Reunions

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

Characters: Rughadjeen and Rishfee
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: After finding out an Immortal has wound up on Gaia, Rughadjeen travels to Pinnacle Rocks to find him.
Location: Pinnacle Rocks
Date: Backdated to the 15th before the time-loop.
Warnings: None that I can think of right now? Will edit when appropriate?



Rughadjeen had been shaken to see Rishfee over the feed. Not just by the appearance of another from Aht Uhrgan but by both his words and appearance. Whatever had happened back home it looked serious, the urgency was enough to get Rughadjeen to his feet and make arrangements to go to him. He had to know and satisfy his own curiosity, find out what had happened since his disappearance those long months ago.

The Elvaan had informed Gadalar that he was leaving the city and why. There was really no point in asking the General if he wanted to come along, Rughadjeen knew of Gadalar's dislike towards the Immortals. He would travel alone and it didn't bother him too much. One request was left for Gadalar; Don't burn anything whilst he was away.

Rughadjeen had only managed to know the city of Alexandria and a small area surrounding it since his arrival. Leaving was an odd feeling, especially going into the unknown, for him at least. The Paladin had arrived in Lindblum, noting that it looked like nothing he had ever seen, but he had no time to wander around and explore, he had to get to Rishfee. The Paladin asked around to find a way to Pinnacle Rocks and once he was satisfied the he most definitely knew the way, he left. Making his way to the destination and to a friend.

Comments

[immortal-lion.livejournal.com]

Rishfee at this point was making himself busy. After being healed, he'd decided that he'd attempt to track Aphmau, should she be here either with or without Ovjang and Mnejing. Staring out of the monastery window didn't do anything - after all. Nothing at all.

Thanks to Eiko and her surprising healing skills the poison Gessho had intended to kill him hadn't, and he was feeling far better than what he had through his last days upon Aht Urhgan. However, it had not meant that his guilt had subsided. If there was any way she could have arrived here.. then that would mean that he had not failed to do his duty. She would be alive, wouldn't she?

He couldn't sense any Mamool in the surrounding area. Yet he could not sense her. Upon Rughadjeen's arrival he would have found Rishfee doing what he did best - tracking. So far, the young Immortal had knowledge of every person which had passed through the monastery and around it within the past few days via footprints.

Yet he had not found hers. Not the prints of Ovjang or Mnejing.
Nothing..

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

Rughadjeen had finally made it. Not many people seemed to be here which made finding Rishfee a little more difficult, he didn't know a single Immortal to just sit idly and wait when there was a job to be done. He knew Rishfee would be no different and would be looking for Aphmau after all, Gadalar had arrived with Rughadjeen so why not Aphmau with Rishfee? The Elvaan spent some time wandering around until he eventually caught a glimpse of a well known uniform. Making his way closer to the blue mage, he bowed his head and bent over just a little.

"Have you had any luck in finding anything?"

He was torn in what he hoped the answer would be. If nothing had been found it meant the girl was still in their home world, or it could mean she was in fact in Gaia but else where and out of reach. Rughadjeen wouldn't be any good at trying to find and clues to find the girl, he wasn't trained in tracking but in defeating the Empire's enemies.

A closer look at Rishfee caused him to smile though. He looked to be healed from his injuries Rughadjeen saw him sporting on the video feed. That was good and such a relief for Rughadjeen. When he'd seen the Immortal in such a state it reminded him of his own arrival and those plantoids that had attacked Gadalar, he had felt so helpless after getting to safety. He was glad the other was okay though. Physically any way.

[immortal-lion.livejournal.com]

Rishfee was well aware of the Skyserpent's presence before he'd even spoken - ceasing his examination of some broken twigs; standing and staring at the patch of ground as if it were cursed. "None. There have been lots of humes which have passed through, but none of her height or weight." ...and none whatsoever that wore the same type of ornate slippers she'd wore, no matter what outfit and personality she'd decided to don at the time.

This meant she was likely dead. And it was certainly his fault. Silent for the longest of moments, the young Immortal finally turned to Rughadjeen and couldn't meet his gaze for long, before lowering his eyes. He was suitably ashamed -- that was easy to see.

"I told her to run. I was going to blow myself up to stop them..."

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

"It seems that this world is full of nothing but humes. The unwelcome attention I receive seems to be proof of that."

Rughadjeen's shoulders slumped as he shook his head slowly. Rishfee in this way was almost similar to Rughadjeen. If something like this had happened and involved him, he knew that no matter what anyone said he would never forgive himself. Despite this though, he would try to at least lift some of the guilt.

