forum And God knows (closed)

Started March 18, 2023 by @ElderGod-yellowqueen

tune

Myahil rolled his peepers at her words.

“In the wilderness outside of this land. And, no, I don’t know where she is, nor do I wish to find out. I’ve met entities like her before, and I wouldn’t disrespect her like that. Also, don’t get hopeful about removing this bond. Unless we manage to somehow, miraculously, fulfill her conditions, we’re not escaping it,”Myahil remarked.

At first, he heard only his own footsteps. But, not too long after he’d started walking, he heard her following. Good. Less risk of dying before his time because of her bloodlust. And, she was quiet, which allowed him to think in peace, plotting how he could best use this curse to his advantage.

After a long while, she spoke, bringing him out of his thoughts. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

“Yes. I’m not stoopid enough to walk into an unknown land without first scouting it out. Particularly when I had originally planned to ambush and kill you, Princess Alora Omarie. I know exactly where we are,”Myahil answered.

He turned back around and continued walking. It was true that he knew where they were. He had been a scout in his youth, and had always made sure to teach all of his subordinates those skills. It had saved his life, and the lives of countless others, through the millennia. And, it made it far easier to fight any enemy when he was more acquainted with the land than the enemy was.

Alora didn't quite so believe that. She knew powerful witches that resided in her own kingdom. One of them were likely to know how to break this bond. There were always loopholes to spells. Always. This one shouldn't be an exception.

She couldn't contain the snort. "And look how well that turned out for you. I'm not so easy to kill either. You shouldn't have gotten your hopes. Many have tried and so far, none of succeeded." She took a split second to look around her surroundings. Rule one of survival, always be cognizant of your surroundings. "I applaud the attempt, however. Still, without the witch intervention, you would ended up dead in the river."

Her hands itched for a weapon in her hand. She didn't like being unguarded. Taking a breath, she felt their surroundings, felt the water. And then she pulled. Taking the water from some of the plants around her, she held out her hand and a ball of water appeared. Sometimes death was necessary, even if it meant vegetation. She let the water dance around her, keeping one peeper on the man and the other around her. She wouldn't go into a fight unprepared.

Myahil sighed,”Yes, the ambush failed, but one meager ambush will make no difference in the end, particularly since the key individuals involved remain. And, don’t get your hopes up. I am, like you, difficult to kill.”

He glanced behind himself when he heard the sound of water, noting Alora’s newfound weapon. Smart move. Myahil appreciated when his opponent was resourceful. It meant a proper challenge.

It was tempting to summon a weapon of his own, considering that he could make a silver stabby-wabby from the stone deep beneath his groundhands, but Myahil decided against it. He had the wilderness around him, from which he could build any weapon he wanted to, whether by hand or by magic. He also was no slouch in unarmed combat, plus his shapeshifting abilities. So, Myahil wasn’t too concerned about being without weapons, though it was still uncomfortable. He was quite fond of his silver stabby-wabbies and bows.

“Let me know if you need to catch your breath. We have about another hour or two before the boundary of this land. Though we are enemies, I’m only cruel when I want to be. And, for now, I’m not in that kind of mood,”Myahil mentioned as he ducked beneath a low leafy tower branch.

Alora let out a huff. "I didn't get this far in life by needing to take a break from a small hike." Did he truly think her so weak? Many did, for she was woman and a princess. Their first thoughts were always that she was fragile, vulnerable. They would need to flock to her side and protect her. She didn't need protecting, she could protect herself. She was just as strong and capable, even more so than them. Eryn had understood that. He had understood her. He never tried to protect or coddle her because he knew she didn't need jt. It's what made them so good together. They were two halves of a whole.

A rustle in the brush had her turning her head to the sound. She squinted her peepers, looking for the sour of the sound but found nothing. Perhaps they had startled something and it ran off. Or, something could be stalking them. Either way, she was keeping a listening ear. To be on the safer side, she gathered more water until both hands were surrounded in it. She relied heavily on her magic when she was weaponless. Perhaps too much but she knew physically she was at a disadvantage. This was easier, faster. Magic didn't change based on gender.

"So why did they chose you to kill me?" There was nothing else to do, might as well make small talk.

“Good. I rarely take breaks. So, our journey will be that much faster,”Myahil replied casually.

He understood the gist of the unspoken argument behind her huff. She thought he considered her weak. Didn’t she realize that, if he considered her weak, he wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble to set up an ambush to kill her? He would’ve just killed her in her sleep. Strength deserved to be acknowledged by effort. Weakness wasn’t worth acknowledgement, so the weak were taken care of quickly.

