Lost

"Lost" is a BOTGD 2 Act 1 thread written on June 10, 2019.
==Summary==
Malak, one of Rhenco's lackeys, comes across a crying Furi in the forest, and tells her that he'll lead her to the Rebellion. While they talk, Malak tells Furi at her request that demons can't bring beings back from the dead, and Furi learns that the demon she has been befriending has been lying to her.
==Full Text==
Furi: Furi wasn’t flying anymore. After days of wandering the woods looking for Darien, she was losing hope. She slumped against a tree with a whine.
She would never get anywhere at this point.
Furi started to cry. I’m sorry, Tael. I want you back, I miss you, but without help I stand no chance of ever getting anywhere. The demon isn’t talking to me. I’m- I’m lost. I’m scared. I’m far from home. I’m alone. I just… all I want is you, but-
What would Tael do if he was here? If she had been the one who had gotten killed by the hunters? If he was fighting to bring her back?
What was she supposed to do without him?
Her thoughts blurred into nothing but a mindless void of hope as she lay beneath a tree at sunset, crying.
Malak: The sound of quiet footsteps reached Furi’s ears, and someone carefully approached.
One…two….three
One two three four, one two three four…
The odd pattern of of crunching leaves and snow caused Furi to look up, those were not the steps of any normal person.
It was then that she saw, just ahead of her, a man supported in the air by eight, large spider legs from his back, watching her curiously.
Furi: Furi stared at the spider man, pupils thinning slightly with nervousness. She rubbed a paw on her face and sniffed, trying to look okay.
Who is this? And… woah. He’s… got eight legs…
Malak: Malak frowned curiously at the dragon. He was a man who looked to be in his forties. He had a strong, square jaw and slightly curly brown hair. He appeared to be a strong man, but his skin was pale, as if it had been a long time since it had gotten sunlight. He grunted once as he peered at the dragon. “What’s up with you?” 
Furi: Furi blinked and sat up all the way.
“H-hi.” She mumbled softly. “Nothing. Just… missing someone… and I’m lost. I don’t know where to go. Or what to do.” Her ears drooped and she plopped down again with a whine.
Tael…
Malak: Malak’s lips set in a hard line, and then he scoffed as he turned abruptly to the left. “The rebellion is this way.” He muttered. “Come on and follow me back before you run into my son or something.” 
Furi: Furi didn’t move.
“…they couldn’t help me. I don’t think anyone can anymore. I’m doomed to be alone…” She put paws above her face and tried desperately not to cry again. 
Malak: Malak stopped, and then walked back over so he could lean down in the night fury’s face. “I’m dead serious. There’s a person in these woods that will kill and eat you and not even blink.” 
He worked his jaw, and then sighed again with a grumble. “What’s the problem dragon?”
Furi: Furi looked up at Malak and sighed softly.
“I… it’s been so lonely. I… I need to do something for someone to get my brother back… but… I can’t do it. I’m lost and scared and alone and I don’t know what to do!” She told him.
Malak: Malak shifted and tapped one of his feet. He seemed divided as to what to do. “Who’s the someone? What do you need to do?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and grumbled. “Strange dragon…”
Furi: Furi’s thoughts screeched to a halt and she stared at Malak.
Be careful, little dragon.
Chills went up her spine. “Um… I…” She stuttered. “Oh, bother.”
Oh no. Me and my big mouth.
“Well… I have… a- a someone who… um… well she’s… she’s someone who can help my brother. And she… has plans she needed my help with?” 
This is not going to help, what am I going to say? I can’t just blurt out that I’m working with a Demon!
“I- I can’t tell you the specifics, sir spider.” She tried to smile awkwardly. “I just… I could use some help, is all.”
Malak: “Some help? You look practically hopeless.” Malak said. “I cant just run off with you with no info. Frankly I dont know why I stopped here in the first place. But…”
He rubbed the back of his neck, and then sighed. “You know what? Screw it…fine, lead the way and I’ll help you find him.”
Furi: Furi’s earfins perked up and she got to her feet, looking a little cheered.
“Thank you, mr. spider.” She told him politely, and then had to think for a moment.
