#extradirty
Kiana Khansmith
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@championofdarkland
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Tomas the bard of dragons.
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Ok, slowly down...slow now...then hammer another spike into the wall. Karik made his way down the shaft with practised skill. Or as much skill as person such as him could muster. He was no expert when it came to traversing ancient ruins. But, he did do it as a hobby it was a very dangerous hobby mind you. With death behind every corner, where traps could take your life in mere moments.
Was this thrill seeking? Was he secretly so bored with his job that he was doing this because of the danger? Or was it for the allure of what lay beneath? What secrets did these old places keep? Was that what drew him more to delve into these depths? Eitherway thankfully this time he wasn't alone. He had a person to come with him. The one person he wouldn't have expected. Entering ruins with his king was something he never thought would ever happen in his lifetime.
Because this ruin was said to be rather dangerous. Very unlike some of the other Karik had ventured into alone. This one likely contained secret or treasures anything of the sort ready to be taken.
"I am thankful you chose to accept. I am rather skilled at this. But having a second person with me makes this a lot easier."
Yeah, he was wearing armour while doing all of this. He tended to reach into his shell to pull out the robes and things he needed to help him get through this place. They had been placing robes and markers to keep track of where they were and how to get back. But given how heavy his king was they had to like get more heavy duty climbing equipment.
This was going to be a time Karik could tell.
@lumenhollow
Names are powerful back in his homeworld. To be given a placeholder name and not have an official one by middle adulthood is an unspeakable embarrassment. But to not have a name at all...
Nils is praying against hope that the Koopa's memories will come back to him. The body may have healed, but the mind and soul needs time. Perhaps he can help.
"I can give you a placeholder name, if you wish," he starts, hoping the Koopa will be receptive to it. He looks around, then up and down the stranger. He sees a soldier. Beaten and worn. But he can sense a strong sense of courage and fortitude in this young one. Steadfast and true. Perhaps...
"...Will Klippa do for now? For you are a sturdy rock or cliff that faces strongly against the winds." He has no idea how 'klippa' sounds similiar to 'koopa'.
Klippa nods it didn't sound completly right but, it would have to do for now. Serpent knows...wait serpent? Why Serpent? Was that a saying he knew from somewhere? Klippa tried to think on the thing his mind was trying to go but shook his head. The memory failed to be reached.
"I can accept the name, it doesn't feel right but K being at the start does feel like something important somehow. Not sure why..."
Honestly, he wasn't sure of anything let alone why this avian decided to save him when clearly fate was trying to get him killed. No, not fate someone intentionally tried to kill him in the worst way possible. The rage from before soon rose up again as Karik tried to reach for something down below but he found nothing his sword wasn't there.
"I regret to ask this but, was I carrying weapons when you found me? I feel like I should...have something..."
Klippa did indeed have a sword and spear near to him. The spear looked rather generic but the sword that felt more personal. There could be a clue upon it something to latch onto since it did feel well taken care of.
Overhearing that, the now stonewall-textured chameleon didn't like his and Karik's odds of survival.
Still not able to say anything, the chameleon could only watch, and hope these mysterious clearly magically-inclined strangers and their ravenous pets would be fooled by Yooka's good'ol camouflage trick.
For Karik's sake, as long as the crying, panic-attacking koopa stayed behind Yooka's camouflage. The Koopatrol knight was just as invisible as the chameleon.
❝ ....❞
Weirdly, Yooka hadn't seen any sign of the monster(s?) yet. He could only hear them. —Their hunger, their footsteps, their sloshing jaws and their drool. They were eager to hunt Karik and Yooka like animals. It made the chameleon's heart race a mile a minute.
❝ ᴋᴀʀɪᴋ, —ᴡᴇ ɢᴏᴛᴛᴀ ɢᴇᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ʜᴇʀᴇ.❞ Yooka whispered as if his life depended on this information being passed to the Koopatrol knight without mincing.
The Magic Eye, used for the beast's owner to communicate to it while remaining completely unseen glowed with a sickly, threatening aura. Yooka wouldn't put it past that thing to be able to literally see them the same way a surveillance camera would.
No matter what magical means these people acquainted with Karik had to surveil. They shouldn't be able to see the 2 hiding reptiles under the guise of Yooka's camouflage.
