luring dietfried

"..?"

Ambrose looks up, staring at Dietfried from across the square. There's a soft hum to him, but he decides to not say anything for now.

At least, not yet.

"Hm, hm.."
(Ambrose Roche)

They glanced up to meet his gaze as he mentioned that. It was so easy to tell? The young foreigner glanced down to their hands, then up again.

Maybe it was just a 'sixth sense' of sorts. Magi were weird in general..

Dietfried was quiet for a while, despite the question. It took quite a bit to keep their composure as the man held their shoulder. As brilliant mana fought against something much darker within their circuitry.

The voices cried out as they were purified. The noise made them wince.

But as Elias worked the visions faded, their mind clearer, if yet more exhausted by the process. They let out a sigh of relief, before finally offering an answer to the question posed. But first, "Sank you.. It vas qvite hard to sink."

"Zhere vas a mutant not far from zee city here. I vas valking by on zee road to zee sous vhen I heard zee sounds of battle. Vent to infestigate, as zhat seemed a point of interest."

"It had managed to knock a young voman unconscious. I attempted to aid her, and vas revarded for my efforts vis a bit of nasty energy." They lifted a hand to rub the back of their neck.

Ambrose' presence didn't go unnoticed. But they didn't address them yet.

"I almost had it at vone point. But it managed to oferpower me. I am lucky a friend of mine happened to be passing by at zee time."
(Dietfried)

Elias nods his head as he listens, a look of concern growing upon his face as his story progresses.

"I see... Did the girl escape unharmed?" Judging by the boy's words, this must have happened some time ago now, so there was little he could do.

"Regardless, I applaud you for your valor, my friend. To put yourself in harm's way for a stranger is a brave thing." A hand reaches down to pat the boy on the shoulder.

How the Knight-Keeper managed such a wizened tone despite his young age as a mystery.

"Train well, and you shall become strong.

But until then... rest. You will need to gather your energy."
(Elias Soleis)

And it is here that Ambrose approaches.

He smiles, only glancing once at Elias, but for the most part his gaze was pointed towards Dietfried. Curiosity grows on his features, and soon he remarks.

"Hello!"

"You were that one guy who's been looking for someone that injured you... yes?" He pauses.

"Something to do with dark things."
(Ambrose Roche)

"Not entirely unharmed, but alife and likely able to recofer. She returned to zhis city, I beliefe." That same girl had just left the area. Not that Dietfried had noticed.

The young foreigner offered a short nod of their head. "I simply did vhat anoser has done for me before. Zhose mutant creatures pick on children and I cannot stand for zhat."

"I hafe been training hard. But ja, rest vould likely do me vell."

They let out a soft sigh with that. Then they turned their gaze toward Ambrose when he approached. 'That one guy.' Dietfried nodded.

"I am. My name is Dietfried, it is good to see you again."
(Dietfried)

Giving a final nod of his head, he turns to depart as Ambrose approaches.

His hand grips in frustration upon his sword's hilt at the boy's comment.

 They pick on children?

"Rest assured... Should I come across this creature you speak of, I shall put them to the sword."

With that, he begins to move off, his part in the conversation concluded.

"Farewell, Dietfried."

(Elias Soleis)

Now that Elias was heading out, Amborse inches closer, eventually taking a seat nearby. There's a nigh permanent smile on his face, albeit a small one, after which he remarks.

"Mhm!"

"Why were you looking for that one, anyway?" He pauses.

"To take revenge, I assume? Or is it about something else?"

People sought for such creatures for all too different reasons.. and before anything else, Ambrose had to know.

He awaits for the answer, first and foremost, before continuing.
(Ambrose Roche)

"Auf Wiedersehen, Herr knight." They lifted a hand in farewell.

Then their focus turned entirely on Ambrose as he sat next to them. The permanent smile wasn't exactly a reassuring thing to Dietfried, but they kept a pleasant tone regardless.

"A few reasons. Zee simplest vone is certainly fengeance, as zhat mutant has been nosing but a nightmare for nearly two years now. It's harassed me since I arrifed in Esshar, and I plan to put zhat to a stop."

"But, getting rid of it to be sure it does not pick on oser children? Zhat's a bonus." They lifted a hand with a vague gesture.
(Dietfried)

Evidently, it could make some uneasy.

