Corvus spent the night hauling the bodies away, readjusting his jacket (again) and finally sitting beside a sleeping Cleo, staring at his hand and thinking. Gilgamesh was restless as always, but more talkative than ever before.

“We shouldn't just be sitting still. This is the perfect chance to get a head start on learning my magic. Just leave her to sleep and lets find somewhere quiet. I’ll run you through the basics and your curse will be under control and sealed in no time!” He whined, pacing the small clearing that they inhabited.

The vast, dark expanses of the grasslands spread out behind him. Tiny blurs of movement constantly flickered back and forth, whether it was the breeze or something less friendly, Corvus didn’t guess. Gilgamesh waved his hand in front of Corvus’ face.

“Are you even listening to me, boy?”. Gilgamesh sounded incredibly offended, the black in his eyes blended in with the night sky behind him.

Corvus nodded, not wanting to wake Cleo by talking. Gilgamesh looked at her and scoffed.

“Just because she looked after you for so long doesn’t mean that you owe her anything.”

Gilgamesh complained, dramatically falling on to the ground and rolling in boredom.

Corvus didn’t agree with that. Everything she’d done for him, all the ways that she had saved him and taught him who and what he was. He owed her more than he had to give. A whole spectrum of feelings shot through the void that was his chest, this time staying long enough for Corvus to feel them.

His hand clutched his chest as the sudden burst of humanity made him slightly dizzy. He remembered feelings. The flashes of memories that came to him also came with the feelings that went with them. But even if he could remember them, he still felt nothing. It would get unbearable at points, but that was the worst part. No matter how unbearable it was, it didn’t hurt, or feel, or desire.

A flap of wings snapped Corvus out of his thoughts as a crow landed on his shoulder. He looked over to it and it looked back. Its black, beady eyes stared into his. He felt a connection, but not the kind that friends feel, or lovers, or family. It was mysterious, tricky but warm.

Corvus reached out his hand and softly ran his fingers over its black and stiff feathers that were comforting to the touch, the same way that his anchor calmed him, except warmer. Alive. It gently rubbed its beak against Corvus’ nose while learning into his hand.

A dull, almost invisible ghost of a smile flashed across Corvus’ face as the crow chirped at him quietly. It shook its feathers, getting free from Corvus’ petting. It spread its wings and flew back to wherever it had been hiding before.

Gilgamesh was watching all the while, an unreadable smirk on his face. He slapped his legs and stood up.

“Well, now that your bonding session is over, I might as well tell you the basics of what you'll need to know when we seal that curse of yours. This will take absolute perfection to perform. Anything less, and you'll die. It will be rigorous, difficult and painful.” Gilgamesh warned, sitting down in front of Corvus.

“Can't be any worse than listening to your rants about how perfect you were.” Corvus shrugged, turning back to face him.

Gilgamesh’s eyes darkened slightly but he composed himself before he spoke again.

“There is far too much to tell about everything I could do. I could, but then this would take centuries instead of months. To learn how to seal that curse of yours, you will need to know several other steps before that.” He passed his hand through a blade of grass absently.

“This isn't going to be another long spiel about how magic works is it? I’ve heard too much about recently.” Corvus whispered quietly.

Gilgamesh scowled and continued as if he’d heard nothing.

“My soul is unique in how it functions. When Primal magic flows through it, it turns Gold. This is how I used so many uniquely powerful spells, and how you will seal your curse. Put simply, once you get close enough to my soul by connecting with your past lives, you will be able to turn Primal magic Gold. When you can do this, you can take command of that bracelet and permanently engrave it onto your soul so that the curse is kept in check.

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“This will make you immune to that curse, as well as be able to summon and create that bracelet at will. However,”. He motioned towards Corvus’ gauntlet. “You could always change that bracelet into armour if you really want to. I don't see why you would though. Much less fashionable.” Gilgamesh complained, going off an a tangent about how war needn’t be ugly.

Corvus raised his gaze, slightly confused.

“Wait. That’s it?” Corvus tilted his head.

“Yes. That’s it.” Gilgamesh tilted his head in return, confused by the confusion.

“Oh…I thought there was more to do. I guess it won’t be as difficult as I thought.” Corvus sighed in a small relief.

“Speaking of which.” Gilgamesh sat up straighter, taking a commanding tone. “You should avoid using that incredible strength of yours.”

