Lescar- the waking world

"Ughhhh...!"

Sitting up slowly, pushing a thin blanket off that had been wrapped around her, Lescar rubbed at her temples before shaking her head like a dog, trying to clear the fog from her mind, a sluggish and drowsy fatigue lying over her as she groggily observed her current state.

Looking around with lethargic movements Lescar realized where she was. Taldur's cave, not her brother Taldur, but her, at times dubious partner Taldur, ...and she was half-naked...

Mind still fogged, Lescar contemplated her choice of names, 'Maybe I should have called him something else...'

It was a little confusing at times. Just like why she was currently half-naked.

Tugging the edge of her shirt down to cover her assets better, Lescar was presently in a state of undress, wearing only the shirt she normally wore under her leather armor and her underwear, the blanket being the only other substantial thing protecting her modesty.

Blinking slowly as she took in this information, Lescar sighed out loud to herself. A certain invertebrate coming to her mind at the knowledge she had been undressed without her consent.

If Lescar had been anywhere else, she would have felt vulnerable in her disrobed state, being like this normally made her apprehensive. As a woman, Lescar had long since discovered she had to take extra precautions that other street rats of the male persuasion did not have to.

But here she did not feel that same concern here, Taldur seemed to have practically no interest whatsoever in such pursuits, which made perfect sense considering he was a massive bug with seemingly no sex drive.

Shaking her head of the unpleasant image of Taldur expressionlessly and mechanically stripping her unconscious body, Lescar coughed, her mouth was very dry and her lips cracked.

Turning to see if her water canteen was nearby, Lescar spotted it to her left standing upright as if someone had left it there for her.

Grabbing the container without a second thought, she took a long draught, greedily gulping down the contents of her water canteen, lines of fluid running down her neck to moisten her shirt at her haste.

Downing over half of its contents in one extended draught, Lescar placed down the canteen, licking her cracked lips in the process.

Thirst temporarily quenched but with the slight ringing of a headache in her ears, Lescar took a moment to gather her wits before she muttered aloud, mind revisiting a dark place as she dwelt on her own thoughts.

"That was a terrible nightmare... I hope I never see that woman again..."

Even as she mumbled this, a premonition in her gut told her that it was inevitable, the events of that nightmare had been far too vivid for a mere bad dream.

It was serious.

The whole dream altogether had been more memory than vision, almost all of the events of the dream happening exactly as they had done so in real life, save for the very last part, which was nothing short of disturbing.

Gripping her right arm Lescar massaged her left arm unconsciously, she could almost still feel the cold clammy hold of the fleshy prongs on her skin even now.

Lips curling as she grimaced, Lescar inhaled deeply, running herself over the recent occurrence. 'If it weren't for Taldur waking her up,' she realized, 'who knows what would have happened to me?'

Eyes downcast, Lescar stared at the floor between her legs.

'Namato, that bizarre fiend wanted me, whatever that means...'

Lescar shivered, goosebumps already present on her skin, the sickly sweet tones of the abhorrent woman ringing in her ears.

"...Your little friend won't be able to protect you from me forever, I will have you eventually..."

Closing her eyes Lescar clasped a comforting weight to her chest, her shortsword. The weapon had been lying beside her, much like the canteen.

She didn't know why this Nemato had suddenly begun to appear in her nightmares, but she had never once seen or heard of her before Taldur had shared his power with her...

'Was this all his fault?' Lescar blinked before reconsidering with a pensive expression.

'No, Namato mentioned that she knew my brother, he must have experienced something like this before me, why didn't he tell me?!'

Lescar held her temples with one hand, thinking.

Her brother had always possessed much greater strength and speed than almost anyone he had met, something Lescar had taken for granted when she was younger, she just assuming her brother was that awsome all by himself. But now having made a deal with Taldur first hand, and met Namato, a new idea stirred in her thoughts.

'What if... her brother's extra strength, speed and power had come from somewhere else. More specifically someone else...'

'Was that what Namato had been hinting at?'

Lescar's brows creased. There was no way to know whether or not this was the case without asking Namato the next time she saw her. but she did not want to do that, she doubted the freakish woman intent on owning her, would just casually exchange information. No. More likely Namato would just attack next time.

And Lescar was unsure she could fight off that fiend again, she had only managed it this time because of Taldur's help. Something she felt would be harder the further she was away from this place...

Looking up at the ceiling and the bare surprisingly clean walls around her, Lescar could see the strong glow of the peculiar crystal formations that sprouted only in the deeper parts of Taldur's territory. A large quantity of the things clustered on the ceiling of the cave making the cave rather well lit.