Myahil didn’t slow, or even seem to react, when he heard rustling in the brush nearby. However, he watched and listened to his surroundings closely. His fingers flexed a couple times as he mentally prepared to either use his magic or morph. The sound could’ve been nothing, but Myahil knew better than to believe that was always the case.

And, clearly, Alora was in the same mindset. Good, Myahil wasn’t in the mood to protect her, unless it was absolutely necessary.

At Alora’s question, he snorted.

“The Rhinacules don’t choose anyone. If it is not a communal task, then it’s a personal task. And, I, personally, hate your family,”Myahil said.

Alora was a bit taken aback by his words. It shouldn't have been surprising that her family wasn't well-liked by his people. They were currently in a war against each other. She also was a bit bumfuzzled by his former words but chose not to focus on that. "And what did my family do to you that you hate us so much? And how does hating my family correlate with me?"

In all honesty, Alora had asked first. She had asked for them to hand over her lover's killers. And when they denied, she was happy to cloud juice heck on them. She had no qualms about it, no regrets. She still didn't, which is how she knew she had lost her humanity. She didn't care about the innocents she had killed, the children. They were in her way so she removed them. She was more calculated now that her burning rage had simmered down, but regret, no, she did not.

Perhaps it was boredom or perhaps it was because she was showing off, she broke a small section of water off and it morphed into a flitter-flutter sky rhythmancer, flying around their heads. It created a prism when the light hit it directly. The water moved through her fingertips, moving with her. It was just as ready for an attack as she was.

"We're not all too happy with your people either. You should surrender. You'll never win this war."

“Your family killed mine. So, I’m returning the favor,”Myahil hissed.

He remembered when Alora had asked to confront the killers of her beloved. Myahil had outright refused to allow it. Firstly, he wouldn’t rat out his people to anyone. Secondly, he had struck the killing blow. If he had gone to meet her, it would’ve left him vulnerable to attack, and left his people without a leader, temporarily or not. Also, he was barely trusted by his own people, and council gathering the daughter of his enemy would’ve inspired the entire kingdom to revolt against him. He wouldn’t risk that.

But, it had obviously come with a cost. And, the result of that cost was currently talking to him. Alora was no longer the sweet young woman that she’d been. She was a killer, bloodthirsty and full of rage.

“Clearly you don’t know the Rhinacules, or, more specifically, Clan Mya. That will be your downfall,”Myahil said with a chuckle.

Surrender was never an option to the Rhinacules, especially those of Clan Mya. And, the Omarie family was only cognizant of part of the movements of their enemy. Myahil had big plans in place, and it wouldn’t be long before everything was in place to strike.

Myahil was torn from his thoughts by the sight of a flitter-flutter sky rhythmancer made of water. He froze at the sight, in awe of the little thing. Though, when the light hit it, and he saw the prism of color, his surroundings seem to change completely. He was standing in a strange courtyard made of clear glass. In the center were two people, a couple, entwined in each other’s arms and dancing. From a distance it was hard to tell, but it looked to be Myahil himself, and his lovely Cecelia, and they were completely enjoying themselves.

The scene vanished as quickly as it came, leaving Myahil disoriented and stunned. He stepped back to lean against a leafy tower, taking deep breaths.

What in the heck had he just seen? He hadn’t had many fully immersive hallucinations, but none of them had involved a glass courtyard. And, typically, he wasn’t watching himself dance with Cecelia, he was dancing with her.

Myahil sighed and shook his head, too bumfuzzled to try making sense of it. But, like almost all of his hallucinations, it wasn’t real. It was just in his head. He couldn’t let it drag him away from his current situation.

After taking a few more deep breaths, Myahil straightened and continued walking. Then, he quickly scanned his surroundings to make sure nothing had appeared in his brief moment of distraction.

Unbeknownst to him, his peepers had turned completely white, with his pupils only barely visible, while he’d been hallucinating.

Despite his words, Alora appreciated his honesty. Too many people would beat around the bush and jobber on with bullshit. He had gotten straight to the point. I want to do this because of this. Simple enough. "Fair enough." There wasn't really fighting that logic. Especially when she was trying to do the same thing. "Looks like you'll have to wait awhile though, unless you're content dying as well."

