"Tyler Carter," Rain tested the name out loud and smiled. "A good name for a good merman." She studied him and then studied the mess he'd obviously just made in the room. Her eyes widened at the piles of weaponry and armour, shifting her startled gaze back to Tyler. "Will we really need all of that?" She asked, swimming closer to a row of daggers and picking one up. Putting her index finger to the tip, she tested the sharpness and looked up when the tip bit into her skin without much pressure. "Wow, these are very sharp. You're ready to do damage for sure. Will we need to gear up this much?"

The thought of carrying so many weapons strapped to her body sent a shiver down her spine. Raine usually carried a few throwing knives (which she was quite adept at using) but had never need to use any of them. The only time she'd ever hit a mark was during practice. She was a healer at heart, not a killer, and concern that she might actually have to take her first life bubbled up in her chest. "I fix pain, I don't cause it," she brows furrowed with worry. "If push comes to shove, I don't know if I'd actually be able to do it..." Kill someone or something, that is.

Tyler nodded in a curt thanks. "Nice name for you, too." He said, his voice a little stiff as he watched her gaze trail around the room. Tyler shook his head at her question. "No no, I wasn't just unpacking old things to see what we might need. Carrying all that weight would just slow us down and hurt us more than help." He said quietly, starting to put away some of the things. Tyler watched Raine test a knife, his head tipped slightly. "I keep them sharp for a reason. Down here there are many dangers." He commented, his voice almost sounding a little weary. That note quickly disappeared as Tyler's gaze hardened. "I understand how you feel. That's half the reason I'm coming along." Tyler said, his deep voice emotionless as he finished putting away the stray pieces of armor. He wasn't going to haul this stuff across the ocean... he would rather get stabbed in the chest.

Tyler left out a couple extra daggers and some plant concoctions, glancing around. He still had a couple cupboards to go through, but this looked pretty good as far as weight. He also got ready a couple nets, because they were handy for live capturing. After the war Tyler was good at killing on sight without regret, but he didn't do that unless necessary. If he could just restrain a threat he would. He pulled out a bag that would strap around his chest easily, loading the nets and extra daggers into that. Tyler' she main weapons were the belt of daggers around his waist, so he didn't need much else... then something came to mind. Something he hadn't touched in years. -That might be helpful- Tyler thought, slowly swimming over to a larger cupboard. He opened it to reveal a perfectly shaped bow, smooth carved of special wood that shone copper in the light. Tyler took it out along with a couple water designed arrows, their special tips glinting.

Raine put the tip of her finger she'd pierced in her mouth, sucking on it to stop the blood from contaminating the pristine water around them. Putting the knife back down, she spun to see the rest of the items. The room really was a mess, and of course they wouldn't take it all. That would be completely mad. She faltered momentarily, realising that he'd just offered to accompany her, or rather told her that he was accomanying her, for the first time. "Thanks," she said softly, watching him take out the bow and arrows.

The sight was... devastating. This merman, both menacing in his size with his body covered in the reminders of hard battle once fought, and magnificent for the exact same reason. Raine watched as hism muscles tensed under the weight of the bow, the instrument beautiful and deadly in his hands. It felt like a punch to the chest- the sight before her- and Raine had to shake her head to clear the intruding thoughts. Luck to anyone and anything that would ever dare cross this beast of a being, she thought in absolute awe.

With the realisation that a seasoned, deadly, warrior stood before her, came the realisation that just maybe she would be okay. Her arms dropped to her sides and Raine drew her spine straight, rolling her sholders back and lifting her chin. "I cannot thank you enough for your sacrifices," she said, her light green eyes staring directly at him with a confidence she hadn't felt since she left the palace. Steeling herself would not be so hard with him at her side, and she knew that she would do anything to make it to the berry and back in time to save her Queen. She would because she had no other choice.

