Axel woke from his troubled sleep filled with visions of blood and blame with the need to relieve himself badly. The earthy smell of the forest, mixed with a faint hint of a floral scent, filled his nose. He could feel a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire crackling nearby on his back. Wrapped around him was Aria, her wing acting like a soft, feathered blanket.
It felt nice to be held, but also confusing, as he had a stranger wrapping around him. It was still dark out, and even with the firelight casting flickering shadows around the forest, it took a while for him to realize what was holding him.
“Aria, aren’t you on watch? Also, why are you holding me?” Axel asked, his voice still groggy with sleep.
“Aria can watch and hold at the same time. Aria has the talent to do many things at once!” Aria replied cheerfully. “Aria noticed that you were having trouble sleeping and thought you needed a hug. Also, Aria thought you would quiet down if held. It always worked at Aria’s home with the little ones that just arrived. Aria also thought you were making too much noise and might draw a beast here, so Aria was saving the hero!”
“Thanks,” Axel replied groggily, still too tired to think about it and how nice it felt to be held like that, and returned to sleep. After dozing back off for an indeterminate amount of time, Axel’s brain poked him back to full awareness with the peaking of the sun in the sky and a bladder that was full. Aria was still happily wrapped around him from the back, her wing much like a feather blanket covering both of them. This felt great and a little too intimate for two people that just met.
“Aria, I need to get up. We may also need to talk about this,” Axel said carefully, feeling the cool morning air on his face.
“But we are both so warm, and the sun has not risen to the point where Aria’s night watch ends!” Aria said in a bit of a childish voice, her breath warm against his neck. “Aria wants to stay like this.”
“Look, I need to relieve myself. Your knee is in my bladder, and this feels very inappropriate right now,” Axel stated matter-of-factly, trying not to think about how uncomfortable his pants also were. The pressure in his bladder was becoming unbearable, and the dampness of the morning dew added to his discomfort.
“Fine, needing to pee is a valid reason to stop being hugged,” Aria said in a put-off way. With that, she released Axel from the hug and pulled her wing back.
“Thanks,” Axel said and went to the small pit that was dug for this purpose. After dealing with the necessary, Axel returned to the camp to see Aria now on a tree branch, humming an almost soundless song.
“So, we need to talk about what just happened. Aria, it is dangerous to be around me like that in my sleep. I could hurt you by accident,” Axel said as dozens of unwanted memories flashed by—hurting Lyra in a hug, sending Cade across the yard in a game of tag when he was too excited, and many other times he had hurt others before he gained solid control of his strength. Shaking his head to stop the spiraling dark thoughts.
“Look, I agree that hunting together is a good thing and will keep both of us safer, but I am not a safe person to be around like that in my sleep. I could swing around in a nightmare or something hurting you in the process. It seems that everyone I associate with comes to harm.” With that statement, Axel moved to watch the twin suns crest the horizon. The day was going to be hot and muggy with the oppression pressure of rain in the air.
“We also may need to find a cave to clear out and make camp there,” Axel said without looking back. As he was talking, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind. Axel had to stop a reflex for a backswing.
“Aria is not afraid that the Hero will hurt Aria. Hero is a noble person who swooped in and rescued Aria in one of the worst situations that Aria has ever been in,” Aria began. “Hero also seems to be in lots of pain, and Aria finds that hugs help with pain.”
“Thank you, Aria, but humans don’t really hug strangers like this,” Axel replied.
“Well, that’s dumb. If someone needs a hug and you don’t hate them, why would you not give them a hug? Humans have too many strange social rules, and Aria can’t be bothered to follow the dumb ones,” Aria said confidently. Axel really did not have a reply to this that did not make him sound dumb or insincere this early in the morning.
“Well, be that as it may, most people would prefer it if you ask permission before you start touching them. Take it as a weird human thing about personal space. You will find that most people aren’t comfortable with someone hugging them out of nowhere,” Axel tried to explain.
“Aria told you that dumb social rules will be ignored. Aria will also become so strong that those rules will have to be changed as everyone will want to hug Aria anyway. So why should Aria care about things that will change in time anyway?” The self-possessed woman declared. Axel was speechless on this and just shut up.
Deciding he was not winning this argument and not having the energy to try anymore, Axel just watched the sun’s rise, the twin orbs casting a warm, golden, and red-hued light over the forest. The sight was beautiful, but it did little to calm the emotions churning through his gut. Memories of Cade’s death, the trial, and his exile weighed heavily on his mind, forcing him to relive them in detail. His deep sense of loss and guilt mingled with a strange comfort from Aria’s presence. He would also not admit that it was nice to be held like this, as it would just encourage this strange woman who was now becoming a part of his life. The warmth of her wing and the steady rhythm of her breathing provided a small measure of peace, helping to silence that voice growing stronger in the back of his mind, telling him he should have just let Cade win and die instead.
----
A few hours later, Axel located a cave that did not have any marking of use, and the new hunting camp was set up. The entrance was narrow, but it widened into a spacious chamber with a high ceiling. Stalactites hung from above, and the air was cool and damp, carrying the faint scent of moss and wet stone. The ground was uneven, with patches of soft moss and a small pond of water reflecting the dim light filtering in from the entrance in the back of the cave.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
He also was leading Aria away from Thunderheart, Aria being a trained scout cleaned up their trail so that they would not be stalked by beasts. The cave was not a very big one, only to a size that would hold the two of them comfortably.
The entrance was narrow, but it widened into a spacious chamber with a high ceiling. Stalactites hung from above, and the air was cool and damp. The ground was uneven, with patches of moss and small pools of water reflecting the dim light filtering in from the entrance.
“This will do nicely,” Axel said, setting down his pack. “We can make this our base for now.”
