The Priestess Discovered, The balance of good and evil I PM for details

[Ardgal Raxis]

The general grunted as he felt her pull the shirt loose. It hurt, it was unexpected but it was welcome help he needed.

"Thank you," he said, wadding what was left of the shirt up and tossed it into the waste basket.

There was no need to keep it around. It was in ribbons anyway, a worthless set of cloth barley held together by strings. He made his way to the bathroom and wet a rag. He wasn't going to use the shower, he was too tired for a proper wash down, and besides, he said she could use it first. The rough cloth scraped across his skin, collecting debris, mixed blood of his own and his enemies. It took several scrubbings for him to get semi-clean. For a warrior his body was mostly devoid of scars, his healing factor had removed most of them. But a series of raw red lines crossed along his major bone structures; tibula, fibula, femur, and so on. Across his back and the back of his head were a series of dark metallic implants that looked something like this:

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

Taara's eyes widened at the sight of the implants when Ardgal came out. What... What were those for? They had to be painful. So many in key areas... She didn't stare very long out of politeness.​

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Before she went into the bathroom, she turned to him.​

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"... I'm going to have a bit of a problem. I don't have any clothes other than what I'm wearing now. By the looks of this dress... It would probably be better to have something else to change into."​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

Ardgal, of course noticed that she noticed. He gave a soft, weary smile.

"When I was a mortal, I was given implants, engineered to become the super soldier the people needed, their general, their leader. Internally, they interact with my neurons, my neural system. They made me faster than the average mortal. Faster than even the fastest mortals. I was able to perceive more, see things others cannot, then when I obtained godhood," he adjusted his shoulders, feeling the metal bits under his skin rub against his flesh, "They are just there. I was made into a god. They shaped me, created me into one, they killed me, they--" his face grew dark as he recalled what the Vong did to him. The brutal torture. The pain, the suffering, until he became what they wanted. Their god of war in the flesh. It was enough to give him nightmares. And it often did.

Her statement about the problem pulled him back into the moment, "Of course, I have my uniforms here, they will be a bit baggy but they can work," he pulled out a plain white cotton tee shirt and shorts, "If this doesn't work, I can find something else for you. I am afraid we are soldiers. We will be lacking in--most of the more feminine clothing."

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

They? So someone had made him into a god? But who could do that? How could they? Taara didn't feel right to ask. She looked at the clothing Ardgal had pointed out to her. She took one that looked to be just a bit smaller than the others, thanked him, and stepped into the bathroom.​

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The shower was alright. She ached, and was far from relaxed enough to enjoy it. But it was nice regardless. Once she dried off, she did her best to make the clothing fit. It was relatively big, but at least it covered her. She discarded her tattered dress and came back into the room.​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

When she thanked him he didn't waste any time laying down. He couldn't lay on his back because of his implants there, so he laid on his side as usual. The floor was hard, but the blankets provided some padding. It didn't matter much either way, using his arm as a pillow he rapidly drifted off into sleep. As his organic mind went into its dream state, his cyborg brain implants ran on a low-energy, low-consciousness setting. It was just to keep him safe in case something were to happen. An old habit that died hard.
********
The artillery shells around him shattered the ground, making it shake as he stormed the beach with his other men beside him. The sound of rattling machine gun fire tore through the air, ripping holes in the soldiers around him. Ardgal clutched the rifle in his hands tightly, sprinting with his fourteen year old body as fast as he could. He was a warrior now, not a boy, he had to make it to help win the war and earn his keep.

Mines all around them blasted men, vaporizing them and sending what was left around in a spray of dirt and--suddenly the bast behind him sent him sprawling face-first into the dirt. He felt his arm crunch under his weight, his rifle dug into his chest with a hard, mercilous stab. But that was nothing compared to the pain in his back---

Ardgal's eyes opened with a quiet start. A thin layer of sweat covered his body, cold sweat. He suppressed the tremors in his hands, sitting up and rubbing his face. It was just a dream he had to remind himself, a dream of memories long past. Dreams of a mortal who no longer existed. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock, shaking his head. He debated whether or not to get water and abait his sweat.

