The tall, outstretched canopy of the forest stretched for what seemed like an endless skies of green, only occasionally penetrated by the actual light of the two suns above. Tyr made her way across the lush jungles, bow and arrow in hand, tuning her elven ears to the sublest of sounds. If there was anything positive to being half and half, was that she had an Elf's hearing, but not any of their… other qualities, or rather, lack thereof. After all, being a lone ranger in such a harsh land was bound to end in disaster unless she concentrated to her fullest.
Another small clearing, and a place to rest. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to hear if there was anything afoot around her. A small brush of a woodland animal against a bush, some bird flapping above her, maybe the rustle of the leaves in the gentle breeze. Nothing out of the ordinary… Except one, single thing.
The buzzing.
Now, it was barely audible. But this buzzing was the reason she was here in the first place. Apparently, the High Elf council hired a group of adventurers to deal with what they called 'A freak accident that needs to be silenced as soon as possible.' And, in the effort to assist in that cause, she was brought in as well. Her and… Lora.
Lora… Her final moments were still burned in her mind. That fearful expression. Tyr shook her head. She didn't have the time to mourn, not yet.
At first, they were six. Traveling together, making jokes, a troop delving into the danger that was their occupation. And it should've been simple. At least, that's what they were told. Just a bunch of bees that were exposed to some volatile magic formula and needed to be exterminated before they can get out of hand. On paper, it sounded like an open and shut case.
Nothing could've prepared them for the truth.
These were no longer just bees. The humanoid fae-bee girls that attacked them when they got too close was nowhere near just small fry. Not to mention the synchronization in their movements, Tyr has never seen anything like it in her life, and she took down a damn dragon. Now… Now she was alone. Her comrades, taken by their foes, no doubt dead and eaten or dissolved by now.
Gregory, Ash, Wren and Guile… They didn't deserve this. To suffer such an extreme fate, at the hands of monsters. And Lora… A tear fell down her cheek. They'll pay. They had to.
Still, for now all Tyr could do was just sit, and eat. The last bit of rations she hunted on their journey were running thin, and soon, she'd have to hunt in this enchanted forest as well. As long as she listened, she'd be safe. The buzzing was rather weak right now, has been since the attack on their party. Perhaps the bees lost interest in her and turned their attention elsewhere? Either way, she could tell they were still patrolling this forest, doing whatever magical fae bees do. 'Freak accident' her ass, the Elven council knew what they were fucking with and didn't damn care. Now she was paying for the mistakes of those high assholes.
As Tyr munched in the rest of the dried jerky she had prepared, she contemplated her next course of action. Right now she was too deep in the forest to just turn tail and run. She'd have to either go back, and risk dealing with the fae bees again… Or go through the other end of the forest. Either option put her in a serious predicament, all things considered.
Whatever she was going to do, it probably had to be chosen fast. The buzzing was getting louder. And that meant that if she didn't get moving, that choice was gonna be made for her.
Before she could truly piece her thoughts together on a plan, Tyr's legs already began to trudge the roots, fallen leaves and branches laden across the jungle floor, trying to make as little noise as possible as to not draw the attention of her pollinating foes. The buzzing was getting louder, and didn't seem to slow down any time soon. Could the bees have changed their minds on her? Were they chasing her now for some reason? She couldn't tell, and she certainly didn't want to find out.
Looking back for a moment, she made sure no one was behind her. Good. Perhaps, she could make enough distance to make them lose interest and finally, she could be free. Free to regroup, recuperate, and take her vengeance. And she was going for vengeance. They took her friend. No, more than her friend. Lora was the very person who got her to realize who she is, who she wanted to be. And she would never let her death in the hands of these fae be taken for grante-
"Gotcha!~"
As it turns out, looking behind her was a bad idea, as before her head could rotate back, Tyr felt herself run into the ever exposed bosom of someone else. The buzzing was suddenly right on her, but she refused to lay her arms. She quickly jumped back, drawing her prepared arrow and letting it loose, aiming at the bee-girl's chest, right to the heart. Or at least, she assumed they had hearts, fae tended to ignore common conventions when it came to body.
"Aww, don't be like that~" The bee, giggling, caught the arrow faster than her eyes could process. Her black, uniform eyes looked around, before training on the half-elf in front of her. "Leave me alone you freaks!" She shouted back. Defiant, frenzied. "You already took everyone else, what more do you want?!"
The bee didn't answer, not with words. Instead, she made her approach, and Tyr quickly dropped her bow to draw a knife strapped to her side. Too quick to nock another arrow, she had to take this one close and personal. However, the bee's wings moved her faster than the half-elf's arm, and she curled her torso, bringing her stinger forward. One quick prick to her arm, that's all that happened. And yet, in that short time frame, Tyr felt pain unlike she's ever felt before, making her collapse to her knees, the dagger in her hand falling to the ground with a small tap against the wooden floor. Whatever venom they carried with them quickly made its way through her bloodstream, and in ample amounts. Where a regular insect wouldn't have much more than just mild discomfort, being human-sized meant this wasn't going to go away anytime soon.
