Fantasy Primacy [Closed]

[cleopat]

A few tears did escape and roll down her cheeks at the sweet parting. She quickly wiped them away, desperate to not let Varick see them. It seemed like such a stupid thing to cry over, but how could she not! It was beautiful, as they were finally reunited in the afterlife.

Varick’s arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she leaned into him, seeking his warmth for comfort. That gesture alone almost sent another wave of tears down her cheeks, but she resisted.

Risa turned and waved at them, and Tamsin offered a wave back, a small smile on her face as she watched them disappear from this world in each other’s embrace.

Maybe she was just a hopeless romantic, but she hoped to find someone like that one day. Someone to be that in love with and plan to spend the rest of her life with. She thought she had that once upon a time, but he was quick to show her there were no such things as happy endings.

Varick removed his arm from around her shoulder, and Tamsin frowned at the cold air that replaced his warmth. She missed it already. “Wait, Varick!” she called out before he got too far. She hurried up to him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “Thank you.” For the support in comfort, not once, but several times that night.

~~~

A figure appeared before Malina in the room. A heavenly figure with a golden halo radiating around them and adorned in a pristine white robe with gold trimming, much like how the nave of the church was decorated.

Malina hardly noticed the bound mage in the room behind her, or what was truly happening behind the mist of illusion.

The illusion shifted before her. Now stood a variety of monsters, each one decked out in the same robes she was familiar with in the Council of Light, and as the ethereal figure dressed. They stood in a semicircle, the same halo glowing illuminating them, but the different elements of magic licking at their fingers as different incantations left their lips in hurried murmurs.

The sight confused Malina greatly. Monsters, daring to adorn themselves in the robes of the Council, and using magic? It was…blasphemous!

However, the figure lying supine on the floor before them, which had their total focus, caused her to gasp and stagger back. It was herself, unconscious or dead she could not tell, but if she wasn’t dead yet, she would be soon.

But you’ll fail. You’ll always fail. You will be responsible for your own ruin.

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick did stop when he was called for, and was a bit surprised when Tamsin rushed to him and embraced him. He sighed, but wrapped his arms around her all the same, accepting her gratitude silently. He wasn’t sure why he was being thanked, but he’d accept it anyways, and he let the embrace linger a bit, before patting her back, and pulling away, searching her face to make sure she seemed okay to continue on.

He wondered if the scene made her think of them.

He wondered why that thought crossed his mind, and dismissed it. One night together, and a growing kinship, was explanation enough for why it crossed his mind, but he needed to dismiss that as quickly.

“Come on, Tamsin. We have a long day ahead. We’re not resting here,” and he needed to get paid, “Are you good to continue a while longer?” A mid-day break could be possible if it was needed. He wouldn’t sleep, but he could let her. It would be worse if she got too tired she couldn’t ride Luna, after all.

At least the horses weren’t pushed too hard, but he supposed they might also need the mid-day break, too.

~***~

Laughter did Kirsikka no favors. Not that it ever did in situations like this. She was yanked forward, further into the room, and stumbled over her own feet still laughing and trying to stop it, because she needed to get it the fuck together before – no, yeah, there was the knife at her throat. “You will make a wonderful puppet, I am sure.”

She didn’t want to be a lich puppet, an undead minion. She pulled herself back as quick as she could as he jammed the knife upwards. It scraped the side of her face with the useless eye, cutting the eyepatch strap so that fell away. ‘Fuck.’ She was still laughing a little. ‘Gotta destroy the fucking phylactery.’ That she knew, because they were powerful magical artifacts.

They were also how a lich continued living after death. They stored their own soul in it. She kicked the table it was on, hard, and thankfully it fell to the ground. The small bit of damage it took was enough to also harm the lich, causing him to let go of her chains so she could turn and run right out the door.

She saw Malina.

She considered abandoning Malina, but someone had to kill the lich before it killed her, and Malina wanted her alive long enough to execute her – so Malina it was.

Didn’t mean she had to knock Malina out of her – whatever the fuck – peacefully.

She clasped her hands together, and slammed both of them into Malina’s back to knock her out of her stupor, “Hey, idiot, you’re doing a shit job, there’s a lich who’s calling himself a messiah, go kill him for heresy or something.”

 

[cleopat]

Varick’s embrace did much for Tamsin. She calmed down, she felt better, and she felt protected, all of which made her realize how much she loved having Varick in her life. Maybe even needed him in her life. But that couldn’t happen, right? Their paths will eventually diverge, some time after meeting Varick’s friend and hopefully learning more about what she was.

She knew, with a squeeze of her heart, that she didn’t want Varick to leave her.

At his question, she nodded, though she would prefer if they did finally stop and rest. It had been a long, emotional night. “Yeah, I’m good to go for a bit longer.” Even if she didn’t think she could continue, Tamsin didn’t want to feel like she was a burden on Varick. That she was holding him back with her human stamina.

So she would readily follow him back to the captain to get paid and finally leave the area full of traumatic memories and silent horrors behind.

And head forward to their next horrors, but they would face it. Together.

~~~

No matter how hard you try, you will always fail.

Malina couldn’t understand the blasphemous scene in front of her, but she could understand the words whispered in her head. There was no way to block them out, but to endure them in silent horror.

Why would the Ineffable One allow this? It was impossible.

Malina couldn’t think more on the impossibilities of her religion when a blunt object slammed into her back. She staggered forward, anger replacing the doubt and disbelief as Kirsikka’s words reached her ears. “A lich?” But it was clear what she was talking about.

There was only one other creature in the room with them, and it was certainly not the heavenly figure bathed in white and gold that she had just seen. A lich - a creature that it itself can’t be destroyed without the artifact it’s tied to also being destroyed.

She channeled all of her anger into fueling her fire before sending a blast towards the lich, hoping to stun it, and then refocusing the fire on the chest, incinerating it into ash.

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick nodded, “Just far enough from the encampment of soldiers.” Varick would allow for a rest after that, and he was sure Tamsin understood. She hadn’t wanted to stay by them, and she was afraid of what could happen if her powers were revealed.

That concern was likely going to triple as they got close, and he saw that a party of mages from the Council of Light had arrived. He intended to ignore them as he went to the captain, who was engaged in conversation with one such mage. He took Thomas’s brooch into hand and held it out silently to the captain when he looked over at him.

“Situation’s resolved. You should have some people go and clear Mont Pellinor, though.”

“You think we haven’t tried?” the uppity mage spoke, cutting into the conversation. Even the captain gave the mage an annoyed look, “You hired a Primal?”

