I take a moment as the Colossi are palming the gold. I pretend to be very scrutinizing as they do so, not really giving a rat’s rear end if they steal some for personal use. Turning to Tiago and Harriet, I struggle to figure out what to say. I’m about to go on a mission, where I think we all hope I don’t kill anyone. But I think we’re all pretty assured that some blood is going to be spilled.
I’m not even the assassin. Ugh, I wonder if Aces’ animated body would be interested in taking on another job. Hah, can you imagine? The unkillable undying assassin body that just relentlessly pursues its targets? Jebuz cripes that’s terrifying. I shouldn’t make light of Aces’ plight though. They were around a hundred years old, and scared out of their minds just a few days ago. Wow, it feels like a lifetime ago already. I mean, first, how the hell should I know how long ago it was when Aces was alive? I mean, sure, we found their body, and it looked fresh, but, ugh. I’m distracting myself down rabbit-holes of thought.
But seriously though. It feels like Aces life was years ago to me, for some reason. But to everyone on Rayileklia, they’ve only been missing for maybe a week. Landing in Autumn Brook, then taking a few days to get to Noirdivinhoz, then us leaving Noirdivinhoz that same day, taking a few days to get to Autumn Brook. It’s just, it’s so wild. I should probably be used to time shenanigans by now, but, ooftah. Y’know?
I look between the assembled for guidance. There’s a town elder, a long-lived priestly healer, and My-Wings. None of them are offering any at the moment though. I frown, nearly pouting.
Tiago suddenly whispers to Harriet, “See what I mean? I didn’t spot it before, but they’re literally children. They haven’t had a chance to live Harriet, we can’t put this on them. An entire supposed life before this they spent struggling to survive for a few short years before ending up here. It’s, it’s horrid. We must find some other solution.”
Harriet sighs and massages her throat. After a moment she croaks, her voice now decrepit, more matching her apparent age, “I’ve never taken the will away from anyone that didn’t deserve it, and I’m not about to start now. If they’ve decided, they’ve decided. Who are we to judge the lives of those who know only struggle and strife?”
I look upon the Mairess, realizing that she’s at least an octogenarian, if not older, and that Tiago is too. They’re remarkably fit, active, and well-put-together for their age, but they’re propping up an entire town, with no safety nets. Tiago didn’t have an apprentice, his husband is twenty years younger, but might not know as much about Medicine. Harriet said she answers to a council, yet here she was, alone, speaking to the Colossi as Tiago ran for aid. I shed a tear for the two of them.
Sighing softly, I interrupt their whispered conversation, letting them know I overheard, “You two are doing amazing jobs. Your town needs you. We’re strangers. Don’t worry about us. If we succeed, yay for everyone. If not, well, just pretend we were naught but a dream. Come on Te. Let’s not linger.”
I spin on my heels away from the pair of elders, not wanting to see the forlorn looks in their eyes. That was cruel of me. I basically told them, in the politest way possible, to shove their concerns up their bums. Huff. Oh well. It’s better this way. I’m fairly sure we’ll be okay, but, well, the less who mourn us, the better. I just. I don’t want to die. I want to make sure we all get home. Lil and Lu and Lucky deserve to get home too. I don’t think Mat is ever coming back to Can’Z’aas, or, well, anywhere really. As far as I know, he’s settling on some deserted island off to the south by southwest.
Ugh. We died. We really, truly, literally died. Tiago is sort of right. As exciting and full of adventure as our life was, we only had a few months of linear time here and there to live it when we weren’t struggling for our very lives against impossible odds. My eyelids sag shut, my limbs are devoid of energy suddenly. The sadness weighs upon me heavily, like being sat upon by Luna, our multi-ton feathered-bear friend. I want to lift my arms to at least prop my cheek on my hand as I walk along after the Colossi, but I can’t even manage that.
Teuila glances nervously between me, and the disparate parties involved. I doubt she likes how I left things any more than I do. She’s also worried about me. It’s obvious that at least physically, I’m basically done for. I haven’t been able to get enough full sleeps to recover from various physical and emotional tolls. I push harder against myself, and it feels like my muscles are tearing apart as my arms slowly swing more and more with each step. Eventually I break into an agonizing jog. My joints feel like sandpaper grinding away within their sockets. Every motion is a fiery hell of its own design.