Karik nods, understanding they couldn't stay where they were. Just staying in one spot would be far too dangerous. He moved slowly and carefully trying to not make a sound due to his armor or anything else.
"I do wonder...can they hear us right now? Hmm well, if so then why not lure them out? I bet you're so hungry aren't you my pet? You look for them around there while I use my own little tricks to lure them out."
The voice on the other end of the eye then seemed to change somewhat. It turned to a voice of someone sounding much younger but the cadence of the voice still remained the same from before. It became rather obvious then what the mage was doing to try and make them reveal themselves. The mage was talking using the voices of people Karik knew. The very people Karik had left to die on that day.
"Are you running away? Leaving us behind? Like you did back then? You left us to die. Don't you feel any guilt? We were your only friends. Truly Karry you were such a coward...so much for your so called duty to koopadom. Your father would be so disappointed in you. Oh no wait! He's dead too! Dead like us! Because of you! Come on Karry! We're right here! Just come out and you can be with us! Don't you want that?"
Karik shuddered once more he almost let a sob sound out but he held it back. This was torment! Attacking Karik in the place where it hurt him the most. Mocking those very people who were killed! Karik shuddered even more. The panic still there yet the emotion was changing.
"We all know that you never should have survived. That trap was designed to take only you. If you had given yourself up why none of us would have had to die. Isn't it hard to keep going? To keep up with this pointless revenge against such wonderful masters of the magical arts? You know you can't win, no one can win against the might of magic."
That wasn't what happened! This mage! Lying using their voices! Now, the sadness was turning into rage. It was a struggle Yooka could likely tell there was no panic anymore just an endless rage to strike.
"That isn't...how it happened...I had no choice...they told me...to go...I didn't..."
The whisper was small but the sheer amount of anger on Karik's face was beyond anything Yooka might have seen. Karik struggled to keep moving while the jeering voice kept on talking in the many voices of Karik's former friends. And then one more voice spoke out.
"You were going to confess to me weren't you?"
Karik froze in that moment, no not him...not him please no!
Saleos huffed and panted a bit. The adrenaline wearing off as he comes down from the rush the combat threw him into. He was surprised at how easily he slid into that mindset for fighting. Was this from his past that still eludes him as of now? He shakes his head and tries to ignore those feelings, focusing on there here and now. He turns to the strange turtle as he introduces himself.
"Oh, it's no problem. I am glad to have been able to help." He admits. It felt nice to know he did something good. "My name is Saleos. It's good to meet you Karik. But uhh...where are we? And what were those strange machines?" He asks, as he can't deny his own curiosity about this place.
Karik offers a small bow to the other warrior. It was something needed given how they had worked together to bring an end to this event. The people soon began to filter back towards the remains of the village. Most were very thankful towards the two. Yet, some of them looked uneasy since they weren't exactly sure who Saleos was. Karik thankfully didn't draw attention to this as he soon began speaking.
"This place is called Brittle Haven, one of many small villages around Darkland. They exist on no maps nor would many expect to know where to find them. Which makes the attack upon this place most odd."
Karik himself came from a village such as this known as Deadwood. That place was known as a mining village while Brittle Haven was more of a trading spot between other parts of the Darkland Kingdom. Though, that was only between the other villages and the capital.
"Darkland is home to the koopas and those machines should not have been here. I know not where they came from though..."
There was an idea on who had created them. Though that person should be long dead at this point thanks the Bowser.
The entire time Karik was tended to by the Petrel, he stayed close by. Something about this is so…. familiar. Though he cannot say why.
Once the Koopa awakens, he would see the Petrel holding his hand, letting him squeeze as tightly as he wanted to. As a good shepherd would guide his flock. By this time, Karik's accomodations have greatly improved. Instead of a cot is a proper bed with pillows, and they smell fresh and clean. By this time, the soot has been cleaned off, the bandages freshly changed.
The Petrel speaks to Karik, loosening his grip on the Koopa's hand. "My humble apologies for touching you without your permission. It seems while our silencing spell worked in dispelling whatever curse was putting your life in further danger, it didn't succeed so far as to give you true dreamless sleep." Especially at the maximum intensity. Though then again… they are at the border of the location where the magic can only happen and that where it may not. The man notes how unstable magic can be even when leaving it source.
