Forgotten Horrors

[spacepanda]

Anja was only too glad for the subject change, and swinging her legs to the side of the bed began to unbraid her hair. It had gotten a bit out of hand during her slumber and she only hoped it didn’t look too bad. Finger combing her hair she took in Akaski’s words. She hadn’t really seen his actions as rude, but she really wasn’t feeling well enough to attempt to argue the point. At the very least she was relived he had remembered how they ended up sharing the bed. If he hadn’t, she wasn’t quite sure he would have believed her explanation.


“It hurts a little. I seemed to have bruised myself quite a bit.” She admitted. She didn’t really want to worry him, and the thought of what had transpired was still a source of embarrassment to her, but she figured if she wasn’t entirely honest with him she would only regret it later. Stupid bird, she mentally cursed.


Feeling a bit more herself she eased herself off the bed, smoothing out her skirt. “Did you rest well?” She asked, hoping he had restored some of his energy. She wondered if they would have to leave the abandoned home soon. The thought both frightened and intrigued her.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

Akaski chose not to talk about his dreams as he nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll be able to last a while now" Akaski responded, still sitting on the bed as he looked up at her. He was still thinking over where they could locate water, he soon did realize that he had yet to peek outside. They might be near a lake or stream, though he could settle for slightly dirtied water he wasn't sure if a human would like it all to much.


After a moment more of thought, Akaski stood up as well. "If there isn't any stored water within the house, we might need to go outside for a bit. We'll need to find food soon as well... if a city is near by we could easily buy some food, but places like that will be full of demons. Are you comfortable with that?"


Akaski did plan to return to this house after the tasks were completed as he still held many questions about this place. He still wanted to see what was behind that locked door and he did wish to know when he visited this home. He wasn't a psychic demon so he truly had no clue how he knew the layout of this house so well.

 

[spacepanda]

Biting her lip in thought, Anja began to absentmindedly re-braid her hair. It would be difficult for her to hide her fear if a demon, or multiple demons, decided that she was easy prey. She knew Akaski would do his best to protect her, but he wasn’t unstoppable either. She didn’t know what kind of an uproar a human might cause in a city full of demons.


“As... as long as you don’t leave me alone, I’ll be fine.” She was lying a bit, she most likely wouldn’t be fine, but she would feel more comfortable traveling alongside him than waiting in the home alone thinking the worst.


Tilting her head she decided it was time once again to bombard Akaski with questions. “You said humans weren’t common here. Wouldn’t that make me sort of… stand out?” She was worried not only for her own safety but Akaski’s. “I just honestly wouldn’t know how to act.” She admitted. She hated it, but she was completely useless here.


What if I accidentally offend someone and they take it out on Akaski? She pondered. She knew she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if Akaski sustained an injury on her behalf. Sighing she began to lightly stretch. She already knew demons weren’t the most affectionate creatures, and she highly doubted they would be anything like Akaski. Perhaps they would simply ignore her.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

Akaski thought over her questions quietly as in truth he hasn't been in a situation like this before. He never has brought a human about the demonic realm and though he had heard of humans entering he never did see any of the demon's reactions first hand. He heard that demons would normally just ignore a human unless provoked to converse or to afflict conflict, though he knew that could just be prideful demons attempting to cover up slightly shameful actions.


As such, it was hard to say what she should be expecting, but Akaski was still confident that he would be able to escort her safely even if they did find themselves in some trouble. So, it wouldn't truly hurt to lie here... but he did assumed that she would dislike it if he did. It took him a bit, but eventually he did respond.


"They'll probably just ignore you, though I've never really escorted a human around the demonic realm. I haven't seen any reactions first hand, but I'll keep you safe. I promise" He grinned lightly, still acting rather nice. He did assumed it was due to they're current situation and he wouldn't want for her to get angered and cause a scene, it could grab unwanted attention.


Akaski was hoping to keep her from fretting and worrying over the matter, though being surrounded by demons probably wasn't the most comforting thing for a human. Demons might like to take advantage of a human's fear, even Akaski had tried to when he first met her.

