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 Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 6:29 pm
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The Naiad Queen floated in front of the giant water globe in the back of the throne room. She laid her hands on the fragile surface, causing a ripple through the magical waters. The little glowing fish shapes startled and moved to the queen as if she was offering food. Tariel touched her forehead to the globe, and the little fish became brighter. Every little spot of light within that globe represented every naiad to ever exist in the past, present, and future. They were not the souls of the lost or deceased, but merely their connection to the magical waters of their origin. Tariel protected them with her life, and she would not make the mistakes of her past. Alu was caught off guard with no warning. But the faun chief opened her eyes to a growing threat. They made a pact to protect their own, and each other. She'd not let her dallying around get in the way. At least, she'd try not to. It was pretty hard.
The queen slid her hands over the globe, revealing a gelatin-like texture. The water spirits within followed her hands as if they were magnetic. Tariel chuckled to herself and moved a hand from the globe to her growing belly. It was growing more difficult to hide the bigger it grew. She'd also not revealed the news to her lover and newly appointed consort.
Consort. The title and responsibilities that accompanied cause a smile to brighten her face. The queendom knew before they did. They did not hide it as well as they thought. So the other little secret Tari held she would try her best to hide among her flowing fabrics and scarves. She had not heard whispers, but it could very well be that the gossip simple hadn't reached her ears.
He deserved to know, but she hesitated because of his reaction due to his previous family. But also because she wasn't prepared to let the rest of the island to know. Tariel was certain he wouldn't be upset or mad. No, he was very loving and gentle, and protective nearly to a fault. It was more how she'd feel when she revealed the truth. It was selfish of her, and she knew it. The attention from the palace also scared her. On a normal day, she'd prefer to keep her business, her business. But as the queen; the face and leader of an entire nation and race of water pae, her life was the queendom's life.
Pushing back from the precious spirits she protects, the queen rolled and swam out of the throne room. She'd built up the nerve to let Turin know he is going to be a daddy.... again.
((This RP is back-dated in order to fill in the timeline with events that should have already happened.)) |
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:04 pm
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"Fall in!"
The Aernyn Captain watched the line of soldiers and sentries snap to attention in parade rest, eyes focused forward, and gave a brief nod of approval at their prompt response. He'd been driving his troops much harder lately and had been relieved to note that many had stepped up to the challenge rather than crumble under the pressure. Of course, there had been a few who folded and hadn't made the cut, but it had been far fewer than Turin had feared. When he had finished surveying the returned troops, Turin quipped quickly, "Report."
"East wing is secure, Captain."
"West wing checks out, sir."
One by one, the guards reported in on each sector of the temple, followed by each of the squad leaders reporting on the exterior grounds and the sections of the lake bed beyond. It hadn't been easy to fold the hunters and scouts into the same chain of command as the palace guards, but Turin had managed it with a bit of creative adaptation. He'd been reluctant at first to take over Sadron's hunters and scouts, but clearly it had to be done. There was simply too much to do and the void in leadership had to be filled somehow. With no other likely candidates, the Guard Captain had been the natural choice.
The reports continued to flow in. The carp migration along the north shore continued, chasing other schools of game fish from the area. The southern kelp bed was showing new growth. There were signs of a new beaver dam being constructed near the river mouth, but it didn't look to affect the water flow too badly. Overall, mostly uneventful reports, but Turin wanted to know even the slightest details and changes, so his troops had learned to be thorough. As the last of the reports filed in, Turin mentally cataloged the information with a sharp nod to his troops. "Fine work. Dismissed."
Each of the soldiers saluted the Naiad Captain before taking their leave, until eventually Turin was left alone. The reports should have left him at ease, however the Naiad Captain hadn't felt completely at peace in a long time. Though their defenses were being honed and sharpened, they still felt woefully inadequate in his opinion. After what he'd seen, how could they ever be properly prepared? He'd made it a personal mission to ensure the safety of the temple and its Queen, but every direction he looked, he found new weaknesses that could be exploited. With each new weakness, he made a new plan to counteract it. Yet, there seemed to be no end in sight. It would have been frustrating if he hadn't been able to remind himself just how much rode on his efforts. Though, he had managed to find at least one place of sanctuary that offered some temporary peace...
