Fantasy Primacy [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

Most people that Varick knew did, eventually, dream of finding the place to rest. He had often wondered if they were really traveling to find that, despite what they said otherwise. Mercenaries seemed the only sort with goals to travel endlessly, and even the majority of those hoped to stop one day. Rest. Rest was ever the goal, even in those who weren’t moving about. Rest meant peace, and security, after all.

Tamsin wasn’t necessarily looking for that. Peace and security, of course – who wasn’t? Yet, she wanted someone who would travel with her. The shame of it was, the people who did this were usually violent sorts, himself included.

It was necessary on the road, but he didn’t think that necessary for her life.

“No. Most men don’t like women that are independent,” Varick had noticed it enough. Whores faced the same discrimination in trying to have a love life, but he could imagine it was the same with any woman who made her own way in the world, far from a man. They would have to be fairly secure to trust Tamsin, in themselves and in her. Especially if they chose to stay at home and not join her on her traveling ventures.

“You still have time to figure it out,” he noted, “I was just curious. Most seem to be traveling with a goal to find an end to traveling,” he chuckled, “seems as contrary as fighting a war for peace, to me.” But people were strange that way. Why should he expect any different? At least Tamsin didn’t know.

One day, she would.

And one day, it would be with someone secure, who wasn’t a threat to her life by proximity.

~***~

In what was quite possibly Malina’s last worst decision of her life, she opted not to bind Kirsikka. It was a fool’s move, even Kirsikka knew that, but she wouldn’t say as much as she relaxed her posture, one hand massaging the wrist of the other, still sore from the burns and the chafing. Not to mention the bleeding that had to come with removing the damn cuffs the improper way. At least that was fairly mild, but everything added up to pain.

Pain she’d still scoff at when Malina suggested resting. “A few minutes will make no difference,” which was true, but also, she didn’t care about Malina’s life being lost because Kirsikka wasn’t taking the proper precautions.

Drazhan, she might have waited a few minutes.

All the more reason for Drazhan to be far from this, and thank everything, he was.

So, Kirsikka turned to the path away from the fountain, up towards a building that was clearly built into the mountain. There was a line of pillars, and all too soon, more foes. They announced themselves well enough with an arrow that hit the ground in front of Kirsikka.

“No further!” A voice shouted, and Kirsikka scoffed again at such a pithy attempt to stop her from approaching. She started to turn from the arrow to see if Malina was going to handle what was ahead, before the sound of a portal warped the air and she saw instead a familiar face.

His clothing was still bloodstained at the collar, his neck still scarred from the beheading, but he was freed of Mont Pellinor and just in time, it seemed.

Not that Kirsikka seemed to agree as everything went cold as if in preparation for another blast.

"Is that anyway to greet an old friend, Cherry? You'll only kill yourself if you try again."

"Tempting." Because it couldn't be him. He was dead. This was a terrible illusion or a changeling or…anything but him, because he would never be undead.

He didn't seem bothered, not by her or by…whoever that was behind her. Melanie? Melody? Something like that. Unimportant. "I know it must be hard to accept, but I'll explain, next time. Right now, I'm afraid I can't let either of you pass further."

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin chuckled, and shook her head. No, most men didn’t like the fact that she was independent, which was made extremely clear to her in the past, and will no doubt be made even more clear to her in the future. Unless she found someone that didn’t mind her profession in the least.

Someone like Varick.

But Varick wouldn’t want that kind of life, traveling with Tamsin forever, would he? She doubted he had an issue with her choice of career, but also he would want her to be safe. Far from monsters. Which, she had no trouble attracting with or without Varick.

“What about you?” She asked. “If you had the choice, would you want to find an end to traveling one day?” Tamsin did hope that Varick dreamed of peace one day, simply because he deserved it. He deserved to rest instead of continuing to hunt down monsters until one killed him one day. “Or at least find someone to permanently travel with?”

She wanted him to find that peace.

~~~

With the flying arrow, Malina had indeed prepared to take care of the archers, but she wasn’t able to do anything before the portal appeared in front of them, and out stepped someone familiar.

Someone she knew to be very dead, and even his death scar was still clear, with the collar of his clothes bloodstained.

Then there was the whole separate issue of, why wasn’t he still at Mont Pellinor, forever trapped to those cursed lands? How did he get free?

Malina didn’t have a great feeling about any of this, then he just had to go and forbid them from passing any further. “Oh? We can’t pass? And why is this?” Her hands at her side began to glow from the building fire beneath her skin. What would something concrete do to something as incorporeal as Dravon’s spirit?

But she was well aware of what he could do to them.

“If you can’t let us pass, then we’ll just have to go right through you.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick snorted at the idea of an end. There would always be monsters. He would always be traveling to deal with them, no matter how ungrateful some people could be about it. No, he didn’t even bother to dream of a cessation to travels or peace. Not anymore. Even his brief stint of dreaming about it hadn’t lasted long. He was too pragmatic.

“It’s an impossible dream, Tamsin,” Varick pointed out to her. “There will never be an end to monsters, so there will never be an end to traveling. I don’t think about it anymore.” That wasn’t what she asked, but he figured it answered the question. He didn’t see himself ever settling down or stopping his travels. “If there was an end, I don’t think I could stop traveling anyways. People are still prejudice against Primals. There will never be a place I could settle for a long time without causing problems.”

So he’d be moving about forever. Always.

He wasn’t sure about the companion thing.

“I’ve never considered traveling with someone for long,” he noted, “It’s…just never happened. I’ve thought of reconnecting with some people…and I have friends I visit across the world.” Would he want to travel with any of them? He didn’t think so. “The right person might not be so bad,” he’d admit to that with a casual shrug, “but few people want to deal with the baggage my kind of travel brings.”

He didn’t want to deal with it.

He had to deal with it, though, and he learned how to do that well. He would continue to do so, but he wouldn’t wish it on anyone, nor ask for anyone to join him in that. It wasn’t terrible. “You’ve seen enough of it.” The monsters, the prejudice, the general dislike and mistrust he inspired wherever he went.

No one wanted to deal with that forever.

~***~

Kirsikka was also very aware of what Dravon was capable of. It was why his death came as such a shock, after all. She had denied it to herself after she came to from the burst of power. There was no body she’d ever seen. No body recovered, that she ever heard of. Couldn’t he have lived? Couldn’t it have been an illusion?

No.

He would have contacted her if it was. He was dead, and this shapeshifter was about to get one hell of a death for trying to make her think otherwise. As Malina spoke, she felt that icy power slowly start to move through her. Indeed, a second blast would kill her – but some things were worth that, weren’t they? Her rage, and Malina’s, were a pair. She could count on Malina’s fire to destroy what she left behind when Malina saw how her faith had abandoned her.

Unfortunately, Dravon was very familiar with Kirsikka’s black rage, even if he’d never seen it reach the pinnacle before. He’d died right before, after all. “I would not advise that,” Dravon spoke to Malina’s threat, “Cherry, I—” and when she threw her hands forward to blast him, he caught both, expecting it. He bent her wrists back and dug his thumbnails into them, drawing blood.

“Bnurepa.” The spell stopped her magic, though only so long as he kept contact. “I never said I wouldn’t explain some now,” he said, as Kirsikka considered kicking him in the shin when he stepped in closer. She refused to step back, no matter how uncomfortable it made her. The cold hands. The voice. She shut her eyes. “Cher—”

“I will kill you when you let me go,” she promised, interrupting that nickname she didn’t want to hear in his voice. “For taking his image, for stopping us, I will make your death miserable even if it kills me.”

“It is me.”

“It isn’t. He would never—”

“I had no choice,” his voice lowered, “I don’t even know how to kill myself.” Kirsikka let her eyes open there, wariness covering hope. His grip loosened as he pushed her hands back to her side, but he kept his grip.

He, also, wasn’t an idiot. “But I know what it will do to you, Cherry. I’ve seen it, that terrible, icy hellscape. Ever since it brought me back I’ve shared its dreams, and its nightmares.” He let go of one hand to touch her face, but she flinched away. He still gripped her chin anyways, lowering his voice further, and spun his lie, “And its nightmare. There’s a woman it fears—”

“I’ve seen it.”

“Good. Then you know what to do.”

He let go of her chin to brush strands of hair back, an apologetic look that he matched with words, “Please forgive me, love,” as she started to open her mouth to respond, she felt his lips on hers.

Cold.

With a taste like wine left to ferment too long. As sickening as it was intoxicating – the worst kiss she’d ever experienced by far, and it was broken just as suddenly when he shoved her back into Malina, her balance utterly lost, and into a portal he summoned a moment later.

He’d close the way back immediately, locking it down so they couldn’t just portal back.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin felt a mixture of anger and sadness for Varick, for a life he couldn’t even imagine. Never could think about settling because there would never be an end to the monsters, and even if there was, there would never be an end to the endless prejudice Primals faced on the daily.

“I want to deal with the baggage,” she said before she had a chance to think about it. But she would. If it meant Varick had a chance at happiness, she would be happy to deal with any of the negatives with him.

Tamsin adjusted herself to better face Varick. “I have seen it, and you shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.” Her voice lowered, “You don’t have to.”

Was she saying she wanted to travel with him permanently? Yes, I am.

“And don’t say this isn’t what I want,” she said firmly, poking her finger into his chest. “I know what I want.” And what I want is you.

