Less then trilled

[loveless]

Alexander left, at his normal time at night. A cool wind blew, signaling that in face winter had arrived. His least favorite season of them all. Normal attire of shirt jacket and pants he hadn't prepared for the cool weather, he had been planning on staying around the lake or something. He rarely did much because plants died around this time, and not to mention the fact that animals and birds had been leaving and preparing for hibernation late fall. The walk he was taking was a quiet one, cold hands resting at his sides as he walked on to the home that he wished he could find a sensible excuse to not visit. His jade green eyes stayed on the path that he walked as he fought within himself.

Ryae, the picture perfect result of what an assist should be. He status of assist was a valuable one to his Enchantress who was not missing. It was as if there powers were one of the most to be respected from magical beings. Not to mention that the Pastor had made a living among the villagers, so he had their respect and encouragement. Yet Alex was traveling over, broken, askew, and without his Goddess, the topic of his evening. Yet if Ryae wouldn't shut the door in his face, or if he would even answer the door at that Alex would have to be thankful.

It wasn't very often that the dark haired assist had a very positive view point on someone, and this was as close as it would probably get because over the years Alex's hate also had eaten away at the way he thought about the other assist. So now he was rather envious, which could be taken as flattery because he hated almost every other being in existence.

Having made it to the door of the pastors house, all he could do was stand out front for a few moments. Looking at the door as he questioned himself if he was seriously doing this... With that thought he reached out and knocked firmly on the door. Only to find a few flakes of snow falling around him. He looked up to the cloudy skies, knowing that winter was once again here.

[In-Between Enchantress]

The night was old and the world dark as Ryae's tea kettle whistled. The sound shrill and sharp, a sock and sweatpants clad man padded over to the kitchen. He'd already changed into his pajamas for the night, watching a bit of some foreign game show in the living room to past the time. But finally his nightly ritual had officially begun. Walking one room over and arriving at the stove, the steam emitting from the black pot fogged up his glasses a bit. It was a wonderful feeling, and the boiling water gurgled as he poured it steadily into his waiting cup. Grabbing a herbal tea bag from a small glass jar waiting expectantly beside him, Ryae set it in with a faint plopping noise. He picked up the brimming cup and walked slowly back to his waiting TV and couch. His cup sloshing wonderfully, the house quiet all but for the faint babble of the show in the background, the man gave a smile.

Ah... This was the simple life. This was his life. The fire continued to crackle merrily in his fireplace, almost as if it was agreeing with him. And he had just sat himself down into his squishy seat and placed his drink on the coffee table when it happened.

The door bell rang?

Ryae, truth be told, flinched horribly at the sound. His eyes widened as he twisted around to look over his shoulder and at the front door. Who on earth would be calling at this hour? It had to be nearly midnight! Hesitantly, the spirit got to his feet. Trodding over to the doorway he came to grasp the shining brass bulb of the doorknob. But in the act, an odd feeling came over him. Blinking rapidly, Ryae realized it was a weird shiver of shorts, tingling up his fingertips and coming to vibrate in his spine. It gave him a mental shock.

...Something was behind that door.

Opening the way wide, goosebumps rose on his arms as his baggy, oversized white long-sleeve did little to block the winter chill. A gust of cool air greeted him, along with a sight he hadn't expected to see. In a very long, long while.

"This...is unexpected," mumbled the pastor, raising his free hand to push his glasses a bit further up the bridge of his nose. He tried not to let his suprise show too much, lest he be rude. "It's...been awhile...brother."

And he opened the door all the way, moving off the side, giving room for the Goddess' assist to enter his home.

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[loveless]

Swallowing the lump that seemed to have formed in his throat had not been an easy task. Not at that moment at least, and he paused slightly, unmoving to only look at the man that stood inside his house. He had not seen this assist in quite some time, but even as he stood looking at him any displaced anger was only masked by his slight fear of the situation. It was as if he was on another planet now, not having felt a strong presence of another assist in quite some time. And by strong, he could almost feel the presence oozing out of the door. He guessed that this is what had caused the lump to form in the first place.

After his pause, he realized how rude this was. Ryae had opened the door for him, greeting him, and all he had given in return was a blank stare and an awkward unmoving silence that let cool air slip through the mans door. Finally, he did his best to stay steady as he walked into the mans house. Once inside he just continued to stare. Wow had he been out of the social loop for far too long. To bad Ryae wasn't some kind of plant or animal, then Alex the little outcast of society would have no issues with talking to him. "Sorry to have interrupted you night... so... unanounced..." He said, for the first time it was as if he was keeping his anger away, that or it was the nervousness of the situation that caused him to try and be civil. "I know its been a long time," he said glancing down and off to the side, "things haven't been the same sence..." He stopped himself again, realizing that his words just seemed to get more twisted up the more he spoke. Giving a sigh he looked up from the ground.