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

If Ardgal chose to look around a little, he would find Taara sitting up against the wall next to the cot. She too looked visibly shaken, hugging her knees to her chest and staring wide-eyed at the adjacent wall. Her breath sounded ragged.​

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She figured she wouldn't get any sleep. But even so, the nightmare had hit her rather hard.​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

Ardgal rose carefully and quietly, letting his sore body move with as much care as he had. He not only felt battered from the battle--he may have slightly over estimated his ability to sleep on the hard surface without repercussions. He saw Taara's pale blue skin shimmering, reflecting in the light, but just barely. He could see her golden irises looking out with that familiar horrified look. One he knew he felt many a night too.

But she wasn't a god like him. She wasn't able to withstand the heaviness and the pain. He slowly walked towards her, hands stretched out. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten the woman. That would only make things worse. He gingerly sat on the edge of the bed, letting the silence sink in for a moment, letting her get used to his consciousness.

"Are you alright?" he asked at last, his voice low and gentle.

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

Taara blinked several times, shivering. She nodded a little.​

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"Yes... I... c-couldn't sleep." ​

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She bit her lower lip, closing her eyes. That wasn't a good idea. Every time she closed them, she could see their faces... Screaming.... Burning.... And she couldn't help them...​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

He assured her with a gentle tap on her forearm. He could see the pain eating this woman up. She was drowning in it, trying to find her way out, trying to find relief. He knew it wasn't easy and right now he wished more than anything else he could just make it vanish. The nightmares would be endless, he knew for a long time unless--

"Come lay flat," he said soothingly, "I will help you rest."

When she had laid back down, he ran is fingers through her purple hair. Sometimes--a lot of times--for something to be real to a person, all they had to do was believe in it. All they had to do was be told it was there, and it would be. Ardgal knew this. It was one reason why he knew he was a god--he, more than anyone else, could take advantage of this and make things real.

"Close your eyes," he continued, gently. His voice was soft and warm, like waves on the beach. Very hypnotic like, very assuring. "You are perfectly safe. You do not have to worry, you can and will rest well tonight. You will be safe. The nightmares will harm you no longer. The memories will be quiet. You will have peace, there will be rest. There will be contentment."

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

Taara was extremely hesitant. But Ardgal's voice was so soothing...​

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She obeyed, laying out flat next to him on the cot. Her eyes stared at his face in the dark while he spoke to her. Very slowly, she began to relax. The more he spoke, the heavier her eyes became. Before she drifted off, however, one of her hands reached out almost desperately and took hold of his.​

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"... Don't go..."​

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It wasn't romantic or demanding. It was an innocent plea. Like a child to their mother when they're afraid of monsters beneath the bed. Taara was afraid that should she close her eyes, Ardgal would somehow vanish when she woke up. As tired as she was, no matter how ridiculous it sounded, she believed it to be a genuine threat.​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

Ardgal felt her grip his hand. He could see it just faintly in the dark, and the expression on her face. It was one of begging, fear and pleading. He knew he was usually a calming presence where he went among his troops, he had worked hard to establish that credibility of trust and care among them. But he never knew he could have this kind of effect on civilians. It was a new experience to him.

He was a man of compassion, and while he wasn't the most gentle person, he was caring. His adherence to the law and order was nothing more than care for those around him, those less fortunate than him. He never wanted the weak to suffer. He nodded, 'Alright, I will stay."

He slowly eased himself down on the mattress, laying on his side. He let his free hand rest on top of her's, a warm and gentle gesture, comforting and assuring,

"I will be with you , always. I will not leave you or forsake you."

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

With the warmth of another beside her, Taara could finally close her eyes. She seemed to actually move closer to him while she slept. She had turned onto her side and nestled up against him, her soft breath tickling his chest.​

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The dreams didn't stop. She would wake up every 2 hours or so, panting and trembling. But with Ardgal right next to her, she managed to calm down and go back to sleep rather quickly.​

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By the time morning came around, Taara was still tired. But she'd gotten much more sleep than she thought she would.​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

Sharing a bed with someone else was a new experience with Ardgal. He felt warm, and soothed. He was almost as much machine as man. However, he could feel a bit of humanity creep back into his god body as he slept that night.

