Song: Ain't No Rest For The Wicked - Cage The Elephant
The fighting started the moment the reached level ground. Even Althira armed herself in favor of hand to hand when they were rushed by a group of half a dozen soldiers. They fought ruthlessly, Lythias only hoped she could forget the scenes in front of her one day as she fought tooth and nail between her two kilthra as they made progress to the pass. By the time they'd reached it another half dozen soldiers had arrived and were pressing them hard toward the unstable ground. "Althira, first!" Lythias shouted when she saw a gap for the woman to break through. Lythias dove in to cover her as the woman turned and began leaping quickly on the rocks furthest uphill. If any shifted between her feet Lythias was unable to see as she parried the blow of her new opponent.
"Aakine!" She called to the smaller kilthra and he yelped to let her know he was responding as he took off after Althira. Othanis and Lynsias edged closer as she dispatched the person she was fighting. Two more took its place quickly but she was ready. "Othanis!" She called next as he was the closest to the escape route. He followed her with another yelp as she backed up dramatically. Lynsias was shoulder to shoulder with her now. "Down the path, don't wait, I'm coming." She said quickly. He started to argue but she didn't give him the chance when she suddenly turned and began leaping into the rocky marsh behind her. He was forced to move back as their enemies rushed forward to follow her.
Two of the remaining five were smart enough to stop before they entered the mess but three were hot on her heals. The first made it far enough he felt comfortable stopping to swing at her. Lythias ducked without missing a beat, keeping her feet shifting constantly and quickly over the rocks. If she was right it would be only be about knee deep here but that was still enough to get trapped. If the person was unlucky enough the rocks could crush their legs if they thrashed too hard. Lythias avoided letting her feet get submerged as she bounced among the larger rocks. Her essence was beginning to seep from her skin as flames began to dance along her fingers, thankfully exposed to save her gloves.
She could even feel flames licking at her exposed eylashes as she peered over her shoulders at the others. The second one was knee deep in the water while the first had fallen entirely upon loosing his balance in his swing. He was now thrashing wildly. Lythias tore her eyes away as the rocks seemed to pile on harder with every movement. She had to keep moving. She noted that the third had caught on to how the rest of the group had passed through and was making his way to the more stable rocks. She was running out of time as she rushed to do the same. She spared quick glances behind her but kept her eyes firmly on the ground as she danced inhumanely quick over the rolling ground.
Once she hit the more stable rocks she began moving even faster. As she ran she felt a familiar pressure begin to form in her jaw. Her fingers were still alight but if she focused she could feel a familiar sting in the ones wrapped around the handle of her blade. She ran even faster, pushing off the earth with essence boosted movements with each stride. Glancing back she noted that the other two had joined the third remaining fighter and now three were pursuing. She wasn't concerned, however. Instead she felt a smile begin to form on her face. She couldn't hear any signs of fighting in front of her and the three behind her would never keep pace, let alone catch up to her. She was finally free of immediate danger for the first time in a week.
Finally she reached the other side and hit solid ground at a dead sprint. It was open on the other side for nearly half a mile and she needed to cross that before she could regroup. It was part of the plan. Which was why she was irked to find both Othanis and Lynsias waiting for her, flanking her at their own sprint as she ran. She glared at both of them from the sides of her eyes as they weaved their way down the open hillside. They were vulnerable to spell fire and archers for the next few moments so they needed to make themselves harder to hit. Just as the thought came to mind she heard a familiar thunk, as an arrow was released from a bow. She called out a warning just in time for Lynsias to veer out of its path at the last moment.
They breached the trees within seconds and she slowed only slightly as they made their way to the rendezvous point. Lynsias moved closer and she noted that he was observing her. As if he was checking for some sort of wound he somehow couldn't feel. It took her a moment to realize he was focusing on her jaw and burning finger. It had never occurred to her he might feel the pressure. Still she kept her flames lit as they moved. If she didn't she was sure to make herself ill with the pent up essence. She hadn't needed it to fight, they had not encountered any knights which she praised the gods for mentally. She'd been due for some good luck after the multiple near death experiences she'd been a part of recently.
When Althira and Aakine came in sight she finally came to a halt. Pushing back her hood with a flick of her head she felt her hair instantly alight as well. The burning energy was relieving but not enough. She wanted to pull down her scarf but couldn't with her flaming fingers. Her heart rate was only increasing now that she was at rest and she was almost ready to burn her favorite scarf when large rough fingers darted in and pulled it down for her. Lythias wasn't even able to thank Lynsias as she turned and opened her mouth widely. She couldn't stop the roar that burst from her lungs or the violet flames that consumed the trees behind her. For several moments the entire world was violet as the light of her flames easily took precedence over the light of the setting sun.
Then it was over. Lythias coughed violently as she felt the roar finally leave her chest. It took a moment to catch her breath between the fit but finally she was able to close her mouth. Blinking to clear her watery eyes she looked up to see an entirely new terrain in front of her. The flames had ended when she'd stopped but in their wake was complete destruction. A handful of trees were entirely in smolders while many others were greatly disfigured. To make it even more contrast was the patch of exposed ground in front of her where inches of snow had once sat. She blinked almost lazily at it before shaking her head slightly and turning back to her companions.
