V2 Incline 26: Champion Nin

"Nin!" someone calls out from above, interrupting my thoughts and bringing me to a halt. Looking towards the sound, I try and find it, then smile as Vapooliar comes into view. She lands aggressively into the ground and I move backwards out of now pointless instinct as dirt rains about. My smile vanishes as her worried face comes into view as she steps up into the light of a nearby lamp.

"What's wrong?" I ask as she takes up my hand abruptly.

"I need to show you something, please, come with me!" she urges me to do as she starts to pull me after her. I was looking for Rose-sweerui so I could ask her something, but, compared to this, it means nothing.

"Show away." I tell her as she lets go of my hand to shoot off into the sky. Suddenly, she stops then drops back down, shaking her head as she does so. I stop the laugh building up inside of me and we go off into the air as she tries to hide her fluster. My hand tightens as I am dragged after her through the open sky, left flailing about as we do so.

The world just seems to go by so quickly up here, it's all a blur and emerald light and wisps surround me. Wind howls in my ear and I feel like a firmly-knotted flag on its breeze-afflicted pole. Yet, for all this power she is dragging me with, I feel fine. My arm felt no closer to being dislocated than it was when she did not have her hand with mine.

"WHERE'RE WE GOING!?" I shout away from her so nothing gets in my mouth. But I barely heard myself, I doubt she heard me.

White powder explodes around us.

"HUH!?" I loudly let out as I realise we have landed. Vapooliar pulls me to my feet and I pat the last of the cold powder off of my hands. I look around and see how this powder is everywhere near us. I frown at the angry-looking clouds immediately above and then back down at the white powder.

"Are you okay, I wasn't going too fast for you, was I?" Vapooliar asks in concern as I continue to stare about at the cold powder. I wipe my hands clean further as water somehow appears on them. This stuff is some kind of ice?

My eyes land on her brown ones with their little emerald lines as little white specks fall onto us, "Beautiful..."

My eyes widen by three sizes as a stammer gets caught in my throat. She looks away with freshly renewed red cheeks and she spaces out. In a way, it's cute, I've never seen a girl act this way before after being called such a wonderful thing. But, as she is spacing out, I grab some of the white powder as it is cold.

I throw it at her and some of it ends up in her mouth, she spits it out just as fast as it went in!

I smile and chuckle as she frowns with what might be her usual, stern gaze, "Please do not throw snow at my face."

I nod in response and think about the name of the powder. It is nice that I now know what it is called, its real name. Snow, the name of this stuff is snow. It crunches when stepped on, but looks so fluffy and sand-like when nothing has touched it.

Snow...

"I have a feeling that this snow is not what you wanted me to see." I say as I try to get my mind back on a serious track. She arrived back at the flower with nothing but worry in her eyes, I need to see what bothers her. She takes my hand once again and she starts to walk towards the mountain's edge.

"Hold on tight." she tells me as we gently rise up before we shoot off again. She directs us upwards into the clouds and we come out on the other side, above them. I struggle to whistle slightly as we quietly soar higher under the moonlight until we find a new peak. The snow crunches under our feet and she holds me steady as she looks around some more.

She points down at a mountain that somewhat worries me with its shape. It looks quite similar to the mountain that housed all of that grief not so long ago. With its little, walled-off garden high above the valleys where those who can help you are. I don't want to go there, but, by her insistence...

We land in the dark, forested hole at the mountain's top and my hand tightens its grip on hers. Heavy footfalls suddenly sound out from beyond the shadowy canopy and hard chitters come with it. I step back with wide eyes but Vapooliar's hand keeps me anchored next to her. I try to break free of her hand but she encourages me to calm and quieten down.

"It's just a ryphurgok, do not worry." she tells me as a tall, beaked creature comes waddling out into the ray of moonlight. Its smooth round head turns at us and I see two eyes, when its beak faces us, I see two pairs. The beak parts four ways so it can grind out a roar and its seemingly grey body shakes as a yawn of some kind escapes the creature. I keep trying to walk away, however.

Vapooliar's grip turns soft as she coaxes me close to her.

"It's alright, I won't let it hurt you. I promise." she whispers kindly as this flat-footed quadruped starts to turn away from us. It doesn't take long for it to leave, but, when it does decide to go, it leaves us a final gift. A stream of sloppy grey falls out as it walks off into the darkness.

"Did it just...?" I ask, trying to smile at the silly likelihood of my just-now witnessing. Eyes watch as its shadow moves in the direction of the sound of pecking.

"Yes, it let out cement." Vapooliar answers with a serious tone as she lets go of my hand. I nod at the potential jokestering of that excrement and I follow Vapooliar. She brings me to a gap in the mountain and her hand reaches out for the night sky. But, coming up next to her, I see what she is actually pointing at.

There's something out there... Three, large, floating machines kept in the sky on six bright, hair-raising legs. So powerful, so very powerful. Something in me is telling me that each spire is stronger than even the strongest person I know.

Stronger than even Vapooliar...

"This is what you wanted me to see?" I ask quietly as I turn to look at her worry-covered features. She looks down at the ground and nods before she glances up at the machines again.

"Nin?" she lets out, barely audible, rattled and shaking.

"Hmm?"

"Can you sum up what you know about me?" she asks softly as she moves backwards into the darkness, up against the rock with tremoured breath. My eyebrow rises at the question as it seems a bit odd, given the circumstances. But, all the same, I will answer it...

