Knight of the Realm

Scarlett opened her eyes, seeing a crystal blue sky and a perfect yellow sun surrounded by puffy white clouds. Long, soft grass was all around her and she could smell the fresh water of the great river. Beside her lay the delicate form of Queen Thia, sleeping peacefully. Ciara was nowhere to be seen. Getting slowly to her feet she looked around her and called out in a whisper, "Sagacious! Are you here?".

No answer was forthcoming, save for the cries of birds all around them. Scarlett knelt beside Thia and gently touched her shoulder. "Um, your majesty? Your grace? Are you okay?"

The Queen's eyes fluttered open after a moment and she smiled up at Scarlett. "I think so." She grimaced and sat up, "I think you can just call me Thia, dear." She took Scarlett's offered hand and stood shakily. "Do you know where we are? Or how we got here?"

Scarlett chuckled a little and shook her head a bit sadly. "We're in what my teacher would have called 'The Great Cycle'. A visual and sensory representation of where I and my, er, other half draw our powers from. And I would guess that same 'other' is what sent us here." They began to walk towards the emerald ribbon of the great river, Thia leaning on her.

Thia nodded, accepting what Scarlett was saying without comment, for she had seen mortals ascend to godhood and powers from beyond the void who had tried to devour them all. This was no trouble at all for her to accept. "And our enemy? I am a little unclear as to what happened in the final moments before I woke up. The large fellow seemed to disrupt Ciara's concentration long enough for you to touch her. And then…" Thia trailed off, her mind trying very hard to remember.

"That's about what I remember too. I don't think I was in control, but I could watch everything. Feel everything." She winced and touched her hands together, the pain and burning she'd felt hurt even as a memory. The two of them trudged about fifty feet through the tall grass when they came upon the still form of Darruk.

His huge frame was facedown in the soft dirt, left arm withered and curled up beneath him. As the ladies watched, he gave a mighty snort and awoke, lifting his face from the dirt. They gasped as his right eye was an empty socket. He groaned and raised his working arm to his face, scooching back and away from Thia and Scarlett. His deep voiced rumbled heavily when he spoke, in obvious pain. "How did I get here? Please no fight! Please! M'hurt…" He cradled his withered limb and leaned away from them.

Scarlett knelt down and nodded at Thia. "No fight. I don't want to hurt you. You helped me. I remember." She extended a crimson skinned hand towards him, palm up. "No fight.", she reiterated calmly.

His face seemed to search hers for something for a few moments, Thia smiled gently at him while Scarlett spoke. Darruk whimpered a little and shied away again, shivering in obvious pain. "Arm burns, Red Lady. Can't see right. M'afraid."

"Scarlett." She began softly. "I'm Scarlett." She extended her hand offering it in greeting to him. He hesitated slightly, so she continued, "I might be able to heal you." He cautiously reached out and took her offered hand. All around them the grass swayed and sighed in a spring breeze, carrying scents of wildflowers and the river.

The wound on Darruk's face closed and stopped bleeding, leaving a large scar, but healing it as best as she could. His hand and arm seemed beyond Scarlett's abilities, but the pain seemed to stop. Darruk sighed heavily in relief and smiled gratefully at her. "Darruk.", he tapped his chest to indicate himself, "Thank you, Scar-lett.".

Thia smiled and knelt down beside him. "A very strong name, Darruk. I'm Thia." She offered kindly, placing an arm on his massive forearm, patting it softly.

A slow and shy grin spread across his face and he blushed. "I know you. You Queen of de Elfs!" He seemed to recall a little of courtly etiquette and tried to stand and bow deeply. "Yer Majes-tee!"

Scarlett suppressed a laugh and smiled at Thia. The Queen herself seemed to blush honestly and waved her hand at him, "Oh, stop that! I think we're all on the same level here, Darruk. Thank you for helping us with that woman." She reached down and lifted his massive face in both her hands, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Darruk nearly seemed to burst with pride and embarrassment. "Oh, yer welcome. Dat wasn't Shee-ara. Dat was monster."

Scarlett kept looking around the verdant fields and riverbank nervously. "It sure was, big fella. How did you know her?"

Darruk stood and looked at them guiltily. "Used to be her friend. Shee-ara used to take care of Darruk. Taught him words." He looked very sad and alone as he remembered. "Darruk used to protect her. Keep her safe." He sighed again and shook his head. "But then, she changed. Storm came for us. Then she not Shee-ara anymore."

Scarlett nodded sadly. "Then what happened, Darruk? How did you come to be here?"

His face showed the strain of attempting to remember. "Den we attack you an' birdy-man. Shee-ara wanted somethin' you had." He pointed at Scarlett and looked very sad. "Den we fighted. Bad lady stabbed Shee-ara. She threw me at her wif her magic." He made a sobbing sound and a stream of tears began to flow from his working eye. "I don't 'member after that. Until I heard the birdy-man calling me back into de light. Told me dat Shee-ara needed me again. So Darruk woke up. Now here." He looked at Scarlett and raised his eyebrows in questioning. "Is Shee-ara here too, Scar-lett?"

Scarlett and Thia looked at each other for a moment. "Probably, Darruk." She nodded at him softly, "I think you're very brave."

He beamed down at her, smiling broadly. "Thanks, Scar-lett!" he proclaimed proudly. His eyes narrowed as he looked around them. He extended an arm towards the water. "Shee-ara that way." He rumbled ominously.

Scarlett nodded to herself, she suspected he could sense the one who had raised him from death. At least the first time. Apparently, Sagacious plan had worked. She was impressed, the spell to bring a soul back from beyond was a difficult one, and he had apparently been able to do it while under attack. She made a mental note to buy him yet another drink by way of apology.

Queen Thia walked over to Darruk and stood in front of him, fully less than half his height. She gazed up and spoke in her most royal tone. "Darruk, you have shown yourself to be a loyal and brave man in these trying times." She paused to make sure he was following her words, he seemed to be so she continued, "Will you continue to serve and protect us, as befitting a Knight of the Realm?"

Darruk peered at her as he untangled her words about a second behind. He blushed at her compliments, no one had ever called him a man before, let alone 'brave' or 'loyal'. He wasn't completely sure what those meant, but they sounded very nice. "Am not a Knight, ma'am." He bowed his head and knelt before her. "But Darruk will do best to protect Elf Queen and Scar-lett." He pounded his chest with his working fist as he bowed his head. "Darruk promise."

Thia smiled and touched each of his shoulders gently with her delicate hands. "You are a knight now, Ser Darruk." He gasped audibly and smiled up at her. "Now, let's find your former Mistress and go home, shall we?"