How do I even explain this? Perhaps I should just be honest.
She sighed and began working her claws in the dirt.
“My brother is… is dead. What I need is help… specifically to take down the people in charge of this place. High central, I believe it was called. If I do that, …someone is going to help me get my brother back.” She rushed the last part out and took a deep breath.
Feels good to get that off my chest.
Malak: “Oh…them…I was actually looking for someone from Central…of course for different reasons.” Malak sighed. “You can call me Malak. And don’t thank me.” He rubbed at the stubble on his face. “Taking down Central isn’t exactly a days worth of work. The rebellion wouldn’t have survived thirty years if it had…what do you need help with just for now in that case?”
Furi: Furi was quiet again and then twitched an ear.
“I figured it wouldn’t be easy. I just… you have no idea how much I miss my brother. I’d do anything to get him back. Even fight every one of them if it’s what that dem- uh what she wants.”
She turned and started walking, hoping he’d follow. “Unrelated question, um… do you know any ways to bring people back from death that… doesn’t involve… shady stuff?”
Malak: “No.” Malak answered flatly as he followed. “Cause their aren’t any. The dead should be left alone. I heard once…a man was brought back from Hel for a girls memories, a demon’s life, and half a boy’s soul. And in the wake of such an event well over three times as many people died directly related to those listed issues…It wasn’t a coincidence.” 
Furi: Furi walked in silence, thinking.
“Malak… can. Can demons bring people back?” She asked, deciding to just ask. Honestly, she was tired of hiding and lying and being quiet. She was tired of the demon, and she was tired of her mysterious and dodgy words. She had a hunch she was being tricked.
Malak: “No.” Malak huffed, and didn’t bother giving much more detail than that.
Furi: Furi froze. Dread and hopelessness and horror and a strange sense of just having known somehow washed over her. Her legs went weak and she felt angry as well.
She simultaneously wanted to claw through something and curl up in a ball and give up.
SHE LIED.
She stood there, frozen for a solid minute before throwing back her head and wailing.
It didn’t matter anyway. I just wanted to have a little fun, little dragon. You amused me, for what it’s worth. But no, your brother is gone. Forever. I didn’t care about him, or you. I’ll be on my way now.
At the words she heard in her head, sound died from her throat and she just drooped, losing all hope. The last memory she would have of her brother was him being slain by humans, his blood on the grass and his screams cut short in the air.
“Tael….”
Malak: Malak hesitated, seeing the distress on the dragon’s face. His mouth moved a little as he tried to think of something to say that was…normal…he supposed.
“I uh…I’m sorry.” He offered. 
Furi: She whimpered softly and turned to him.
“…Thanks anyway.” She managed to just barely say, with almost no emotion. “…guess I really am entirely alone now.” She curled up on the grass there and then.
“Think that your son would find me delicious? Guess I’ll find out.” Furi mumbled, staring out into the woods blankly.
Malak: “What the…What?” Malak shook his head once. “No, get the fuck up.” He reached over and awkwardly poked her with one of his legs. “You lost your brother. Lots of people have been through that, it’s no reason to sit around and get eaten by a psycho like Farris. Now come on, let’s get you back to your rebellion.”
Furi: "You don't understand." Furi began to shake. "We did everything together. I can't go on anymore. The only reason I'm here right n-now was because I hoped there was a chance but there's not. I'll never see him again! I don't wanna live without him!" She spluttered and began to cry quietly again.
"I can't-"
Malak rubbed his face. Trying to help someone through trauma was something that had been made foreign to him a long time ago. This kind of interaction with another living thing alone was already something he wasn’t used to. 
“Look I erm…sigh…” The spider half breed grinds his teeth, and then shakes his head. “I may not understand what it’s like to lose a brother. But I have lost freedom, family, sunlight, or even days when I’m not in pain before. And I’m on my feet so just…so just get up okay? Let’s get somewhere safe, and then you can mourn.”
Furi: Furi looked up at him, eyes filled with sorrow and trying not to cry. She sighed and struggled to her paws, drooping like a wilted flower but nodding.
“Fine.” She murmured. “Lead the way.”