The luminescent crystals ranged from deep mint green to a brilliant mustard yellow and each would softly thrum along, dimming continually until an unseen baseline was met and then the large gemstone-like growths would brighten up, shining like stony lamps. Lamps, that radiated a subtle pressure.

Lescar absently noted that the mint ones were far fewer in number and produced a substantially weaker light, most of them being small in comparison to the larger more oppressive yellow crystals.

Lescar squinted up at one of the green gem deposits, strangely the light of the green gems felt different. More intimate even. Had the green ones been here the last time she was in the cave?

After a brief second of contemplation, Lescar waved her hand in dismissal, it was an off-topic question so she focused back on her earlier train of thought.

Somehow Lescar felt that all of these unique minerals were part of the reason she had been able to fight back so effectively against Namato. She had never seen anything like them outside of Taldur's territory, not even in the city markets.

It was only a hunch, but Lescar, was fairly certain it was correct. the crystals were certainly a valuable substance if only due to their rarity, as the adventurers that Taldur had dealt with had tried to take some, something that had immediately enraged her insectoid partner, sending him into a frothing rage.

All of that, suggested great worth was found in the crystal formations, she just didn't know exactly how or why though.

She should probably bring that up with Taldur, maybe he would have the answers and be willing to share them with her for a change. The sapient insect was evasive much of the time and disliked explaining his reasonings.

Eyes moving away from the luminous minerals, Lescar scanned the cave quickly, not spotting Taldur anywhere, which was odd. She had expected him to be at her bedside considering he had spoken to her during the dream.

The large bug was close though, she could feel it, kind of like when you knew you were being watched but couldn't tell how.

'Maybe he just went to get the others,' Lescar shrugged after a second, beginning to clamber to her feet, she knew Taldur wasn't far away.

As she attempted to stumble to her feet, Lescar began to understand the full exhaustion of her body.

Her arms felt like baked clay, her legs were mulch under her weight, her muscles felt torn and her bones ached with a dull throbbing. That fight with the clown creature called Phil had wreaked considerable havoc on her body it seemed, her body didn't want to budge an inch. The pain being a nasty surprise.

Gritting her teeth with a deliberate resolve, Lescar decided she had spent far too much time knocked on her ass and tried to force herself up.

Huffing, she quickly began to rise, sweat beginning to bead on her brow as she strained, gradually pushing herself onto one knee. Having gotten a firm foothold, Lescar tensed the muscles in her left leg trying to push herself upright, but stopped when an abrupt sharp pain spiked in her gut.

"Rrrrrrrnnnnn!" Lescar grunted as sporadic spasms wracked her body, causing her to fall straight on her back again, face pale and sweaty.

"Wha?! what!" Lescar wheezed feeling the aftershocks of pain run up and down her belabored body, lifting her head slightly to look at the source of the searing heat.

Gazing at her navel Lescar pulled slowly at the undershirt, eyes widening at what she saw underneath.

Scorched flesh. A large swathe of wicked-looking and oddly precise burns ran down the left side of her body, beginning just below her left breast before tapering down her toned midriff, past her waist, and running down her left leg in a messy zig-zag pattern.

Still panting Lescar pawed at the distorted wound under her breast, realizing that it didn't stop there, the imperfection just kept going, starting again just above her bust before leading up the left side of her neck and finally stopping on her left cheek.

Lescar felt a bit numb for a moment, the burn was huge and covered almost the entire length of her body

Touching the top of the marking that ended on her cheek Lescar lifted her hand before her eyes, the hand coming away moist and red, her wound was weeping.

Eyes roaming downward Lescar observed the bottom half of the wound, the flesh around the trauma looked red puckered and irritated as if burned, occasionally twitching sending another smaller wave of pain through Lescar.

"When did I get this?" Lescar considered with a shaken whisper before remembering something she had ignored earlier.

During the nightmare with Namato, she had been hit in exactly the same spot...

"No..." Lescar whispered, staring disbelievingly at the wound. A terrifying fact being solidified in her head, Lescar gulped.

'If Namato could scar her from a mere dream then she could much more than that too.'

Lescar ran a hand gingerly down the seared flesh wincing as her tortured skin quivered in response. The damage did not seem to be deep, but it was no less painful.

She needed to speak with Taldur, he had to know about this.

