Private Tales Out of the Mists

[Rice]

Tmooma paused for a moment thinking, then shook their head. "If I was in my usual form I could easily carry you. And if it wasn't for the girl's sake I would offer you some of our own blood. But as it is there is not much I can do... Well... there is that" He continued mussing, rubbing their temples as he thought. "I used to know a spell to summon an etherial steed... if I could just remember it... though I don't know if we have all the materials... or if I'm even still strong enough to cast it," He muttered as they started pacing. With Felix in his weakened state Tmooma's moment of lucidity was slipping. he began bitting their fingernail and then stopped and stared at his hand as if he was surprised it was there. He was still in control but Rice was leaking through. "Um... sand, salt, circle, what was it," he continued to mutter.

Then there was a shift as Rice switched with him. Their shoulders slumped for a moment and she hugged their arms to their chest before she lost her hold and Eoliaf came to the front. Tmooma's spectral form continued to muster soundlessly as he tried to remember the spell unaware of what was going on outside.

"Well he's useless again," Eoliaf said brushing their hands off "And you," She said looking Felix directly in the eyes, " I'm disappointed, one would think a creature of darkness such as you would be able to see past racial stereotypes. I mean, I might be a demon but I mean no I'll will on this child. She said I protect her and I do, this world has been too cruel to her. What you should really be asking is what is the ancient one's role in all of this. You assume his innocents yet you know nothing about him. The atrocities he committed in the war. He slaughtered entire communities, without provocation not discriminating between soldiers and civilians, he even killed children with no mercy. I may have done my fair share of killing in the war but my crimes are nowhere near his." She said with complete honesty. IF Felix had the faculties about him to decern whether or not she was lieing he would see that what she was saying was the truth.

 

[Felix Armon]

Felix was too tired to deal with the demon now, so he simply ignored her. They had a long walk ahead of them to get to Alliria. At least the roads were nice, and perhaps they could get a ride on one of the wagons. After a while he got used to walking in his weakened state, but he was still bloodless, his skin was far more pale than it was before and he had to cover his mouth with his cloak to hide his perpetually extended fangs.

His thoughts were not idle though. He remembered other conversations he's had with demons in the past. They too accused him of betraying his dark heritage. And it's true, he was proud that he was able to turn away from the darkness. He remembered the way his brother put it in similar discussions. "We are creatures born of sin who chose the light, but you are creatures born of the light who chose sin."
And honestly, the way he felt about the Celestial was little different. Though it was a creature of the light it reflected light from other gods, gods who set themselves up as such even though they were meant to only be watchers over the world placed by the creator. They desired worship and mankind for themselves and to have freedom to rule Arethil as they saw fit... In rebellion of their creator.

He was aware that not all demons were the same. There were some who choose to live for themselves and follow no higher power than themselves. There were evil demons, and there were loners, but there was no such thing as a good demon... Which made him smile at a memory... Of one time he convinced a demon to return to the creator. The creator restored the demon from its fallen status and turned him into the angel he once was. He wondered if that Angel was still watching over him now...

As they walked down the road a wagon came rolling up behind them. He waved it down and secured passage for them back to Alliria.

 

[Rice]

Eoliaf sighed and rolled her eyes "Alright, ignore me. Your loss," she said with a scowl.

When the wagon came by she climbed up into the back, crossing her arms and brooding. He made her feel so helpless and she hated it. Though she recognized his authority. He was strong, even in his current state she didn't dare try anything. That's how power worked. You differ to the strongest individual, and at the moment, Felix was the strongest.

 

[Felix Armon]

The wagon brought them back to Alliria and Felix got off the wagon and led the way to the rented house he was staying at. It wasn't too fancy, but it had some nice amenities. It was a fairly middle class place.
He unlocked the door and pushed the door open as he stumbled into the house. It was a single floor with an attic, but it had several rooms. A Kitchen, lavatory, a bedroom and guest room, and a living room.

