Nakmarr Party: Meavi

[Nykolas]

Nick lets out a sigh, but even as he hears it come out of his mouth, he can't remember what he's annoyed about. For someone that never forgets a single moment, it is a rather odd sensation. He lifts hie head and glances around the table quickly. He looks down at the desk he was just resting on. His head had been down on his bent arm at the edge of the table when the memory wipe kicked into affect. He looks up at Zarvan sitting across from him on his left and then over to his right, where just around the corner of the table sits a boy he only met briefly before. Or he would have thought.. He looks down at the pile of books on the table before them. These books about politics and justice are not topics that normally would interest Nick as hobbies, so why is he sitting here. He slightly tests moving his left shoulder around. A bit of time has passed, it's not the same day. His healing has progressed further. He had been on his way to tell Lola about her brother. He wishes he could remember how she took the news so he might change his delivery.

Ignoring Yris for now, his jade green eyes trail back up to Zarvan, “What have you done?”

[Yris]

Something had just happened. Of that much, at least, Yris was sure. But as to what, exactly, he was entirely lost. Blinking, he looked from the scowling man in glasses to the pale man with horns and wondered just what trouble Mael had dragged him into this time. The things that he was forced to go through, just to have his banishment revoked so that he could return home! 

Easing up from his seat, the young noble started to see a book tumble from his own lap. Stooping to pick it up on reflex, he saw that it was a book of Keloshian customs. Why was I reading this..? Why should he want to know of Kelosh and the customs of the empire? He wasn't going there. Was he? Confused, Yris looked again between the other two, at a loss. "What just happened?" he asked. And where the hell had that damn mercenary gotten to? Mael was the cause of his current dilemma, he was certain of it. And the bastard would fix them if it was the last thing that he did!

[Zarvan Thuxra]

Zarvan was leaned back in his chair as if bored. He feels bored so he doesn't doubt that fact as he watches Nick lift his head from the table. He notes the confused look on the boy's face and tries to recall what they were talking about. Did he stop paying attention again? He glances briefly at the other kid, but doesn't find that one to be important so he looks back at Nick. He cocks his head at the question. “I...” then he realizes he can not remember how they got to this spot and what they are studying. He pulls a small orb from a pocket and after looking at it, he can tell how much time they have lost. He's been counting down the time since the doors unseal and they can leave this place. “It would seem a lot of time has passed since I last check, almost a day's worth.” He furrows his brow as he tries to recall what he remembers last and when that took place.

He does remember the last conversation he had with the boy before losing time however and decides to answer his question. “You asked for a new home. I found you one.” He gives a nod toward Nick.

[Nykolas]

Nick wasn't even asking about the lapse of time or memory lose, though part of him thinks that should be what he focuses on right now. What he was asking about is the connection he feels with Yris. He knows the kid didn't seek him out to ask him to be his meavi, and he didn't seek the kid out so that leaves it to have been something Zarvan arranged. If none of them remember though, then it's a little hard to be mad about it. He'd hoped it was just his mind that faltered due to his injury and the insane amount of magic that has been thrown at him to keep him alive. He should not be alive. He watches the kid fumble and catch the book. It would seem he also lost his memory and doesn't remember why they are studying politics. Nick glances back down at the books before him. He wasn't looking when Zarvan motioned toward him, but the evidence around them and the magical connection he feels with the kid makes it clear what Zarvan means. Somehow Zarvan convinced him to take in Yris.

There is a pain in his chest as his heart rate quickens, but his heart isn't there. He takes in a breath and lets it back out slowly trying to not panic. Maybe he can do this? What is he supposed to do? How is he supposed to do it? He doesn't know anything about taking on a ward or how to care for one. He can't even remember if he made sure the kid ate or not. This poor kid is doomed. Nick stares off into nothing, his eyes a little wider than normal, like a deer in headlights.

[Yris]

From the book, Yris looked up to Nick. And his brow creased as he tried hard to figure out just what had happened. But try as he might, the memories weren't there. Oh, he recalled following Mael here to this manor for this party. And remembered being angry at Mael. But there was nothing out of the ordinary in that, at the least. He was always angry at Mael, since the assassin had been the entire reason behind his banishment.

"What... What happened? Why don't I remember what happened before?" Yris asked. And he looked between the pair of them, clearly expecting that it would be answered. Surely one of them had to know the answer, right?

[Zarvan Thuxra]

Zarvan ignores the look on Nick's face. He'll be fine, he's practically grown. But at the same time he doesn't want to have to deal with any of this and is sure the conversation probably went smoother the first time. He can only think of one person at this party that would be powerful enough to make them all forget the last twenty four hours. He stands and heads out of the room to go hunt down their host. He of course has no idea where their host is and the more people he will have to stop and ask the more angry he'll be by the time he finds Arako. He can't help but wonder as he ignores the other two and walks out of the room, If I kill the host, will the doors open?

