Private Finished Fate of Flower and Flame: Dalia encounters Pallavi

Deep in the dark forest, on an otherwise cloudless day a single large dark cloud hands over a small patch of empty land devoid of trees in an otherwise endless forest. Cold rain falls down from the sky as though a monsoon as it waters a wonderful bouquet of flowers radiating out from a single massive flower in the center, its petals folded up like an egg protecting something precious inside. Resting behind the fleshy petals sleeps a girl sleeping within a pool of golden honey. Yet even in rest, her mind scans her surroundings filtering the lesser minds of lesser creatures as she kept constant vigil against those who could potentially seek to destroy her. There has been an usual amount of encroachment into her territory that had left Pallavi wondering: wondering if they were searching for her?

As her mind searched out... she could someone miles out approaching far too close for her comfort. As the the individual inched closer and closer... Pallavi judge that now was the time to issue her warning... a warning she has issued many times before. As her mind focused in on the intruder penetrating deep into the forest, she establish a connection between her minds with theirs.

[Why thou intrude my domain? Are thou in search of something lost?] questioned the disembodied voice. The voice had calm, almost musical quality to it as it reverberated inside Dalia's head. If Dalia was to inspect her surroundings she would see only same mangled trees stretching out in all directions. [Whatever brings thou here, beseech you leave here with haste for this land holds many dangers. To press forward would be to invite death I am afraid. I can guide you safely past twisting wood and choking vine if thou promise not to venture further.]

@Kada

As Pallavi listened to the reply, she understood the situation as it was one she had encountered before. People will go to great lengths to find the ones they loved now lost in the forest, even when that means they become hopelessly lost as well and often find themselves become unfortunate prey. While she... sympathized with her plight she knew that she could give the help this person seeks for as great her telepathic reach is, the forest is vast and can hide many things.

"I... I hear thou and... I'm sorry... I am truly sorry. If thou is looking for him, I know not where he may be. I only know that whomever thou are looking for... thou will not find them here. This forest is endless... its twisting trees a labyrinth... and if thou continue I fear you too will become part of this forest forever. I ask that you leave now before it is too late."

Part wished that she could help but she knows that fate of many who stray too long within this forest either become part of the forest in some way or... devoured by it. Hopefully she doesn't have to devour this person as well... having to kill someone merely looking for their other half but had the misfortune to wander into her was always the worst feeling

Dalia Tor? She... wasn't familiar with this Goddess... but whomever they were they should have cared a bit more. Though she claimed to be some deity of protection... part of her wondered if Dalia could even protect herself? Better yet... can she even protect herself from a goddess? She hoped that there would be no confrontation between the two of them but with Dalia fast approaching fast she is starting to force her hand to take action.

[I'm... I'm really sorry about losing thou... your boyfriend... ] communicated Pallavi, dropping of her attempts to sound like some ancient and regal forest spirit and proceeding to communicate with Dalia normally via telepathy [... but he is not here, it is only you and I within this patch of woods for miles around. If I knew where they were... I would have tried to guide you to him at last I cannot. So... I'm really sorry. Also... I am sorry to ask but I also ask that you go back home... to the rest of your friends and family you speak of protecting. Or... taking your search elsewhere? Anywhere but here.]

With her telepathic message sent, Pallavi opens her eyes wide awake and unfurls her petals as she raises out of the pool of golden nectar within the flower's cavity. As she rises up and tidies herself, the globs of nectar clinging to her skin and clothes melts away s the heavy rains clean them off. Her eyes looked to the patch of forest in the direction where she sensed Dalia earlier. Perhaps if she can hide herself before Dalia can see whom she really was... she could still have a chance to convince her to return home or at least take her search elsewhere. It was their best hope... for both of their sakes.

With a single raise of her arm, the rains did cease as the clouds above dispersed. With another gentle swing of her arm, she commanded the formation of an obscuring fog to hide herself and her hidden place, her last veil to maintain secrecy from the prying eyes of the world outside. While part of her hoped that she had the powers to help her in her time of grief... the best help she knows that she can offer to remain hidden and hope that she moves one without her... she.... she really didn't want to have to kill goddess... if such a thing was possible.

If Dalia was to look up during her lamentations, she would see off into the distant trees as an unnatural fog rolling in before coming to a sudden stop. There was a flash of dark silhouette deep withing the fog until it grew too thick that it blocks all vision to peer further within. If she was to brave inside she would find it hides a wonderious garden of wet flowers... and perhaps the source of the voice that had spoken to her ealier, or some other danger.

"No..." called out Pallavi's true voice, as it is emitted outwards from the center of the fog "... I am not Jaxxy... I am sorry..."