Malak: Malak motioned him to follow and began to walk in the direction he knew the rebellion camp to be in. “You’re lucky some…erm…changes recently happened. Otherwise I would have no reason to get anywhere near that place.”
Furi: Furi shuffled along, following him with a bowed head.
“Okay.” She mumbled. “What’s it like having eight legs?” She asked, almost curious. She hoped that some other conversation would help her. She was having difficulty not thinking about Tael.
Malak: “It feels the same as having wings does for you.” Malak replied. “For me it’s just…normal.” He huffed. “Of course, even among half breeds, I wasn’t anyone’s first pick for company when I was younger. The mess Central caused with our kind didn’t help either.”
Furi: Furi nodded.
“Yeah, I get that. Tael was weird and nobody really liked him much when we were younger. I always stuck up for him though. Not his fault he had a weird tail.” She sniffed softly.
“I think you look kind of cool with those legs. Creepy, but cool. I like them.” She grinned a little, feeling slightly better.
Tael would want me to keep going and make new friends, I’m sure. Might as well try.
Malak: Malak paused, and then fixed Furi with a stern look. “Listen…you may be getting the wrong idea here dragon…”
Furi: “What do you mean? I just… I didn’t want to be mean. I… sorry.” She mumbled.
Messed it up again.
She kept following Malak, deciding to just be quiet after all.
Jun 12, 2019
Malak couldn’t help but feel pity and he looked away, uncomfortable.
“Its no fault of yours.” He sighed. “I’m just not the type you would want to be any sort of friend with.”
Furi: “Oh, I see.” Furi said softly. “Prefer to be alone?” She asked. “I could never imagine that myself. I hate being alone. Uh… you probably figured that out anyway. I’m sorry for dumping all my sadness all over you. I’ll just… I’ll just be quiet if you prefer.”
Now I just feel silly…
Malak: “I’m not bothered by you.” Malak stated plainly. “My apprehension of you thinking me as some form of good company is nothing short of an interest in your own well being. ”
He staggered over a root and grimly nudged the stick aside. “I’m not a loner… I’m just a very bad man. ”
Jun 12, 2019
Furi’s stomach sank.
“Oh. Well, you can’t be all bad, you’re trying to help me!” She told him, gaining confidence. “And thanks, by the way.” She sighed.
“Guess I can’t run into anyone who’s simply nice and doesn’t have dark secrets or is a demon out to play with me. What kind of world is this, anyway?” She kicked a rock as she walked.
Malak: “A consistent one.” Malak huffed. “The rebellion is friendly towards dragons though, and the people there are a lot less…hm…well they’re better for company.”
Furi: “Yeah, guess so. Now that I have nothing to do, and nowhere to go, I guess I’ll just hang with them. Why not?” She sighed softly and twitched an ear.
“What have i to lose at this point, anyway?”
Malak: “A lot…” Malak reflected, and for a second his eyes became distant.
Furi: Furi shrugged. “If you say so. The way I see it all I’ve got to lose is my life. And maybe my sanity. But I have nothing else. No hope, no friends, no family, no home, you get the idea.”
She let out a long sigh.
“I guess I can hope to make friends in the rebellion. Who knows.”
Malak: “You really had nothing else in life outside of your brother?” Malak clarified. “Rough…”
Furi: “Well, there was my mom for a while, but once we got old enough she left us alone. We stuck together.” Furi told him.
“My parents wandered a lot before me and Tael were born, and we barely saw anything of dad, never heard much about him.”
She kicked another rock. “Me and Tael were kind of just always on our own.”
Malak: Malak came to a stop outside of the Rebellion headquarters, and nodded his head towards it. “I’m sorry for your pain young dragon. Hopfully you can find a better life here.”
Furi: Furi turned to the spider half-breed and smiled genuinely, although it wasn't in her eyes.
"Thanks for not letting me give up. I promise I'll try to keep going. I hope you can try to be a better person so things will get better for you too." She gave him a gummy smile and turned to go inside.
Despite agony, a twinkle of hope rose in her. Guess it wasn't gone after all.
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Events
Category:Act I
Category:Malak
Category:Furi
Category:T'gg'aelh