For Raine, the morning began with the sound of a running tap.
Waking up was a strange ordeal. Usually, it was a gradual process, often accompanied by procrastination and a reluctance to get out of bed. But today, it was a pleasure to see that Nikolay had done all the first few steps for him. Judging from the water dripping from Nikorai's hair, they had recently gotten out of the shower.
Raine quietly watched as Nikolay completed what was left of his morning routine. He didn't say anything, as to not break the concentration that Nikolay directed to his tasks. If he was being honest with himself, it was partially because he wasn't too keen on doing any of the chores. The lingering grogginess from sleep still clung to the corners of his mind like cobwebs. Eventually, though, he realised that he would have to announce his presence at some point.
Very kind of you to get ready in the early hours of the morning.
And here I was hoping that you were going to shut up for a day, Nikolay said in disappointment. You were doing so well.
You knew I was awake?
It's hard to ignore you, in the same way that it's hard to ignore a fly in the room.
Excuse me?
Nikolay stepped out of the bathroom and let out a yawn. It's true. You're always buzzing away in your corner of Nikorai's brain.
This came as a surprise to him. Raine had never thought about how his own mental presence presented itself. He just assumed that it was the same as Nikolay's: somewhat akin to a rock, just passively sitting in their brain. It was actually kind of embarrassing to hear that Nikolay was constantly aware of him. Now, the need to block his presence had never felt more urgent, if it wasn't already a pressing matter from the unwilling transparency it granted.
Silence lapsed between them again as Nikolay performed a few stretches. It was intriguing to see the extent to which Nikolay ensured every joint was cracked. Raine likened his actions to a cat, meticulously self-grooming themselves to perfection. Upon further inspection, he realised that most of Nikolay's actions resembled a feline. Well, Raine had always wanted a pet cat. Maybe there was some hope for the future, after all.
Speaking of the future...
Thank you, Nikolay.
What for? Nikolay grumbled, seemingly pissed that Raine had started another conversation with him.
Last night.
He didn't bother elaborating, given that only one thing really happened between them.
It'd be annoying to have to deal with a sobbing sulk for the entire night, was the half-hearted excuse.
Were you a therapist in your past life?
Quite the opposite.
What does that even mean? Is there such a thing as an anti-therapist?
Nikolay sighed and pinched the bridge of their nose. I regret entertaining this conversation.
With on-brand ruthless efficiency, Nikolay packed all of their belongings in mere seconds. There was some complaining about the unorganised state of the bags' contents, but it was overruled in favour of leaving the motel as soon as possible.
The motel was much quieter in the early morning, to neither of their surprise. Either everyone was suffering from a severe hangover, or still knocked out cold from the previous night. Thanks to the oddly inverted atmosphere of the motel, they were able to make their way down to the reception without much problem.
Sitting behind the counter was a slumped figure, their open mouth drooling over the paperwork in front of them. She looked young — somewhere in her mid teens — though she was almost as tall as Nikorai. The reason she was manning the reception to a shitty motel was unfathomable. Though, an unlit cigarette haphazardly dangling out of her mouth gave some clues.
Raine was about to suggest that they leave the keys on the counter and walk out, but Nikolay reached over the counter and roughly shook the girl's shoulder.
Let the girl sleep, you heartless monster. Not everybody is a morning person like you.
Looks like she won't be waking up anytime soon, anyway.
Nikolay was right. Despite his unrelenting attempts, the girl seemed too deep in slumber to notice.
God, if you shake her any harder, we'll be wanted for physical assault.
Eventually, Nikolay gave up and withdrew his arm. Raine let out a relieved sigh. He was glad to see that the bastard had it in him to concede-
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING??
Nikolay had taken the nearby call bell, walked around the counter, and held the bell right next to the girl's ear.
If this doesn't work, I'll stop trying.
AND IF IT DOES?!
I'm not a wuss like you are. I'll own up to it.
I might be hyperaware of social situations, but it is so much worse to be not aware of them at all. Like you are.
Hmph. At least I get things done.
In the worst way possible.
Despite Raine's attempts to direct all of his discontent towards Nikolay, the bell was, unfortunately, still rung. Multiple times, might he add. The harsh sound of ringing metal ricocheted off the thin plaster walls, adding to the cacophony.
Whether it was for better or for worse, the girl finally moved in response to the piercing sound. She cracked one eyelid open, then another. Her sluggish awakening disturbed stacks of paper, sending an avalanche of documents falling towards her feet. The girl blearily lifted her head toward Nikorai, a tangled mess of red hair covering most of her face.
"Whaddya wa-" she sprang up in alarm, knocking over her chair and dropping her cigarette in the process. "Who the fuck are you?"
Unfazed, Nikolay replied, "A customer. I'm here to turn in my key."