When he awoke rose gently and quietly, stretching out the muscles along his back, shoulders, and arms. Each rippled under his skin as he flexed his muscles.

There as a nock at the door.

"Come in," Ardgal said swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

One of the soldiers peeked his head in. His awkward surprised showed on his face, "Oh-uh-um-sorry sir."

"What can I do for you, soldier?" Ardgal asked oblivious to the moment.

"We are coming out of lightspeed, sir."

"Very good. Tell the captain he has my permission to land."

"Yes, sir."

"And get something for the lady to eat."

"Of course, sir."

Ardgal turned and offered her a smile. "I hope your night was restful."

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

Taara sat up as well. She yawned, rubbing her eyes a bit.​

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"It was... Thank you."​

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Her dreams had been anything but restful. Death and blood and fire.... But it would've been a lot worse if Ardgal hadn't been there.​

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"I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I?"​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

The general rose to his feet and began dressing, he donned a white tee shirt that was tight fitting over his muscular body. Before his godshaping he had been a strong soldier. Now, he was superhumanly strong ((basic concept...)) The shirt fit over him rather snugly, as did his black pants that he slipped into.

He managed a sheepish smile, "No, you didn't--I--" he looked at the ground, folding his hands behind his back, "The truth be told, I am not used to sharing my bed with someone else. I don't--I don't really--I haven't--" he winced, giving up on that. He didn't exactly know how to say what he meant, so he abandoned the idea all together and looked back up at her and leaned back against the closet doorway, "It was actually very nice."

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

"... I won't make you do it again."​

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She replied quietly. She stood up and went into the bathroom to freshen up a little bit. She couldn't do anything about the dark circles beneath her eyes or the exhausted expression on her face. So, she just splashed a bit of water on her face.​

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Taara came back out, her hair tied up with a piece of the fabric from her dress. At least she'd still have a part of it...​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

When she came back, the soldier returned with two meals, one for Ardgal and one for Taara; fried eggs, hash browns, bacon, and sausage. It was a complete breakfast to start the day well fueled. Ardgal's plate was huge enough to feed three men. Along side with these plates were two glasses of orange juice and caf.

"Come I am sure you must be starving," Ardgal said as the soldier set the meal down for both of them.

As Ardgal began to eat, he realized how hungry he was, how the prior day had taken its toll on him with running, cell healing, and all that amazing stuff that came with being a god. It took a lot out of a man to have his body rapidly heal itself from traumatic, otherwise lethal wounds.

"These refugees," Ardgal said after he had cleared away his eggs, "I have a plan for them. Plans to prosper them, for a future, a hope and an expected end." he bit off half a strip of bacon, "We will make a community out of them. This will be the start of my kingdom, not just an army. A kingdom."

He swallowed and was quickly busy eating the rest of his bacon and hashbrowns.

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

Taara wasn't really eating all that much. She nibbled on the sausage a bit. Food didn't have any taste for her really. She wasn't hungry, but she knew she needed to eat something.​

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She sipped her orange juice while Ardgal spoke to her. So... He was planning to subjugate the survivors. Nothing about that felt good to her. They didn't have anywhere else to go, but... What if they didn't want to be ruled? What if they wanted to go their separate ways and try to seek out a life for themselves? Taara said nothing, however, remaining silent.​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

"I can give them a fresh start," he said after he had finished his hashbrowns. He folded his hands and leaned on them, "New homes, new jobs, a new life, so they don't have to be tossed out. They have--nothing, except the clothes on their back."

There wasn't exactly time to gather anything else and most everything else was destroyed in the battle.

He picked up his cup and drank half of his orange juice before continuing. He was thirsty as a horse, as some say.

"What we need, what they, need is a chance to start over. I can protect them, make sure that never happens again," he continued as he set the glass down, "And in that, there is safety."

The familiar feeling of the ship gliding into re-entry and the change of gravity shifted on Ardgal's body. "Come on, we should get ready to get out there."

[member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

Taara nodded, setting the rest of her food aside. She rose and went to the door with Ardgal.​

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The refugees seemed just as exhausted as her. But the food was good, and they were together. There were a few smiles among the sea of faces. A small bit of happiness was reassuring for her.​

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[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​