Post by River Daniels on May 17, 2023 14:17:27 GMT -5
For almost 34 years of chaos, survival being the one thing Xuri was always good at. It was also, most likely the reason she was mostly hated. She's survived her horrid childhood, she survived her criminal stages, she survived being imprisoned in Spiritwood. Out of that survival she made close and life long friends. Tserim was at the front of her mind as she sits in this cold dank cell. He became her first friend in Spiritwood. He guided her to a better life, supported her through all of her drama. Her unwavering loyalty to Tserim is what brought her back to his side when he brought the Rangers back together. Her heart ached at the memory of him battered and bloody after the fight, unable to reach her as that Dragon dragged her away. She tried to call out to him, to tell him not to worry about her. To tell him not to do anything stupid.
Xuri knew better, She knew Tserim would never rest until he found her. That terrified her in a way, he is the last person she would ever want hurt over her own stupidity. Because along with friends, she's made many enemies. This time, she still did not know which of these enemies wanted her to suffer. What she did know know, was that right now, she had a Dragon guarding her. Of all the things, it had to be a Dragon. He was small for his kind, but surprisingly smart. Ryushi was his name she learned. Turned out, the Dragon considered her part of his hoard, go figured. A Dragon would collect her. Maybe this could be used to her advantage.
The next morning, Xuri awakens to a Big Blue Monstrosity hovering over her. A Moloch, she's come to learn. She stares as he stares right back at her. Xuri smirked to the Big Blue beast and tilted her head. “Here to torment me during my stay? Or just stand guard so I don't find a way out of here? It's gotten quiet around here. You know any good songs?” The blue monster, chuckled and sat on the floor outside of the cell door to blast her ears with horrible medleys of sea shanties. Xuri could not help but laugh and join in. She has no voice for song, so anyone in the area listening to the Blue Beast, and the tone deaf woman would be thoroughly tormented and their eardrums made to bleed. This is what Xuri wanted, the louder they are, maybe someone will hear her.
After several hours the blue monster had enough, and wandered away from the cell. Xuri, thoroughly pleased, smiled. Perhaps befriending the big blue monster would also have its advantages. It was later when a familiar face came into her view. A face she made. Palin Cowin. He quietly slipped a paper through the bars of the door, his eyes averted from hers as he spoke. “I'm sorry Xuri, I promise you, I will make sure Naomi is brought home safely.” Xuri quietly stared at Palin, her eyes devoid of emotion. “How did you manage to fall so hard from your path, Palin. When I met you, even as nothing but bones, you at least held a sense of honor. It's why I did not kill you then, I gave you a second chance at life. Why are you squandering it like this?”
She watched the pain morph into his face, "Xuri, I know it's hard for you to understand, but please believe me when I say that everything I'm doing, I'm doing for a reason. I never fell from my path, but circumstances forced me into difficult choices. I was a different person before, I had lost all hope and you gave it back to me. But life has a way of throwing curves at us, testing our resolve and challenging our beliefs. I've made mistakes, Xuri, and I carry the weight of those mistakes every day.”
Palins eyes met Xuri's, full of remorse, "But that's precisely why I'm here. To find redemption. I may have stumbled and you spared my life , gave me a second chance, and I won't forget that.”
Xuri frowns and picks up the paper he dropped in her cell. “Sounds like excuses to me, Palin. But then again we're all just chalk full of them. I made my own mistakes. It's what landed me behind bars again. But I was prepared to pay the price of said mistakes. Are you prepared to do the same?”
Palin Cowin looked at Xuri with a solemn expression, understanding the weight of her words. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the truth he was about to share.
"You're right, Xuri. Excuses won't change anything and at some point everyone pays a consequence.. Honor and loyalty once got me killed. Everyone at some point has to accept responsibility for their actions and be prepared to pay the price, whatever it may be."
He paused for a moment, his gaze unwavering. "I understand if you don't trust me right now. I've given you enough reasons to doubt. But I hope that you can see the sincerity in my words, and perhaps, together, we can find a way to redeem ourselves and make a difference in this world."
Palin's response carried a mix of humility and determination, showing his willingness to face the consequences of his actions and his genuine desire to make things right. Palin frowned at his own response, showing mixed feelings. "Here is the thing Xuri, I have a lot to live for now and I am doing whatever it takes to keep those I love out of the way of harm, the things I do, I do to protect my daughter and the love of my life who came back into my life and I would be willing to die again for them."
Xuri stayed quiet, listening to him speak. A smile appeared on her lips, “I believe you, Palin. I need a few things from you. Consider it the start of me forgiving you for siding with the bastard that wants to sell me to someone. Yes, Sell me, a contract for a life is a slave contract, I've dealt in those way too much not to know what it is. I consider this my own karma coming back to haunt me. I need parchment, and Ink. I need you to also insure Tserim doesn't do anything dumb, How? Figure that out and pray to the gods you believe in that he doesn't put an arrow in your ass.”