Tyler then stashed the arrows in his belt, which surprisingly had five special slots that they fit into. It really didn't restrict his mobility anymore because he had worn it for years in the war. Tyler slung the bow over his shoulder and glanced at Raine as she thanked him. At first he wanted to ask for what, before he realized. -I actually admitted I'm going- Tyler mused in his mind, knowing what that would mean. All the terrible things he had described to Raine would come alive to him, for the second time. The chances of him dying would Be much higher considering he would have to guide someone else. Plus he was a few years older now, and even if in the long run that didn't make much of a difference... all his scars and old injuries would hold him back. -Even so, I am still terrifying and great at fighting- Tyler thought half sourly, tearing his mind off that thought. "I know how much a good queen or king can mean, and I understand how devastating it might be to lose them." Tyler responded, getting the bag ready with more normal things like bandaging and food. Well, his type of food, which mainly consisted of seaweed since that was the resource he had at the moment.

As Raine spoke again Tyler turned to listen, wondering for a moment why she looked so... different. -I literally looked at the bag for five minutes- he thought. Also, why would she now be thanking him? He hadn't sacrificed anything yet. Except possibly his life with Chaos, but that was a minor detail because it was a small chance. Well, like 50/50. For some reason the thought dawned on him that Raine may just now be realizing they did have a small chance of making it. Why now? -Me- the thought came across slowly. -Possibly... taking out the bow she may have realized I'm no thanks kidding about being a seasoned veteran at the age I'm at- Tyler thought wryly, watching her carefully. "You don't have to thank Me. It seems sad to say this, but it is my pleasure." Tyler said, his black eyes flitting around the cabin. Or... in this light, they looked dark blue. His eyes weren't completely black, they just looked that way. At this point he was about ready to give up on life, so actually having something to do felt like a blessing, even if it might kill him in the process. -Gosh you think in horrifying and sad ways- Tyler thought, a little disturbed by his own rather hopeless mind.

"Rosetta and Hawthorne aren't just my King and Queen, they're all I've ever known as parents. I was an infant, left at the palace doorsteps one rainy night, and I was taken to them and then taken in by them," Raine confessed. If she didn't succeed, she wouldn't just be losing her Queen, she would be losing the only mother figure she'd ever had.

Raine cocked her head at Tyler's comment, slightly confused. He thought it was sad that he was volunteering his help? Did he not want to help her? She bristled, and then calmed herself. Maybe it was just was a lack of self-regard talking. If it was, she'd do her best whilst they were together to show him his true value. Or maybe it was so uncommon for mer-people to volunteer their time and expertise that for him, it was abnormal to be doing so. It would be a shock to the system if he ever went above water, where the majority of the fairies would jump at the opportunity to help someone else. Their worlds seemed to be polar opposites, in complete contrast of each other.

"So," Raine started, watching Tyler out of the corner of her eye, "what kind of things do we need to take? I can help organise things, or if there's something else I can do... And when will we leave? Oh, and, was that an empty negotiation with the Larchan, or will you have to go kill something to take to him in exchange for my-slash-our lives?" Snapping her mouth shut, Raine smiled. Once she chose to warm up to someone, it usually couldn't be stopped unless somethng really bad happened. Raine had a warm personality, a warm but strong heart, which was one of the reasons why the Queen valued her so much as an Emissary. It made her likeable, until she was given good reason to be otherwise.

Tyler continued packing little odds and ends, but he listened to what Raine was saying. Surpringly, he felt a pang of sadness like a stake to his heart, digging deeper with each word. -It sounds nice to have someone that would care about you- Tyler thought gruffly, strapping the bag shut with a thump. "I understand how you are feeling, to some extent. I will do everything I can to help.." Tyler sounded like he was going to say something else, but he cut himself off there with a slight nod.

He then swam back outside and checked on the seaweed gardens. This was Tyler's sad part of the whole thing... he would have to leave all the animals. What if The sharks came after he left? They weren't stupid, they were probably waiting till the dangerous thing was gone. What if he came back to ripped up seaweed and no animals? -And HOW is this more worrisome to think of then the fact you MIGHT lose your LIFE- Tyler thought to himself with a slight huff, though his eyebrows still drew together as he studied the gardens. All the otters, the seahorses, pufferfish, eels, groupers, crabs, and hundreds of other species lived in and around the seaweed and coral he had planted, tended to, and made sure thrive. As Tyler's was studying this the same older otter came down, and started chirping to him. "No, no way. You are not." He cast a concerned look at the otter, folding his muscular arms over his chest. "You're probably older then I am! You can't." He protested, his dark eyes glittering with worry. The otter barked this time, its ears flicking back and forth wildly. "Thanks, just what I needed to know." He replied wryly, his black eyebrows furrowing even further. "Well I can't stop you... but I still think it's a bad idea." Tyler said quietly. The otter chirped again before swimming off to Raine to examine her more thoroughly. It finally nudged her hand before swimming away a couple feet and watching her with a cocked head.