At the close of shift, the Naiad Captain allowed his posture to relax now that he was alone. Perhaps this would be a good time to slip off to the kitchens. It wasn't mealtime, but...being Captain did have its perks.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 9:26 pm
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Turin was busy. 'bleh' Queen Tariel made way for her second favorite room in the palace to tide her over for now. She'd likely come back in another hour anyway.
The moment Tari saw the war-torn pink fins pass into the kitchen, she froze. That nerve she'd built up drained out of her. 'Why do I feel like this? I'm the boss, I can handle anything, but why does this scare me?' She twisted one of her scarves so much it fell from her shoulder and floated down to the floor of the brightly lit palace. A little more of her bump was exposed, but she was too worried to notice.
"I can do this. There's no reason to be scared. Afterall, it's Turin." But what about his other kids? They're so important to him. There were pangs of jealousy and doubt tugging at her heart. Her head knew the truth, but her heart was a different matter. She was jealous of his children with Kelebek. They were first. But she's queen, will these be more important to him? Tari wished Kelebek and Turin had never had kids sometimes, even before current events. But she'd keep that to herself best she could because first, she'd not have Moana as one of her Ladies, and second, Turin loves them, and she loved Turin.
Would Kelebek and her children resent their queen? All kinds of thoughts ran through her head as she tried to talk herself out of this.
After slinking through the water, she peeked around the corner of the entrance to the kitchen. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him and a smile spread on her face.
"Brrraappp"
Turns out the fluttering feeling wasn't her heart after all. She slapped her face too hard trying to cover her mouth. She slinked forward, thoroughly embarrassed. "Hello my Star."
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 9:58 pm
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The Captain had been quick to nab a skewer of peeled shrimp from the larder and place it between his teeth while he rifled through the ice box for a drink. Okay, sometimes the palace perks were very nice, alright? He was reaching for a pouch of wine when a sound from behind startled him. Training caused him to whirl about dangerously quick, but the expression on his face would have ruined any intimidating effect, as he looked like a tot caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
To say that he was surprised to see Tariel hovering there, the source of the sound that had startled him, would have been a massive understatement. As it were, he was struggling to keep in a snort of laughter on her behalf. She looked thoroughly embarrassed, and belatedly, he realized how silly he likely looked as well, posed to fight with a skewer of shrimp in his mouth. Chuckling softly at himself, he took the skewer in his hand and jokingly waved it in Tariel's direction. "Well, seems you caught me, my lovely Moon." He smiled in a way to reassure her that he wasn't laughing at her as he extended his free hand for hers in invitation. "Since I'm caught anyway...any delicacies that you might desire that this thief could pilfer for you?" He made no effort to hide the fondness in his tone, nor the look in his eyes upon seeing his beloved. Though it was strange to be so open in a public area of the castle, apparently they'd never been as discrete as they'd hoped they were anyway. It was something of a relief for the relationship to be known now.
Was something the matter? She was hunched forward, her posture looked odd...though she was embarrassed...of course, that could be all. No big deal, not between them. They shared so much more with one another, after all. Turin brushed the incident aside, no more intention to call it out than his own startled response to being caught raiding the ice box.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 11:14 pm
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It really was different being open. The funny stares and whispers behind her back stopped... mostly. There would always be gossip and it followed the queen where ever she went. She wasn't ashamed of anything, as sometimes she was in on it too. But this one secret was big. No pun intended. It was growing harder to hide and it was at the point where she'd rather the queendom not think she was growing pudgy. Even if all signs pointed to 'yes'.