Palin nodded and whispered "Jassi will be able to help handle that next part"
Palin ran quickly to gather the parchment and ink before Big Blue could come back. Xuri watched as he left. She slowly slid herself down the wall of her cell and sighed, murmuring softly. “Tserim, please, don't do anything stupid. I'll find my way back to you...”
Xuri knew better, She knew Tserim would never rest until he found her. That terrified her in a way, he is the last person she would ever want hurt over her own stupidity. Because along with friends, she's made many enemies. This time, she still did not know which of these enemies wanted her to suffer. What she did know know, was that right now, she had a Dragon guarding her. Of all the things, it had to be a Dragon. He was small for his kind, but surprisingly smart. Ryushi was his name she learned. Turned out, the Dragon considered her part of his hoard, go figured. A Dragon would collect her. Maybe this could be used to her advantage.
The next morning, Xuri awakens to a Big Blue Monstrosity hovering over her. A Moloch, she's come to learn. She stares as he stares right back at her. Xuri smirked to the Big Blue beast and tilted her head. “Here to torment me during my stay? Or just stand guard so I don't find a way out of here? It's gotten quiet around here. You know any good songs?” The blue monster, chuckled and sat on the floor outside of the cell door to blast her ears with horrible medleys of sea shanties. Xuri could not help but laugh and join in. She has no voice for song, so anyone in the area listening to the Blue Beast, and the tone deaf woman would be thoroughly tormented and their eardrums made to bleed. This is what Xuri wanted, the louder they are, maybe someone will hear her.
After several hours the blue monster had enough, and wandered away from the cell. Xuri, thoroughly pleased, smiled. Perhaps befriending the big blue monster would also have its advantages. It was later when a familiar face came into her view. A face she made. Palin Cowin. He quietly slipped a paper through the bars of the door, his eyes averted from hers as he spoke. “I'm sorry Xuri, I promise you, I will make sure Naomi is brought home safely.” Xuri quietly stared at Palin, her eyes devoid of emotion. “How did you manage to fall so hard from your path, Palin. When I met you, even as nothing but bones, you at least held a sense of honor. It's why I did not kill you then, I gave you a second chance at life. Why are you squandering it like this?”
She watched the pain morph into his face, "Xuri, I know it's hard for you to understand, but please believe me when I say that everything I'm doing, I'm doing for a reason. I never fell from my path, but circumstances forced me into difficult choices. I was a different person before, I had lost all hope and you gave it back to me. But life has a way of throwing curves at us, testing our resolve and challenging our beliefs. I've made mistakes, Xuri, and I carry the weight of those mistakes every day.”
Palins eyes met Xuri's, full of remorse, "But that's precisely why I'm here. To find redemption. I may have stumbled and you spared my life , gave me a second chance, and I won't forget that.”
Xuri frowns and picks up the paper he dropped in her cell. “Sounds like excuses to me, Palin. But then again we're all just chalk full of them. I made my own mistakes. It's what landed me behind bars again. But I was prepared to pay the price of said mistakes. Are you prepared to do the same?”
Palin Cowin looked at Xuri with a solemn expression, understanding the weight of her words. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the truth he was about to share.
"You're right, Xuri. Excuses won't change anything and at some point everyone pays a consequence.. Honor and loyalty once got me killed. Everyone at some point has to accept responsibility for their actions and be prepared to pay the price, whatever it may be."
He paused for a moment, his gaze unwavering. "I understand if you don't trust me right now. I've given you enough reasons to doubt. But I hope that you can see the sincerity in my words, and perhaps, together, we can find a way to redeem ourselves and make a difference in this world."
Palin's response carried a mix of humility and determination, showing his willingness to face the consequences of his actions and his genuine desire to make things right. Palin frowned at his own response, showing mixed feelings. "Here is the thing Xuri, I have a lot to live for now and I am doing whatever it takes to keep those I love out of the way of harm, the things I do, I do to protect my daughter and the love of my life who came back into my life and I would be willing to die again for them."
Xuri stayed quiet, listening to him speak. A smile appeared on her lips, “I believe you, Palin. I need a few things from you. Consider it the start of me forgiving you for siding with the bastard that wants to sell me to someone. Yes, Sell me, a contract for a life is a slave contract, I've dealt in those way too much not to know what it is. I consider this my own karma coming back to haunt me. I need parchment, and Ink. I need you to also insure Tserim doesn't do anything dumb, How? Figure that out and pray to the gods you believe in that he doesn't put an arrow in your ass.”
Palin nodded and whispered "Jassi will be able to help handle that next part"
Palin ran quickly to gather the parchment and ink before Big Blue could come back. Xuri watched as he left. She slowly slid herself down the wall of her cell and sighed, murmuring softly. “Tserim, please, don't do anything stupid. I'll find my way back to you...”