She watched the man as he seemed to become starstruck with her flitter-flutter sky rhythmancers. She hadn't been expecting that reaction and found it curious. This was the man that had just admitted to attempting to assassinate her. Now he was enthralled by a water flitter-flutter sky rhythmancer. Until his peepers turned white and freaked her out. She drew the flitter-flutter sky rhythmancers back to her instantly, letting them rejoin the rest of her water bubbles. She stared, wide eyed, as he spaced out.

Then he resumed on walking leaving Alora gaping behind him. He truly was insane. What the heck was that?

She said as much. "Umm, what was that? If you get us killed because you space out into la la land, I'm going to kill you." A bit of a confusing statement but it got the point across. She wasn't sure how she would kill him when they were both dead but she was sure she could figure something out. She was a resourceful woman, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

Her water circled around her wrist and assumed an offensive position. She couldn't kill him but she could subdue him. If he was going to put them both at risk she couldn't have that. She could use the water to bind him until she go better restraints. There was always the option of manipulating his human syrup but it was something she hated doing. The one thing that even now disgusted her. After everything she had been through, taking away someone's free will to move was still right to her.

Myahil was mildly surprised by her reaction. She must have really become cold-hearted to simply accept that someone was trying to destroy her family. Or, he supposed, more practical than emotional.

He chuckled at her comment.

“You’re not the only member of your family, remember? After all, your parents remain. And… don’t you have eight brothers? Then, of course, there’s their wives and children, and any illegitimate children they might have, and that your parents might have. Finally, any additional family members that aren’t as prominent, uncles, aunts, cousins, and the like,”Myahil said.

He didn’t notice Alora’s reaction until he recovered from the hallucination. Though, he didn’t say anything about it. He wasn’t sure what to say anyway. Unfortunately, he had to figure out something to say, or she would likely nag at him to answer her questions.

Myahil sighed and stopped, turning to face her directly. He eyed the water coiled around her, somewhat intrigued by it, somewhat annoyed. Then, he sighed again and met peepers with her.

“Considering your reaction, I’m going to guess my peepers turned white, yes? I don’t know why it happens, it just does. I could guess the likely cause, but otherwise I know nothing else. Now, in regards to my ‘spacing out’, it won’t distract me from a fight, nor will it make me a threat to you. Also, I don’t ‘space out’, I hallucinate. So, yes, I am technically bonkers. But, don’t you dare bumfuzzle my mental state with stupidity or mindlessness. I wouldn’t have gotten this far on looks alone. The hallucinations are more frequent only because I am upset, and really wanting to get out of here. Now, with all of that out of the way, shall we continue?”he hissed, glaring at her.

Myahil waited briefly for a reply, then turned around and continued walking, brooding now. He wasn’t fond of talking about his mental state, mostly because everyone reacted exactly like Alora had. They became hostile, even when he obviously was no threat. He wished, for once in his life, that someone would just believe him, and not look at him like he was completely psychotic.

He also wished that this entire situation hadn’t gone so entirely right. He was stuck with his enemy, soul-tied to her by the will of a powerful entity, possibly a goddess. He had lost some of his best troops, and all of his, and their, weapons. And now, that same enemy seemed convinced that he was psychotic. This had to be the worst luck that he’d had in a long time.

Myahil took a deep breath, then another. After a few minutes, his mind slowed enough for him to think of something to lighten his mood. He glanced over his shoulder at Alora, thinking of her water flitter-flutter sky rhythmancer.

“I’m quite fond of flitter-flutter sky rhythmancers, just so you know,”he commented.

"You're trying to annihilate my entire family for the decisions of one person? You're delusional and insane." Alora realized that they had already established that but it was worth repeating again. "You'll never succeed. You won't even make it to their front doorsteps. My family is powerful enough to stop you. And my brothers would stop at nothing for threatening their families."

It didn't escape her that she could have had her own family by now. Married with a little cottage in the meadows, perhaps a ankle-biter on the way. Or perhaps not. Perhaps she would have taken orbit parties with her husband before deciding on children. She could have been happy. And then it was all ruined, just before her happily ever after.

She wasn't the same as him, she felt like she needed to point. He wanted to wipe out an entire family for only one man's decisions. She just wanted to kill all the men directly responsible for her fiancé's death. Yes, some innocents had died in the process but they really should have known better than to get in her way. She hadn't actively hunted them down like a pig for slaughter. That's exactly what this man was going to attempt to do. He would never succeed though. Her family was too powerful, untouchable. She thought she had been until she had lost the love of her life.

