Nordali reached out to gently place his fingers in the center of her palm, his other hand tracing along the scars she revealed to him. “I don’t understand my own power, Amira. We both can’t fully control the powers we’ve been gifted. I can’t make trees speak with me, I can’t force berries to grow where they won’t grow, all I can do is the simple things: heal what already has been damaged and grow the blades of grasses and small flowers. Whether or not your powers are destructive or potentially harmful to others, you can always learn how to control them.” He told her softly, his fingers tracing a small symbol into her forearm, it appeared soon after he had finished, glowing a soft silver against her skin. Warmth flooded from the area, almost as if she had taken a well-deserved nap. “I can restore or remove strength when needed. That is my Fae power. It took me years to manage, to control. And I still can’t use the removal spell. I’ve killed with it. Unwillingly, mind you. But I’m learning. Slowly how to work it.”
“How.” She whispered, closing her eyes as the warmth flooded her arm, taking away the aches from lack of sleep and overworking. “How did you even get it to listen to you? How are you doing so now, while still learning? It never-“ An image flashed through her mind, of her sister hiding the lightning scars along her arms, the blue raised veins considered ugly in their kingdom, and in Amira’s mind, a reminder. That she could hurt people without wanting to. People she cared about. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want to hurt you, or those children or the people around the campfires.” I’m sick of doing nothing but hurting.
“Practice… lots of practice. I used to sneak out at night and practice on plants and animals. I felt bad anytime I hurt something but that only made me work harder. I was too stubborn and selfish to have this be a huge weakness against me.” He admitted sheepishly. “Still am a little selfish and stubborn, and damn arrogant.” He held onto her hands gently, smiling at her. “You won’t hurt us.”
She returned the hold on her hands, if with a tighter grip that belied her fear. The fear tugged on the magic inside her even as she tried to ignore it, the bones laying beneath the ground stirring slightly. “Are you sure? Can-…can you teach me how? Just…how to start. Because I have no clue how. And maybe if I can figure that out…”
“Of course.” He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. “Just take a deep breath for me, you’re rather nervous it seems.” He joked good-heartedly, referring to the way she squeezed his hands. Nordali understood that, however. He had been scared too the first time he had tried to really control his powers.
It was a second too late, the deep breath, as the ground beside them cracked. Out of the small fissure crawled the skeleton of a field mouse, skittering about before approaching them. Amira muttered a curse, releasing Zar’s hands and pulling back suddenly. “I’m so sorry. It-the memories and the panic-fuck.”
Nordali blinked in slight alarm, the nature around the fissure letting out a distressing aura. He froze for a second but relaxed when the skeletal field mouse approached, offering his hand to the creature. He hoped his animal skills applied to the undead. “Amira, it’s alright, really, come here,” he assured, holding out his other hand for her to take. “It’s alright to make mistakes and to fear. But you have to learn how to control that before you’ll be able to have free choice over your powers.”
Amira shook her head wordlessly, eyeing the mouse with what was definitely fear. Not fear of the creature, quite, but more fear of herself and something else. Memories continued flashing through her mind, of bony fingers clawing at her arms, legs and neck, of rotting carcasses racing towards her, nearing and getting closer- She took his hand. She didn’t move much closer, just a bit, but she took his hand. I won’t be scared of her anymore. I won’t be scared of her power. “I don’t-I can’t control them, only bring them to life. They’ve done things.”
Nordali carefully scooped the creature up. He kept it away from her, but he held it near to himself, willing the creature not to attack. “This one is a field mouse, Amira, it shouldn’t do more than bite a little. It’s alright that you can’t control them, maybe after you figure out your powers a little more you might be able to.” He said softly, bringing her hand to his lips in a soft, reassuring kiss. “They have done things… but I believe you’ll be able to figure out how to work this, my lady.”
The field mouse seemed perfectly content to curl up in his palm, watching Amira almost more curiously than maliciously. The Necromancer’s cheeks darkened at the kiss he pressed to her hand, out of habit even as she kept her eyes warily on the mouse. “It’s….so small. Not like the other ones.” She said softly, moving just a bit closer as she pushed her hair back from her face. “I can bring them back. I just can’t control them. Do you…really think I could someday?”
Nordali smiled at the blush upon her features and hummed softly. “It is small. Rather harmless. Though can’t say I’m too thrilled with the feeling of bone against my skin.” He made a face, but held the creature nonetheless, finding it rather cute. “I do really think you can. Necromancy, right? I haven’t heard of a necromancer who hasn’t been able to control what they bring back. And I’m certain you won’t be the first.”
Taking a deep breath, Amira held her hand out, trembling slightly but looking determined about something. She muttered something in her home tongue, the words seeming to reaffirm that determination. One cannot be brave without fear. Fear is not the absence of bravery. "Necromancy. I received it from my mother's blood. Isn't that befitting of her?" Her eyes flicked up to his as he continued, widening slightly. He really sounded sure of that. In her distraction, she didn't notice the mouse rising, moving like it was sniffing her hand, before skittering up onto her palm. She froze, turning her gaze back down to the mouse as she took in shaky breaths to try and calm her panic.
