Scattered Fragments

Chapter 17- We All Burn

            "Alright, you're so on," Everyn said, throwing her bags down and grabbing her bow. "That thing's about a hundred yards away, I expect double of what we wagered."
Grimm snorted, "It's cool, not like you're hitting it anyway," he said, leaning back on the rock he was on. "Remember, one shot."
Everyn walked towards the side of the road, the yellow glow of the sun beginning its descent behind the mountains caused her to squint a bit.
A cool Summer's breeze caressed the dress she wore, it's fabric dancing along with the tall grass of the plain. Her target was a beehive hanging on a lone Great Tree. As they waited for the rest of the crew, Grimm thought he'd use the time to pick out ridiculous targets for Everyn to hit- So far she was five for five.
She took a deep breath, trying to relax her diaphragm as she picked her bow up and drew the arrow. She kept both eyes open, and traced a path in the air. The wind began to calm for the moment. With a final tilt of the bow to correct her path, she shot the arrow.
Grimm leaned forward and brought the special glasses up to his eyes, allowing him to see farther thanks to the modified lenses. He tracked the arrow, hoping the wind would push it off course. He sighed as the arrow snapped the wax that held the beehive in place, causing it to come crashing down.
"Ahh!" Grimm yelled, upset that Everyn was as good as she boasted.
Everyn put a fist in the air and cheered. "Pay up!" She commanded, holding out her hand.
He scoffed as she he went through his pocket and threw two coin pouches at her. "There's no way anyone's that good."
She smiled, "Well I'm not just anyone am I?"
"Just give up man, she doesn't miss," said a new voice from behind them.
James and Vincent appeared behind both Everyn and Grimm, carrying bags as they worked their way up the small hill. Everyn could feel a heat rising to her cheeks as she noticed James was out of his normal attire which consisted of a coat and a button down.
He wore a black long sleeved shirt that fitted perfectly on every single inch of his torso. The black pants and boots he wore must have been new since they hadn't looked worn down to the fabric like his usual gear. But it wasn't just what he wore, or the way his hair danced in the wind like a gentle tide.
            No, it was the smile he gave her as he walked up the hill. So honest and kind- the best silent "hello" she's ever gotten. She returned his smile, feeling a blend of embarrassment and shyness. She cursed him for making her feel like that.
"She's not human, I'm telling you," Grimm said, trying his best to get up with his one arm.
Vincent passed by the group, heading straight towards the coach that waited for them. His silence could be felt pushing past the three as he passed.
"Nice to see you too Vince," Grimm said, waving his hand.
James followed close behind Vincent. "Don't mind him, he hasn't had anything to eat all day." He said, packing the rest of the bags into the back of the carriage.
Everyn approached the two and threw her bow and quiver in with the rest of the luggage. "Why not?"
            "Trost had us run errands around the city since we'd be away for some time," James started to explain. "So there wasn't much time for him to grab a bite or anything. I had one of the cooks prepare him a sandwich for the trip over here. And when we finally decide to take a break-"
            "A bloody Greatbeak swooped down and grabbed it!" Vincent said, slamming the door down with annoyance.. "I've never felt so disgraced in my life."
Everyn and Grimm burst out into laughter, their faces turning bright red. James tried to hide the smirk on his face.
            "An oversized bird took your lunch from you?" Everyn asked, trying to keep her composure.
            "Oh man, wait till the boys back at the castle hear about this," Grimm chocked out.
Vincent grabbed the back of Grimm's neck and squeezed. "Tell anyone of this and I'm going to feed you to a Greatbeak."
The threat only made him laugh harder, "okay-okay I won't!" He said, trying to calm himself down.
James turned to Everyn. "You ready?"
She looked to him and nodded, confident as always.
"We're going to get going, hopefully we'll make it before sun down if we're lucky," James announced, handing Vincent a ring from inside his pocket. "You're in charge until we get back in about a week or two.
"I already told Trost that you two would be able to handle any missions you decide to take while I'm away." James turned, making his way to leave,"Don't get in over your heads, okay? Especially you Grimm, work on aiming with your left arm."
"Will do Captain, not like I have anything better to do until the metals for my arm come in from Masadora. They're supposed to be better than that wood I was using, ugh what a nightmare."
Vincent eyed Grimm, "How do you get those things to work the way you do? I 've always wondered how it is you do it."