"Perhaps. I do so have a craving for the prepared oysters" She slithered into the kitchen, so near Turin, she was face to face with him.She reached behind him to grab an "apple." A food that the faun gifted to them on a regular basis. It took some adjusting to, being land food and all, but after a while, when it grew soft from the water, it was quite delicious. Definitely an acquired taste though. And it made delicious liquor, something their land traders made a fortune on. Her intention, however, was to brush her cheek against his and whisper sweet nothings in his ear. (Folks, this is Tariel, 'sweet nothings' is the pg rated version to describe it.) Her mind had been completely clouded by other things, and she forgot her real motivation for seeking him out.
But there was a little something thing in the way. It bumped Turin before she could be sly and sexy. It also brought Tariel's thought back to the present and out of the R rating. She moved back, and turned her head down to the side, embarrassed and hoping he didn't notice.
"Maybe one of those sea cucumbers over there?" It was a quick cover up for her accident. She turned to reach for one.
She sighed in that way only a naiad could sigh, letting out the breath through the gills with a tiny push so it was just hard enough for bubbles to rise. "Turin, I ..." she paused and took one of his hands - the one without food - and traced the lines on his rough hand with her thumbs before gently putting it on her belly. She looked to his eyes, to watch his reaction. She was so nervous she was almost shaking.
"My Star."
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:11 am
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Oh Great Waters, even now she could put him in a trance just by looking at him like that.
As Tariel closed in, Turin felt himself lost in her deep, green eyes; adrift on an ocean with no hope of fighting the tide...and not particularly caring if he did. He could be lost forever, and he wouldn't mind in the slightest. After all that had happened between them, the fact that she could still make him feel like this was nothing short of incredibl--
An awkward bump and Tariel turned away, breaking the spell. What had--? She was moving away now, seeming embarrassed. It wasn't like Tariel be so clumsy in her movements. Normally so sleek, so controlled...Turin frowned, starting to glance down as she had, wondering how they'd managed to bump into one another like that...?
He noted her 'sigh', wondering again if maybe something was wrong after all. There was something strange going on for sure with Tariel, but what could it be? She said his name (he loved the way it sounded, coming from her lips), then followed with his nickname as she took his hand in hers, then placed it on her stomach. Time seemed to slow.
"My Moon?" he answered automatically, curious and just now noticing the slight curve of her belly under his palm. By all the Great Waters beyond, he knew better than to ever mention aloud if he thought a woman might be gaining weight, not if he valued his fins. Especially Tariel. Of course, with their intimate relationship, he'd noticed....but had simply written it off as stress, or a bit too much binge eating. There had been an influx of new delicacies in the kitchens as of late, and he didn't blame Tariel for indulging in more than a few. Far be it from him to say anything about her eating more than usual. Maybe it was just one of those things, like the phases of the moon or something...
No, there was something about the way she deliberately placed his hand over her belly...he'd noticed also that her hands when they took his felt....frailer than usual. As if she was trembling. "....Tari....are you...?" He lifted his gaze from his hand over her belly to her eyes, nervously seeking his, and he just knew.
He knew.
The shrimp skewer floated away freely in the water, forgotten. Turin closed the distance between them, placing his other hand on her cheek. He was...overwhelmed...to put it lightly, but he wouldn't her misunderstand his reaction. He wouldn't be the cause of undue stress, especially not now. He leaned in quickly, closing the remaining distance for a kiss, quick, but tender. As he pulled back, he smiled and lowered his other hand to push the scarves and fabrics aside to rest on her belly. "Tariel...I..." He couldn't find the words. Not yet. Well, he was always better with actions anyway.
He was careful of his rough fingertips as they traced the smooth scales of her stomach. The Naiad Captain pulled away just a bit, slowly sinking lower towards the floor. His arms looped around her waist, sliding downwards as he lowered himself in the water. Finally, even with her midsection, he leaned in and laid his cheek against her belly, his embrace gentle but firm. He let out a 'sigh' of his own, sounding...content, his eyes closed and still wearing a smile on his face.