“He did the job.” The Captain didn’t even doubt it or ask for clarification on how it was done as he grabbed the coin pouch at his hip and began to count out pay, “So I don’t need you any longer.”

“Tch. He couldn’t have cleared it all up on his own, you described it as a magical—”

“And I know fuck all about magic,” the captain put the coins into Varick’s hand, giving him a meaningful look that basically said ‘get the fuck out of here’. Varick didn’t need to question that, either. “So I was wrong, it was a wraith—”

“And how did you deal with a wraith?” the mage asked.

Varick gave the mage a dull stare. He really had preferred the Ordo Sors. Their questions weren’t accusations. “Dunno how to explain it so you’ll understand. Most of you seem to know fuck all about monsters.”

“Explain it like I was five.”

“No. But I'll tell you Visionary Dravon is in Mont Pellinor."

~***~

Kirsikka was able to get behind Malina before the fireballs began, and she looked back into the room Malina had been dazed by. Her nose wrinkled at the sight within, likely not what Malina saw, but all the same, terrible. There was some poor soul decked out in white robes, but it looked like they’d been boiled alive. ‘Probably in that….’ She tried to dismiss the thought.

How recent had it been?

Who else came up here?

Likely, there were some random archaeologist and others who tried to conquer this area, and then got caught here. The body was apparently undergoing some sort of preparation, probably to be another puppet for the lich – who, it seemed, was dying. The box was burnt to a crisp and the lich cried out its agony as its body burnt away as well.

Kirsikka sighed in relief.

Sure, this left her with Malina, but that was better than the lich. “So, what’s so special about this body that enraptured you? Something I should know about my future – after my execution am I becoming a lich puppet for your organization?” She knew very well that the Council of Light was against necromancy.

The illusions, thankfully, would also fall away with the lich for the time being. “Or is this just what happens to especially loyal followers, like you?”

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin’s heart pounded in her chest when they returned to the Captain, and the mages of the Council of Light were there as well. She didn’t want to be near them on a good day, but after her powers had surfaced? And potentially volatile?

She needed to remain calm around them, until they could leave this area far behind.

But it seemed the mage wasn’t going to ignore her.

“And who is this?” the mage rudely asked, pointing a finger in her direction.

“This is Tamsin the bard,” she responded, slightly on edge.

“What’s a Primal and a bard doing traveling together, through Mont Pellinor?”

“I’m paying him to be my bodyguard until we reach the next city, and we took a little side trip through here.”

~~~

Had Malina been in her right state of mind, she would have hurt Kirsikka for her continued attempts to annoy and enrage Malina. But she was still transfixed on the illusions seared into her memories.

“Blasphemy…it was all blasphemy,” she whispered, her gaze unfocused on the charred remnants of the box and ashes of the lich. She realized now that it was responsible for her hallucinations, but did they mean anything? Were they part of a reality she was lied about for so many years?

Her head was hurting, and something deep inside her was cracking, wavering.

“Where exactly did you bring me?” Her voice was a harsh whisper, but none of the anger from earlier returned. She was still in a state of shock. “What is this place?” Was it all simply a place to show them their deepest nightmares? Malina wasn’t even thinking about how Kirsikka wasn’t subjected to the same illusion trick.

She wanted to find out exactly what kind of place they were in.

 

[Lucyfer]

There was no fault in Tamsin’s story, of course. It was true, but the mage seemed to understand something as well as Varick: “Since when do Primals pick up escort work?”

Varick shrugged, “Since the Council of Light has done such a good job ridding the world of monsters,” he deadpanned. The fact he didn’t believe his words for one second was obvious. He was disappointed that the Visionary wasn’t a larger lure, but why would it be, when he could be lying? Or, when he was right there to begin with. “If you’ll excuse us,” he turned away.

The mage didn’t excuse him, but walked closer, putting a hand down on Varick’s shoulder, “Where is it you’re going?”

“None of your concern. My business is my own.”

“Perhaps, but we suspect that the Primal headquarters are within our lands, and if so, we are owed some taxes….”

Varick brushed off the hand, giving the mage a disgusted look. “We have no headquarters.” A lie, but he’d die long before he gave away the home of his fellow Primals. He’d already lost one headquarters and watched many of his beloved brethren die in that incident. He wouldn’t see it happen again. “And I’m not a citizen of Trifflehem.”

"And you, Bard? Where do you hail from, and where are you going?"

~***~

To her credit, Kirsikka did believe she would be harmed for her words. The fact she wasn’t, tipped her off to the fact that whatever had distracted Malina had been…severe. Her mutterings added some clues to it, as well. ‘Blasphemy?’ Kirsikka could list several blasphemous things, but she and Malina didn’t have the same definition.

The entirety of Malina’s religion, for one, felt like blasphemy against creation.

Kirsikka considered pressing it further. She didn’t like the uncertainty of an uncertain Malina; she rather preferred the abuse. At least that had been predictable. Now, she was on unsteady ground; she didn’t know just how Malina would react, unless she intentionally tried to piss her off. ‘No…now you don’t know about that, either.’ Now, it could lead to a more immediate death.

So, Kirsikka measured her words, a note of caution in her tone, but no lies. No sugarcoating. “Do you remember I was obsessed with finding the truth in the lies, Malina?” An odd way of beginning. “One in particular – the White Sun. Stories of it exist in almost every civilization. This is where that search has brought me, and I know it’s near. There was a golem where you found my mirror. I felled it, but not before it revealed it was guarding the White Sun that’s sealed somewhere. If I had to bet, I’d say it’s sealed here in town, or just beyond it.”

Her blinding obsession had never been blinding until after Mont Pellinor. “The only reason I didn’t go straight to Trifflehem to destroy your so-called Council of Light after Mont Pellinor, is because I wanted to find the proof that monsters and their arrival have nothing to do with what the Council of Light believes first. I wanted to make sure you all knew what you believed was absolute fucking rubbish, and that you betrayed the Ordo Sors for a pretty lie. I didn’t think I’d get to enjoy the revelations in real time, though.”

That was a nice treat, given the way Malina was indeed suffering from something.

She still expected to be seriously injured for every word, of course. If not now, later.

“I never would have guessed the White Sun and your beloved god had any connection.” What a lovely addition to the ruination of everything Malina let herself become.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin had foolishly hoped that they would be left alone as Varick turned to walk away, with her ready to immediately follow, but the mage still had more questions. Of course he did.

How she wanted to burn the hand that touched Varick’s shoulder.

But in her brief anger, the panic that flared up did not go away. It only increased as the questions continued, this time asking Varick about the headquarters for the Primals, something she knew was a very sensitive topic for him. And not one he was willing to give up. Even Tamsin didn’t know the answer to that one.

And she wouldn’t ask him for it, but instead wait for Varick to tell her willingly, if he ever did.

Unfortunately, the mage turned back to her with similar questions. Tamsin frowned. “I’m from Antalya, which as you may know, does not lie in Trifflehem.” Not yet. Her heart will break the day that Trifflehem decides to invade the area she called home.

“And I go wherever a bard is needed.” A vague answer that wasn’t a lie, but based on the mage’s facial expression, it wasn’t the answer he wanted. Tamsin was hardly going to give him the truth of their traveling to Tresse.

