fairyland fun! (your levels of fun may vary)

[fair_trouble]

[New day, new town, and hopefully new opportunities. Specifically opportunities to make some money because Zel and Emery’s funds have been running kind of low after their most recent misadventure. This has meant a temporary separation while Zelgadis goes to look for merc-type work and potential cure leads and Emery goes around chatting up the locals without terrifying them.

Or at least that was the plan, until Calanthe showed up.

By the time Zel gets back to the inn, Emery’s still busy talking to Calanthe in their inn room, although the conversation’s just about wrapping up. If he’s perceptive he might even catch a bit of Emery’s words.

“...some funds this time? ...Seriously, is that it? He’s always such a cheapskate. …Okay I got it. I’ll see you later.”

A few moments later a woman wearing a green cloak exits their inn room. Her hood is up, partly obscuring a pale face and hair, and she barely spares anyone a passing glance as she drifts down the hallway.

Emery is still standing inside the inn room looking pensive, but when Zel enters he’ll give him a bright smile.]

Oh! Hey, Zel. Did you manage to find anything?

Comments

[fair_trouble]

See? I told you, you look like you could be an earth fairy. Honestly, you look more like a normal fae than I do.

[Aaand now they're close enough to the spring to see it- a cliff face with various spouts of water burbling from cracks and holes in the rock, filling up a pond below and flowing into a few streams from there out into the woods. Unsurprisingly, there are several other people also at the spring to fetch water, so it's probably best to table the conversation about neither-of-them-being-normal-fae for the time being.]

Ah, we're here.

[Emery steps over to the water's edge and sets his bucket down beside him, before dipping his hand in the water. He flinches a little as he does.]

Ih! It's really cold.

[Nevertheless, Emery scoops some water out of the pond and takes a drink from his hand.]

[chimerad]

[Zel exhales a contemplative sound, taking in the sight of the place, craning his neck to see up to the top. what a peculiar kind of falls...was it natural? was there a river that failed to crest the end of the cliff and simply...bored holes through it in this way?

he lingers in place considering that, his gaze trailing down and then idles on Emery before some reflection or movement in the pond pulls his focus. he blinks, frowns, and stares for a beat, uncertain of what it was.

...maybe a fish or a frog. or some...fey variant of such? possibly.

he tries to put it out of mind while walking over toward the cliff wall and stake a claim at one of the nearby falls.]

[fair_trouble]

[After taking a drink Emery lets his hand drop back into the water, letting it acclimate to the cold temperature. He watches the water flow around his fingers and meditatively swirls his hand around for a few moments. It had a refreshing taste, and it almost seems a shame they'll be using it for washing dishes.

Emery finally withdraws his hands from the water and glances around until he spots Zel by one of the falls.

He wonders exactly what the Hob said to Zel, and whether Zel's still thinking about it. Emery kind of hopes he isn't. It's not that he doesn't trust Zel, it's just- Well, that's sort of the problem. Zel's a good man. He's not likely to brush off Emery's situation if he figures it out, but there isn't much either of them can do about it. And Emery can't imagine Zel taking that well.

Zelgadis has enough burdens as is. Emery doesn't want to add to that.

After another moment of thought, Emery turns back to the pond and scoops up some water, then moves over to where Zel's standing. Emery holds out his hands to Zel, cupped together with water pooled in his palms.]

Here, try it~ It's good.

[Never mind that there are other people- including possibly some residents in the spring- around to observe them. Emery certainly doesn't!]

[chimerad]

[Zel flashes the ghost of a smirk sidelong - a kind of really? energy to it that lacks bite. the offer is endearing, even if he would feel truly awkward acting on it.]

It's already half-spilled out of y--

[the bloop of a sudden water shift is all the warning he gets before something bursts out of the water to his left, and it's all he can do but elbow Emery further out of the way while twisting to face...whatever it is. in the speed of the moment, all he's getting is the sense of a large, blurry, amorphous shape lunging and grappling him, inadvertently given advantage by Zel turning at all and setting his own balance off.

he pitches forward when the weight of the thing yanks him down.]

[fair_trouble]

Ah?!

[Emery's all ready to make a returning quip about Zel needing to hurry up and drink, but the moment is abruptly, brutally killed by some thing bursting out of the pond and Zel elbowing Emery aside. Emery stumbles, twisting unsteadily to try and see what the hell is going on.]

