|
Post by Buggy on Jun 5, 2015 4:29:06 GMT
"It keeps the peace at least. You keep the bad people away from the good people and give them a chance to change. That's all we can do." Roki sighed before taking an apple from the bundle and eating it.
Omaron cleared his throat. "Ah, Gale? I'm sorry to interrupt but what did you see in my head last night?"
|
|
|
Post by Unokins on Jun 5, 2015 4:38:17 GMT
Gale tilted his head, but had no more to say on the matter. He was grateful for Omaron's intrusion. Perhaps he could bother Roki into showing him pictures of what happened to these bad people as they were working with her mind later. Which he would have to make sooner rather than later.
He tapped his chin as Omaron spoke. Was this, he said, showing Omaron the picture of the big church and the lush green hills and the beautiful fruit trees and plants.
Then this, and the image shifted drastically to the glass and the red mist and the black skies. Gale shuddered, and wondered if keeping an unguarded mind was the best thing to do.
Heard this, and left. Hurt me. Too much in eyes and ears and skin. The final thing he shared was not a picture, but a voice.
GET OUT
Even recalling it like that make Gale's head ache and his skin crawl. He almost closed his mind again. But surely nothing would come for him.
|
|
|
Post by Buggy on Jun 5, 2015 12:23:20 GMT
Omaron almost stopped walking in surprise at the second image. Emkai glanced back at him in annoyance, as the fireman was still holding the free end of the belt binding his hands.
"That happened?" Omaron sounded quite alarmed. "I saw the first thing, the temple and the city and all of that. But the second... and that voice..." He shivered involuntarily. A very unsettled feeling had gripped him at the sound of those two words. His voice had spoken them, uncharacteristically harsh and commanding, but there was someone else too. Almost a whisper, quiet, but full of some dreadful power that even in the form of a memory had his skin crawling. Was that the voice of Shard? Was that in his head?
He shuddered again. Omaron could have sworn he felt something shift in his mind like a snake coiling itself more tightly around a prey item.
"I really don't want to believe that."
|
|
|
Post by Unokins on Jun 5, 2015 17:44:09 GMT
Gale shrugged and stopped walking. As soon as Omaron came to his side, the boy pivoted, and climbed up his back to sit on his shoulders. He nestled down quite comfortably with a smug hint of satisfaction.
Believe, Gale said. Something else in there. Felt. Hurt me. The boy tugged gently at Omaron's hair, hesitantly probing at the edges of his mind like a scared dog may sniff at food. He recoiled almost immediately, even though he didn't feel anything immediately threatening.
It there. Gale stopped tugging at Omaron's head to lean over it, and stare at his grey eyes. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary... Behave! He sent out, poking Omaron's cheeks. No hurting, or I kill him! Hopefully, the thing in his head would understand.
|
|
|
Post by Buggy on Jun 5, 2015 23:45:36 GMT
Omaron almost tripped when Gale scurried up his back. "Again with this?" He shrugged and wriggled halfheartedly to encourage Gale to get off, until the child started tugging at his hair and poking at his mind. Honestly, what did he expect to have happen? When Gale leaned forward to look into his eyes and deliver his ultimatum, he scowled at him.
"You're not going to kill me. Now get off; I'm a human being, not a donkey."
|
|
|
Post by Unokins on Jun 6, 2015 0:56:34 GMT
Gale squinted. That was still Omaron. No weird mind space force yet.
Can kill. Will kill, he said as mildly as if he were noting the weather. He tilted his head once more and finally sat back, settling comfortably on Omaron's shoulders. Despite his claims at not being a donkey, Gale did not move just yet.
Will out-survive you if you try kill me, Gale continued glancing at Rook. It returned the stare, confused at the feelings of determination and fierceness. No, Gale did not survive the Kiltar just to be killed by some mind maggot that was riding along with some overly civilized monster. If that Shard thing did make Omaron go beastie and attack him, Gale would kill him. Explode his head. Just like that.
|
|
|
Post by Buggy on Jun 6, 2015 2:22:53 GMT
Omaron slowed half a pace. Gale was serious. He... he was serious. Gale was serious about killing him.
He didn't have long to think about it though. Suddenly Omaron stood up straighter and sighed, his posture slipping fluidly into something more... confident.
"What do you want, child?"
|
|
|
Post by Unokins on Jun 6, 2015 2:25:53 GMT
In an instant, Gale was back in Omaron's face. He squinted closely. Sniffed the air.
And shoved off the man, pushing away and flipping in the air to land on the ground near Roki and Emkai. As he fell through the air, there was a frantic Not Omaron! Not Omaron! that pulsated violently through the air before Gale snapped his mind shut tight against the not-Omaron.