Nordali listened in with a soft smile, nodding his approval of the words. He repeated them in his own tongue, but the words were slightly different in translation. Something more along the lines of: ‘Bravery does not exist if no fear is in place.’
He met her eyes with a willingness that exposed his general like and comfort for her. The panic that suddenly returned to her body language made him fear for her wellbeing, grasping her free hand. “Breath Amira, breath. It will not hurt you.”
"Do you understand the power you hold, Amira Sultan? A power you will never be able to control, a power that will kill you one day-" "It won't hurt me. It won't hurt me. It won't hurt me."Amira repeated the words like a mantra, her eyes shut tightly and grip on his hand just as tight. The mouse, thankfully, seemed to sense her fear, staying right where it was and curling up in her palm, making itself smaller and less…strange. One cannot be brave without fear. Fear is not the absence of bravery. The mouse will not hurt you. It will listen.
Nordali watched with eyes of molten silver, a harsh expression that offered something kind and gentle. “You’re doing alright, my lady.” He murmured gently, giving her hand another squeeze.
Those silver rings never left her face, interest and awe in them. Amira was nothing like he had ever seen. A woman so broken and yet so strong. She was closed off and yet opened up to him after a bet.
It took Amira longer than she would have liked, but less time than it seemed in her mind. Eventually though, she opened her eyes. Still gripping his hand, she pulled her other hand a bit closer to herself, lifting the field mouse up closer to eye level. "Hello there." She whispered, voice shaking slightly, but overall even in pitch and tone. "You are very small, and terrify me. In theory. Not just because you are a mouse."
Nor let out a small sound, a proud smile lighting up his features. He tilted his head and watched her for a moment before his hand moved to repair the fissure as much as he could. The only thing he really could do was place a sunflower there, letting the roots hold the dirt in place. Sunflowers were incredibly good at keeping dirt in place.
His eyes returned to her once he was sure the flower was flourishing, looking a little tired.
She blinked once, eyes moving almost heavily, as she continued to speak. The energy it took to bring things back was quite a bit, even for something small, and this time around, she had brought it back permanently, even if she hadn't realized it yet. "I am Amira, and this is Zar. He's the one who isn't afraid of you." It seemed, the more she talked like this to the reanimated mouse skeleton, the calmer she grew, like it was soothing her fears. It helped that she had, at some point, moved closer and closer to Zar as well. His presence was comforting to her. "He can make the flowers dance-" That was the best translation she had. "-and he likes curry."
As silly as it seemed, Zar waved at the little mouse as he was introduced. He chuckled at himself, casting a warning look in the direction of his guild members, warning them not to tease him about the pretty Necromancer who held his hand and drew closer to his side.
“Zar, or Zarskana. I prefer Zar.” He rumbled happily. The word Zarskana was from his native tongue of Valdorian. It simply meant ’a freed traitor’ or could also be quite literally translated to ’he with sin who walked away’ He liked the idea of that word. It fit his motives, it fit for the group he had created. They were all sinners to the public around them. He was one who had freed himself before he could take the throne and end up destroying himself with the noble title of King.
The word sounded vaguely familiar to Amira. Her parents had tried to get her a tutor in Valdorian, and succeeded, but the problem was getting Amira herself to pay any attention to the language that she would one day share with a man she had never met. She had despised everything about the language, but Zar…he made it seem even more beautiful than she had wanted to admit.
When he waved at the mouse and introduced himself, she found herself smiling, the look in her eyes so soft and grateful and open that she almost looked like a different person. Zar, in short, was simply amazing to her. She had met a few genuinely kind people in her time running, but Zar was by far the kindest, and the only one she'd met who could put up with her that long. And his voice sounded somewhat like music to her. "Aren't his eyes pretty? They look like the stars, and sparkle like them too. He's a good dancer, too."
Nordali was taken by surprise at her expression. No one had looked at him that way before. It confused him for a moment.
“Me? A good dancer? You must have the wrong male. I can’t dance, Amira.” He mused, leaning closer to her warmth.
"You can dance perfectly fine, hallaski. You just have to get out of the mentality that you can't." Amira said decisively, nodding once. She pressed her shoulder against his, shifting to do so comfortably, not for warmth but more for general comfort. She was always plenty warm. "I can't dance either, but it's still fun to dance."
“It really is quite fun… I haven’t had that much fun in a long time if I’m being honest with you.” The Valdorian, though quite strong in stature, seemed timid and nervous around the small female who pressed herself so willingly against him.
“Won’t you take up my previous offer, and stay in my living space? There is a cot and everything there. I will not intrude, I have a raid to plan and some work to do.”
"We'll have to dance more often then." She decided, tucking the hand with the field mouse close to her chest. The undead creature cuddled up against her like it was cold, despite having nothing to feel that cold. "I…are you sure? I usually just sleep against Malakai. I don't…he wouldn't fit, and I really wouldn't want to intrude on you. Or your space."
“The tent is rather large. It’s a military tent after all.” He told her with a soft smile. “I wouldn’t mind at all. I might pop in to grab a coat or a few more papers every now and then but I won’t be noisy about it.” He glanced around the camp and shifted. “And I wouldn’t want you out here… I don’t want anyone bothering you.”
