Two strong hands pull her back, the clawed tail of the monster shoots past the side of Sanora’s head instead of hitting her in the eye. Bawarag is already next to her and swings his hammer down so fast, the bones go flying everywhere. By the time Sanora manages to even stumble away, its already over.
“Everything alright?” Amni’s voice is full of worry, her arms still holding Sanora tightly.
“I think so… Thanks.” She responds, still processing what just happened.
“This is a good lesson lass. Never let your guard down.” Bawarag says, but his expression softens.
“But other than that, you put up a good fight.” He smiles at her.
“Thanks.” She gives him a weak smile, looking at skull still lying there.
“So its dead dead?” she asks a bit skeptical. Bawarag just nods.
“Its dead dead.”
Sanora breathes a sigh of relief and lets herself fall back into Amnis arms.
“I thought I was a goner for a moment.”
“Aww come one, you really think I’d let my cute little sister bite the dust this easily?” Amni pulls her into a tight hug from behind.
“We’re saved!” one of the villagers in the crowd shouts, and as if it is a signal they all break out in cheers, praising Sanora and her friends. A huge grin spreads on Bawarag’s face.
“You know what this calls for?!” he raises his arms, looking around the small crowd, and with him they all cheer in unison.
“A DRINK!”
“For once I’m actually with you on that.” Sanora laughs.
It takes no time for the village to come together at the inn. It had started to get crowded, but now everyone is seated and happy with a drink in hand, listening to Borg who is standing on the counter.
“It pleases me to see everyone here, unhurt and happy, all thanks to the friends that have been with us for these past weeks. So today all the drinks are on the house-“
A wild cheer resounds through the hall, people raising their mugs high in the air.
“-for Sanora and her friends.” A collective groan resounds through the room as the hands sink down again.
“I think I’m not alone when I say that I’m glad I can call Sanora an official part of our humble little village. On that accord, a toast to Sanora, Bawarag and Amni, our heroes!” Borg raises his mug with a smile and the whole hall joins him.
“Let’s drink and be merry!” He adds before jumping off the counter. And with that everyone starts to drink and eat.
“Thank you for the kind words, Borg. Although I’m no hero, really.” Sanora smiles at Borg, her cheeks a little red, as he takes a seat next to Genny who is at the same table as Sanora and company.
“No need to be modest. You stepped up for us, in between such a monster and the village even though you just recently moved here. I for my part, call that real courage.” He smiles at her.
“You looked so cool too!” Genny butts in, almost jumping over the table.
“You should have seen how fierce your eyes were! And how you chopped off the head with a single strike! And don’t get me started on when you got shot, my heart stopped dead for a second!” She puts a hand on her chest.
“You did good lass!” Bawarag grins and hits her on the back.
“Absolutely! I’m so proud of you.” Amni says with a wide smile and ruffs through Sanora’s hair.
“Well but so did you. If it wasn’t for you two then I…” Sanora’s expression clouds over, at least until Bawarag presses a mug into her chest.
“No use thinking about it now. You’re here, you’re healthy, and still sober so let’s change that!”
She blinks at him a few times as he grins at her. She takes the mug and smiles again.
“You’re right.” She lifts her drink.
“A health to the company!”
She says with a wide smile as the other joins her. She brings the drink to her lips and starts chugging under loud cheers from all around, until she finally slams her empty mug down on the table, eliciting even more wild cheers. She already knows the night ahead would be long, amusing, and exhausting all the same. They eat, they drink and make merry, celebrating their victory over such a ferocious monstrosity. As the night goes on and the drinks flow freely Sanora grows more happy, and double as drunk. Soon the night fades into nothing but a blur.
The next thing she knows is pain. Her head hurting so much, for a moment she thinks about cutting it off since it seems like the less painful option. She slowly opens her eyes again, fully expecting to be under the table again. She rolls around and a funny tingle runs through her body as there is no floor to roll onto. She immediately moves back and holds onto the beam below her, her heart beating a mile a minute. She blinks a few times, her vision stull blurry, to notice that this time she is the one sleeping on the support beam right under the roof.
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“Fuuuuck…” She groans and lays her head back down. Her stomach hurts and feels like it’s about to turn, her legs and her back are stiff and aching from sleeping so weird, and that’s all before the part where she has to somehow get down. She takes a deep breath, noticing that her mouth reeks like an animal died in there overnight, and looks down into the hall. People are lying scattered around, all sleeping either on tables, benches or below them. Bawarag has outdone himself again, sleeping in the big firepit. Sanora rubs her eyes and pulls the hair out of her mouth before slowly sliding down the beam to its lowest point. She grabs a hold of it and lets herself hang down her full body length before dropping. Her knees scream in pain for a moment and her head swims as she lands. She curses some inaudible things before straightening up and scanning the room. To her surprise it didn’t even wake up anyone. She is starting to wonder why she is always up before everyone else but puts it aside for now as she is feeling beyond miserable.
She looks around for her sword and finds it stuck in a table, a cut in half ham still below it. She pulls it out and sheathes it, the smell of meat rising to her nose almost causes her to throw up. Without looking around more she makes a run for the exit. She takes a breath of the cool morning air hitting her face as she walks out. The village is quiet, there aren’t even any guards on the walls. Sanora looks around and thinks about what to do now. The question is answered after she smells herself.