Zel-!

[Operating on instinct, Emery's response is to grab at Zel's shoulders the instant he sees the man pitch forward. This does not work very well because Zel is a very heavy rock person and Emery is not remotely within his weight class.

Zel gets yanked into the pond, Emery isn't able to keep his grip but momentum still carries him down until he splashes into the muddy bank of the pond. He gets to his knees and elbows, sputtering and soaked from the chest up.

The various fae that were innocently going about their day are unsurprisingly freaked out, though Emery barely notices their shouting because a weird pond monster just stole his boyfriend.

Emery scrambles to his feet and stares frantically out at the churning water.]

Zel!

[Where is he, does Emery just- grab his sword or-]

[chimerad]

[it's hard to rein in the animal impulses to thrash and flail when he's cut off from the air, but this isn't the first time Zel's been in a life-or-death situation. it takes some effort, but Zel forces himself to go still while he takes stock of what he can.

no air - he's underwater, clearly. something heavy is grabbing at his shoulders, trying for his neck. arms, legs? appendages. some creature. without air, he can't breathe out the power words for magic, so he has to rely on his strength.

Zel's legs kick around in search of purchase, of some sense of place and the ground, leverage to press back - hard to do while being throttled, but after twisting a bit, he can get a knee under him and push up with the beast on his back and catch a precious burst of air.]

KUH-!! [if he needs air, he should rely on a Ray Wing, the force of it possibly enough to destabilize whatever's--

whatever's got claws and raking a this face. Zel squeezes his eyes to protect them, but one of the talons snatches at the corner of his mouth and hooks as though he were some goddamn fish.

so much for coherent words.]

[fair_trouble]

[Seeing Zel burst from the water is only a partial relief. There's this hairy thing on his back, like someone stuck a bald old man's head on a green gibbon's body- it's hard for Emery to get a good look at it, but it's clearly trying its level best to claw Zel's eyes and tongue out.

Emery's gaze darts around the edges of a pond and he spots an elven-eared fairy running towards the village. Without thinking overmuch Emery dashes over and grabs them by the arm, pointing with his free hand towards the wrestling match going on in the pond.]

Hey! What is that!?

["I- I don't know, he looks like an earth fair-"]

No, the one on top!

["Eh? That's the guardian of the spring. He's angry, so I suggest you keep your distance!" The fairy accordingly shakes Emery's hand off and resumes sprinting back into the village. Leaving Emery to helplessly watch as Zelgadis struggles.

Out of sheer desperation, Emery stoops to grab one of the buckets discarded by the edge of the pond and then throws it as hard as he can at the spring's guardian.]

Let go of him!

[It's honestly probably a pathetic attempt, but maybe if he can at least distract this asshole...]

[chimerad]

[on the plus, any projectile Emery lobs his way won't hurt him, so no harm there. and any musical thunk it might land off the guardian's can rattle it enough for Zel to try and stay upright without such a dedicated mauling.

he reaches up and grabs at what he can of the mass on his back, prompting the return to said mauling, but at least Zel can wrench one of the offending arms free; the tear at the inside of his cheek destabilizes some of the stone on the surface of his face, prompting cracks that fill with blood near as fast as they're made.

that's a new sensation for sure.

Zel reels, tilting and dropping hard on the affected side, rolling so his stone weight pins the creature down beneath him as he coughs and snarls in pain. it also gives him a chance to feel around his waist for his sword.

he's gotta kill this thing. clearly.

(unless reason cuts in before he starts the cutting, of course)]

[fair_trouble]

[Actually managing to hit the thing is encouraging. But then there's a flash of red on Zel's cheek, wrenching a choked gasp out of Emery. How?! This is Zel, a man who catches swords with his bare hands- How is the spring's guardian managing to do that-

-It's a guardian of the spring. That means it must be drawing power from the water. Emery turns sharply to look at the cliff wall, and all the various places water is spouting from.

He starts moving.

So while Zel is wrestling the deranged water monkey imp thing, Emery starts scrabbling up the side of the cliff. It's a slippery process but Emery grimly makes progress hard-fought foot by foot, until he's at a relatively stable position near the top. There, he gets on his knees and starts digging into the dirt with his bare hands, clawing at soil, stone, and root.