~~~

Malina looked back to Kirsikka when she began to speak. Speaking of finding the truth amongst the lies, the story of the White Sun, of attempting to find proof for what she thought was the absolute truth.

That everything Malina had been fed was an absolute lie.

She could feel the absolute fury building deep inside her, like the magma ready to spew from a volcano. But for once, she couldn’t determine what the anger was directed at. Kirsikka for the blasphemy she spoke? Or was she angry at the simple fact that Kirsikka could be telling the truth, and everything Malina had been working towards, and everything she had destroyed, was all for a lie?

Was the illusion also a way to tell her that everything she had been working towards was a grand lie?

“And this proof you were seeking,” her voice was steady, but not without the underlying threat of eruption beneath the surface, like the calm before the storm, “what else have you found?”

The scene kept replaying over and over in her head. The monsters, dressed in the same robes as the Council of Light, practicing magic, standing over her body. None of it made sense. Nothing made sense anymore.

 

[Lucyfer]

No, Antalya didn’t, but it was certainly in Trifflehem’s sights. Varick had a feeling that not being citizens of Trifflehem wasn’t going to help them, but he also didn’t need to keep up this conversation.

“We’re going to have to hold you here for questioning as spies.”

“What?” Varick snapped, looking very displeased with this.

“You’ve been through Mont Pellinor which is forbidden grounds. We have to make sure you’re not gathering information on methods to defeat the Trifflehem army for your nations.”

“I couldn’t care less about your wars,” Varick spat. “I won’t be held for questioning as a spy.” Of course, this time when he turned away, he heard the mage begin to speak and he turned right back around and sent his fist right through the mage’s face, sending him sprawling to the ground and breaking his nose.

Varick looked calmly at the others, and gave a warning, “I can move faster than you can say the words for any of your pretty spells.” He knew how it worked with typical mages. They had to speak the words or make the movements to create the spell. They weren’t fae; they were relatively slow compared to fae, and Varick could hold his own against a fae mage.

~***~

Everything told Kirsikka continuing this conversation was a one-way street to death. Malina was too calm, and her tone was too hot. The fire underneath was visible, despite the fact she was keeping it under control. Why? Why not just explode?

Yet she continued to pry, not rising at the insults or the mockery at all.

So, Kirsikka answered, “Well, if you read any of my research notes, you’d know, though I suspect the Council burned those as soon as they took over the Ordo Sors, didn’t they?” Kirsikka was sure of it, which was a shame. She remembered a lot of it, but there were plenty of things she would have loved to look back at and reconfirm.

“Your Council preaches that so many things are sins or unnatural. Like using magic without their blessing, which I know encompasses the Fair Folk, and others just born with it…but it’s pretty human-centric, isn’t it?” Not a surprise. “It claims that…what is it, monsters are both being created by people like me, or they’re the punishment for people like me? I was never sure of that – and all other sinners, of course. Did it never occur to you that monsters weren’t cropping up all around Ordo Sors, or any other sinful place – it was all here, from Pomachion? It was always spreading out from here, and now look at it!”

Not that she could gesture with her hands bound, but she lifted them all the same, “You’re old enough to remember before Pomachion was like this, Malina. It was getting here, but you must remember thriving towns, sea travel, exporting and importing goods – and now it’s gone. There was one town that had any humans in it that I found, and the rest are gone, Malina. Gone.”

Her gaze was steady now, holding Malina’s, “Think for one fucking second with logic. This isn’t a punishment from your god, or something I, or other, sinners created. There is something here, in Pomachion, that is causing this spread of monsters outwards.”

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin’s eyes widened and a gasp escaped as the mage proclaimed they were going to hold them for questioning as spies. Varick expressed his displeasure in a more direct way, and when she thought they were going to simply walk away and ignore the mages, he spoke, and Varick quickly turned around and punched him.

Well, Tamsin wouldn’t say that the man didn’t deserve it, but it certainly didn’t do them any favors either.

One of the other mages, anger clearly written on his face, stalked up to Tamsin. “That’s it. You two are coming with us now before we detain you-” The mage didn’t finish. As he was talking, he reached out to grab Tamsin’s upper arm. The moment his hand touched her, a blast of energy shot out, sending the mage flying backwards with enough force to knock him out as his head collided with the ground.

Tamsin’s hands flew over her mouth in shock. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. If they didn’t seem terribly suspicious to the mages before, they certainly would now.

And the mages definitely looked interested now, especially at Tamsin, who had managed to divert their attention away from the Primal who had just punched one of their own.