But it's not hostilities that Ambrose is after here. Quite frankly, it seems that his visage only spelled neutrality, despite the fact that it could be somewhat..

Uncanny. A little.

"Ah! I see."

"Though, I think we also talk about different ones. I was also talking about the one that supposedly had you.. swallowed, or something?"

He pauses.

"But I think I might've seen that one too. Just to make sure we're on the same page - how did that one look like?"

If it matches, then he would know.

"I think I've spotted the one that had you swallowed in those shadows, though."
(Ambrose Roche)

"Ah. Zhat vone.." The young foreigner had just received a massive dose of corrupt cosmic radiation, then another, larger dose of holy cleansing. So the mental fuzziness was definitely there for a reason.

"I vas helpless, in short. It vent srough sree oser magi before turning on me, and didn't leafe vell enough alone. I could do nosing to help zee osers, nor help myself.."

"So I vant to make it feel zee same vay."

There was a certain harshness in their tone that they didn't even hold for the mutant that harassed them for so long. "It infected me vis its diseased soughts and ideas. Burned avay who I vas and replaced my emotions vis sings zhat vere not my own."

"I cannot allow it to continue doing zhat. To anyvone. And I especially do not vant it to happen again to me."

It wasn't completely straightforward, but they explained as if it was all quite simple. Dietfried let out a sigh. "Zee vone zhat has been harassing me, it had shiny skin. It's obsessed vis its looks. I beliefe it's called 'Darkness' in some kind of irony, for it uses light magic. It has dark hair."

A simple description, but it should be enough to spot that one.

"Vhere did you spot zee vone vhich svallowed me in shadow? Did you manage to do anysing, or vas it in passing?"
(Dietfried)

"Oh..?"

It felt rather... inspiring to hear such a thing said by Dietfried. Quite frankly, it is something that he would actually like to hear, and he seems rather impressed by such.

"That's great!"

"I'm glad to hear you're willing to take a stand against that thing." A pause. "Perhaps even make it feel the same way, hm?"

But where he tells a story like that, he only gives a small bop of a head. It sounded terrible indeed - but it would only mean that Dietfried's vengeance would have to be much greater.

Right?

"It was just passing, and it was near the southern temple on the east side of Esshar."

"It's the one where you kill Shadow Sphlyx for coin. Maybe it was waiting for you?" Just a thought.

"And.."

"If you want, I think I could coax it to come out and meet you."
(Ambrose Roche)

"I do not know if I vould be able to fight it efen now. It vas a fery strong foe, from vhat I saw as it fought zee oser magi. But I vould not deny zee chance to try."

Dietfried's eyes glimmered for a moment. Corrupted cosmic flared briefly, then they lifted a hand to their head with a wince. "I.. Should pick up a healing potion, zhough. Zhis injury vould make fighting a fery bad idea."
(Dietfried)

It's understandable, really.

If Ambrose was in his shoes, he wouldn't be fighting either. To that end, he only gives him a nod, after which he remarks.

"Mhm!"

"I can understand that. You should rest properly until you've actually healed. And.." A pause.

He quietly hums, pondering over the idea.

"If you want, I could treat you further to actually speed it up." Despite the uncanny smile, it seems that Ambrose could be..

Pretty nice, actually.

"That should help you recover sooner." Another pause.

"But you definitely should rest properly until you're ready. And... likely not wait for too long."

"I'm not sure for how long this opportunity will be available, but it can wait for now."
(Ambrose Roche)

"I sink zhat vould be good, if you're capable of zhat. I'fe got a bit of a curse in my head at zee moment, so I sink furser treatment is possible." They nodded once.

There were a few things to be sure of. Was it the right mireling? That was first and foremost. Dietfried didn't care quite as much about the ones that didn't outright harm them, and given the chance would usually just leave them alone.

But if it was the right one, what then? Did they have what it took to fight them? The young foreigner glanced to the sword at their hip.

It'd be a rough one. That much was certain.

"I vill see how I am feeling after zee treatment. I hafe zee funds for medicine, so vee can likely head out soon after zhat."
(Dietfried)

"Sure, sure! I can help you out with that."

While he already turns and prepares for the treatment, fetching himself the toolbox necessary for such as any medic, he also promptly remarks.

"And, hm.."

"I'm not sure you wandering there is a good idea. You'll get ambushed by several Mire denizens, because I'll need to coax it to come outside to a certain spot."

