Welcome to Gaia! ::

Nezik's lips quirked slightly at Joshua's comment about Jinx, but his face sobered quickly as the boy began to describe what he had seen. "It sounds like it," he said quietly. "And if you're right about the name and it was Kistad, then it probably was - I can't imagine why else he'd do this. He's...he's a good person, Joshua. Very friendly, very kind. I know he's the only one of her brothers that Tianara was really close to, besides Kiro."

He hesitated, glanced at Joshua, then repeated, "He grabbed her, you said?" It wasn't known whether the Dark One could spread its infection through touch, but it had been suspected before. If Tia had been infected by her brother...

Nezik didn't want to think about it. It already looked like they might have to bring one of their own back to his clan for cleansing. He didn't want to think that Tianara's mother might lose her beloved youngest daughter as well as one of her favourite sons.

So he pushed it out of his head and continued quietly, "Narcis mentioned feeling something off in the spells surrounding us - that would be when he was trying to get through to Sorry. It was merfolk magic, but it was...I dunno, tainted somehow, I think he said. So one of them at least is definitely infected with something."

Nezik merely shook his head. "Unless you remember exactly what he said and can repeat it for me, I don't know what I can figure out from that," he admitted, sounding sad. What if it was something important?

Jinx glanced at him pointedly. "If it wasn't our tongue, you probably couldn't figure it out anyway. Unless it sounded similar?" she added, looking to Joshua now. Something about the way he'd said it sounded 'off' rather than 'completely different' had sparked her interest. Maybe if he'd heard it well enough, she could listen through his memories and translate.

"Did she look scared before or after he said...whatever it was?" Jinx asked, shifting impatiently even as they swam. She didn't feel Kistad - even a warped version of him - much less Tianara. And it was getting her rather edgy. How long had they been gone? Could Kistad already have done whatever he'd planned to do to the girl?

Nezik frowned at Joshua's words, and shot Jinx a quick glance. The Siren met his gaze with a little smirk that made the young merman roll his eyes in exasperation. "When did you learn to do that?" he asked, to which Jinx just shrugged. With a sigh, Nezik looked back at Joshua. "No, I can't do it, and to be honest, I didn't even know Jinx could do it."

Jinx nodded thoughtfully at Joshua's words. "So it was showing in his eyes," she said quietly. "That means it's too late, Nezik. Much too late. How did the clan not notice it until now?" she demanded, suddenly angry again. "How could they not notice an infection until it had grown that much?!"

Nezik merely shook his head at her. They would talk about it - with the clan - later. For now, they had to worry about getting Tianara back, and if the infection had grown to that extent, it had to be fast.

"Of course I do," snapped Jinx, before forcing calm into her voice. "Merfolk and Siren languages are very similar, as I'm sure Sorry has told you." She shrugged. "I guess I can listen, but we'd need to stop, and we don't have time for that. It'll have to wait until we need a break anyway - or you do."

Although it was said with very bad grace, there was no hint of an insult in there. She was simply acknowledging the fact that Joshua could not go as fast or as far as merfolk could. "So let's catch up as much as we can, and when you need to take a breather, I'll see if I can understand him."

Jinx shrugged it off. "Nezik can too," she muttered. "He just can't see your memories. We can all speak both tongues - well, most of us, anyway," she amended after a moment.

She was surprised, although she wouldn't have admitted it, that Joshua took her words with such ease. Although she had only been acknowledging the truth, she'd half-expected it to hurt. Maybe, in some small, mean part of her, she'd wanted it to hurt. Because Tianara was gone, possibly - no, probably - gone for good, and as far as she could for a human, Jinx loved Tianara. And unfair though she knew it was, she couldn't control the fact that her heart insisted Joshua was to blame for letting her go.

"Fine," she said flatly. "If you need a rest when we're too close to give up, Nezik'll tow you. Let's get moving."

Jinx's gaze turned from her destination - wherever it was - to Joshua when the boy spoke up. Her anger flashed briefly behind her eyes before she shrugged reluctantly and slowed. "All right," she said simply. "Hang on, Nezik," she added, catching the merman's arm when it seemed he would almost blow right by them. "He needs a break."

Nezik paused, glanced back, and nodded. "Okay," he murmured, although he sounded unhappy. He had the feeling that if they could just go a little longer, they might start to sense the missing girl. But he couldn't ignore the fact that Joshua was exhausted.

Jinx settled herself, put her hands on Joshua's shoulders, and turned him around so that she could look into his eyes. "Push the memory of what he said to the forefront of your mind," she ordered. "Then I don't have to look so hard. You'll barely notice."

Jinx frowned. "Again," she muttered, and before Joshua could have replied, Jinx was back in his memories. She played the words over again, and again and again. She struggled to hear all the words, trying to get everything out of it that she could. At last, she sighed. "It's just too quiet. Try and get as much out of it as you can? As loud as possible?" She spoke as though hoping he could control it somehow.

Nezik glanced at the two of them, looking wistful. "Repeat it, maybe, Jinx?" he suggested. Then he winced. "Right. Never mind." He seemed to know that he was in trouble, even though Jinx had not even looked at him.

"Try to make it a little louder?" Jinx repeated, still glancing back at Joshua. There had to be something they could do.

Jinx listened again, listened as hard as she could to the next words as they grew sharper, clearer. Her eyes went dark as her face grew pale. "I..." Then she looked very wearily away, and there was already something like grief in her face. "Come on," she said abruptly, her voice growing cold. "Are you ready to keep moving again?"

Her eyes were faraway, and she seemed so distant and tired that asking her questions would seem almost heartless. She pointedly flicked her tail, waiting for Joshua's reply. "Well?" she demanded, looking irritable.