Unfairly Got Another
Zi'da 1 716
The day had pretty much been quiet for Patrick as he'd spent time with distraction, granted yesterday had been rather sour for his standards. He'd practically forgotten that it marked the end of Vhalar even with the amount of cold that lingered, what with their time spent on sea it had made tracking days a little difficult. To think that Zi'da had officially started today, that marked a coming change in the future ahead. The cold of the season loomed within his head as he considered weather changes, and of course how different the patterns would be compared to back home.
Home. Rharne was so far off now, too far for him to even consider going back now. Everything that happened last season felt like a distant dream, a far gone memory left behind in some other life he lived. He'd met Rei and broke ice with Wendell, after the numerous times they'd seen one another, and ever since then things just spiraled out of his control from then on. Now here he was on some gods forsaken boat that drifted across the sea, the bitter cold of the wind nearly froze the tips of his fingers and toes while he watched the sea. He remembered that he needed to thank Rose well enough later on, after all of this passed and everything about this quest was over, for it was her charity in providing him a warm jacket that kept him from freezing.
Without it this journey would've been a bit more perilous for Patrick, as he could tell from the looks of the clouds winter was coming. That meant snow. If they were to be caught in a blizzard along the way, then Patrick could only hope they wouldn't be stranded at sea. He didn't like the idea of being in the middle of nowhere surrounded by freezing water, while being blanketed with ice and snow no less, as it didn't sound like one of the most pleasing ways to die for sure. He looked down to the pendant around his neck, a soft reminder to what he often told Rei and himself surfaced within his thoughts. We'll be okay. They were words he used often when they began their journey, and yet even now he didn't feel entirely confident about them.
He watched the water below as the waves lapped along the side of the ship, a depressed sigh left his nostrils as thick clouds of moisture rose before his face. What was he going to do? He'd crossed Rei and in doing so... he'd really outdone himself this time. He had yet to meet Gorroc face to face after the incident with her, but had been spared a couple snarky glances from the bastard earlier today. Just the thought of that man made Patrick sick to his stomach, already he felt his skin boil underneath as his hands balled into fists. Indeed he resisted the constant urge to assault the giant, even if it would've only resulted in his untimely beat down.
Patrick was still too weak from injuries to consider fights, though his wrist felt like it'd nearly healed perfectly now. Often he could move or flex his hand without any real strain, and for something that could've likely been broken he pondered how fast it actually could heal. His gaze shifted from the splint around his wrist back down to the water, movement of light spotted as reflection from the surface down below. His first initial thought was that a star became visible, but the credibility between lighting and distance proved otherwise on observation. What was that? Some kind of ball of light? His eyebrows stooped low in curiosity, and with even closer inspection the light looked to be floating next to his head.
Pat turned his gaze from the sea to his left to look at the bright object, and sure enough next to him floated a ball of light with wings that faintly shimmered in flight. "What the?" Was it a bug? He'd never knew such insects existed before, and certainly didn't think it possible this far abroad. The discovery rather alarmed him well enough but upon notice, the orb merely pivoted about in front of him as it drew closer to his face. He felt something tiny within the light brush the tip of his nose, his posture frozen in place as he watched the oddity with wonder.
"Well now, look at that!" A voice cut in to join the two as Patrick looked to see who it was, amidst the deck a few feet away from him stood a figure. Somebody hooded and garbed in dark robes and clothing, their entire body covered to hide away their physical identity with naught but their face. Even so with it being dark Patrick couldn't see any detail around that, the only thing that made him determine if this was a person was their voice. So far he sounded human... human enough with a masculine tone at least. "I'd been wondering when she'd warm up to somebody, turns out I wasn't too far off from finding her partner after all."
"Partner? Her?" Patrick looked between the two all confused now.
"Please to meet you, my name's Ri'ku!" A tiny voice called out to him. Patrick looked at the shiny creature for a moment, aware of the fact that it (or rather she) just spoke to him.