"Oh, great, so you do just get weirder." Alora was beyond irritated now. She was stuck with a complete lunatic. Her luck just kept getting worse and worse. "I suppose we will see about that. I can't imagine that it's helpful at all. Do me a favor and try not to draw attention to that. If I had some wine on me, I'd give it to you to calm your nerves."

Wine had always seemed to do the bamboozle with her but if she wasn't careful, she could overindulge. She never really seemed to notice how much she had drank until she was drunk. That was something she wouldn't allow herself, not with this man. She couldn't allow herself to be vulnerable. He could exploit her weaknesses and use them against her as soon as they were free of this bond. It's what she would do.

Alora looked up at him, surprised when he spoke. He liked flitter-flutter sky rhythmancers. "I'll make sure not to make them again then." Call her petty but she didn't care. She wasn't here to make noice with him. He had intended to kill her after all. Speaking of him, "You haven't told me your name yet. You know mine, I feel at a disadvantage."

“peeper for an peeper. Your father killed my family, so I’m going to utterly destroy his,”Myahil hissed, flexing his fingers as he grew increasingly irritated at her.

If she pissed him off, he might reveal too much, that he was closer to succeeding than she thought. He only needed to get home and say the command, and Alora’s world would come crashing down like her father had done to him.

“I am insane, Alora,”Myahil remarked.

Myahil snorted at her next words, rolling his peepers. ‘Try not to draw attention to that.’ Did she seriously think that was possible? His hallucinations were immersive, and he was the only Rhinacules with amber peepers and very long hair. He stuck out like a sore thumb, even among his own people. Which, was why he never ventured out of the wilderness while spying on his enemy. Unfortunately, Alora was convinced they would be staying in a town.

“If you want me to calm down, then shut up. Also, I wouldn’t advise giving me alcohol. It makes the hallucinations worse,”he said.

Myahil sighed in annoyance at her words.

“I’m glad I hallucinate, then. I see flitter-flutter sky rhythmancers all the time,”he retorted.

He didn’t answer for a long moment. He had quite enjoyed having the advantage of knowing her name. And, he didn’t want to give it up. Though, he had to give her something.

“Just call me Mya.”

He was referring to Clan Mya. It was simple, easy to remember, and might shut the annoying brat up. Though, he had low hopes on that last part.

Alora rolled her peepers. It wasn't lost on her that this was the kind of thing that left them going in circles. A son for a son, a kill for a kill. It would never stop until everyone was dead. Everyone. Their entire races were wiped out. It would be a total annihilation. Perhaps she should just kill them both to stop the slaughter. While she wasn't particularly close with her brothers, she didn't want to see any of her nephews and nieces dead. They were kind and innocent to the ways of the world.

"Good luck with that," she said, "One of us has to be the voice of reason and it isn't you so it has to be me. Get used to hearing my voice darling, it's not going to stop until I am rid of you." Hopefully, that would be sooner rather than later.

"Oh good, you can hallucinate all you want then and see all the flitter-flutter sky rhythmancers you desire. As long as we don't come across someone who wants to kill us which is very likely to happen. So perhaps you should try to reign it in."

She barely hummed in response to him telling her his name. She wasn't expecting a name as feminine as he had told her. Perhaps something short or a lie entirely. She didn't call him out on it. She didn't care too. It was just noice to be able to put a name to a face even if it was the right one. It was better than calling him him or it constantly. It was rather annoying.

"So Mya why did my family kill yours? There must have been a reason. Or were they just collateral?"

“Voice of reason? From you? Seriously? Your reasoning skills are terrible, considering that you have proven to be just as, if not more, bloodthirsty than me,”Myahil huffed.

“I already mentioned that they don’t bother me during a fight, whether I’m seeing something or not. I focus more on the fight, and it becomes easier to ignore everything else,”he snorted.

Myahil heard the hum, and wasn’t surprised. She probably knew that it wasn’t actually his name. Though, truthfully, it was part of his name. But, she wasn’t questioning it, so that was a start on getting her to shut up. Unfortunately, she decided to switch topics, and she picked a sensitive one indeed.

“They were not collateral, I know that much. It was an attack on the Clan. I suspect it had been for conquest,”he said quietly, purposely being vague.

Myahil then shook his head and sighed. He didn’t like thinking of that day. He didn’t like thinking about much of his youth. Cecelia had been the only good in it, and she’d been killed similarly to his parents.

Alora just shrugged in agreement. He did have a point. "You're not right. But at least I don't hallucinate and talk to invisible people. So I'd say out of the two of us, I'm the voice of reason." She said a matter of factly.