"I am going to be blunt. I think that I need your help, I wouldn't be surprised if you denied your assistance to me. But I feel as if you are my last hope." He said, and it was the sad honest truth. A sad, halfhearted grin cracked to his face. Which it didn't even look right considering the fact that he might as well have forgotten how to give a smile over the years.

[In-Between Enchantress]

An awkward silence was the first greeting to Ryae's polite words, causing the man to become slightly concerned. He closed his eyes and gave a hesitant, rather forced smile. "Don't be shy," he added, as his company finally walked though the doorway. The Goddess' assist - Alexander, was his name? - seemed to be a very reserved fellow. The boy's shoulders were drawn high and his posture stiff. As those dark eyes darted around the sight of his living room, Ryae motioned to the couch. It was the only seat in the room anyway. "Care to rest your legs? It is a bit of a hike from the lake to here..." He took his own seat back, plopping down his spot closest to where he’d placed his tea on the coffee table.

The robe he was wearing pooled as Ryae leaned forward and grabbed his drink. One hand delicately around the slim handle, the other being warmed by the bottom of the cup, he brought the concoction to his lips. It slipped down smoothly. At least being distracted by a visitor had allowed it to cool somewhat. Lowering his hands so that they and their cargo rested in his lap, the pastor turned to Alex. His lips were drawn tight in thought, but his eyes sparkled with expectations. What was this all-but-stranger here for? Could his mission be as life threatening as it sounded?

“Tell me your troubles – more specifically,” the assist stated, closing his eyes and taking yet another slow sip.

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[loveless]

Alexander declined the offer to sit, finding that he was more relaxed standing. Yes, it was quite a hike, yet if he sat down he felt like he would be relaxing at a time when he should be taking action. He was tired to the Harvest Goddess missing, coming to the realization that he was turning out just as the lake... if she continued to be missing, what would happen to him?... Who would he become? His lip formed a tight line, watching Ryae sit and start drinking some warm liquid that had a warm smell to it. The smell seemed to at least have a sort of calming effect on Alex, just enough for him to be possibly just a second more patient.

“Tell me your troubles – more specifically,” Alexander took a deep breath.

"As you should know, the Harvest Goddess has gone missing." Alex said, the tone in his voice harsher then his appearance. "I have been trying to figure out why she disappeared in the first place. Yet I haven't found any reason for her absence. That hasn't stopped me from trying to find ways of bringing her back..." He paused, gaze hardening a little more as the effects of the smell of the tea rubbed off. "Yet nothing has worked so far in my efforts alone..." The lump in his throat returned, almost making it hard for him to even breath. "So I am searching for assistance from the other assists." He managed, the words sounding very tight coming from his mouth. After all was said he stood in anticipation for a reply hoping that one would come soon.

[In-Between Enchantress]

Ryae's face fell a bit as the request became apparent. This was about rescuing the Goddess. A sticky situation was forming, and the man briefly wondered just how long Alex had been out of the social loop. Did he have any idea what he was asking? Lowering his tea back to the coffee table, he blinked slowly, methodically. What could he say to such a request? Suddenly Ryae's body seemed to remember the time of night, and his limbs felt heavy and lead-like. Much like his heart, as he came to realize how difficult this was going to be.

"...Have you forgotten?" he all but whispered, staring dismally down into his cup. An odd silence filled the room while Ryae tried to find his words, and the music from the game show babbled softly in the background. A buzzer sounded as a contestant ran out of time, and the crowd groaned in response. Guilt climbed up his throat and threatened to choke him as the assist spoke again: "...We are enemies, remember?"

It was a truth that screamed in the mind of anyone aware of the Deities that ruled the valley! It was so blatantly obvious, that Ryae felt awkward saying it out loud. The Harvest Goddess, the In-Between Enchantress, and the Wicked Witch claimed to be rivals to the grave. They hated each other with a passion so fierce that his beloved mistress was now deep in hiding, the Witch's face scared for life, and the Goddess mysteriously missing in action. Yet here comes Alex! His rival's creation, the other half of the powerful being, waltzing in to his living room and asking for assistance? Was this an attempt at a truce? It was already startling that the boy was visiting him... But had the world gone mad?!