Sluggishly, with more care this time, Lescar got her feet beneath her, steadily straightening, a hand clamped her wounded side, being very cautious as she came to stand up.

The wound throbbed angrily but did not stir further, exhaling Lescar took a wary step forward, then another and then another.

It looked like her injury wouldn't play up so long as she was conscious of her movements; she could still walk.

About to take another step forward, Lescar startled when she heard the distinct clicking sound of claws on hard stone, a well known if expressionless face rounding the corner, his long antennae whipping back and forth agitatedly, the other familiars following just behind him.

"Big sis you're ok!"

"Sister."

"!!!!!"

Each creature greeted Lescar as they made their way over to her, save for the cockroach in the lead who was silent until he registered the fact that Lescar was standing, the bug turning his head on an angle abuptly before skittering forward with a condemning lecture.

"Little girl!! you should not be standing up right now! I only just put back in one piece."

Taldur's voice was gruff and stiff, but Lescar did not fail to notice a note of concern in the feathered bugs words.

He really was softer then he tried to let on.

Lescar almost felt a smile creep onto her face at the sight of the four animals coming over to see her, but then her wound flared up at just that moment.

"Mmmmmrrrah!"

Doubling over, Lescar fell to her knees, her breathing growing shallow. Her wound was a lot more trouble than she'd first thought it was.

"Oh no! big sis!"

"It seems your hard-won glorious battle wounds have reopened."

"???!"

All four of Lescar's animal companions had something to say, Taldurs being the most nettling.

"Just dandy! you went and got yourself hurt-" stopping partway through his sentence, Taldur came screeching to a halt in front of Lescar having noticed the flaring red burns running up her leg, "wait! what is that!? I already healed you, there should not be any damage left!?"

Gathering around the panting Lescar, Roulette, Dwayne and Dewey offered their own suggestions

"Maybe you missed a spot daddy?" Roulette said helpfully as she offered a supporting claw to the unsteady and pale Lescar.

"Nonsense," Dwayne snorted replying for Taldur immediately, "his majesty would never miss something so obvious."

":::::::.....?"

Ignoring the chatter of the other's, only briefly confused, the feathered insect soon snapped in a demanding voice, a single antenna pushing the kneeling Lescar down, "Lie down immediately, how did you get this? was it that thieving tentacle skank?"

The bugs inquiries were fast and Lescar found herself simply gasping, unable to respond verbally, so out of breath that she was as her burns pulsed unpleasantly.

A half-formed thought drifted through her head even as she knelt immobile, 'tentacle skank?' Taldur was surely thinking of Namato. Even though Lescar thought it was a pretty good nickname for the abominable monster woman, it would be best if he knew her by the name that freak called herself.

Noticing Lescar's state Roulette whispered, "Here let me help you down big sis."

Roulette helping ease her onto her back, Lescar gingerly lowered herself into a lying down position, staring up at Taldur and the others, finally nodding in confirmation to the bugs question in a shallow voice.

"Yes it was Namato who did this, I'm sure of it."

"Who's Namato?" Lescar caught Roulette quietly whispering to Dwayne.

"Don't know, listen, and find out," Dwayne replied impassively in a whisper, fully focused on the conversation.

Tilting his head one way then the other Taldur's jaws clicked together before he muttered distractedly.

"The name of that poaching skank... Namato is it? Hmmm..."

After a pause, a noise akin to grinding metal subtly squeaked out between Taldur's jaws, the other familiars shifting uneasily at the sound, a heavy presence was oozing off the angered cockroach.

"Namato... So another threat is revealed... First the clown and the bear, now this... Today has been such a mess." Taldurs antenna stood still, the insects head bowed for a second before he looked up, facing towards Lescar, the aura of vexation gone, taking the oozing oppressive disquiet with it. Instead replaced by a calm bearing.

"Well, more to plan around and discuss later then," the cockroach shrugged off with his forceps as if it no longer bothered him, before running a single antenna along the damaged portion of Lescars leg, "first however little girl, I should patch you up, that looks rather uncomfortable."

Touching an antenna to her cheek Lescar felt a surge of energy pass through her from Taldur's contact, the searing pain of the burn rapidly dulling down to an itch where the bug was touching her. Moving down slowly, Taldur made sure to get every inch of reddened flesh, making his way down steadily until Lescar felt the last of the pain fade from her foot, where Taldur finished.

Leaning back with a critical flicking antenna, Taldur appraised his method. A mystified tone to his words.

"Hmm... Unusual, this one didn't heal perfectly... How do you feel little girl?"