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:55 pm
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"Extremely happy," Turin chuckled, finding words at last. He nuzzled her stomach affectionately, relishing the feeling of her fingers in his hair as he let the elation sink in. Tariel was pregnant! He was going to be a father!
Again.
Not that he and Tariel had had any discussions about children. Hell, he'd just been enjoying their new relationship for what it was; living in the moment so to speak without any real consideration for the future or where they would go from here. But now that it had happened...he couldn't have been more thrilled. To think, that he and Tari would be having their own little one...or little ones...if anyone had suggested such a thing only a year ago, he'd have dismissed them as mad.
But now...
Of course, his thoughts turned as well to his first children. While this wouldn't be his first time as a father...he wanted to do this right this time. He'd done the best he could under the circumstances, but it had just been so hard. He must have done something right...his kids turned out to be wonderful Naiads, contributing to the Queendom, none of them hated him...
Things hadn't gone nearly as smoothly with Kelebek. Of course, she'd been a virtual stranger and at first it was as if she didn't want his help. He'd done everything he could to make sure that she and the children were well taken care of and provided for. He'd done his best to keep up his duties, while setting aside as much of his free time and effort as possible to visit and help her with the children. For all the risks and care he'd taken, however, it had somehow never seemed to be enough. Kelebek seemed only to want the one thing that they both knew he could never give her...and thus, nothing else was ever enough.
Turin dispelled the growing negative thoughts like a cloud of bubbles. That had been a completely different situation. This time...even if it hadn't been planned, he was going to be a father; this time with the most precious woman in his life whom he loved with all his heart. Their little tadpole (or tadpoles he warily reminded himself) would be doted and loved upon and completely spoiled rotten, he thought with amusement.
Though he'd felt her posture relax, he still wanted to hear her say it aloud for confirmation. "It's alright; you've told me now," he chuckled. "As long as the rest of the palace didn't know first, then I'm fine with that. But, what about you? Are you happy?" He'd already lowered the volume of his voice, but he couldn't keep the eager excitement from his tone. He just had to say it aloud as well. He looked up to meet her eyes as he said it.
"Tari...we're having tadpoles!"
He sounded positively giddy.
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:30 pm
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"Tua confirmed it," Tariel started. Tua, her all-knowing mellon had suspected something was odd in the queen's behavior as of late. While he was no healing or naiad biological expert, when he'd put his little head on Tariel's growing bump he could hear two different heartbeats, rhythmically adding to the song in Tariel's own heartbeat. "There are two of them. Turin, my Star, I couldn't be happier ... or more scared." emotions started taking over and she hugged her lover. "Little Princesses or Princes."
Of course, this did mean a change in succession. A princess would be the future queen and her Second, Her Lady in Waiting (who was suspiciously absent) would no longer inherit the throne if Waters forbid something was to happen to Queen Tariel. Details someone else can deal with for now - Tua.
Punctuating the queen's shared joy with her consort she grew rigid. A disturbing force rippled through the waters. The palace shook, but held up well, most naiad would never feel a thing. Those more in touch with their knowledge of the past would physically feel it, but none more than the queen. It hit like lightning and she could barely move. As her body grew tighter, her hand in Turin's hair balled tighter. "Help" she managed to squeak out as pain shrouded her head.
Tariel lost consciousness and fell limp, floating in the water.
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 8:02 pm
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Two of them? Two little Princes or Princesses! While some part of him could understand some of Tariel's apprehension, it was well being overshadowed by his own joy. Reveling in his lover's embrace, he rubbed her back soothingly and reassured her, "Don't be afraid, love. We're in this together. And since when has anything stood against the both of us working together?"
He'd smiled, hoping his tone would reassure her at least somewhat, but instead he felt her go rigid in his arms, her fingers tangling in his hair. An instant later, it hit him as well...a sickening feeling, passing like a wave through the waters, sweeping over both of them and leaving Turin's head pounding in sudden intensity. What? Danger? No, it was different from his sixth sense ability, not immediate danger...but he couldn't shake the similar feeling either. It was something more like...dread.