Seeing Karik's state, the Petrel hands the Koopa a fresh linen towel. "I humbly pray you are better in spirit as well as body. If there is anything else needed, do not hesitate to ask me.
"Please be not alarmed by my presence. My name is Nils. I am a chaplain. I offer healing as well as spiritual counsel."
Despite everything, there was one emotion that still lingered. The mage had tried to squash it so many times. Yet, even now broken and fragmented as he was the koopa gripped his fists. His memories had been utterly shattered by the spell much of who Karik was reduced to his shell along with the emotions intended to remain. Those the mage thought would cause him to breakdown, but when left with only those parts of himself the knight became even more determined than before.
The idea of every sacrifice he made being for nothing was the dark part of his psyche that remained. That all of those betrayed emotions of his family, all of those people who died to that monster, that it would all be pointless should he give up. That was the idea Karik would never accept! It was the aspect of himself that refused to break no matter what. He wouldn't any of it go! Doing so would dishonor them! Even if they hated him, even if he was resented from beyond the grave, he had to keep going no matter how much of a curse he himself became.
Honestly Nils didn't even register to Karik for the longest time. He was stewing in the anger of it all. All this rage that wanted to be unleashed upon the one who hurt him who hurt so many others. Yet, Karik realised he didn't know who that was, no clue who would do such horrible things. All he had left were the emotions he felt from the worst moment of his life all over again. Vague notions of people he once knew, vague sounds of ripped flesh, the only thing he knew for sure was that he couldn't let it stand. That he had to get revenge no matter what.
"I thank you for helping me, you didn't have to do that. But, I clearly need it..."
He wasn't so foolish as to running off right this second. He could feel how hurt he still was. And with his lack of memory he would be charging around with no target for all his rage. He lowered his gaze.
"I wish I could say what my name was...but much of me feels torn away. The one who did this to me...wanted me gone. And I will kill them for it."
Yooka lifted his battered scaly body off the ground. His butt was full of skid marks, he's also a lizard with small orange back spines which had taken a beating thanks to Karik dragging him across the rocky Darkland ground at 8 miles per hour.
❝ !!!❞ Yooka's indignant attitude quickly faded, a flinching shock to the chameleon's nerves as he heard the sound of thundering, dinosaur-like footsteps approaching them.
Karik was hugging him for dear life. Yooka's mind was starting to run almost as wildly as whatever creature was making those sounds sounded GINOURMUS.
He couldn't scream, or else WHATEVER THAT WAS would find them, Yooka started slowly camouflaging himself into the stone wall as a natural chameleon fear response.
He grabs Karik's shivering, panic attacking form. Yooka's bare skin pressing against the cold metal armor. Karik had been exposed, and If Karik gets seen by that monster, that meant Yooka wasn't close behind to becoming it's next meal.
The chameleon covered the koopa in a perfectly replicated stone wall texture painted across the canvas of his own chameleon scales, if the two reptiles hadn't been relatively the same height this would have never worked.
While the chameleon's scales could perfectly mimic any surface to an absolutely mindboggling degree of accuracy, his eyeballs couldn't, so the last piece of the puzzle was for Yooka to close his eyes tight, eyelids successfully camouflaging his eyes.
Karik shut his eyes too, he couldn't bare to look towards the massive shape he knew lingered just beyond the wall. Even back then he hadn't dared to look back for fear he would be next. He had been an utter coward! He left them all to die! How could he ever be forgiven for that?! No one should forgive him! He was scum! He was a craven fool! No, to see the monster he knew had utterly devoured his friends would be too much to bare. They had all been Koopa Troopas back then, younglings barely a few months into their miltary service. Young hopeful minds and souls with a desire to see what lay beyond the rocky landscape they had lived within their whole lifes. They all had hopes and dreams.
Not a single one of them deserved what happened to them. None of them had yet death came to them all the same. An undeserved death.
And it was all his fault, because Karik had asked questions he drew the attention of something terrible. Something able to control things from behind the curtain. They were sent on a scouting mission, but all they found was that thing! That monster was there waiting for them! Just like now! It was just like that day! The magical eye that lay unseen was there then too! Guiding the beast towards its prey! Towards their end.
Music
"Oh? Where did they go I wonder? Did you see them my pet? I thought for sure they came in this direction. It was rather amusing hahaha."
A snarl could be heard in response, the person then laughed to himself.