"I know you are a trained fighter, you are skilled at arms. Before I met you in that hive, something awful happened... I also know, that, when I first met you after getting all this magic in my body because of those green wisps... I know that when you calmed down after meeting me so forcefully, you mentioned Waionr. The God of War." I tell her before I go quiet as nothing else comes to mind for the moment that feels meaningful.

"I haven't told you much about myself, have I?" she questions as she walks off slightly towards the trees. I shake my head a little in response and she sighs quietly to herself as that ethereal, magic glow somewhat outlines her. But she hates the fact she is glowing, she tries to stop it, seemingly, but evidently fails.

I guess I could've brought up her age, too, but something to laugh about might not be appropriate right now...

"I'll try to keep it short, then. I was something called a Valkinvar, a soldier of great power. At least, before... Sorry, see, when I was one, I was at war with the people in those machines. And I am..." she explains, trembling and fidgeting as she paces about, unsure of herself. I step up towards her and place a hand on her shoulder to see if it will help. But she just suddenly lunges for and hugs me.

Shocked slightly, I return the gesture as she keeps herself under control in my arms...

"I'm scared, Nin. I'm scared that if I stay at the aelenvari flower with you, they will attack. I was not just some soldier, Nin, I was a Valkinvar. I don't have the title or the right to call myself it anymore, but this power is still in me. I am too powerful not to cause issues for everyone!" she cries as I try to reassure her with little rubs.

"So you think you will need to leave?" I ask as I hold her back as she dries out worry-drenched eyes. She nods at me as she continues to do so before her moistened hand grabs mine.

"I want you to come with me!" she blurts out as her cheeks redden slightly. She's nervous about my answer as she knows we both have very different wants... She needs to run for her own safety, but, it might not be in the direction I need to go. But, still, I shake my head and I close my eyes as I imagine the pain this answer must be causing her. She wants my help and I owe it to her but...

"I'm sorry, Vapooliar, but, I can't..." I start to answer as my bug arm fiddles its fingers, "I want to go home, Vapooliar. I can't go back if I go with you."

"Then when we leave we will go to your home...!" she states, hoping so much I will change my mind...

I sigh frustratedly at the problem, "Neither you or I know which way my home is, Vapooliar. What help will you being with me bring beyond keeping me safe for some of the journey?"

"I... I don't know..." she quietly mutters as her mind goes to work to try and figure out a satisfactory answer. I want to try and stop her, but it seems like she's already figured something out.

I sigh quietly as her mouth opens again.

"Then, I will help you get home by taking you to the most renowned school on the continent! A place known for its wealth of knowledge and people with the capacity to help you! Thrurstradtur, the Great Brass Clock!" she tells me with desperate, pleading eyes as she moves slightly closer to me.

I stroke my chin as I consider that place she just mentioned, "You think they will know the way back?"

"I know they will, Nin, please..." she says as I think her other words over. If true, she will be an invaluable help in my attempts to get back home. We get to this Thrurstradtur, look over any maps they have and pinpoint the direction I need to go at the very least... I know I need to go in the way of the Anvil-Peak, that at least narrows it down.

"That would be helpful, yes... But, what will you do once I find my way home? Once I leave all of this land behind... Will you stay with me all the way or go elsewhere?" I ask and she nods vigorously to which I sigh.

Would she even be welcome back at Tobaballe with her strange power? There's something going on in the Crown with the Spire-Lords at the very least, so, maybe she'll be fine... What would happen, though? This magic isn't something that exists in my home...

What will even happen when I get back there? How do I explain that everyone I left with is gone!?

I feel slightly nauseous at the thought of it and move towards the mountain so I can sit against it. I've killed so many of those patterned bugs made from my countrymen... One of them was probably even Iishar herself. All so I could survive that bug hive...

Vapooliar sits down next to me and her head rests on my shoulder, "I understand if you don't want me to come all the way back to your home. But, can you at least stay with me until we get to Thrurstradtur?"

I turn to look her in the eye as I slowly think about it. Even if these machines weren't a problem, I would like to leave soon. Before something comes up that keeps me there happens, Whatever is going on with Rose-sweerui might mean this event might come soon.

Who knows what will happen if I linger near that damn woman!

"I will see... No, no... I think that will work just fine." I tell Vapooliar with a small smile as she starts to smile back. Her head returns to my shoulder and quiet settles down on us as our breathing becomes the only noise. Bar that ryphurgok thing out in the forest right now, anyway. My cheek falls down onto her hair and I let her soft locks rub against it.

But, I remember someone else who is also looking to get home.

"You know, we can always get Vadei to come with us?" I suggest to Vapooliar but I don't hear anything from her other than a quiet snore. She must've fallen asleep in the quiet, it's no wonder with how much stress she must be under right now. What with an army that might end up looking for her being only a few mountains away.

It seems like a lot, but, everyone can fly nowadays it seems...

Though, I am worrying somewhat, right now. Vapooliar was a soldier, she's likely going to be a very fiddly sleeper. Even the slightest twitch or movement... I keep as quiet as I possibly can be as I suddenly start to worry about being attacked by her.

I guess that means I have to keep my eyes open all night, though, I suppose that's normally what I do anyway. I barely sleep and I don't really eat much if anything anymore either, I feel strange. I must've been like this for weeks now... Oh, that could be a useful thing to find out in this Thrurstradtur place.

The damn date, everything's been so hectic that I've practically lost track of everything! Maybe there's a festival or something soon, something normal for me to get back to doing...