Lianne watched the light disappear as she tried to swing her sword towards Sirius with a scream. He dodged the blow and quickly caught her hand, trying to stop her. She fell back onto the hardwood floor. “YOU PIECE OF-”

Sirius’s hand clamped onto her mouth and hissed. “Quiet unless you want to die.”

She slammed a hand against his face, trying to push him away from her. Moving her boot to his stomach, she kicked him off. He fell sideways as she scrambled to her feet, seeing an opaque set of glass doors with light seeping from it. She took note of the things around her, a wooden dresser, a clean mirror, a nicely made bed, an ornate candle. Her hand reached the smooth knob on the door and she flung it open, almost racing out of it. She stopped herself at the edge of a pristine white balcony, catching her breath as she looked to the distant streets below. She was so high up, but more importantly, there were islands floating higher than she was. Slowly stepping back, she looked around her, marveling at the vibrant colours. She gasped and recoiled as birds chirped and flew off from the edge of the balcony, moving to the vines of the island above. “... What the fuck?”

“Welcome to the city.” Sirius grunted as he got up and slowly moved toward her. “If you make too much noise, they’re going to find us.”

“Why the hell did you bring me here?” She hissed through grit teeth. “If you want to jump into a fire don’t drag me along.”

“I didn’t-”

“They’re trying to kill you!”

“So why would they think I’m in the city?” He slung his sword off of his shoulder and placed it against the wall as he moved to take off his armour. “This is the safest place in the world, and you can’t argue on that.”

“But-”

“Nobody here is hunting me, and all the soldiers stay on the upper floors. Besides, there’s nobody living next to here, half of the housing is unoccupied.” He put his brigandine chestplate on the floor and started to take off his bracers. Lianne watched him, bewildered. “What makes you think I’m still not going to kill you?”

“I don’t.”

“Then why-”

“Because I’m going to trust that you’re smarter than that, and besides,” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “I know I can stop you, and I think you do too.”

She shuddered and gripped tightly onto her blades, watching his back. She wanted him to be wrong, she wanted him to be so goddamn wrong. “... Why did you bring me here?”

“I already told you, it’s safer than out there.”

“I don’t give a shit about that-”

“I know.”

“Why are you siding with them? What the fuck are they giving you?” She held the handle of her sword tightly. “Why do you think that you can make decisions for me?”

He whipped around, lowering his voice and briskly walking towards her. “Because I’ve seen so many people do what you’re doing right now, and if I’m given the choice, I’m going to stop you.”

“You’re helping a monster-”

“I’m stopping you from becoming one.” He moved close to her, close enough to get his throat slit. “You accepted help from Tylocke, do you even remember what he did?”

“He’s given me more than you-”

“What the hell is so hard to understand about this? He ordered somebody to stab you through the chest, and the person you’re trying to kill is the one who saved you.”

“I never asked for that.” She spat her words out, ready to slash at him but found her arm wouldn’t move. “And I never asked for you to ‘help’ me.”

“The fact you don’t think you need it is the reason you do.”

“You’re a fucking psychopath, did you try to help any of the people you’ve killed?”

“What are-”

“You don’t hunt monsters, do you?” She glared at him and stood her ground. He sighed and put a hand to the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I’m a bounty hunter, I’ve hunted people, I’ve been a soldier, but that doesn’t justify what you’re doing.”

“I’m not trying to make myself look better. You can’t play the hero here.”

“I’m not-”

“Then what are you doing? Huh? You’re trying to ‘save’ me for no fucking reason. Why do you care?-” She stopped her sentence short as he glared at her and leaned closer. “This is for me. Is that what you want to hear? I’m being selfish and latching onto you because I need to.”

She tried to back away from him but hit the railing. “I-”

“Happy? You’re right. Now what?”

She remained silent and kept his gaze as he slowly backed away, shaking his head. “I’ve already told you, if I wanted to betray you I would have done it a long time ago. So put the sword away.”

The air flowed behind her as she stayed on the railing, hesitating before slowly sheathing her blade. “You still don’t understand anything.”

“I understand enough.”