~~~

Malina prepared herself to attack Dravon, as he moved closer and touched Kirsikka, interrupting the attack she was preparing to freeze him with. She moved to attack, but paused, instead opting to watch the strange interaction. To see what more Dravon would do.

But she wouldn’t let down her guard for a second.

And of course, she was curious about the cryptic words Dravon spoke. The supposed woman this thing he was mentioning feared. But she couldn’t interject anymore. She could do anything, as Kirsikka was suddenly shoved into her, causing Malina to stumble backwards as well and through a portal.

She tripped over her own feet and fell onto the ground, a ground that was significantly different than what they were just on. She pushed Kirsikka off of her and noticed the new surroundings before she noticed that the portal was gone. A portal they couldn’t resummon and go back through.

“What the actual fuck,” a familiar voice cursed. Malina turned her head to see Drazhan standing next to several soldiers, all of whom looked shocked at her and Kirsikka’s sudden arrival.

Well, she supposed it was rather startling.

 

[Lucyfer]

Tamsin’s words weren’t wholly unexpected, and yet, they were. Varick let his brows raise as she declared she wanted to deal with the baggage. She wanted to come along with him, and suffer it at his side. He was indeed about to protest, but she persisted in this ridiculous idea of hers, which…he supposed, if she wanted to travel, worked with her. For now. But would it forever? What about when people began to associate them – truly associate them?

Her business as a bard might faulter.

She might lose what made her happy.

He let his eyes drop to her finger in his chest and couldn’t help a scoffing laugh at her confidence in her decision. “You have time to change your mind.” She was stuck with him for now, until they reached Calliope, at least. Perhaps longer if they had to do more to help her get a grip on these new powers, but that was to be seen.

He knew that sounded like an almost refusal.

Doubt.

And it was that, “But,” he continued, “I won’t stop you if you don’t change your mind, however,” and there he reached for Tamsin’s hand, wrapping his own around it and removing it from his chest but not letting go, “what do you want out of this, Tamsin?” A partnership that split funds, and helped each other?

Or something more?

He was aware he stood in that interesting position of ‘man who gave no fucks how independent she was’. And he was aware of her earlier attraction. Lust was one thing, though. He knew how to handle that. He suspected, on both ends, there were more…complicated things at play for both of them being willing to accept a traveling companion.

~***~

Kirsikka fell atop Malina, and didn’t resist being pushed off. It was hardly where she wanted to be, after all. The portal was gone, of course. That was expected, and she knew what Dravon’s next moves would be. It didn’t stop her from forcing herself to her feet and starting to draw water from the horse troughs.

Drazhan’s voice startled her enough that the water splashed to the ground and she turned to look at him and all the soldiers. He didn’t look hurt, but instantly she whipped that water back into the air and froze all of it into solid icicles that hovered in threat against them, quivering with her failing strength.

The soldiers definitely took in the situation with Malina’s return, and the other sorceress who definitely was not looking good with burnt wrists and dried blood on her face from the lich’s cut – but still evidently had the power to call up magic, and that was worrisome enough. Her identity didn’t need spelled out; the icicles said enough.

“Er. Malina?” One of the soldiers dared to speak, “This, uh…Primal…has been looking for you. Kind of…asked us to arrest him and take him to you.”

The icicles shattered on the ground. “Why are you like this?” Kirsikka demanded, but knew she wouldn’t get an answer she liked. However, she had no reason to threaten the soldiers if Drazhan was being intentionally stupid. He could fight his own battle. “Never mind, just—give me a minute,” she called the water again, and tried to form a portal.

It didn’t form.

Again, and again, and again. She even spoke elfish to try and make it stick that third time, before whipping it into a reflecting pool. It wouldn’t let her see what she wanted to see, though. It just reflected her own face back. Not Dravon. Not the White Sun’s area.

She hurled the water back to the ground with a very strong elfish curse against Dravon, before huffing out a breath, “No one dies if someone tells me the direction to the nearest tavern.” She drank very rarely, but she wanted to remove tonight from her memory. She wanted to remove the taste of Dravon from her lips.

She wanted sweet oblivion.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin looked down at the hand Varick wrapped around hers, enjoying the warmth he seeped into her body. Both from the touch, and something more.