Cautiously at the cockroaches words, Lescar sat up observing the spots where the wound had lain. the flaming red of the burns was gone but the markings were not gone, the whole burn had become a distinct, if slightly faded scar.

"I feel..." Lescar paused for a second before continuing, the scar itching slightly, "I feel better, but it kinda tingles."

Lescar was not exaggerating, once the burning sensation passed, she instead felt a consistent tickle that was distracting and annoying. But at least it wasn't painful.

"Hmmm..." Taldur considered with a troubled expression before saying in an inexorable voice, "We will have to keep an eye on it then, do speak up if it starts doing anything strange, we don't know what that skank can do."

Lescar nodded giving Taldur a weak smile at the bug's continued use of the word skank, before narrowing her eyes at the faded scar. While she was worried what effects such a scar might have on her, a more removed part of herself hoped that it at least looked cool and didn't mar her looks too badly.

Not that she really had anyone to impress...

For a second longer, Lescar stared at her new scars before she remembered she was still mostly naked.

Fully conscious for once, and not in a life-threatening scenario, Lescar felt a little heat rise to her cheeks. While she did not really mind Roulette sticking around, she felt uncomfortable being stared at by Taldur, Dwayne, and even Dewey.

"Umm... Taldur where are my clothes I would like a moment to myself..."

Twisting his head to the side again, Taldur stared at Lescar inquiringly before he responded while pointing to a space some distance behind her. A distance Lescar would not be able to reach without either exposing her naked form, or dragging the holey blanket along with her to hide her modesty.

"Your clothes are over there in your bag, although they are still damaged from our fight with that clown, dress swiftly we have much to converse over."

The bug did not move after he said that, and Lescar felt a tired impatience ripple in her heart.

'Did the big bug not get her hint? he was normally pretty sharp.'

Being careful to state it openly this time, Lescar said calmly even as the embarrassed blush remained on her face.

"Could you guys... please leave the cave? I don't want to get changed while you watch."

Lescar made sure to point to all three males; she assumed Dewey was male? Before motioning to the cave entrance hopefully.

A second or two of silence was followed by a low growl, a certain someone's orange eyes narrowing.

Ruffling his mane, fur bristling with irrate devotion, Dwayne seemed to have taken some offense at Lescar's request, but not on the behalf of himself.

With a fierce rumble, Dwayne ground out haltingly.

"Asking his majesty... to leave his very own cave?! and when he has such important words to share?! ...Sister! that is insubordinate! It is-"

"Dwayne! It's ok, I don't mind," Taldur said sharply flicking the bat on the ankles as he cut Dwayne off, a glint of understanding flickering in the blank yellow depths of his eyes, "Lescar just needs but a moment of privacy, and that I do not oppose."

Losing any sort of hostility even as he rushed to bow his head Dwayne replied swiftly to his master "Of course my king if you are fine with sister's behavior then so am I."

An antenna on Taldurs head twitched at the bats fervent words and quickly the insect made to move on.

"Mmm yes... well come along then Dwayne, you too Dewey, we still have some leftover morsels outside to occupy us as we wait I believe."

Prodding Dewey on his rounded body Taldur gestured to the two familiars to follow, calling out, with his head turned around to face Lescar, Taldur made sure to say.

"Be sure to not dally too long though little girl, my plans must speed up now that such volatile and hostile powers loom, and you play an important part in all of it. Be ready."

With one last casual wave of his antennae, Taldur crawled around the bend in the cave, the swish of the vines marking the bugs exit from the natural shelter, leaving just Lescar and a quiet Roulette in the rocky dwelling.

Feeling relieved that Taldur had allowed her some privacy, Lescar let out her held breath and ran a hand down her scar prodding the marked skin.

The discolored skin wasn't bumpy or tough like she had expected and instead was unusually smooth, lacking any sort of hair or blemish outside of the fact it was the wrong color.

Feeling no pain or sensation other than that weird tingle, Lescar with some effort stood up, the blanket falling to the ground as she slowly rose to her full height.

No longer in great pain, Lescar took a few wary steps, she was still sore from her exertions against the clown, Taldurs ability to heal apparently did nothing for fatigue.

But at least she wasn't bedridden or having spasms. Taking careful strides Lescar hobbled up to the back end of the cave where her bag was leaning up against a floor-bound crystal. Her clothes were there, shoved into it in an unceremonious ball.

Frowning at her bag on the floor, Lescar went to crouch down but found her legs were too stiff, the knees refusing to bend without giving out completely.

