Soulbound (Staine x Kitten)

[Kitten]

With concerned hues, Fara watched as Oscar ventured up the tall tree, her eyes widening as she watched him maneuver up it. “Please be careful, we haven’t really healed yet from earlier!” She’d bite her lower lip nervously, staring at his feet in hopes they don’t miscalculate and end up slipping. As he reached the top of his destination, a reverberating ‘click’ resounded in her ears, followed by the immediate shifting of water from behind her. Briefly her attention was overtaken by the distributing waters, her head swiveling around to investigate. Her head was swift to turn back around and face Oscar, watching as he safely climbed down the bulky lumber. “Yeah, it was hard to not hear, but… now the lake seems to be stirred?” It didn’t make much sense to her, and she assumed the same from Oscar. His mind was hard at work as he formulated some more plans after he successfully got a reaction. He seemed to know what he was doing, or at least thought so, Fara taking a step backwards to not disrupt him or make him lose his concentration.

It almost made her head ache by how he was figuring this stuff out, not really sure on how he was piecing it all together. Though, she couldn’t help but admire his problem solving skills. “He must’ve been put through a lot of training, meaning he has to possess the talent of thinking quickly and efficiently in dire situations…” Fara thought to herself, giving a different image to paint in her head about him… but it still didn’t change the fact that he was a stubborn asshole who couldn’t bite his tongue. With a soft giggle, a smile formed on her rosy lips, shaking her head to rid of the thoughts before turning her attention back onto Oscar.

“This should do something, I’m sure this is it, I…”​

On cue, the lake behind them started to rumble louder than before, the ground vibrating beneath their feet as something was beginning to emerge from the chaotic waves. It was frightening, not knowing what was supposed to happen after the combination was made. Would the bridge really appear? Would they be met with something entirely different, like a cursed puzzle? Shakily emerging from the depths, a beautifully crafted stone bridge displayed itself as water dripped from it, a slippery sheet of water coating itself as it flowed down each side. The splashing tides rang out in her ears accompanied by the natural scent of lakeside water. Tiny droplets flung in their direction, but not enough to coat them terribly. Fara’s jaw wanted to drop, knowing that Oscar was experiencing the same feelings as her due to the lack of noise expelling from their once talkative mouths. “Wha..?” Was all she managed to mutter, the bridge reflecting off from her crimson eyes.

“Oscar, you’re a genius!” Excitedly she’d jump up and down as she clenched her hands and held them up to her chest, her vanilla tresses wailing around with her body movements. “C’mon!” Her left hand would extend outwards and reach for his right one, dragging him along with her as she made her way towards the entryway of the bridge, letting his hand go as she finally could get a proper look at the beauty before her. “I’ve never seen a trick done like that before… Wow…” After staring for a few seconds she would begin to move her legs and travel forward, hearing the chaotic splashes of water hitting the edge of the bridge as she walked. Looking behind, she would wait for Oscar to move alongside her before she moved any further.

“Do you think anything cool is going to be inside?” Fara asked as she looked around her surroundings, her mouth slightly opened in awe. Despite the stone beneath her looking slippery from the remnants of water, it wasn’t all that bad and she found it easy to pace atop of it. The closer she got to the temple, the more her heart raced. Why was it until now that it finally hit her? Was it because she was now standing before the great temple instead of daydreaming about it? Was it because there was something lurking inside that she wasn’t aware about? It didn’t matter, they had to go in. Stepping on grass and gravel now, Fara would look behind her once more to see how it looked from the opposite side. Still as beautiful as ever. “Okay, guess it’s time to go in now, huh?” Anxiously she asked Oscar, her fingers coming together to twiddle nervously as she approached it, beginning to ascend up the stairs. The only lighting that was coming into the temple was from the hole in the ceiling, allowing the sun to beat down its radiance within the silent and seemingly forgotten realm.

