“Being good to my sister?” Amaro said to the Noxa with a smile.
The Noxa bowed his head, “Of course, your lordship.”
At least the Noxa knew some manners. Perhaps Sancta had been teaching him some. At least he did not have to worry about any harm coming to his sister, “That’s good. Call me Amaro. You’re that smart Noxa from before, correct?”
“I only know what I’ve been taught.”
Amaro walked over to his clothes.
“Brother, why are you covered in blood?”
“Oh? Sorry, I had a bit of a run in with some unsavory characters earlier. I came here for a change of clothes.”
“Are you alright? Do you need healing?”
Amaro shook his head, “They need it more than I,” He laughed, looking at the Noxa again. Something about him was oddly familiar. Had the Noxa not been wearing a cloak before? What color was it?
He glanced over to where they hung their cloaks. A reddish brown burlap. Nothing like the mottled green and brown he was looking for. Had it been a different Noxa wearing that cloak? Maybe he was misremembering.
“Well if you’re done changing, me and my assistant have experiments to run.” Sancta said.
“Oh? Your assistant?”
Sancta nodded, “Of course. He’s very useful. Leave it to a human to have some sort of intelligence outside the field of battle.”
“I take it you’re getting along famously?”
“It is good to have someone who can speak chemistry with me every now and then.”
“Ah, but what about me? I’ve helped you in the past.”
“You’re hardly passionate about alchemy or any of the sort. You would much rather talk about that Tibur girl. Don’t worry brother, you’re not being replaced by a silly Noxa. Think of him as my new pet.”
“Well let’s hope you don’t bite, Noxa. I’d have to end up biting back.” He glared at the small boy. He looked so young and small. Like a rabbit. Someone like him could never push Kaara to accidentally casting a spell strong enough to put her soul in jeopardy. Much less evade Amaro. He was weak. So weak that Amaro felt like he could snap his neck by accident if they ever fought. “Have you heard the news, though?” He asked taking his eyes off of the Noxa.
“Hm? Heard what?” Sancta said.
“Kaara has fallen ill. Casted a spell which was far too great for her soul to handle. Nearly shattered it.”
“Oh my what a nightmare.” Sancta said in a cold uncaring monotone.
“But I rescued her. Shiira said my presence likely kept her soul intact for long enough. Now I’m looking for the one who pushed her to do that.”
“Good luck with that,” Sancta said, pretending to prepare some ingredients.
“Well anyways, just ensure you do not get too close to my sister, Noxa. I know she has an abrasive outer shell, but if she ever shows you what lies beyond that, run.”
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“You cannot be implying that I would ever develop feelings for him.”
“I’m merely telling him not to get confused about his status as a Noxa around you. It would not be safe for him at all if he got the wrong idea,” Amaro said, “Or worse, if you did end up looking at him as anything more than a pet.”
“What are you implying brother?”
“You know how father is. And I’ve never seen you so friendly with anyone aside from myself.”
“Just leave, brother.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll leave. Just remember what I said, Noxa. She’s dangerous for you.” That should have been a sufficient warning for him. If their father ever found out Sancta had become friends with a Noxa, or worse something more than friends, Sancta would be severely punished. Sancta was likely in more danger than he was. Amaro did not expect the Noxa to understand something like that, though, so it was best to make it personal. Hopefully the Noxa had enough sense of self preservation to cut ties before they became too deep. He would not forgive anyone who recklessly endangered his sister by getting too close.
He left the tent, letting out a sigh. He should try to help Sancta more. She was obviously lonely. She had always been an introvert so friends were rare outside of himself. A place like the Altix was a fantastic opportunity for her to see the world she envisioned when she read her books. Yet, she likely could not connect with anyone who did not have at least a fundamental understanding of at least one scholarly subject. If humans could do one thing better than xiozians, it was read and write books. It was only natural the first human Sancta met would share her interests more than anyone else had.
Amaro made a silent vow to help Sancta find more friends. It was a sad state of affairs for her to resort to befriending a Noxa and putting both of them in potential danger as a result.
Perhaps he should help her befriend Kaara? He could see the two of them getting along. Between Tulos and himself she had already knocked down the walls of nobility with ease. It was only a matter of time before Kaara did the same to his other siblings.
First, however, he had to secure Kaara as a viable option for romance. With any luck she was still asleep and he could be there for her when she woke up. Remembering the urgency of his situation, he took off for the medic tent once again. As he arrived, he was relieved to see she was still asleep.
“Sorry I took so long, I ran into some unsavory types on my way back. How is she?”
“She’s the same as when you left her,” Arik said, “What’s that?” she pointed to the box in his hand.
“Oh, just some sweets I always enjoyed around this time of year. I figured she might like them.”
Arik nodded, “She probably will. She’s like a Wulviir, you give her any kind of food and she’s your friend for life.”
“Even if you don’t do that, she’ll still try,” Rorik said, “When word gets out proper, this tent’s gonna be a lot more cramped than it is right now.”
“Well, before anyone comes in, maybe we should discuss our next steps?” Arik said.
Amaro took a seat between them, “The only ones who are not currently tied up are Raktus and Anitus. I anticipate the two of them will be working to challenge Tadios at the beginning of the week.”
Arik nodded, “I’ll let him have the first go at him. I don’t think Tadios is gonna lose.”
“I would have to disagree, but perhaps I’m biased,” Amaro said.
“As someone who has fought and lost to both, Anitus has a chance, but Tadios has gotten a lot stronger in the past year alone.”
“Tadios aint gonna lose until I get to him,” Arik said, crossing her arms, “Now that I know about this Ux thing, I know what to expect from him.”
“Well if you don’t beat him, then I’m sure Deka is waiting for his chance too.”
“Either way, until Kaara wakes up, we’re not gonna be fighting too much.”
“I still want to read those scrolls if I can. There’s something about them,” Amaro said, trailing off, “I feel I’ve gotten so close to the answer a few times, but it’s always just barely out of reach. It’s pretty clear that whatever rescued Kaara’s soul is related to Ux. Shiira did not want to say it outright, but I know it’s the case. If something like that can be done with Ux, then I need to learn it.” Amaro stood up, leaving the box with them, “Give this to her when she wakes up.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be killing two birds with one stone. I think it’s high time I start taking horns and finding out who did all of this. I might act calm right now, but every fiber of my being is calling out for blood. I think it’s time I feed that part of myself for a bit.”