"You should have seen it! Like something from a cartoon! Karik is so amusing and stupid...but the reptile with him could be a problem. We have to make sure they are taken care of. How should we do it I wonder? You are rather hungry aren't you? Aww....so adorable you are."
The voice sounded haughty, full of a terrible joy with an intense mockery on the side. Karik held Yooka close tears falling from his eyes.
So close yet so far.
The chameleon almost had his freedom back, and him and Karik were no longer on bad terms. The only thing that was in the way now was Karik's backwards priorities from where Yooka was standing.
❝ Ok fine, just untie my— . ❞ Karik didn't untie his tail,
❝ !!!❞ —and Yooka was sent tumbling while attached to the fastest turtle to ever live.
How scary was this perceived threat that getting distance from it was such a necessity that Karik didn't have time to fully untie Yooka???
Yooka's tried to grip onto something to stop Karik to no avail. His fingers and toes grinding, his tail being stretched to it's excruciating limit to the point where it felt as if it could come off at it's hinge.
This turtle had put him through so much pain, so much stress, and just when they were seemingly coming to an understanding of each other he does this.
Yooka never wants to see a turtle again for the rest of his life.
❝ KARIK!!!!!!!!❞
Karik had to run! It was near he could tell! The same sensation as before when it all went wrong...he had to get away! He had to! It was coming! Get out of the eye's sight! Then hide! Hide and do not make a sound!
Eventually he found what looked like a stone wall. Karik hid behind it but upon realising he was still tied to Yooka the knight quickly pulled Yooka towards himself before then trying to cover the reptile's mouth while making a gesture of silence. There was absolute terror upon the knight's face the kind of fear that only gods could put into someone.
Music
And then like that footsteps were heard, loud thumping steps...the sound put more fear into Karik as he froze before backing against the wall even more while holding Yooka close. He was shaking, having a full on panic attack yet he wasn't making a sound. Like making a noise in this moment would be the moment death would come.
⸻Wait.... WHAT???
That worked??? Yooka was dumbfounded, he felt the clasp on his jaw free.
His chameleon tongue was able to freely taste the volcanic air of Darkland once again.
Health hazard notwithstanding, he could of cried.
His limbs were able to unclenched as his chains fell to the floor like weighted clothing. The euphoria of being able to wiggle his fingers and toes after almost 28 hours of being cooped up like a burrito, it was almost overwhelming.
Out of all the things to free him, it was his last ditch effort as he was on the brink of giving up, his spirit thoroughly crushed.
❝ Thank you. ❞ He said ahead of time with his tail still tied to Karik's waist. He'd be HAPPY to help the koopa out untying his tail.
However, there was a holdup, an unexplainable one that was causing Yooka to get anxious.
❝ What's the problem? You can't untie your own knot? ❞ —Yooka asked.
"No its not that...I just felt..."
Karik was sure he felt the telltale sign of something watching him from somewhere. It was a spell Karik had become well aware of. An eye unseen by normal people but with how the spell was cast Karik could become aware since he was sure it had been used on him many times. Someone was scrying on him right now, he was sure of it. That could only mean one thing, they were up to something. This was very bad!
"Someone is watching...someone bad...I need to..."
Karik began running off his panic making him not aware the tail was still tied to him. It was a shell after all, so the sensation of touch didn't apply to Karik his shell was detachable despite how it looked.
"I have to get away from you! I'm going to cause you danger!"
He said not realising the chain that binded to two reptiles together. He and run off somewhere or was trying to anyway.
Yooka could imagine it was pretty easy to fight with your subordinates when you're as buff and tall as Bowser. That was only impressive in the context that Bowser got that buff on account of not being lazy and fighting by his people's sides every step of the way.
That wasn't specified and Yooka doesn't like Bowser enough to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was probably just born an above-average gigantic turtle and hadn't had to work a day in his life for that body.
❝ I talked to him briefly, Bowser doesn't even really want me, he wants the One Book. —He just sees me as the safest bet to get his hands on it as soon as possible. ❞
❝ That's why I ran, ⸻he kept probing me for information I don't have. ❞
❝ I know you're just following orders, but this order is pointless. I don't know where the One Book is. ❞
❝ Can't we just call him, tell him "The Yookie doesn't know where the One Book is sire" and I can just go home and eat those French Flies I have in the fridge? ❞ Yooka said, making sure to impersonate Karik's accent and submissive personality in the least flattering way possible.
