[PP-F4] Blood of the Moon - What is a Hero? - Part 2 (Flints)

[Endilix 0]

Endilix's thoughts were plagued by Flints' words as they traversed the hillsides of the First Floor. They were headed northward to take care of The Executioner, a player who seemed to be executing players who didn't live up to standards in a guild of thieves. But what really got to Endilix wasn't even that. It was Flints' reaction to it.

"Us? Heroes? ... Heroes seems a tad too far fetched." "... It's the nature of this world." she had said, and so nonchalantly. It sent chills down Endilix's spine to know that Flints was far more cold of a person than he had expected. Had he truly been wrong about the woman? He had let his passion blind him to who she may have really been, and lived in that bliss for over a year. She was even willing to become an orange player. To become a murderer. But was she wrong? She would be doing it to stop another murderer. Does being a vigilante count as being a hero? These thoughts continued to run through Endilix's mind as they walked in silence through the plains. Endilix wasn't sure how to approach what Flints had said. He didn't want to offend her. Her views were her own, and she wasn't necessarily wrong.

[Flints 0]

Flints' eyes stayed focused on the world around the two, her body was tense and even a rough breeze seemed to perk her senses. She was on high alert. Occasionally she would glance to Endilix who seems to be more lost in thought than focusing on their actual mission. She cocked her head and stared at the man for a second. She took in his soft features and warm eyes that at the moment seemed clouded in judgement. She felt her stomach churn In uncertainty. "Endilix?" She called softly to him. "What's on your mind..?" 

Edited April 10, 2016 by Flints

[Endilix 0]

Endilix was snapped from his thoughts by Flints' calling out to him. His emerald eyes found hers as he searched for how to respond to her question. He stopped walking, and let the wind rustle his hair as he stared at her. Finally, he said, "I don't want you to become an orange player. I want you to be a hero. I know you can be, and orange players are just regarded as monsters." Endilix's face was a bit hard as he crossed his arms, and he looked down at the blades of grass rustling in the wind, not able to meet her eyes as he said, "But if you choose to go down that road... I won't stop you. Just... don't ever put yourself in a position to be a cold blooded killer. I'd hate to have to fight you, whether that be for my own survival, or that of another."

[Flints 0]

Flints couldn't get past the expression on Endilix's face. He was trying to find the right words to tell her something she probably couldn't handle. Endilix didn't do that very much. Or at all. Now that she thought about it, Endilix never stopped her or told her anything for being herself before. So watching him made her pull back a little. Only slightly as she went from walking with her head held high to her arm crossed beneath her chest and holding her other one tightly, closing herself off as she listened to the man speak. He made it clear to her that if he ever came down to it. He wasn't afraid to fight her to protect someone's life. 

Her mind began to spin as all the warmth was zapped from her hands and retreated into her core. She stood still and tried to steady her breathing. "You can want all you want. I'm not an orange player. But I can't promise that will always be the case. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of this world anymore." She gritted her teeth at Endilix's words and withdrew from him emotionally. She wanted to be far away from all of this. Her eyes no longer searched his as she looked him dead center. "Then so be it. If it ever comes to that you better pray you're stronger than me Dael." Flints was hurt, she lashed out in the only way she knew how. Without giving him a chance to answer her she sped up her walking. 

[Endilix 0]

Endilix gave a heavy sigh at Flints' reaction to his words. He scratched his head sheepishly as she suddenly withdrew and walked off from him. He had a bit of a pained expression, both from her reaction as well as his own apprehensiveness. He never was one to care about what a person did with their life. But Flints was more than just another person. Her words rang in his mind, as he made his way to catch up to her. The wind seemed to be picking up now, almost as if their turmoil was affecting the weather. Endilix reached for Flints, and he managed to grab her wrist after he caught up to her speedy steps. "Hold on!" he said, a bit out of breath from the rapid pace as well as the emotions swelling up inside him.

"Please, that wasn't... I don't want to fight you, ever. I just don't want to see you become a monster!" he cried out to her, his face twisted in emotional agony at the thought of Flints killing someone. The thought of Flints enjoying it. "As it stands right now, I know you'd kill me... but I'm not afraid of that. But I'd have to stand up for what's right..."