[Nykolas]

Nick takes in a slow deep breath and then lets it out again. The hole in his chest screams at him. Well not the hole, but all the connecting tissue and muscles that are torn and disconnected around the hole. Everything hurts. He focuses on the pain a little. A reminder that he is not in a position to keep Yris safe. He fell asleep when they were all in that study before, but he seems to remember this kid has a problem with another assassin at this party, an assassin Nick fought along side of and thought that was a little fun. Yris doesn't look like the type that would want to train to be an assassin, but there is plenty to do in an empire as big as Kelosh. Or not do if you're taken in by a rich noble. You're my ward. It's magically sealed and cannot be easily undone. It appears my intention was to take you back to AmKelosh with me. None can harm you now. I won't allow it. Thinking about those he needs to protect he suddenly checks his pocket for a little pixie, but she is not there. They'll have to find. Nick promised to protect her, failing to do so would reflect poorly back onto him and his skills.

[Yris]

The white haired man.. person.. left the room. And Yris watched with some uncertainty as he did so. He had the oddest feeling that the other man had helped him in some way. And that the annoyed looked man with the glasses was also helping him. After a few moments, he finally got out of his chair to walk over to Nick. Best chance of information at this point, right?

Gods alone knew where that bastard Mael had wandered off to. Likely gambling or drinking or... something!

"What are we doing now? We can't leave this place, can we?" Yris would honestly have felt a lot better about things if they could leave this manor. This place seemed more than a bit unsafe to him. 

[Nykolas]

Nick also believes this place is far too dangerous. He isn't about to tell Yris in all the ways it's dangerous because truth be told, Nick doesn't have the strength to protect either himself or the kid if all his enemies came at him at once. Or if a god came at him at all. Nick is just glad Zarvan is here too. After this party he'll have to go home though to recover from the injury and to inform the emperor about Yris. He removes his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose. We will leave when the doors open. Just stick close until then. If we get separated, find Zarvan or one of the guardian dragons. He thinks for a moment to give the glasses to Yris, but changes his mind. It's best if the kid can not see through the shadows in this place. He puts the glasses instead back on his own face. He looks around the room they are in once again. He doesn't know where this room is or which way to go when they leave here to get back to Lola's room. They need to find the girls and regroup. Nick also wants to know if bonding with Yris is the only important thing to remember during the time they lost and if the entire manor suffered from that spell or just them. He glances over the books on the table and picks out three or four that he deems the most important for Yris to get started with, mostly covering things like Keloshian culture and court decorum. He hands these to Yris one by one as he picks them up. Losing any amount of memory is very unsettling to Nick. He doesn't like not knowing the what or the why for the memory gaps.

[Yris]

Nick didn't seem entirely certain about what was going on. Well, at least that made two of them? Yris merely nodded agreement to what the other man said before accepting the books that were offered. He glanced over each title, making note of them. Keloshian customs... It seemed that he wasn't going to be returning to Arcania after all. But... maybe that could be a good thing? Maybe.

"Who are the guardian dragons?" Yris asked. He didn't recall seeing any such beasts. Of course, his expectations were based entirely on the small spirit dragons that lived in the Jade Mountains of his homeland. He'd never seen any larger such creatures. And then it crossed his mind to wonder... Where was Mael? Surely that bastard was around somewhere, reveling in all of this chaos? 

[Nykolas]

Nick has mostly been trying to pretend the dragons are not there. Something about Shin makes him feel safe and uneasy at the same time. It's a strange feeling and Nick is pretty sure it has something to do with their magics blending and bonding that night Shin helped save his life. Nick used Shin's heartrate in his own magically attempts to keep from dying and that mixed with whatever magic the other threw at him has bonded his magic to Shin. A little to Arako too, but that feels different and is unsettling in a different way. Nick can't quite put his finger on it, so he chooses to ignore the circumstances instead. Once the party is over and the gates open, he will take Yris to AmKelosh and never have to see Shin or Arako again. They are not in dragon form. He thinks to describe what they look like to Yris but he takes in more details than most and would probably over describe and then be annoyed he used more words than needed. Talking is so exhausting. Just stay close.

Nick leads them out of the study and into the hallway, trying to use his previous explorations of this shadow manor to determine where they are now and which way they should go.

[Yris]

That... really didn't answer his question. But Yris followed obediently along after Nick as he stepped into the hallway. Honestly, he felt extremely out of his element in this manor. Then again, he'd felt out of his element since he'd been banished from home. So there was that. Maybe on AmKelosh, that would be different. That would certainly be nice, wouldn't it? As they walked, Yris couldn't help but to look around.

"I haven't seen Mael..." That was unusual. The assassin had made a point of annoying him almost daily for a while now. So where was he? It was an upsetting break of what had become a new routine. Much as Yris would deny it.

His gaze turned to Nick, brow furrowing slightly. "You don't think anything's happened to him, do you?"

[Nykolas]

Nick stops suddenly and turns to look at Yris. He'd gotten the impression they were enemies, or at least not friends. Several different options in response come to his mind at once that he almost just ignores them all and doesn't answer. He can tell the kid is nervous though and had a desire to comfort. Their new bond will help compel Nick to be nicer to Yris. He's already spoken too much though and his throat hurts. Everything hurts really. Part of the reason he stopped was because he was out of breath already after only a few meters traveled down the hall. Why is this place so big?