Yooka is getting very tired, if this doesn't convince Karik to rethink his actions he might just give up and see Bowser without a fight.
Really? Serpent this whole thing truly was pointless wasn't it? Why did he keep having to deal with this stuff? So often Karik had to and it was what he signed up for if there was no info to gain then what was the use? Karik had spent many hours walking across this landscape while dragging this person along with him. If there was nothing to gain then it would just be pointless torment which Karik wasn't a fan of.
"Ok...fine...there's no point to this. Even if you might be lying. I'm tired of this and to be honest this isn't what I care about. I want to get back to my own issues, my own personal quest. It can't wait anymore."
Karik makes the choice to bring out the key to the padlock. He unlocks the chains, undoes the muzzle, and was about to untie the tail. But then, Karik feels something through the air. It stopped him from moving onto that part. His warrior senses on alert.
❝ Worth a shot. ❞ Yooka muttered.
Yooka, alone together with Karik was left to stew in the thoughts of his waking mind once again, how he was no closer to finding the One Book than when he'd initially asked Bowser all the way back at the castle. ⸻He was so young back then, so naive.
About 48 hours ago.
❝ So what's the end goal here for you anyways Karry? You follow Bowser's orders like a good little puppet and get paid handsomely? ❞
Every second about 3 escape options would form in Yooka's mind only to be quickly dashed as Yooka realized that each one wouldn't work.
Turning invisible again, despite the fact he has the energy for a good Camo Cloak would be completely useless as he was still tied up.
He could maybe whip Karik away with the muscles in his tied up tail, but what was he to do after that? He can't exactly use his tail to move around under the weight of these chains.
He hates to say it, but it felt as if Karik had thought of everything.
Yet Karik didn't feel accomplished by what he was doing now. This was just a thing he was told to do out of the blue. He hadn't wanted to be here, but like the loyal knight he was he would do as said. Heck, he had even said he would die for Bowser once if he had to and got yelled at.
"I have my reasons to do what I do. It isn't just about doing what Lord Bowser says I do want something for myself. But to get it I have to rise up as high as I can. And this is where I am..."
There was some implication there he wasn't saying. Instead he chose to make light of it all for once. Bring up the more absurd solo missions he was sent on besides catching Yooka. Which was his current one.
"This isn't even the first time Lord Bowser sent me out to catch something. He wanted a young dragon pet you were challenging but there were so many times I was sent after creatures thought to be dragons and they weren't. Lord Bowser can be very fickle at times..."
And yet, he just obeyed without question. Because that was the way things worked, even though Karik had his own plans in place he was stuck where he was doing these random errands for Bowser.
"It isn't like I'm not annoyed you know? He is annoying but...like I said he saved me. He even told me once when I said I was willing to die for him to not be stupid. He's many things but Lord Bowser is a worthy king. He's not like other royals who hide in towers he fights with us."
—Gee, he doesn't know Karry, this chameleon tongue of his can get rather slippery.
❝ How bout you let me go and I'll pretend whatever you want. ❞ Yooka was running on very little sleep right now, so he was extra grumpy.
At the very least Karik could unchain him and he'll come to see Bowser quietly at this point. Clearly he can't outrun this.... turtle.
Honestly, what exactly were Karik or Bowser? Turtles don't run that fast or have Bowser's predator-like teeth. There was clearly something else going on in their gene pool but it was hard to pinpoint what it was since they were both so overwhelmingly turtle-like.
Bowser diverged more, a mane of fiery hair despite the fact reptiles can't grow hair.
Yooka would know, he's never actively tried to grow hair but no little bits of fluff or fur have ever weaseled their way out of his scales. That wouldn't make sense, reptile scales were made out keratin without hair follicles.
What he's saying is that he thinks Bowser is secretly a mammal in a lizard suit.
"Sorry, no dice."
The resolute expression from before came back instantly. No, he wouldn't falter now he was stronger than that. Much stronger. He was foolish to even entertain that idea for even a second. Seriously though was he doing this? Couldn't Bowser have gotten anyone else to do this? Even Karik's limitless patience was getting run down down. He wanted this to be over, he wanted to just hand off this tricky prisoner then just wash his hands of everything. That's what he normally did with stuff.