Still, eventually, either the pain dulls, relenting, or I just get used to its hellishness. Teuila has been following me easily this entire time. The Colossi though are gaining ground away from us. I doubt Meredith would be willing to slow her pace to enable something she didn’t want in the first place, us tagging along. Teuila rests her hands on my shoulders from behind, and I suddenly feel a million pounds lighter. There’s still the fiery ache within every joint, every muscle and tendon, but I’m suddenly light and fast.
We have to fairly sprint to keep up with Meredith and her two men, and by the sounds of it, we’ll be sprinting for an entire day, minimum. That’s without even counting however the heck we’re going to cross the gorge, or chasm, or gulf thing that they dug. Ugh, I’m already worn out, and have been this entire time. Thankfully, Teuila literally has my back. She’s pushing me forward, somehow keeping me lighter on my feet. The sprinting lets me take longer strides for less energy. Somehow her gravity bond is still active at least a little bit.
Did, did she just take a big whiff of me? She totally did, and now she’s saying, “Mmmmmmm.”
Momentarily distracted from the pain of it all, I laughingly call her out, “Te, are you sniffing me?”
She answers, embarrassedly, “Sh, shut up, dink. Okay maybe I did. Sorry. No, I mean, yes, no, err so what if I did?”
I try not to laugh at her back-and-forth emotion on the matter. She’s all over the place. Still, I can tease her a bit without being too hard on her, “Te, do I really smell all that good or anything? I mean, Lil said I did once, smelled good and tasted good, but I’ve never noticed you sniffing me before, and, well, we haven’t exactly been bathing on Rayileklia, what with the acid rain, and not having the soap stone.”
I can feel Teuila frowning from behind me as she chooses whether or not to answer. Finally, she relents, “Ugh, okay, fine, yes, yes, absolutely yes. You always have. Ever since the day we met.”
My face contorts in confusion. I don’t remember her sniffing me much in any fashion before now. As I’m about to ask about it, she explains, “It’s, it’s different here. The air is like, thicker on Rayileklia or something. Back home, just, like, all the scents would always be available, right in my nose, everything around me. I think we were all like that, all of us critterkin, well, other than you. Here though, it’s like, the only scent is the air that’s literally right in front of my nose. To get anything else, I’ve got to suck it down in big whiffs. I, y’know, I miss you, when you’re not close. Your scent was a part of that. So, yeah. Just, just sh’up. Meanie.”
Awe, my beloved Teuila. I suppose I definitely can relate to having one or more senses being dulled or unavailable. Those weeks or months spent being blind were, well, I guess I could still see when Lil or Luni were around. I spin into a hug to carry Teuila tightly against my front as I sprint for a while with her in my arms. I love this woman to the ends of the, well, not Earth. To the ends of the Can’Z’aas? Kind of already been there. To the ends of the Rayileklia? I sort of hope we don’t reach it. Uh, to the ends of the universe then.
Teuila isn’t exactly riding my thought train, but she sees me puzzling something out, stumping myself, and continuing, so she elates with her single long laugh of glee. Also partially because I’m holding her and she can snuggle against me momentarily while she focuses on our lowered gravity. It’s so weird, this is something innate to her. She has always been able to play around with gravity. Why is that? Well, better not look the gift goose in the gander. Or uh, something. I mean, definitely look a gift horse in the mouth, it might be a trojan--. Wait, I’m getting off topic.
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Teuila eventually hops down from my embrace to carry me across her arms in front of her instead. In no time at all, we’re caught up to the Colossi, and easily keeping pace with each of their strides. I almost want to grumpily ask why she didn’t do this in the first place. Still, it was probably good for me to force through that pain. I’m awake and alert now. Awe hell, I had to go and think something didn’t I.
A wave of exhaustion hits me just then, and I find myself leaving the waking world in Teuila’s arms.
I drink in the full sight of her. She’s still wearing her corseted top, despite being up to her arms in soapy water, running the linens up and down the washboard. Selunie’s smile is a pleasure to behold in and of itself, preciously adorable as she takes joy in such simple things. I scrub a pair of socks absentmindedly. Still, uncertain as to how she’s finding it so enjoyable, I figure I should at least speak.