 

[spacepanda]

Slowly nodding at Akaski’s response, she lifted her head at his grin, giving him a quick smile of her own. It was a bit of a fake smile, for she honestly wasn’t feeling very well, but she didn’t want him to worry too much over her health. He had seemed to panic last time, and she wasn’t sure what kind of trouble they might get into if he panicked again. She wasn’t keen on finding out.


His words did alleviate some of the stress she had been feeling about their water-locating venture. She would just have to make sure to stay as close to Akaski as possible, and avoid eye contact with anything else. If humans could be provoked by eye contact alone, surely it was possible in this realm as well.


“When do we leave?” She asked, heading to the hallway. She would prefer to leave as soon as possible, as her head was pounding and she was afraid it might get even hotter. As it were stray strands of hair were already sticking to her neck. She began to fan herself off with her hand as she awaited his answer, hoping she didn’t look as unwell as she felt.


Okay, so maybe I’m a bit of a hypocrite, she concluded. She had specifically requested that Akaski notify her of any change in his health, and yet she was purposely avoiding telling him. She hoped she would be able to make it to their destination without her fainting from lack of hydration. Leaning against the frame of the doorway she turned her head slightly; she was now feeling incredibly guilty and was having trouble looking him in the face.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

Akaski did take notice to her fanning, it seemed it was rather hot for her and he could easily understand why. It was so cold in her realm and it was very uncomfortable for him though it seemed the tables have now turned, he needed to find a way for her to cool off to avoid any heat strokes or dehydration. He knew finding water would aid her and Akaski wouldn't mind spending a while there if she wished to cool herself .


Water was heated by the sun if no shade was provided causing some of them to steam or even biol so he understood that he needed to find a shady area for her, boiling water probably wasn't the best thing for a human to consume. It might be difficult to find shade in this realm though he did know a few forests and caves rest in hidden locations all over the place. He would just need to avoid any of the god's territories or that of another demon, unless he knew them to be safe.


"We can head out now" Akaski said as he followed her towards the door. "Though I think you'll be glad to know the cities are cooler than this" Akaski chose to mention to create a bright side towards the many demons who roam within the cities. He smiled dimly as his tail swayed behind him in a normal manner.

 

[spacepanda]

“Oh, alright,” she spoke, and turning to Akaski noticed his slight smile. She had observed a slight change in his demeanor since they arrived at the home, and she wasn’t sure if it was caused by a genuine contentment to be back in his realm, or if he was simply trying to comfort her. She stopped her fanning and momentarily stared off into the distance.


In an attempt to cool off she closed her eyes, trying to imagine what it was like back in her own realm. She pictured herself amidst the trees in the forest, and took a deep breath in attempts to inhale their scent. She imagined the snow falling gently from above, and tried to feel the familiar throb of her feet when they got too cold from the snow. In this fantasy she shielded her eyes, sunbeams still infiltrating the canopy of leaves above her. A gust of cold wind rushed toward her from her right, and her nose stiffened with the pain of being uncovered in such conditions.


Opening her eyes and convincing herself she was a least a little bit cooler, she made her way back to the bedroom she had occupied just an hour earlier. Once inside she pushed her stockings to the side and slipped her boots on. Well, at least I’m prepared for any hard terrain, she thought, examining them. She tested their width and decided her boots were probably the best place to hide the pepper spray for now, as she didn't see herself wearing her winter jacket around.


Her eyes dropped down to her shirt which had a slight tear in it from her puncture wound and quite a bit of dried blood caked on it. She cringed in disgust. Maybe she would find somewhere to wash it out; thankfully her shirt was black, so it wasn’t all too noticeable… at least she hoped not.


“I’m ready whenever you are,” she called out, poking her head of the bedroom.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

Akaski nodded in response, exiting the bedroom as she called. "I'm prepared now, we can head out" He stated before turning himself and beginning to walk down the hallways.


He made his way to the ladder at the end of the hall before peeing back to Anja once more. Her disinfectant had probably worn off by now and he didn't wish for her to slip.


As such he chose to be the first to go down this time, climbing down the ladder and waiting at it's end for Anja, readied incase she would lose her grip during the small climb.


( Sorry for its shortness, I'm a bit rushed. )

 

[spacepanda]

Anja followed Akaski closely, and coming to the ladder after him began to slowly descend. Half-way down she stopped, a small gasp leaving her lips. She was now, with the demon waiting beneath her, suddenly (and quite painfully) aware she was wearing a skirt. Yet how many times had they climbed ladders the past 24 hours, usually with Anja in the lead? Oh my gods! She thought, and with a face that was now rather pink she quickly made her way down completely.