He went to the kitchen and retrieved a bottle from cold storage. It had a red liquid in it and the bottle had preservation runes etched in it. He broke the seal and began drinking the blood inside. It wasn't enough to sate his hunger, but he felt some of his strength returning and he was no longer bloodless.

He walked back into the living room and sat down on a sofa. He was still fairly exhausted, but that would pass. He invited Rice to sit on the couch or one of the other chairs, if Rice indeed was in control at all anymore.

 

[Rice]

"Nope, still me," Eoliaf said floping up onto one of the chairs and hanging her legs over one of the arms. "Rice is still a bit overwhelmed by everything that just happened, she would rather I take care of things for her for a while. After all, she is still a child. It would be unwise to leave a child alone with a bloodthirsty stranger." She said crossing her arms and giving Felix a pointed glance.

 

[Felix Armon]

Felix leaned back and closed his eyes while he let his strength return. The girl relies on her passengers very much. She's come to depend on them to get her out of every stressful situation. And coming at this as an outsider, he could see how this would be detrimental to her in the long run, essentially keeping her perpetually in a state of childish innocence. Sure he couldn't speak against relying on them for hostile situations such as the demons they fought, he had little grounds for arguing against that besides from a moral standpoint. But a young girl growing up, unable to deal with stresses and simply letting someone else handle it while she hides in her own mind... She will grow up with still the mind of a child, unable to bare the struggles of the world.

He spoke without opening his eyes. "What do you gain from possessing this child? Either of you? And if you are truly benevolent then why do you hurt her?"
From what he was told he could guess some of Eoliaf's story. She was once a demon, either from the abyss or serving a dark god. Since she was evidently involved in a war with celestial beings and Tmooma. So she was once not of the chaotic demons but followed the orders of those over her. It was unlikely that a demon would be content with receding to a mere spiritual being who may actually be benevolent and try to help Rice. If his guess was right, She had an ulterior motive, something beyond just hiding from Tmooma.

 

[Rice]

Eoliaf sighed tilting her head back to look at the ceiling and stretching. "I suppose every one has some selfish reason to do anything, no matter how good they claim to be. For instance, you seek to find your own salvation through the act of saving others. Tmooma's motivation is he wants to kill me. At first, my motivation was as simples as I wanted to stay alive, but I've grown quite fond of the child. Now even if Tmooma wasn't guarding me I would still wish to stay and protect the child for the rest of her short lifespan. As for why I hurt her, she is never in any danger. Isn't it a parents job to punish their child when they miss behave or put themselves in danger." She said getting up out of the chair and stretching again before heading over to the kitchen. "You wouldn't happen to have any real food lying around, would you? She's starving," She said as she began rummaging around in the cupboards.

 

[Felix Armon]

Felix listened as Eoliaf spoke. Perhaps his assessment was slightly off. But of course there was the possibility that the planar being was lying.
She asked about real food around, and there was, to keep up his guise as a human. Were anyone to investigate this house and see no food, it could bring a sharp mind to suspect that he either didn't eat there, or didn't eat at all. So he kept food around the house, even though it tortured him to not be able to eat it.

"There are some preserved meats, bread, and cheese in the pantry and some wine in the cupboard. I don't keep much around but it's what I have. Help yourself."

This child was puzzling. He wondered if it would be possible to separate her from these two beings living inside her if she felt she couldn't do without them.
He continued on as she searched for food, "As far as punishment goes, You would make a poor mother in my opinion. In raising children one needs discipline to be sure, but not punishment and fear. She may have been abused before at the hands of other people, but at your hands she has suffered another sort of abuse, one that she has probably developed Stockholm syndrome because of it."

 

[Rice]

Eoliaf found the food and at the sight and smell of it Rice began to come out of her shell. A moment later she came out of the pantry with the food in her arms. She paused in the entrance to the living room and glanced cautiously at Felix before coming in and sitting down on the floor spreading out the food in front of her. She munched on the bread as she watched Felix.

"What are you?" She finally asked.