Aakine and Othanis were relatively unbothered by the display, both were watching her with weary eyes but more out of concern for her than anything. Althira was hard to read with her mostly covered features but her wide eyes gave Lythias the impression she was gawking at the sight in front of her unashamed. Lynsias simply stared at Lythias with an unreadable expression. "Beastborn. Your father did not tell me you were beastborn." Lythias looked away at the statement. She knew enough about the outside world and had met enough traders to know what usually followed that statement. She took his silence as a chance to see Althira's reaction. The woman was staring at her unreadable thanks to her clothing.
Then suddenly, Althira stepped forward. Slowly at first but then took two quick steps so that she stood in front of Lythias. A murmur filled the air as she chanted quietly behind her scarf. Althira raised her hands and revealed the small golden lines glowing around her flesh, like cracks in the earth tone glass of her skin. Lythias now knew why she'd never seen Althira wear gloves, she was a spirit mage. A true mage, not what Lythias pretended to be with her own false spellwork. The 'cracks' were actually the channels that moved essence through ones body. Althira's spellcraft would allow her to manipulate the very essence within her body. Summoning it like a water mage would summon water, and molding it with her bare hands using signs like Lythias did with her abilities. To an extent.
Reaching upward a light formed in Althira's hand, bright enough that Lythias was forced to close her eyes to protect them. She knew she should logically back away from the unknown spell being thrust upon her so soon after such a revelation. Still, she couldn't make herself be afraid of Althira. Not now, not after the healing, not after she came all this way for her. She would've been dead without her and Lynsias. So she didn't even flinch when she felt Althira's hands cover her eyes. The light was bright even through her eyelids but she held out for a few moments and it was over. She waited until Althira pulled her hands back before she even so much as thought about opening her eyes.
There was silence. Something in the back of her mind felt different, like there was a shift somewhere inside her soul. She almost reached out to the almost familiar salty presence in the back of her mind. Then, she recoiled remembering the situation. "Open your eyes, eme kayte. Reveal our light." She didn't know what she was talking about but that shifting inside of her only grew more prominent as she spoke. Taking a deep breath Lythias opened her eyes. Lynsias and Althira were shoulder to shoulder hardly a foot from her, making he jump back in slight shock. She would've stumbled over her own feet had Lynsias's arm not shot out at the last moment for her to latch onto. He pulled her to her feet but it was almost as if he was doing it on instinct. His eyes were only on her own.
She frowned underneath her scarf. This was confusing. Hadn't they been seeing her eyes the entire time? Now that she thought about it, no one had said anything about them before which was strange. Her eyes were unique, she'd been told that many times. In fact she'd been taught to hide them as much as possible. Althira slowly pulled down her scarf to reveal her face. She even pulled down her hood to bare her head. To Lythias's utmost surprise Althira suddenly lowered herself to the ground, falling on both knees, chin tilted to the sky as she held both hands over her chest interwoven. Lowering her head she looked into Lythias's eyes with such emotion she felt the breath still in her chest.
A murmur began to fill her blood at the scene in front of her as Althira swept her arms behind her in a fluttering motion and tucked both hands behind her lowed back. She sank further to the ground so that she was now sitting on her knees instead of standing. "Hear me, Pethos, Keeper of Oaths. Witness as I swear my loyalty beneath the Great Eye and the Etheral that came before. Bind me in my word, as I pledge my life to the one whose rising we have awaited. My heart will bleed willingly for the Amethyst Eyes to see. My path is hers, witness this truth." Her oath made the murmuring in Lythias's blood come to a full blaze. Once again Lynsias saved the day as he quickly removed her hood before she set it alight.
Althira ducked into a full bow to finish it. Holding for several minutes before looking up at Lythias in reverence. "You have no idea how long I have waited to meet you." Lythias flames surged and she felt her body move without her control as she reached forward and offered her arm to Althira. Her flames disappeared from that arm as Althira reached out. The two women locked arms arms, their palms on the inner part of each others elbows. "Rise, never kneel before me, pretalia ince." Her voice was strong and silky smooth, something she was surprised by and thankful for. Althira smiled her world shattering smile. "If it is what you ask, eme kayte."
Althira stood and Lythias just took a moment to take in what had just happened. Turning to Lynsias she found him watching the two of them intensely. His eyes landed on Lythias as she stared at him in question. How was he going to react? He closed his eyes deeply as he seemed to gather himself and Lythias suddenly remembered the moment she had told him her name for the first time. The way he had so much emotion and conflict but almost...reverence at the same time. It was terrifying and extremely interesting to Lythias. He opened his eyes and met her own with a firm look. "My soul is bound to yours, I have no intentions on ending this bond if you would allow it."
Lythias was glad she was hardly in control of her flaming body or else she would've gawked at him. Tether's were reversible after a certain period of time, she had always assumed it was a mutual understanding that they would end it when they could. Yet things were different now. He had some sort of debt to her. She definitely owed him and Althira her life, and now Althira had sworn her life to her. Something Lythias had never heard of outside of folktales. Lythias just blinked a few times but her body seemed to accept for her. It reached forward and she expected it to clasp arms like it had with Althira but instead she could herself standing on her toes and pressing her lips to his covered cheek.