Stupid, Anja, she chided herself. It wasn’t that she forgot she was wearing a skirt, it was just that she simply did so often. Never having anyone else around meant that she never had to worry about any climbing, or jumping, or any such activities done in said skirt.


Akaski more or less, seemed gentlemanly enough, but she had obviously let a bit of her guard down. She trusted him, but they were now going to enter strange territories, and even in pain and discomfort she had to be sure to keep her wits about her. Taking another deep breath to calm herself she looked at Akaski, her blue eyes taking him in once more.


She bit her lip, still nervous and feeling unwell. But she would have to be sure not to worry him too much. “Let’s go,” she announced, her voice laced with a stronger conviction than she actually felt.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

Akaski had once again recalled the fact that she was in fact in a skirt, and quickly he turned his eyes in the other direction. He was still paying attention, he just didn't wish to be seen as doing anything indecent. Once he could hear her feet touch the wooden floor below he allowed his eyes to drift back to her.


He quietly entered the first room they had been within and as he walked he undid his jacket's wrap around his waist then quietly he slipped it back on. He glanced towards the metallic box and quietly he walked over to it, choosing to select a few items first before heading outside. They might need it after-all, he wouldn't want for either of them to bleed out before getting home if they did end up getting hurt. Akaski did intent to protect her, even if it did mean that he would be harmed instead, so he would most-likely be applying this to himself.


He took what he guessed would be needed and he slipped it into his jacket's pockets which where truthfully larger than they seemed. He knew he didn't have a bag with him, but he could probably pick one up if he needed to.


Finally he turned to the house's front door, once again he could easily tell that it was the exit and quietly he opened it up for Anja.


The outside environment held a large landscape of broken and charred dreams, the terrain below was rather hard blackened dirt. Immediately He was aware of where they were, and though this place would probably seemed water free at first glance, he believed he knew of a certain place.

 

[spacepanda]

Trotting over to the table Anja grabbed the canister of pepper-spray she had left upon it, quickly inserting it in the side of her boot. A perfect fit, she mentally declared. Witnessing Akaski rummaging through the small metallic box, she hoped they wouldn’t need any of the items he selected… then again she hoped she wouldn’t have to use the pepper-spray either.


Peering outside Anja tentatively placed the sole of her boot onto the black terrain, and when her foot didn’t immediately burst into flames or suck her into the ground she took another step. Then another. Then another until she was officially a couple of steps away from the front door. Well, at least it’s less humid outside, she thought. She found the air a bit easier to breathe, although it was still quite warm out.


Looking forwards she instinctively frowned. To be honest, she wasn’t quite sure what she was looking at, and the vastness of the land in front of her seemed daunting. Crap, how long will we have to walk? She pondered. Turning to Akaski she tried her best to give him a fearless smirk.


“After you, my prince,” she said jokingly with a theatrical bow. In a way it was kind of exciting for her, traveling a in a land not known (by most) to exist. Then again, she would rather be safe at home where she didn’t have to worry about whether or not the ground was going to decide to eat her. Her blue eyes locked on the ground below her momentarily. Don’t even think about it, she commanded of it silently.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

The term my prince did cause Akaski to blush a small bit, though he was aware that it was a joke. He wasn't sure why it seemed to stir him up though he did try to hide this small flustered look by directing his eyes towards the ground. He took a few steps past her seeming to trust the black soil quite a bit more than she had for he had walked on terrain like this before and he knew it would be safe. He would just need to keep an eye out for an carnivorous animals or even plants.


He began walking following only his instincts as that had lead him in the right direction so many times that day already. It was only a feeling of correction, he knew this way would lead him to a water source of some type, maybe he went to draw water for this home once? It still didn't make sense why he couldn't remember anything except for the simplest thing. Maybe... he was here before he lost his memory, this place might hold some of his plast.


At the thought, he knew he would need to return here soon and he would need to figure out how to open the door to the room at the end of the hall. It was one that contained a queen bed, and believed it ha an odd shaing to it as well. Maybe he needed to go there to figure it out, though he still had kept this matter from Anja... she would probably want to know.