Come on... You need to move!

At first, he isn't able to cause much of an effect.

But then, above the din of splashing comes a hoard of creaking, popping, and cracking noises as roots stretch and grow across the rocky face of the cliff at an impossibly fast rate.

Wherever and however the guardian is in relation to Zel, it makes a startled "Wrh?!" noise.]

[chimerad]

[that hitch in struggling gives Zel the chance to roll off of the guardian, draw his blade, and snatch one of the offending claws.

he yanks and hacks it off at the wrist as he climbs to his feet, using the momentum for the strike. staggering backward toward dry land, he chucks the disembodied hand toward the howling creature, trying to keep his eyes on it for signs of greater retaliation. it's hard, though: the pain is almost blinding, infuriating...but it is severe enough that it's keeping him from focusing his thoughts enough to do any brutal, killing spells.

his sword drags a line in the gravel as he takes another heavy step backward, mouth hanging open while blood pumps freely. no chance for making threats or demands like this, either, so all he can do is seethe and watch.]

[fair_trouble]

[The guardian lurches, clutching its bloody stump of a wrist as its howls taper into more of a pained keening, then plunging its arm into the water. The bloody water churns around its arm and then the guardian triumphantly yanks its arm back- revealing a new hand, shaped from a mixture of blood and water, clinging to its wrist.

Emery's too busy manipulating the mana in the earth and plants to keep a close eye on proceedings, but he's watching Zelgadis enough to get an idea of what's going on. Damn it, get out of there!

Proper greenery tentatively starts unfolding and squirming out of the roots that grow further down the cliff wall and begin properly curling into the highest of the cracks and holes that produce the spring water.

Emery's not the only one pulling magic bullshit, however, as the water around the guardian whips up and whirls around, as fast and vicious as a series of drills.]

[chimerad]

[Zel spits a globule of blood out, holding his free arm up.]

Freeze! Arrow!

[he flings the icicle construct as he snarls the enchantment, spiking the water in front of the guardian and letting it burst and spread to encase them and the nearby area while he, himself, trudges backward out of the shallows, staggering a step that prompts him to turning partly around to watch his step while also keeping the enemy in his sights.

when some glimpse of Emery hits his peripheral, Zel's focus swivels, reminding him better of his place; he reaches for Emery, to grab an arm and hasten away from the pond, buckets be damned.]

[fair_trouble]

[There's a hopeful twisting sensation in Emery's chest as he sees the spring get iced over. That'll do, won't it? Emery withdraws his hands from the soil, feeling his head swim as he turns to look properly in Zel's direction. Ah, he's coming closer...

Emery gets to his feet and stumbles his way down the side of the cliff, dirt and stones skidding and sliding beneath his feet as he makes his way to Zel's side in a manner partway between running and falling. He lets himself be grabbed and hauled around without noticing any roughness. Zelgadis's current state is more distracting.]

Your face-

[There's so much blood on Zel.]

[chimerad]

[brusquely:] Yeah.

[talking hurts, so he just pants the response, his mouth still hanging open, letting blood leak; it's something to worry about well away from the reach of the water, but...but not right in front of the caravan, either.

when he catches sight of the camp, he slows, relaxing his vice-tight grip on Emery's arm and looks him over, to see if he's hurt.]

[fair_trouble]

...

[Emery isn't injured, though he looks more of a fright than normal. He's wet from the waist up, there's mud on his clothes, and his hands are absolutely caked in dirt from digging into the soil. Not to mention how pale his complexion is and the dazed look in his eyes as he stares back at Zel.

Getting close to the caravan means that sooner rather than later the goblins spot them, and needless to say they're both a sight. Most of them just stay rooted to whatever spot they happen to be, staring, but a handful dare to approach their weird guests. Emery vaguely recognizes Tantabel at the front of the group.

"What the hell happened?" she asks.]

[chimerad]

[the moment Zel can register eyes other than Emery's on him, he ducks his head, absently feeling for his hood before giving it up in the haze of pain.

he shakes his head, ducking it as he crouches and shifts onto a knee. he needs to try to staunch his bleeding or get his mouth around working to utter a healing spell, but it's hard to focus outside of the bristle of panic and pain.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery looks from Zel to Tantabel, necessity forcing him to shake off the daze from the magic usage and the shock of the fight. Right. Zel can't do the talking. Emery can do the talking.]