As he spoke, Lysandra discreetly swept the cigarette off the desk towards the pile of papers on the floor.
She crossed her arms. "No offence, but you're not the type of person to come around here. Y'sure you didn't stumble in here on accident?"
"Yes. In fact, I was the most mentally sound in the room when I walked into this motel," Nikolay said calmly, holding out their room key.
The girl ignored Nikorai's outstretched hand and leaned closer to them. "Aye, now that I take a better look at you... You're not even from here, are you? Get on the wrong ship or something?"
She guffawed at her own joke, but the sentiment wasn't shared by Nikolay. Instead, he internally made a sound of disapproval which only Raine could hear.
Something wrong?
I knew something was off, but now it's dawned on me.
Raine's curious reaction prompted him to elaborate, but Nikolay chose to ignore it for now.
"I'm quite certain that I'm supposed to be here. Now, I'd like to check out as soon as possible," he said in a blunt tone.
"Mhmm..." the girl hummed doubtfully. "Look, there's a horse stable nearby. Just take two lefts and a right. Say that Lysandra sent ya. And if y'ever need help, just come back here."
She grabbed the key from Nikolay's hands and shoved it back into a random drawer.
"Thank you, Lysandra. I'll be sure to keep it in mind."
As they left, Raine could've sworn that the girl eyed the silver compass hanging off the side of their bag, but it must've been a trick of the eye.
Once they were outside, the morning air seemed much more refreshing. Now that they were alone, Raine could finally ask his pressing question.
What was the revelation that hit you earlier?
I assume that you're aware of the concept of magic in this world.
Woah, slow down, Raine groaned at the implication of more information. Magic? I only heard about the prophecy and the fact that gods exist. There's still a lot that you haven't told me.
Nikolay frowned. In that case, I'll start from the beginning.
All human beings have three fundamental aspects: the Spirit, Mind, and Body. The Spirit is the part of us that originates from the gods, and some people can harness energy from their Spirit — this energy is magic.
The Mind and Body should be self-explanatory, I hope. Your personality, dreams, memories, and everything else in your consciousness counts as your Mind. And I suppose the Body is much less personal than the other aspects, considering our situation as of late.
Huh. So, the reason you had an epiphany was...?
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
We must seem like outsiders because of our blatant lack of magic. Kosira is known for having a significant amount of naturally occurring magic, as well as having several sorcerer bloodlines established here.
Oh, it wasn't because you were being weird and off-putting! Good to know.
I think my conversational skills are like a politician's compared to yours.
Come on, let me have a small win, Raine playfully whined. It's tough being the back seater.
If that's the case, then we can switch.
Wait, huh? I-
On three, Nikolay cut in. Three.
Wh-
Nikolay's quickly retreating consciousness prevented Raine from finishing his exclamation.
In their sudden and impromptu switch-over, Raine stumbled over an invisible object in their path. He narrowly avoided a fall by grabbing the nearby lamppost.
Could've given me a bit more warning! Raine hissed.
I said on three, didn't I?
...Bastard.
Following Lysandra's directions, they were shortly faced with the front of a large stable. Just from standing remotely near the building, Nikorai's nose was greeted with the scent of horse dung and hay.
As Nikorai entered the stables, the person standing behind the counter looked up in surprise.
Raine professionally nodded at the employee. "Hello, I'm looking to rent a horse. I'm planning to take it across the country."
"You don't look like you're from around here," they said slowly, shooting Nikorai a suspicious look. "Can I see your driver's license?"
That's the second time we've been told that we look like foreigners, Raine sighed. What do we do about the license situation?
Navi was the one who told us that legal documents weren't important in Kosira, not me. Do I look like I can conjure up fake documents?
Raine had the strong urge to punch himself in the face, in a desperate attempt to vicariously punch Nikolay for being an asshole.
"Oh! Sorry, uh, my wallet just recently got stolen, along with... all of my ID," Raine hastily said.
The worst part was that it wasn't exactly untrue, yet Raine was painfully hyperaware of how contrived their entire situation sounded.
"I can't serve you if you don't have any ID," the worker said in an unsympathetic tone.
Raine could hardly blame them for being fed up. It was too early in the morning to be dealing with shady customers who had no documentation. Fortunately for him, the uncaring nature of the worker made it easier to walk out without feeling too embarrassed.
Raine shifted his weight and stepped backwards, slowly making his way towards the door.
"Thanks for uh... trying. Bye," he said, already half-way out of the room.
What are you doing?
Leaving?
Tell him about Lysandra, you idiot.
O- Oh.
Nikorai stopped in their tracks, standing dead still in the middle of the doorway.
"You need something else?" the employee sighed, looking up at Nikorai's uncertain face.
