forum And God knows (closed)

Started March 18, 2023 by @ElderGod-yellowqueen

tune

Alora clenched her jaw in frustration, her fists balling. How could he be laughing at a time like this? Why did he keep laughing? Perhaps he was insane. That was the most likely answer. It would make a lot of sense as to how they ended up here. What didn't make sense was how he would have a position of power to lead a small group to assassinate the princess. If he wasn't sane he shouldn't be trusted to lead much less have any access to a weapon.
She looked at him like he was crazy, which to her, he was.
"The witch is a fairytale told to misbehaving children. She can feel the energy that children give off and can sense when they've been bad. She kidnaps them in their sleep and they're never seen again," Alora countered, "She's not supposed to be real. Nor is she supposed to care about war."
All of this was starting to make her head hurt.
She groaned when she noticed the vacant look in the man's eyes. Great. Just what she needed, for him to space out on her. "Let's get out of these woods. We can find a village to lay low and figure out the rest from there. There has to be a way to break this bind without killing each other." Well, she wouldn't mind if he died but she wasn't quite ready for herself to pass to the afterlife.

Myahil still couldn’t help chuckling at her look. He didn’t care whatsoever if she thought he was crazy. In a way, he technically was. But, it was hilarious watching her frustration at his laughing fit. Oh, the wonders of insanity and a goddess binding two souls together.

Myahil snorted at her explanation, shaking his head.

“You and your ‘fairytales’. How can you not see that they are based on reality? Can you not feel her presence here? Her lungs in the trees. Her heart in the ground. Her eyes in the stars. Though… maybe you do not. Not even my own guards believed me. Look where that got them,”Myahil said, half rambling. He then sighed at his last comments, shaking his head with a brief look of melancholy in his eyes.

As he hummed, Myahil remembered that day he’d made the divine pact. It had been ages since he last felt that sort of power, and, for some reason, feeling it again bothered him. He wasn’t sure why.

Easy, love. Don’t let your thoughts carry you too far away.

The lovely voice of sweet Cecelia in his head. Hearing her brought him out of his sudden brooding. He sighed again, glancing off to the side. There was nothing there, but it was easier for him to focus when he wasn’t staring at his nemesis.

“You know how I am. How easy it is to get lost in a maelstrom,”he said aloud.

Yes, but don’t let it make you vulnerable.

That caught his attention, and his eyes shot back to Alora, just in time to hear her speak. Cecelia’s presence faded into the background again, but not before he felt a subtle brush of phantom fingers on his shoulder.

“Pardon my… odd behaviors. I completely agree that we should leave. The quicker, the better. Though, I would have suggested staying in the wilderness, but… I suppose it won’t hurt to let the murderous woman choose where we go,”he replied.

Myahil didn’t bother explaining more about his behavior, nor did he even acknowledge her desire to try breaking the bond. Sure, it would allow him the opportunity to be rid of Alora, even at the risk of his own death, but… maybe he could use the bond to his advantage. After all, wouldn’t Alora’s parents do anything to get their precious daughter back?

After a moment, Myahil simply started walking, heading in the direction that he’d originally been taking. He also fluffed his long hair a bit, letting his still soggy locks partially drape across his shoulders. It helped him think strategically, being somewhat shrouded in his hair.

That's it. He's talking to himself. He's officially crazy.

"You want to stay in the same woods that caused this?" Alora held up her wrist, exposing the mark the soul bond left. "Excuse me if I don't share your sentiment. I think I would rather get out of these woods and far away. Unless you know where this witch lives and coerce her to reverse this, which didn't sound like she would at all, I think we have a better chance of getting out of here. I'm sure we can find someone who can take care of this."

And then she would likely kill him to be done with him. He was too annoying and too insane to be kept alive. It was like a wounded animal, better to put him out of his misery.

She opened her mouth as he walked away then firmly shut it as he walked away. She assumed it would only get worse if she tried speaking to him. She debated for a moment just letting him walk away and go her way but she wouldn't be able to guarantee his survival. His death meant her own, unfortunately. So she made the decision to put one foot in front of the other and follow. She walked in silence for what felt like hours before finally speaking.

"Do you even know where we're going?" She called from behind him. Her eyes glared daggers into his back. She was wary, waiting for him to freak out and attack her. He was crazy. There was no telling what he would do.

Myahil rolled his eyes 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 stupid 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 aware 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 eye 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 sword from the stone deep beneath his feet, 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 swords 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 tree 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 eyes, 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 confused 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 rain hell 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 butterfly, 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 meeting 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 aware 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 butterfly 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 tree, taking deep breaths.

What in the hell 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 confused 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 eyes 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 butterflies. 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 butterfly. Until his eyes turned white and freaked her out. She drew the butterflies 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 hell 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 blood 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 wrong 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 eyes with her.

“Considering your reaction, I’m going to guess my eyes 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 crazy. But, don’t you dare confuse 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 wrong. 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 butterfly.

“I’m quite fond of butterflies, 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 child on the way. Or perhaps not. Perhaps she would have taken years 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 trick 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 butterflies. "I'll make sure not to make them again then." Call her petty but she didn't care. She wasn't here to make nice 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."

“Eye for an eye. 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 eyes. ‘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 eyes 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 butterflies 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 eyes. 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 butterflies 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 nice to be able to put a name to a face even if it was the wrong 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 wrong. 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 years 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 wrong. 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 child!”

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 child 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 years 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 eyes 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 wrong information." Alora rolled her eyes. Out of boredom and wish to change the subjects, she morphed the water so it flowed around them, truing into birds 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 eyes 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 birds flew around, a sad gleam entered his eyes. He sighed and quickly shook his head, then turned away and continued walking. Birds reminded him of Cecelia. She had always loved birds, 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 blood 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 birds began to fly. Despite her previous words, she morphed a small few butterflies 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 butterfly 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 butterflies, and even the birds, 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 knees.

A scream 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 eyes, 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 butterflies seemed to have done the trick. 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 an hour. 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 wrong. 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.