She moved closer to Varick, her eyes wide as she stared at him, as if screaming, do we just run now?

~~~

Uncharacteristic of Malina, she continued to listen to Kirsikka, not interrupting her once. She wanted to see what the woman would say, what lies she would tell.

Yet, despite how the words went against everything Malina knew, deep in her gut, she had a feeling that Kirsikka wasn’t lying, and that was what she hated the most.

She did remember a flourishing Pomachion, as lively and thriving as their cities. But this cursed wasteland was…not it. It was ruins, served as a playground for the condemned that lurked outside the church, and other monsters that stalked the abandoned towns and villages.

And if this…thing that is creating the monsters that destroyed Pomachion, who’s to say that their lands wouldn’t be next? And then what?

With a roar of fury, Malina turned to the far wall and unleashed her anger in a stream of fire that melted a hole right in the middle. She felt better as her frustrations were released, but still so much turmoil remained inside her as she now grappled with everything.

Malina didn’t even know where to begin.

“How were you planning on killing this creature?” she asked, eyes still staring at the wall, but focused on nothing in particular.

 

[Lucyfer]

Oh no.

That did not help things, but Varick only moved his hand to the hilt of his sword as the helpful captain conveniently left the area, clearly deciding he wasn’t getting involved in this, or having his soldiers get involved, as one mage was punched and the other thrown back by strange energy. “What—you—you’re no bard, you’re…you must be a monster.”

Varick scoffed, “Not every human who uses magic outside of the Council is a monster.”

“They are,” the mage said, “You must come with us, or we will have to put a—” Varick drew his sword, indeed, faster than the mage could react, and had the blade at the mage’s throat.

“No.” Firm. Brokering no argument. Threat clear.

“But her magic isn’t like—”

“I don’t care. She doesn’t care. We’re not part of Trifflehem so you have no authority over our lives. We are leaving Trifflehem as well, so we will be no bother to you or your theocracy. Is that understood?”

The mage decided to leave it. He had Tamsin’s name, and occupation. He could put a bounty on her head when they left. “Yes. Yes it is understood.”

~***~

Kirsikka expected the flames to hit her. To be the end of her. She flinched, as if that would do anything, and was surprised at the turn of Malina’s fury towards the wall of the church. With the hole, Kirsikka noticed some of the mist seep in, and she wondered how long it would be until the church was flooded, now that the lich was dead. It had likely kept wards up that kept the mist out.

She wouldn’t comment on that.

“You give me too much credit, Malina,” a bit of sarcasm, “when have I ever thought of how I’d kill something? I certainly didn’t plan Mont Pellinor.” No, that had just…happened. She sort of expected to just be able to do it again, if she was honest. That was foolish, stupid, and rash – something she knew, but it didn’t stop her.

She was strangely lucky, and uniquely gifted. Why not expect that she could? It was an attitude that upset people. She hadn’t really realized that until later in life; she supposed it had probably infuriated Malina when they were in school, too. To just do things – but then, Kirsikka remembered the days when she couldn’t, too well, because no one had figured out why her magic didn’t work like others.

That took a bit.

If nothing else, she could expect to get out alive and figure something else out to destroy out. “My goal was finding it. I was going to figure things out after that. Ideally, it’ll be asleep and still mostly sealed so I have time, but…the seal is certainly damaged.”

Given the monsters, and everything else, something was definitely wrong with it.

 

[cleopat]

A monster.

Varick had already insisted to her that she wasn’t a monster, that he knew monsters, but the mage’s words echoed in her head. Was she a monster? One that Varick simply didn’t know, or maybe even one he suspected, but didn’t want to tell her?

And it didn’t pass her notice that she had foolishly given them her name and her occupation. Would they come after her?

“Come, let’s just go,” Tamsin urged, before the mage changed his mind and they could weave their magic on the weary travelers. Ignoring her shaking limbs, Tamsin hopped up on Luna to get them out of there and far from the mages of the Council of Light. Far away and into relative safety.

Any exhaustion she had felt entering the camp was now gone, as adrenaline coursed through her veins and her mind filled with intrusive thoughts, threatening to keep her awake as she grappled with what just happened with the Council of Light. Of how she lost control of her magic and hurt a mage. Of being called a monster.

~~~

Perhaps Malina shouldn’t be surprised that Kirsikka didn’t have a plan to kill this creature. Kirsikka had always been a hotheaded, spur-of-the-moment thinker. Maybe even stupider than she let on if she was traveling in Pomachion without an actual plan.

Malina scoffed, shaking her head at Kirsikka’s confession. “That has to be the most idiotic plan. To just…go in and hope it’s asleep.” There were way too many what ifs for a plan like that that would end in their easy deaths.

But at least finding it first was a good first step.

She wondered about something else. “That Primal you were with…what was his role with you?” Most likely nothing more than the muscle to help Kirsikka safely get into and across Pomachion. Although given some reactions earlier before he was forcibly sent back through the portal, she had to wonder at other roles he acquired along the way.

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick certainly considered more. He considered eliminating the group of mages, but he understood that was criminal. They were letting them go, now. ‘And if they do anything after we leave….’ That was their choice, but he did not punish people for his suspicions. That was not who he was. He was a monster hunter, a Primal, nothing more.

Human affairs didn’t concern him.

But he still hoped the threat that he’d remember their faces lingered in the backs of their mind and encouraged them not to do any harm to Tamsin…although he doubted it, as he turned away and mounted up on Marzipan to continue leading on to their destination – to a monster, who could tell Tamsin what she was.

And that what she was, wasn’t a monster.

The irony.

The silence felt heavy. “I wouldn’t trust anything the Council of Light says,” Varick spoke into the silence, “I still suspect they were part of the group that suggested we Primals were making monsters.” He had no proof of that, but they seemed to have latched onto believing Primals were no good, and anything ‘not good’ had a way of tarnishing the world with monsters, so by default…

He sighed.

~***~

“All of my plans have worked out so far,” Kirsikka stated, not an argument to Malina’s assessment, though. She was aware it was stupid, and if she hadn’t gotten away with such things her entire life, she might have honestly started to think about things a bit harder. She just…didn’t. Even when she knew it was stupid.

“He was just additional muscle to get through Pomachion. You’re the one with the weird history and obsession with him. He was just muscle, who didn’t deserve to die for helping me.” No, Kirsikka would still not be giving anything away about that. Drazhan would remain nothing.

With any luck, she’d never see him again.

Then he might actually live and find a better life. Find love again, with someone not half as chaotic as she was, someone who would settle somewhere and love him, like his dear Sophia had done. Someone to give him a home.

“While I’d generally support going for the throat in pursuit of love, Malina, I think you’re going about it the wrong way with him,” if she was going to keep insinuating things about Kirsikka and Drazhan, she’d just turn the tables. “I know we’re taught that bullying is a sign of affection, but I don’t think he ever learned that, so maybe try being nice? I know that’s hard for you.”

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin wanted to believe the words Varick spoke. She wanted to think that nothing that the Council of Light said was a complete lie, that they had nothing more than grudges and prejudices against anyone who didn’t fall in line with their ideals.

“But what if they’re right?” Her voice wavered, belying the false stoicism she attempted for Varick to hide her true feelings. “What if I am a monster? You don’t even know what I am!” Luna whinnied, as if sensing her owner’s mood.

The tears escaped, rolling down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped them away. Nearly every time she used her powers, it was her losing control with some unintended consequence. And even though the one mage hadn’t exactly been innocent, he still didn’t deserve what she had done to him.

One day, she may just actually kill someone after losing control of those powers again, and Tamsin just didn’t know if she could live with herself.