 

[Staine]

For Oscar, it wasn't nearly as impressive. He liked puzzles, it had been something he had very much enjoyed in his youth while his parents busied themselves with diplomacy and running an entire country he had his training, girls, and exploration. The kingdom of Zucia was a large one, full of secrets. Merchants often bought interesting trinkets from an age long past, things that didn't quite make sense to the alchemists and mages of the court and he'd found a fascination with some of them. He could remember the strange device that had seemed like a solid piece of metal but when unfolded had several blades on it, blunted and rusted knives, tiny little scissors and even spiralled metal akin to a miniature corkscrew all sheathed in red plastic with the little white cross emblem. Then there had been the leather collar with metal studs on the inside that had given a nasty shock like lightning to his friend who had tried it on, much to Oscar's amusement. It had soon stopped giving shocks at all, like it had ran out of magic. Other such trinkets had been brought back, music boxes that appeared to have no moving parts, glass devices in strange, colourful sheaths, odd tubes that seemed to give off a powerful light at the flick of a switch, bright enough to blind and daze, all of them running from some ancient magic that had soon worn out, never to be replaced. His favourite had been colourful cube made of smaller cubes that he could twist and turn. He'd made several patterns from it, used it as a decoration and once he had even managed to twist it in such a way that every side had a complete colour. He hadn't dared turn it ever since, leaving it like that.

As he climbed down and the bridge started to reveal itself he laughed at Fara's excitement and seeming amazement that he'd managed to figure it out. "I wouldn't say genius but yeah, I'm pretty impressive, aren't I? In my castle there are so many things like this, hidden passages with secret mechanisms to open them and I spent my time exploring them when I was younger. There is even one that leads to my room, I used to use it to sneak out at night to visit the town." He grinned, even if he didn't think it was anything amazing he was happy with the praise, he liked showing off, he was a proud man. "I don't suppose you have things like that where you're from huh? You'll have to visit some time, I'll show you them." He'd said it before he had even thought about it and he caught himself there, though it was too late to take it back. Did I really just invite her back to our castle? What the hell is wrong with me? It was like the more time he spent with her he was forgetting who she was, how he had felt about her people and was somehow enjoying her company. He shook it off as they approached the impressive temple. "Yeah...time to go in. Weird, this is just the first step of the quest, can you believe that? This place is so incredible, hard to imagine what lies to the north."

He stepped ahead of her, into the temple. Inside it was...empty, nothing but an inscription on the far wall and a small bowl on a plinth in the center of the room. The inscription was faded, scratched in places and the words were impossible to make out and Oscar furrowed his brow. "Empty. Well, the Oracle is meant to be here so this can't be right. Do you have any ideas?" He turned to Fara hopefully before looking around the room. "There has to be some kind of trick to this." Searching the walls, pushing in random bricks there was nothing. Nothing looked out of place, there were no clicks, no switches or levers that would reveal anything though he had the strange suspicion that the temple was bigger than this, that they were missing something important. Time went by as he searched before he sighed, exasperated, kicking the plinth at the room's center and stubbing his toe.

"Oww, fuck. What the hell are we meant to do now?" This temple had been visited by his people before, he knew his own father had been here decades past, he remembered hearing the tale of the journey, he'd come with a friend as they had explored the land on their own little adventure but unfortunately this was where their journey had ended. He could recall his father speaking of the inscription, saying that he and his friend hadn't been enough to summon the oracle, that they had been missing something and they had written down the inscription before scratching it out, determined that they would be the ones to come back eventually and solve it...except they never had. The memory of it actually annoyed Oscar now that he looked at the ruined inscription. "Why would my father send me here knowing he had done this? It doesn't make any sense..."

Then he remembered the note he had been asked to give to Fara by his father, the one she had never opened and stored away in a huff, admittedly it was probably because he'd been rather rude at the time. Turning to her, he gestured to her pack. "Umm, do you still have the scroll I gave you? It should have my family seal on it."

 

[Kitten]

“You’ll have to come visit some time, I’ll show you them.”​

Galloping like a dozen feral stallions in an open meadow, Fara’s heart leapt in glee, drinking in Oscar’s genuine offer to spend time with her despite their differences. Was he really starting to warm up? Did he mean it? It felt so pure and innocent, warm and silky as it flowed into her attentive ears.

…but…​

“...Mhm.” A sorrowful hum reverberated in her throat as the realization began to seep inside of her; who would want an Oni within the castle's walls? Even if the King and Queen – and maybe even Oscar – held respect for her and her kind, that wasn’t a promised gateway ticket when it came to being adored by everyone. Sure, they could play pretend until the righteous rulers left the premises, their absence signaling that the heated tension they felt within their hearts could luminate at its full potential. Why was everyone so fixated on the past? The cruel actions that her ancestors partook in hundreds of years ago shouldn’t be a constant reminder slapped in her face. Yes, she had their blood coursing throughout her heated veins, but did anyone realize that the future cannot change if the past is still brought up, disregarding the present day? It was sickening – so sickening that it made Fara nauseous from time-to-time. A heart-rending aura started to radiate off from her, eager to consume anyone or anything nearby to affect them as well, but before it had that opportunity she’d clear her throat and display a faux smile.