"Little Ri'ku here is a fairy; you know, the little creatures from the old fables." The stranger mentioned as he walked up to the rail and leaned against it with arms folded. "They're simplistic beings you know, pure entities that will follow whoever they feel connected to. Ri'ku's felt connected to you since she'd been born, and now she's finally found you after all this time." Patrick could only watch and wonder if this man was actually watching the sea.
"I've waited a long time trying to find you!" She encouraged as she flew in a circle around him.
"Funny thing about fairies is that nobody can typically see them though, so the fact you can just proves that I'd made the right choice."
"Choice?" Patrick's eyes had followed the little fairy as she flew, but when he'd glanced over with the question behind choice, the mysterious stranger that had joined them was no longer there. As if a wisp or apparition just materialized and quickly vanished, and immediately left Patrick alone with this random creature said to a... fairy. Fairies. They were real?
"Well of course we're real! I'm real enough for you to see aren't I?" Did it just read his mind? Was it able to hear his thoughts?
"How 're you doin' that?!" He interrogated defensively.
"We're connected goofball! I can hear your thoughts and you can hear mine, its how we speak to one another." She explained as she orbited him once more, Patrick sighed after he'd 'heard' of their way to communicate. Telepathy sounded fun and all but surely... surely this little thing didn't wish to connect with him of all people. He had who probably had the dirtiest of minds in all of Idalos and was prone to bad behavior... yeah she definitely had her work cut out for her if Patrick was really her choice.
"Okay then. So if you can hear my thoughts, then there's no need for me t' say things aloud?"
"Correct!" She cheered as though it were a praise.
"So... y're choosin' me t' be your companion. Why?" He inquired with his arms crossed as he allowed his thoughts to do the 'talking.'
"Because of your spirit! I've felt myself tied to it for as long as I can remember, which is why it's my destiny to go with you."" Patrick scoffed and for a moment nearly found himself humored, he could only doubt fate or destiny really played any part in their meeting. If they did then he'd certainly just had a conversation with one of them, granted that stranger from before could've metaphorically represented the two.
"Ya know that's not a very good choice. You sure I'm the one t' be yer partner?" He tested with an eyebrow raised, quite sure that this Ri'ku had made a mistake.
"Nope! You're the one for me!"
"Great." Was all Patrick could think in response, almost rather sarcastically too in fact. He now had a tiny glittering pipsqueak to follow him around, and constantly occupy his thoughts with whatever input she deemed necessary. Worst part of all was the fact only he could see her, which could only mean people would notice how strange he'd act with her present. For all he knew he probably was being strange, likely fallen crazy from stress and the cold in fact. Although... if he was only able to see her, then that could've probably done him a favor in the long run. How often did people meet little pixies that wanted to accompany them after all?
Especially when they could more than likely be of some use later on down the line. "Alright then... Ri'ku?"
"Yes!" She enthused at the guess of her name.
"Seein' as how it's your 'destiny' I can't say anythin' t' stop ya, although I warn you that ya seriously picked the wrong guy." He could hear her laugh inside his head and somehow it cracked a soft smile at his lips. "That said if ya really intend t' stick with me, then I guess there's no harm in havin' you tag along."
"Great!" She fluttered around him a few more times energetically with excitement, her tiny form then drifted to a stop several inches from his face. "We should go to bed then! It's late and freezing out!"
"Aye," He agreed as she flew into the crevice of his jacket, "that it is." With one last look at the spot where the stranger had been, Patrick wondered just who the hell it could've been. Was it somebody who worked for the Coven? Or the Immortals? Was he an agent of some sort, or perhaps a servant meant to deliver Ri'ku to him? In a way Patrick could only surmise the latter, being that the man was more than likely a servant of fate itself perhaps. The theory posed interesting if impossible, yet all the same he had the proof resting within his jacket now. Proof that he either really did gain a new companion.... or just became completely insane and imagined the whole thing.