Tyler glanced at the older otter with a small sigh, going back to pick up the bags. "Well, I think we just need the very basic things. Food and weapons, plus healing supplies. We don't even need enough food for the whole trip, because we can find that on the way. The two most important things are healing supplies and weapons, and the rest we can find on the way." Tyler said with a confident voice that only showed he had gone on so many long trips he knew how to pack light. And what to prioritize. "We will leave after you've slept, and the Larchan..." Tyler trailed off. -Oops, I probably should have thought of that before- he thought with a slight wince. "Well it wasn't an empty conversation because the Larchan would come out of his hole to hunt us to our graves if I didn't feed him." Tyler said gruffly, shaking his head as he swam out of the hut again. That's when he saw the shadow. "I know what to feed him, wait one moment." His face lit up just the tiniest bit sicnr this would solve three of his big problems. A couple big sharks were swimming in the gap, heading towards the seaweed and completely ignoring Tyler. Or, heading towards the spot he had been near the seaweed before he stopped the bleeding. Tyler drew out an arrow and took the bow off his back, deciding that would be the easiest way. He pulled it back, aiming, and... the shark darted after an otter. -change of plans- Tyler thought. He was a crack shot, but he wasn't taking any chances hitting the otter. This time he just unsheathed a dagger and swam a little closer, then darted it with lithe experience only gained from years of toil and hardship. He stabbed the shark in one swift movement before it snatched the otter, then whirled on the other one and exterminated it as well. "I apologize, but Chaos needed to eat and I couldn't let them kill Bumblebee." Tyler directed his voice to Regan, then guided the shaking otter back to the surface. After that he pushed the sharks to the side and put rags over where he stabbed them so it wouldn't bleed and attract more sharks.

"If you are okay with staying here and sleeping, I'm going to go feed the giant monster. Sound good?" Tyler asked, already checking on every otter underwater. He then swam up to the surface, squinting against the bright sunlight, and called Bumblebee. The young female otter swam back down, obviously still terrified. He gathered her in his arms and swam down to the hut where he dressed the small wound she had gotten, and the otter visibly relaxed under his firm grip.

Thanks for carrying the rp whilst I study for exams XD))

Raine watched the interaction between Tyler and the otter and chuckled softly. He had a funny dynamic with his animals, like they were his charges, but they were trying to make him their charge. When it swam for her, she stopped abruptly, her eyes wide. She drew back as the animal scrutinised her. Raine shot her wide, quesioning gaze to Tyler, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. Raine eyed the otter and turned, following Tyler back into the hut, leaving the animal to follow her if it wanted.

"That makes sense. It would be better to carry as little as possible, I'm guessing," Raine nodded in agreement, she would have done the same thing if she was travelling above water. Grinning at Tyler who'd obviously forgotten about the bargain hed very recently made, she watched him come up with a plan. And then he was off after the invading sharks. Raine squeaked and hid in the doorway, just poking her head around the wall to watch as the very capable merman slayed three sharks easily. Shifting her gaze between the dead beasts and Tyler, she stared, nodding. The scene mad her all the more grateful that he'd decided not to let her go on her journey alone. "You are quite awesome..." She said softly as he re-entred the hut with the little otter in his arms. The sight was quite heart melting. This dude was clearly a big softie at heart, the thought brought a smile to Raine's lips.

"That's fine. I'll be okay here, my body feels like it has nothing left to give right now, some sleep will be nice." She looked around the room again. "I feel like I've been hit by a tree... repeatedly," she grumbled. She watched Tyler make his way out and through the gap. When he was out of sight, the chills set in again. Overhead, the sun still shone, and craving the feel of it on her skin, Raine drifted up to the surface. The rock surface above the hut looked smooth enough to be comfortable, and she would feel the warmth of the sun so close to the sufrace. She swam towards a ledge just a couple of metres from the surface and found a nook that was rather comfortable. As she settled in, letting her aching body finally relax with the warmth of the sun, Raine fell asleep quickly.