Alora froze for a moment. She found it curious that he was placing the blame on her country, as if it hadn't been his that had started this whole war. She said just as much. "You're king started this war in his lust for more land, not us. You started this. We just intend to finish it."

As long as she could remember, her kingdom had constant been at war. War with one country then onto the next. Each had lasted orbit parties and equally devastating and yet the wars always continued. They were ended aither in alliance or surrender. But her kingdom never surrendered. Never. It was always them. Always. Either they financially couldn't support it or ran out if soldiers to train. The yield was always the same. A trade that only truly benefited her family or land or soldiers. They just never learned.

She shook her head. No. He was right. She was right. That was it. She wouldn't hear anymore of it.

Myahil snorted,”I do want to point out that Cecelia, the woman I was talking to earlier, is not a hallucination. She’s a spirit, and has guided me on my journey for a long time. Though, I highly doubt you’ll believe that. No one ever does when I talk about her.”

At her words, her insistence that his ‘king’, in other words Myahil himself, was to blame, he burst into laughter.

“Oh, Alora, you poor, naive ankle-biter!”

Myahil continued laughing, not bothering to explain that the real reason he’d started this war was to make the Omarie family suffer, and to finally be rid of the family once and for all.

Though he’d been a ankle-biter at the time, and he still barely understood all of the events, Myahil recognized conquerors when he saw them. Primarily, because the original Clan Mya, the human Clan Mya had been in the process of conquering the land Myahil now ruled. Clan Mya had never lost a battle, never considered retreat, until the Omarie family came out of nowhere and nearly wiped the Clan out.

Maybe they had only intended to rule over Clan Mya. Maybe things had gotten out of hand. Or, maybe eradication had been the goal of the Omarie family. Who knew? But, it had taken decades for the Clan to rebuild, only for them to be nearly wiped out again barely thirty orbit parties later. That was when Myahil made his desperate pact, and that was when his beloved Cecelia died. All because of the Omarie family.

“You might want to look into the past, before your birth, before claiming that Clan Mya are the guilty ones,”Myahil said with a chuckle.

Alora mouthed an ooookay because a spirit guiding him didn't sound completely insane either. He was right, she didn't believe him.

She raised her eyebrows at Mya as he began laughing. She was entirely sure what to do with an insane person. Had they not been tied together she would have killed him by now, though as the minutes ticked on, death sounded more and more preferable to this. She was walking around with a man who spoke to himself and peepers went white when he hallucinated.

She tilted her head as he spoke again. She found his words curious that he was placing the blame anywhere but himself and his people. They had attacked first. They had trespassed into their territory and attempted to steal it from them. They had only responded to them. They weren't at fault but they sure would finish this. They never backed down.

"Perhaps you need to question who gives you this information. They're clearly supplying you with the right information." Alora rolled her peepers. Out of boredom and wish to change the subjects, she morphed the water so it flowed around them, truing into government spy drones of water. they flew around their heads and danced as if they were almost real, and not water.

“I’ll take your silence as confirmation that you, like everyone else, don’t believe me. It’s disappointing, but not surprising.”

Myahil continued to chuckle, up until she spoke again. Then, he stopped mid-step and pivoted on his heels to face her directly. His amber peepers glared with a strange intensity, one that seemed as angry as it was pained.

“I know this from experience. Your family came at us! We didn’t even know you existed until you attacked us! You, Alora, are too young to know any of this, far too young. So, of course, you would side with your family. You’ve grown up in the luxury and safety of a settled kingdom. I would be surprised if you didn’t side with your family. But, keep in mind, that there is always another side to the story,”Myahil hissed.

As Alora’s government spy drones flew around, a sad gleam entered his peepers. He sighed and quickly shook his head, then turned away and continued walking. government spy drones reminded him of Cecelia. She had always loved government spy drones, and had even painted them in her free time. But… now she was only a fragment of herself, and, without his amulet, she would be long gone.

After a moment, Myahil sighed again. He felt like an idiot for talking so much, for revealing so much. If Alora wouldn’t shut up, then he had to. He couldn’t afford to give away too much more. Not to an Omarie. And, especially, not to Alora.

"There may be another side but will defend my family. Our human syrup runs deep. We don't abandon each other, especially in times of need. And my youth has nothing to do with this. I am not ignorant as you so believe. I am well educated on my kingdom's past. So I wouldn't suggest underestimating me. You know what I can do." Alora was getting irritated. It wasn't all that hard. She was a bomb just waiting to go off.