Tariel's squeaking plea for help was like a shock to his system and Turin pushed through the blinding pain in his head to focus on her. She'd suddenly gone limp and he felt his heart plummet. "Tari? TARI?!?" No, nononono! He knew he should have listened to his instincts. She should have been resting, taking care of herself and the little ones. Was this something related to her pregnancy? Or was it that strange wave just now? What was that?
Too many questions; Turin was a man of action. Wrapping the floating Queen in his arms, he gently guided her to the floor to rest before darting away to the door to the kitchen. No one in the immediate vicinity in the hallway. He cursed under his breath. No one near to call for help or to go get a healer. He was reluctant to leave either, so that left him little choice of what to do. He rushed back, still ignoring the pain in his head, though he felt a bit woozy as well as he reached the Queen's side. Kneeling on the floor, he lifted the Queen's head to rest on his tailfin as a makeshift pillow. "Come on, Tari, don't do this to me now..." he muttered, smoothing her hair back with gentle, repetitive motions. What was he supposed to do? There were no injuries to check for...could it have been stress related? Maybe he should risk moving her...he could carry her to the palace healers if need be. He didn't want to risk further injury, but....he could be risking her by not taking action too. He mulled it over, continuing to stroke her hair, each moment getting closer to the time he'd just scoop her up and swim off to the healers. "Come on, Tari...wake up...please..."
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Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2017 8:55 pm
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When the palace rumbled at the shift in spiritual activity, the globe in the throne room rippled violently back and forth while the little glowy fish huddled together, moving with the motion of the globe. Tua had only watched in horror because he's not a pae'il and the blast of spiritual energy didn't affect him. He thought the globe would burst with the pressure. The queen needed to know! THE QUEEN! The little aquatl mellon zipped around the palace, taking note that Alu Spring while shaking, was still shining brightly so the queen was still alive. It offered a little bit of relief among the panic in the water fairy. There was still an emergency to address, so it was of the utmost importance to locate the queen.
---
Tariel felt herself sink to the floor of the palace. Turin was no longer embracing her. She blinked once and pain filled her head. She turned to the side rolled up and held her head.
"You'll be fine, Sweety," The sweet honeyed voice accompanied a gentle touch on her shoulder. The touch chilled the queen but the sensation helped her headache. She pulled in a lungful of water and opened her eyes again. Tariel recognized this naiad! However first priority was her baby bump.
It was there, no pain and normal movement inside. There was a very dramatic show of relief.
"The seal was broken."
Tariel realized that she was talking to the beautiful green-tailed naiad she'd once before seen in a near-tragic vision. She was talking to... Alu."How is this even possible?" Is it a dream? "Where's Turin?"
"He is fine. Now may I meet them?" Alu spoke so beautifully, making Tariel a little self-conscious of her own voice. It felt as if her body and reactions had been written like a script. Tariel nodded and uncurled.
Very tenderly, Alu reached a slender finger towards Tariel's baby bump, brushing Tari's tiny scales as she brought her hand down to rub Tari's belly. "I was unable to have progeny of my own. You have done wonderful work in securing a place in the world for the future generations. The little princesses are lucky. Sadly, I was unable to have my own. " Alu lowered her head and gently kissed Tari's baby bump.
Tariel was unable to process what just transpired. Was she talking to... herself? Was she praising herself? A wave of memories not belonging to herself flashed through her thoughts, Memories of star-crossed lovers and fateful encounters. A faun baring an uncanny resemblance to Rais brought on passionate emotions. "W..wut...why?" She knew she could never be involved with him. Not that he's not a catch, but that she prefers fins. Battle torn pink fins. Turin's fins. But the emotions she felt towards this faun couldn't be ignored and wouldn't fade. Tariel grabbed at her head"How do I stop this!?"