"Some things in the world are unavoidable. I'm sure that if she isn't here then she got away. I do have a question though and it may...come across as odd but I've been having confusing thoughts. When was the last time you saw me...and what was the last siege on the Empire comprised of?"

[immortal-lion.livejournal.com]

He'd heard talk from mercenaries around Aht Urhgan Whitegate of the divide between races in the middle-lands. However, Aht Urhgan carried absolutely none of that - the races existed together, and that was the end of it. So needless to say, he was a little surprised that Rughadjeen received any sort of unwelcome.. anything, really. He just didn't see why.

Whatever Rughadjeen could have said wouldn't have lifted anything. Other Immortals were given other responsibilities, be it staging points to guard or assassinations, recruitments, spying, enforcing imperial law, hunting rebels or.. well, whatever. He was the Empress's guard. He'd failed. With her dead - no one could lead Aht Urhgan. The equivalent of this situation for Rughadjeen would be to be away while Al Zahbi burned to the ground. To have been able to have done something, but not.

"No, you don't understand. She ran away.. The Grand Vizier directed me to find her. I looked through Ayedeewa, and was.. intercepted. And poisoned. I found her, hiding. At the Walahra Temple. She.. was going after Ovjang. I didn't make a report to inform the Captain I'd found her location. I thought..."

He'd seen the argument she'd had with the Grand Vizier the last time she'd snuck out of the palace and been found unconscious. She'd told the Grand Vizier, her brother, that she despised him. She'd stood up to him for the first time in her life - and he'd been beyond furious. Rishfee had honestly thought that if he found her, convinced her to come back.. He could palm it off as her deciding to come back of her own accord. Then the Grand Vizier would not be as angry with her as last time...

"...
I made a mistake. She would not return with me, to the Imperial Ward. So.. I said I would go with her, to find Ovjang. It was just me, and just her. and the Wildcat mercenary. There was no backup at Mamook. There should have been a squad of Immortals protecting her, taking her by force out of danger if needed. This mistake will cost her life.."

He listened to Rughadjeen's question, and answered faintly, vaguely. Morosely, even. With the tone of one that was deep in thought.

"You were at your usual post. Lamiae.. I think.. last time. It hadn't been long since Aphmau..." Jumped into a burning building on some of her previous escapades and Rughadjeen had managed to drag her out.

Some guard he was.

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

There really was nothing he could say, not reporting back that he had found Aphmau...especially with the Mamool around. Why hadn't Rishfee informed the Captain he'd found the target? Did he think he would get away...or bye her enough time to get away? There was no way he would truly understand. That wasn't to say that he would just allow Rishfee to wallow away in guilt, grief and other self destroying emotions.

Lamiae...He remembered hearing reports of Trolls on the move through Wajaom Woodlands. Rughadjeen straightened up and crossed his arms as he thought hard about things. It was all confusing and would probably sound as though he was losing his mind. But once he and Gadalar got to the Inn and were cleaned up...the mages back...it looked fresher than he remembered. It looked to be a day, maybe three at most, old. Yet it had been several weeks since Rughadjeen had even dealt the lashes.

"Interesting. I don't remember having Lamiae attack us in several weeks, I was preparing against a Troll attack. Flameserpent Gadalar is here as well, his arrival seemed to be just after...well it was a different...time I suppose. It's hard to explain but I think we were taken from different points in time, yet despite this, there are still versions of ourselves back home, continuing on from where we left. If that's the case, then there's still a version of you back there helping Aphmau escape and doing all you can. The Flameserpent and I are still back at our posts ready to defend the Empire from the next attack."

[immortal-lion.livejournal.com]

Rughadjeen didn't see what went on in the palace. He'd seen Razfahd and Nashmeira's arguments, and he'd seen their bond start to break. He'd seen her stand up to him for the first time in her life - and he'd known and understood that the Divine Empress was merely a figurehead for her brother, the Grand Vizier Razfahd. As much as he cared for her, he had to concede that she just... wasn't very good at it, so her brother controlled the Empire - playing Nashmeira as a puppet herself, for the good of it. It had been common arrangement between them, her left to assume the guise of Aphmau and keep herself quite amused with Ovjang and Mnejing around the Imperial Ward, and Razfahd being the (good) Emperor the Empire deserved, albeit behind his sister. Rishfee also knew how close Razfahd was coming to assuming control himself. The Divine Empress had certainly started acting irrationally since the appearance of the Ashu Talif, first deciding (against her brother's will) to investigate the matter herself, her naivety making her assume the whole thing was an adventure. She'd almost died to that. Then she snuck out of the palace and was found unconscious in Ayedeewa Subterrane. Even worse, she'd ran away again, after Ovjang.