Her gaze snapped back up at him though when he asked her what it was she wanted, not entirely confident in her own answer for the moment.

She did know one thing she wanted, but…

He’s not Roland.

“What I want…” she echoed, her eyes taking in his features. The unique facial tattoo, the distinctive Primal eyes, the rugged beard. Gulping, Tamsin shifted her legs, swinging one over his legs so that she was now straddling his lap as a surge of courage raced through her blood.

“I want you.” Her free hand grabbed his shirt and brought him even closer, kissing him with every ounce of desire she held, and hoping in a brief moment of insecurity that he wouldn’t outright reject her.

~~~

Drazhan glanced back and forth between Kirsikka and Malina, trying to wrap his brain around what the fuck was happening. His hand went to the hilt of his sword as he switched his focus back to Malina, who…didn’t seem to notice, or even care, that Kirsikka and Drazhan were both there.

Her thoughts brought her into her own little world, even as she still reacted to everything around her.

Malina spared a glance to the soldiers, and gave them a wave with one hand. “He didn’t actually want me.” He wanted to be back with Kirsikka, the absolute fool. “Leave them be.” A simple phrase she meant for both the stupid duo and the soldiers.

Seeing that Malina wasn’t an immediate threat, though still not completely convinced, Drazhan covered the distance between himself and Kirsikka, immediately wrapping his arms around her and pressing his lips to hers, a kiss full of the frustration and desire he felt since she sent him away.

“Ugh,” the disgusted sound Malina made was clear to him. “I’m headed to the tavern,” was all she said further as she walked away.

Drazhan was so confused.

 

[Lucyfer]

Tamsin was uncertain. That much was obvious. Perhaps not uncertain in her answer, but uncertain in how it would be received. So Varick kept his expression…not neutral, exactly, but not worried. Not anxious. Calm. He would not get angry at Tamsin, whatever it was. How could he when she was positive about having his presence around, and he had some ideas, anyways?

His gaze did drop as she shifted to straddle him, though, noting the way her legs fell, before they lifted back to her eyes in time to catch her intent. So, he didn’t resist the tug but easily went with it, kissing her back immediately and lifting a hand to her cheek as the other went around her waist.

He had no qualms deepening the kiss, and making it clear he was quite receptive of this idea, even if there was a part of his brain that was sending out a constant ‘there is a problem’ signal into his head. This was nice. Of course it was! That was the entire problem. Varick didn’t get nice things. A woman who wanted to travel with him, and be with him? No.

That didn’t mean he broke it quickly, no, he took his time in deepening the kiss and letting the hand on her waist move a bit to feel her up, over her hip and along her outer thigh, where he squeezed before he did break away, but didn’t drift far. “The sentiment is shared,” no point denying that.

“But.”

Always that.

Always that terrible hesitation.

“If you find it is only because I am…convenient,” an honest truth, “I’ll understand, Tamsin.” He could enjoy convenience. He could enjoy building to see if this was more than that. “I won’t be angry with you.”

His thumb stroked along her thigh as he kept his hand where it was. He wasn’t a man prone to insecurities, but here, he supposed, was new territory. That didn’t mean he wanted to linger in it or feel it out for long, and so he’d wind his fingers into her hair and draw himself in for another kiss to close that topic.

He said what he needed to say, and he didn’t need her reassurances when she couldn’t yet know.

~***~

No one told Kirsikka where the tavern was. Malina waved her soldiers off, and Kirsikka supposed she’d leave them be and find the tavern on her own, but as she turned to do that, Drazhan caught up with her and prevented her escape to sweet oblivion. No, he had to kiss her and make her mind explode.

Frustration. Desire. Anger. She wanted to kiss him back and forget the one that came before, to just stop fighting for a few blessed seconds.

She wanted to bite him and scream about people kissing her without permission.

The conflict mixed the response as Malina groaned out in the background, also reminding Kirsikka she was still pretending Drazhan meant nothing. When she started to kiss back, she corrected herself and did, in fact, bite his lip and push him back with both hands, letting out an irritated huff.

At least Malina knew the way to the damn tavern.

“One more person kisses me without asking, I’m going to kill them,” so, Drazhan was off the hook for dying. For now. But she didn’t move away or immediately follow Malina, dropping her head into a hand and sighing, hating her own front right then. She didn’t want to push him away, and his kiss was a far better intoxicant than alcohol. It would serve the purpose of burning Dravon out of her head quicker, too.

Except, that her thoughts kept going back there. “Please buy me enough alcohol to forget the other person who kissed me,” she shut her eyes as her hand clenched into a fist in her hair, “I’ve…it’s…been a shit night and I’m just glad you lived through it.” He wouldn’t have, if he came with her. She knew Malina would have killed him.

Dravon might have killed him on principal.

‘Loyal.’ The word she’d told Malina. Loyal unto death.

But undeath…that was another matter. And she didn’t want her thoughts tainted by that, or what it meant for them. She wanted to accept his death and finally move on. Alcohol would ease that. Significantly.

Drazhan wouldn’t mind being used too much, would he?

“So please…just alcohol and no explanations until I'm sober again."

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin’s heart jumped when Varick reciprocated her kiss, and her feelings, afraid that he would either outright reject her, or admit his only feelings towards her were lust.

But he didn't. He admitted he felt the same way, though his next words caused her to frown.

Because he’s convenient? No, that didn’t sit well with Tamsin, and even as she moaned as she felt his fingers in her hair, as he brought her forward for another kiss, she didn’t want that statement to linger in the air. With one hand on his chest, Tamsin pushed away from the kiss, but still lingered close. She didn’t want those hands to leave her body.

“Convenient? I don’t think of you like that, Varick.” The hand on his chest moved upwards to rest on his cheek, one finger gently brushing against his beard. “You are a man who deserves so much more than this world has given you, and I want to be the one who helps you see that.”

~~~

Drazhan wanted to simultaneously deepen the kiss and berate Kirsikka for daring to send him away when he could’ve protected himself, and her, but the bite to his lip had been rather rude and sudden.

And a little bit of a turn on.

But he remained too confused to really…process anything. Such as why Kirsikka wasn’t immediately trying to kill Malina. Why Malina wasn’t attempting the same thing.

And…someone kissed Kirsikka? What? “What? Someone kissed you?” Was all he could dumbly respond, but it was quickly made clear that she didn’t want to talk about that. Drazhan would accept this…for now. Eventually, he would seek out answers for what the fuck happened while he was away.

“Sure, I’ll buy you enough alcohol to forget whatever happened.”

Malina had already started off without them, not wanting to hear any of their conversation, and so Drazhan followed after her, remaining a fair distance back, because…well, he still wanted to see her dead body on the ground. But he wanted more to find out what was going on.

