Adelric

The half-child wishes he could take away his sister’s pain and erase it with the blink of an eye, a wave of his horn, or stamp of his hoof. But there is no cure for the pain that she must feel. His pain is different, perhaps because he is not the protégé warrior child, and this is why he is able to carry on. But as much as she thinks he is brave, he thinks she is braver. That she can go on after being there to witness the death… He imagines the images must haunt her and he can’t understand how she lives with that. For his own part, he manages by trying not to think about how it must have looked to see dead on the ground the man he had just met and named father.

Standing here now, in the face of the metal sentinels just up the path and the chill of the frozen winter air, the half-child is happy he is a twin. He doesn’t think he would be brave enough to stand here alone, without his sister. But then, he may not have had this adventure at all without her. At least they don’t have to wait long. In fact, upon the appearance of the Gilded Blade, he tenses slightly and presses just slightly more into his sister’s side. He has never before had to stand in front of someone who will decide his future for him and while he doesn’t yet know if this lady will do that or not, she is the closest to that at this point.

At Adelric’s side, Tobias stops his pacing to watch the approaching unicorn with griffin on her back. Sending an image of the bird cat to Adelric, the half-child ensues to have a silent half-words, half-images conversation that ends with neither any closer to understanding what the creature is (a Kyst, they will learn shortly). What he does know is that he’s not certain he’s ok with nicknames. First some white angel calling him ‘sweet adelric’, and now this mare calling him darling. He frowns- his mother never called him any coddling nicknames. For that, he thanks her.

But he cannot frown forever at this apparent Lady, so he returns his mouth to a more neutral expression and bows his head to her, Tobias following suit. As for her other words… his ears flicker and he has to consider how to take them for a moment. A happy distraction saves him from his pondering for a moment. In response to the wink, Tobias chortles happily at Erebos, amused to see him in good spirits once again. “Erebos!” Adelric calls with a smile, limbs itching to move forward towards his friend; however, he remains in place for now- next to his sister where he belongs. “We’re here looking for a home,” he adds then, responding to both his friend and the queen. With a half-glance to his sister, to make sure he has the ok to talk for the moment, he thinks for a moment longer and then speaks again.

“Our father Krieger is dead.” He doesn’t feel it necessary to explain that Krieger lived here, surely Lady Illynx should know that already. “And our mother was attacked by a cougar; we think she died because we cannot find her anywhere.” In some ways it is the truth; the parts that are not are well-practiced by the young child and he lies with ease already. No need to throw the word unicorn out yet- that seems too obvious, he decides. But his words fade off quickly and he looks to Zunden to allow her to take the floor- that is, until he suddenly remembers that the hulking metal beasts in the background still lord over this meeting. “What are those?” he queries, then actually does manage to remain silent, nudging Zunden’s shoulder even though he knows she doesn’t need any encouragement to be brave.

All the while, his insides begin to quiver with excitement at the prospect of finally calling this place home and getting to be with his best, and only, friend besides Zunden all of the time.

i can't be your knight in shining armor