"My feelings and memories are yours now. I was in deep, madly in love with the Earth protector, Arda. But he was married. In their culture, fidelity is a sacred covenant. But we were so in love. I have no idea his fate or what happened after his wife discovered the affair."
"I'm sorry, but that's gross. I mean, I can't judge because I've done my fair share of ... " she motioned with her hands to avoid saying it aloud, "But they were all naiads."
Alu smiled. "I understand how you feel. You've found your new soulmate in Ka'eo."
That name, where had Tari heard of it before. "Ka'eo? My consort and soulmate is Turin."
"Turin is Ka'eo."
Whoa. Tariel sunk in the water a little bit at the memory from her past life vision. That handsome naiad that was head of the Queensguard. "He is Captain of my Guard, too. Is that ... is that how it works?" That question raised more questions as she also remembered the oracle of the past driving a spear through her chest... Alu's chest... It was hard where to draw the line sometimes. Was Aeroniel a reborn murdering usurper? Tariel tried to get that memory out of her head, but it was hard because Turin and she had suspected it as a possibility, but she'd held hope it wasn't true. Aeroniel meant too much to her, and they were close. Used to be close. The two grew apart and now Tariel questioned everything.
"Why is this happening? I didn't do anything to induce it. Have I died?!"
Alu put her hand on Tariel's tummy once again. "You did nothing. The seal was broken. And the piece of my magic; the water, was released. The seal that was to keep the past, in the past. So a new, peaceful future had a chance to flourish without knowledge of the lies, deception, plots, and murders..."
"What are you talking about? The Seer from the Tree, she allowed me a glimpse of the past. I saw a fancy-finned lady drive a spear into my... our... your heart. I saw it, I felt it .... but from your point of view."
"I didn't see it coming. I didn't suspect any in my court to betray me. I had no reason to. But there were tensions on the land, so we prepared for the worst. The pae born of blood were jealous and hateful. We were ready, but ... I do not know the fate of my naiad, or the island, or of my love Arda, Templa & Vilya or Firelord Naur."
Firelord Naur and Vilya & Templa. "Who are they? Why are they important to my past or my future?" Tariel took a stance a little more comfortable as the babies moved around pressing against her ribcage.''
"We are the keepers of the primal elements. We were created and chosen by the Creator and tasked with the duty and burden to protect his secrets in the Book of Transcendence. We also protect the sources of earth, water, magic void, air, and fire from which we were formed, and for which we were given life.For without any of those elements, life ... and the land would perish.
Vilya & Templa are the keepers of air and magic/void, respectively. They worked closely together as the secret keepers. Firelord Naur is the fierce and powerful leader of the fire. He was tasked with taming the wild flame." Alu paused, and held her hand out to Tari. "Come with me."
Still quiet the queen took Alu's hand. A blink of time later, they were in the throne room. The Water globe filled with little specks of light. So many more than Tariel's globe. "What happened? There are so few compared to how many there are now."
"I don't know. " Alu crossed her hands in front of herself and lowered her head. "Each little light is the spark of life for each naiad. I can't even fathom what happened to the lake and rivers. I pray the others were able fulfill their role, as I failed to keep mine."
Tariel, in awe, swam to the Water and laid her hands on the surface. The energy was amazing. "How could you have failed? You didn't know of the incoming betrayal, and ... I am here now.Does that mean anything? Am I here to continue your duty?"
"Souls are eternal. We will forever be reborn until we have finally fulfilled our purpose."
Alu moved to join Tariel aside the globe. "From your memories, I understand there are tensions and violence once more. You and Rais cannot do it alone. Seek out Temple & Vilya, and Firelord Naur. Together, you are unstoppable."
---------
The queen opened her eyes and grasp for air as if drowing. "Turin..." she choked out. She was reaching and struggling to grab anything.
The little tadpoles rolled around in her belly and she cried out in pain.
((Tariel has fully awakened and now knows everything from Alu's life up until her death. She omniscient with Naiad now.))