“When are we stopping for some rest?” she asked, hoping to change the subject for now even though the thoughts would no doubt linger with her for some time to come. They still needed the rest from staying up through the night, and Tamsin wasn’t built like Varick. Even while her mind raced, her body still needed some rest.

~~~

Malina hated the fact that Kirsikka’s plans have worked out for her so far. Of course they had. She just had to be Miss Perfect in every aspect, didn’t she? Magic came naturally to her, and her own plans came naturally to her. Was there anything she actually lost at?

She scoffed, not quite believing that she and Drazhan had nothing going on between them. Even through her veil of hatred and jealousy, she could see the connection the two of them formed. Kirsikka may have hidden it better, but Drazhan had been more obvious. Like a damn puppy dog with those eyes.

“Then maybe you should try your own advice,” she shot back. Malina hardly believed that Kirsikka had a nice bone in her body. In her eyes, the other mage was the bully in the room.

Sighing, she shook her head. “Forget it.” She looked over at the wall she burned a hole through as she noticed the mist seeping in. So far, no monsters moved through the mist and into the building to attack them, but it was only a matter of time. “We need to get out of here.” With a motion of her hand, she gestured for Kirsikka to move first, and out of the room.

 

[Lucyfer]

“You’re not a monster,” Varick insisted, almost yelled the not in raising his voice to make sure it was heard, but didn’t hit that point any harder. He could see her tears, and he knew his blind insistence did nothing. He had no answers for her. Calliope would.

Dravon would.

The temptation to go back to Dravon for them was strong, for Tamsin’s sake, but he knew that was a stupid thing to do. Temptation was how many, many monsters survived and thrived, and Dravon had more than enough human reasoning to use and abuse that. So, they would just have to continue on.

“A couple hours down the road, when we find a good spot, we’ll take a break,” he agreed, “but no sooner,” they had to put the mages safely behind them, and he was sure Tamsin understood that. She wouldn’t want to deal with them again anytime soon. “It’ll be on the road, rather than a town, but we’ll see if we can hit a town by nightfall.”

Likely not, though.

It would be more days on the road for a bit.

~***~

Kirsikka just rolled her eyes at Malina’s suggestion, because of course, she wasn’t trying to win anyone over, let alone Drazhan. She could have also argued that being this way, did work for her. However, she refrained from that. Mostly, because Malina dropped the subject, and there was no point acting too defensive over it.

She did frown as Malina suggested they leave, however. “Why, so I can run ahead and let the monsters get you?” Something she would, in fact, be willing to do. And was definitely willing to do if Malina wanted to insist she head out. They weren’t friends, Malina’s little crisis of faith wasn’t changing anything about that.

She was still a traitor who deserved to die painfully.

Of course, the mist was seeping in. This place might not be safe for long, unless the upper floors were spared. It was something Kirsikka was certainly curious about. Did it go upstairs? Or into basements? “We’re this close to finding the White Sun, you don’t want to continue?” That Malina might be tired or hungry was irrelevant.

Kirsikka knew Malina wasn’t sleeping.

Not for a long, long time, if she hoped to keep Kirsikka in chains.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin didn’t say anything to Varick’s insistence, but she was silently grateful for him. She did want to object, to say that he can’t know for sure what she was, but she didn’t. She allowed them to continue in silence, after he told her they would continue on a while longer until they were far from the mages.

She knew part of her current frustrations stem from her exhaustion, but she wouldn’t complain. She understood the reasoning for waiting. “Thank you,” she softly said.

And in the silence Tamsin realized she couldn’t see herself traveling without Varick.

He hadn’t been in her life for a significant amount of time, but long enough. He became a constant, and she enjoyed his company immensely since that first day, with their one night together still weighing heavily on her mind.

But did he see her as more than just a helpless human he had to protect?

Well, maybe she wasn’t as ‘helpless’ or even ‘human’ as that first day they met…but the thought still stood.

When dusk arrived, they still had not passed a town, but Tamsin had about hit her body’s limit after more than thirty-six hours without sleep. “Shall we set up for the night here?” she asked, motioning towards a clearing not far from the main road. And there was bound to be a water source nearby, for their horses.

~~~

Malina scowled at Kirsikka’s sarcasm, but chose to ignore it. Little arguments over such asinine comments would do them no good, but it did just add fuel to the fire of disgust she felt for Kirsikka. The woman had never been pleasant, and had only gotten worse over the years.

Of course their little shared history after Malina left Ordo Sors didn’t help anything.

Malina took a second to consider Kirsikka’s question, as her eyes remained focused on the mist seeping in, watching it to make sure no monster came in and attacked them. If her entire faith, her reason for everything she had done for years, was a complete lie, then this would be that proof and her revenge in one.

She may have to endure a smug Kirsikka as a result, but she could deal with that. Maybe.

“Yes, I want to continue,” she relented. This White Sun had better be asleep, or weakened, as she was just one person, and Kirsikka was definitely not getting uncuffed anytime soon. Malina wasn’t a fool. “Do you have any idea of where to go next?” How much more of this church was there? If there was a basement, would it also contain labyrinthine tunnels?

 

[Lucyfer]

The hours went by, and when Tamsin made no comment of being tired, Varick didn’t bring it up. He let them ride on beyond his promise of rest, until it was nearing dusk and Tamsin finally voiced a need to rest, he accepted the location and led them a bit off the path into the clearing, where they could set up.

He did hear a stream, and after removing the tack from Marzipan offered, “I can take Luna to the water,” he knew Tamsin could handle setting up the camp, while he saw to the horse’s needs, and then they could figure out food.

He’d wait to be handed the reins to take Marzipan and Luna to the water, also grabbing their own flasks and waterbags so that would be refilled. It was an easy enough job, just…boring. Then again, quite a bit of travel was just that.

Tedious and boring.

He wished more of it was.

He wished that day had been.

~***~

‘No, I don’t have any ideas.’ Malina was not following along very well, but Kirsikka supposed she did have theories about where to begin. “I saw a staircase going down. I would begin there, and if that fails, go outside and beyond the town, behind the church. Either way, the church is the first barrier,” whether or not entering it was necessary.

So without waiting for Malina, Kirsikka would step away to go towards that staircase she’d caught sight of, and down. Thankfully, there was no mist on the basement floor – yet. It was also stupidly dark, so Kirsikka couldn’t see anything, and had to wait for Malina to catch up.

Hopefully she’d light it up.

If she did, she would see a fairly basic study room – desks, tomes, and scrolls of various items, most from several centuries ago. She might also notice the way her flames wouldn’t quite hit a wall void of shelves normally, not casting their light upon it as it did the other walls, no shadows falling upon it.

An illusion, which would indeed lead to a path.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin was more than relieved to be off the horse, and she gladly handed Varick the reins to Luna with an acknowledgement of thanks. Setting up camp seemed easier than taking two large animals that could easily drag her away to the water, and refilling their own water flasks.

She set out to set up their camp, unrolling the bedrolls and gathering up twigs and small branches as kindling for a fire. It was growing cold, and she needed more warmth than what her clothes and bedroll could provide.

Of course, there was another way to acquire warmth…Tamsin pushed that thought down.