“What? Why?” Corvus quietly complained, looking over to Cleo to see if she was still sleeping. She had turned over but her stomach was still rising and falling gently.

“You destroy your body every time you use it. If you want to survive, better to avoid tearing yourself to pieces over and over again.” Gilgamesh raised his eyebrow, his tone of finality was powerful.

“Especially that arm of yours.”

“Fair point.” Corvus shrugged. “Good thing I've got a gun then.”

“I recommend using it a lot more than you have been. You can never be too careful until you’ve sealed it.”

“Yeah yeah. Keep my distance, I got it. Keep the curse safe and secret and don’t die.” Corvus muttered, beginning to stand up to keep a better watch.

“You're cursed?” A voice spoke quietly behind him.

Corvus span round in surprise, seeing Cleo sitting upright with her arms crossed. Her red-black skin made her almost invisible in the gloom, but her emerald eyes glinted with worry in the dark.

“Stop doing that!” Corvus complained.

“How do you know you’re cursed?” Her voices was thick with worry.

“What did you think I was doing for those three days? Sleeping peacefully?” Corvus raised an eyebrow.

“Yes!” Cleo stood up and began walking over to inspect his hand. Corvus extended his arm to stop her before she reached him.

“First of all, you should be asleep. Second, don’t worry. I can sort it out if given a few months.

Though I can’t take off the bracelet until then.” Corvus spoke quickly and calmly, trying to put her at ease. It didn’t really work.

“Sort it out? It’s a curse, not an untidy house! Show me. Now.” She was clearly angry, so Corvus needed to pacify her before she accidentally touched his hand.

“Ok, ok. Just don’t touch it.” Corvus held up his hands in surrender. Cleo nodded.

He undid the clasps on the shining gauntlet, placing it on the ground. He began to unwind the long strips of former-shirt, then loosen the strips of chain mail. Cleo was staring intently all the while, looking for signs of change. The bandages that were covering his hand were singed and almost black. Careful not to move his bracer, Corvus unwound the ashen bandage that seemed to be minutes from crumbling.

Cleo’s eyes widened when she saw the charred skin and the wisps of purple smoke and fire that rose from the twisted masses of blackened skin. She reflexively reached out her hand to touch it, but Corvus pulled away before she could get close. She caught herself and pulled her hand back, as Corvus began wrapping the stiff bandages back up.

“Will-o-Wisp.” She whispered to herself in quiet horror.

“Will-o-What?” Corvus asked, re-fixing the chain mail.

“It’s the name of that hex. Will-o-Wisp. Natural fire created with Nature magic. It’s a rare hex, powerful too. If it hadn’t cursed you, you would have probably wanted to learn it.” She spoke quietly, looking everywhere but Corvus’ eyes.

“Once I’ve got the curse under control, I’ll learn how to use it. Other hexes too if I can.” Corvus re-fitted the gauntlet, flexing his hand beneath it.

“Are you sure? Nature magic is almost infamous for its danger and unpredictability. It’s different for everyone, hell, it could kill you if you’ve been cursed by it!” She looked at him like he was stupid, which he might’ve been.

“Don't you remember?” Corvus raised an eyebrow at her. “I can survive anything.”

Cleo was lost for words for a while before she burst out laughing.

“I forgot how self-assured you were.” She chuckled, sitting back down. “So. Who were you talking to?”

“I told you, moron.” Gilgamesh called from his bed of tangled grass.

“Myself. I think. There were a lot of voices in my head once, and I met one while I was under.

Helped me to stay alive these past few weeks.” Corvus didn’t technically lie, but nothing he said was completely true. Gilgamesh approved.

“Huh. You really are an enigma aren't you?” She smiled wryly, but not maliciously. “Go on. We’re just over a week away from home. Don't want to hold up our hike do you?” She chuckled, sitting back down and holding her spear over her lap. Corvus knew that she would take the watch tonight.

“Nope. You really need to sleep more than me you know.” Corvus sat down, laying Raven on his lap in the same way that she did with her spear.

She smirked, before lowering her head and into her meditative sleep, while Corvus just sat there, trying to imitate her impressive meditation. He only managed a mix between a shallow sleep and going cross eyed for hours on end.

It was going to be a really long night if he kept doing that. So he decided to sleep instead. He vaguely heard Gilgamesh chuckling at his lack of patience before he fell into the clutches of sleep once more.