"Actually... Lysandra sent me," Raine said in a stilted tone.
They squinted at Nikorai, then gave an exasperated grunt. "That makes more sense. Come through this door."
Without waiting for Nikorai to follow, they turned around and pushed open a stable door, walking through at a swift pace. When combined with the less than amicable greeting, even Raine was beginning to have his doubts. Nonetheless, they still trailed behind the stable hand's footsteps. Beggars couldn't be choosers, after all. Though they could definitely be complainers, and Nikolay sure wasn't about to let that opportunity pass by.
That arrogant bastard acts like they're an employee at the Louvre or something.
Raine couldn't hide the wry smile that crept onto his face. Mhm. Reminds me of a certain someone.
Except they don't constantly have to deal with a different 'certain someone'.
The stable hand stopped abruptly, causing Nikorai to almost run into them.
"Here are the stable's resident horses. They aren't normally for sale, but you can thank the stable's debt to Lysandra for your privilege."
They gestured out at the six stalls in front of them, each with their own horse poking their head to look out at the new stranger. Even though they were just horses, Raine felt a jolt of spotlight anxiety pass through him when he noticed their attention all laser-focused on him.
The dappled grey mare on the far right seems like the fastest horse.
Well, that was quick.
She looks like she can barely hold half of our stuff. We should pick a stronger horse, rather than a fast one.
We don't have THAT much luggage. Our travel time will be cut immensely if we favour speed over strength. Constant travel is exhausting, and it's optimal to save the amount of energy spent on our trip to Veritas.
But if the horse can't even move at its top speed because of our luggage, there's no point!
You want a stallion to look cool, don't you?
You're just jealous.
What??
Er- nevermind. Anyway, I'm in control of the vessel, so choosing rights goes to me.
...You brat.
Raine walked over to the left stall closest to him. It barely confined the muscular, bulky pack horse within its comparatively fragile wooden boards. Quickly reading the information sheet on the horse's stall revealed the name to be 'Marley'.
"Marley seems like a good choice," Raine remarked partially to the stable hand.
This earned a sceptical look from them. "Let's see... I'd estimate the rent to be around 900 Kosyran, including insurance fees and the fact that you're taking him across the country."
Wh- Do we even have that much?
Yes, but I think that you'll want to eat for the next month. Perhaps not the best use of our money.
"Ah," Raine stepped away from Marley, and looked around at the other stalls. "Could you tell me which ones are under... 500 Kosyran?"
The stable hand gave Nikorai another critical glance. "None of these horses here are within your budget. They're well-raised and trained by our stable's finest experts."
After seeing the crestfallen expression on Nikorai's face, the stable hand opened another door with a sigh. "However, there is one that we are willing to part with for 400 Kosyran."
Both Raine and Nikolay instantly perked up at this information and followed the stable hand through the doorway. They found themselves in a room not too dissimilar from solitary confinement in a prison. The walls were padded with sponge, and a flickering lamp shone a faint light on the stable's resident.
Uh, that's not a horse, is it? It looks kinda... different.
Yes, Raine. That is a mule.
No need to sound condescending, now.
At first glance, it looked like a regular horse: the overall shape of the body was reminiscent of the horses that they had just seen. However, its long, twitching ears and short mane were indicative of its donkey heritage.
The mule's breathing was slow and relaxed; each exhale was accompanied by a haughty flick of its tail. Its solid brown coat was far from well-kept, though still relatively smooth.
The stable hand discreetly gestured towards the mule. "We've dubbed her Rascal, given her track history of being one. We have to keep her in a separate area to avoid conflict between her and the horses. If you can coax her into accepting you as her future owner, then she's yours for 400 Kosyran."
"Rascal..." Raine repeated to himself. "Sounds like a real treat to tame."
"You're not wrong. Even with long-standing trainers like me, she only barely tolerates us."
These words were hardly comforting, but Raine had no choice but to try. In the worst-case scenario, they could end up in the hospital with a medical bill far more expensive than Marley costed. Raine supposed he would pray that they wouldn't wake up from the wound.
Or he could awaken some latent Disney princess-esque power to talk to animals? If magic was real, there was no reason he couldn't hope for something equally outlandish.
However, all hope was quickly abandoned once he found himself face to face with Rascal. It dawned on him just how large Rascal was — Nikorai wasn't particularly short, so she must've measured about 180cm to be taller than them.
Rascal slowly made her way towards Raine, each hoof menacingly clacking against the stone floor.
"H- Hey, Rascal. You, uh, want to come with me? I promise I'll be as great of an owner as- woah!"
He had assumed that Rascal would stop at a safe distance, but she kept walking straight towards him without any signs of stopping.
"Uh, hey, girl. You're getting a little close," Raine quietly croaked out.