Once everything was set up, Tamsin began her attempt to start a fire. Hands shaking and body feeling weak with fatigue, she kept failing at a task she had done so many times before. It’s because you’re too distracted.

Tamsin threw her materials to start a fire off to the side with an irritated noise in her growing frustration, tears pricking the back of her eyes. Varick would just have to finish the remaining task when he returned.

~~~

Malina followed behind Kirsikka down the staircase. When the darkness came, she whispered a simple spell to create illumination for their path ahead in the dark unknown.

A room was illuminated before them. A fairly normal looking study, and Malina was almost disappointed at that. She was hoping for something more, something grander that hinted at the greater powers at play here. Something that led her to answers.

“I don’t-” her words trailed off when she noticed something odd about one of the walls. The lighting was off, and no shadows were to be seen when they should have been. She grabbed a small tchotchke from the desk, nothing more than a paperweight, and gently threw it at the strange wall.

The item went clear through, confirming for her that the wall was indeed nothing more than an illusion. A spell was uttered, one to make the illusion disappear, and before them was a path. “Well, after you.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick returned to a camp…well, not made.

The bedrolls were rolled out, and the campfire itself was together, but it wasn’t aflame, so food wasn’t cooking. He saw some of the campfire pieces scattered away from it, and sighed as he went to fetch them, approaching the unlit flame, and setting about the task of lighting it in silence.

He could see the tears in Tamsin’s eyes. There was no need to comment about the fire and why it hadn’t been started. She was dealing with enough, and the failure to start it was likely just one more additional frustration she couldn’t handle that day.

Thankfully, he was able to get it going fairly quick, and silently he moved away to look at their food stores to take from their fresher goods. Those always needed to be eaten first, since the dried and salted goods were likely to remain good for a while longer.

Fresh goods, not so much.

He returned to the fire, and began setting up things to cook a bit of a meal in continued silence.

~***~

As Malina was about to complain about not noticing anything, Kirsikka sighed. She would have pointed it out, if Malina didn’t notice herself – thankfully, she did, and with a couple of spells, got rid of the illusion. She didn’t argue about leading and went ahead. Thankfully, the path was straightforward, no turns, no issues – nothing.

It was rather boring that way, really.

At least Kirsikka wasn’t there to be entertained.

The path ended with a locked door, and Kirsikka stepped back to motion Malina forward to deal with the door. She did consider mentioning she could hear voices, but opted not to. Malina would likely hear herself, and if not, it wasn’t as if it was going to stop them. The alternative was going back, or waiting until the voices went away, which was unlikely to be a real choice.

They didn’t know what was out there, after all.

What it was, of course, was night, before a much larger temple, not a mere church. This was no place golems roamed, but a place that sung with magical energy and was tended to by a mishmash of humans and others of various sentience, their job to tend the temple, work on enlarging the passage that was within, and break the seals that held the passage – and the White Sun – back.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin knew she shouldn’t feel guilty over not succeeding in starting the campfire just this once, but as she heard Varick return and his subsequent sigh, that feeling of guilt was only added on to everything else she experienced that day. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get the fire started,” she said quietly, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Not that it was really her fault, something she knew deep down, but she still felt it necessary to apologize. The sigh and the continued silence left her feeling hollow.

She hated silence.

She scooted a bit closer to Varick as he began preparations for their dinner. “Talk to me, I don’t like the silence.” Even though she knew it was a foolish thought, Tamsin couldn’t help but worry if Varick was a little annoyed with her, for all the trouble she was causing him. And then she couldn’t even start a simple fire, something she had done many times before!

“It could be about anything.”

~~~

Down the path and to another locked door. Of course. Malina stepped forward to deal with the lock, but paused for a second when she heard voices. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, nor did they seem like they were fading away, so whoever was on the other side of the door, they would have to deal with it. Or, rather, she would.

Kirsikka was near useless with the shackles on.

Opening the door, Malina was greeted by the sight of many creatures, humans and nonhumans alike, tending to a temple that lay ahead of them. They looked harmless enough, but there were enough of them to overpower Malina should some of them possess any talents beyond what a normal human was capable of.

And as one caught sight of the newcomers, it paused its work to turn and openly stare at them. The rest followed suit, and immediately Malina had a sinking feeling in her gut. Her hands, resting by her side, prepared themselves to fling any sort of fiery spell at them.

“Have you come to aid in the freedom of our great savior?” one of the workers asked.

Malina merely scoffed. “No.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick shook his head as Tamsin apologized, “It’s all right,” he wasn’t upset. He was tired, but it had been a tiring day for both of them, and they hadn’t slept. No one liked extra work, no matter how miniscule, when tired. Still, he didn’t intend to make Tamsin feel bad for it as he continued through the process of preparing food.

He didn’t have much of a mind for conversational topics, though.

Not that he ever did.

“You’ve been around me long enough to know I’m not good at that.” Talking, especially on command, with no direction. That just wasn’t one of his skills, but he also didn’t want to make Tamsin feel worse.

So, he began to just…explain what he was doing with cooking and preparing the food. Not like Tamsin didn’t know how to do these things herself, but she said anything, and acting like he was giving a lesson on cooking was at least something to help her against the silence – and when the food was done he’d have an excuse to not talk.

He’d be eating.

And then he could…well, not really sleep, but rest. He might catch a light sleep, but he didn’t really sleep well while he tried to keep his attention on Tamsin and make sure nothing came into their campsite to cause them harm.

But soon enough, the food was on the fire, and there wasn’t much to say but, “And then we wait,” as a concluding thought on the food, “it’ll be a few minutes before the meat’s cooked enough to eat.”

~***~

‘Mmmm, we’re fucked.’ Kirsikka was tallying up the numbers with the various beings in front of the temple, alongside the fact she was still bound. If Malina would just release her—well, no, that was still the stupidest thing Malina could do for her continued existence, so honestly Kirsikka couldn’t fault her for that.

However, their continued existence now depended wholly on whether or not Malina could stand up to this group, since she apparently couldn’t lie. Kirsikka sighed but held up her hands after Malina’s answer, “I am obviously not with her, and I am very interested in learning more about your great savior, if you would save me from her.”

Malina probably should have seen that coming. Now it was just a question of how stupid these people were, which, at least, they were stupid enough to not make Kirsikka their target as some of the figures in white armor began to draw swords, and others began to prepare spells.

‘Good fucking luck.’

Kirsikka fled to the side and a pillar as the chaos began, and she tried to pull her hands out of the bindings again. She caught sight of a fountain, and opted to make a run for that – water wasn’t the best lubricant but it was better than all the nothing she had without it. The one advantage she had was that any magic hurled her way, evaporated thanks to the binding.