After a brisk walk out of the village she reaches a spot which is reasonably far away from the walls and prying eyes, but still not dangerously far. But as she walks down the road, still drowsy in the head, her eyes spot what has to be the greatest feast they ever saw. Someone is already at the river scrubbing themselves off. Sanora just sees the long grey hair, the large wings, the horns and the muscular back of Amni. Sanora stops dead in her tracks, her face growing hot as she just watches.
‘Should I call out? Or just leave? Or just join and pretend like nothing is going on?’ her mind enters turmoil as she thinks about what to do next, but her heart almost stops for a second as Amni suddenly speaks up.
“Just going to ogle me all day?” She turns her head, and that alone, to look at Sanora, wearing a smirk on her face.
“I uh… Sorry” She swallows, looking at the ground but Amni just laughs.
“Come here I’ll wash your back.” She beckons her over.
Sanora feels her heart speed up, pounding so loud it almost drowns out the river flowing next to them.
“I-if you don’t mind.” She says as she slowly walks over to Amni.
'Is this normal or is she flirting-'
“ ‘Course I don’t. Come one now, we’re both girls, so nothing to be ashamed of, right?”
“Uh… right.” Sanora feels an odd tinge of sadness somewhere deep inside of her.
‘So she’s not swinging that way. Would have been to good to be true anyways…’
She sighs mentally, her face drooping a bit as she takes off her armor and her tunic. Although it still doesn’t stop her from taking a look at Amni in proper. Now it isn’t just her face which is growing hot as she gets a look at Amni’s form. Her breast are small, her curves are gentle, petite but flowing like chiseled marble. And those abs. Amni stretching after getting up from her knees certainly doesn’t help Sanora, but at least the drowsiness is gone now.
“Come one, turn around.” Amni says, straining a towel. Sanora just obliges wordlessly but squeals as the cold water hits her back.
“That was quite a night huh?” She hears Amni as the towel gently mover across her back.
“It really was. Almost wish I could remember it.” Sanora gives a weak laugh.
“You don’t. Trust me. But I have to say, and it hurts me to do so, your singing sucks.”
“Ok yeah, I absolutely don’t want to remember.” Sanora covers her face with her hands.
“Hey, speaking of which, why are you up so early? Everyone else is completely out cold.” Sanora asks.
The towel stops moving for a moment.
“Well, every time we celebrate a victory and hold a big fest like this, someone has to be on the lookout. Especially now that something like this happened. That and it’s an old habit I guess.”
“Old habit?” Sanora asks, but a second after the words leave her mouth she wants to bang her head against a wall, remembering that the topic was difficult.
“Yeah, old wartime habit. When you can hardly catch any sleep to begin with you might as well stay on the lookout. On that accord, I want to apologize for back then. I didn’t want to make you feel bad or anything. If you want to know I’d be happy to tell you about it.”
“You really didn’t have to apologize but thank you. I was just curious about the others. The second gargoyle and you look quite alike.”
“That Pekari, my little sister. But things are a bit complicated with her. She did some things in the war not everyone agreed with. But being the little dork she is she left without explaining herself, fearing they’d prosecute her. Haven’t seen her since, but I’d love for you to meet someday.” Amni says, her voice sounding melancholic.
“I’d love that too. Only thing better than one Amni is two.” Sanora turns around to shoot Amni a grin.
“My, you’re quite the little charmer are you.” Amni laughs.
“Alright your turn. What’s been bugging you?” Amni’s face turns a bit more serious again.
“What do you mean?” Sanora raises an eyebrow.
“Think I wouldn’t notice it? There’s something that’s bugging you, always that small hint of unease in your face, those short sad glances at the sky. If something is the matter, you can tell me.”
Sanora blinks at Amni perplexed. She had barely noticed these things herself, but now that Amni pointed them out they are stupidly obvious.
“I… I’m surprised you noticed. Truth be told, I don’t want to worry anyone because in all honesty? I don’t know. Something just feels like its missing, like a hole in my heart is constantly pulling at my soul and I have no idea why.” She says with a downcast gaze.
“Sounds awful. My best guess would be the memory loss.”
“You think so? I just don’t get how I can miss something that feels like I never had it to begin with.”
“That’s your mind speaking yes, but your heart still feels it. The life you left somewhere, still waiting for you.”
And with that Amni hit the mark, as without her even noticing a few silent tears make their way down Sanora’s cheeks.
“Is that the sort of wisdom you have after living for a thousand years.” Sanora wipes the tears off, a pained laugh escaping her.
“There there, no need to shed tears over it.” Sanora feels Amni’s arms gently wrap around her from behind as she starts to sob.
“Just because it is like this now doesn’t mean it will stay like this forever.” She whispers in her ear.
“I-I just feel like I don’t even know who I am sometimes. Even my name feels so alien sometimes, and when I look at my face it’s not like looking at myself, its like looking a someone who just moves like I tell them to. Please Amni... tell me how to make this go away.” Sanora says in-between sobs, Amni carefully listening to every word as she holds Sanora in her arms.
“I’m sorry but I don’t know. All I can tell you is that it won’t last. I just know that with time you will start find yourself more and more. Your memories are a wound in your soul, but like all others it will heal. And while it does, we will be with you every step of the way.”
Sanora just closes her eyes and lets out all her frustration, leaning back into Amni’s hug. Amni just holds her wordlessly, and they stay like this for a while.