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick wasn’t exactly pleased to have the talk disrupted with conversation about something he intended not to have further comments on. Of course, that was his fault for bringing it up, but then, he wanted to be honest with her – and that he wouldn’t be angry if this was all it was. He was just convenient. Near. And he was okay with her independence, without asking for much at all.

He could see the appeal.

And he could see how it would fade, because these things never lasted.

He couldn’t quite help the crooked smirk in the face of her declarations. He knew better than to chide her on it, for his own sake, as well as hers. No ‘we’ll see’ about it. Time would tell. He didn’t really think she lied about the world owing him more, but he knew the world wasn’t fair; what he deserved did not mean it was anything he’d receive.

He knew better than that.

So he stroked her cheek, “I know I deserve better; I’ve also tuned my expectations to be realistic,” still, he wouldn’t let that note stay, “but it is nice to try dreaming again,” and he could recover from broken dreams, too. For now, though, he’d enjoy the dream that Tamsin offered, and see how long it lasted.

Eventually, “So, thank you, Tamsin.”

~***~

‘Yeah. Someone did.’ And how was Kirsikka just supposed to say it was Dravon? She still hadn’t quite adjusted to that herself. That he was…well…undead. She hadn’t even mourned him and now she was dealing with the late grief, along with disgust and despair. She didn’t want to compute it, or deal with any of the emotions. She didn’t want to deal with anything at all, let alone trying to explain to Drazhan just…what that meant.

When she didn’t even know what it meant.

Not really.

Not personally.

He wasn’t going to force it. She relaxed when he agreed to buy her enough liquor to make her forget. There probably wasn’t an amount that would do that, but at least for a night, she’d be spared having to think about everything that happened, and what she needed to do. So, she followed Malina until the tavern became quite obvious.

Then she had no issues bypassing Malina and making sure she was first at the counter, startling the bartender on the slow night. “Just give me the bottle of whatever’s strongest,” Kirsikka stated, not caring about taste or…much of anything, really.

The bartender considered questioning it. That much was blatantly obvious, until Malina also walked in. Perhaps something clicked in his head, and he just turned and went to fetch the bottle, bringing it back to Kirsikka. “Do you want a glass?”

Kirsikka snorted at the idea, before reconsidering it. She wouldn’t finish the bottle if it actually was strong, and Drazhan might want a drink. “Yes,” she sighed, “two,” fuck Malina, she could get her own drink and suffer alone in a corner.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin leaned into his touch with a soft sigh. She wished she could help him see differently, be less pessimistic about the future, but she knew that was a futile effort. Even she knew the nice moments wouldn’t last, and so there was no point in brooding over what was to come.

Simply enjoy the now.

“I’ll just have to make sure to give you pleasant dreams.” And she would, in whatever way she could offer.

At the moment, she could think of one delicious way to give him pleasant dreams.

The hand resting on his cheek slid around his head and into his hair as Tamsin closed the small distance between them, kissing him with no intention of breaking them apart again.

~~~

Of course Drazhan wanted to grab Kirsikka by the arm and refuse to let her go until she told him what happened. He wanted to scream at her for forcing him to leave her side! But that would only move things backwards with them, and he could tell that whatever did happen, it affected her greatly.

Which, he couldn’t tell was something easy or near impossible to achieve.

So he silently followed behind Kirsikka, only sparing Malina a quick glare as she ignored them to sit in some dark corner to brood by herself, only after making sure she got herself a pint first.

Drazhan sat next to Kirsikka, grabbing the spare glass and bottle of whatever it was she ordered and poured himself some before she thought to chug it herself. “So, is there anything you want to tell me?” he deigned to ask, hoping to get something after Kirsikka took a few gulps of the sweet nectar of oblivion.

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick was more than happy to engage the pleasant reality presented before him, even if it was on the ground of a campsite. He hardly minded that at all, when it was something he’d been wanting for a while. He’d ignored the urge, of course. He wasn’t a monster, he had self-control, but it was pleasant to think he could have more of these nights.

It was no longer just a “one night stand” between them, brought in the heat of a moment when they planned to separate and never see each other again. It was something that could last through their travels together, however long or short that lasted. He dared not hope for long…he couldn’t, no matter how much Tamsin wished he could have those dreams.

This was enough, for now.

And also enough to deprive them of food, as things cooled between them, his other senses kicked in and he realized he smelled burnt meat. He tried to ignore it because he did just want to hold Tamsin a while longer, but he couldn’t; the activity also reminded him that he was hungry.

So, although he was gentle, he did separate from Tamsin to check the food – though he didn’t spare time to put his pants or shirt on when he got up to check it, and then groaned at the realization his senses hadn’t lied to him.

He grumbled as he went back to his clothing after taking the meat off the fire. “This is no good,” not even for a stew, so he let it fall into the actual fire where it would burn away and not draw predators, as he went back to look into their food storage for what would be useful to eat. There were still fresh things bagged up, so he grabbed more of that to cook up.

He might have been more upset if something unpleasant delayed his meal, but considering what caused the delay…he wasn’t all that upset about it.

Hungry, but not upset.

~***~

Kirsikka’s glare when Drazhan grabbed the bottle likely said enough of her murderous intentions, but she did not act on them, only waited until there was alcohol in her cup before she shot it back as if it was a shot and not, in fact, an entire cup of alcohol that was meant to be drunk a bit slower than that.

It tasted terrible, as her expression very obviously reflected in the scrunched nose and twisted lips.

Still better than – ‘Stop. Stop. Stop.’

She put the cup down. Drazhan had the bottle. He could refill it or he could forfeit his life. Whichever he preferred. “I would like a refill.” It would hit her sooner than later, and hard. She wasn’t intending to take this slow, though. This wasn’t for pleasure. That wasn’t the answer that Drazhan wanted, though. He wanted information on why she wanted to drink this much, but how did she say it?

‘What would you do if Sophia was undead and protecting something you wanted to destroy desperately – had dedicated your life to destroying? What would you do, Drazhan?’

No, no, that hardly captured it!

‘What would you do if you lost Sophia twice, and knew a third time was ahead, at your own hand?’

‘What if she kissed you while undead?’

‘What would you do if you might be wrong about your entire life’s goal?’

Her head wasn’t buzzing in the good way. “I’m still too sober to answer you,” and not drunk enough to just shut him up with a kiss. She was pretty sure he wouldn’t protest that. Not like she did. But she wouldn’t with a bit more. Then she could just forget. Just pretend she and Dravon were ‘off’. Just…pretend…a lot of things.

Then maybe he’d forget to ask in the morning.

 

[cleopat]

Even though at a campsite in the middle of the dangerous woods, or maybe because the canopy of leaves didn’t block out the night illuminated by the starry sky, Tamsin didn’t want to move from her position next to Varick. He was pleasantly warm, his strong arms helped her feel safe and comforted, and she was satiated.

Minus the slight rumble in her stomach, reminding her that they hadn’t eaten dinner yet.

She frowned as he broke away, a frown that quickly melted as she watched Varick walk around without clothes on. A very good view she could never grow tired of.

But their ruined food did bring that frown back. “Hmph.” Well, Tamsin thought it was worth the ruined dinner. “Well we’re not too far from the next town, aren’t we? We shouldn’t have to worry too much about losing that food.” She hoped.

And besides, Tamsin didn’t need that much food for energy.

“You can cook our meal with no clothes on if you wish.”