Yet while this war raged inside his head, no expression betrayed Ryae's features. All was bleak and blank as the tea seemed to captivate him.

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[loveless]

Alexander's hopes seemed to be dampened by the man's reaction. Ryae seemed to become uncomfortable by the situation, only fueling Alex's anger. As well as his determination. "You think I have forgotten such a thing?" Alex said raising an eyebrow, words harsh. "You think it was easy for me to walk over here and ask such a request? I tried it on my own to bring her back, and I failed. I think that you would only be able to understand my situation if your Enchantress up and disappeared into thin air. What would you do?" He crossed his arms, fists clenched as he thought of ways that he could persuaid the man.

"Just because we are enemies doesn't mean that such a request is so far fetched. There is a balance, is there not between the three powers? The whole reason we became enemies was because of this power struggle, and in the end how there was a needed balance that no one was willing to give." He hissed, shaking his head. "What if the Harvest Goddess truly has disappeared? What do you think that could do to that balance if the land continues to die? Without her there are no hopes for balance to be restored, meaning that the arguments and us being enemies will continue for who knows how long." His tone had risen, mainly because the fact he really couldn't control things like that anymore. He used to be so kind hearted and happy just like his Goddess... Yet the times of that have passed and are long gone. Yet how the arguments had started, he always had time to think about how they had gotten to where they all had.

Funny thing is, as valid as his points were his passion mainly came from wanting the Goddess back. He was being honest about the situation at hand, yet he was slightly deceving because all his goal was to do was to get the Goddess back. That was his only goal, not to restore the balance. He was trying to make it seem like he didn't only have his interests in mind. He hoped that this would work on Ryae. All he had now was to wait for Ryae's reply.

[In-Between Enchantress]

He was right. Oh, why was this socially inept spirit man right? While his mistress might not always be the most "logical" about things like grudges, preferring to hold them deep, dark, and close to her heart, Ryae was a much more forgiving type. Perhaps it was his religious background? It made him much prefer to smooth things over and promote peace. He would never tell the Enchantress - oh no, never - but the pastor secretly dreamed of what it would be like to live without this constant war. Yes! It might be a battle fought invisibly.

But that didn't make it any less vicious.

More babble softly buzzed from the television set and Ryae took another gentle sip of tea. Wow. He'd never thought he'd find himself pondering such controversial things when he'd starting a pot of boiling water earlier tonight. He felt a bit like a traitor. But...he also felt a little bit empowered. He stared blankly at the TV screen that was some distance before him, not taking a thing in. The man avoided eye contact.

"...What do you want me to do?"

The Enchantress would have his figurative head if she got wind of that sentence.

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[loveless]

What was this? Was a small glimmer of hope actually coming to Alexander's face? Had his persuasion actually worked against the man? He blinked a few times, his anger seeming to leave him as a look of shock seemed to sweep him off his feet. Yet even as the situation seemed less bleak then it had before their was still the issue that he had no idea what he was doing. So the small amount of happiness, or excitement that he felt was dampened.

"Thing is, I don't really know what to do exactly. But you have a rather important status in the village, being the priest and all. It could have something to do with the villagers connections with each other... or the work ethic of the townspeople at that. I would say that the feud between the three could be keeping the Harvest Goddess away. But I don't know of things that we could do to try and solve that problem..." He sighed hands reaching his face as he rubbed it tediously for a few moments to shake away any emotions that were too dark. "I feel that with your help that this just might work..." He added under his breath.

[In-Between Enchantress]

His mind was flying. So many possibilities had opened up in the pastor's world just but uttering that single sentence. He...was no longer at war. At least with this particular assist. He knew that the Enchantress would still be furious if she detected what she was sure to call "treason"... Yet all the same, an odd flicker of something lit inside his heart. Was it anxiety? Anticipation? Or - dare he think it - ...hope? The babble of the television was now completely lost on him. The tea in Ryae's hands was slowly growing colder and colder, but that wasn't a concern any longer. Something larger than him was quickly being forced into play. How was he supposed to take this shift in direction?

First and foremost: they had to keep this quiet. He loved his mistress far too much to want to have her fret. Heaven knew that she would most likely be a sobbing mess of fury if she thought he, her one true friend, had abandoned her.