Tyler resisted a small smile at the otter, finishing treating it's wound. "Shoo." He finally said, letting the animal go. It chirped happily before swimming back up towards the surface. -I need to fix that gap after we are back out... that's how the bigger sharks got in, or they wouldn't have been able to fit through the small passageway that I have to squeeze through- Tyler thought, already making a plan on how to do that. When Raine spoke he turned his attention to her with a curt nod. After he had gotten the sharks ready to go, which meant making sure they were not bleeding anymore. When Raine spoke for the second time he turned a quizzical gaze to her for a second before his expression cleared. -Wull I don't exactly know what to say to that, but okay- He thought slowly, shaking his head slightly. "... thanks." Tyler finally decided on saying, getting ready to go with his daggers, bow, and arrows.

At Raine's confirmation that she would be okay Tyler nodded. "Sounds good." He commented before starting out but stopping at her comment about being bashed by a tree... multiple times. "I know the feeling." He said wryly before exiting out the bigger gap. -I know so much more then that feeling, because I've actually been smacked with a dead tree more then once. It sucks- Tyler thought grumpily, swimming quickly towards where Chaos usually dwelled.

He finally got there and stopped at the entrance, peeing into the trench. "Chaos, I got you food as promised." Tyler called, preparing to leave as quickly as possible. He backpedaled as a tentacle reached out and snatched the two sharks, then there was silence. -Ungrateful...- Tyler's thoughts trailed off into insults he would never dare say aloud. He swam all the way back to the cove before entering through the bigger gap, checking on the gardens silently.

Raine dreamed deeply, her mind going back to the lands above water that she help to keep such a close eye on. Her court was made up of forest land, and she'd grown up playingin in the streams and among the trees with the other fae younglings. The wards had been strong back then. Now, with their Queen so sick, the wards were weakened- the Queens magic reserving itself to help keep her alive. There were few things that truly scared Raine. The thought of her Queen dying with so many years left on the throne, leaving their wards weak and the lands of the Forrest Court unprotected. The King couldn't rule alone- the throne was made for two monarchs so that there was always enough power to feed the land and keep of prosperous. But none of Raine's adoptive siblings were old enough to marry. Raine was the oldest, but she had no royal blood. They'd tried to find out, but the throne had rejected her. Their only hope was to cure the Queen sickness so that the princesses would grow up to marry well so they could one-day take over.

Raine's dream turned restless as her mind returned to the experience of changing form. Except this time, the tea burned as it went down, scorching her from the inside out, turning her insides to an acidic liquid. When she ran down the path to the rocky shore, she stumbled and tumbled head over heels, landing in a heap over the jagged protrusions. Instead of some bruising and a few shallow scrapes, Raine was covered in blood, all her pores leaking as she fell into the water just as a wave came in and smached her against the rocky face. There was the loud crack of something vital breaking irriversibly. Raine cried out, and then she was awake again.

But the water around her was quiet, and she was still alive.

Tyler's head jerked up and panic flared through his brain like a siren as he heard Raine cry. Memories came flooding back, the pained screams, the gun blasts, the cannons smashing walls down. He finally just shook it all out and swam up there, glancing Raine over to make sure she didn't have any physical wounds. "Are you alright?" Tyler asked quickly, getting distracted by the thousands of things running through his mind. Sadly his first thought... will I have to throw out another body? -I believe I may have a post-traumatic stress disorder- he thought to himself sarcastically. Once Tyler had made sure Raine was okay, he backed up a little.

Now that he knew she hadn't died or something he swam down to start packing a couple more med kits. The otter suddenly appeared by his side, literally out of nowhere. "Jeepers creepers!" Tyler yelped, half flinching and half jumping away. "Don't do that to me, Lyra!" He scolded, feeling on edge. He went back to wrapping up the small med kit, a slight sigh coming out. "I really still don't think you should come, but I can't stop you... unless I physically tie you to a post. In any case I believe you are coming, so I'll make a small med pack that you will have to carry. If one of us is hurt and the other lost their gear or something, we are counting on you for the supplies. Okay?" Tyler asked, finishing the small pack and putting it outside with the other. Lyra chirped and swam in a circle, seeming gay as ever. "You are way too happy for this mission." Tyler muttered, his brain wandering off again to the perils that lay ahead. They were going into the Danger Zone now.