[Flints 0]

Flints could feel the air swirling around the two, her hair being tousled in the wind, filling the air with her light, sweet scent. She could feel Endilix's eyes on her, she cold feel his heart racing. But all it did was hurt her more. She tried her best to get her distance but wast quickly stopped by Endilix's hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. Flints turned, the storm that brewed within her suddenly unleashed its fury; Flints snarled at Endilix and pulled her hand instinctively trying to escape. "I'm no monster. Even if I was an orange player. The fact that you would think of me as one is extreamly insulting Dael!" The thunderous attitude Flints came at Endilix with seemed to grow in power. "What if I had to become orange defending someone I love? Huh!? Then what? I would defend the one I love no matter what. Not everyone is equal in my eyes. Not everyone is worthy of the same treatment, if that was the case the people you love are no more special than strangers." Flints could feel herself bristling, the hiss of words that came from her driped with malice. "Standing up for what was right always mattered to you more than anything else. What if I'm not what's right? This is why...this is..why..." Flints felt her body start to shake as it tried its best to physically stun her from striking Endilix down with more words of anger. She looked him dead in the eyes and growled more. "This is why we aren't together anymore. This is why I couldn't love you. You're too busy trying to be a hero to realize you're surrounded by villains." She ripped her arm away from him fully. She could feel her throat and chest burning with anger. 

[Endilix 0]

Endilix stared at Flints, his hand outstretched, not yet having registered that he didn't have a grip on anything anymore. Endilix was in complete disbelief at her words. Her fury. Endilix's mind began to race at the same speed as the wind swirling around them. What had been a clear, calm day, had turned into a torrential hurricane of wind. Endilix could hear thunder rumbling in the distance, as if a storm was coming.

"I never knew you were so... cold." Endilix finally managed, his hand falling to his side. "I always knew you were fiery, even aloof at times. But not... not a villain." Endilix closed his eyes, thinking back to the days they had shared. It had been passion, and lust. But now he wondered if he truly knew the woman he had claimed to love. If he truly knew what she was capable of. Endilix stared at the ground. He couldn't focus his thoughts. "I suppose I can't disagree. If I ever had to choose between you and Emerath, I'd choose him. Would that make you a stranger to me, if I had to strike you down in his defense? Would I be able to do it? Would saving his life make me a hero...?"

Endilix continued to stare at the ground for a long time, listening to the wind whistle in his ear. Finally, he looked up at Flints, with a hardness in his eyes that he never knew he could have. "Yes. Yes it would. Because I'd be saving him from a monster. You don't care about us. We're only strangers."

[Flints 0]

Flints could feel the earth change. Aincrad went from a warm sunny day to them resting in the eye of a storm that quickly began to thrash them at its wall, the strongest part of the storm. Endilix's words stung more than anything. She was angry that she had spent so much time worrying about him. Wondering if he would be okay without her. It wasn't worth it. He could careless. Her shouting had died down and there she stood. Her voice broken. But now that she thought of it. She wasn't in any pain. His words meant nothing to her. She thought about the year they spent together, curled up and showering eachother in affection. The more she thought about it the less anything he said hurt. They didn't love eachother. This death game brought them to thinking they did. They were far too different. The only bond they honestly had was being met at this hips. They never had deep conversations and never confessed anything more than their "love for eachother." That's why it was so easy. So easy to cheat. So easy to leave. She had beat herself up over a man who saw himself as a hero. "What a joke." She spat. "Then I'm glad you see me as nothing more than a stranger. I just used you anyways. I used you for shelter. for my primal needs. And you barely managed to keep up with me then. I mean look at us." She flicked her wrist from herself to him and scoffed. "You were never a match for me. And then if we are strangers you trust too easily."

Flints eyes gazed off to the mountains. The storm was quickly approaching, the wind whipped her hair around and caused her cheeks to sting from the ribbon like strands that scorned her.  "I'll find this executioner on my own. And I'll kill him. Knowing you, you'll want to save a murderer. From this monster." With that she adjusted her helm and continued her journey. With or without Endilix. 

Edited April 10, 2016 by Flints

[Endilix 0]

The storm had grown to a crescendo, hammering both people with heavy winds, and a hard rain began to fall. Lightning flashed in the clouds overhead, and Endilix was nearly knocked over by the sudden buffeting weather. Her words continued to ring in his ears, as loud as the whipping wind. Endilix fell to his knees. Someone he cared about dearly hated him for him trying to be a hero. Flints, hated a hero.Simply because he wanted to protect the world. He wanted to save everyone. Endilix could feel the rain soaking him through, and he hung his head. "I'm not a hero," he admitted to himself, as he heard Flints' footsteps grow farther and farther away, squishing into the muddy ground with each step. "I couldn't even protect the one I said I loved most."

----

Endilix woke up with a gasp, staring wild eyed into the grassy green fields as he sat forward with a jolt, feeling himself part from the tree he had been leaning on. The wood left tiny splinters in his armor, and he felt them fall away as he looked around. "...a dream," he mumbled to himself, still wild eyed and a bit confused, "must've just been a dream..."

