Mabinogi Generation 1 - Chapter 8: The Druid and the Succubus

This is insane, this can’t be happening. We came to Dunbarton in search of somebody who can speak Fomorian. With what Sokk, Piko, and I saw at Alby, they were more than likely to be a hostile force but... a priestess?
                Hold on Taiga, learning Fomorian could be part of some sort of training priests and priestesses need to go through to eventually graduate into what they are... then why doesn’t Meven or Endelyon know it? What? WHAT?!
                “You understand this?!” The look she returned with was one of concern mixed with frustration.
                “Why do you have that?” She asked. Should I tell her some friends and I fought an evil wizard that was making giant spiders? No, no, she’d look at me and think Kids these days are becoming more and more imaginative.
                “It belonged to somebody who wanted me to find out what it means. And now that I know...” That’s it, nonchalantly walk away.
                “Who did it belong to?” This is an interrogation now, huh? Well, she’s a priestess, if I don’t answer her, she’ll scold me...
                “This friend of mine near Tir Chona-“
                “Name please.” Sheesh, she’s persistant.
                “Tarlach, his name is Tarlach.” I looked up waiting for more questioning, but her face gone from determined to fighting away her own disbelief. Did I say something wrong? Did they know each other maybe?
                “Tarlach...” She faintly whispered shortly before snapping out of her nostalgia attack. “May I ask for your name?”
                “I’m Taiga...”
                “Well Taiga, if you know Tarlach and your knowing him brought you here, Lymilark must certainly work in mysterious ways.” She walked to the podium, grabbed a small pouch off the top and faced me again. “Will you hear out my strange story?”
                While I’m not entirely sure what I was about to hear “Sure,” was the answer I gave.
 
 
                La la... La la...
 Drop the sword and come running back to me
                As I approach you
It breaks my heart to see
My vulnerable self reflected on the blade
La la.. La la...
The moment you first entered my chamber
I was not actually a bit surprised
For I knew your love
Was already deep inside my heart
La la.. La la...
Don’t close your eyes
Let me stay forever lost in your eyes
For you are my Master
My Master
The Master of a Black Rose
                “Were you listening? It’s a song I wrote for you.” She eagerly asked him as she turned around.
                “I am well aware of the fame of your beauty and wisdom. However, I do not wish to hear your song made to lure humans. Please step out of my way.” He said, not even looking her in the eyes. Being the usual response she gets from him, she was used to it, but even then, she tried to continue her conversation.
                “Is that so? This is the fifth time you’ve come here. If you are not coming to see me like other adventurers, then what is it that you are searching for?”
                “I’m searching for Tir Na Nog. I’m sure the path is hiding somewhere in this complex maze....” He said as he made an approach to Kristell, only to walk right past her.
                “You are truly a strange man. However, I am still a Fomor. Regardless of what you have come here for, I can’t just let you pass. You may beat me like last time, but I’ll still challenge you.”
               “Isn’t it the adventurer that’s supposed to do the challenging?” he smirked. “Very well... If that’s what you wish for, I won’t back down either.”
Kristell reached for her blade, gripping it tightly in her hand.
“Today is your last day. You’ve beaten me every time before, but today, I will defeat you. However...”
“However?” Tarlach asked raising an eyebrow. Kristell looked at him and loosened her grip on the sword, staying silent for a moment after she was questioned, as if letting something slip and wondering if it’s worth saying the rest.
“If I beat you... allow me to love you.” Tarlach rolled his eyes in response, having heard this before.
“I know that you are not evil deep down inside. Still, I am a Druid... I can’t do that.”
“I’ll still do my best.” And a stare-down began between the two. The Druid and the succubus both glared intensely at one another with a different ambition in mind, waiting for the right moment to let loose on each other.
The silence would not last forever as Kristell found time she wanted and made a charge right up to Tarlach, blade pointed away from him and towards the ground. The strategy was to catch him while he was still only thinking of what possible offensive position to take and force him into defensive. On people of equal grounds, this can work a surprising amount of times. However...
“Naive.” Tarlach stamped his left foot behind him and pushed his dominant hand out, letting loose a small burst of fire and sending Kristell backwards. She attempted to use her blade to slow her push back, but when she looked up, Tarlach was surrounded by glistening pearls of ice. And wasting no time to even allow her to recover, he shot them 1 or 2 at a time, intentionally missing and one grazing her face. One shot however...
“Kyah!!” she yelped as she started at a sharpened ice shard that stopped just a few centimetres from piercing her between the eyes. If all the other shots missing and grazing her were calling check, this final shot would be checkmate.
“Will you let me pass this time?” He asked. Tarlach would receive no oral reply from her however, as she stared down the certain death that stopped just before striking her, and lowering her arms. She has surrendered to the druid.
And as if it were all but illusion, the ice had melted onto the ground and vanished after Tarlach responded by lowering his.
“I am sorry. Just as I knew you had no intention to kill me, I, too, have no desire to harm you.” Frustration had snuck its way into her demeanor.
“But I did really want to win. That way you would have accepted my love...”
“Love is not about completely overpowering the other person.”
“Why not? Don’t men always try to conquer women?”
                Tarlach sighed, “I don’t know if all men who came to you tried to earn your love by defeating you in battle... but don’t assume that that’s what love is all about.” As if speaking to a child who had been raised under false beliefs, he spoke to her. But she could not answer. It wasn’t because she had come to a realisation, rather she likely had allowed the words to enter one ear and proceed out the other.
                “I must go now.” Tarlach left his parting remark, and proceeded to make his way deeper into the labyrinth...
 