She relished in the quiet that was brought as her government spy drones began to fly. Despite her previous words, she morphed a small few flitter-flutter sky rhythmancers as well. Hopefully, it would calm Mya from whatever episode he was having. Alora was tired of arguing. She just wanted to get out of the godforsaken forest and find a village nearby. She wanted a hot meal, some ale, and a bed to sleep in.

It took focus and energy to keep her creations moving. Energy she shouldn't be wasting. She could almost hear her teachers in her ears lecturing her about wasted energy. But if it kept Mya quiet and occupied, she didn't feel it was wasted.

"How much longer until we're out of here?"

“All respectable words, except that your parents have clearly lied to you,”Myahil said, unfazed by her irritation.

Myahil barely paid attention to Alora’s creations as he started brooding. He had so much to do, but it was all hindered by his newfound bond with foul Alora. How would he get anything done now? If she knew his plans, she’d do everything to stop him, and that he couldn’t afford. But, he also wasn’t ready to die. He wasn’t afraid of death, but he still wasn’t ready for it.

A flitter-flutter sky rhythmancer flew past him and Myahil looked up to see that Alora hadn’t really held to her earlier words. They were fascinating, especially since they were made of water. It gave the flitter-flutter sky rhythmancers, and even the government spy drones, a mystical feel.

Alora’s question brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up at the sun. It didn’t seem like it had been long, but more time had passed than he’d thought. Also, he could tell by the landmarks around them that they were close to the boundary of the witch’s land.

“Not long,”he answered quietly.

About ten or fifteen minutes later, Myahil felt rather than saw them pass the boundary. It brought a nagging sensation that reminded him of the one he’d felt earlier in the witch’s presence, and a couple minutes later, he realized why that earlier feeling had bothered him so much. His left arm ignited with intense pain, enough to bring him to his leghinges.

A loudy shouty escaped him and Myahil crumpled completely on the ground, his sleeve rolling up as his fingers dug into the soil. The spidery, green veins on his left arm visibly crawled their way farther along his arm. They didn’t move much, not even half an inch, but every little bit was like he was being skinned alive.

Low whimpers came from him as the pain slowly faded. His fingers eventually loosened their grip on the ground, and he groggily rolled onto his right side, his achy arm dragging limply. His peepers, one amber and one white, flickered closed and he passed out.

Alora almost left out a sigh of relief when Mya finally seemed to calm down. The flitter-flutter sky rhythmancers seemed to have done the bamboozle. She knew she said she wouldn't do it but she so desperately wanted him to shut up. He didn't know anything. This was her life and he was trying to tell her everything was lie. He didn't mmkw her personally nor her family. He was delusional. Well, Mya was delusional but especially about this.

She hummed as he responded to her question. She hoped not long meant the same thing to the both of them. Her meaning could be just a few minutes while his could very well mean half exactly 3600 seconds. Turned out, not long was actually not that long. She felt the shift in the air as they passed through the boundary. Maybe they had something in common, even if it just was their sense of time.

Alora drew her water into blade as Mya fell to the grown screaming. She looked around, trying to find a weapon, a person, that had caused this and found none. Using her magic m, she searched for water that resided in bodies and found nothing but the forest around them. Her water dropped as she rushed to Mya's side. She didn't know what was right. She didn't see a visible wound. All she saw was his limp arm.

She gathered her magic and placed her hands above the arm, just hovering. She was a healer as well. Not as gifted but she could do enough with it. She searched for any wound, her magic speaking to his body to heal itself. Her magic was only there was a guide, an aide. It provided the strength and magic to help the body heal itself in an instant. But this was different. It was strange.

Myahil didn’t react to her hum, but he pondered if she thought he meant something longer than literally a short time. He didn’t exaggerate unless he needed to, and usually he never did.

He was utterly oblivious to Alora’s actions, too blinded by pain to even remember her presence. Though, when her hands hovered above his arm, he woke with a jolt, his peepers white then amber. Even though she wasn’t touching him, it seemed like she was.

Myahil then realized that she was trying to heal him. If she thought it would work, she was right. His arm wasn’t wounded in the normal sense. It was the price of his divine pact, the drawback to being reborn as the first Rhinacules. Nothing would heal him, unless Rhinacules, the god, decided to rescind the pact. That was highly doubtful though. Clan Mya and its sister clans were thriving now, instead of dying, after being reborn. And, Myahil was the only one affected by the divine poison.

