Arrika pressed closer to him, her head on his chest. His cloak was warm, and kept away the sand being whipped up by the winds. I could fall asleep here, close to him. His heart still beats, even with that demon inside him. Why do I find it so surprising? I guess I thought of him like some kind of soulless vampire. And yet it beats, and it'll keep beating long after mine has stopped. "You could have died, you know? The goddesses could have punished you and done more than take your power. What does it feel like, knowing that you have the power to leave but you're being kept on a short leash anyway? It's like a bird in a cage, almost. It just wants to fly away..." She said softly.

"I'm not on a short leash. I was threatened by a very powerful someone once that if the need arose, I would be thrown from this world, with all of the power I have regained stripped from me again." Sovelis said, stroking Arrika's hair with his real hand. So much like her, and yet so different. he thought as he sat in the sand, and held Arrika in his lap. "Why didn't you try to run, when you had my sword? You might have gotten away if you could have reached the trees."

"You seemed to forget the fact that a piece of glass was stuck in my foot. Well, honestly, you just reminded me so much of him... Your eyes... they're almost the same and for a second I thought..." She shook her head and looked up at him. "I don't know. There's this feeling I get when I'm stealing, like whether I'll get caught or not. If I had kept running, I had a feeling you would have caught up and probably killed me. And I didn't want to die before seeing Kobas one more time. Besides, if I had gotten away you'd be tracking me down right now. And then you'd have killed me," she laughed nervously, but closed her eyes with content.


It was night, and a full moon hung in the sky. It was the kind of night that made you want to curl up in bed, shut the windows, and keep the light on. A 15 year old Arrika had no bed to go to, though, and stood with her hands clutched at her mouth to keep from screaming. In front of her was the corpse of man, his throat now slashed and with a deep wound in his chest, right through his heart.

"Shhh, shhh," Kobas said, coming and wrapping his arms around her. "It's okay," he said, trying to calm her.

"He was possessed. I think the spirit's been successfully exorcised, though," said Rhyss, his face stained with the man's blood. "Are you alright, Seth? I told you not to try and sneak up on it. Just because it looks like a drunken man doesn't mean it is."

"Whatever," said Seth stubbornly, although his voice was shaking, remembering the man's wailing moan for a voice as it had attacked Arrika, his eyes rolling around in his head, unseeing but sensing life in the thin Sheikah girl. "I'm not scared," he said, inconspicuously casting envious looks on Arrika and Kobas.

"I didn't say you were," Rhyss said. "Arrika, are you alright? At least we got here in time. Are you hurt?"

"N-no. I don't think so."

"Well don't cry," Seth said.

"I'm not!"

"Seth," Kobas growled warningly. "We'll stay at Rhyss's tonight. You two go; we'll catch up. Good work tonight, Rhyss. Even though this was probably your fault."

Rhyss dragged a stubborn Seth away. Kobas ran his fingers through her hair, hugging her. "I think that's the last of them. Rhyss isn't going to summon them in hordes any more, I'll make sure of it. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. But... I'm so worthless, I just stood there. I couldn't even move. I could have killed him myself, and I-" Arrika buried her head in his tunic, fighting back tears.

"Don't listen to Seth. That little street cat's just trying to bait you. As long as I'm here, you'll be safe, alright?"

Sovelis kept out of Arrika's mind. She may have been right next to him, in his arms, but he had no right to be in her thoughts. "Arrika...I'm not going to read your thoughts anymore. It isn't something I should do, and I want you to know that." he said, his fingers still in her dark hair as he sat there, and started to sing again.


The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave
To the night and the empty skies, my love,
To the night and the empty skies.

The first time ever I kissed your mouth
And felt your heart beat close to mine
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command, my love
That was there at my command.

And the first time ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
And last till the end of time my love
It would last till the end of time my love
The first time ever I saw your face,
your face, your face, your face

"It's okay. I didn't really mind after a while. I never shared my thoughts with anyone before, so I thought it was an improvement. Sort of," she said. "I bet you sang that one to her all the time. What was her name?" His voice almost lulled her to sleep, but she forced herself to stay awake, singing again.

"Love thee, dearest, love thee?
Yes! that star is not more fair,
That thro' clouds above thee,
Shines more sadly there!
Tho' too oft dim, with tears like him
Like him my truth may shine
But love thee dearest, love thee?
Yes ! till death I'm thine.

Leave, thee, dearest, leave thee?
No! that star is not more true,
When my vows deceive thee,
He will wander too!
A cloud of night may veil his light,
And death may darken mine,
But leave thee dearest, leave thee?
No ! till death I'm thine!"

"You should be a bard. Have you ever considered it?"

OoC: Ya know, I thought about that when I first started. But mage seemed to fit better with me.

IC:
Sovelis cringed. "I-I don't remember her name anymore...Its been so long, and so much has happened. Its like pieces of my past have drifted away...I know they happened, but it doesn't seem to be there anymore." Sovelis's head drooped, and rest on Arrika's shoulder. "Its funny. I can remember almost anything, but my life before I became an Immortal Tempest is, slowly and inevitably fading from me."

"I can't remember my past to well either. You know it's right in front of you, and when you try to grab it it dances out of your reach again. I suppose I just gave up," Arrika said, her hand drifting to his as her eyes flashed a brilliant red again. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. They'd been inconsistent even though it'd been days since she and Sakiko had attempted to rescue the woman and her burning house. "It's Equivalent Exchange, isn't it? Immortality and power for your memories."