The boy growled lowly, anticipating more mind pain from this... this Shard maggot thing. It hurt him once, and he wouldn't put it beyond this creature to do it again.
|
|
|
Post by Buggy on Jun 6, 2015 3:04:22 GMT
A surprisingly warm, sweet smile crossed Omaron's face, like freshly baked cinnamon rolls on a winter morning.
"I'm not going to attack you, Gale. I'm not going to attack any of you unless you give me a reason."
Roki and Emkai came to a stop and turned around. Emkai looked confused, but Roki gripped her pike.
"What do you want then, creature?"
"Not much." Omaron tilted his head in a birdlike fashion. "I wanted to let Gale know that I have no intentions of attacking you. Therefore, he has no reason to kill my... friend."
|
|
|
Post by Unokins on Jun 6, 2015 3:12:01 GMT
Gale growled lightly, looking from Omaron to Roki. He did not like that sickeningly sweet look on the man's face. He hesitated. Even Rook looked confused, whimpering softly at Omaron as it inched towards him before backing off again.
Shard might have felt Gale thinking. Formulating the words carefully. The barrier dropped. No attack me, no attack you. The words were thrown out haphazardly and jarringly. Then his barrier snapped back up, as if scared she would try to slink in.
Gale scratched at the ground. The barrier dropped again. No attack ANYONE, no attack you. And back up again. He tilted his head, wondering if this thing could be trusted. Maybe if it didn't try anything, Omaron could be untied... After all, if it wanted Omaron still alive, then it...
NEED us. Need Omaron alive. Need us keep him alive. So behave! Behave!
|
|
|
Post by Buggy on Jun 6, 2015 16:18:03 GMT
"Oh sweetie, did you think I would have allowed him to attack any of you?" Omaron giggled. Legitimately giggled. "It's as you said, I'd prefer to have Omaron alive, and you are his best chance of getting home in one piece at the current time, aside from myself."
Roki frowned. She looked more uneasy than she'd looked up to now. "I don't trust you."
"Mmm, few people do dearest."
|
|
|
Post by Unokins on Jun 6, 2015 16:24:30 GMT
Gale made a face when Omaron giggled. That was an inane sound that came from the man and didn't match his face or body at all. Rook whined, and stepped just a bit closer. What had happened to its friend?
Better than you, Gale said. So go away! No need. No in head, no in space! This stupid mind maggot thing was going to be trouble. Gale could feel it. Hopefully, it would listen to the smartness that was Gale and go away and not bother them again. Then maybe they could untie Omaron. After all, if wolves or bears or a Hyngal crossed their path... Omaron would be the easiest meal.
|
|
|
Post by Buggy on Jun 6, 2015 16:30:41 GMT
"Darling, that's not how it *works*. I can't just uproot myself and leave him to himself. We're *connected*." Omaron's gaze turned from Gale to Rook. His expression became more mask-like. "But I can give you my word that I will not interfere outside of the event of an emergency."
"Your word, for what it's worth." Roki did not sound like she liked this at all. But Omaron simply gave her another sickening smile and suddenly fell back on his rear, blinking.
"Ow."
|
|
|
Post by Unokins on Jun 6, 2015 16:42:48 GMT
Rook hurried to Omaron's side, nuzzling his shoulder and arm and whining and muttering his name continuously. It was worried. That was not an Omaron look. No, no, no. That was a... Well, Rook didn't have the words for it. But it was not good! "Be good," it said, rubbing its head against Omaron's. "Be good, be good."
Gale turned from Omaron, and quirked an eyebrow at Roki. That Shard? We untie? Or? Vote untie. There was little Omaron could do physically against them, Gale thought. Even with Shard controlling him. It was the mental part that was bad. And Gale was definitely going to teach Roki and Emkai how to protect themselves against those types of attacks.
|
|
|
Post by Buggy on Jun 6, 2015 17:09:51 GMT
Omaron blinked again, dazed. "Good? I'm... yes, hi Rook." He reached up to rub Rook's scalp with his hands.
Roki's face twisted uneasily, but she lowered the pike slightly. "I don't trust that creature, regardless of what she says. My vote goes for leaving him bound." She looked to Emkai. "Your thoughts?"
Emkai looked from Omaron, to Roki, to Gale. "I don't know that I believe this thing in his head is Shard. How sure are we that he's not just... I don't know."
Omaron frowned but didn't comment. He didn't want to think about what had certainly just occurred, or about any of the possible implications.
|
|