[Flints 0]

Flints felt her head thud against a cushiony, yet rough surface. Blades of grass tickled her nose as she sneezed into and sat up grumbling. She looked at Endilix who's chest heaved heavily, his eyes stared out into the field as if he was seeing another world. Flints raised an eyebrow and looked Into the sunny plain and sprawled out on the ground, just far enough from the tree they were under for the sun to soak her skin. "Endilix, what's wrong?" Her big gentle green orbs settled on him as she reached up to stroke his cheek. "You scared me, I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep as well."  She sat up and stretched, Antillian stalked out of the tall grass and laid down on his back at Endilix's feet. Also sensing something was wrong. "Oh hey. There's my familiar..." Flints giggled and rubbed his belly. 

[Endilix 0]

Endilix brought himself back to the present moment as he saw Flints had been resting against him and that they had fallen asleep. A dream... definitely just a dream... he told himself mentally as he looked at Flints, who seemed legitimately concerned. She isn't angry at me. I'm not a failure, and she isn't a monster. Just my mind playing tricks on me. Endilix did his best to smile for Flints, as he watched her pet her familiar. Finally Endilix managed, "Nothing is wrong. I just hadn't realized I had fallen asleep. So I woke up with a bit of a start. I guess we're both more exhausted than we thought from recent events."

Endilix put a hand on his knee and pushed against himself to leverage into a standing position. He leaned over and picked up his hammer and shield from where he had placed them next to the tree, and put them back into their customary resting positions, and folded his arms across his chest as he watched the woman and her pup. "Well, I think it's safe to say we've spent enough of what little free time we have. We have an Executioner to deal with."

[Flints 0]

Flints whined at Endilix's demenor. He was hiding something for sure. But whatver it was, was most likely non of her business. She watched as Endilix stood and followed him. It pained her to see him act the way he was acting. Could him falling asleep really be that startling? He never seemed to be startled like that in the past. She shook her head and smiled. "Yeah you were kind of in a world of your own so I suggested we rest. And by suggested I pulled you down and made you sit with me until you passed out. I kept watch but I guess I was just as sleepy." Flints' hand fondly stroked the beast beside her as she hummed. "Yeah it's late in the afternoon now. We better hurry if we are going to stop this executioner from killing their not so innocent crew." 

Flints couldn't help but feel for the man. Something was clearly on his mind and it was eating him up. "Dael are you sure you're okay? You aren't acting like yourself.." 

[Endilix 0]

Endilix had been trying to steady his heart from racing since he had woken up. Flints' lighthearted playfulness with Antillian had certainly made it so that he was a little less on edge. But as Flints' concern was obvious in her voice, he supposed that his own actions weren't exactly subtle. But he couldn't tell her about what he had thought, about what his dreams had said about her and who his subconscious thought she could be. What would the real Flints think about that sort of encounter? If that had been real...

Endilix shook his head, and steeled his resolve. "Everything is fine, sweetheart, as always," he said, as he turned and flashed her his normal, winning smile. But as he looked at her, in place of her calm, worried face, he saw the unadulterated rage accompanied by the words that still rang in his ears, despite having only been a nightmare. His resolve flickered for a moment, but he blinked and managed to bring himself back as he saw the normal, worried Flints gazing at him. He nodded to her, and said, "Let's go deal with a real monster. Then we can deal with all the littler ones." And without another word on the matter of his own strange actions, Endilix was off into the plains again, headed north.

[Flints 0]

Flints continued to search Endilix's face for any sign of himself. As hard as he tried to hide it, she could feel something was up. But she pretended she wouldn't worry anymore. As if she believed his bold faced lie. Endilix was bad at these that was for sure. She gave a sigh and tried her best to convince herself that maybe he had a bad dream but then it struck her like a ton of bricks. All at once she felt her heart ache. "Real m-monster..?" Her eyes averted from his as she felt her tone drop into a wounded whine. She realized why he seemed so scared. Maybe she was just assuming things, her mind being over active as always but she couldn't help but feel like he was avoiding her. As if he was...afraid of her. But why? Why would he look at her like that? If anybody had a reason to fear her it would have been Emerath. But here Endilix was. Getting lost in his own mind only to be snapped out of it when he looked at her. He wasn't treating her as warmly as he usually did. He kept his distance and when he joined reality again for a split second he looked at her like she was a beast. Flints groomed herself, stroking her hair and fuffing it but she couldn't hide the sadness in her voice and although she stood a ways behind him her soft words were carried by the gentle wind. She didn't really care if he heard her or not. The question was not only meant for him. But herself as well.

"What would make you think they weren't the real monster? What else could possibly be worse than that."  