“Whelp, we won’t know until we look around and see what this place has to offer.” Fara would say aloud, hearing her small voice echo off from the thickened cemented walls, her fingertips gliding against a nearby wall to feel small pebbles and dust coat them generously. “I do admit, it does look a bit more… barren than I had envisioned. Perhaps you can brew up another brilliant puzzle-decoding tactic!” She was joking for the most part, but secretly hoped he knew something that she didn’t. Bricks were moved and hands were pressed atop anything to get a sign of moving in the right direction. Still nothing. It was evident that the large chunk of time that was wasted away from searching and getting nothing out of it was coming down onto Oscar, but when he stubbed his toe a boisterous laugh left her lips.

“Are you okay?” Once she caught her breath she’d ask, trying to loosen up the tension that this gloomy place created. “Hmm?” A scroll? When did he hand that over to her? Perking her ears upwards and shifting her head to look at him dumbfoundedly, she’d soon gasp aloud once she remembered the scroll he had given her just the other day. Hasty hands maneuvered around her belongings, whipping out the crimped roll of paper that was crumbled in there carelessly, tossing it a heated hurry. Giving him an apologetic grin, she’d begin to unfold the delicate script, her eyes soon reading over the blackened text that bled through the mini fibers.

“Fara,

Please excuse Oscar’s behavior as you two travel across these vast lands. He’s prideful and stuck in his ways, but he means well.
I’m certain you two will form a bond, and perhaps that will be later than sooner, unfortunately.
You must take him with a grain of salt, but I have a good suspicion you will retort back at him for his attitude.
He only has you to rely on, and you to him, so make the most out of it.

This then leads me to the inscription.
You know the saying ‘blood is thicker than water?’
Bloodlines wield a certain power that is unique in its own – especially that of royalty.
I know you two will not like this, but your blood must be spilled and intermingle together.
I know what you’re thinking, and no, nobody is going to die.
Take a sharpened object and slice your palm enough to produce a copious amount of fluid to drip into the bowl atop the plinth, and Oscar must do the same.
When the liquid of life swirls together, that is when the Oracle will appear...
…but this will only happen if your bloodlines are destined, almost like an invisible threaded rope that is connecting the two of you together.
After the Oracle appears, I am unsure what happens next.

Best wishes,

The King of Zucia”​

It felt as if her body was frozen in place, not anticipating his father to be so sweet and well-mannered. Definitely two opposites when she compared him with Oscar. It warmed her heart in ways she couldn’t express to know that the King was rooting for them, and her especially. Never had she received such fond words from anyone from the lands of Zucia. Not wanting her sudden awkward silence to cause suspicion to Oscar – who was more than likely curious – she’d quietly hand him the scroll, giving him an uncertain expression that was very vague before whirling around to walk before the plinth, giving him the same privacy he did for her.

Reaching towards her holsters on her right thigh, she’d grasp a hold of her dagger, bringing the sharpened blade up towards the sun’s lighting to cause it to sparkle beautifully. Peering into the mirror-like material, she would notice her distorted reflection before resting the weapon atop of the plinth, looking over her shoulder to watch Oscar’s reaction towards his father’s letter.

 

[Staine]

Oscar's brow furrowed at the noise Fara made. It sounded almost sad, or unhappy, and he couldn't quite work out what he'd said that had provoked it. Was it when he'd mentioned her visiting his home? Did she hate him so much that the very idea of it would make her unhappy? He decided not to push the issue, worried he wouldn't really like the answer. Doubt was starting to creep in as he realised it could also be because he'd said this was only the start of their quest and that would mean more time together. For his own part Oscar had started to enjoy her company, he hadn't even realised it at first but something had changed in the short time they had been journeying together, his hatred had seeped away. She wasn't really so different, maybe her appearance and the way she was raised but she'd don't nothing truly savage, nothing he'd expected. To think though, that it was a bridge he'd already burned with his attitude the day before upset him, but he explored the ruins looking for some key to finding the Oracle, something to take his mind off it and she seemed to have the same idea. "I'm looking but I'm not really seeing anything." Time had passed, more than he'd like until he'd stubbed his toe, scowling at her way too jovial laugh at his expense. "Yeah, I'm fine..." He didn't want to hold it against her but it took a lot for him to reason that he'd have probably laughed too, that she didn't mean anything by it.

