Nothing to Hide

Caiside had seen more than his fair share of the undeserving crowning themselves royalty. Granted, it was only once before, but even that seemed like too much. That also meant that he had had more than his fair share of undeserving ’royalty’ throwing wrenches into his plans. And he had planned on finding another way to talk to the strange sprites of the Greatwood, no matter how many new laws that flew in the face of. It wasn’t like he was going to go about it stupidly. Maybe a little recklessly, after all, it would have been far less suspicious about an elk entering than the woods in the early hours of the morning than a man, but it was a man who walked into them. And who was spat out, no less than twice, but entered again. It was the little rebellions that mattered, especially in the early days. Not that this was exactly meant to be some kind of sacrificial moment, he really did want to go and visit the Greatwoods again. The sprites had said they knew what he was, even as he was now. Caiside couldn’t turn his back on the chance that they were being honest, no matter what Jigano, or common sense, or some new regent said. And when a path opened up to him, a path leading to a shrine, that had to be a sign. Caiside had offerings, fresh berries and shiny trinkets, made of neutral metals, he knew folklore. Gold and copper, no silver or iron. He had himself as well, his chest stripped bare, ready to prostrate himself for the chance of a visit. Rustling behind him made him pause, golden eyes looking around for the source briefly before shrugging and kneeling. Forests rustled. ”I would like to spend some time among you again.” Caiside called out into the trees, not sure what kind of words would summon them. Or if they were even listening. Caiside heir of fire and ash

Edy was following the reddish-haired man. Could she have stopped him before he left the Hollowed Grounds, thereby breaking one of Zariah's laws?

Of course.

Would that have been any fun though? Besides. Edy wasn't a babysitter. Short as Caiside was, he seemed more than old enough to make his own life choices.

"Spend some time among the trees, mnmm?" Edy purred from the shadows. She'd been walking quietly, but certainly not silently. She didn't much care of the little-god knew of her presence or not. At her heels, Bobi pranced, pouncing on some small bug and then flopping over onto her side.

"Kinky. If you're into that sort of thing."

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

The voice from behind him did not startle Caiside, even if it wasn't the one he had been expecting. With a sigh, he lowered his arms and twisted just enough to meet Edrei's eyes. He recognised her from Longnight, so long ago feeling now, but not as a Launceleyn. That didn't mean he didn't think she was dangerous. Surely someone with good intentions wouldn't have followed him. "I think you might be surprised how uncomfortable it is." Caiside quipped back lightly, slowly turning towards her with a smile. "But it is the kind of thing one does in private." This was said a little more pointedly, his brow raising towards her pointedly. Caiside heir of fire and ash

Perhaps it was the presence of the other, or perhaps the guardians were simply not up for playing today. Either way, the shrine remained empty.

"Uncomfortable ain't always bad." The dark-skinned woman replied with a grin. Caiside's pointed commentary and brow-raising did little to dissuade her of course, and Edy merely tucked her arms across her body and raised a brow right back.

"More the merrier, so the saying goes. But there is also this other little saying, a law actually, about how no one is meant to go traipsing through the woods without permission." Stalking forward, Edy shot the once-god a sweet smile that turned feral quite quickly, her fingers stretching out to spider-walk their way across his shoulder if he'd let her.

"And my guess is you didn't bother to do that, now did you?"

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

”Bad no, but uncomfortable is always... uncomfortable.” Caiside shrugged lightly, about to laugh before Edrei’s quip about the law stiffened his face. So that was what she had followed him for. Even though she was clearly here to act as an enforcer, Caiside wasn’t going to simply roll over and mollify her. ”I’m not just traipsing you know. I’m here to pray.” He gestured towards the shrine behind him, holding up a finger to stop what he knew was going to come next. ”Not to the old gods.” Not technically at least. ”Besides, I am not really a resident under your new queen, so I don’t see why her laws should touch me.” He smiled thinly, eyes on Edrei’s hands now, just in case. ”I’m more of an ambassador. Unofficial, I suppose.” Caiside heir of fire and ash

"Plenty of places to pray within the Hollowed Grounds if memory serves." Edy countered quickly, brow raised in a challenging arc. As for who he prayed to? As if she gave a fuck.