Myahil groaned and gently pulled his sleeve all the way up, wincing as he did so. He was showing Alora the veins, which stretched from his wrist to almost his elbow. They were throbbing now, visibly pulsating since they had just moved, and were a vivid bright green.

“You can’t heal me. When I mentioned I’d met entities like the Witch before, this is what I meant. One of the downsides of a deal I made long ago. The other being the hallucinations, if you consider them a downside. They fascinate me, even though they’re confusing,”Myahil said quietly, groggily.

He left his sleeve up, so he didn’t accidentally hurt himself more. Then, he waved Alora back a bit with his good arm, before rolling over and maneuvering back onto his leghinges.

“Now that we’re out of the Witch’s territory, we should discuss destination, then what we’re going to be doing afterward. I would prefer staying in the woods, mostly because I am in enemy lands. But, I know you would prefer a town. Normally, I would insist on staying in the wilderness, but you are a native, so I’ll ask how we can compromise,”Myahil said, looking at Alora with a half-dazed look.

Alora gasped as he suddenly came to and spoke to her. What in the gods name? She couldn't understand why he would do such a thing to himself, to live in such memory. She dropped her hands to her side and rocked back on her heels. She shook her head down at him, a few choice words running through her head.

She watched as he got to his groundhands, eyeing him warily before getting to her own. He was very strange indeed, jumping from witches and gods to shelter. She couldn't quite wrap her head around it. They would certainly be returning to the original subject of his deal. But she could bite and talk about shelter first.

"I don't know about you but I'm feeling a little lost without my steel. The town is the best place to restock. We get our weapons, buy supplies, mandatory sustenance (like cheetos), and, I don't know after that. I'm not sure what to do other than get rid of this soul bond." Perhaps she could guide him back to the palace, see if there's anything in the wisdom warehouse about breaking this soul bond between them two. "And while I don't doubt that we can't find what we need in the woods, as everyone likes to point out to me," she grumbled that last part, "it's so much easier to go and buy it. After that, I guess you can direct where we go next."

She was going to regret saying that. She didn't like compromise. She liked to get her way and only her way. Maybe it was a good thing she never got to get married. She would have been a horrible wife, always wanting to do things her way. The thought dampened her mood and she shifted her gaze anywhere but on Mya.

(You’re fine. It happens)

Myahil barely registered her reactions to his words, though he ignored her look as he got to his leghinges. He was certain she’d question him later. Though, she wouldn’t like his explanation, but he was wasn’t going to lie about protecting his people from utter annihilation.

He listened to her and conceded with a nod. She was right. They needed weapons and supplies, and the wilderness could only give so much. Sometimes, a town was truly the better place to resupply. Though, considering his race, there might be complications.

“We will see where we go afterward. But, I do want to point out one major problem with heading into a town. I am a Rhinacules. Sure, we do closely resemble humans, and I can hide my shell with little trouble. But, I cannot hide my peepers, nor my accent. And, trying to act sane has not worked out for me in the past,”he mentioned.

He noticed how she seemed to avoid looking at him, but didn’t think much of it as he considered possible ways to get supplies without throwing suspicion on himself. None of the brain bubbles he could think of were ideal, and he didn’t like that. This is why he avoided towns in enemy land. Too many complications.

Alora turned her head, looking at him. She took him in, peepers going down then back up again until she was at his face. Then she smiled. "I have an brain bubble but I don't think you're going to like it."

Her brain bubble would have him bound and pretending to be her prisoner. While she could probably get away with brining him to the village using her title, it would cause to many questions and word were eventually get back to her father. That was not an ideal situation. He would send for her, call her back to the palace to explain herself. And when she inevitably didn't show, would send a small army with one of her brother's leading it to come fetch her.

However, if she showed up in the village as nothing but a patriot having caught a member of their enemy with all purposes to bring him to the palace for questioning, she might get away with it. She could likely get them a single human containment unit, insisting that it was safer for him to be in her presence at all times. She could summon the blacksmith for an array of weapons, ordering a few too many, but with enough gold would shut him up. She would deny any escort or help. Then in the morning, after they had created a plan, they could go on their way.

Yes, she liked this very much. Mainly because she wouldn't be in chains and he would. And she would be dragging him around and enjoying every minute of it.

(Sorry for taking a while. It’s been a little chaotic the past few days, lol)

Myahil watched her inspection of him silently, noting her smile. At her words, he quickly guessed what she was planning.