Aria landed gracefully beside him, her eyes scanning the cave. “It’s cozy. Aria can clear out some of the debris and make it more comfortable.”
They spent the next few hours setting up their camp. Axel gathered dry wood and started a fire, while Aria used her aerokinesis to clear away dust and debris. In her enthusiasm, she caused an explosion of air, dirt, and debris to fly everywhere. It did clear the cave, but they needed to clean up, a dip in the river for Axel and a much longer sponge bath for Aria. They arranged their sleeping bags near the fire and set up a small area for cooking and storing supplies.
With shelter taken care of, the pair began to hunt as both needed resources to finish recovering. Axel also found a flower needed to heal Aria’s toxin, the book Axel's mother left was very useful for locating, but there was more misunderstanding as the flower was very lovely looking and Aria thought it was a courting gift.
It took about 10 minutes to explain to Aria that no, this was not a courting gift but a flower that could heal the toxins in her system. Then Aria explained how was that not a courting gift when it was meant to stop her pain and help her. Again, Axel was left speechless on how her mind worked, but at least she was no longer poisoned. They found trails of several beasts that they knew they could hunt safely in the meantime.
The next morning, before the morning mist had even cleared, they set out on their first hunt together. The air was crisp and cool, with the scent of damp earth and fresh foliage filling their lungs. Aria, as a well-trained tracker, led the way, her eyes scanning the ground for tracks and signs of movement. The soft rustling of leaves underfoot and the distant calls of birds created a serene backdrop as they moved carefully along the brush. They soon found a Gan that was alone and grazing, its sleek, muscular body glistening with morning dew. From the size of the beast, Axel’s index stated that it was likely very young.
With a bit of standard hand gestures, the pair broke apart with Aria taking to a tree downwind of the beast. Axel moved along the trees, applying a bleeding poison to his knives as he would not be able to one shot it, to a point where if Aria missed a killing blow, he would have a chance to attack. The Gan had moved to a river nearby to drink. It looked around for water-born predators not knowing that Aria was going to attack from above.
With a swish noise and the branch Aria was standing on shaking, as the only indications, Aria dived for the beast. By some instinct or bad luck, it jumped to the side as Aria leaped. In a moment of panic, Aria used a burst of Aerokinesis to try to accelerate in compensation for the change, this caused her speed to go way up. This only made the miss worse; she moved well before the point where the Gan would get there, and with a slash, she skipped along the water a bit bleeding the momentum like a skipping stone.
Axel landed several blades into the Gan's flank, with several bouncing off the armored back, with a lucky strike along the neck. Then it was off into the brush, out of sight. With a sigh, Axel went to help Aria out of the water. The sight that greeted him forced all his willpower not to laugh, and struggle to swim to the shore was a waterlogged Aria.
“Would you like a hand?” Axel finally said after getting himself under control.
“Yes, wings make swimming very hard for Aria. Wings all wet weigh so much more and Aria is tired,” Aria complained. Axel helped her out of the water and turned his back to her so she could wring out her clothes and shake what water she could out of her wings.
“Well, let’s finish tracking that injured Gan and get you drying by a fire. I assume you don’t enjoy the drip-drying method,” Axel said carelessly, with a laugh slipping into his voice. All he heard was a disgruntled grunt behind him. The pair found the Gan almost passed out from blood loss and the poison on the knives.
Axel also noticed that he was now down several knives and only had about 12 more in his pack as backup. This would be something he would need to replenish, and if hunting more in the future, he would need a larger supply as they damaged easily with a misplaced throw or were lost on a miss. He also planned to expand his throwing weapons with a javelin or axes.
This was the last of the materials he needed, and with the core of the Gan, he would make a full recovery that night. As they finished cleaning and prepping the Gan, he was forced to help Aria dry her clothes and wings as punishment, for what offense Axel was still unsure of, and after helped with the cooking.
As the pair settled down for the night, the warmth of the fire casting a comforting glow around them, Axel began questioning Aria on her use of her aerokinesis and how she trained it. “Aria is just winging it as this is a new power. Owww, why did you throw bread at Aria!? So rude!” Aria exclaimed, rubbing her arm where the bread had hit. The smell of the freshly baked bread mingled with the smoky aroma of the fire. “Aria was just explaining that there is no training plan yet as Aria still does not know the limits of this power,” she added, getting some extra bread for the bad joke.
“Well, my family has someone that uses aerokinesis and Elemental Winds. I know some tricks to help you work on your control. If you would like, I can try to help you,” Axel offered. This got him a flying tackle hugged and an accidental smack from damp wings, the cool moisture soaking through his shirt as a reply. Aria’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and her feathers rustled softly as she hugged him tightly.
“Please, please, please, Aria would be so thankful for any help. Aria is having an issue with holding the power back!” Aria explained while holding Axel in a hug. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and Axel couldn’t help but smile.
“Alright, let’s start with some basic exercises to help you control the flow of air. Imagine the air as an extension of your body, something you can shape and direct with your will,” Axel instructed, his voice calm and steady. He then talked Aria through many of the exercises he had witnessed his mother doing, including the hand movements she had told him were a crutch but could help focus in times of peril or pain. His mother often used these movements to train beginners or to help those who were injured focus better. Axel made sure to emphasize that while these hand movements could be useful initially, Aria should not rely on them in her training. Instead, she should aim to control her power without them as she advanced.
With his recovery, Axel almost forgot what it felt like to not be in so much pain, a part of him relaxed finally. He also woke up again with someone pressed to his back, who still did not listen to him saying that she should not do that. What he got in reply was:
“But you’re so sad in your sleep and you don’t seem to settle down until Aria hugs you. So to make sure Hero sleeps well to hunt with Aria, you will have hugs until morale improves.”