"But.. that way? I can set up a meeting between you two, essentially."

Still, he also soon says.

"Let me inspect you."
(Ambrose Roche)

The young foreigner blinked a few times behind the mask. "Oh I did not intend to go into zhat territory, no. I meant to follow zee plan you mentioned. Finding a decent spot for zhat vould be a good sing to do togeser, so you know vhere to lead zhem."

They offered a short nod. Then they sat quite sill, allowing the young man to take a look at them. It was mainly in their mana circuitry that any injury was evident. A curse of tainted cosmic radiation.

Dietfried seemed alright despite that. A thought crossed their mind, but they let that fade for now. They didn't have much else to say.
(Dietfried)

"Hm, hm.."

Curses, no doubt. It is here that after examining Dietfried, it becomes apparently clear to him that such curse was inflicted upon the mana circuitry - something that he would have to drain through the application of runecasting.

"Let's see."

The application of runework was strenuous and it'd take a while, evidently created in order to drain the curse of as much mana as possible, followed by the dampening runework as well.

And only then does he embeds it within, soon to speak out.

"Should be better. And.."

"You should let me go in and coax them to come out - alone. You shouldn't join me in meeting them at first."

"Otherwise you risk being ganged upon at their territory. Once you're ready, I'll tell you where you could meet them."
(Ambrose Roche)

Ambrose Roche applies first aid treatment to Dietfried.

You have reduced the duration of Dietfried's If You Hear the Ringing, Pick up the Phone. injury by 50%

Dietfried watched the young man work. Runecasting was a foreign concept to them, far different from their own style. But they were curious nonetheless. It could prove useful to learn some little bit about how it worked.

Still, staring at it? It was all nonsense to them. Completely impossible to properly read. They spotted a few places where it seemed almost similar to circuitry, but that was all the more they could decipher.

And yet, when it was active, they felt a good deal of relief.

The young foreigner frowned slightly as Ambrose spoke. Was the language barrier really not getting the message across? They shook their head slightly. "I understand zhat.."

"I mean to say you need to tell me vhere to stand vhen you go in, so vhen you lead zhem out, I can be somevhere you can find me. You know, zee typical manner of setting up an ambush?" Hopefully that made it more clear.

"It's not like zhey vill follow you all zee vay back here, or to zee V.. Vell maybe zhey vould follow you to zee Vaystone."
(Dietfried)

A single nod is given to that.

That was precisely the plan that Ambrose had. Something that would hopefully work, but.. the time would tell.

"Mhm."

"That's the plan! I was going to coax them to come out with me and go somewhere away from their allies."

"Then, you could confront them while they're far from allies."

A pause.

"That is, once you're ready."
(Ambrose Roche)

So they did understand. Good, that made things much easier.

The young foreigner glanced down across their bruised form, one hand lifted to dust some of the toxic spores that still clung to their armor away.

"Wunderbar. Zhat vill be decent, zhen.. I am feeling much better after your vork, zhough I sink it vill still be a vhile until zhis curse has fully dissipated. Maybe vis a bit more aid I vill manage."

"How long do you sink ve hafe before zee creature leafes zee place you saw it? Or are you planning zhis for anoser day?"
(Dietfried)

It would be something for him to think about.

As well as properly recover by then. But whereas Dietfried remarks that he's feeling better, a smile follows.

"You're welcome!"

"And we definitely have time. I would say that... they usually wander around that area, so I could snatch them to go follow me elsewhere."

"You definitely have time to plan this out and then do it, so no rush."

A pause.

"We can do it tomorrow, yeah?"
(Ambrose Roche)

"Tomorrow.. I sink I can do zhat." Dietfried offered a nod with that. They lifted their free hand up to their right arm, testing just how it felt.

Their whole body was sore from the effort of fighting earlier. Their head hurt worst of all. But they would likely be fine by tomorrow, or at least good enough to give a fight their very best efforts.

"Vhen you hafe zee time, send me a letter. Or find me at zee Vaystone. I spend most of my time zhere if I am not trafeling."
(Dietfried)

It would most definitely be do-able by then.

To that end, he only nods, soon standing up from the bench and tapping on Dietfried's shoulder with his hand. Soon, he remarks.

"Of course!"

"I'll be around by then and seek you out. Stay safe for now, okay?" It would have to be necessary..

Until he's ready to do what he must.
(Ambrose Roche)