“Judging from your expression, you intend to act as my captor. You’re very right that I don’t like that brain bubble, but not simply because of the restrictions it would have upon me. Firstly, you will eventually be questioned why you didn’t bring me to the capital for interrogation or some other fate. Secondly, if my kin see that you have me as a prisoner, they will hunt you down and kill you, which will result in my death as well. Not a route I wish to go,”Myahil said sternly.

He then turned away, lost in thought. After a moment, he look up to see a raven staring at him. It had golden peepers and a blue beak, so Myahil was pretty sure that it was a hallucination, but it was inspiring nonetheless.

In the early days of his clan, they had been neighbors to a group of nomadic monks that called themselves the Order of the Raven. They kept to themselves mostly, and, after a few orbit parties, moved on. It was the vaguest of memories for Myahil, since he’d been a small boy when the Order left, but maybe he could use their name.

“What if I pose as a monk? A strange one, but one nonetheless. I am already in a robe. I have no shoes, nor any other possessions other than my cloak. I can fight just as well with fists or silver stabby-wabbies. And, it allows me to move freely,”he wondered, glancing at Alora. He pointedly made that last comment in reference to her brain bubble.

Alora's smile quickly fell as he shot down her brain bubble. She hadn't been expecting him to agree but it still would have been rather enjoyable for the princess. She liked having men in chains, men who were her enemy, or not. To put it lightly, she and her lover enjoyed exploring different things. She was particularly fond of being in control. But this was not the time to be thinking such things.

She sighed at his words and grumbled. He was right, of course, and logically, it made sense. It was the easiest way to avoid suspicions and drawing attention to themselves. Except one problem. Alora was well known. There was no mistaking her flaming hair and that dangerous glint in her peepers. The princess was too noticeable. Questions would be asked, either way. They would wonder why she was traveling with a monk. And one way or another, her father would receive word of this. Something she didn't want.

She loathed her father spying on her. She was a woman grown. She didn't need supervision or her father's spying. She did fine on her own. She did fine without his help. She didn't want the coddling or the sweet words or the discouragement. He never supported her rampage, as if the man himself hadn't had his own mucduc rages. The hypocrisy was irritating.

"Problem, me," She pointed at herself. "I am recognizable. It won't take long after we walk into that village for someone to recognize me. If we're travelling incognito, how are we going to solve that problem?"

Myahil noticed her fading smile, but he didn’t care. She was wanting to chain him, to contain him. It was idiotic, but also aggravating. He was not one to be chained.

But, she seemed to accept his words. That was good. However, as Alora considered it, Myahil eyed her. She was the Princess, a well known figure in the land. They would question her regardless of how they came into town. They needed to make her less recognizable.

He only nodded at her words, deep in thought. After a minute, he finally stood up from his kneeling position and circled her. Hair, clothes, facial features. All identifiable.

“Modify the surface to hide the core,”he said his thoughts aloud, eyeing her hair.

She had bonita red hair, which reminded him of the early days of Clan Mya. They would dye their clothes, and that process continued even now. Myahil only knew the basics of dyeing fabric, since his profession had been a scout, not a craftsman, but it inspired him anyway. Alora could dye her hair.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have any dye with him, and he doubted Alora did. But… Alora had water magic, and, if needed, Myahil had earth magic. They could make mud to change her hair, for now at least. If she cleaned herself, they’d have to think of something else, but mud would be the simplest route with what little they had.

“We change your hair color. For the moment, mud is likely the best way, though if you wash, we’ll have to improvise. We also change the style of your hair, and see about hiding some of your other features,”Myahil explained his thoughts.

Alora didn't like how he was looking at her, her hair especially. She loved her hair. It was a bright red color. She was proud of it. She remembered being teased as a ankle-biter about it, for being so different and strange. Red hair was so uncommon in her home. She was self-conscious about it for orbit parties and it took her lover's sweet words before she finally learned to accept her hair.

She didn't want to cover it up. She didn't want to hide it. But if she didn't they would be spotted almost immediately. If she covered it they would have a chance of making it out without anyone noticing who they were. She knew how to act. She could calm down her princess privileged and blend in.

"We still need a story for me. Who am I? What am I doing traveling with a monk? These are things people will ask regardless of my hair." She was touching her hair now. Her clean, bonita hair. There was a slight pout on her lips.

"I can buy a head scarf in town and wrap my head. That way I won't need to cover my hair any longer than necessary. I'm not sure what other features you're trying to cover up though." Other than her hair, Alora was unsure of what else there was to do.