[God Quest] I yelled back when I heard thunder

OOC NOTE: I am using my 'Receive a custom item-quest from a god' for Ronin in this thread! The glade was ablaze with a thousand lights, and Ronin couldn't get enough of it. He'd wanted to show Vanya, the first night when he'd found them, but much as the adrenaline crackled through his blood, he daren't stir her from even a second of well deserved rest. It was a nasty habit that he'd taken with him from Northaven, this inability to sleep or stay still. But at least the Glade made it worth it. Ronin leant down to brush his fingers across the pale light of the glow stones that seemed only to work in this place. He'd tried taking some back for Van - obviously - but they'd been simple, decorative rocks by the time he got to their domicile. He sighed and straightened up again, his feet taking him slowly towards one of the Glade's magnificent old trees. A sweet breeze ruffled his dark hair, Ronin turning up the collar on his coat and gazing up into the branches, bathed in werelight. He closed his eyes and let himself relax. And think. If only his thoughts were pleasant. He could have dwelled on his relationships, the guildhall, the new life budding inside the woman he loved... but no. Whenever Ronin closed his eyes he saw a maw of jagged teeth and claws that could rend flesh to ribbons. He felt heat and phantom pain in his shoulder and he swore - he swore he recognised the prickle of poison in his blood. They had to rid it from this place. He just... he wasn't strong enough to do it. Not yet. TALIESIN I'VE FACED THE QUAKES, THE WIND, THE FIRE

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted "Pretty, aren't they?" Sometimes Safrin appeared in a wave of starshine and brilliance. Other times she appeared as if cut from velvet; silent and unparalleled. Now standing before him in the darkness, the goddess appeared dappled by the glade itself. It was almost hard to distinguish where she stood or how much space she took up, so rapturous was her beauty and so ethereal her composition. With eyes filled with starlight, the goddess sighed softly and the entire glade bloomed with light. Soft and warm, the brilliance was almost tangible as she folded her arms across her chest offering the captain a gentle smile. "A pregnant woman at home, a new business to run, and you find yourself here thinking of monsters." Tsking under her breath, the goddess flashed the man a smile full of dazzling teeth. "You'll go prematurely grey if you keep that up." She all but purred, offering the man a sultry wink before turning her gaze towards the beauty of the glade.

The voice that broke his reverie was soft and sweet, but all the same Ronin felt an unmistakeable chill in his blood as blue eyes fluttered open to greet the vision of a woman before him. The mere sight of her set every nerve on fire in a way he could barely comprehend, let alone describe, and even as he tried to glance around the Glade she always seemed to just... be there. She sighed and Ronin was suffused with the warmth and light of the space, the former captain's lips parting as if to say something. But suddenly, for all his etiquette and charm, he found himself hopelessly tongue-tied. Clearing his throat and ruffling a hand awkwardly through the back of his hair, he took a faltering step backwards. "Beautiful," he said lamely. "I mean, they're beautiful." Considering she was absolutely right in her analysis of him, and given that he really was out here thinking of monsters, he was remarkably trusting of her sudden and inexplicable presence. Hooked by the starlight in her eyes, by the purr in her voice, he didn't even have the sense to question it. "How...?" How did she know so much about him? How did she know his very thoughts? He laughed breathlessly, shrugging his shoulders at her joke. "I think I could pull it off," he murmured. "What... who are you?" He didn't bother giving his own name. He got the feeling she already knew it. TALIESIN I'VE FACED THE QUAKES, THE WIND, THE FIRE

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted Noting his discomfort–for how could she not when her gazed was so fixedly set upon him?–Safrin sighed and all the captain's troubles would melt away. They'd be there of course, lurking in his thoughts, but any tension would dissolve in his muscles and anxious spikes of worry would bleed into a soft relaxation. She didn't want to see that pretty face crease needlessly after all. His awkwardness made her smile delicately, and she nodded with petal-soft amusement. "Oh sugar, that isn't what you really want to know, is it?" She laughed, a silvery sound rife with the twinkling of cosmic bells. That her backhanded compliment was meant with a jest was welcome indeed. "What am I?" She repeated, sounded wounded and offended. Indeed her eyelashes batted with feigned hurt before the canvas of her face resolved back into a beatific smile. "They call me Safrin." As she spoke, the glade seemed to buzz, and trill, and sigh with the word; this hidden paradise softly saying hello. "As for what I am, sugar, I believe they call me a god." Her laugh was more mischievous this time, but still airy and light. With a smile, Safrin seated herself on a rock which was round and smooth and probably hadn't been there before she arrived. "So tell me Ronin–" Because yes of course she knew his name. "–what is on your mind?" She could read it easily, but where was the fun in that?