"He can handle himself. He'll be fine." He remembers where they are now, having explored the manor in full before he was shot and when he still had his vampire powers. He has looked down on mortals for being weak in the past, but he never realized what and advantage those powers gave him until he suddenly doesn't have access to them. They'll come back when his heart repairs itself and then the rest of the healing will go faster. He already feels much better than he did before they lost their memories. He reaches out to put a hand on Yris' shoulder. "I know you have a lot of questions, but I don't have the breath or energy right now." His words come out a little strained and he has to stop to take in a deeper breath. Everything hurts. He was going to say more, but he leaves it at that and turns to continue on down the hall. The faster they get back to the room, the safer Nick will feel.

[Yris]

The reassurance helped. It really did. Hearing Nick say that Mael was probably alright made him feel better. Though his concern shifted from worrying about Mael to worrying about Nick himself when the Keloshian spoke again. "Lean on me, then," the teen offered. And he moved to stand beside Nick, offering an arm for the other man to support himself with. He couldn't let him keel over, after all! And he wanted to help. It was the least that he could do, if Nick was offering him a place to stay. 

The sooner that they reached a safe room, the better about all of this he would feel. And Yris was more than ready to catch sight of Mael at this point. The assassin would surely be an extra set of eyes to help watch their backs. Or at the least, he wouldn't let someone else get the drop on them.

[Nykolas]

Nick stops and regards the other for a moment. He probably could use the help, but if his enemies see him needing help they may take the strike of opportunity and his enemies are now Yris’ enemies even if Yris and those enemies don’t realize it yet. He stands there thinking about how he could expend energy and magic to shadow jump and drag Yris with him, but some people can’t handle the shadows. He could magic himself into a smaller size as well. He’s not too dignified to be carried when needed. This injury is more annoying than talking. It’d been easier to just die. ”Let’s attempt the walking for now. But in silence so I can breathe. His tone toward Yris is much softer than it is to most others.

[Nykolas]

Nick gives a single nod in response to Yris’ suggestion of leaning on him. He puts a hand on the other’s shoulder and will put his weight more if needed, but at the moment, the walking handrail is enough. Having to worry less about keeping his balance through the pain, Nick can focus on breathing and on the magics holding his chest together. There is a hole in his chest where his heart used to be. It’s not only his heart that was damaged and is missing. Much of the muscles in his back and his chest were damaged, blood vessels, nerves, all sorts of unseen things that work together in a healthy person that are just simply now missing in Nick. His vampire powers have not returned, but he’s is a little sure that the enchantment magic that gives him those powers are instead working to regenerate all the missing bits and pieces of him. He also has his nanites working their best around the area of the wound to fix the hole and repair all the many other bits, and then there is the heart made of darkness beating shadow in his chest. The heart Zarvan put there with his magic and it will remain until Nick’s body heals it out or until he is hit with another spell of light magic that can disrupt the darkness. Alternatively a field of antimagic or a strong dispell will also get rid of the heart and thus likely kill Nick since he doesn’t have a replacement for when that happens. Best to avoid all enemies until the gates open and he his friends can…. No, I’ll have to return home. He won’t allow me to gallivant injured like this.

He glances over at Yris as they walk, smiling at the way Yris lets Nick set the pace. He’ll have to take the kid with him, but he must have already gone over all this with himself and the boy given the materials they were studying when the memory spell hit them. He starts to get distracted a little wondering where the boy will stay and if Nick will need to move so they can live in the same palace. He might have to adopt the boy fully to keep him close, but Nick is not opposed to that, he just won’t do it without asking Yris for permission first. It’s the boy’s choice. With his hair and eye color, everyone would believe he is a true Arepharis so Nick is probably overthinking things like always.

Nick had remembered where they were luckily and they are headed toward Lola’s room now. The study they had been in had once been a guest room, but the guests didn’t make it. Nick had been hoping to secure that room for himself, but now it’s a study. Part of him is annoyed instantly with Arako and wonders if that was in reaction to him attempting to move rooms that it turned into a study. He tries to take a deep breath to steady his thoughts, but breathing is hard and the pain in his chest makes him forget his annoyance anyway.

Looking up down the hallway where it crosses with another hallway another black haired assassin can be seen about to walk past them. It’s too far to yell, and Nick doesn’t have the lung capacity anyway. He gently yet firmly squeezes his left hand on Yris’ right shoulder briefly to stop him. He lifts his right hand and focuses intently down the hall. His fingers of his raised hand move in little patterns as he weaves the shadows over the distance and then he points toward Yris. It’s a fluke that he’s pointing at Yris, but at the same time a shadow arrow appears a couple of steps in front of Mael right about eye level. The arrow points down the hallway toward Nick and Yris. Nick knew there was a chance the other assassin would have looked down the hallway anyway, but even if he had he wouldn’t know they wanted to find them and might have kept going. This was just easier. Magic makes everything easier. He wonders briefly if Yris knows magic and makes a mental note to teach him more.