"Skinny love"
Anteia's POV
Rarely was it that the doors of our house were open, yet when I arrived home seeking peace from the whole ordeal at Miyoko's-- her getting a replacement maid and new guard, it was the last thing I needed. I was tired, wanting comfort in alcohol and music, but the way the wooden door creaked as I opened it told me I'd just have more to my headache. I swallow hard hoping it's not what it always is, hoping Morina only forgot to close the door on her way in, alas, it is not as I hoped. The basement's door was open, and green light poured from it.
I sigh and close the door behind me, leaning on them just for a moment. A short moment to gather my strength, gain back my composure. 'Just one day, one day I don't come back home to this. Is it really too much to ask?', I think to myself and head downstairs.
At some point small puddles of blood were starting to take place on the stone stairs, and I bit back my worry. 'Fine. She'll be fine. She always was. She always is.'
What would shock anyone only made me bite my lip until it bled. Again, she was on the floor, her hair soaked with her own blood, dress stained red, but she looked like as she slept. "One, two, three, four," my mind whispers to gain back control over my body, and it does, it always does.
I cover my face with my hands, my index fingers pressing inbetween my brows and I take deep breaths. "I can do this, I can do this. Just let me take my mind off things," I reassure myself out loud, a habit that made me look like a loon, but it helped. It helped a lot. I look around the basement.
The basement was a small room, the ceiling, the floor, the walls-- all dirt, like someone dug out a mass grave and never filled it. Though it was a bit lighter to take than that. The walls had a precise pattern of gems and diamonds on them, and in the middle was the root of the Plorpalea tree that held the room. There was a gap in that root, big enough just to sit in it, like a pod.
I grabbed Morina's hands and dragged her over there, lifting her up and folding her legs and arms so she would fit. She was much taller than she allowed herself to look like, the glamor she used made her shorter, plumper, and hid her elf ears to some point. The reality that only I could see was less cute.
She was at least 6'5 feet tall, short for elves. Her hair was almost white--now stained with red, but her eyes were the same. One thing you can't put glamor on, is eyes.
I escape the basement and go up to my room, where I drown myself in wine, and lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. In my intoxicated state I say a spell for music. The breeze blows in from the curtains, taking the aroma of herbs and flowers I store in my room, and sings a soft tune. A tune for witches, for elves, for werewolves, for pixes and the other fair folk, for monsters and crystal beasts. For all in this world who are magic, and not bare. For all in this world who can either wreck or care.
And I don't care about this world. I don't care about the lord. I don't care who dies or lives. I don't care if I die or live.
All I care about is my friend. My friend who is dying. My friend whom no wreckage I create can help.
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One Week Later
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I was lucky enough to escape the council meeting the day before, but Morina's rage was hard to avoid. So to pay her back for having to fight with the council all by herself I was sent with Miyoko and a couple of her guards to Nakru village to see why they hadn't been responding to her letters. She was up in the front on her horse, Amy and her sister Nina scouting
in the nearby for thieves or possible attackers, Yukki and the newly assigned guard Ryuu behind her, and Naki, Ezamie and me behind them.
It was interesting, both Ezamie and Ryuu were both fairly new to the region, yet Ryuu had much more understanding towards the customs. Much like Akira, the woman who he had suggested would be a great replacement maid for Miyoko.
"Remind me again why we have to go to Nakru when we simply could have sent a messenger?" Ezamie asks, annoyance clear in her voice, as she turns to look at Naki.
"Because unlike in Volfulstein, in this region we have certain rules that apply to communication in between villages when we're unsure of the situation. If Nakru had been receiving our letters and messages there would be no need for this," Naki answers not sparing her a glance, ever since last week's incident he's been strictly professional.
"But isn't this too much, I mean a lord is going, and every time a lord goes there must be at least 4 guards. Don't we seem kind of... I don't know, aggressive?" she asks again, unsure this time.
"No, this is simply protocol. And even though the new lord of Nakru is young, he will understand," I reassure her. Naki scowls and mumbles 'Werewolves' under his breath, thinking no one heard.
As we turned right for the path to Nakru the forest suddenly thickened, another reason why I hated this region. Covered and cursed in magic, but if I were to mention it, I'd be thrown far, far away, and getting back would be impossible. O'Tina was more immersed in the magic of her region than she allowed to be known.
Tension seeped off of Miyoko as a yellow mist that only I could see. I found it easy to picture emotions as mist or steam once I could read them. It was amusing to some extent, but sadly there was always the handful of people whose emotions I couldn't read. Yukki Kanade not being one of them.
If you knew the trick to these kind of people, their emotions would be easy to read. Like right now, under the pale gray mist of stoicism there was the blue of worry, and light pink of attraction. As he always was, Yukki Kanade is a peculiar case.