It wasn’t enough of an advantage to want to keep them on, and she dunked her hands in the water to try and wriggle free. ‘Come on, come on—yes!’ One hand came free, wrists burnt, a bit bloody from the metal shavings of the binding but that was something, and she was able to use it to start helping free her other hand while the temple’s hosts remained distracted by Malina and her fire.

It couldn’t be that easy, of course.

One of the knights in white grabbed her hair and pulled her up from the fountain, “Who are you to her?” he gestured out at Malina.

“Literally her worst enemy, I can assure you she will not care if you kill me.”

Did the knight listen?

Of course not, he pulled Kirsikka against him and put the blade at her throat. “THAT’S ENOUGH OF THIS!” he tried to bellow out, “Cease this violence, you stand no chance, and perhaps we will relieve you of your misguided ways that you may serve the White Sun. It is clear you have strength.”

Kirsikka just sighed, still pulling at the binding that she almost had off. Just a little more, “Please, Malina, just kill me, this is embarrassing.” She wished she could see the look the knight gave her, because the double-take of some others was pretty satisfying.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin had indeed been around Varick long enough to know that he wasn’t much for conversation and idle chit chat, so she was even more appreciative of his attempts to alleviate the silence. It couldn’t have been easy for him.

She gave him a soft smile as he went through the steps outloud of his cooking process, intently listening as if she didn’t know how to do any of it. Which, well, she wasn’t the best cook. Far too often she relied on tavern food, or food she could take with her, ready to eat on the road. She wasn’t exactly the hunting type.

After Varick was done, Tamsin said, “Thank you, I really appreciated that.” It may have seemed silly, but the fact that he entertained her little request meant a lot to Tamsin. It helped ease her mind somewhat.

She thought to let the silence remain in the few minutes they waited for the meat to finish cooking, but she wondered about something. “Have you had a traveling companion before?”

~~~

Malina shot Kirsikka a look for apparently wanting to learn more about their savior, before she just as quickly realized it was a trick to protect herself. Of course she wasn’t expecting camaraderie, especially as she was still bound.

But Malina still wasn’t happy.

The people began to prepare themselves for battle, and with a sigh, Malina did the same, ignoring Kirsikka as she ran off to the side as the battle began. Come on you fuckers. She hurled a wall of fire at the first attackers, burning anyone who just so happened to be in its path to a crisp.

She largely kept them from her, allowing her the safety of not being harmed, minus a few spells that got dangerously close She would’ve been able to keep up with the chaos too, if she wasn’t interrupted by one of the knights, who held Kirsikka against him with a blade at her throat.

And naturally Kirsikka had to make a smartass remark.

Malina rolled her eyes, but ignored the woman for now. Not before noticing the woman almost had her binding off. Oh I’m going to regret this. She would stall for a minute.

Two mages in a group like this were far better than one.

Malina held up her hands, showing they were empty of fire and weapons. “Who is this White Sun of yours?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Of course, the talking had been a struggle. Even with a ready topic, Varick didn’t talk that much…something Tamsin recognized. He grunted at her gratitude, not to wave it off, but because it was both as welcome as it was unnecessary. He was glad to have it, but of course, he didn’t need it to try and help her be more comfortable.

At her question, after a silence settled that was far more comfortable, he shook his head. “No. Early on, I traveled with an elder Primal who showed me the ropes, but after that, it was on my own. That’s just how it is.”

It was too dangerous, after all, to do it any other way. Companions not trained as a Primal were likely to die. “I’ve ventured with the odd mage who needed to come along to get ingredients, or witness something for their research, but that was a short time. I’ve aided other Primals with particularly difficult fiends, but we often meet at the location and do not travel far.”

Actually traveling with someone for great distances, for more than one job, was practically unheard of it.

It was…nice, though. Yet, “I know I’m not a great travel companion for that. I’m fine with the silence.” Endless silence was what he was used to. It let him hear everything around him. “And it’s easy for me to wave off what others say about things they don’t understand.” What they said about her. “I’ve had my fair share of thinking one thing and being proved wrong before. I know better than to jump into much with too many assumptions that I can’t quickly change.”

He made them. Everyone made them. He was just better at adjusting to the situation.

“I don’t dislike having you for a traveling companion, though. You don’t irk me like some have.”

~***~

Despite the lack of fire, the others were still hesitant to get close, until the one holding Kirsikka nodded and one of the nagas moved, coiling its tail quickly around Malina’s lower and mid-section, before reaching for her hands. “We will show you who the White Sun is, and perhaps He will be merciful to you for your ignorance. He is the great Uniter, the One who brings All Things together.”

“Do you know how you do that?” Kirsikka didn’t lift her eyes from Malina, as the binding was finally off, though she didn’t drop it, and hid that fact with how her free hand hung over the other, and held the cuffs.

“Do what?”

“Unite everything?”

“No, that is why—”

“You kill them. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” Decay to life, an endless cycle, and she used the binding in a quick backwards strike, hitting the one who’d caught her in the face with the metal before pulling away. She let the binding drop as it hit the idiot, and as people began to separate to take an act against her, she found that old, familiar feeling.

It was only too easy when looking at Malina, really.

Feeling the pain in her wrists.

Knowing how close she was to undoing the Ineffable One…and knowing it would do nothing to take back what happened on Mont Pellinor.

The shriek was as deafening as always.

Grass froze, blood froze, saliva froze. The fluid in the eyes, in the brain – froze. If it was liquid, the sudden loss of heat manipulated it and ruined the various containers it was in. All, except, Malina. It was a wide berth, so the naga holding her also remained relatively unharmed, but very, very shocked. They may as well have been frozen along with everyone else that fell over.

Yet, unlike Mont Pellinor, the ground didn’t die away despite being frozen, and unlike Mont Pellinor, Kirsikka felt that sudden draining sensation again that didn’t let her stop, even when she fell to a knee. The ice continued to spread, until she forced the change to fire with a flick of her wrist and a weak fireball.

The connection was severed again like a limb, and this time, it truly did hurt, all the nerves of flame awake from its attempts to re-establish itself. She couldn’t help the outcry at that or the way she drew both of her hands into her chest as she leaned over her knee, eyes shut, but still very conscious.

Just very, very drained.

She was still a one-shot wonder, she supposed. Malina would have to deal with the naga herself.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin felt sad for Varick, for traveling alone for so long, but was she any different? She mainly traveled by herself, with her only companion being her horse, Luna, and her many thoughts that she often found herself lost in.

There was the time she stopped traveling for about a year, but she ended up regretting that decision.

She hasn’t even really had the odd, brief companion like Varick had, for a multitude of reasons.

Tamsin grinned at him. “Aww, you like me?” That was fairly obvious, as their night together still weighed heavily on her mind quite often. Did he still think of that night? “I don’t mind your silence. I know I can talk enough for the two of us,” she chuckled. That hadn’t been a trait that everyone she had met enjoyed, but she didn’t need to think of them right then. They were, hopefully, long gone from her life.

“I’ve really enjoyed having you for a traveling companion. You have so much knowledge about the world around us, and I just think you’re very interesting.” She could listen to him talk all day, if he actually enjoyed talking that much.