He then tied Yooka's tail around himself before then adding another padlock to it from part of the collection of chains he had. He did have a feeling the tail could be used as a weapon but had hoped the chains would be enough to stop it from being used effectively.
"Whatever you know...doesn't matter. I will do my duty. I have nothing else, so...you're stuck with me Yooka."
Karik the lifted the reptile over his shoulder again and began walking.
Saleos had continued gunning down more and more of the remaining robots, landing after a moment. It seemed like they were able to turn the tide, they could win this. But then the strange music playing robot showed up, and he was confused. Unlike Karik, he didn't get why it was making everyone else scared. Maybe it was something about how the frequency only affected people of this world.
"Shut up!" He calls out, aiming his arm at the enemy. All of a sudden, his arm opens up around the wrist area, revealing a missile launcher, and the respective missile. It fires out, aiming directly into the speaker of the bot, and exploding upon contact. The music stops as the robot is blown to bits. "Whew. That's taken care of." He declares.
Karik strangly enough didn't listen to many music machines. So, he was spooked by what he heard. Still, it was good that the robot was now dead. Up until now he had been struggling this whole time against his foes. Honestly, the fact he was even here at all was a stroke of luck. Karik normally was within the castle with his men guarding everything. Yet, this was one of those rare moments where he was on break. And as soon as he came to this village things started happening. Guess it was true what they said about being no rest for the wicked.
"Thank you for your help. I likely couldn't have done much alone."
Robots were a weakness to his ability to fight. A knight who was used to using blades and spears could hard fighting well against metal machines. Karik was only glad none of the other soldiers were around to see this. Because it likely might reflect badly upon the Koopatrol.
"My name is Karik Shelldor. But, you can call me Karik for short."
Or Karry for something even more easy to say. But, that nickname had its bad points given who used to call Karik by that name.
—Oh brother, his kidnapper has a sad backstory. Yooka pushed down any empathetic emotions that were bubbling up within him. The armor-clad turtle was still his evil kidnapper. ⸻Yes, he noticed the scar this time around, it was probably the hardest empathy to bottle up.
❝ TURTLE!! ❞ That's the best name he has to shout.
❝ Get a grip will you! ❞ Probably a poor choice of words, given he wants Karik to stop sobbing directly into his tail scales.
Yooka's tail was still a powerful limb (his most powerful in fact, other than his tongue) so he figured it could probably get itself out of Karik's clutches with enough force, lo and behold with a flick of the coiled base, Yooka sprung himself loose away from the sleep talking turtle with the same momentum he usually used in a Lizard Leap.
Karik shot awake almost instantly reaching for something which wasn't there. Not Yooka's tail but more something the knight expected to be around his midsection. But, then when his mind became active once more he realised where he was then looked around. He didn't stand up because he still felt the weight of Yooka's head on his shell. He reached for his helmet before putting it back on once more without a word.
(Oh...damn it I talked in my sleep didn't I? What did he hear? He'll laugh or use what he heard against me right? I mean...most would right?)
Serpent! This was why he didn't like being out alone with another person. Least when he did solo missions before it wasn't with someone who could hear his own messed up psyche screaming out for help. Karik certainly knew he had issues but with how his life was threatened by mages constantly. He didn't dare try to tell anyone or bond with them because he already knew the price for such foolish thoughts.
"I didn't mean to do that can you pretend you didn't hear anything? I know you probably hate me already. But, again this isn't personal you know? You get right? You understand right? I'm not trying to...
Karik was being defensive trying to cover up the vulnerability he showed. He clearly didn't like Yooka heard something about him. But really it seemed like the knight didn't know what to say or do. He hadn't gotten up still just looking away from the other reptile.
"I never gave you my name did I? I normally tell everyone it. But...lately I just stopped saying it. My name is Karik Shelldor. Karry to my friends which I have none so...just call me Karik I guess?"
❝ ...... ❞ Yooka had successfully complained and thrashed all night until his throat dried out and his chained-up muscles were sore. He stared at the orange hues of Darkland's fiery red morning sky while resting his head upon the koopa's hard shell as if the rising sun would give him some answers as to how to get out of this mess. —He felt as if he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.