He assumed it wouldn't hurt to tell her and it would probably pass the time while they walked. So, with a quiet voice he spoke, "I think I've been here before. Everything had been familiar to me, but I can't remember why... I remembered how to get around the house, I even knew where the first aid kit was hidden. The room at the end of the hall is a large bedroom, but its locked... I feel like I theres something for me to see behind it, you wouldn't mind if we returned there once we're done getting done, right?"

 

[spacepanda]

Raising an eyebrow at Akaski’s blush she chose to ignore it. She was tempted to ask him about it, or tease him even, but she figured it was best if he focused on their safety. Aside from that her throat was rather dry and she wasn’t enjoying speaking in her condition. She quickly followed his footsteps.


Anja soaked up the sights as they walked. She knew she was likely to never see a place like this again, and she was eager to plant it to memory. Oh, the things I will draw, she thought wistfully. There was also the option that she would die or get into some danger before she ever made it home… For this reason she attempted to map the area out in her head, trying to memorize each turn they took so she could return to the abandoned house if she had to. It was the only ‘safe’ place here she knew of.


She perked her head up at his mention of the locked door. It sounded quite strange to her, a door locked from the inside. In her opinion that usually didn’t bode very well. She wondered how he had lost his memories in the first place, but it seemed too rude to ask. And then there was the most likely scenario of him not remembering.


For a moment she pondered if he would forget her one day, a thought that instantly saddened her. She wasn’t sure why, it’s not like she was anyone important. But still, even if he met a hundred humans, she wasn’t very likely to meet many demons unless they went into town. She was certain she would remember him no matter how many demons she met.


“Well,” she began after a moment of stretched silence, her voice still scratchy, “I suppose if you meant to take us somewhere safe and ended up at the house, it has to be safe too.” At least she wanted the logic to work that way. She hoped it did, they didn’t need any more surprises than they had already received.


“I mean,” she continued, “there’s not likely to be someone hiding in there…right?” She gazed at Akaski from the corner of her eye. He had been more honest with her, but he had been acting extra friendly as well. She still wasn’t sure if he was just fronting to make her feel at ease. But surely he would tell her if he thought someone was in the house. Right, Akaski? She mentally questioned.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

Akaski had considered earlier that something could be in that room, but it had been silent throughout the time they were there. Unless it made some sort of commotion while he was sleeping, but he doubted that it would be that case. The feeling he got from that room was somewhat like the feeling he got from the abyss.


Akaski wanted to regain his memories and it seemed he might have a chance to now, unless it turned out he was only here before for something minor like a simple deal to babysit a kid. He had done that before and though he would often pretend to be annoyed by it, kids truly were a lot nicer than an adult demon and it was rather interesting to speak with someone with such far fetched ideals.


Regardless, at least he might gain a memory of something, whether it was an important one of minor one. It was still progress and it might be enough to lead him in a new direction.


"I don't think anything is in it" He responded to her question. "I haven't hear any noise from the room, and I don't really smell anything either, but you don't need to worry about it. Even if there is I'll be sure to keep you safe from it" He was once again attempting to comfort her incase the idea of something possibly being in there would frighten her, but if it did contain life it would most-likely just be an animal of some sort. He could handle one, most animals where weak when being compared to a humanoid demon.

 

[spacepanda]

“Alright,” she said nodding. “It’s not like we have anywhere else to go anyway.” It was true. She knew Akaski wasn’t likely to use the key unless he felt he had to, as it seemed to drain a large amount of his energy. The abandoned home seemed like all there was for miles, so she couldn’t think of anywhere else they could go. Well, she supposed they could travel to the city, but she didn’t think gallivanting around town was the best thing to do in her condition.


The issue of time did worry her quite a bit as well, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it. She was still hoping that by the time they made it back into her apartment not much time would have passed. Greg gave me two days off, she ruminated, as long as I’m back by tomorrow night… I think I’ll be okay.


But she wasn’t, feeling okay. Her steps had already begun to waver, and she was starting to feel a bit nauseous. Worried about her lack of hydration, she figured it was probably best time to be a bit more honest with the demon.