[Endilix 0]

Endilix gave a pause as he realized that Flints did not readily follow him as she usually did. He stood mid stride and turned to look over his shoulder at the woman. He had only just heard her question carried by the wind, and he gave a heavy sigh. She knew something was up, and no matter what Endilix did he couldn't hide it. Endilix cursed himself for being an open book, and turned to walk back to the woman that he had been so keen to avoid moments ago. He put a hand on her arm and said, "I had a nightmare. Sometimes our mind can play tricks on us. Make us worry about things that we shouldn't, and make us fear things that aren't real." Endilix brushed some of the fluffed up hair from her eyes and looked at her with his normal, warm smile. "I've made mistakes. There's nothing in this world that can change the past. But I'm going to be a hero. But not just anyone's hero. I'm going to learn to be your hero. Because nobody can protect the world. We can only protect those we love most."

Endilix gave the woman a pat, and smiled at her one more time before turning and walking back in the direction of the designated cave. He looked off towards the west to see the sun setting in the horizon behind the mountains. "We probably don't have much time. Night time is the best time for a secret execution. We should hurry, sweetheart."

[Flints 0]

Flints tensed when Endilix's hand rested on her shoulder. She stayed with her wide eyes looking up into his soul. He fluffed her hair and she just stood still. Not sure what to do. He spoke from the heart. And as much as she didn't want to believe it, Endilix had been afraid of her. She pretended it didn't still sting and gave a sweet smile to the man as she began to walk with him. She grumbled a little at the nickname that never left. "Night time is also a good time to get lost in the mountains and not find the right cave too." She sighed but walked willingly Into the mouth of the cave before them. "At least this is a start. Why can't they line the outside with signs and torches or why can't we hear the screams for help of the people that need saving? What if that thief was just a good liar? And sent us on a while chase? I bet he's laughing at us back in some inn." Flints grumbled as she pet Antillian. Trying her best to keep her mind off of what had just happened.  

[Endilix 0]

Endilix chuckled a bit at Flints as she voiced her desire to find a bandit hideout to be more obvious. "Well if they lined it with torches and signs, it wouldn't be a very good hideout anymore would it?" As they walked, Endilix could tell that the nightmare and Endilix's reaction to it had certainly placed a lot of tension between the duo, and he frowned, unable to escape it. The cave that they were walking into turned into a tunnel, and Endilix saw the fading light on the other side where the exit was. He looked to Antillian by Flints' side, and to the woman herself as she took the lead. "Well, at least if the thief was lying to us, then we got to go on an adventure. Would be a shame if we didn't at least get to beat up a monster or two though."

[Flints 0]

Flints kept walking as Endilix talked she searched the walls for any branching out or things that looked out of the ordinary. But nothing strikes her as odd. She continued following Antillian who seemed to see the other end of the tunnel. "We did go on a nice Adventue..we made it to the first floor then passed out and are now trying to lose ourselves in caves, tell me again, how are we still alive?" She gave a small giggle before reverting back to being a little withdrawn. She opened up her HUD occasionally and checked it but couldn't help but worry. "At this rate we won't make it in time. I don't even remember what the thief said. What if we aren't looking hard enough?" Flints broke into a sprint trying her hardest to escape the ever narrowing tunnel.  

[Endilix 0]

Endilix jogged behind Flints, who seemed increasingly worried about the quest they were on. Endilix watched her worry over the person they were intent to save, worrying about time and the efforts they had undergone. How could I ever think this woman is a monster? Endilix thought to himself as they managed to break free of the tunnel. Endilix sighed, as he looked up to see a starry sky above them, dusk having fully set in as the sun sank below the mountains. But in front of them was another cave, above which hovered a blood red moon. This cave had two large wooden doors, and a sign that simply said, in crude white letters "KEEP OUT!" Endilix looked up at the moon, which almost seemed to indicate that they had found what they were looking for. "A bad omen..." Endilix muttered, "we should get this done and get out of here."

[Flints 0]

Flints let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding, the feeling of her head about to burst was gone, her lungs didn't ache as she swallowed in as much air as she could. Antillan began to snarl his fur bristled giving flints little time to collect herself before she grabbed one of his horns to press his head against her to calm him. 

"What is this? Are they joking?! This looks silly." Flints was referring to their childish signage. On the other hand the moon that laid low against the sky was a deep red. It cast the sky in a haze and make flints blood run hot. She looked to Endilix and purred. But quickly shook her head and cleared her throat. "This is strange...this place makes me feel...strange.." She continued to stroke her familiar, trying her best to calm him. "No point in standing around. Let's show them who's boss!" Flints shouted excitedly as she made her way to the door, leaning against it and waiting for Endilix to join her and give it a hard shove with her.