Grimm grinned at him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Well you see, it's a severely complicated task. One that took me many months in the desert to perfect. It wasn't easy but-"
"He moves it by using Spatial Essentia, can we go? It's getting late and I want to get to Salem before night falls." Everyn said, interrupting Grimm and walking into the carriage. "Don't you two dare go into my room while I'm gone. And trust me, I'll know the second my door's lock clicks open."
Oddly enough Vincent straightened up along with Grimm as they both nodded.
James made way to leave but Grimm jumped onto him.
"You sly dog, I knew something was up between you two," he said into his ear, keeping it close to a whisper.
"What are you talking about?" He asked, trying to move his face from being so close to Grimm's.
"You know what I'm talking about," Grimm replied, a sleazy smile stretching from ear to ear. "Just be safe, and don't you come back a father, you hear?"
James pondered what he was saying. "Come back a..." Finally realizing what Grimm was implying, he shook him off his shoulder and marched straight into the carriage and slammed the door shut.
Everyn looked outside the window and saw the boys waving at them as the carriage started moving. She looked back at James, his face red and his eyes avoiding hers. "What was that all about?" She asked him.
He sighed, "Just Grimm being Grimm."
James pulled out his pocket watch and noted the time. He was quiet, almost like he was at a loss for words. It wasn't the type of quiet where there was nothing to say, rather, the type of quiet where there was so much to say that they didn't know how to say it. The ride to Salem was about three hours away, and she'd be damned if they were going to sit in silence together.
Everyn got up from her seat and sat down next to James. She felt his shoulder tense at the touch of her own.
            "Watcha thinking about?" She asked, admiring his long eyelashes.
James turned to her and sighed, "Just a dream I had... About home."
Home, he still called it Home. Astranova, the ancient and ruined city that was their homeland. The land where a whole civilization ended. The land of the ancients who introduced humanity to the power of Essence, and the place where the planet's harmonic cords of life used to meet. That once great land was now deserted for about ten years now.
"Another nightmare?" She asked, wrapping her arm around his. Everyn didn't care if it made him uncomfortable- as long as he didn't feel alone.
He nodded to the window in front of him. "The burst wasn't so bad though, it passed before ten seconds... It's progress, right?"
She laid her head onto his shoulder, and he held her back. They sat side to side quiet as time went by. She took in his scent slowly and carefully, cherishing the small remnants of his cologne that stuck to his shirt. She could feel their Essences twirling around them, locked in a playful dance. She wondered if he felt it too.
            "When we get to Salem, I want to tell you something." James said, looking down at her.
She picked her head up, "Why not now, it's a time good as any?"
He smiled -that damned smile that gave her heart sudden jumps. "Once we're done with the  business down at Salem, I'll tell you properly."
So stubborn!
            Everyn sighed and leaned over until her face was as close as she could get to his without touching. "I don't like to be kept waiting, you of all people should know that." Every word she said was as smooth as silk, shocking his system.
            "Don't worry this shouldn't take long," he said, looking down at her with soft eyes. There was something in his expression when he started leaning down towards her. Oh gods, he's leaning down.
He past her cheeks and could feel that he was just inches away from her. He gently whispered, "we both know I can be just as impatient."
She loved when he challenged her, it made the three hour ride less of a drag and more of a blissful pleasure. They talked much about nothing and joked about each other. She began to wonder if the driver thought they had both gone mad.
Everyn wondered if this was how a couple acted together. When she thought of a boyfriend she just thought it was just the one guy out of a sea of guys that you wanted to kiss. Spending time with James alone made her realize there was more to it than just that.
He was someone she could lean on when standing alone was too hard. He was someone she could tell her secrets to and trust that he wouldn't judge her, or use her insecurities against her. It was confusing at first, wondering why she felt the way she did over him, but as they got closer to each other they quickly realized they were the scattered pieces of their own broken puzzle.
They haven't really told anyone about their relationship yet, it wasn't really planned. Most guys wait until the moon is full and the stars are shining just to ask their bow out in romantic fashion. Then there's Everyn, the girl who saves the boy from being crushed under a support beam during a house fire and gets rewarded with a deep kiss. She smiled, thinking back at how spontaneous the moment had been for them. She waited the next day to see if James had regretted ever kissing her- but it's been two months and still no signs of regret.
             She closed her eyes, letting the carriage's jumping rock her to sleep.
            "It's okay, I'll wake you when we get there." James said, his voice so far away.
She  nodded at him, her eyelids heavy. Usually Everyn would put her guard up when sleeping outside of home, but with James here, she didn't have to worry about a thing. She let sleep drag her body away, the last thing on her conscious mind was her lover's smile. Her eyes close softly.
                                        ~>