Eventually he remembered the note he'd been asked to deliver to her, and he laughed softly as Fara seemed to have completely forgotten about it only to remember and go searching through her bag. Producing the note, she started to read it and he turned away, looking at the architecture, not unlike Zucia and yet it seemed so much more impressive knowing it was centuries old. When she had finished reading she simply held out the scroll to him and he took it silently, looking down to read it. The words were honestly painful to see, how his father had known what he'd be like when meeting an Oni, known Oscar would have been less than pleasant and a small blush was on his cheeks. He already knew he'd been an asshole, he didn't need this reminder but to Fara's credit she hadn't mentioned it. He felt like he wanted to tear it up, but for some reason he couldn't...the scroll had given them the answer, it didn't have a use anymore and yet it felt valuable to him still, maybe because it was his father's words, a symbol of his trust in Oscar despite his shortcomings. Carefully rolling it back up, he approached Fara and without asking he reached for her pack, opening it up and sliding the scroll in safely. "Keep it, it was meant for you anyway. Proof that even my own father knows the kind of man I became." There was a resigned tone to his voice and he didn't want to talk further on it, instead he grasped Fara's dagger by the blade, guiding it towards her palm and interlacing his fingers with hers around it. They both needed to bleed for this, and he didn't want to do it alone, he wasn't fond of being hurt as the fresh wound in his shoulder would attest. Pulling downwards, the blade cut into both of their palms and the blood ran freely, mixing with the water in the bowl and starting to swirl in an ominous fashion.

The blood swirled in the shallow pool like it didn't want to mix at first, he thought he could almost see which was his and which was hers and then it all pooled together, the whole pool becoming a deep crimson. A glow soon started to burn in the center like an ember taking flame and then as though it had dragged it out of his mind the pool did in fact burst into flame, not orange like any normal fire but a strange red hue that glowed in the light. It grew bigger and bigger and Oscar found it strange that he couldn't feel any heat from it...and then it imploded in a blinding flash of red light forcing him to avert his eyes. When he had recovered, when he looked back, a woman that he knew had to be the Oracle was sitting on the plinth, holding the bowl with their mixed blood in her palm as she lazily swirled it around with her finger. "I already knew the bloodlines would come together one day, but it's one thing to know and another to bear witness to it." She looked first at Fara, looking her up and down as though she was appraising her, then over at Oscar himself. "Less impressive than I imagined, but there is no doubt about it, royalty too. I'm honoured."

Oscar once again found himself frustrated. Was this really meant to be the Oracle? "I'm not the only one that's a disappointment...you don't look that wise and all-knowing to me." The Oracle turned to him as he spoke and he could have sworn he saw a glimmer of amusement in her eyes as she spoke back to him. "You wouldn't be the first to underestimate me, your ancestors did much the same, Prince of Zucia." Annoyed, Oscar snorted and his stance was defensive, his arms crossed in front of him. "Whatever, you have to know why we are here then, if you know everything.

"Of course I do, child. You're looking to find the ancient ancient relics that once held the darkness at bay and restore them to their proper place and blah, blah, blah. Isn't it always some mythical quest with you types?" She seemed almost bored, it was infuriating to him, this was meant to be serious, why was she behaving like this?? "Oh calm down, I can feel your temper rising, prince. I've been waiting for a long time, let me have my fun..." She reached into her robes, and pulled out a small golden ring with a ruby set in it. "Here we are. As you might not know, there is a great evil rising, the demons that both kingdoms once fought together have started to break the seal holding them in place, the artifact that once bound them has been shattered into 3 different pieces. That would be what you were sent to find...but you'll never retrieve it like you are now." She almost smirked as she looked Oscar over, why wasn't she being like this towards Fara?? "You're still far too divided, this won't do at all. Obviously the pieces are all to the north, the first of them north-east in a deep, dark cave, guarded by the most fearsome of beasts...but like all the demon abodes you can't just walk in, only two kinds of beings can enter a demon lair...those demons powerful enough to have captured at least one soul...and their thrall." The Oracle laughed, it was practically a giggle, the product of some cruel inside joke as she held up the ring she was holding.