I query, “You said this was fun, relaxing somehow. Yes? What part exactly Sel?”
Selunie grins as she slowly replies between armloads, “Sel sounds like a transaction, I’ve told you to call me Lunie, or Lu, if you’re going to give me a nickname. Besides, listen to it. Can’t you hear it? The washboard, it’s a rhythm, a music all its own. Sure, it’s no violin or harp, but it’s still a soothing sound. Plus, the warmth of the water and the softness of the cloth in my hands. I may have to do the task for my father, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find the best joys in it.”
Her answer plasters a smile widely across the left half of my face. She’s precious in a number of ways. She’s so different from Taylynn, and yet, the two of them have some sort of unbreakable bond. They’ve also been here for me, time and time again these last few years. Jarvis has stopped questioning my returns. He simply awaits my status updates, grim though they all may be. Not Tay or Lu though. They’re happy to ask or not ask as many questions as I feel like answering, or to see to my wounds and keep me hidden in the soft, dark, privacy of their beds.
I don’t really go home these days. Eights is still a husk of his former self, standing in one spot, waiting to be fed, moving to do his business, then returning to that spot. Granny and Gramps are kind enough to keep putting scraps out for him. I’m not even sure he needs to eat any longer. He just sort of exists. I don’t understand how. Sometimes, just sometimes, I think maybe it has something to do with this job, even though Eights’ plight began long before I took it.
I’m startled from my reverie as Selunie flicks a few droplets of water to splash across my face. I rattle my head momentarily, flinging a droplet or two back at her. Donning a slightly evil, mayhaps malicious, grin, I dash forward and bend low to scoop her into my arms, raising her legs up across my left arm. She squeaks in surprise and wraps her own arms around my neck as I sneak us from the washing yard to the root cellar. I drop her legs so that she can stand as I lean the two of us against the earthen walls. Selunie grins as she flicks my nose, playfully admonishing me. Yet she grips my jerkin to pull me in close so that our lips meet.
Urgh, what? Huh? Somewhere. Something. Bumpy ride. Moving. I think I fell asleep while doing something, but I’m even more tired than when I passed out. It’s like I’m running a marathon or having adventures or living a life while I’m asleep, not getting any real rest. Who am I again? Oh, right. I’m in Teuila’s arms. My beautiful blushing Teuila. Wait, why is she blushing so hard?
She notices my wakefulness, and curious expression, so, chuckling nervously, she explains, “You uh, you were going at it pretty hot and heavy there by the end of it. I mean. They were. I mean, you kinda moaned her name.” She pauses, then quietly adds, “Repeatedly.”
My eyes flash wide in a panicked embarrassment. Teuila, seeing this, backpedals, “I’m kidding, I’m kidding, sort of. They were just washing clothes. Not even doing it naked for fun or anything. But, uh, at the end I’m pretty sure they were going to make out at the very least.”
That’s so mean! She’s so mean! She totally had me going there! Ugh, ugh, I feel so betrayed, and yet I’m laughing so hard that I’m crying. Still, I’m curious, “Hah, wait, who was with who? Who was washing clothes?”
Teuila speaks out the side of her mouth in an attempt to play coy or look uninformed as she says, “Welllll. Pretty sure you were in Aces’ point of view. Pretty sure the she you were mumbling about was that Selunie character. You talked about how her gorgeous, amazing, sexy curves filled out the blouse and that the corset was barely restraining her ample bosom and like, uh.”
Wait, if I was supposedly moaning her name, why wouldn’t she be sure. Oh, wait, she was joking or lying about that. Also wait, grr! She’s totally fishing, she’s running a bit on me! Again! I grumble, “Teuila, you’re so friggin’ mean.”
Her single elongated laugh paints glee across the air whose quiet was otherwise disturbed only by the Colossi’s footsteps. She grins derpily down at me, cheekily stating, “I know, and you just eat it up.”
Ugh, she’s kind of right. I love every bit of her. Gods, this woman. I’d jokingly say she’ll be the death of me, but we’ve kind of been through that already. Oy vey though, yeesh. I’m pumping out enough heat that it looks like we’re leaving a trail of steam as my embarrassment literally evaporates the drizzle. Just how flushed am I? Wait. Wait. Temperature fluctuations to the extreme?