Time was growing short. The young Immortal had surveyed the situation and as someone with the utmost loyalty to Nashmeira, but loyalty to the Empire, he'd decided there was no need to call in the fact he'd found her. Especially since she refused to return to the Empire with him. She could be restrained, there was no doubt about that. Yet she was not to be treated as some common criminal that evaded Imperial law. That would only anger her, and anger Razfahd. There would be a conflict... and Nashmeira would have finally outlived her use in the Grand Vizier's mind. He'd assume control of the Empire, and the Empire's subjects would be divided between loyalists and realists.

War, most likely.

It was far better to not call in the matter, find Ovjang with Nashmeira and return to the Empire quickly. Very quickly. That way, he could convince the Grand Vizier (with time) that Nashmeira had returned of her own will. Furthermore...she would remain on the throne. He'd never thought it would have come to this though. Not calling in the matter was a decision made at the Walahra Temple. Then they'd travelled to the Jade Sepulcher in Mamook.. and everything had went wrong.

As Rughadjeen straightened himself, he did so as well, taking loose soil between his hands and smelling it, before letting it drop through his fingers as sand. Nothing. Absolutely nothing, not even the faintest anything.. He listened. He half wanted to ask the Skyserpent if he'd lost his mind, but caught himself.

"Perhaps."

His tone however, could not lie.
Not convincing. Not at all.

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

Rughadjeen looked around and sighed. He wasn't sure why he tried sometimes, especially with Rishfee and from the events that seemed to be happening back in Aht Urhgan. The Elvaan was sure though, that he would be the same if it had been him in that position.

He turned his attention back to Rishfee, fully intent on offering a smile until he saw the Immortals face. He gasped and reached out, cupping him under the chin and gently turning his head to face him more. His eye...was missing...completely torn out. Rughadjeen felt an anger bubble up inside of him, wanting to aim it as what whatever Mamool did such a thing. He knew it wasn't as bad as it had been, Rishfee had managed to get a healer how ever so that was good. However, it didn't stop it from looking like a nasty piece of work.

"You...are okay aren't you? How much pain are you in?"

[immortal-lion.livejournal.com]

Thankfully, Rughadjeen would never find himself in a position to see the true aims of the Empire for the future. The poor elvaan would probably curl up and die upon the realization that Alexander was real - and about to be awakened as the Empire's last defence.

Rughadjeen's gasp and ...rush towards him to grab his face made him jump out of his skin to be frank, and his good eye widened, until his head was turned. That. He simply smiled. Though it was sad. Impossibly sad.

"It doesn't hurt. Lady Eiko made sure of that. As you're well aware, the Mamool-Ja like to take souvenirs.. I tried. I really tried to defend the Empress.."

Truth be told, he was more concerned over what the mamool would do with it rather than the fact it was missing. They created their mimicker warriors by using bits and bobs of fallen Immortals..

"I fear you may have a few more mamool-ja mimickers in the next wave to attack the capital. You have my apologies."

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

Slowly he moved his hand away, he hadn't meant to make Rishfee uncomfortable or react in such a way. His own curiosity had gotten the best of him. Rughadjeen lowered his eyes because he couldn't bare to look at that smile If there had been anything the Elvaan could do to allow Rishfee sight from both eyes he would do it, but he knew no way to help.

"So young and yet so much responsibility."

It was disgusting really, that they put such pressure on youth and it made Rughadjeen even angrier, without even knowing why. He returned his hand and arm back to his side and shook his head.

"Don't be stupid. It was hardly your fault that those monster are twisted. Rishfee...I know that...I know that you really did all you could. No one can fault you for that."

[immortal-lion.livejournal.com]

of course there wasn't any way. He shouldn't have felt bad, though. There were other ways to cope. Really, sight was just one sense. He had the senses of hundreds of different types of monsters aiding him, if both eyes had been removed it wouldn't have been an issue.

He didn't understand that sentiment, though. A person was an adult at 15 in the empire, it was just the way things were. He'd known Immortals younger than him to have become worse off, or killed. Really, even if he died upon Vana'diel, he'd lived a good, long life. For an Immortal.

He just wished he could have protected her with it.
Holding his reservations about the Mamool Ja firmly inside his head, he merely shrugged. "They are the Empire's enemies. Nothing more. Nothing less. And I must help you return, to obliterate them when the time comes."

He left off at that, Rughadjeen didn't need to know about Alexander. Nor the Grand Vizier's plan. But the time would come. Very, very soon. Everything around the Empire would be reduced to an acrid wasteland - civilizations of Beastmen such as the Mamool Ja. Everything would burn.. and the Empire would finally be safe.

The Grand Vizier would see to it.