~~~

Drazhan sighed, and refilled Alette’s cup without verbal complaint. He wanted her to pace herself, but he also knew that was a futile effort. She could drink herself to blackout drunk, and he would make sure she got safely to a bed that night. Then, in the morning…he supposed he would deal with her hangover.

Oh how he wished he could get drunk as easily as she could. But the entire tavern would bleed dry before that happened.

“Are you at least able to tell me what we’re doing next?” he wondered, refilling his own cup as it ran empty. “You don’t need to give the gritty details, just tell me if we’re going back deep into Pomachion or if we’re going somewhere else.”

And oh how he wished he could ask all the questions right now. But he resisted. And tomorrow, tomorrow he’ll make sure Kirsikka can't avoid anything.

 

[Lucyfer]

“No, I don’t think so,” Varick agreed with her thoughts of the next town. Even if they were, he was used to fending for himself, so he knew how to supply them. They also still had plenty of dried food. They weren’t destitute by any means, so he wasn’t going to complain about the waste, even if it was a bit disappointing.

Not disappointing enough.

He scoffed a laugh at Tamsin’s request for how he cook. “No thanks. I don’t need any more dirt on my ass.” Mostly, he didn’t need anymore dirt going into places it shouldn’t. He would actually look forward to a bath in the next town, more than usual.

That was the one downside of camp side enjoyments. Dirt was almost as bad as sand. “You can cook sans clothes next time, however, if you’d like to show me how it is done.” Without getting dirt in unmentionable places.

When the food was done, though, he would bring it to her side and sit besides her to eat. One of them would still have to keep watch, and he knew that would be him…but nothing said he had to do that far away from her. He would just have to make sure not to fall asleep. That would be the hard part.

~***~

Kirsikka shot back the next cup with as much ease, and set it down again for a third. Although she knew three would be well over what she could do, at the rate she was going. Perhaps if she’d been sipping them, and letting some of the alcohol die off, it would have been fine – but she wasn’t doing that.

At least she could trust Drazhan not to leave her out here if she passed out.

What a strange thing.

What a terrible thing!

“Going to a room,” that was obviously the very next thing. Obviously, not what Drazhan was asking, but the alcohol was starting to burn the filter away, and Kirsikka was starting not to notice that. It was why the third drink didn’t get shot back like the other two. There was suddenly not as substantial a need. “Getting you into bed, getting something tastier on my lips,” yeah, no, the filter was gone, sober Kirsikka wouldn’t dare, “and in the morning deciding if Malina lives or dies, but that’s up to her and what she learned.”

All terrible things.

All traumatic things.

Wait no, she didn’t want to think of the things. She gripped the cup again and drank a rather large gulp of it down.

Better.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin laughed and shook her head. “You may not want any more dirt on your ass, but I’ve got other places to worry about not getting dirt in.” How how dirt there would make things very uncomfortable. “I’ll just have to show you something else sans clothes whenever we’re at an inn next.”

She was sure they could both find something very enjoyable for that occasion, like a bath together. That would be pleasant, and enjoyable.

While Varick cooked, Tamsin did throw her clothes back on, not liking the idea of eating naked and accidentally spilling hot food on herself. Maybe with something closer to room temperature, or slightly chilled…

She enjoyed the food Varick cooked, and she immensely enjoyed his company by her side. “How much further do you think it’ll be until we reach your friend?” She was ready to stay in a town for a few days, if they would be doing that. Tamsin was still exhausted from what happened in the ruins, and her mind still raced from the words Dravon spoke to her.

But would she be able to sleep if Varick’s friend gave her the answers they sought? Or would it just lead her to more sleepless nights and nightmares?

~~~

Drazhan was half-tempted to order some food and force it down Kirsikka’s throat the more she drank. She was such a tiny thing, and he could tell in her body language that the alcohol was going straight to her head. He didn’t think mages could really handle their alcohol well.

He couldn’t tell how it was affecting Malina, but he also couldn’t see how much she’s had to drink so far. He was hardly paying her any attention as she sat in her corner, an odd look of mourning on her features.

Of course she didn’t answer him in the way he wanted, but if she was entirely sober, he would’ve been excited at the answer she did provide. Getting him to bed? Oh how he would’ve loved that any other night! But she was clearly drunk, and Drazhan would never take advantage of a woman like that.

Drazhan groaned, standing up from the table. “Okay, you’ve had enough for tonight. You’re passed the amount you need to forget tonight.” With a sigh, he bent over and picked up Kirsikka from her seat and situated her in his arms.

He would fight any attempt at her being put down.

“Let’s get you to a room so you can sleep this off.” With that, he carried her out of the main room and up a flight of stairs to a room he had already ordered while she was getting alcohol.

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick would enjoy an inn where neither of them had to worry about dirt getting anywhere. It’d definitely be a better experience, not that this was bad by any means, given how…needed it felt in the moment.

The trip was still a fairly long one, though, and he sighed at Tamsin’s question. “We’re still a ways off,” and he knew they’d stop in some towns to do jobs, to make money, so they could continue their journey without worrying too much about food. “If we weren’t stopping, we could make it in a little over a week,” but he knew they were stopping.

For their sake, as well as the horse’s sake.

Sure, Marzipan could manage it – he usually traveled in such a way, after all, only stopping when a job showed itself, but otherwise he was just…traveling, looking for that elusive job, or traveling towards one he knew existed.

“We’ll want to stop in a few to make some coin and get some food,” and he wouldn’t press them on relentlessly, “but I don’t think we’ll do much until we get out of Trifflehem.” Just in case the Council of Light sent further word on about their journey. They’d be safer outside of those lands. “We’re not far from that.”

~***~

“Wait – no—” Kirsikka whined when she was picked up, not having time to grab the remainder of her third glass. She did struggle, but not with magic, so it was fairly pointless and settled down by the time Drazhan reached the stairs because he was stupidly strong. Damn Primal. Then again, she did want to get up to bed with him, so this wasn’t a completely loss.

She was taken to a room, and put on a bed.

Not that she stayed on the bed.

Her clothes were dirty with blood, after all, she wasn’t sleeping in that. Of course, she didn’t think to warn Drazhan of her intentions, because she hardly needed to, so off went the clothes gracelessly into a quick pile, and off went their memories. Well, almost. Her wrists were still a pain but she could ignore that.

Just another day with Malina. Nothing unusual about that.

But Drazhan was not in a similar state. Not the bloody and burned part, but the undressed part, and she couldn’t help but frown. “Aren’t you joining me?” A pout. Perhaps it would have been better if she could have walked towards him to drag him to bed, but her legs disagreed with that notion, so she just sat back on the bed and looked up at him.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin nodded as Varick explained their distance left. Still a ways to go, which she didn’t exactly want to hear, but with the air cleared between them, she hoped the journey would at least be better. Much more pleasant.

The nights would certainly be more pleasant.

But Tamsin had some new song ideas swimming around in her mind she had been wanting to play. That would also make their journey a lot more tolerable as she awaited those nights staying at inns.

She sighed, pushing around her food. “Do you think the Council of Light will send out a notice about me?” They knew her name and occupation, and even where she was from. It had been completely idiotic to tell them that information, but in the moment, she had been scared. She froze, and gave them the only answer she could think of, which was the right one. “I mean, once we’re out of Trifflehem, they won’t have much jurisdiction, but still…”

She let the silence finish her statement.