“Akaski, I’m not… feeling very well.” She managed to murmer, using her right hand to wipe the small beads of sweat that had begun to collect on her brow. She needed water soon, and would need food soon after. With all the excitement from the past couple of days it seemed her body had taken it’s toll, and she was feeling more and more sluggish. Gah, you’re so burdensome, Anja!

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

As she mentioned her troubles, Akaski quickly peered back to look at her stopping for a moment. He was concerned... it was troublesome only being one person. If he could protect her from a distance, he would have just left her at the house to rest, but sadly he was unable to do that. He still needed to keep her near to him to avoid any harm coming to her, but it seemed the still she could be hurt while she was so near.


He took a few steps so he now stood at her side, and with worried eyes he looked down at her. "You can lean on me if you need to" Akaski offere. He knew that she didn't want for him to carry her and she still seemed to be able to walk be herself, though if things did get to bad he would do what was necessary. He couldn't leave her behind, he would need to take her to the water even if she wasn't capable of walking. "No one's around to see" He added in, recalling that she could be embarrassed about the idea.


He did wonder how he would end up getting her to drink if she would pass out, but he would have to manage. He couldn't allow her to die on him... he knew he would be broken up about it.


He had been scared earlier when he thought that she was going to die, truly he could have been horrified. He wasn't sure how he would react if she really had died then, but it wasn't something he wanted to find out.

 

[spacepanda]

Anja was quick to respond, seizing his arm almost instantly. She was no fool, now was not the time for pride. She let out a small exhale of relief, allowing herself to lean against him as they walked. She probably should have been doing that from the beginning, but the lack of movement had apparently made her feel better than she was actually was. It felt nice leaning against him, almost like cuddling a warm blanket next to a fire, she decided. Closing her eyes she desperately fought the urge to sleep.


“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, still feeling entirely at fault for their current situation. She had now placed them both in a precarious situation. In this state she wouldn’t be able to run if trouble suddenly arose, and she hoped with all her heart it wouldn’t. Still, if hopes and dreams were all it took to change her fate, she would be on a yacht right now surrounded by millions of dollars and a dozen handsome man-servants. She chuckled lightly at the thought, hoping it wasn’t the beginning of deliria.


“Wanna… play a game?” She asked slowly. She wasn’t really quite in the mood for playing anything, but she needed to keep her mind occupied. Not only did she need to stay awake, but dark thoughts were pushing against her fantasies of wealthy boat adventures.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

She didn't seem even the least bit reluctant to grab onto him and though it was a little surprising, he didn't mind it. It actually was a bit of a comfort to have her this close to him, he felt like he could better protect her like this... and it reminded him that he was still with her.


He guessed he was still a bit shaken up from his earlier dream, he could still remember some of it vividly. He truly didn't want to feel alone anymore... and he had only just come to recognize the fact that he had been. He didn't have anyone other than Anja who seemed to care for him, he wanted to know what it was like to truly befriend someone. He felt odd around her, different from what he would normally feel around another person, maybe it was because he cared about her?


At the mention of a game, he wouldn't dare turn her down in her current condition so he nodded. "Sure, which game?" He asked her, though he did have his guess. It was probably the question game again, but he didn't know any other human games either. He didn't know what they could play right now.

 

[spacepanda]

Opening her eyes once more Anja peered at the demon beside her. “Same game as always,” she croaked out. She honestly hadn’t the faintest idea what to ask him, she was just trying to stay awake.


“I’ll start,” She said after a moment. “If you could have any three wishes,” then looking at him again added, “and they would be given to you exactly as you intended, what would they be?” She figured his first answer would probably be his memories. It would be the first thing she would wish for if she was in his position, but she was curious as to what he would choose for the other two. It certainly won’t be a yacht, a million dollars, or a dozen handsome man-servants, she thought with a laugh.


Or maybe it would… She came to the realization yet again that she had no idea who Akaski really was. Given, he seemed not to know much either, but almost felt as though they had known each other more than just a couple of days.


She tried to imagine what she would be doing at this very moment had she never found Akaski. Would she be covering Victor’s shift at the café? Would she have gone to the treehouse to draw? Would she be snuggled up under a blanket in the comfort of her own home?