“You-”

“Look, we could go on forever, but I think there’s more productive things.” He finished pulling off his greaves and fiddled with his shirt as he reached a door on the other side of the room. Lianne moved toward him, only to be stopped by his hand. “You can’t go out there.”

“Why?”

“Look at yourself, how much of your clothing is covered in blood?” She looked down at herself, grimacing and reluctantly unbuckling her belt and straps, throwing the coat and her sword on the floor. “Where’s another shirt?”

He stared at her for a moment and then sighed, grumbling and walking to the dresser. “Fine, let me get one.”

He tossed a shirt toward her, almost catching her off guard. She examined it, noticing a tear near the bottom. Grabbing on, she completed the tear around the back, making the length a bit shorter. Sirius sighed again as she put it over her head. It lay loosely on her shoulders, but it fit well enough. He moved back towards the door. “You’ll need to leave your knife too.”

“No.”

“Nobody keeps a weapon on themselves around here.” He stayed in front of the door and looked her in the eyes. She grimaced and took the knife off her leg, looking at the blade as she weighed it in her hands. Moving over to a table, she carefully put it down, looking at it as she walked to the door. Her hand drifted over her hair clip as Sirius slowly opened the door. “Just follow my lead and things should be fine. Don’t make a scene.”

“I’m not a child.”

He sighed and muttered underneath his breath, but loud enough for Lianne to hear. “Well, I guess children don’t try to kill everyone they come across.”

She rolled her eyes and reminded herself it was a bad idea to punch him in the face. Sirius walked out the door, letting the orange sunlight into the room. Lianne shielded her eyes and looked around, stopping in her tracks as she looked outwards. In front of her was a white bridge with azur water floating down it softly. Past that was a great wall, and over that was the sunset illuminating pink and magenta clouds. The raft in front of her waited patiently, bobbing up and down in a rhythmic undulation. Sirius stepped forward and she followed, surprised at the steadiness of the platform as it started moving smoothly without her doing anything.

She stared out at the lush greenery and bright, warm light. The wind softly blew past her and through her hair. Her shirt, or Sirius’s shirt rather, felt wrong to wear; it felt so loose without a belt and the weight of her swords, and her leg didn’t feel right without her knife on it. Even so, right now, maybe that wasn’t the most important thing. She still wanted to kill the man standing beside her, but the view was nice nonetheless. She watched the scenery disappear as they descended down the bridge and below the top of the wall. They were moving towards a large white building with giant pillars supporting an arched roof. Lianne paused as she watched the building draw nearer and start to get larger in her perspective. It was huge, impossibly huge. The raft slowly came to a stop at the entrance as she craned her neck upward to gaze at the gilded ceiling.

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Sirius moved in front of her, raising his eyebrow and subtly motioning her to follow. She cautiously looked around at the crowds he was slowly moving toward. There were too many people around, more than Genstem once had. She stepped onto the tiling below her feet, pleasantly surprised it wasn’t dirt and mud. Even without her weapons or coat, she stood out. Everyone around wore simple yet elegant, clean clothing. She moved after Sirius, reluctantly staying close to him. He leaned over to her, whispering. “Cover your eye.”

“It’s not glowing.”

“No, the scar.” He took a look around at the roads as she slowly moved her hair over the right side of her face. Her reluctance to cut that section of her bangs was finally useful. They moved down carved steps and onto the main street. The buildings which lined their sides were tall and elegantly crafted. Their stones were cut with a smooth precision, and the wood was free from rot. There were stalls around them with people selling goods, but not like how she was used to in the normal towns. The items were laid out and easily within the reach of any passersby, some goods not even monitored. Lianne looked around her, trying not to gawk at her surroundings. Everything had a sense of artistry to it to a point where it’s craftsmanship was obvious even to her.

Something hit her shoulder and she jumped back, hand flying to her waist but grabbing onto nothing.

“Oh, I’m sorry, please excuse me.” A young woman with a basket on her arm gently came to her, her hands held out apologetically. “Are you alright? You seem a bit lost.”

