He had heavily protested the decision to quarantine the wolves effected by the increasingly dangerous conditions around them to the dungeons, but he wasn't allowed to say no. Artorias made it incredibly clear that this was what was to be done as Artorias himself began to succumb to the glowing ooze that dripped from his nose and eyes and the craze that clouded his mind. Ulric had been through a lot in his years and there wasn't a lot that could shake him now, but this did. Seeing Artorias like this was bad enough, but when he saw the same symptoms show up in Eska... That nearly broke him. He understood now the pain he had seen on Tamsyn's face when Resin locked herself away, the helplessness as she struggled with the fact that there was nothing she could do.

Even though he knew they were supposed to be quarantined and he shouldn't be going into the dungeons since it was imperative that he remain healthy to lead the pack in Artorias' absence, he just couldn't keep himself form going to be with Eska. The thought of her alone there tore at him and he finally went down to where she was staying for the time being, his heart breaking again when he saw her. It would have been easy for him to slide into despair over it, but he knew Eska wouldn't want that. He knew his mate well and that was exactly what she wouldn't want. Instead he walked over to the bars, giving her a gentle smile as he leaned his shoulder into them. "So, where do you want to go first when we begin our retirement travels?" he questioned casually as if it didn't feel like his life was crumbling around him again, doing what he could to help distract his love from the fate she was given.

"Ulric"

The world had gone to shit and it had taken Eska with it. Her mind was no longer her own and the woman's greatest fear was coming to life. She was turning into her mother. Losing her mind just like Resin had. But gods... she would fight it. Tooth and claw, she would fight whatever was happening to her. Eska was not weak. She was not a wolf to just roll over and take it. Perhaps it was that very combative nature that made her symptoms oh so extreme.

Back and forth. Back and forth. Eska couldn't stop pacing. She had locked herself away in the very cell that her mother had been locked within up until the day she died. Dark thoughts flitted back and forth in the silvered fae's mind. Thoughts that she couldn't control. Things that she wouldn't have thought of on her own. Here and there she muttered a retort to one random thought or another. The darkness around her held ghosts. Faces of the dead. She ignored them as best as she could, but periodically one would rub her the wrong way and the woman would go snapping her jaws into the darkness, luminescent blue spittle flying to drip down the stone walls.

A voice from behind brought Eska's head whipping around. There Ulric sat and the anger faded away at the sight of him. "You shouldn't be here," she reminded him softly. "I don't want to make you sick." The woman wanted to stay in the shadows, as far away from her man as she could manage, but she found herself moving forward into the lit corner of the cell. The blue liquid ran from her eyes, nose and mouth. Raising one foreleg, Eska made a quick swipe at it, but it only smeared across her fur, making her look even more mad. "If I make it through this," she spoke softly, answering his question, "I want to take you to a nice, warm beach. Or a sun lit lake. Somewhere where we can swim." Dark ears perked. "Where do you want to go?"


"Eska"

It took a lot of effort to keep his expression neutral and relaxed as Eska stepped toward the light and her current state with the glowing ooze dripping from every opening on her face. It made worry grip at him and made him want to reach out to her even when he knew he shouldn't. She reminded him of such, telling him he shouldn't be here and that she didn't want to make him sick. "A risk I'm willing to take to be with you," he told her just as softly, giving her a slight smile. Nothing would keep him from seeing her, from being with her, from helping to ease her mind even for just a moment. He was careful to keep any of his worries off of his face though. She was already plenty aware of how serious this could be without him worrying and fretting over her. She didn't like it when he did that anyway.

"When you make it through this," he corrected her firmly. There was no room for doubts or second guessing for him right now, not without completely breaking down. She had to be okay. She just did. He smiled again as she described where she would want to take him—a warm beach or a sunny lake, somewhere they could swim. "I love the sound of that. I can't wait to see you laid out on the beach," he replied, a little sly grin pulling at his lips. Thinking of her with her fur wet and clinging to her body after a swim, stretched out on the beach... Gods, what he wouldn't give to be living that right now. He hummed softly when she turned the question back on him, replying, "There's a cliff near where Resin founded the pack in Boreas that has an amazing view of the ocean, especially at sunset. Maybe a trip through the north after that to see the mountains and this forest of crazy, twisty trees that you just won't believe."

"Ulric"

His tone was firm when he corrected her, but they both knew that there was a chance that she wouldn't come back from this. Where Eska sat, she was going crazy. Losing her mind just like her mother. In her own head, she didn't feel in control. It was as though something else was pulling the strings, clouding her mind and forcing her to react in a way that she normally wouldn't. Even now she was fighting to keep her wits about her. It seemed that the harder she fought, the harder the blue liquid pumped from her eyes, ears and mouth.

Ulric spoke of seeing her spread out on a beach and Eska chuckled softly. He then shared where he would like to take her after all of this. At the mention of her mother's name, the silvered woman's dark ears flicked backwards. She found her paws moving of their own accord and she was once again pacing back and forth down the length of the cell. "A land of twisted trees," she murmured. "Twisted trees and twisted faces. Twisted minds and twisted words." Her hold was slipping. A thick fog was rolling around within Eska's skull, shielding her from herself.

"Eska"

Ulric's smile faded a bit as he watched Eska begin to pace again, muttering about twisted things as she moved back and forth along the length of the cell. He kept a hint of a calm smile on his face as he leaned the side of his head against one of the bars while he watched her, but it was so difficult. He wanted nothing more than to go in the cell and pull her out, wipe away the glowing mess from her face for her, and hold her until all of this passed—even if it meant getting himself sick in the process—but he knew she'd never let him. Just like her mother before her she had locked herself away to keep herself from hurting anyone else and while he admired the self sacrifice he also despised it. He was half tempted to ignore her wishes and at the very least join her in the cell, but he didn't, at least not yet. If this drug on for much longer he might say fuck it to it all and go down with his mate. She gave him the happiness he had been striving for for years and he couldn't let that slip away from him so soon. "Eska..." he said quietly as she began to pace toward him again, hoping to catch her eye for even a moment while he remained there beside her no matter how difficult it was.

"Ulric"

Blue ran rivers down the fae's face as she continued to mutter and pace. The wetness tickled and she stopped, shaking her head and sending blue glow flying every which way. The motion was disorienting and for a moment, the world spun. Eska staggered, snarling as the dark corners of the cell undulated once more. Lips pulled back from blue stained teeth, the saliva stretching between her jaws vibrant and luminescent. "She's waiting for me. Blames me for not being here to see her die." The woman's voice was a growl as her pelt bristled and she stalked stiff legged towards the closest shadowed corner. Ulric's voice stopped her from attacking the stone wall. It pulled at the reasonable part of her mind and she turned, looking towards the man and the pool of light that he sat in. Ulric... he was all that was good. A soft whine pulled from the silver brindled fae and her ears tucked back against her skull. "Ulric, I just want this all to stop." Her voice wavered as though she might cry, but she held it together. Eska didn't cry.

"Eska"

Eska

The sickness deepens... Your legs lock up for about half an hour, then it passes... Odd.