The priestess gave a hearty laugh, shaking Iteral's hand and Iteral
herself shook with it. She just keeps laughing. "Ah, you are still the wimpy witch from
before?" Iteral shrugs, giving her a hit on her shoulder...
and holding her fist a bit in pain. "Well, not everyone has the
advantage of being a priestess. Anyway, we need your help." "Charity work is nice but let the girl
speak for herself!" She said, being quite direct and
pointing at Auspice.
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
Auspice blushed under her helmet even more, letting out short
breaths of anxiety and embarrassment. "U-Uhmm..." Her gaze moved to
Iteral, then the priestess. "W-Well... we need to find Ryze...
well, to.. teleport my husband out of the Pyramid... or at least,
build a portal of some sorts in the Pyramid so he can travel in and
out freely..." She mumbled coyly as she did the 👉👈 gesture with her
hands, looking up at the muscular woman.
"Ryze, Ryze, Ryze... ah, the Rune
Collector. Well, I might know where he is hiding. But I have a
strict policy and Nagakabouros is not intent of helping random
people." Illaoi stares at the small armored girl, she had
already categorized her. It was easy, the priestess only had one
system of classification anyway: People she could snap in half and
people who she could not.
Iteral helps Auspice out a bit and points at the large idol of a
creature that Illaoi's right foot is on. "Nagakabouros is her god.
An ancient kraken one and she is very devoted. Ask her, if she can
test you. You should pass it and then she'll help us."
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
Auspice sighed disappointedly, her hands falling off to her sides.
"Awhhh..." She then turned to Iteral, listening to her advice.
"Alright... but... what is the test on? Do I need to answer
questions about her god or...?" She asks with slight disappointment
in her voice, turning back to the muscular woman and straightening
back up.
"Oh, not quite..." Illaoi heard in the conversation and grabs that
idol of hers, it being the size of a whole cupboard. "It's much more straightfoward. Do you have the
courage?"
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
Auspice nodded. "Well, of course I do. I can and WILL prove it to
you.... if needed." She spoke straight-forwardly, but still a
little shy due to the size of the woman before her.
"Very well. Let me teach you of
Nagakobouros! Fight for your soul, if you have the courage!"
Illaoi just hits Auspice on the helmet, knocking it off and letting
her stumble to the ground at first. It was important. "The first lesson is motion! Move or die!"
Illaoi starts slamming her idol at Auspice, showing no break or
mercy.
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
Auspice gave off a hiss when she smacked off her helmet, causing it
to crack due to the force. It clanked at it fell to the ground, and
Auspice hood was now down, too, so her facial features and hair
were now revealed. She then turned a violent gaze to Illaoi,
quickly drawing her sickles, using one to slash her in the chest.
Illaoi simply blocked the hit with her idol again, knocking Auspice
back. The tavern was empty all of a sudden, it was like everyone
knew about her test of spirit. She lashes again and smiles.
"So you can move! Life is an ocean! Swim
foward, or drown. The second test is focus, only those with vision
truly see. Prepare yourself." The idol itself glows an eerie
green, as tentacles start going for Auspice, constantly trying to
hit her face.
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
Auspice blocked nearly every attack with her two blades, but still
getting hit in some places. Once she had enough, she put her two
sickles together on their handle's ends, twisted it, and spread
them apart, causing the sickles to become a double-sided glaive.
With her now long-ranged weapon, she swept her polearm under
Illaoi's feet, hoping to stumble her over.
Illaoi had a very sturdy stance, enough so that when she fell, she
quickly got back up and wiped sweat off her forehead. "Very good. Clarity brings purpose. The third
lesson... is truth. Behold! She raises her idol with one
hand, tentacles sprouting out of it, as one lashes right onto
Auspice's chest and pulls her soul right out of her. Her life
flashes in front of her eyes, right before her soul is deep
underwater, with Illaoi and her idol swimming above her. Tentacles
and the current go upward, towards her. It was clear: Fight for your soul! Against her
current!
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
Auspice was worried when her soul was pulled away, causing her to
panic for a mere second before realizing she was still alive. She
felt like she was drowning without her soul, so she did everything
she could to get it back. She then did was was told: Fighting for
her life. Her soul. She fought the current, just barely reaching
her soul. "C'mon..." She grunted as she continued to fight the
current.
The fight went on, as the current became stronger... the tentacles
became longer, it was getting worse. Illaoi was really putting up a
challenge this time around, she just smiles. After a while,
Auspice's soul was launched back into her and even her helmet was
put back on her head, crack restored.
"Rise, Auspice. You have done
well." The priestess smiles down at her, offering her a hand
to help her up. Also, Iteral reappeared, seems like she had her
soulless body in her arms to not let it fall down to the ground.
"There is no rest in life. All is
motion. Everything is Nagakabouros. I'll lead you to Ryze."
She smiles, a wide smile of confidence painting her tattooed face.
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
Auspice growled as she slowly took Illaoi's hand, getting up
tiredly. She huffed heavily, glaring at the woman with anger, but
that anger quickly faded away when she mentioned she would take her
to Ryze, causing her to hug Illaoi. "Thank you, thank you!" She
quickly pulled away excitedly, ready to find Ryze. She turned to
Iteral. "You hear that? Rhulk will be so happy when he gets to
finally leave his Pyramid!"
"I am sure he will be." Iteral smiles and Illaoi smiles again,
giving Auspice the hug back and just... pressing her against her
bulky frame and not holding back on her strength either.
"You're a feisty one! Going through
change and current for not your own but for him? Out of love or
command?"
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
Auspice felt like her bones were going to break as Illaoi hugged
her back, but she didn't mind. She just could resurrect herself.
"W-Well, I do it out of love... he is my husband and he is been
through a lot... I just want to go places with him~" She chuckled
shyly.
The priestess released Auspice from her hug and Iteral had the
image of Auspice making accordeon sounds in her mind, as if she was
in a cartoon, then chuckling. Soon enough, they were out in
Bilgewater again and the hulking woman in front, with the two short
ones behind. "I am impressed you were
willing to sacrifice your soul for your husband. Your love is
stronger than any wind or current."
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
She smiles under her helmet, taking her statement as a compliment.
"Thank you, Illaoi. I will not forget your kindness." She spoke
lowly as she kept behind the priestess. She looked around
constantly, making sure were was no one around them, since... well,
she was always aware of her surroundings.
"There is no need to thank my kindness.
I live the life that Nagakabouros has set for me. I do what they
tell me." Illaoi smiles, leading the way as the sailors and
passerbys actively make way for her. She seems to be quite the big
shot around here. "Though the look of
you when I yanked that helmet of you was quite a fun one. I take it
you have experience in taking on taller people?"
You know the first rule in combat?
Shoot them before they shoot you.
She started to fluster, looking away from Illaoi. "E-Eh... Well...
yeah..." Her voice cracked once due to the embarrassment, but then
looked back at Illaoi, since her embarrassing blush wasn't visible.
"I-I can say I have taken on taller people..." She giggled
playfully, but there was still a hint of shyness in her voice.