Lianne stuttered over her words and darted her eyes around. The woman maintained her cheery smile and examined her clothing. Sirius quickly came over, hovering his hand over Lianne’s shoulder and then quickly putting it to his side. “Sorry, she’s just a bit tired.”

The woman beamed at him, her perfect skin and hair almost shining. “That’s alright, do you two want a flower?” The woman reached into her basket, pulling out a small blue lily which seemed to glow. She offered it out to Lianne, who stepped back nervously. Sirius took the flower and flashed a smile. “Thank you, have a happy festival.”

“To you as well, have a nice day you two!” She walked back down the street as if nothing had happened. Lianne watched her go, bewildered. Sirius moved his hand toward her and she jerked away, gritting her teeth. “What-”

“Just take the flower.” He held it out to her, it’s petals gently pulsing.

“Why? What did they do to it?”

“It’s an etherblossom, put it in your hair, it’s customary.”

“For what?”

“The festival- damn it, will you please just take it? You won’t have to talk to as many people if you do.” He extended his hand out to her, presenting the fragile thing. She gingerly took it from him, examining it closer. There was a strange sensation when she held it, something she couldn’t fully describe. A sense of warmth started to flow through her as she placed it on her ear, feeling it sooth the pain in her scar. Whatever these people did to this flower, it sure as hell was doing something.

She walked behind Sirius as he moved to a stall and briefly talked with the vendor. A child passed behind Lianne, followed by their parents who walked arm in arm. She shifted her gaze upward, examining the colours from the island above and watching pure ruby red leaves flow in the distant wind above. Another flash of red moved in front of her as Sirius walked up to her. “Here.”

She looked down to the apple he held out in front of her. “Huh?”

“You’re hungry, aren’t you?” He didn’t wait for her response and placed it in her hands and continued to walk down the street. She grunted and took hold of it, feeling the smooth surface. It was unblemished and almost a sphere, the light bouncing off of it. She took a bite, tasting the sweetness. She quickly took another bite, devouring it. It was already half gone as Sirius turned back to her, offering a small waterskin. She snatched it from him, quickly drinking out of it. “... What did they put in this?”

“The opposite, it’s clean, there’s nothing in there.” He kept moving forward as Lianne pondered how the hell water could taste good. They moved over a stone bridge and by a pathway which spouted a brilliantly sparkling waterfall. As they waded through the thin crowd, sounds of music drifted through the air. The street opened into a courtyard which had even more people. Lianne watched musicians in the centre of the large circular space play their instruments, delicately working in tandem. They stood in the middle of plant adorned arches which had greenery lining their bases.

Sirius was talking to another vendor, buying a whetstone and specially crafted leather among other materials. He returned to Lianne as she stared at the commotion with awe. The happiness around her didn’t feel right. Sirius looked over at her and to the crowd, then quickly back to her. “Shit.”

He grabbed onto her shoulder, pulling her towards him. “What are you-” She tried to start but was interrupted by his hiss. “Your eye.”

She slowly put her hand up to her face, feeling her scar pulse gently and grimacing at the sensation. Pushing herself away from Sirius, she kept her hand on her face, grazing her fingers across her hair clip. He sighed and briskly strode back the way they came. “Let’s get out quickly.”

She kept her gaze on the ground, looking away from the crowds around her.

~

Lianne took a swig of whatever she had taken from Sirius’s shelf and leaned on the banister of the balcony, pondering the taste. It definitely was alcohol, but it didn’t taste like shit. The sound of a blade being sharpened grated against her ear. It felt like a threat, hell, it probably was one. She felt exhausted, more than she bothered to admit. The sun had set behind her, drowning the sky in a deep blue which seemed to swirl. A chill went down her spine as a breath of cold air hit her neck. The skating sounds of the whetstone turned to a that of shifting dirt as he used the piece of leather he bought. At least it was quieter than the file he was using earlier.

She gripped the bottle leaning her head down. It was a long fall, longer than any others she had seen. It should have scared her; maybe she was just too tired, or maybe she just didn’t care. She noticed the sound of Sirius sharpening his weapon had stopped too late as his footsteps neared her. Taking another drink from the bottle, she scowled at him over his shoulder. He slowly moved toward her, eyeing her hands. “Where did you get that?”