"Is that so." Edy drawled, stalking closer. "So if we say...wandered into the fae village, they'd welcome you with open arms? If we searched the domiciles back in the Hollowed Grounds we'd not find a single pillow with any of these long lovely hairs on them?" Her grin turned feral.

"Your call, really. Either you deal with me, or we go and have a visit with the fae and see how your story holds up."

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

”I have resided in a great many places and never been resident in them.” Caiside argues, annoyed both by the fact that his bluff had been called and by his foothold washing out from under him. ”What exactly does dealing with you entail?” He didn’t really expect an answer, but... ”I know what the fey will do, I don’t know what you will. Would you make that decision?” Even he wasn’t sure if he was simply stalling anymore, though he was certain he was toeing the line of her patience. Caiside heir of fire and ash

"Sounds like you have commitment issues." Edy scoffed with a casual shrug.

With a delighted grin, Edy flashed the not-god a mega-watt smile. Reaching out with her magic, Edy tried to cast her life-drain on the smaller man. To pull insistently at his energy stores, to make his knees and muscles feel suddenly weak. At the same time fire bloomed all around her, casting the Launceleyn-girl in a warm and ominously-red glow.

"I'll make being thrown in a fucking pit seem like a vacation." She hissed, fire glistening in her eyes.

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

The sudden wave of exhaustion that washed over him did nothing but surprise Caiside, his body suddenly heavy and sluggish for no reason he could see. The sapping of his energy didn’t affect him quite as much as the halo of flames that surrounded Edrei did though, his brows creasing in abject confusion. Never before had fire been wielded against him, the very act seemed to crush something deep in his eyes. As ridiculous as it was, all he could thin to say was: ”Going to the fae village isn’t an option anymore, is it?” It wouldn’t have even been lying to say yes, not really. But he’d had to test his luck. Foolish. Caiside heir of fire and ash

"Is that really what you want?" Edy cooed, the flames increasing until they looked like glorified wings at her side. Her smile was white, wide, and bordered on a snarl in the warm light.

"You hardly seem fit to make the journey.." She continued, her magic reaching out like invisible tendrils to pull further at his stamina, to snuff out the oxygen in his lungs and to deprive his brain of oxygen. "It's so far after all. Why bother, when we could just stroll back?"

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

It seems like it would be better than this. Caisid thinks savagely, the flicker of a snark twitching his lips before he gave up, the effort of the expression more than he can could afford at the moment. It almost felt like breathing was too much of an effort, hisbody a heavy weight that he had never noticed before. Actually, it was becoming too much of an effort to breathe. There was panic in his eyes, but he couldn’t lift a hand to claw at his throat, or run away the blurring shapes from his vision. He simply stared at Edrei, some kind of understanding dawning on him far too late. This was her. Somehow she was doing this. Caiside tried to shake his head, to protest at all, and found his body refusing, his mind too scrambled to even form the commands it would take. He was wholly at Edreis mercy, or lack thereof. Caiside heir of fire and ash

"I'm going to take that as a yes." Edy purred, though there was venom in her eyes despite the sweetness of her tone. Fire flared being the once-god, daggers of heat prodding him forward, licking at his heels and snarling against his hair to suggest haste. Releasing her lifedraining hold over his body, which Edy considered to be quite a mercy, the Launceleyn raised a brow, nodding back in the direction of the Hollowed Grounds.

"After you, sugar."

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

As if he had any choice other than a yes. Shutting his mouth and complying, for once, seemed the far better options when compared to being reduced to a husk, or, gods forbid being burned alive. Once his energy returned to him, a mercy Caiside hadn’t expected, he was on his feet, leaning away from the flames licking at him. For a moment, he hesitated, glancing around. If he was very fast, he could shift, and perhaps be lost between the trees. But... he didn’t know how her lifedrain magic worked, and what would he even do after that? Edrei was right, the fey wouldn’t take him. So he took a step forward, towards the hollowed grounds. ”You know, I was in your position once.” Caiside mused softly, just loud enough for her to hear. He wasn’t hoping to convince her of anything, but silence had never come naturally to him. ”Second in command, war on the horizon.” He had never thought he’d be in such a conflict again, on the other side no less, but perhaps this was a punishment of some kind. A trial to get through. Or maybe it was simply shitty luck and stubborness. Caiside heir of fire and ash