~~~

Of course Drazhan ignored any protest Kirsi made as he picked her up and carried her off to the room. She would already wake up hungover, she didn’t need to blackout or choke on her vomit in the middle of the night.

Drazhan would help with the last one, but he didn’t feel like dealing with vomit that evening. He was still in a mood as he wanted answers instead of tending to a very drunk woman.

A very drunk woman who was disrobing right in front of him.

He thought about looking away, but the need to make sure she didn’t trip over her own feet won out, so Drazhan looked upon her, respectfully, but kept his hands to himself.

Kirsikka had no intention of dressing though, to which Drazhan responded with a loud groan. Oh how he wanted to accept her offer! “No, I’m not joining you,” he said, regrettably. Any other night, in a heartbeat, but he wouldn’t take advantage of her when she was in such a state. “If you still want me to join you when you sober up, then I will, but for now, you need to lay down and go to sleep.”

And he would sleep on the chair in the room, far from where her wandering hands would tempt him.

 

[Lucyfer]

Commentary on the Council of Light did not lead to pleasant thoughts. It was obvious in the way Tamsin pushed around her food. Varick wished he could take that back. Not only for her appetite, but to restore the otherwise nice mood that had settled on them in the afterglow of their confessions. Now that was lost.

He sighed into her silence.

“Yes, I think they will,” he answered. “Fat lot of good it does them,” they still hadn’t captured the Boreal Wind, as far as Varick knew. Their notices didn’t seem to have much power in lands outside of Trifflehem.

Not to mention, Varick simply wouldn’t let Tamsin be taken, and although plenty people disliked Primals, few were willing to risk their life fighting one. They might start a scuffle, but a true fight? Rare.

“It is why we’ll want to be quicker in leaving the area, though,” just in case. “Might also want to start giving fake names in taverns you play in.” Just in case. “I know it won’t help your real reputation,” and so jobs, “but….” Well, he was sure Tamsin understood why that would be needed.

At least, for now.

~***~

Drazhan wasn’t joining. It only made Kirsikka pout more, before she huffed in exasperation and annoyance with him. How could he refuse! Why would he refuse? Wasn’t this the same fool who kiss her not even a couple of hours ago? Was she misreading the whole thing? ‘Am I misreading the whole thing?’

Or maybe just seeing her disrobe had made him realize he didn’t want to be with her after all.

The annoyance dropped to sorrow.

Drunken emotions were not fun. ‘The only one who wants you is a living corpse. He’s the only one who ever has.’ Drazhan’s commentary on sobering up may as well have been unheard, as she scowled at him, “Fine.” Not fine, as wet-eyes indicated. She grabbed the covers and yanked them up before she swung her legs onto the bed and covered herself, facing away, from Drazhan. “Not even tired,” she muttered, which proved to be a lie.

She was out in probably less than five minutes.

And she was out well after the sun rose, a thankfully dreamless sleep finally interrupted by dehydration and a throbbing pain in her head, as well as wrists that still ached from the burns. She groaned against the pain that seemed to be everywhere, and tried to bury herself into the covers against the terrible light, but not for long.

Thoughts trickled back in too quickly when she wondered at being in a bed.

Being naked in a bed, though of course, the emotion that hit her wasn’t embarrassment, but that drunkenly deep sorrow that had been the last thing she felt before sleep took over. Not that it could hold up against the terrible pain of a hangover, but it lingered on the edges of it as she sat up, keeping the covers close as she looked around for anything resembling clothes.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin frowned at Varick’s answer, but it wasn’t an unexpected one. If anything, it only confirmed what she already knew. But Varick wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and if that fails, if something happened to him at their hands, then Tamsin could…somehow…unleash her powers on them.

They seemed to be tied to her emotions in some way.

At the suggestion of using a new name, Tamsin sighed, and leaned her head against Varick’s shoulder, immediately feeling the warmth radiating from his body. It soothed her. “I will be so pissed if my reputation somehow spreads wide and far under a false name.” She gave a light chuckle, an attempt at making the situation light again.

There was no use in remaining sad about something she couldn’t control. They would just have to be careful.

Her appetite continued to wane.

