Aramora

Chapter 21: Was it Worth it?

Begrudgingly, she opens her eyes and just lays in bed as she waits for the feeling to return to her... everything. This pain is just one of many things she regrets from her time here in Arkala. Her list is really starting to accumulate dread points with each day in this damn city. Leave it to the nobles to make her feel like shit.

"Nisha! You're awake!" Naomi's sudden shout makes Nisha spring to life and the fur of her tail stand on end. She sits up straight and takes deep breaths, trying to calm herself down as well as bring her headache to a somewhat bearable level.

Naomi doesn't stop before she throws her arms around Nisha and hugs her tight. The sudden action makes Nisha gasp and instinctively push Naomi back while she tries to pull herself together.

But she didn't mean to worry her. Naomi now looks at her with a forlorn gaze, adding a hint of guilt on top of the shit pile of emotions that currently leave her heart in a clusterfuck that she really doesn't want to take the time to sort through.

"Are you... okay?" Naomi asks anxiously. Nisha can see the joy in Naomi's eyes but she keeps it down as she grows wary of the current state of the Tus'Felnis' mind.

Nisha sighs and nods her head slowly, minding the pulsing pain of her headache. "Yeah... I'm fine. I've just never actually resurrected a person before... I didn't realize it would feel like getting slapped in the face with a couple hundred-pound brick packed with soul-sucking leeches... But I've felt worse," she meekly chuckles and looks around.

Before Naomi has a chance to speak again, Nisha snaps her attention back to her and her expression suddenly turns serious. "Where is Lavern?" she asks.

Naomi sighs and sits beside her on the bed. "He wanted to stay with his sister. He was gone all of last night and this morning, but we're waiting for him to be ready to come back before going after him," she explains.

Nisha stifles a gasp and quickly gets up. "He's been alone since yesterday?"

Naomi shrugs. "He was just killed by his sister, resurrected, and saw that his sister had been killed while he was dead. I think he deserves some time to himself. Why? Is something wrong?" she asks, curious as the Tus'Felnis swiftly grabs her backpack and slings it over her shoulder.

"No... Everything's fine," Nisha says. "But... We need to be heading out soon. I'll go find Lavern and let him know that we're going to be leaving so he can come back to get ready." She grabs her daggers and secures them in their sheathes on her belt.

Naomi watches her and gets up as well. "Do we really need to go so soon? I thought—"

"Yes. We do," Nisha states and leaves the room before Naomi is allowed to say any more.

The Tus'Felnis makes her way through the streets of Arkala, keeping an eye on every shadow and alleyway. After asking around town, she had been pointed in the direction of her personal favorite pub in Arkala, the Crimson Cutlass.

Figures Lavern would head there with everything that happened. Naomi was right about how Lavern deserves some time to himself, but Nisha needs to take the route of caution over sympathy. Besides, Lavern is a Cle. Pity isn't really something he's fond of receiving.

She approaches the pub and reaches for the doorknob, when a basket from the side of the building is knocked over and falls at her feet. She jumps and instantly pulls her daggers to her grasp, but she stops once she sees it was just a stray orange alley cat that must have been startled by her presence just as she had been by it.

She takes a deep breath and returns her blades to their sheathes before entering the pub. She always feels welcomed by the smell of rum in the air and the sight of bushy beards and eyepatches that even to her, a pirate, seems comedically cliché.