in the fields, seeing that the day was progressing without him. He had just but returned a day ago, but already he would have to leave again. He had, after all, made a promise. 'If Damn it all, just whose voice was it though.' He thought, suddenly angry, and gave a sharp kick to a stone. He connected with the stone with the side of his foot, and with such a force it flew a distance and disappeared in the thick flowers. 'Whoever he is, he did what he said and helped me when I needed it.' Lykourgos sighed, wondering if the Voice would know whether or not Lykourgos kept his promise or not. '"Head to Linkton, there you shall wait until something happens." Yeah, just what is this something?'
His thoughts came to an end when he came in sight of a small wooden cabin. He was static, expression lightening and a smile returning to his face. His thoughts were on the past feeling he would get when he walked through the door, a private hope he held being that everything would return back to the way things used to be. Before they went to Kilawli. Before the bandits and her being taken overseas. His expression darkened and fists clenched, the thought of the slavers making his blood boil. It was them that had taken something of great importance from him, and because of them he was now doing what he was doing.
Lykourgos wasted no more time in reaching the cabin, breaking away from his dark thoughts and back to reality. Time was wasting, and he had to make sure everything was alright before he left. Reaching the cabin, he pushed open the door and stepped inside quietly. The interior was dark, what windows that were there were covered by curtains that had not been touched since they first left. There were scented candles of lavender burning, and though they provided some light they casted a shadow that made the atmosphere in the enviroment heavy.'Best take down these curtains, she'll need sun.' Leaving the door open behind him, Lykourgos moved about the cabin silently and quickly, opening the curtains and wiping at the dusted windows with his sleeve. When he finished, sunlight poured into the cabin, giving the space a brighter look to it. There were various crystals hung by strings and hooks by each window, and as they spun in the air, disturbed by Lykourgos' movements, they caused refractions of lights and slivers of rainbows throughout the cabin. It was at the final window, that Lykourgos, who was staring outside and upwards at the Sun, heard a voice call his name. "L-Lykourgos? Is that you?"
Lykourgos turned his head sharply at the call of his name, and the timid sound of Cloris' voice. In almost an instant he had moved from the window to the bedside in the corner, leaning over the bed and looking down at Cloris with worried eyes. "It's me, I'm here." He said, reaching down to take her hand that had fallen out from the covers. His voice sounded weak to him, frail, and shook. He was frightened at the prospect at leaving her, especially in her present condition. Badly he wanted to take her with him, but he had been warned against it. No, he knew it. His instincts told him that whatever it was he was waiting for, would be violent and destructive. Just feeling that, he knew he couldn't take her. And yet, could he really leave her?
Cloris smiled, and Lykourgos felt her hands grip back. His eyes flashed downwards, blood rushing at the chaffed marks around her wrists. As if sensing the sudden flare in temper, her other hand came out from beneath the covers and patted the top of his hands. "I am fine, and will be. I just need some rest, I'm sure in a few days I'll be right again and... well back to brewing my potions and tasting ingredients." Lykourgos shook his head, not doubting it. She was a strong woman, after all, and would have had to been one in order to keep him in control as well as she did. "I'm sure, but I can't leave now! I should at least wait a we-" He felt a sharp smack to his hand and he pulled it back quickly. Cloris was looking up at him now, expression stern and emerald eyes staring at him sharply. Out of reflex he smiled sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his hand on his side. "I understand..." He had told her of the voice, and what he had to do in exchange for help. Cloris was very tenacious when it came to keeping ones word, and even after all she had been through she was not about to let that change. "You should hurry, the sooner you leave the sooner you can return." Lykourgos smiled at the prospect of that, and felt so gay about it he bent down and pecked a quick kiss. "I understand..." He said again, the two hands that gripped one another tightening for a moment.
It was Cloris who released her grip first, then, reluctantly, Lykourgos followed suit and pulled away from the bed. "I'll hurry back..." He said, reaching up and gripping the red Carnation pendant he wore his neck. I promise.
He turned quickly around, moving across the room and plucking up a single pack that was sitting upon a table. Throwing it over his shoulder, he went outside, the door still open, and was running through the fields.'You promise she will be protected and well cared for?' He asked in thought, not speaking to himself but to the voice he knew was listening.
Ah. There won't be a single person with bad intent who will step foot near that cabin. Lykourgos wasn't entirely sure how he knew the Voice was listening, but it was as he was leaving the cabin it hit him that the Voice must have been some other entity. Much had been discussed between the Voice and Lykourgos on the journey back here, and Cloris' protection was assured. Lykourgos would have thought it all a dream had Cloris not been adamant on him following through with the promise. "Good." He replied, sprinting now at full speed and towards Linkton Forest, where somewhere he would come to Linkton.
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