“The shelf.”

“... How much of that have you drunk?”

She examined the bottle, eyeing the nearly empty contents, shrugging, and then downing the rest of it. Sirius sighed and rubbed his forehead. “You’re going to stumble off the balcony.”

“... That wouldn’t be so bad.” She held the bottle in her hands, staring back down to the little lights below. She felt his hand grab onto her shoulder and tried to struggle against it before he pulled her away. “Don’t be stupid, come on.”

She threw his hand off and glared at him. He stared at her with furrowed eyebrows, the bags under his eyes visible. Grunting, she pushed past him and threw the bottle to the ground, only to grow more annoyed as it didn’t break. Sirius followed her back in, closing the balcony doors. She whipped around, pointing a finger at him. “Why the fuck are you doing this?”

“I’ve already told you-”

“Yeah, you have, so why are you still pretending to care?”

He quickly moved closer, muttering to her. “I need to care about you because you won’t yourself.”

“You don’t give a shit about me, if you did then you would actually be helping me!” She stepped forward to meet him, shoving her finger into his chest. “What do you even think that thing is?”

He stepped back as she pushed into him. “So what the hell did she do? If you want me to side against her so badly, how the hell am I supposed to know if you won’t tell me?!”

“They killed EVERYONE!” Lianne stared at him, stopping her advance. “... Sh-... she fucking murdered my mother and brother in front of me, drained them until they were husks, then she decided that she could fucking replace them.”

She pointed out the window. “She took every single chance I had at that, every single chance for me to have any normal life. I never wanted this.”

Lianne felt the veins pulse in her head as she breathed heavily. “She said she could give that to me, and I believed her. I believed her for years, fucking YEARS, and I started to think that maybe, just maybe she could be there for me.” She quickly wiped her face and turned away. “I saw her kill my mother, but I couldn’t put two and two together, and she left me in the dark so she could feel better about herself. And when I found out, Merrick cut out my eye and she turned me into this, something like herself. A fucking monster.”

“... Lianne-”

She turned back to him, anger flaring. “And YOU decide that you fucking know everything and that you’re the thing I needed all the goddamn time. You don’t give a shit about what she did, you don’t know how losing something like that feels-”

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

She stopped as his voice echoed in her ears, quiet but deafening. “Don’t you ever say that. I’ve watched every single person I've cared about die, one by fucking one. I led them to their deaths, and I remember each and every person. Each day.” He pointed his finger out the window behind her slowly speaking. His voice shook just enough for Lianne to notice. “And earlier today, I just killed the last person I could ever call a friend.”

Lianne backed away from him as he continued, slowly lowering his hand. “She wanted to die, she lost so much and was pushed to the point where she thought she deserved death. And I let that happen.”

He looked her in the eyes, hints of tears in his eyes. “So don’t tell me that I don’t know what losing something feels like.”

Lianne held his gaze for as long as she could, unsure what she was feeling. He turned to the side, letting out a huff. “... and I won’t downplay what you’ve lost. I’ve seen so many people try and avenge something or someone, and I can’t just watch another person destroy themselves and throw away their life. She cares for you Lianne, more than I’ve seen or experienced. That part of her which she showed to you, that was real, and I’ve already seen her suffer for you more than anyone has in a lifetime.” He shook his head and glanced at her. “I know why you want to kill her, and I get it. But I can’t let you do this, and I’m sorry.”

She shifted her feet on the floor as he rubbed his forehead. “Get some rest, we’re both tired.” He sat down on the bed and motioned to her. “You stay on your side and I’ll stay on mine.”

She watched him slowly lie down, taking up a fourth of the bed. She wanted to be angry, she wanted to hate him for hearing what she told him. He lay on the bed, completely defenceless with his back turned. She cursed herself and turned away. Slowly sitting on the bed, she looked over to Sirius once again, confused. Why did he have to have good intentions? Why did he have to be so hard to argue with? Why did she have to admit he had a point? Her mind slowly stopped working as her eyes immediately shut when her head hit the pillow, not giving her enough time to appreciate how comfortable the bed beneath her was.