"Listen to me," began the man, setting down his cup on the table and running a hand though his snowy hair. "This whole operation must be a complete secret. This whole valley could come crumbling down on our very heads if we don't play our cards right. ...But as for a solution?" His glasses flashed as she came to face his companion, gaze concerned yet firm. Truth be told? He really didn't know "the way" to save the boy's beloved Goddess. But...he did have resources of his own. He "knew people", after all.

"I...have no clear idea as of yet on how to pull this off. But...I think I might be able to do some research. The Enchantress is a hoarder of books, many of them pages of ancient magic and knowledge. If I go into her quarters and manage to borrow one..." Ryae's eyes wandered off as he spoke. While it was one thing to think of going behind the great woman's back, it was quite another to actually speak of the blasphemy. He felt a small coil of guilt clench his gut as he continued.

"...If I go and borrow one, we might be able to make some ground. That's all I can promise you as of now."

[loveless]

Alex actually gave a smile, chuckling as Ryae seemed to be worried that he might tell anyone. He knew it was a precaution that should be taken, but in the end who would he really tell in all honesty. "No need to worry, I was sworn to secrecy before I had even talked to you." He said, his smile fading just about as fast as it had come to him. "But I understand how delicate the situation is, you have the most at risk..." He said, tucking his hands in his pant pockets with a sigh. "I am going to owe you a lot if this works, and as for your book idea this could lead us to the key to find a balance between the three." He said with soft nod. His gaze became rather dark when he thought for a few moments.

"I will leave you soon, but I just thought that I should let you know..." He paused, the sound of the TV lulling in the background. "Domenic appeared awhile back, he showed up at the lake. He seems to be in on this, actually he doesn't seem to be up to anything because he seems to want to get out of his connections with the Witch." Alex's expression darkened. "I personally think that he is being genuine because we ran into each other by luck. I haven't talked to him in awhile, but the last time I did he was actually offering a gift to the lake, trying to pledge himself to the Goddess now. I am still hesitant around him, and he bugs the hell out of me. But I am not about to be so naive to trust him blindly... He is willing to help, so I just thought I would warn you of this before I left..." Alex said, praying that this factor hadn't ruined the chances to bring back the Goddess.

[In-Between Enchantress]

Dominic? Here? Why, he hadn't seen the spirit in what felt like ages. Ryae vaguely remembered him as a rather shady fellow, quick to charm and quick to dart away. Of course, those had only been first impressions. The two had met face-to-face only a handful of times. Why, he even knew more about Alexander than he did Dominic. And that was saying something.

It had been a shock enough when the assist had left his master. The very act had been inconceivable - actually, thought of as impossible - until it had been proven otherwise. Dom was his own man. The very act of leaving his mistress, no matter how cruel she was, left the pastor on edge. Even if he wasn't as lucky to have an, at heart, kind souled woman as his other half, he still could never even imagine leaving her side. It just would be too painful. Not only emotionally, but Ryae figured something bad would happen physically as well. He wasn't really sure what would happen. The man obviously never had a reason to test his theories. But all the same, an odd feeling of both caution and respect made itself present whenever he thought about the lone assist. He must have worked some kind of magic to separate himself so cleanly...

At this, for the first time since his guest arrived, Ryae took a risk and offered up a tiny smile. It was a rather small gesture, but one all the same. "Thanks for your words. I'll keep them in mind." But giving Alex a glance out of the corner of his eye, he added, "Although please don't take offense if I ask you to leave now. As you now know, I have much work ahead of me."

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[loveless]

Alex couldn't help but give a smirk as he gave a swift nod. "None taken, its understandable." He was just glad to now have another person that would be assisting him with his efforts. Sure, he would prefer if he could do everything on his own, but that apparently wasn't going to happen. He was just praying that this would work now. "I am sorry to have disturbed you." He said, having taken note of what seemed to be a nightly ritual, without of coarse a face from the past showing up and asking tasks of him that could change the bond of the three for the better. "Thanks for hearing me out, I hope you have a good night, or whats left of it." He offered taking a step back wards, and before he knew it a genuine smile came to his face. Excitement bubbled in his chest, even if it would only last a few moments. He was getting closer to getting her back, he could feel it. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. "If you need me, you know where to find me." He added, hands still in his pockets as he turned and headed to the door.

Once he left, closing the door behind him as the cold and the snow greeted him his smile dampened. The cold nipping at him as if they carried the the weight of the possible outcome of the situation not working. He stood thinking a few moments, eyes focused on the clouds overhead that released the white flakes of water down on the earth. After giving a sigh, the puff of breath floating in the air, he once again started his journey back to the lake, to wait. That was all he could do now.