The thought of snuggling seemed like a lovely notion, and she rested her head on the demon’s arm as she held it. Her bout of nausea seemed to have subsided for now, but she still had a pounding headache. She tried her best to focus on walking, as not only was it becoming increasingly difficult, but having Akaski this close seemed almost too comforting.


He’s a demon, Anja, she chided herself, although she didn’t really seem to mind anymore. She had met worse people. In fact, most people were worse. At least he seemed to care about her, a fact which she still found somewhat surprising. She had promised herself to trust him, and as she had no better options anyway, that was what she was prepared to do.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

Akaski knew that he did want his memories back. He wanted to know why they would taunt him so terribly and he wanted to know who the past him was. He wondered if he ever had anyone he could call a friend, and if he truly did have a family at some point, but what else did he want?


He knew that he never wanted to lose Anja, but that would be a rather embarrassing thing for him to fess up. Yet, Akaski didn't really want much and he had few options... He was aware that he didn't want to be lonely again, but still that was an embarrassing topic as well. Maybe he could just say something simple like, I want money... but then he would be breaking the rules of the game by telling a lie. Money was great, but Akaski knew too much could be a bad thing. He wouldn't want to be blinded by wealth.


"Erm... I would want my memories back" He said first, still contemplating over what his next two wishes would be even though he knew exactly what he wanted.


His eyes shifted to her for a moment, would she pick on him for such a wish? Or, would she see him as soft and weak? He cared for her opinion of him though he still wasn't sure why. He liked to see her happy, and it made him sad to see her hurt. She had been nice over sensitive topics so far, at least she hadn't tried to trigger one on purpose. Maybe it would be alright to tell her...


Once again his tail had begun to flick behind him, a slight blush creeping across his face. "T-then... I... I would wish to befriend you, and... stay with you..." His tail was moving faster by the time his finished and his small blush had grown brighter. His eyes now avoided hers as he tried to finish the question quickly.


"A-and lastly, I... would wish to never feel lonesome again..." He didn't truly like this question all to much as it did force him to fess up what he normally wouldn't have. Though it was now time to ask her a question, and hopefully it would be enough to distract from all that he had just said.


"W...what was your crush like?" He question her, making her topic sensitive just as she had made his. A question such as this would probably be enough to avoid her teasing.

 

[spacepanda]

Anja’s heartbeat quickened; she hadn’t anticipated Akaski to answer the way he had. The first wish was a given, she had already determined it was what he would choose, but the last two? Her face reddened immediately, which in turn only made her feel more queasy. The thought of him wanting to stay with her almost made her swoon… or perhaps it was just the dehydration.


She was about to make a note on his first wish when suddenly his question caught her off guard.


“Brian?” She asked, quite startled. Why wouldn’t he want to know about that, she pondered in confusion. “O-oh. I guess you can say he was a lot like you…” Not quite sure what else to say she simply walked in silence for a while. It was true, she had already come to the conclusion that Akaski was like Brian in a lot of ways. Although she had also come to the conclusion that she liked Akaski more. But that doesn’t mean I have a crush on him or anything, she was quick to rectify, …right?


Instantly Anja released her grip on the demon’s arm, losing her balance in the process and falling on her knees. She was feeling most unwell. The combination of the blood rushing to her face, her headache, her lack of hydration, the nausea, (and perhaps a recent revelation), had caused her to lose nearly all the strength she had left.


“Akaski… I can’t…anymore.” She huffed out, her eyes closed. Holding her head in her hands, she was almost certain she was about to faint.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

Akaski's found himself quickly turning to her as she released his arm. A small bit of fear trickled into him as she fell to her knees, how could he get her to successfully drink if she was unconscious? He wouldn't want for her to choke, and although he has read over methods before he never did need to attempt them... but it seemed that he might.


Akaski lowered himself in front of her and hoping to keep her from falling he took a small grip on her shoulders, prepared to aid her if she were to pass out.


"I-it's alright Anja, I'll get you some water..." He promised, hoping to sound reassuring though truly he was growing rather fearful... Akaski had messed up before, and his still believed that it was all his fault that they were in this mess. He didn't catch her when she fell from the window sill, and he had allowed himself to enter a panic which resulted in only worsening the situation. He could have easily taken care of her wound at her apartment, yet he took her to some old house in the demonic realm.