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Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:40 pm
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The Naiad Captain warred with himself silently as he fretted over the unconscious Queen. He didn't dare leave her to go find help, but he wasn't sure about moving her either. What had happened? He was no medic, aside from some basic field training for first aid, but it was more than nothing. Ignoring his own pounding head, he focused on her, checking her gills...her breathing seemed regular. He had rested her head on his tail fin and hovered over her with a worried frown while reaching to place his hand over her heart. Good, steady beat...if perhaps a little fast. His own wasn't exactly slow right now either. Even if he had no idea what had caused Tariel's current state, her vitals seemed stable. That was something of a relief.
He hesitated a moment, then lifted his hand from her heart to place over her belly. What about them? Turin waited, very still and very silent; what was he even looking for? Some sign, anything... His eyes widened suddenly at a subtle sense of movement. As overwhelming as it all had been before, that one sign made it so much more real. Wait, was that normal? He had no idea. Now he wasn't sure if his sign should have been reassuring or a new cause for worry.
He didn't have long to dwell on it before Tariel stirred. She gasped for air and the sound of his name shocked Turin back into action. Her grasping hands soon found his arms and he started to help her sit up. "Tari! You scared me half to death! Are you oka--" Her pained cry caused Turin to freeze, his gut clenching at the sound. Of course she wasn't okay. None of this was 'okay'. Chiding himself, he stopped trying to help Tariel upright and instead settled in behind her, letting her lean back against him. "Breathe, Tari...just breathe. It's okay, I'm here," he kept droning in a soothing tone, holding her hand, stroking her hair, though he felt anything but calm. Tariel was important. Take care of her, that's all that matters.
"Where does it hurt?" he questioned. Tariel's obvious distress was making him anxious in turn and he started to gather her up, cradled in his arms. "You need a healer, Tari. Just hang on. I've got you."
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Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2017 8:59 pm
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Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2017 11:08 pm
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"Tari!"
Turin's stomach was a churning pit of eels, it seemed, and each time Tariel cried out, he cringed in sympathy. Help...something's wrong... She pulled away from his grasp and tried to swim towards the exit, but the pain stopped her and Turin was instantly at her side again. "Tari, please, stop moving! I've got you! I promise! We're going to the infirmary!"
Her next words gave him pause, and he wondered if the pain was so bad it was addling her thoughts. She called him...Ka'eo. He knew that name. Tariel had looked at him oddly for a moment, almost as if she wasn't quite focused, and yet... The name brought a quick flash of memories to Turin's mind, emotions...anger, loss, betrayal... He quickly shook his head, regretting the action immediately as the pulsing pain in his head amplified. No time! Push it aside! He wrapped his arms around Tariel as she said something about a seal...protect them? Protect who? His immediate thought was for the children she was carrying...but a seal? What kind of seal?
Tariel's scream ripped through his thoughts, scattering them to the currents. Turin pulled Tariel's form to his, cradling her writhing form to his torso. "Hang on, Tari. I've got you. Let me carry you. You're gonna be alright, honey, just hold on." A moment later, he felt her go limp and his heart leapt into his throat. No no nononono, please, Spirits no, don't do this. Don't take her from me, please. Not now. Please, I can't...without her, I can't...
Choking back a strangled sound in his throat that may have been a sob, the Captain supported her shoulders and laid his free hand over her heart. He nearly collapsed in relief, but held himself together. Pulling her unconscious form tightly against his torso, he prepped to swim as fast as he possibly could while keeping from jostling her too much. Hang on, Tari. I've got you. All of you. Just hang in there. I need you. Don't give up on me yet. Don't you dare leave me...
His grip tight on the precious form in his arms, the Naiad Captain became a bright blur racing through the corridors of the castle, taking the shortest route possible to the royal infirmary. There was no time to lose, and he didn't even have the thoughts to spare that he'd never swum so fast in his entire life.
*****
[FIN...?]
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