Trying to get her rebellious limbs to obey her, Lescar was about to hiss in anger and make an attempt to snatch the bag from the floor when a feminine voice behind her asked soberly.

"Do you want some help that big sis?"

Having been silent since Taldur left, Lescar had almost forgotten Roulette was present, the white rat was almost never quiet if she had a choice.

Slightly puzzled by this, Lescar replied frustratedly as she bit her lip, "Uh, yes could you pass me my bag Roulette, I can't seem to reach it on my own right now."

Without another needed word, Roulette skittered in front of her picking the bag up easily with her tail before lifting it up towards Lescar's waiting arms.

"Thanks," Lescar said before moving to pull out her clothes, shooting a glance at the unusually quiet rodent as she slowly pulled her clothes on.

Roulette was acting strangely, the white rat kept shooting quick glances at her, opening her mouth as if to take a breath before looking away and shaking her head. Lescar watched the white rat do this at least four times as she pulled her leather tunic on.

'Did she have something she wanted to say?'

Lescar hoped that the rat's behavior had nothing to do with the fact that Lescar was still mostly undressed.

Ignoring Roulettes out of character behavior for a moment, Lescar dropped her now clothing deprived bag on the ground, beginning to struggle into her leggings, sliding one leg in before hopping around and getting the other leg in.

Shifting her clothes so that they were properly situated, Lescar checked over her raiment.

Like Taldur had suggested, her tunic and leggings were damaged, the tunic being especially tatty. A shame, the item of clothing had served her well for a long time, and the leggings had only recently been purchased.

She would have to go get some new clothes and armor soon, these ones were just too ragged even for her, as covered in tears and bloodstains as they were.

Sighing Lescar looked over at her still quiet sister, it seemed Roulette had worked up the courage to say whatever she had wanted to say earlier.

"Big sis..."

"Yes Roulette...?" Lescar said questioningly, noticing the difficulty and hesitation in Roulette's voice, a part of her twitching internally as the rat wavered.

Perhaps having finally decided her course of words, the white rodent stuttered out, "I- I just wanted to say I'm sorry,"

Lescar felt an eyebrow raise on her forehead, "For what?"

"For- for not listening to you when we were in that market place and getting you- no all of us in danger!"

Roulette sank back to all fours after she said this, a downcast expression on her long snout.

"You were right, I should not have run off without you,"

Lescar blanked out for a second 'what had Roulette done?' before recalling the events that actually hadn't happened to long ago.

'Oh, that's right she got us all tangled up in that clown mess'

Lescar had briefly forgotten due to Namato's interference and everything else residing on her plate, but now the memory rang clear and strong. Much of the fault for the catastrophe that meeting the clown and Grizzly had been, lay upon Roulette and her juvenile impulses.

Lescar looked down upon the white rat awaiting her reaction, then sighed.

Even though Lescar had been badly hurt during that fight, she just couldn't bring herself to be angry at the little rodent as she lay practically kneeling on the floor.

She sported a new scar, and her body ached, but other than that, she had lost nothing meaningful from the event.

It had not escaped her notice either, that Roulette too had not come out of that tent unscathed. The thin lines of missing fur and stitching being perfectly obvious to Lescar's keen sight.

Roulette had suffered as well from the experience.

Reaching down tentatively, Lescar patted the white rat for the first time ever, the fur was softer than she'd of thought.

"Roulette... its fine," Lescar paused before adding as an afterthought "Think about things before you do them and listen to me more often, okay?"

Roulette, upon hearing Lescar's words stood up on her hind legs almost standing in a full-on bipedal pose, obvious relief and even gratitude etched on her pointed snout.

"Yes! thanks big sis! I will try my best!"

Unfeigned happiness on the rats face, Lescar thought she could also detect a certain flicker of focus in the rodents ruby eyes. a focus that Roulette had lacked before.

'Huh, did I miss something while I was unconscious?' Lescar idled in her head before the now revitalized and cheery rat grabbed Lescar by the very same hand she was using to pat her head.

"Come on then sis! Now that you're all covered up in your second skin, dad will want us to hurry!"

Pulling Lescar along, the two girls made their way to the front of the cave, the smaller rodent all but trailing Lescar behind her as she walked in front on two unsteady legs.

The rat wasn't very skilled at walking on her hind legs alone, she waddled more than walked.

Lescar let herself get dragged along an exasperated smile on her face at the rat's almost laughable walking technique.

Roulette wasn't such a bad sister...