That all being said, he did overhear Karik mention something about his dad in his sleep, a nugget of information Yooka figured he should keep in his back pocket in case it comes up later. It was hard to feel sympathy for your kidnapper but easy to gather information.
All of Yooka's limbs were tied up, but oddly Karik had missed Yooka's tail.
The chameleon's tail was fully exposed and allowed to curl comfortably. The Koopa probably deemed it unnecessary to tie up as there was no way the chameleon was Lizard Leaping under the weight of his chains.
❝ Hey... uh... turtle? ❞ This was awkward, he'd never gotten Karik's name but simultaneously didn't want him to suffer in his bad dreams.
As Yooka's tail was his only free limb, he nudged Karik's shell with it.
Karik then popped out of his shell but he was still clearly not awake he was tossing and turning tears coming from his eyes. With his helmet off Yooka could see up close the horrible scar he had upon his face. Before when he had taken off his helmet Karik had quickly put it back on to hide that scar like it was shameful. His eye was there but it looked horrible like something had slashed it. Not with a sword but...
"I'm sorry...its all my fault...I shouldn't have left..."
As soon as the sleeping koopa felt Yooka's tail nearby the koopa in his slumbering state reached out and held it close in a soft caring way like it was a toy he was hugging to feel some level of comfort right now.
"I try so hard...but it feels like no one cares...Bowser...Mom...they all just want me to be these things...and I just...burn myself out over them. No one say thanks, no one cares how I feel, they only care what I give."
That might be something useful to use down the line. But hearing of someone's mental issues was likely very awkward given the situation.
It was easy enough to fall asleep despite how much Yooka tried to make it harder. He was used to sleeping on much rockier ground but thankfully his shell did make things a lot easier. Karik had even taken off his helmet once more to retreat into his shell. So he could slumber.
But, as was common for him whenever the knight slept. There were times where his sleep became troubled. For despite how confident he came across the day before. Deep down Karik had suffered terribly. It wasn't something he liked to show obviously but when one sleeps those defences can be harder to hold back. Such as now when he began to shake in his shell, bad dreams and scary times tend to come in sleep.
"Dad...I miss you..."
Along with sounds of him crying maybe? Hard to tell since he was hidden within the shell. Suffice to say not clear how much Yooka could hear but Karik was suffering from something deeply traumatic. Not that the reptile likely cared given the trick the knight played on him.
But, it was only quiet crying not too loud but still noticable.
@yooka-roleplaylee
Played like a fiddle, pushed over onto his back, and still tied up in his cocoon of chains and with a muzzle on him.
How on earth was he supposed to sleep?
❝ YOU TRICKED ME!!! ❞ Yooka shouted, stating the obvious.
While he could still talk, he could no longer shoot out his chameleon tongue.
Fine, if Karik is gonna completely vegetate him, the turtle wasn't getting a wink of sleep tonight as long as Yooka is still breathing!
❝ YOU BETTER TAKE THIS THING OFF ME RIGHT NOW!!! THIS IS CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT! I'M TRYING TO PROTECT THE WORLD!!! ❞
Karik already heard that song and dance, —protect the world, like Yooka was reptilian superman.
Karik was already getting tired, loud yelling and screaming? Please! The knight lived in Lord Bowser's castle the guy when he was mad was so much louder. This Yooka was a total noob when it came to kidnapping. Didn't even know the basics on how to truly get on someone's nerves.
"Yeah yeah, talk to you tomorrow Yooka."
Ok, maybe offer a small comfort at the very least. Karik pushed up Yooka's head before resting it upon Karik's shell after retracting the spikes and putting some foliage on it. While it might not be completly soft it at the very least wasn't the hard ground. The reasoning for why he was doing this was that he was making sure Yooka didn't get out. The moment he didn't feel Yooka's head there anymore he would be alerted then the spikes would shoot out. Or not eitherway it was a subtle threat to not try anything.
Karik was intent on not losing his quarry even now. Even using himself as a pillow to make sure the target couldn't slip away somehow.
"Like it or not I'm staying close to you. You can scream and shout all you want but you'll just wear yourself out more."
And with that Karik shut his eyes while Yooka's head rested on the back of his shell. He slept fine despite the noise because despite the sound it was nothing compared to Bowser. Yooka was so new to this, it was almost sad. But, not to worry by the end of this the reptile might learn something. Because like it or not Karik will certainly be doing some teaching.