 
                As the last words of her story escaped her lips, Kristell was gazing past the walls at the setting Palala to allow Eweca and Ladeca grace the sky. Eweca would rise first in a cool blue, and moments later Ladeca would give chase, but is doomed to never catch up.
                “If Tarlach still breathes air, I want you give him a message.” She began to speak again, much calmer than before. “Tell him I’m here, and that I’d really like to talk with him.”
                I hope she understands that from here to where Tarlach is is a whole day’s journey and a walk through his barrier in Sidhe Sneatcha. Though, my unconsciously nodding to her probably makes her disregard any of the above stated. Lo and behold, she did, acknowledging my nod with a satisfied smile.
                As I turned the corner from the church and headed down an alley, I inspected the walls in the hopes hitting my head against it would hurt but not be lethal. I just made an incredibly dumb move... this is a very personal thing between two people that are both strangers to me. But in doing so, found somebody that can speak Fomorian... looks like I might need to keep her as an ally...
                Speaking of allies, I really hope those other two found somebody who can with no strings attached, that would get me out of this hassle nice and easy.
 
 
                “You bought a bird!! The damned thing has more brains than you most likely!”
                “I don’t want to hear that from the guy who pigged out instead of looked for what we needed!”
                “Stop fighting you two... please, you’ll wake up Kaya...”
                Great... I was the most successful person here today and I didn’t even try... wait, they don’t have to know. If I just tell them I couldn’t find anybody then tomorrow we can go out and—
                “Hey, Taiga, help me out here... ha?” Piko had turned to me pleading for help and stopped in shock for some.... I’m holding the letter Kristell wrote, aren’t I? “Taiga, you aren’t the chore girl anymore, don’t run around delivering other people’s mail here...”
                “Piko, it says ‘Tarlach’ on it, I’m pretty sure she might have her reas... you found somebody?!”
                “Then that letter is the translation of the medal must be in that letter.”
                “No no, it isn’t, carry on with your yelling at each other...” Please do, please do.
                “Good idea, hey fatso, I found a good use for the owl you claim is smarter than me.” Sokk smirked as he approached me, and swiftly snatched the letter from my hands.
                “Wai- give that back! It doesn’t concern you, it’ll never concern... you bought an owl?” My question didn’t amuse him much, his smirk became a scowl.
                “I didn’t buy it, damn it. This geezer tried to sell me a piece of junk sword, and as punishment from wasting my time I took this owl he had with a 100% discount.” So you stole it... “Damn straight I did.... and there.”
                The finished product of the small handy work he had done while explaining himself was an owl with the letter tied to its leg. Kind of the same way somebody would attach a message to a carrier pigeon but... will it hold?
                “Awww, so cute! It’s gonna be our messenger?” Piko asked in admiration of the owl.
                “Well, it can’t be our mascot, might as well put it to use.” Klarrann answered, then turning his attention to his bro. “Congratulations, you saved yourself.”
                “Shut it, Porky.” Huh... I guess this helps the whole travelling-back-from-wence-we-came-only-to-go-back thing.
                Wait, no it doesn’t.
                “You idiot, that owl doesn’t know who Tarlach is!” and with me pointing that out, the three of them faced forward whatever way their body was pointing now puzzled. I’ll give this a few seconds before somebody suggests something stupid...
                “Hey bird, fly to Tarlach.” Sokk said as he opened the nearest window.
                “No no no no!” My words were too slow; the owl had already flown out and was making its way... westbound. I knew it...
                “Problem solved, right?”
                “Far from it!”
                “Oh relax, Taiga, it’ll go where he told it to go. Owls are actually a lot sharper than all the other tools of a handikit.”
                “There there Kitty Kitty...” And now my head is being pat... surprisingly soothing. Maybe they’re right, maybe it’ll reach him and we’ll get a response even. I wonder what kind of response Tarlach will give though, a person from so long ago suddenly coming back into contact with him.
 
 
                “He wants me to... translate this?” Well, she doesn’t look overjoyed, yet at the same time not entirely filled with an unfaltering rage. I would be if somebody just dropped a big book in front of me though and told me to translate it.
                “That’s what his response letter said.” Very bluntly, at that. Not sure if letting her see his words would really help persuade her to do as he asks, let alone ease her feelings that the only response she got from him was “I can’t read this, translate it.” I can really relate to her current state of mind.
                “Fine... I’ll do it. But I need you to wait a bit, it will take a while to get this all onto paper.” She turned around to walk into the church... but stopped. “No...”
                “Kristell?
                “Am I some tool to him? I’ve never given up on him all this time, and all he views me as is something to be used. Taiga, I need an answer from him before I do anything.”