"See this ring? The wearer will be able to pass for a demon, though unfortunately they might end up with shall we say 'cruel' desires? It's a heavy burden to bear, which of you do you think will be able to handle it? You'll need a strong will to resist the darkness that comes with demonic power and lusts and retain your humanity." Oscar really didn't like the sound of that, his people prided themselves on their purity, of not being tainted like Fara's own were considered to be. "And that comes with the power to absorb souls...which is just as well. A thrall has no soul, so do you think you can trust your soul with her, prince?" She gave him a pointed look, then turned towards Fara, smirking. "Or would you rather be the one to make such a sacrifice? I can't promise you'll ever get it back, but if one of you doesn't take the ring and become part demon, albeit temporarily, and the other doesn't sacrifice their soul to their soul and free will then your journey ends here and you will both have to walk home with your tails between your legs." The oracle was playing with the ring, letting it dance between her fingers. "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that's just how these things work."

Oscar was wide-eyed, trying to wrap his head around all of this. "You have to be kidding...like I'd give up my soul so easily! It's my soul...would it be returned? This...this can't be worth such a price!"

 

[Kitten]

As she idly stood there, waiting for Oscar to finish reading the scroll, she'd then be greeted to the sound of oncoming footsteps, the silence worrying her more since the letter was so jampacked with rich emotions and feelings. Luckily, he didn't seem too upset, and allowed him to casually place it back within her pack with no questions or retaliation. They've endured so much already, there was no need for added fuel to the fire. Due to the tone of his voice, Fara chose to not delve further into his reaction towards the letter and instead swiveled around to face him, aware that they must bleed together to conduct the main purpose of their travels.

How did he have so much courage and strength to knowingly hold the sharpened blade up against their palms, wanting to cause enough damage to see the crimson within their veins spill? Fara's body stiffened, her trembling lower lip quickly ceased by her upper teeth, nibbling on the delicate flesh to soothe her rising nerves. Those hues scanned his, wanting some form of reassurance just by the way he gazed back into her own orbs. He was unflinching, swift to effortlessly glide his hand downwards to make a quick yet impactful slice through their palms, the Oni instinctively jumping from the dull pain but did not retract her hand away from him. Instead, she held onto it tightly, feeling the ever-growing liquid seep into the spaced between heir palms to pool down and trickle from their hands, combining into the bowl. It was oddly fascinating to see the different shades of scarlet whirl together, but that curiosity was short lived, the action now commencing as the Oracle burned brightly before releasing from her prison.

She was... absolutely beautiful, to say the least. Fara's eyes drank in her radiance, feeling this odd sensation enlighten her very core. Since she was right here in the flesh, that meant this was meant to be! It felt bittersweet to know that after all this time, they needed to wait for Oscar and Fara to make this blossom into a new reality.

"Please, be respectful, Oscar." Fara snarled at the stubborn Prince who was already picking a fight with the Oracle, albeit there was no need for the Oracle to be this snippy in return either. "She can easily just leave us in the dark and not come back, we don't want to anger her and leave empty handed, right?" And with her stern warning, she rotated her head to give the majestic woman her full attention. It seemed as if she favored picking on Oscar, her snarky attitude causing Fara to clench her hands tightly to subside any rude or inconsiderate comments to come out of her untamed mouth, but once she mentioned the ring, and someone becoming more demonic, her mouth dropped at the proposition.

"Cruel desires? What is that supposed to mean? And what is the point of even having control of his soul? Is it so those cruel desires don't manifest and shape him into something that he's not?" So many questions and scenarios fluttered inside of her scattered mind, not knowing what to do yet not wanting to go back home empty handed. The dangers that the Oracle spoke of seemed to be quickly approaching, and if something wasn't done the world as they knew it would no longer be... "Can't I just be the bearer of it, or would it not make sense for someone who already has demonic blood coursing through their veins and to gain more power from it?" Her head turned to gaze at Oscar, her eyes filled with worry and fear, before looking back towards the Oracle. "I know we got off on the wrong foot together, but I promised my people and his to protect him with my life. We've already managed to get into some trouble before we came over here, and despite our differences we still protected one another to stand before you today. That must account for something?"

Fara hadn't displayed any side of her that pledged to protect Oscar at all costs, so it must've came to a surprise to hear those sweet words flow effortlessly from her rosy lips, but she also didn't want it to come off as he was weak and needed her protection. To cover her trail she would then add more. "I need him, be it at his best or at his worst. I know he'll make sure I'm safe when it all boils down to it, and I trust him. I give my blessing to proceed with this since you're making this out to be life or death to not just us, but everyone. If I can protect our families and people I will do anything in my power to ensure these actions are played out for a successful future." Kneeling down before the Oracle respectfully, she'd bow her head and allow her elegant tresses to linger downwards, wondering how Oscar would take to these change of events.