Ronin didn't know what she did - and frankly, he didn't want to. But as the strings of tension that seemed to have been puppeting him about for... for... he didn't know how long, actually, simply melted away, the sensation nearly floored him. There was no pain. No buzz in his thoughts, no bunched muscles in his shoulders and back, no burning behind his eyes or heaviness in his movements. Years seemed to visibly lift from the former captain, leaving him boyish and bright eyed and laughing stupidly without knowing why. Blinking, Ronin looked up at her again, arching an eyebrow and feeling a grin on his face. Sugar? He could get to quite enjoy that, he thought. When she appeared so wounded his smile fell away, the ex-baron stepping back to sweep into a perfectly executed, apologetic bow. "Forgive me... Safrin. I meant no offence." He didn't feel as though he should be allowed to say her name, really. It belonged to the Glade, to the stars and the cosmos. His tongue was too clumsy for it. Well obviously she was a god - how foolish of him to think she might be anything else. She seated herself and he straightened up, an expression of confusion flickering over his face at her question. Why she would even care was beyond him, but he'd not deny her an answer. "The Spire," he murmured. "There is a monster that claims the Spire for its territory. It nearly killed my companions and I, and I'm worried it might decide to stray into the Sanctuary. He frowned softly. "I wasn't strong enough to take it down." TALIESIN SO LOOK, AND CONNECT WE'RE REFUSING TO RUST HEALING HAS TO BEGIN IN THE PAST

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted The smile on her face as her magic worked its way in and through Ronin was pure mirth. "Ahhh. Now that is better." She purred, indescribably-hued eyes sinking and fixing the captain in place as the corners of her lashes fluttered slightly. Ronin's bow was adorable. Safrin couldn't remember the last time she'd been bowed to. This place had its own strange set of customs and such perfunctory acts had gone by the wayside ever since the bubble was erected. Pomp and circumstance had its place, and right now, Safrin decided she very much approved of the captain's use of it here. "Think nothing of it sugar." She trilled lightly, sweeping a hand and causing a stone to appear behind Ronin. At the mention of the Spire and the monster specifically, Safrin's features darkened for a moment making the star-twinkling characteristic of her gaze all the more prominent. "Ah. Yes." Turning her gaze away to consider for a moment, Safrin took a deep breath and instead of exhaling it in an annoyed rush, she flashed the man another smile. "It stays where it is needed. You will not find it so far as the Sanctuary." She said vaguely, shrugging at the notion he wasn't strong enough. "No of course you weren't darling." The goddess continued, her gaze fixing him pleasantly. "I daresay it will take more than birds and blades and blunt force to take the creature down."

It felt better. Ronin could only agree with Safrin's interpreation of things - not that he would have disagreed with her in any case, what with her divine status and his inconvenient mortality. He watched her with the sort of reverence of someone who had never seen anything of her calibre before. Safrin was ethereal and other, and yet so warm and tangible and present that he could barely begin to reconcile the two. "Oh," he murmured, spotting the stone appearing out of the corner of his eye and sinking slowly down upon it, "thank you very much." The topic of discussion turned to the Spire and Ronin was caught in the starlight of Safrin's darkening expression. He could barely think, let alone consider what it was she was saying, and it was with a great deal of effort that he managed to catch the fact that the monster only stayed where it was needed. Ronin's shoulders relaxed further, if that was possible - so long as they stayed away from it, then, the Sanctuary should be safe. His baby should be safe. He ruffled a hand through his messy hair as if that would help him think, frowning sadly at his feet. "What will it take?" he asked. "What do I need? And what do I have to do, to get it?" TALIESIN SO LOOK, AND CONNECT WE'RE REFUSING TO RUST HEALING HAS TO BEGIN IN THE PAST

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted Safrin remained studious and silent as the captain continued to digest her presence as well as the information she'd told him. Ahh yes, his baby. That little thing. Safrin was not particularly fond of children as it was. Just messy little distractions, though she did like when they turned into beautiful creatures after a few years of slopping about. With an appraising glance Safrin watched this endearing display of the captain's as his delightfully slow mortal mind went through the motions. "Why, my help of course." Safrin tittered musically. "But I'd not be seen confronting the creature myself." She continued dismissively, raising her chin and eyebrows ever so slightly. "But there are weapons which will injure it..." Safrin shrugged, the vagueness in her voice as intentional as the hint of steel that flashed in her eyes. There were things at play here she'd not discuss with Ronin, and with a gentle sigh, tendrils of magic reached out to gradually push his mind in other directions. What does it matter if she won't be there to help you? the magic purred into his subconscious. Focus on the weapon. "As for what you can do..." Safrin nibbled her lip as one eye closed thoughtfully. Oh there were so many ways of answering htis question, but Safrin was after the one which would draw the captain back for more. And more, and more, and more. "...well it is simple really. Just wear this-" In the darkness before the captain, a small medallion appeared. As it moved, it seemed to reflect the strangest pattern; the night sky reflected against an inky pool of water. No matter which way it turned, it glistened and grew dark. At the centre was an incredibly fine white line in the shape of an eye. "If anyone asks, you'll tell them where you got it, and perhaps about little old me. Do that, and when the time comes, the weapon you seek shall be yours."