Come on, please work, please work. Hm, I can’t tell if it’s working, or my embarrassment is just dying down due to distracting myself. Dang. I thought I had something there for a second. False start I guess. Just exceedingly wild embarrassment.
Woah, I vaguely knew that we were in Southern Aasimovia, and that it was the south end of the landmass, but the massive lake to the north did not prepare me for the ocean to the south. I shouldn’t be this stunned by it. I’ve been to the ocean on Can’Z’aas a number of times, but wow, it’s majestic. Teuila sets me down and then leaps into my arms in one smooth motion, startling me. I guess I’d better get back to sprinting. Thankfully she’s easing our journey by keeping my gravity and windbreaking low.
I really wish I could get one solidly restful night of sleep on Rayileklia. Just a nice, long, full sleep. Maybe a day or two unconscious to catch up on rest. There has to be something wrong with me. Am I getting sick? I hear that humans get sick if they’re in cold wet environments for too long, and it’s fairly chilly, and definitely damp on Rayileklia. I’ve never gotten sick before though, and I’m not human. I just, I just feel like I’m running on fumes at best. Even though I’ve had amazing cuddles with Teuila, and amazing food from Daffodil and Keeley. Though I guess I’ve only eaten a few times on this planet all told, and I’ve been here half a week. I conjured some digital fish from my inventory back at Daffodil’s, and I was saving it for emergencies, but all that’s sitting in our room at the Keel Over right now. I really hope that it remains digital, and doesn’t spoil. Keeley would kill me if I left fish out to rot and stink up her rooms for whatever length of time this mission ends up being.
Our journey with the Colossi is entirely unplanned. We’re going in blind, without having been able to choose which resources we would really want for a long sojourn. There’s just, just so much wrong with this situation. I’d kill for a chance to stock up on anything right now. Just, just any resource would be better than running into a negotiation with almost no cards to play, exhausted and famished. I may have to end up drinking acid rain just to stay hydrated and alive. I wonder if my Can’Z’aasian acid resistance applies internally. I wonder if it’s strong enough to stomach the acid. Hah, stomach acid. Oy vey. Back on topic. Think about resources and abilities.
What do we even have? I’ve got the internal electrokinesis running, just barely. I can’t remember if it stayed active through our reincarnation, or if I activated it here on Rayileklia at some point to test it out. I think I’m partially able to maintain it in some part because it’s a nearly passive thing, but also because I’m used to focusing on it as a secondary thought train to enhance my nervous system back on Can’Z’aas. The eight minute rule doesn’t really apply when I’m constantly using the same semi-active spell to do the exact same thing all the time, every minute of every day, even in my sleep. Plus, since the little sparks are already traveling my nerve pathways, I can guide them without having to call Can’Z’aas for another spell. What else? I’ve got a suit of Valkyrie armor that I’m wearing, and another one that’s doll-sized tucked into an inner pocket on my waistband. I’ve got the staff with tons of spells in it, the majority of which I don’t even know what they do or how to activate them, and the magical wrist-mounted crossbow. Taylynn’s dagger is attached to my belt, and the Valkyrie dagger is my belt buckle, more or less. It’s a weird setup. I guess I have my wits, and I could maybe try to remember what’s in my inventory, to try to fish some things out of it. The only thing I can think of in there though that I know for certain where it is and how to summon it is the half-broken thunder stick, and a few potions. Teuila has her suit of armor, her magical bow, enhanced by her magical bracers, and a non magical spear.
Also, as I feared, our brand new nightclothes are already starting to show some wear. They’re not meant to be worn as under-armor padding, let alone out in the acid rain. I’m far more upset about Teuila’s amazing, silky, smooth, curve-accentuating, candle-light-shimmering night outfit getting ruined than my own. I, uh. Yeah. Yeah, that’s not fair, Teuila looks so freakin’ breathtaking in those nightclothes. Uh, I mean. What was I thinking about? Crap, got distracted by Teuila’s gorgeous, lovely, fantastic, toned, smooth body. Whew, I’m flush all of a sudden. Wait, what was I? Agh! Now I’m even doing it to myself! Grr, Lu, Te, you’re both butts.