“Should we continue telling people that you’re just escorting me to another city? Or maybe tell them we’re related?” She smirked at her last suggestion, knowing it wouldn’t work at all. But it would be amusing.

~~~

Drazhan huffed and sighed as Kirsikka finally covered herself and fell asleep. Even marred and bruised from gods know what, he still saw her as absolutely beautiful and temptation he hadn’t experienced in some time.

Damn his conscience. Damn what was morally right.

He sat in a chair that was next to a wall, and he silently watched Kirsikka for a while after she fell asleep, looking for any signs of distress that could be her body trying to expel vomit while she slept. None came, and he allowed himself to fall into a light slumber, body still alert for any unexpected noises or intruders.

Waking up early, Drazhan suspected it would be a while longer before Kirsikka woke up, body still recovering from a trifecta or major abuse to its system. So he slowly made his way down to the main area, requesting a breakfast fit to cure hangovers. And if Kirsikka didn’t want it, he would just eat it himself.

A large pitcher of water and two glasses in one hand, the breakfast plate in the other, he made his way back to the room and set the food on the bedside table, pouring water into the glasses. One for him, one for her.

Eventually Kirsikka roused from her slumber, and judging the way her eyes glanced around, he surmised that she was looking for clothes. A smirk stretched across his lips. “Even though I wouldn’t mind if you just wandered around like that, I have some clothes you can borrow until you can get some actual clothes that fit.” And with that, he reached for his bag, pulled out a pair of breeches and a tunic, and threw them at her. Not ideal, but better than her old clothes, and better than walking around in the nude.

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick allowed a short chuckle to escape at the mention of a persona gaining more fame. It was possible. Ideally, it wouldn’t happen. “Once we’re out of Trifflehem you can be yourself again,” he noted.

As for changing the story, he just shook his head. “We’d never pass as relatives,” obviously, “and a Primal only has one sort of business. It does occasionally involve escorting. No one needs great details,” curses were the usual reason for that sort of journey, but most people didn’t know enough to be aware of such things.

They didn’t need to be in this case either.

“You should get some rest. We have a long journey yet,” and they had barely rested at all since Mont Pellinor. That was enough reason to rest, and then the journey would continue…hopefully without anymore trouble.

He knew better than to count on it though.

~***~

Drazhan was still there. ‘Of course he is.’ Kirsikka couldn’t have him vanish in the night, and she felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment. It would have been preferable. Why did he even linger? He hadn’t wanted to lay with her. ‘At least he has clothes.’ Clothes that wouldn’t fit, but they’d cover her shame.

“Turn around,” she would wait until he did. It didn’t matter that he’d already seen; she wasn’t allowing him now. Once he turned, she did get out from under the sheets and begin to dress. The clothing went on easily, although she did need to tear her old dress a bit to get a fabric belt to keep the pants up. The tunic fell low, but not low enough to be a concern.

Indecent, yes, but not a concern.

She saw the water and went to get a glass, head still aching, “Okay,” just so he didn’t have to look away any longer. ‘What are you even doing today?’ Kirsikka didn’t know. Drinking hadn’t helped, except to allow her to delay the inevitable of telling Drazhan what was going on.

She gulped down almost the entire cup before asking, “Is Malina still here?” that could be another useful delay if she was. Murder was always a useful delay.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin was relieved to hear that she wouldn’t have to keep up the fake persona for the foreseeable future. Only until they were out of Trifflehem lands. What would have been the odds that she actually ran into someone she knew while still in Trifflehem?

The continent was a large place, the odds would be far too slim.

She knew that they wouldn’t pass as relatives. Still, the thought was amusing to her. An escort job would make do, and if anyone pressed them for details, well, she imagined that Varick wouldn’t really give them an answer. And she could come up with some elaborate story on the spot, if needed.

In the last few bites of her meal, Tamsin started feeling the fatigue of the day again settling over her body like steel armor. “Yeah, I think that sounds like a good idea.” And having a large, warm body next to her also sounded like a good idea, and enticed her further to get some rest. “You’re staying awake, right? You don’t mind if I just…lay down next to you, do you?”

Even with their new status together, she still felt the need to ask for that first time.

~~~

Drazhan obliged Kirsikka’s command, even if they both knew he had already seen her naked. But he didn’t want her to feel any more embarrassment, so he did as he was told, and turned back around when she gave the word.

His clothes on her looked rather comical, if not a bit arousing.

He may be a Primal, but he was still a gentleman.

Drazhan let out a low groan at the mention of Malina’s name. “Yeah, I saw her downstairs in the same corner we left her in last night.” If it weren’t for the change in her hairstyle, he would’ve thought she had simply remained there all night.

At some point she must have gotten a room to rest for a few hours.

“Do you mind telling me why she’s here, and why you aren’t trying to kill her?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick hummed agreeably at her question about staying awake, nodding. He wasn’t tired yet, and even if he was, well, he could bear it easier than Tamsin. She deserved to sleep after the day she had.

And he smiled, a little, at her question.

“I don’t mind,” he preferred that she sleep near him, now. He would have been all right with it before, but now when she laid down, he’d be able to stroke her hair, and just sense her there, too, as he easily remembered one reason for staying awake: her safety.

And so he would let her settle down next to him, and rest. He would move occasionally to tend the fire, or deal with other business, but otherwise, he kept to that place near her, and when morning came, they were able to get back on their way.

Thankfully, nothing happened in the night to disturb their peace.

Varick just hoped there wasn’t much in the future to disturb that peace, either.

Although, as usual, he doubted it – ever the pessimist.

~***~

“I might be trying to kill her again,” Kirsikka said. Last night was…a bit of a truce. That didn’t mean it was going to last forever. So much of that depended on Malina herself, and although Kirsikka wanted to just storm out there and find her, she knew that she owed Drazhan answers.

Answers she hadn't given him last night, and while the pain of the hangover was beating in her head, it was somehow...easier. She couldn't focus as well on the pain of the memories. That didn’t mean she was thrilled to talk to him. “We had an unofficial truce last night,” had they even spoken it?

No, not really.

It wasn’t like Malina was the one who let her out of the cuffs.

“We went back to the town that you and I didn’t get to explore. Apparently, it was quite relevant to her faith, assuming she still carries it in her heart,” Kirsikka would find out, “And it’s what I was seeking. There was a path through it to the White Sun, who is the Ineffable One.”

Which was…hilarious, but Kirsikka couldn’t laugh as she brought a hand up to her forehead, to try and massage away the pain. All of those things were easy to say. The next things were not. “We made it to where the White Sun is…sealed, or something. Where several of its followers were. It was able to drain me again.” She still couldn’t feel the touch of flame.

“We couldn’t make it all the way to the source,” and there her eyes shut, because no, apparently, the pain of the hangover wasn’t enough to stop the damn tears, or stop her from thinking about who it was, or all the thoughts of last night that resonated that morning. But she didn’t want to cry, and so she gripped at the anger underneath it. “Visionary Dravon stopped us. He’s….”

‘Undead.’

‘Trapped.’

‘Needs help.’

‘Needs me.’

“…he had no choice. He knows the dreams I’ve been having. You remember I mentioned the ones about a woman? Apparently, the White Sun fears her,” she pushed through it, and took in a deep breath before opening her eyes, blinking away the pain. She couldn’t even look at Drazhan, “we have to find her to stop the White Sun.”

To free Dravon. Maybe that meant his death, but that was better. He’d agree.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin slept peacefully that night, and the nights that followed.

As they continued on their journey to Tresse, Tamsin recognized that they were getting close to Antalya, her home that she hadn’t visited since she left all those years ago. She suggested to Varick that they should make a visit, since it wouldn’t lead them out of the way. Maybe someone there could help her answer questions.

Would they have any answers though, when her parents didn’t even talk to her about her heritage? But it wouldn’t hurt, and it would allow them to rest in a town for a night or two.

“I don’t know what to expect,” Tamsin admitted to Varick as they approached the outskirts of the town. She could already smell the very familiar scent of the ocean. “It’s been over ten years since I was last home.”

Did she even consider it home anymore? She stopped viewing it as such when her parents died.