You'd think he'd be more like Ryuu, the fiery over-emotional temperamental boy, considering he did lose his parents in a fire, but no. He kept to himself, speaking only when necessary, which made people think made him a great knight-- a soldier. But he was a guard, supposed to protect people, his village, his lord. 'To serve, love and protect', said the oath of the guard, but then again Yukki didn't care that much about emotional formalities, which made him awkward in a way.
Yukki Kanade of Remu and Tema, you are so easy to read.
Suddenly I'm snapped back to reality as Miyoko starts coughing and wheezing, grasping at her stomach. Everyone stops as I pass towards her, and suddenly she flings herself off her horse and runs to the bushes, where with a nasty gurgle she empties out her breakfast.
I unsaddle my horse and hear the others do the same, but I'm the only one who approaches her. "Are you alright?" I ask but she doesn't yet acknowledge my presence. I hear her let out a breath that one could consider a laugh.
"I just threw up everything I ate, but other than that I'm rather great," she manages before wheezing and doubling over again.
"Glad to see you still have your sense of humor," I say and hold her hair back all while ordering the guys to fetch me some water. 'Food poisoning. damn that Akira, she's worse than me in cooking', I scowl but bite back the words. The last thing they need is to know the new maid poisoned the lord.
"Come on, you're okay now," I rub her back and hold her shaking hand as she straightens. She groans and tightens her hold on my arm, her other hand grasping at her stomach. "Miyoko?", I say and question my previous diagnosis of it just being food poisoning, but then again, I did give her those pills.
I wrap my other hand around her back and slowly guide her a few steps away, but it doesn't bring anything and her knees give out and she falls. "Miyoko!" I exclaim and don't catch her in time.
I guess my plan to delay our trip to Nakru ended up being simpler than I thought.
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Sometimes I wish I took up that offer of being the Queen of the Pris a couple hundred of years ago. I mean-- they certainly looked good, and it would have been nice to have servants and guards for the next 50 years before the Cuth wiped them out.
But then again, seeing Miyoko pale, poisoned, and being treated by a physician like me, I take that thought back. Not that there's anything wrong with my abilities, just that I'm not exactly trying to heal her as fast as I should.
The leaves rustle outside the tent that I've been treating Miyoko in and against all of my hopes of it being Ezamie, it's Ryuu and Yukki. I can hear them bickering through the 'walls' of the tent and I roll my eyes.
"I'm here to see the lord"
"And what do you think I'm here for?"
"I'm her head guard"
"I've been appointed as a guard by her own hand"
"And that makes you special?"
"If I hear another word I'll turn you to frogs," I snap as I yank the curtains opened. They both look taken aback and for an instant have nothing to say-- which makes me smile.
"H-How is she?" they say almost in sync, Yukki falling back by stuttering.
Subconsciously I tug on the curtains and pull them closer to one another, limiting their view inside. "Let me ask you both something," I say not hiding the annoyance in my voice. Their gazes shift to me and they nod. "Are you related to her?"
They shake their heads no.
"Perhaps married then?" I ask knowing the answer, but raising my eyebrow anyway.
Both blush, Ryuu more so than Yukki but they still shake their heads no. 'Children..', I roll my eyes.
"Well then, you have no right to request to see her, or to know her condition. Yukki, honey, I know you're the headguard and all, but there's nothing I can do," more like want to do. "But there's something you both can do," I say and I smile sweetly at them. They audibly gulp. "I do fear it is going to rain, you know with the autumn weather and all. So Ryuu, you could make something to shield this tent from getting drenched. And Yukki you can brew these," I say and hand him some herbs from my pocket. "You guards could always use some extra energy, considering this is a dangerous place," I tilt my head slightly to further my sarcastic mood, and then slam the curtains/doors of the tent closed.
"Ma-Chata Zue," I mumble a simple locking rune, and snow white lace sews the curtains shut. "Gotta love Elvish runes," I say and smile to myself. And now we play the waiting game.
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'I wish Morina was here.'
For a self-proclaimed seductress, clockwork engineer and healer, I wasn't much of a witch. Sure, I could use runes and cast spells only the most powerful witches can simply because I am the oldest one, but when it came to potion remedies and herbology Morina is who to call. My own concoctions were more amateur and for those who sought trickery and mischief, otherwise they're plain idiotic.
I laugh at that thought, 'Your own immortality came from an amateur unfinished potion, idiot.' I remind myself
I sigh and take the cauldron of my thick potion mass off the heat stone. I've been trying to make a potion for hallucination for too long, that I'm not far from using a spell on Ryuu to make him tell me what I want-- but a spell would allow him to remember. And there's the fact Morina threatened me if I used spells, 'You can't forget you're a witch. You have to accept both parts to it.' she said, and then runed me. Subconsciously I itch the spot she drew the detection rune on me, the kind elves used on witches they tracked, so they'd know when they used spells. But she wasn't tracking me, she'd just exact her revenge in a petty way only Morina could.