With her help? Weapons? Now she was speaking his language in earnest, Ronin raising his gaze to the cosmic beauty of her face and fighting not to look away again. To look upon her frankly made his eyes water, and her gentle prodding at his mind was barely needed. Ronin's psyche moulded like clay under Safrin's influence - if she could and would help him get rid of the demon at the Spire, he would do as she wished. And what she wished, apparently, was for him to wear some medallion. And to tell people about her. But why wouldn't he, in truth? He'd heard stories about the gods who dwelled in this land (and what were gods anyway, really? His first encounter, at least, had left a very sweet impression) and Safrin blew them all out of the water. If she wanted him to spread the word about her generosity and her appearance in the Glade, it was a small price to pay. "Of course," he murmured, the starlight of the medallion reflected in his blue eyes as he accepted it, slipping it over his head where it lay twinkling against his chest. "But... Apologies if this muddies any waters, but... why would you help me?" TALIESIN SO LOOK, AND CONNECT WE'RE REFUSING TO RUST HEALING HAS TO BEGIN IN THE PAST

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted With a tantalizing sparkle, Safrin nodded with approval as the medallion slipped over the captain’s head and onto his chest. Near to his heart. How splendid. It would weigh almost nothing, but wouldn’t bounce about. And taking it off? Why it would feel like it was a part of him. Why should ever he need to remove it, even when naked? Oh no. Ronin would feel inclined to keep it close, even if the thought didn’t actively strike his mind in such a concrete way. “Why sugar?” Safrin purred, leaning forward slightly. The galaxies that were her eyes appeared like unfathomably deep pools as her lashes fluttered gently. “Well as I said, perhaps one day you’ll pull off the salt and pepper look, but let’s not rush there too quickly, mm?” With another twinkle of laughter, Safrin sat up straighter, crossing one leg over the other. “But as you’ve alluded, since you and your little Northaven friends are here, we can’t just have monsters running around now can we?” Regardless of why the monster was put in place–a topic she’s not discuss with Ronin–if Safrin was to remain in this godsforesaken bubble, it would be nice to have a few fresh faces about. And Safrin had decided she quite liked Ronin’s.

Her eyes were dangerous in that they were all too easy to drown in; indeed, Ronin was lost in their deep black and ethereal twinkling, aware only of the warmth of the medallion against his chest. It was a strange sensation - he knew it was there but he didn't feel it, didn't need to touch it or look to assure himself of its presence. It brought a sense of... he couldn't say. Safety? Calm? Either way, relaxed and with the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders, the former captain was all hers. And he didn't even know it. She leant forward and he did the same, almost without thinking, a crooked smile making its way across his face at her jokes and charm and laughter (and evasiveness, but who really cared about that?). "So I wear this, and I spread word about you... and when the time comes..." Blue eyes grew a touch steely. Ronin nodded. "When I'm ready to go back to the Spire, you mean." He'd be ready. "Thank you, Safrin. I'll not disappoint." TALIESIN SO LOOK, AND CONNECT WE'RE REFUSING TO RUST HEALING HAS TO BEGIN IN THE PAST

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted Well wasn’t this all just going swimmingly. Safrin offered the man a dazzling smile and nodded. “Yes. The next time you encounter the beast, the weapon you need to defeat it shall be yours.” So long gas you do what I’ve said. But that seemed not to need saying. The captain seemed quite ... willing to please. A trait the goddess had not overlooked. “I doubt you often do.” The goddess purred. The sultry smile on her lips widened as the glade suddenly bloomed to life. Light flooded the area in a way which would leave the captain temporarily blinded, but not painfully so. He’d not see bright lights in his vision or any of those normal effects of such brilliance. Merely a sense of calm and the lack of the deity.

The weapon you need to defeat it shall be yours. That was all Ronin needed to hear. In his time in Northaven it had become quite a habit of the former captain to try and protect all those he could. That apparently hadn't changed, even if he was shying away from being a soldier for the very first time in his life. (That was another, wholly freeing story entirely). Safrin's smile was dazzling enough that Ronin was probably blinded even before the glade bloomed to life with such vivacity, but his hand still came up to shield his eyes from the glamour. When it faded and he could see once more, the deity was simply... gone. "Safrin?" He spoke her name softly, a reverence making it into his tone without his notice, and his free hand strayed to the medallion about his neck. He glanced around a few times, blue eyes puzzled, but it was just Ronin and the glow stones and the babble of the nearby oasis. Huh. Ronin felt a smile on his face, bowing his head for a moment and closing his eyes to gather his thoughts. When he left the Glade, it was with a fresh determination burning within him. {END THREAD} TALIESIN SO LOOK, AND CONNECT WE'RE REFUSING TO RUST HEALING HAS TO BEGIN IN THE PAST