"Equivalent Exchange isn't how this world works Arrika. This isn't one of Rhyss's stories. This is Hyrule. Its just age getting to me, I guess. I am fifty-six...I guess that makes me...well...old." Sovelis wrapped his arm around Arrika's waist, and hugged her. "You know...we shouldn't be sitting like this though...most people wouldn't agree with someone my age with someone your age. Good thing I keep how old I am to myself...most of the time."

The Tempest slipped into silence, holding his student close like a close,close friend. He knew that Seth would probably find out about this, but it didn't bother Sovelis in the least bit. He was content for once, and he didn't have to get drunk to get that way.

OoC: I was going to put Seth in this post as a surprise, but it's okay.

IC: The green haired Hylian stood up from his spot on a rock around a tidepool, throwing a rock with disgust into the water. He sat back down, cursing. He pulled his knees up to his chest and glared back into the water, which settled back down to show Sovelis with Arrika on his lap, singing to each other. Jealousy consumed him again. Why did Arrika always get the special attention? Was there some weird aura like Russell's surrounding him that scared everyone away?

"You get everything! And what am I left with? A mother that never loved me, brothers and sisters that could only look at me with hate? A stupid know-it-all mage that only cares about himself? I'm the one who's been waiting for him all my life, and by a whim you get to him first? Why?" Seth said angrily, getting up and storming down the beach toward Arrika and Sovelis.


"Yeah, that's what Kobas said too. But I think there is some truth in it," Arrika said. "And as for this, I don't care," she said fiercely. "Who do they except you to fall for, then? An old hag?" The Sheikah wrapped his arms around his neck, her face inches away from his. "I don't care how old you are."

"I'm old enough to be your great-grandfather, and you still don't care?" Sovelis said, looking surprised that Arrika was as close to him a she was. Then, Seth had to interrupt before anything happened between them. "Yah know...from a different point of view, what you said sounded a little creepy Seth." Sovelis said, turning his head to look at his psychic pupil. I'm not playing favorites Seth...but you didn't have to interrupt us. You'll get to train with me as much as Arrika will, if not more since we share something in our minds. We are psychics, and so that makes it easier for me to train you. You will surpass Arrika in terms of your mental powers...but she will be more of the..erm...physical student. She has the spark of power like you, but it will take time for that spark to ignite into a bonfire.

OoC: I didn't say he was saying all that stuff within hearing range of us, but it's okay.

"No. I swear I don't. But do you?" Arrika said.

"You heard me?" Seth said grumpily. "Then I guess I don't have to explain. And you know what I meant," he added, his eyes narrowing like a cat's. Physical? I think that comment was dancing on the border of 'creepy' too if you get my drift. "Fine, I'll leave. It's not like I could stomach any more anyway..." He muttered the last part, and turned to leave. After a few steps he started to run, and disappeared over the sand dunes in a matter of seconds.

"He really hates me, doesn't he?" Arrika said after he left. "I tried to be nice to him for years, but he keeps insisting everything bad that's ever happened to him is my fault..." The Sheikah studied the Tempest carefully, wondering if he was going to push her off of him now.

"Thats something I'm going to work on. I want you too to be able to work together." Sovelis said, giving Arrika a gentle hug. "There isn't anything that is your fault Arrika. He's just, had a very rough life. His path is almost as difficult as the one I walked after I became what you see here today." His voice was smooth, and he slid his had through the Sheikah's dark hair. "So...do you always go after older men?" he teased, smiling at her.

"Do you always hit on so many women?" Arrika teased back, remembering Sakiko's comments one night as they were camping. "Yeah, I know. I actually visited his mom once. I found out where he used to live, although it took some asking around. It's actually really empty now. He had a new younger brother, but the kid died when it was 2. The three siblings who were there thought I was pretty cool when I told them I ran with Kobas, but when I mentioned Seth they just closed up. Arunite was there, but he said Sela had left years ago..." The Sheikah sighed. "I don't think he'll ever forgive me for whatever he thinks I keep doing. He's the kind of person who holds grudges for a long time."

Sovelis didn't say anything to what Arrika had said. He closed his eyes and smiled at her. He seemed to be either thinking or sleeping. At least Seth still has a family. Mine is all but gone...only Mathais remains. And he wants me deader than a doornail... he said inwardly, opening his eyes and looking at the girl on his lap. "Arrika. What do you see when you look at me. Tell me the truth, I'll know if your lying to me..."

The smile that was always there faded from Sovelis's face as he looked in Arrika's eyes. Their dark depths seemed like an eternal void, something that he could be lost in forever. He was waiting to hear the inevitable...

OoC: We could still go with your original idea if you told me how.

A demon, She wanted to say, but that seemed to harsh although it was true that the shadows that lurked in his gold-green eyes unnerved her sometimes. "I see someone who's seen too much bloodshed, most on his own hands, but will have to keep enduring it for the rest of eternity," she said after a long pause. "Someone who will do whatever it takes once he finds a cause, even it means slaughtering by the hundreds. And he's not ashamed of all the souls he's destroyed, either. He's lonely, and it hurts sometimes, but he keeps every emotion but anger bottled up inside him...."