Redeeming Light

[Warrior of Light]

A flash of light from the sky shot down to the ground, creating a pillar that lasted but for a few moments, dissipating away in a show of fading sparks and wayward glints that shot out in every direction. The impact of the light created scorch marks on the ground, an indication of its hasty creation, and the momentary light provided illumination in the otherwise dark alleyway that they emerged in. The two that were carried by this light stood amongst the fading gleams around them, intact and unharmed from the rapid transit. "That was done more hastily than I would have liked... How are you faring, Protoss?" The man inquired of the taller, alien warrior.

[Teldranis]

"How is it you know of my race?" Teldranis asked suspiciously, careful not to let down his guard. Despite being saved by this man, he was aware that he had no clue of his true identity, and he was determined that he would not be caught off-guard.

[Warrior of Light]

"Oh, I'm right!" He said with a rather joyful tone, happy that his guess was correct. "I've only heard of you guys from my teachers, you seemed to fit their descriptions well enough, so I took a guess. There's not many of you guys around these Worlds, you're the first I've seen." The man replied to Teldranis, seemingly unsurprised at the telepathic communication that the Protoss utilized.

[Teldranis]

Teldranis's stare did not lessen. "Who exactly taught you of our kind? And to what end?" He asked the warrior in front of him. Inwardly, the idea that more protoss might be stranded in this region of space tore him up inside. While he truly wished to speak with others of his kind... this sector of space was dangerous and he prayed for their safety.

[Warrior of Light]

"To what end? I'm just here to learn and protect, living up to the honor of being the Warrior of Light, a chosen from my world. I had to know things others wouldn't so that I would know what to do in the worlds outside of my own." The man replied, a little disheartened by the Protoss's skepticism of his intentions. "I am duty-bound by an oath that is stronger than magic to protect the Light and its inhabitants. I have sacrificed my name, my future, and my life for this responsibility and the consequences that follow with it." He replied with a somewhat proud tone of voice, he seemed rather accepting of the fact that his life as a normal being was over when he was granted this "honor."

[Teldranis]

Teldranis nodded at that. "That is a path I can respect, putting your duty above all else." Teldranis responded with respect in his voice. "I'd no idea of your intentions upon asking that question. My first encounter with beings from this sector led to my world being destroyed. My trust with the people living here is... frayed."

[Warrior of Light]

"Another destroyed world? Was it these Heartless, or something else born of the Darkness?" The man inquired of the Protoss, intrigued at the implications that his world's destruction might bring about. This wasn't the first time he had heard of a world being destroyed, and a part of him actually wished it was just the Heartless that did it as well.

[Teldranis]

"The heartless..." Teldranis said, feeling even wearier as he realized what a questioning line of though implied. "We knew not of them before that time. They took our legion by surprise, 'else they would not have managed to destroy such a large training center."

[Warrior of Light]

"... Only the Heartless have displayed the ability to consume a world in shadows and make it blink out of existence. Can you tell me what happened, exactly? What called them to destroy your world, or how they managed to trespass onto it?" The Warrior of Light postulated and then asked of the Protoss, very curious to learn how his world was led to ruin by the Heartless.

[Teldranis]

"I can tell you none of that." Teldranis replied. "I only recall the shadows swarming my small division in the tens of thousands, overrunning good warriors with hundreds of years of combat experience through sheer numbers alone. Mentors, classmates..." Teldranis's eyes shut for only a moment. "...Friends."

[Warrior of Light]

The man let Tell breath for a few seconds, not asking a question for the moments that passed since his reply and let this information sink in. Then he followed up with reality, as cold as it was. "... I understand your pain, but something you may wish to know is that your world is but one of hundreds, possibly more, that have suffered a similar fate. Most of them in the past few years alone."

[Teldranis]

"...I'm aware. I'd heard snippets of conversation as the inhabitants of traverse town walked near me. This plague seems to affect this sector heavily." Teldranis responded. "Perhaps it is because, unlike my people, humans are happy to give themselves to the darkness willingly." Teldranis said with some bitterness.

[Warrior of Light]

The man turned towards Tell, a little annoyance showing through his empathy towards the Protoss for his hardships. "... I understand you've had it rough, but to accuse us of being more susceptible to Darkness will blind you to the fact that you're not so immune either. I know of the war your kind fought against itself... Though only parts of it, I still know you can fall prey to the hate and rage that Darkness calls to and creates. Don't fall to it now and make the same mistake as your ancestors. Just hold onto hope, and then we'll do our best to right the wrongs across the worlds."