For every step that Rascal took towards him, Raine took a step backwards. Not soon after, Nikorai's back was pressed up against the wall, and they were slowly shrinking further down to avoid the discomfort of Rascal's stare. He turned his head to the side as Rascal's muzzle inspected his face.
This is a normal greeting... right?
Lost as to how he should proceed, Raine grimaced and mustered the courage to pet Rascal. He attempted to pet the side of Rascal's neck gently, which was the most accessible part in his current position.
His bravery was rewarded with a sharp jerk of Rascal's head, causing Raine to startle and somehow press himself further into the wall.
It took all of Raine's strength to not shriek in surprise.
The more scared you are, the easier it is for Rascal to push you around.
You think I don't know that? It's hard to not be scared by a massive animal that could cave in your chest with one kick!
At the very least, you could act like you're not scared, Nikolay sighed.
Easier said than done! I'd like to see you try, smartass.
Very well.
That's not what I- Ugh, fine.
Raine huffed at Nikolay's amused chuckle, and withdrew from the vessel.
The instant Nikolay was back in control, he fixed Rascal with a steady gaze, schooling his face into a bored expression.
Almost immediately, Rascal responded to the change in body language. She ceased her efforts to intimidate Nikorai and instead stepped backwards, choosing to regard them cautiously with her unblinking eyes.
With the new space freed between himself and Rascal, Nikolay casually straightened his posture and pushed himself off from the wall. There were a few tense seconds as Nikolay and Rascal exchanged stares.
Then, to everyone's surprise, Nikolay willingly moved closer to Rascal. He lifted a hand and slowly reached towards Rascal, his outstretched fingers steady as they wandered dangerously close to biting range.
Nikolay muttered, "If you listen to me, we can make both Raine and your caretaker look like fools. Deal?"
Wait, what? That's not fair!
Despite Raine's protests, Rascal seemed to calm down at Nikolay's request. She barely moved as Nikolay gently patted the side of her neck in the same place that Raine attempted to reach earlier.
Did you use magic to calm her down? That's cheating if you did!
Didn't I tell you already? I can't use magic — that's exactly why we seem like outsiders.
The stable hand interrupted any opportunity to respond.
"Looks like Rascal tolerates you enough. I'll go fetch the paperwork. Wait here."
The stable hand left the room, only to return in less than a minute with a small leaflet of papers.
I'll be letting you sign the paperwork. Best to have one person doing all the legal stuff for consistency.
There was a mutual switch — probably for the first time — and Raine signed at the bottom of the form that the stable hand gestured to.
"Is that all?" Raine asked.
"Yep. You can take the equipment in her stable; everything you need should be there."
Raine reached into his backpack and easily counted 400 Kosyran from a neatly folded stack, courtesy of Nikolay's morning clean-up. He had to admit, despite the constant nagging from the asshole, there were occasional times where Nikolay was helpful.
The stable hand briefly re-counted the notes to confirm the amount. "That's enough. Rascal is yours for the time being."
Then, they curtly turned and walked away with the paperwork. They didn't acknowledge Nikorai or say anything as a farewell.
Great customer service here, Raine dryly remarked. Goes well with the residents' attitude.
As if Rascal could also hear Raine's thoughts, she started nosing around the duffel bag in Nikorai's left hand. A hoof planted itself on top of the bag, further adding to the already heavy burden on Nikorai's hands.
This- I thought you had calmed her down!
Looks like she knows that you're in control, not me.
Surely she couldn't tell from me simply standing still for a few seconds??
They say that animals have keener senses than humans.
WHO IS 'THEY'?
Raine's outburst was cut short by Rascal unzipping the duffel bag with her mouth.
"Ah- Rascal! Get away from there!" he shouted.
Raine hastily ripped the duffel bag from her prying teeth and closed it once more.
Nikolay, we need to switch back. There's no way I'll be able to lead her out of the stables when she looks like she'll bite my head off.
Nope.
I had a feeling you'd say that, Raine groaned. Why do you insist on being a nuisance?
You'll have to get used to her, eventually. It's unfeasible for me to always be in control around Rascal, considering she's our travel companion for the rest of our journey.
Yeah, yeah, keep finding excuses. Whatever, I'll just have to find a way to tack up without being mortally wounded.
Mhm. I'll be watching.
And by that, you mean judging my every move.
Would you rather have an absence of help?
What a prick. Nikolay was lucky that he could hide in the depths of their mind.
Raine turned to Rascal, who had a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Now don't try anything, you hear me? I'm going to put your riding equipment on, and you're not going to make this any harder than it needs to be."
In the middle of his sentence, Rascal had turned 180 degrees so that her tail was facing Raine instead.
"I should've known," Raine sighed. "Let's get this over and done with."