And yet… Despite being on her knees, waiting for the finishing blow, the fae merely looked at her. Tyr grit her teeth, both enraged and befuddled. "W-What are you waiting for, huh? You already got me down on my knees, aren't you gonna finish the job?"
The bee apparently ignored her outright. She just stared at nothing in particular, though with her eyes it was hard to tell what she was staring at. Regardless, as soon as whatever this pause meant ceased, she just giggled again, and her attention turned to the girl. "Nothing. I did my task~" And with that, she more or less turned tail, looking excited as she began to fly off. "See you real soon Tyr!"
Before she could even ask how the bee-girl knew her name, it was too late. The pain was too steep for her to concentrate, and the insect's wings carried her too fast to follow. She was left… Alone. Along, both confused, horrified and reeling.
Was this how it was going to end? Dying slowly to the venom of some weird fae that took away her best friend?
Regardless, she couldn't give up. All she needed was to get out of here, as soon as possible. If she can make it out, maybe she can find a healer in time and remove this poison out of her body. With that in mind, Tyr began to pace again. Slowly but sure. Deciding to just venture through this forest as soon as she could.
As she did, she could feel it. Spreading through her body. Whatever that venom was meant to do, it didn't seem to outright kill her, which left a bit of hope in her heart that she would be okay in the end. Though out of everything, she just couldn't help but think about that encounter. They didn't kill her. Instead, they stung her and let her loose. Were the fae-bees toying with her? Just having a laugh at her expensive before she keels over and dies? This was magical venom anyway, and fae based for that matter. Who's to say it wouldn't just bide its time until she was recovering to suddenly spike up and kill her, steal the last bits of hope still burning in her heart, all for a cheap laugh?
No. She shook her head. Now wasn't the time to spiral into despair and agony. She could do that when she had time to mourn the other adventurers and Lora. For now, advance.
Soon, the sun's light was replaced with the chill winds of evening, and the canopy seemed to be caught ablaze by the orange light of the setting sun. She'd have to sleep soon, and that thought was more worrying than anything else, all things considered. Just how many days did she have to live, and how many of them would she spend toiling in this mystical jungle, trying to find a way out? Some, or all of them?
She found a small clearing. And one lucky shot later, had a hare cooking over a small fire. She didn't like killing animals, not really. She was more a gardener ranger, the type that liked to look over fauna than anything else. But if nothing else, now was not the time for philosophical meandering about the mortality of killing for sustenance. She had to survive. She had to.
By now, the pain seemed to have subsided somewhat. Maybe she just got used to it, she couldn't tell. What didn't let up, however, was the buzzing. Even now, as the twilight hours gave way to dusk, did the constant buzzing of the fae continue to protrude her ears. Weaker, fainter, they most likely didn't act much at night as is, but still there. Never going away, not fully. Something to consider when she awoke.
All that was left was to turn off the flame and curl up. A small blanket of leaves was the only comfort Tyr could afford in such wilting conditions. And yet, she couldn't give up. Not now. Not ever. This ploy that has been set, a joke at her expanse, would not stop her. Lora wouldn't want her to give up.
Lora… Her thoughts turned to her again. That charming auburn hair, those lips, just full the best way. The way she talked, the way she laughed. The brilliance of her eyes, how wonderful and mesmerizing they were. She was always afraid. Always about to finally say how she felt, always with it at the tip of her tongue, just waiting for the right moment. The right moment that, ironically, never came. Perhaps she should have carved that moment herself, if she'd have known better.
What would Lora even think about her now… Would she be sad? Proud that Tyr didn't give up? She would probably hug her and tell her it was going to be okay, no matter what. That despite all the pain and grief, she would make it, and everything would be okay.
The trip down memory lane didn't end there, however. She kept thinking back, unable to fully push herself past the boundary between exhaustion and fear, of the time they met. How silly Tyr must have looked, trying to be more manly. Trying to emulate her father, who never truly accepted that his child was not like him. The time they spent together, traveling the glades around her home, hearing Lora talk about these concepts that were alien to her at the time. How one can change, to embrace who they really want to be. That one doesn't have to be what others expect of them.
Of the time she confronted her father, and as expected, was cast out. With only Lora by her side, the two began to travel the world, seeking jobs, doing work, earning a living. She knew Lora was a traveler already, just stopping by their village for a short visit. And yet, she never complained when Tyr fumbled her first shot. When she got stuck in that river and needed help, not to mention the cold that came after. The one rather embarrassing time that Tyr managed to get abducted by bandits and needed a rescue. Which then followed with Lora carrying her like a princess out of the hideout.
She has improved since then. Got better. Became a ranger of her own right, wielding her martial skills with what could be considered pretty good proficiency. No, she never became a soldier or a lumberjack like her father always wanted her to be, but she didn't care. She was Tyr, and she was a damn good ranger, and she had the best teammate she could ever-
Right…
She curled up a bit more. Trying to imagine her, an ethereal version of her long lost partner. Hugging her, just like that night she left her home village for the first time. Promising her that it might be dark now, but the future still holds brighter days for her.
And it was those thoughts, of her companion and crush comforting her, that finally carried Tyr to sleep, a few scant tears rolling down her cheeks as she embraced the oblivion of a dreamless night.