~~~

Malina allowed the naga to grab her, for the moment. Even grab her hands. The naga will pay for her actions in the very near future, but in the meantime, Malina maintained the intense eye contact with Kirsikka, letting years of rivalry and built-up hatred rest in her gaze.

But the hatred in this moment wasn’t directed at Kisikka, but rather the situation they were in, and at those who lied to her for years. Those who took her life away from her and used her as a pawn.

Then the Boreal Wind made an appearance.

The pure power and might of the ice, even though not at what it was at Pelinor, was just as beautiful as it was terrifying. Everything froze in an instant, save for Malina and the naga that held her captive.

Not for long.

The creature stood in shock at the ice wasteland, and Malina took that as her chance. Flames burst from her hands, burning the part of the naga that was holding them captive. The naga tried to pull away from the flame, but Malina grabbed ahold of the creature, allowing the flames to continue to dig into her skin and scales. The flames began to travel along the naga’s body like a painful rope, and no matter how the naga moved, she couldn’t get away from the flames, as Malina let go and moved away.

More and more of the fire rope continued to encircle the naga, until she was completely encompassed by the flames, and in the matter of seconds, her screams silenced, and her body fell limp on the ground, body completely deformed by the fire.

Now with the naga, and everyone else, dead, Malina turned back to Kirsikka with slight intrigued. “I’ve never known magic to do this to you,” she commented, walking towards her. “How long have you had this reaction?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Varick couldn’t help but snort and roll his eyes at Tamsin’s inquiry of liking her. Obviously, he liked her. He feared for her, as well, and what was to come. He knew he would miss having her company, when eventually they separated, but that was inevitable, wasn’t it? She had to travel for her shows, and he had to travel for work.

‘Unless you just traveled together.’ She could do her shows where he hunted.

Ridiculous.

“I don’t mind listening to you.” Sure, he also didn’t mind silence, but her talking didn’t subtract from the silence he usually enjoyed. It added to it. “Travel as much as I have, and you’ll get the kind of knowledge, too. You’re on your way there if you plan to keep this up,” he noted. “Just add in some monster hunting.”

Not that he wanted to encourage her to do that, actually. He’d rather she be safe and learn the stories from others. Perhaps one day she’d cross paths with other Primals and learn their stories, too. Then she’d have a nice repertoire of understanding other creatures.

“Do you ever plan to stop traveling? Settle down somewhere?”

~***~

Kirsikka heard Malina finish off the naga before she forced herself to stop focusing on the pain and open her eyes again. The battle was over, with Malina starting to approach. ‘Fuck.’ She probably should have killed Malina, except, Malina was the only one who wasn’t going to kill her in this group, and she knew she was fairly useless after that, for a while, at least.

Not that they’d be able to just sit outside the temple and wait for her strength to return.

Not that she wouldn’t try to force it, either, as she forced herself to stand and take a step back, adjusting herself into a semi-defensive posturing, hands still up and held against her chest because they still fucking hurt with the residual pain of the new severing. Something Malina noticed. Did she notice what it was, as well? ‘How?’ It wasn’t a visible thing, and as far as Kirsikka knew, Malina didn’t have that same tie to magic, so she wouldn’t sense it.

No, it was just the damnable reaction.

“Whatever is here, has been draining my magic since I stepped into Pomachion.” Kirsikka decided it was better not to lie. “I’ve been losing touch with elements since,” not ice, obviously, “and given over elements as needed to stop it from draining me dry. I don’t know if the same will happen to you or not. Our connections to magic are different.”

Ideally, Malina wouldn’t. She hadn’t had it yet, but maybe if she got closer, she would have that problem.

“You don’t need to bind me right now.”

Later, obviously, their business with each other was far from finished, but Kirsikka could hope Malina wouldn’t waste her time trying right then. She had just spared the bitch, after all. It was the least Malina could do!

Well, no.

Even Kirsikka acknowledged the smarter thing would be to get her in bindings while she couldn’t fight back well, but she was still going to try if Malina did.

 

[cleopat]

Tamsin snorted with a shake of her head. “I think I’ll leave the monster hunting to you.” Though, as she thought about it, learning to control her powers well enough to protect herself against monsters seemed like a smart idea. After all, how many times had she been attacked by a monster before Varick came and saved the day?

Ideally, she would just prefer it if Varick stayed by her side in their travels, but that couldn’t happen, right? Well, why not?

“I honestly don’t know,” Tamsin answered, shrugging her shoulders. “I do know that I want to find someone to be with, but most men tend to not like my lifestyle. A few have made that very clear to me in the past.” And they were all complete assholes. Some more than others, like Roland had been.

“Ideally, I would love to find someone who will love to travel with me, regardless of whether or not we eventually settle down or continue to travel until old age.” Tamsin was still so conflicted on what exactly she saw herself doing in the future.

She supposed it all depended on that special someone and what she felt in her gut was what she wanted to do.

~~~

Kirsikka looked so pathetic, that Malina almost felt sorry for her in whatever it was that was wrong with her. Whatever it was in Pomachion that drained her magic. Malina certainly didn’t feel that same energy draining, as her connection to magic felt as strong as ever.

And oh how she debated hard whether or not she should put the cuffs back on Kirsikka, even in her pathetic state.

But she still had her ice powers. And Malina would be a fool to think that there wouldn’t be any more dangers ahead of them that would try to kill them. One monster or fifty, they needed to be ready, which meant making a decision Malina didn’t want to make.

“We may encounter trouble again,” she said. “For now, I won’t bind you.” A foolish decision that Malina still debated in her head. “If we encounter another group like this one, or worse, we will need to be prepared. But if I even get a hint that you’re going to do something stupid…” Malina trailed off, letting the threat hang in the air. She didn’t need to finish her sentence.

She wouldn’t hesitate to put the bitch back in the cuffs.

“For now, we need to keep moving forward.” She paused, glancing over Kirsikka’s form. “If you need some rest, we will do so for just a few minutes. Then we head on.”