 

[Staine]

"Respectful? She started it, why aren't you telling her to be respectful?" Oscar sounded slightly indignant, already a little annoyed at how the Oracle had thrown that little dig in there, it felt like there had been no need to insult them but she'd gone and done it anyway. Honestly, she didn't seem very much like he'd expected her to, much more aloof and carefree with her words. When he'd pictured meeting the Oracle he'd thought she would be more...angelic? He'd expected her to speak in riddles or rhymes, her words to sound like poetry and he'd expected wisdom, he'd thought her very presence would demand reverence and yet two minutes in her presence and he wanted to slap her. "Oh relax, she won't leave, who else is she going to get to do this if not us? She said herself she's been waiting forever, right?" He turned back to the Oracle who was already grinning like the cat that got the cream. "Yes, Oscar, you should be more respectful, though I'm used to dealing with arrogant princes." She turned towards Fara, and the smirk she'd given Oscar was replaced by a smile. "Thank you dear, it must have been so awful travelling with such a bore." Fuming, Oscar tried to ignore her, clearly the Oracle had something against him while she was being perfectly civil towards Fara.

"I mean cruel desires, as in the wearer of the ring might become a little... mean, sweetie." Yeah, she definitely seemed to like Fara, which was just something else that annoyed Oscar, how unfair she was being. "You could wear the ring, it's true, but it might be harder to take it from you when the time comes to put the ring aside, it may bond to you, your demonic blood may crave it, embrace it far easier." She paused, trying to find the right words. "I'm not saying your evil of course, you know you aren't but you might just be more easily corrupted than one who doesn't have such blood. No...it would be best for the prince to wear the ring, though I don't have much faith in his willpower either..." She gave Oscar another side look again that was already starting to make his temper flare, but he managed to look past it. "But if I wear this I get these cruel desires... a little mean you said?" He glanced at Fara. There was no doubt he'd already been a bit of an asshole to her but she seemed to be on the verge of forgiving him for that, they were actually starting to get along despite all the odds. If the ring brought that side out of him then he worried for how she would handle it. "And to get into the demon's lair I'd have to..." "Take her soul, yes. Fara isn't a true demon, while her race has a little of their blood in them they are in full possession of mortal souls while a true demon has something different, the demonsoul. I should explain how it works."

The Oracle held up the small ring so that both could see it, after listening to Fara's speech. "You have more faith in him than I do, Fara. Anyway, the ring! Once it's put on it will form a barrier around the wearer's own soul, a barrier of demonic energy. It will shield it from view so that their soul cannot be detected while it slowly transforms it into a demonsoul, but will allow enough of it to leak through that the wearer may maintain something of themselves...though the longer it's worn the worse it will get so I do recommend you take it off every few days to rest, to recover. The process is reversible, a mortal soul is strong and resilient, if you manage to take the ring off before your soul is completely transformed then it will purge itself of the demonic energy over time...but If you wear it too long you will never take it off. The demonic powers it provides can be quite intoxicating...you'll be faster, stronger, you may gain other abilities but one you'll definitely have is the power to take other souls. Since Fara still has her soul, you'll have to take that from her, it will be kept alongside your own inside the barrier, but..." She looked directly at Fara. "As he would have your soul, you would be bound to him. If he tells you to do something, gives you a command, no matter what it is you will feel compelled to obey, it would take an enormous amount of willpower to disobey a direct command from one who possesses your mortal soul and if you resist for too long it could very well be the end of you...so are you sure you trust this man with your soul, Fara? To take care of it, and not just your soul but your body and mind as well?" She laughed softly and gave Oscar a look that clearly said she wouldn't trust him as far as she could throw him, holding out the ring.

Oscar reached out to take it, feeling it drop into his palm. It felt ice cold, but that's all, not the rush of power he expected to feel and he turned to Fara. "I don't know if this is a good idea...is the quest worth it? If I put this on...I don't want to lose my soul, and I don't want to hurt you, I was already an asshole to you and I just managed to get you to like me a little..." He chuckled but it was evident how nervous he really was. "Do you really trust me with this? With your soul? Do you think I'll have the strength to take it off before it takes me over completely?" It didn't seem like a good idea to him but the only alternative was to abandon the quest entirely, to return home empty handed. He still didn't understand the significance of what they were searching for anyway, his parents hadn't been very forthcoming with it but it seemed important, this seemed like more than just a rite of passage.