Besides, what would he do if he couldn't find any water in time? What would happen if they were ambushed while she was unconscious? It would be difficult to both hold her and fight of some other demon while keeping her free of injury, he would probably end up hurting himself if such a situation occurred. It would be rather bad if he would end up collapsing from injury before he got her to water... he might end up messing up again.


He wasn't sure if he would be able to live within himself if he let Anja die on him and considering how terrible he felt when she was wounded he would probably break if those emotions stuck with him forever. He had let himself become so attached to her and, she truly was his only friend or at least the closest to friendship he could ever remember having.

 

[spacepanda]

Anja nodded. She was still attempting to convince her self that they weren’t in that untoward of a situation. Everything will be fine, she meditated, think cool breezes and light rain. She held her hand to her abdomen softly, grateful that her injury didn’t seem to be bleeding through the gauze. It still hurt quite a bit, however.


“How much further?” She asked. Akaski had mentioned that he abandoned home seemed familiar, which is how they had ended up there in the aftermath of the treehouse chaos. Perhaps the surrounding area was also somewhat familiar to him. At the very least she hoped he wasn’t just heading a general direction and hoping for the best.


She opened her eyes and meeting his quickly gazed elsewhere; she was still blushing madly from his earlier answers. Thankfully her flushed features could at least be blamed on the heat… at least she hoped so. Get a grip, Anja, she scolded herself. Now was not the time to be acting like a schoolgirl.


With a determined expression she managed to draw her line of vision from the landscape back to the demon’s face. She had already burdened him far too much, and although she was ailing she had no choice but to carry on. The least she could do was attempt to make the situation as simple as possible for Akaski.


“Help me up,” she lightly suggested, bringing her hands over his own where they rested on her shoulders. She prepared herself with a deep breath. It was going to be difficult to get herself walking again even after so short of a rest.

 

[xXRassBerriXx]

To be entirely honest, Akaski wasn't sure how much longer the walk would take them. He felt like he was going in the right direction, and he could faintly recall some sort of cavern up ahead... he just hoped it actually existed. It was true that all of his predictions without the house had been confirmed, but now that he was outside he couldn't be entirely sure.


"Soon... I'm pretty sure we're going the right way" He responded. He knew he was acting out of character at this point, he had lost the will to carry out his facade at some point, though he was pretty sure he dropped it the minute Anja fell from that window. Yet, he had no will to bring it back, but he did hope that he could return to using it soon. He would probably find all of this embarrassing later.


Yet at her request Akaski was a bit nervous, could she still walk? He wouldn't want for her to collapse again, he would want her to sae her energy incase an escape was needed.


"Are you sure?" Akaski questioned her, he knew she was probably going to reject his offer again, but it seemed like the best option in his mind. "I could still carry you if you need me to... I wouldn't mind it."


Akaski did understand that being carried was probably embarrassing, he already knew that he would be pretty embarrassed if he would find himself being held by another. He was very flustered when Anja had told him of the night that he passed out... He found it easier to swallow the fact now that he truly had passed out in her arms, but he had a difficult time accepting it back then.

 

[spacepanda]

Taking a moment to consider her options, Anja shook her head. As much as she didn’t feel like walking she would much rather have Akaski preserve as much energy as he could. Aside from that, being in such close proximity to the demon wasn’t exactly helping her heart rate go down. It was one thing to allow him to assist her in walking, and quite another to be carried by him. But it was all quite gallant of him to offer.


“N-no. I’ll lean again… i-if you don’t mind…” She lightly stuttered, a tinge of nervousness clearly showing in her tone of voice. At least he seemed to know somewhat where they were headed. It was all better than she could have done on her lonesome. Then again, perhaps they would get to a water source quicker if he didn’t have to slow herself to her snail-like pace.


“Unless… unless it’ll be faster that way…” She really didn’t like the third option, but at this point she was growing too tired to care. “You can leave me here…” she looked around. The thought of being alone frightened her, and true she would most likely faint if left alone. But there didn’t seem to be anything within miles of sight from what she could currently see on the ground. Perhaps it would be better for her to just await his return. Surely it would mean he could move even quicker.


“I… promise I won’t move.” She spoke quietly, beginning to lightly sway.