#ᴄʟᴏᴜᴅᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀꜱʜᴇɴ ꜰᴏɢ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜰᴀɪʟ ✦ ruth verse ; dbd au

[ashenwinds]

     @leadxxr -- an encounter with the Alchemist

     Deep red fire flickers, lapping against the trees yet never consuming bark and leaves in its path -- simply remaining as the large skeletal figure moves through the clearing. Unlike her companions, the Alchemist's scientific curiosity draws her beyond the dark waters of the Fortress of Flame. Into the place between, the eyeless gaze watching all who pass, who avoid her path.      And knowing when eyes are on her. The very thing felt at the back of her skull, “ Don't go running now that you've been spotted. ” A glance over, rolling the right shoulder back before drawing the fire back to the crystalized fingertips, “ Cowards are rewarded with an agonizing demise. . . ”

[ashenwinds]

     She is a tactician by trade alongside being an alchemist, not specializing in outing the weaknesses of the targets such as the Warden, but she still knows the signs of fear without needing to search for it. All were wrought with fear who crossed her path back on the Sea of Thieves, and here is all the same. Those with guts would find them spilled upon the ground when she was through.      With another step, Ruth can close the distance between them, towering as focus remains, “ Depends on if it is true bravery or idiotic bravery -- standing your ground because you have no fear. . . or you are paralyzed by it. ” Most of the time it is the latter she encounters.      Her voice shifts, reflecting a hint of amusement, “ What you are displaying, I'd call it debilitating fear that you can't even muster the courage to run away. ” She has seen many show all three things ; sometimes there would be pirates brave enough to stand against her without a shred of fear, willing to burn alive at a chance to stop the strongest of skeleton lords. Others had no choice, facing against a fiery beast out of necessity.       “ I thought you would be accustomed to monsters by this point! ”

The tension forming in Dwight's limbs seems to root him to the spot, hands lingering idly at his sides as he takes in the inhuman sight before him. A small flinch is granted as the flames react to wicked laughter. He can't help but wonder how such a thing is possible for a form of reanimated bones, but then again, he had stopped questioning the countless mysteries that appeared in the Fog. All it did was give him a headache after a while. There were so many questions in the Entity's playground, but very few answers.

The last thing the nervous survivor wants to admit is that he currently found himself physically unable to waver from where he stands. He'll pass it off for a bout of courage, a farce of unwavering commitment to his position, though his bluff had already been called once and likely would be again.

"And . . . y- you define bravery as . . . ?" Dwight swallows, willing his legs to budge. Even just one heel scooted backwards would give him at least a bit of hope. The last thing he wanted to experience after countless trials ending in his own sacrifice as of late was to find out what happened if you died outside of one. The hesitant Leader attempts to clear his throat, as if such a thing might allude to a fearlessness he does not possess, a rebirth of a composure he knew was crumbling.

[ashenwinds]

     A laugh quickly bubbles out, the fire reacting to her amusement as it grows -- flickering and drifting into the air from the skeletal frame. Oh, how so much more convincing it would be if he were not stumbling over his own words.      How pathetically adorable.      “ How about you retry your words without sounding like you are about to lose all composure, hmn? ” She lets the laughter grow, not to an uncontrolled level but at least loud enough to leave a light echo through the empty woods surrounding.      And Ruth had thought the pirates back home were missing spines -- hard to give any of these people credit for bravery when the best they could do was try to stab what is not of flesh in the shoulder or struggle. Survivors seems like hardly the fitting term, since all they do is suffer and die, the occasional escape to boost moral. What a pitiful existence.      A step slightly behind and to her right, turning her body to face the source, the nervous little fleshie that reveals the physical presence she knew of before. A small thing, “ The only thing you have earned so far is my amusement. You still standing here does not equate to bravery. ”

Dwight had been peaking from behind a nearby tree, a racing beat in his chest seeing an unfamiliar killer outside of the trial grounds. Admittedly, he should have turned tail and ran back to the campfire, but his curiosity had gotten the best of him, despite every ounce of trepidation and fear that bubbled at his core.

His eyes close with a drawn out wince in defeat at the unanticipated speech, having felt like he had actually done a pretty decent job at concealing himself. Apparently not. The paralyzed Leader swallows thickly, nervously as his form appears hesitantly from behind the thick trunk.

"I . . . I -- I'm s-still here, aren't I?" Admittedly, the words felt tangled in his throat as his bit nervously at his bottom lip. The only reason he hadn't turned tail and ran was because of the missing presence of someone who needed his help. He's glued to the spot, stomach churning with every second he observes the menacing skeletal figure before him. "D- does that, uh . . . does that win me at-- at least a b-bit of respect in. . . in the coward d- department?"