Pallavi flicks her tongue outward, tasting Dalia's exact location even with the heavy fog surrounding them both. She closed her eyes for the briefest moment, knowing that Dalia was never her enemy... that she was but an innocent bystander now caught in her trap... a trap of her own design that she wished she was never a part of. Instead of Jaxxy as Dalia had hoped... instead she found herself...

Just then a flurry of thick roots erupt from the ground, tearing through the delicate flowers in their frantic scramble to coil around. While Dalia may have been quick on her feet and sensed something amiss, even Dalia's natural combat instincts were not enough to deal with the volume of vines assulting her at once. Eventually two roots manage to coil around Dalia's legs and drag her to the center where Pallavi was rooted. With Dalia now in front of her, she dismissed the fog so that she could get a good look at her to see whom she had been dealing with this entire.

"I am sorry that I am not the one you are looking for... but I warned you not to came here yet you ignor-" before she could finish her sentence, she was taken aback by how... young Dalia was now that the fog had cleared. This little girl... braved through the forbidden forest just to find her boyfriend... such bravery but also such foolishness that is about to get her killed... had she just... listened to her...

"Your... just a just a kid? Like me? Oh no no no no.... why... why why why..." lamented Pallavi as as stomach tied into a knot, seeing not Dalia but a reflection her her younger self. She shook her head and rubbed her temple... knowing that if she wanted to live she was going to have to take a life... even one so young.

"I'm s-sorry... I am... I am going to have to kill you... b-but..." Pallavi then loosened her grip, allowing Dalia to drop to the flower bed just in front of her as she tries to hide behind a pained smile.

"M-maybe we can h-hold off on that... j-just a moment. I... can't let you leave this place so umm... d-don't try to go anywhere. Y-you wont g-get very far anyway so... sorry about that. But you probably have... a lot of things to say so... ummm... I will at least allow you t-to say your peace and answer your questions. A-at least until your...comfortable w-with dying... I'm sorry... I wish it wasn't like this but... its the way it has to be..."

She trails off, giving Dalia a sympathetic look... looking down to a lamb ready for slaughter.

Okey... Pallavi had to admit she was expecting Dalia to be a sobbing mess after telling that she was going to have to kill her but... if anything it just made the girl suddenly become bold... very bold. This was... different though Pallavi was unsure if that was a good or bad thing for herself. At least she wasn't crying which made things... slightly better. Most people turned into a complete mess when she gave them the unfortunate news. Though when she claimed that she would revive upon death this sent a chill down her spine.

"W-wait... you that if- oooh no... t-then that means..." Pallavi nibbles on a fingernail, thinking over what that could mean for her. She blinks several times in rapid succession, each time the color of her eyes changing to some pair of random colors. She put her thoughts on pause as Dalia inquired about her herself to which she obliged. After all... she had not made any mores to flee as of yet.

"OH... ummm... Pallavi... Pallavi Weathers? And uhh...y-you may have heard of me g-going missing a few... a few years ago, t-the young naga who went missing in the forest?" Pallavi looked down to her petals and lets out a sigh before looking back to Dalia "... and yes... I am now a... become one with a ssynthesis flower... b-but its not what you think! I... I have c-control of this... of this body... or at least mostly in control... the flower... its still there... whispering in the back of my head. B-but... I will make sure that Petals w-wont hurt you... well... for now..." assured Pallavi, putting on a big awkward smile before she frowns and plays with the braids of her hair.

"B-but.... yes this why I am here. If... if people knew I was out here... and reported back... the government will send out their exterminators and... and they will burn me again! Burn me with that... sticky fire you can't put out!" explained Pallavi, her voice becoming a little panicy as she hugs her side of the body, revealing massive scaring on parts of her humanoid body.

"T-they will come with the fire and I... and I don't want to die like that! I don't want to die in such... pain and agony. D-dad ssaved me from t-that fate... said the h-he will come back for me when... when things are safe for me. B-but until then I... I stay here... try to hide... from people like you..."

She looked to Dalia and sighed, she was at bit of loss as to what to do with her... for if she now knew her secret but she can't just kill her to ensure silence. And... she can't trust that she will believe her and keep her existance a secret... everyone knew that synthesis flowers were manipulative even if she tried to insist that the was somehow a special case.

"S-so... that me... and your... your a Dalia? I knew a girl named Dalia back at the school but... you look nothing like her. Sorry if thats... a weird thing to say..." commented Pallavi, keeping her eyes firminly on Dalia, flicking her tongue every once in while to taste the air to ensure it was just the two of them at the moment.