V2 Incline 32: Champion Nin

"What, n-"

"YES YOU WERE!" she tearfully screams up in my face, begging for a hug as she does so. I take a few steps back and she stumbles down onto her knees. Anguish strikes into her hands and an aggressive breeze spins about the tent, disturbing all of its sides. Those same hands drag their fingers down and fists form.

She turns dim and quiet.

"A-And... W-What do you mean by leave with her...?" she asks quietly as she looks up at me in a pitiful manner.

"As in, me and Vapooliar won't be staying here for much longer. We thank you for looking after us but it is time we mov-" I try to explain before she charges up towards me, latching on with a face bright with fury.

"AND WHY DOES THAT THIEF NEED TO GO WITH YOU!?" Rose roars with all she has, putting me on edge. What's gotten into her!?

"It's none of your concern!" I sternly bark as I try to delicately push her off of me. She goes in the direction I want her to go, but she just turns her viciousness towards Dandelion. She leaps at the bed-ridden aelenvari, clawing and pulling at whatever she can get.

"FIRST YOU STOLE THE GILDED-BARK FROM ME! NOW YOU TRY AND STEAL THE CHAMPION FROM ME TOO!? MY CHAMPION!?" Rose howls as she yanks at Dandelion's already broken bulbs. The poor root cries as she's assailed without end. I step in and nearly throw Rose to the ground and I block the red-haired woman from further attacks. Plant green light builds up in her hands as I glare right back at her sneer.

"I swear to you... If I so much as hear a single howl coming close to this tent!" I threaten as the light in her hands grows in violence. The Ivy-Mother snarls before her expression softens to misery in tune with the dying light. She boils up again.

"I SHOULD'VE KILLED YOU THE MOMENT I FOUND YOU ON THAT LOG! MAYBE I WILL CORRECT MY MISTAKE!" Rose declares as I step straight into her magical attack. It explodes right under my chin, mostly destroying my clothes and blasting the tent up and over. I breathe slowly as my chest stings before I shove her down with my bug arm.

Flexing its claw, aelenvari soldiers charge at us from all sides and surround me and Dandelion. Their bladed chains snap straight and some even start to glow shades of grass and pine. A couple help Rose up as she continues to sob and sniffle. She silently pleads to me before erupting at Dandelion who is hiding behind the destroyed bed covers.

Straightening her posture, she snatches a staff from one of the soldiers and she strides to a stop against me, "Step aside, Champion, this root is under arrest!"

I glare at her hissing as I find myself helpless to intervene on Dandelion's behalf as the soldiers snatch her up. One of them slams the leather hood back on and nooses her with their barbed chains. Rose vanishes with them, but she lingers towards the back of this group. Her back falls down as she sends one more gaze my way, I growl before she disappears, crying pathetically as she does so.

Watching them initially, I move my head about until I hear a click. I growlishly spit out what annoyance remains and turn around in the hopes of finding Vapooliar. Maybe she can help me make sense of whatever has just happened... Or, she'll find a reason to just go now as Dandelion is now headed for a prison cube, or whatever these damn creatures have!

Dammit, dammit...!

Dammit!

"Where'd you go..." I mutter as I ruminate on Rose's lunacy and this whole situation. What laws are so stupid that they make that damn woman lose her bloody mind!? A name. I was going to call her tower-falling Dandelion!

I find myself groaning and aimlessly wandering up the cliff's ramp and I stop at the top of it. Looking out to the well-walked forest valley ahead of me, I head on until I am just before it and slam my rear onto a big rock. Tapping my foot again and again, I keep going until my body demands I smash it into the ground. A shower of dirty debris explodes into my face before I lean against a support pole of the closest tent.

"Great, just damn well great." I remark as ruminations infest my mind.