The guardian of the spring attacked us. I don't know why, but we weren't doing anything that other people weren't.

[Having offered that brief explanation Emery crouches next to Zel, peering at his injuries. It's hard for Emery to get a good look, both because of the angle Zel's head is at and because there's so much blood it's hard to tell what's injured and what's just had blood smeared over it.

Well, better to get it treated fast. Emery holds up a hand and whispers the words of a healing spell. A pale blue-green glow lights up in his hand as the magic spreads from Emery into Zel.

Nearby Tantabel makes an exasperated sound and walks off to do something-or-other. Maybe talk to the Hob. Maybe to call in the local equivalent of law enforcement. Emery deems it not nearly as important either way.]

[chimerad]

[Zel holds his breath while the magic numbs and stitches back up the soft flesh of his inner cheek; hairline cracks linger where the strain of the attach broke through the other side to the exterior, slightly off-color even after the spell has finished its course of repairs.

once he can feel his tongue again:] ...Thanks.

[fair_trouble]

Did it get you anywhere else?

[Emery gives Zel a hard stare, looking carefully over whatever bits are visible. He's not ready to relax just yet, not when Zel still looks and sounds like an exhausted mess.]

[chimerad]

[good question. he looks down at himself, at his hand...and the other one, still gripping his sword hilt like it were fused to him; quietly he tries to train on the feelings of himself outside of the malaise of pain-induced adrenaline.]

Don't think so. Doesn't feel like it.

[beat.

his eyes wince.]

...This probably isn't going to endear us to the camp.

[fair_trouble]

[Emery exhales quietly and leans back, still tense. The mention of the caravan earns a little scoff.]

So what? That so-called "guardian" was the one who started it.

[A bit of genuine anger slips into Emery's tone as he thinks on it. Even if they'd broken some unspoken rule, it couldn't have been anything that merited trying to kill Zel!

At about that moment Tantabel returns, hauling a small travel trunk along with her. She sets it on the ground nearby and looks the two of them over before speaking.

"You're both patched up now, right? You should hide in here before anyone comes looking for you."

She fiddles with the latches and pops open the lid of the trunk, which definitely doesn't look big enough to fit even one of them, let alone both Emery and Zel. Still, Emery shuffles over to take a look.

Ah. It's one of those "bigger on the inside" situations. Looking into the trunk, Emery can see a small, dim pantry room, as if they'd cut a hole in the ceiling to look into it.]

[chimerad]

[despite the mending of Zel's wounds, his face and portions of his front are stained with blood, still looking like an extra fresh off the set of a horror movie, whatever that is.

he blinks owlishly at the goblin, not entirely processing her words outside of ones he expected to her - a strange disconnect.]

...Why are you helping us? [for another you-owe-me?]

[fair_trouble]

["You paid for passage to Fairford. We couldn't hold up our deal if you got incarcerated here,' Tantabel says. With a thoughtful look, she adds "Unless you'd rather have a refund...?"]

We'd like to keep traveling.

[Gift horses etc. Emery figures Zel will need time to recuperate, and he doesn't want to them to still be here when the locals start looking for the miscreants who unhanded the spring's guardian. He sets a foot on the edge of the trunk, but he won't actually climb in until Zel's on his feet and headed in the same direction.

"Don't touch anything while you're in there. You're both filthy."]

[chimerad]

[Zel slowly climbs to his feet, warily watching Tantabel, as though he expected some double-cross. by the time Emery's looking back toward him no such thing happens, so he can't really belabor the moment, can he?]

...Thank you.

[he won't refute looking a goddamn mess, so he'll just offer thanks and move to Emery's side, giving the case in front of him a side-eye.

pocket dimension...in a case...?]

[fair_trouble]

[The thanks earns Zel a nod from Tantabel. Emery steps into the trunk, and from his perspective it feels less like jumping into the room and more like the room rises up to surround him. It's a tad disorienting, and when he looks up he can see the square-shaped hole in the ceiling a few feet above him.

Emery shuffles back, careful not to bump into any of the shelves behind him.]

Come on, it's safe.

["It certainly is!" quoth Tantabel.]