[PQ+] some roses are red

Maea

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on the limb

It was by the warm glow of the firelight and the deepening shadows it cast that Maea realized how late it had become. Shadows stretched away from the fading sun, the golden hour lost to them at some point during the battle and when Thalassa's fire burned itself out the gloom of twilight was already gathering beneath the boughs of the trees.

Watching the ashes of the void critter drift off on a light breeze, Maea checked that she had all her belongings. The scarf, the glaive, the pocket full of gold - and for a moment she considered the remains of the knight, wondering if they should bury the bones. But Thalassa had to leave, and Hadama would have to return home soon as well - and in a rare moment of honesty, Maea admitted to herself that she was far too tired right now.

"I'll have to go back to the shrine for my pack. Thank you, both of you, for joining me. It's too bad we didn't find a rose, but at least there's a few voidlings less in the woods." Offering weary smiles and hugs if they were accepted to each of her friends, she prepared to leave. It would be a long hike back through the woods carrying her new belongings, but should she come across anything else, Maea was perfectly willing to run. It wouldn't be the first time she traversed the Wilderness in her own company.

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Last round! Post your characters leaving, last person can finish and archive.

(Thank you for participating, this was a blast to host! <3)

And I remember thinking — I want to be like them

I'm the bad guy.

By the time the body was flaking away in bits of ash, Thal could feel her own exhaustion hitting like a weighted boulder. She shook out her arms before letting them fall to her side. It was much darker than she would have liked, having only planned to stay away for a few hours, but at least her transportation would be faster with Hadama. Giving him a grateful nod of her head, she took his hand. It felt strangely intimate, but she tried to ignore the feeling, straightening her spine in preparation for the teleportation. "I'm ready when you are."

She looked to Maea with a fanged grin, her dark horns catching the red of the fading light to give her an ominous look. "I'm always happy to kill some stuff. Just let me know." There was also an unspoken offer for the woman to let her know of any other assistance she required, but she didn't verbalize it. Perhaps she should have been worried about Maea departing alone, however, the Ancient wasn't helpless, and she had a crew to get back to. So, she looked to Hadama, patiently waiting for him to take them away in a flash of moonlight. 

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Thalassa agrees to go with Hadama.

thalassa

Hadama shared Thalassa's concern for their white-haired friend, but he also shared her trust in Maea's strength and ability to take care of herself. The Ancient was powerful in her own right, whatever reservations she might hold about her powers and their source. He inclined his head deeply to her, part in acknowledgment of her leadership on their hunt and part in apology for leaving her to make the trek back alone. "You are welcome." His words were quiet but warm as he smiled at his friend. "Fewer Void creatures is its own reward."

Turning back to Thalassa he took her hand in his, folding his large fingers gently around the captain's work-roughened hand. "Do not let go until we are through," he murmured. It was, he hoped, an unnecessary warning, but it was best to be sure. He had never lost track of anyone during a teleport yet, but that was no reason to tempt fate. He drew her close to him before reaching for his magic, drawing down the moonlight to wrap around them. Emerald eyes remained on Maea until the light grew bright enough to obscure the shapes within it and then they were gone.

~Fin