I add a drop of wine into the crushed Penya leaves, and they liquefy and take the color of wine. "Obedient and lovely, obedient and lovely. Endure and tolerate, adapt. Like Penya leaves," the tune of a forgotten voice rings in the back of my head and I ignore it. I pour the mixture into the cauldron and the previous pink concoction turns the color and texture of wine. I raise my eyebrows in surprise, 'Maybe I'm not as bad as I thought,' with my nail I trace an immunity rune saying syllables of the name for each line. Once I'm done I taste the potion, and it gives off the sour-sweet aroma of wine.
I grin, proud of myself for actually succeeding this time, and pour the concoction into a different wine bottle, while storing the other one away. Now for the fun part. I stalk to the door, with a wave of my hand the locking runes come undone, sending slight shock waves through my veins as usual. I take one curtain and peek out the door.
"Ryuu?" I ask, there's a grunt followed by the sound of wood dropping, and seconds later Ryuu towers over me.
"Yes, healer?" He says, giving me a nod of acknowledgement, eyebrows raised up high, a curious expression.
"Do you mind coming in for a moment, I need your help," I tilt my head for an innocent effect, and even though it's hardly believable, he agrees.
"Anything that could help the lord," he grins, and I see through the act. His facial muscles are too stiff, he's suppressing an eye roll or more. I let him in and close the tent doors. His eyes wander around the tent while I prepare the glasses, they shift from Miyoko to the steaming bowl of soup left out for her. "Are you expecting her to wake soon? Is that why there's food laid out? What exactly did you need-" I cut him off before he can think too much of the situation and push the glass of wine towards him.
"There's nothing here I can't handle myself Ryuu," I say slowly.
"Then why am I here?" He asks, his irritation slowly seeping through his mask.
"I hate drinking alone," I answer simply.
"But-" he tries to protest, his facade back intact, as if he noticed I knew.
"Come on Ryuu, when was the last time you had a drink? Days? Weeks, maybe?" I raise an eyebrow, his tension sinks and his shoulders relax slightly. "Plus it's not like something will happen, right? There's plenty of us, and a glass of wine won't hurt," I smile that flirty half-smile that earned me thousands around 500 years ago, hoping it still had that charm in it.
He looks at me, and something clicks in those red eyes of his. Like a memory being unleashed and causing havoc inside his head, threatening to burst out. He sighs, completely slouching, going out of character, his eyes wander for a moment before my own catch them, and he agrees.
"But just one glass," he warns and I playfully nudge his arm. I pour the poisoned wine for both of us, the familiar burn of the immunity rune fading on my arm alarms me, my heart speeds up.
"To the lord," I say and raise my glass with a wink.
"To us," he says with a smirk and clings the glasses together. He drinks his wine fairly quick, I sip mine slowly, aware of the drink's true nature and my fading immunity.
The sweet blood is still on my lips as his eyes lose their red spark, leaving just a dull color behind. His vision clouds, and before he drops the glass to the floor I've already taken it. He sways, unstable on his own two feet. The potion is in motion.
Now I smile at him, a sweet sweet smile that would make you sick, and his eyes focus on me.
"Ryuu, my love, do me a favor. Go out and request you take second watch, then I shall join you, and we'll be together," I speak and he kneels. He takes my hand, rough and cut up, most likely soft and gentle in his vision, and kisses my knuckles.
The Liar's love potion.I've had to deal with worse, hence why I hate this potion. Lots of men and women were more rough and physical with their lovers, which would get pretty ugly pretty quick. But Ryuu-- to my surprise-- is gentle, courting.
"Anything for you, my love," he smiles up at me, and I pull him upwards, cupping his cheek with my other hand.
"Ryuu, I have one more request," I say in a soft voice.
"Anything," he looks up at me, his fingers finding their way up to my chin, tilting my face so I can look up at him at this distance.
"Say my name," I say in a short whisper. It's a way to found out who you're supposed to act like while the potion is in effect. A small request, nothing that should stir any confusion with the potion, but he momentarily hesitates.
I don't, I lean up the rest of the way and let my lips brush his in a chaste kiss. "I love it when you say it silly," he smiles at that, and leans his forehead against mine.
"Alright, Akira."
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3042 words
wait i forget did i use lines or dots when I ended chapters?
oh well doesn't matter
ANYWHORE
THAT WAS FUN TO WRITE
HOPE Y'ALL GOT TO KNOW ANTEIA PRETTY WELL
PLEASE DO TELL ME YOUR OPINION THE COMMENT SECTION IS KILLING ME HERE
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I promise I'll try and update more often, just that I haven't been feeling well the last month, sorry about that
so
uhm
how does one end chapters?