[Teldranis]

"Hope?" Teldranis asked. "What, truly, is left to hope for? These beings are without number... and their strength is without limit. Is there truly any way to defeat them?" Teldranis asked. "and does that way really have the need for a half-trained Zealot's skills..."
As Teldranis said this, the tone would not be depressed, however, but filled with some ironic determination.
"...But I am a warrior of the Khala, and no matter the fight, I will not falter."

[Warrior of Light]

"There is always hope. Even in the smallest of ways, in the darkest of corners, there is always a light. Believe in that, and you can't fall to the shadows." The man lectured Teldranis at such a pessimistic statement, highly forceful, and yet, somehow, light in his expression. He seemed to be copying a lecture he often got himself. "Oh, sorry, it's a habit for me to say that... you wouldn't believe how often I got told that philosophy. I swear it's brainwashing."

[Teldranis]

"I was taught similar... and yet, after all the defeats my people have seen... and the seemingly inevitable fact I shall never again see my beloved Aiur..." Teldranis shook his head. "What matters is... There is a girl I need to save. She's been kidnapped by a human who's given himself to darkness, and he'd threatened the town previously. We can't waste time here!" Teldranis said, recent events finally catching up with him.

[Warrior of Light]

"So that's what this is about, huh? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" The man asked the warrior with a rhetorical tone. The answer didn't matter, what mattered most were results now. Progress and saving those in danger. He looked around at the alleyway, seeming slightly confused. "Do you know where he went at all? I mean, I'm all for saving the girl at all costs, but if we don't know where to go at all..."

[Teldranis]

Teldranis frowned at that, wondering why it seemed that time had only now fully caught up to him. "It seems I might have a concussion..." Teldranis said softly, though with no hint of complaint, merely statement of fact. "The third district. He apparently has some form of "home there, and if I understood his personality correctly, I doubt it will be hidden." Teldranis said, recalling his habit of putting on airs.

[Warrior of Light]

"Alright... uhm..." The warrior looked around at his surroundings. "You don't happen to know where we are and how to get there, do you?" He asked with an embarrassed expression and tone. He hadn't been to this world before, therefore he knew little of its layout. Their teleportation to this alleyway was mere randomness, as the Warrior had little time to focus on a destination in those previous circumstances.

[Teldranis]

"..." Teldranis's expression turned to a thoughtful one. "...I do believe he left into a door facing west from the first district - where you found me, so..." Teldranis paused. "I still do not know this area, however..." Teldranis said with some frustration. "Perhaps we should reach higher ground and survey the city from there? Florian has made a castle of darkness, if I understood his words correctly... We should be able to see it relatively easily."

[Warrior of Light]

"Up we go then." The warrior replied, jumping straight up and launching himself from the wall. Steadily wall-jumping to the rooftops to get a good vantage point, or at least figure out where to go from there. "Oh, wow, this place isn't as small as I thought it would be." He commented from the view, trying to plot a course through the maze of rooftops and alleyways in his mind.

[Teldranis]

Teldranis climbed in a more orthodox manner, an unexpected level of agility and grace as he jumped from different features of the buildings in a parkour-like fashion in order to reach the top of the building. "It's a rather vast town... seems to be little but town here. I wonder how they... That's not important right now!" Teldranis suddenly snapped. "We need to get moving before they do anything to her... If they haven't already." Teldranis's tone was clearly upset, and his pain would be almost felt by nearby creatures, his centuries of training for restraint being all that held him from releasing his energy on the nearby fortress towards a violent end.

[Warrior of Light]

"Right. I see the fortress, it's right over there above that smaller plaza." The warrior spoke, hopping to the next rooftop and making a path to the fortress amongst the town's low skyscape. Though he wondered how he would enter such a flying structure.

[Haka Kusa]

Suddenly, a dark force bubbled to the surface, as behind the warrior of light and Teldranis, a robed figure bubbled to the surface, the sound of a sudden flame rising alerting the two to his presence.
Haka Kusa stood up, glaring it's yellow eyes towards the Warrior of light, almost seeming not to notice Teldranis.
Holding it's arm up, a blast of Lightning would immediately follow, aimed directly towards him.

[Warrior of Light]

The warrior heard the man's arrival and turned in mid-air, conjuring his shield to bear in a flurry of sparks of light. The shield bore the attack well enough, as the warrior landed on his feet on the next rooftop. He nearly lost his balance in the act, his feet sliding on the shingles, but regained it as soon as he straightened up and conjured his sword in the same fashion as his shield. "I'll handle this guy, you go on ahead." He insisted of Teldranis, resolve and focus dominating his expression now.

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