“But hopefully we can learn something useful here.”

~~~

Drazhan simply stood there and listened to what Kirsikka told him. He hardly believed Malina would think to have a truce with Kirsikka. Maybe it was a trap. That was more her style.

But he wouldn’t comment on that.

The town they got near while he was still with her was of relevance, it seemed. The White Sun, the Ineffable One, was there.

And apparently…so was Dravon? Isn’t he dead?

Drazhan didn’t say that outloud.

The biggest thing to take away from Kirsikka’s story is that they had to find a woman. One woman who lived gods-know-where. They didn’t even have a name, but hopefully with the dreams, Kirsikka at least knew what she looked like.

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Do you know how we’ll even start looking for her?” That seemed to be the next course of action, ignoring the entire Malina situation for a moment. “Do you even know her name?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick held some doubts about how much the people of Antalya would know, but he didn’t fight with Tamsin on that as they turned onto that route. He supposed some might still remember him from the day he showed up to help them with their despoina problem. He didn’t have any bad interactions there – parents were glad to get their children back, none of them had been killed, it worked out great.

But people were still rarely happy to see him.

It usually meant a problem.

So he hummed agreeably at her hopes. “Maybe,” he allowed, “do you still know anyone here?” The town was in the distance. “I don’t remember any names from my last visit,” longer than Tamsin, of course. “Not sure I could really ask anyone.”

None had been too sure why the despoina was kidnapping children back then…unless they were hiding something. “The ones who had kids kidnapped a couple decades ago might know something but…I doubt it.” Unless one also happened to be friends with Tamsin’s parents. He didn’t keep track of that. “Any kids you grew up with around your age? Their parents might know something.”

Starting points.

~***~

Drazhan asked nothing about Dravon. He only spoke of the girl, accepting that Dravon would try to help. Kirsikka felt some relief at that. There wasn’t immediate hostility towards her former…well, she wasn’t even sure how much was former and not. How much was and wasn’t, with Dravon. How did one classify the Undead – in the past tense, or the present? That was a semantics problem for a philosopher, which Kirsikka was not.

All she knew was the sheer agony of the problem.

“I’m a master scry, Drazhan,” that was how she found Dravon without even knowing him, after all. She had information on the woman she was looking for, and she knew how to start searching mirrors, waters, every reflective surface out there. The problem was that when she started looking, it would likely ping the Council of Light.

She wasn’t wearing a false face any longer, and even if she put that back on, they likely knew that face now. She’d need a new one. Or she’d need time to enchant a mirror so that it would protect her.

Or she could just say fuck it and murder every Council of Light member who stepped through while she was working. Either way, she knew she was up to the task. “I can find her, it’ll just take a bit of time, and some preparation. When I start scrying, I’ll open myself up to being found, as well. I’ll need to enchant a mirror, or make new potions with a new guise, but that’s not too hard.”

Mirrors was easier for her, given she could make glass easily. ‘I’ll make one to pierce your fucking shields.’ That thought went unsaid, directed only at Dravon who had no doubt done everything he knew to keep her from spying. He had to know she just saw that as a challenge. “But no point in that while Malina is here.”

She drew the water that hadn’t been drunk out of the pitcher, and brought it up to form a quick mirror, seeing where there was still blood, still redness, and she began to use it to wash that out, and cycle through her hair as well – drying it just as quick so she had some semblance of looking put-together before she’d go downstairs.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin nodded at Varick’s question. “Assuming they hadn’t moved away, which I doubted they had, there are several people that should still be around.” Of course a decade is a long time for anything to happen, and those that she knew that did survive the Red Whisper could have died since then, from some other illness or a horrible accident.

She really hoped that wasn’t the case.

And no one ever really talked about the despoina incident, so she couldn’t be sure if she knew anyone who was affected by it.

Tamsin nodded at his next question. “Yeah, there are a few, one in particular I was very close to.” She wouldn’t mention right then that he had been her first love, until she left Antalya, but she wouldn’t hide it from him forever. “A few people who could have been useful died when the Red Whisper spread through the town.” Just like her parents.

Everyone had lost someone.

“But there are still others to ask. My parents made friends with everyone they talked to.”

~~~

Drazhan hummed as Kirsikka explained how she was a master scry and able to find the woman with reflective surfaces. It made sense, given how he’d seen her use puddles of water on their journey. He didn’t consider other uses for anything…reflective.

He watched as she used the remainder of the water to makeshift a temporary mirror to fix herself up. The cuts and bruises still remained, but the blood was now gone, and her hair was a bit more put together.

Unkempt or fully washed, Drazhan still found her attractive and just wondered if what happened the previous night would happen again, sans alcohol.

“So do you intend on confronting Malina today?” he asked, following her downstairs. Said woman was sitting in her same spot, seemingly staring at a fascinating spot on the table in front of her. She gripped the handle of a mug tightly, and next to her remained her breakfast, half eaten in an attempt to feel normal. And failed.

“I don’t think you’ll have a hard time taking her down today,” he mumbled, switching his gaze between the two women.

 

[Lucyfer]

Of course, the plague was merciless in who it targeted. Varick allows sympathy to touch his gaze as Tamsin mentions there are still some who should be helpful, but others – the first to come to mind – that are gone. He nods, “We will speak to whoever we can.” At least Tamsin and her family had a good reputation. That would be helpful in entering the town and speaking to people.

Though, he wonders if her town knows of her fame as a bard.

He wonders if they will be happy or resentful.

The town has definitely shrunk since the time Varick had shown up in it. Of course, people didn’t move to places that often, and with all the death, it was only natural the town would shrink. Still, he finds himself a bit unsettled as they enter the town and it is quiet, when the hour doesn’t seem too late. It is approaching evening, the sun is low, but it is not yet vanishing.

He nods to her, deferring, “I don’t know where the best place to stay is,” where to take their horses, where to head.

This is her home, so Varick will allow her the decisions here.

~***~

‘No, I’m going to put that off a week when she regroups and decides to kill us.’ Kirsikka didn’t waste her breath on answering Drazhan’s question when they got downstairs. Malina was there, and indeed, she seemed quite out of it.

Kirsikka approached the table and settled a hand on it, leaned against it.

There was no way to open here.

No way to address it, except, “So, are we still fighting?” because what point was there in subtlety? They still hated each other, Kirsikka had no doubt of that. They would likely hate each other for a while, but they could work through hatred. They had before, and they would again, because now there was something out there, far greater than their hatred.

It was just a question of whether or not Malina was going to continue with her faith after what she’d seen, or whether she was going to turn against it. “I’m ready to get this over with if you are.”

No more capture if there was a fight. Nothing more and nothing less than death.

They were both too tired for anything else, if they were going to continue this nonsense, she suspected.