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Heart heavy, the Warrior of Darkness departs the Ondo Cups to find away to follow after the Ascian, and to make true on that bargain to meet him here in the Tempest.
They and their Scion companions tread carefully down the slippery ocean floor towards the depths, until they come to a staircase of sorts: a spiral descent, and pause to break for a moment.
The Warrior tires so easily now, and they try not to dwell on what that means, dwell on what the ache in their chest means. On what the pained looks on their companion's faces might mean.
They don't hear the muted shout until it's too late.
Too slow, far too slow. Poison light dulling their reflexes - a glancing blow straight to their ribs sends them spinning over the edge and down into the chasm below, far past the crystalline coral stairs spiraling down into the darkness, and they don't see or hear anything else.
"I know you can hear me - you have to open your eyes, please-" Ardbert's voice cracks on the final word, practically shouting at the prone form in front of him where he kneels.
Please be alright, please don't die, please don't leave me here alone...
He pushes out frantically, concentrating with everything he has, willing himself to make contact with their body directly once more, just one more time.
"Please work-" He breathes, bending over and reaching out for the Warrior's unconscious body as it lies motionless on the ground.
Just as he is about to make contact with them, he brushes with something - no, someone else - and he jumps back in alarm, pulling his hand quickly away. The aether that pushes out towards him feels decidedly of them but with a dangerous edge Ardbert does not recognize. Shadows coalesce from underneath the Warrior's body; Ardbert watches as a dark figure materializes crouched over them protectively, red eyes casting a sidelong glance in his direction.
What did you do?
"What-? Who are you?" Ardbert bristles, in a defensive crouch, and bares his teeth. "...Now wait a minute -I- didn't do anything - what did you do?"
The Shadow scoffs and returns their attention to the Warrior, trying and failing to brush a hair from the side of their face. Ardbert can feel rather than hear the curse that they expel this time, which is an entirely new sensation, and he steps forward.
"They've not…They never told me much about their life before Norvrandt, but…this?"
We do not have a lot of time, are you sure you want to waste it with questions?
"…Time?" Ardbert shakes his head frantically, scrambling to close the rest of the distance again. "Cryptic little shite, aren't you?" He says, trying to keep the edge of panic out of his voice, the only remaining friend he has still motionless on the ground.
They are still here, but they are fading. I need your help.
The Shadow glances again at the man beside them. A barbut obscures most of their face, but the eyes - the golden eyes shine even in the blackest pitch. Ardbert peers into them, searching for something. The eyes are familiar, like the aether, but still…
"What would you have me do?"
Can you reach them?
The desperation Ardbert recognizes then is no longer solely his own. The Shadow frays at the edges.
Ardbert lays a hand on the Warriors shoulder and it passes through to the ground. He curses, shuts his eyes, and focuses with everything he has.
Solid contact, aether shared. A shadowed hand quickly clasps over his own and Ardbert sucks in a breath as something cold and hollow passes through him, vanishing into his friend.
Do not let go, not yet - not yet.
Ardbert holds tighter and waits. After a moment, the Warrior begins to stir. They roll to their side and Ardbert, still holding them, helps them sit up.
"Thank the gods, what in the hells happened to y-" He starts, but then they open their eyes:
Gold, bright. Completely foreign. Ardbert drops his hold on them and they sag slightly.
"Help me, help them-" The Warrior forces out as they try to push themselves upright with an arm. The voice is theirs, but it is wrong. It comes out lilted, raspy. "I won't let them die here in this godsforsaken light-blasted place I can barely reach." Ardbert watches, struck to silence, as the Warrior climbs shakily to their feet, only to fall forward on their hands and knees back into the wet under-sand, cursing.
Ardbert holds out a hand, kneeling in front of them. "…Let us be about it then - we'll need to work quickly if we're to make it back up to their companions."
The Warrior, or whoever is currently wearing their face, looks up and smiles a pained half-smile. They reach out tentatively with a hand and when they confirm they can in fact touch him, they press their arm into Ardbert's grip and he pulls them to their feet.
"They're injured, obviously." They say, hand immediately falling to hold their side. "They give too much, gave too much… and this mess roiling around inside-" They grimace as they take a few tentative steps forward. Ardbert follows carefully, a step back and to their left.
The Warrior regards Ardbert over their shoulder. "You're a man of about as few words as they are, eh?"
"You'll forgive me if I don't exactly know where I stand here." Ardbert says, eyes glued ahead towards the ascent they are to take.
"And how would you explain something like this, exactly?"
Ardbert hums. "I suppose I'd keep my secrets as well." He says.
"Aye." the Warrior's Shadow agrees.
They pass a bell or so in tense silence until the Shadow speaks:
"Their body is in rough shape; I can't feel it well myself but... we're pushing it." They say.
"What does that mean?" Ardbert turns to them, frowning.
"I think you know what that means, friend." Their leg stutters, and they stumble. Ardbert moves quickly, alarmed, and manages to reach out and grab them on the first try. Arm tucked against his own, the Warrior sags against him.
"Do you know where you're going?" They breathe.
"Up?" Ardbert replies. "It's the ocean floor, recently devoid of water... But I can only assume they fell from up high."
"Good." They say, and they do their best to right themselves, gripping on to the arm supporting them. Ardbert keeps an arm supporting their back, and an arm offered at their front, and the pair limp onward.
"...I think - I think I can hear voices." Ardbert says. "The Scions, they've come down to find them...!"
The Shadow's head lolls forward, and they chuckle.
"Small mercies, I suppose." They rasp, feet starting to drag. "I think I've taken enough from them to get them this far. Please - make sure their friends find them."
"O-of course." Ardbert replies. The Shadow tries to pull away and collapse to the ground. "Wait, wait, wait, hey-"
Gold eyes, half lidded and fading in the dim light, watch him as he helps them to the ground.
Ardbert rolls over a few words in his head before he speaks again. "Who are you, to them, exactly?" He asks.
The Shadow smiles, albeit sadly.
"Someone who loves them very much - If you believe anything about what you have just seen, believe that much." They say, through the Warriors own mouth. They reach up to pat the side of Ardbert's face gently.
Thank you.
An exhale, and their eyes drift closed, leaving Ardbert kneeling in the dark alone.
"Full of surprises, aren't you.?” He murmurs, and takes the Warrior’s limp hand, twining their fingers with his own. Running a gloved hand along their pulse point. Weak but still there.
Voices getting louder, closer, he smiles his own sad smile as the Warrior's companion's rush towards their prone friend, and he is nothing more than a ghost once more.