Art by naninadz
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Thirteen rose back to consciousness strung up in the barn with chains and ropes around all of his limbs. He shook violently rattling the chains about noisily.
“Ah, you’re quite a resilient monster” the mage remarked from across the barn upon noticing Thirteen had regained consciousness pointing at the arrows still penetrating his torso.
“Release me and my comrade!” Thirteen demanded.
“Oh ho! It speaks!” the mage exclaimed, “You mean this lump of meat?” the mage responded poking Nirah roughly with his staff. Thirteen narrowed his eyes at the human that was provoking him. “I think not, she cost me three of my men. As for you, you are our prize for the mainland. Proof of the monstrosities this Island has lurking about for the pathfinder society” the mage cackled. “You, prepare to depart,” he said pointing at the nearest guard, “we have what we came for. Once we’re ready, I’ll put the monster under once more to get him chained up for transport.” the mage explained to the footman nearby.
“As you say M’lord. What shall we do with this other one?” he asked gesturing to Nirah.
“Dispose of it” he answered matter of factly.
“As you say.” the footman answered.
Thirteen struggled against his bonds, testing the length, width, breadth, strength, and resiliency of each. They were reinforced against the iron-bound wood bolted to the foundation of the barn. The mage was smart and Thirteen couldn’t get the leverage to break any of his bindings with brute force. There was a blur of activity as Thirteen continued to struggle against his bonds desperately trying to save Nirah. Blood trickled down his wrists as the iron shackles cut through the fur and skin of his wrists and ground against his bones. The wounds started to heal and were forced open again, and again. He roared in frustration shaking the building with his continued attempts. Panic set in as horses were drawn and dressed. The lone footman grabbed his spear and warily walked over to Nirah keeping a close eye on Thirteen. Nirah had finally started to come too with all the noise Thirteen was creating. She lazily blinked into wakefulness to see the footman raise the spear over his shoulder ready to impale her through the chest. She threw a hand up in a momentary act of self-preservation.
Thirteen roared again in panicked desperation as he saw the spear cut through Nirah’s torso and sink into the wood beneath her. Fear was replaced by anger, a fiery red hot fury that bubbled up from the deepest part of Thirteen’s persona. It flooded him, consumed him, he stopped thinking or remembering and reverted into feelings, urges, emotion... instinct.
A thunderous explosion radiated from the center of the barn. The chimera dropped to his feet wreathed in orange fire. His eyes held only a bright flickering orange hunger as he set them upon the footman who had been blown to his feet by the explosion. The fiery monster dashed across the barn and with merciless precision smashed a yellow-orange fire wreathed claw through the footman’s chest and heart. Boiling blood dripped from the chimera’s claw which held the soldier’s burning, still beating heart. With a gesture of disgust he crushed it and dropped it next to the gurgling, spasming soon-to-be corpse of the soldier. The chimera turned to face the rest of the prey, scuttling about to find out what was happening in the barn. As he stalked to the door he instinctively bent the light of the barn around himself, displacing his image almost two meters away.
The mage turned on his horse with his staff readied, and re-approached the barn. As he came around the corner with the archer and others, they saw the flickering form of the fiery chimera; wings, claws, tentacles alight with orange fire and the vicious, hungering eyes that saw them. The previous arrow that had found its mark by had already burned to bits and the iron arrowhead plopped to the ground glowing a hot dull red having been pushed out of the wound by the monstrosities’ regenerative healing. The archer knocked an arrow and fired, but it flew through the illusionary image harmlessly. The iron shackles that did survive the explosion still hung around the chimera’s wrists and ankles which glowed a dull angry red like the arrowhead and rattled noisily with every step.
By the time the mage was in position, the chimera accelerated to three great strides and leapt on the center footman, his displaced image appeared to leap on the left soldier which flinched and fell to the ground. The center fell under the full assault of his fiery claws, the footman on the right fell immediately after from a pair of invisible tentacle attacks while the one on the left, appearing to be tangled up in the displaced image of Thirteen got to his feet and attempted to flee. Thirteen snagged him with the pads of his two left tentacles and dragged him back toward him. Moments later, the center guard gurgled into his death throes as Thirteen ripped his neck out with his teeth. The left footman had his chest crushed under Thirteen’s heavy footpaw, and the right had fallen to the ground envenomed and convulsing in paralytic spasms.
Thirteen then faced the mage with animalistic hunger. He dropped his displacement and faced the mage fully. The mage, now alone but confident, let his spell loose with a flourish of arcane power. As it rolled toward Thirteen and collided with the chimera, it contacted his fiery aura and with a momentary clash of magic, slid harmlessly off the chimera’s magical aura. Seeing the result of his magic fail and realizing he didn’t have time to safely cast another, he turned his horse to flee. Thirteen responded with a deft whip of a tentacle catching a solid grip on the mage’s clothing and ripped him from his saddle and onto the ground. With a slow, deliberate revenge, the chimera placed his fiery foot-paw over the mage’s chest and doubled the strength of his aura while slowly crushing the mages ribcage as the fiery aura surrounding him burned the man alive. By the time the mage had lost consciousness, only bone and charred flesh was visible around his upper body, the rest of his limbs covered in second and third degree burns.
A loud crash pulled the chimera’s attention away from his tortuous activities and back to the barn. His fiery explosion had damaged the structure of the barn and his aura had caused several hay fires earlier. The barn was collapsing. A tentative thought of realization pulled him from his instincts, <Nirah!> he thought.
A few strong strides took him into the fiery building. The flames licked at him harmlessly but the smoke burned his lungs and stung his eyes. He saw her, still impaled on the spear, collapsed near the ground. He rushed over, snapped the wood of the spear like a toothpick, went to lift her up still penetrated by the short length of spear and stopped for a second before picking her up.
He looked at his fiery claws and paused, feeling the magic of the aura around him. With significant trouble he forcefully quenched his aura so as to not burn her. He gently lifted her, feeling the bloody wetness on his pawpads soaking through her cloak. He made a few long wing-assisted jumps into the cool night air away from the burning building and set Nirah down. His throat tightened up as he checked if she was breathing or if she had a heartbeat. The spear had impaled her below the lung, but through the gut, potentially hitting a kidney or the liver. Blood dripped from around the spear shaft still piercing her.
She drew no breath but had a faint heartbeat, the spear must have cut or damaged her diaphragm. Thirteen immediately went for her bag but… they had taken it from her, it was back at the barn. Panicked, he set her down and scoured for options. He needed healing magic. Now. <Phoenix’s have healing magic!> He realized, but how to use it? He focused on his aura, the dim fiery aura that surrounded him, the feelings and emotions associated with it. He set a claw over the wound and willed it to close, wished it to close. Using the same feeling as the minor magic he had used near the marshes, but forcing more power through it using his fiery magic as fuel.
The memory of when he first saw Nirah’s draconic heritage, the unfamiliar hand and feelings jumped out at him. He emulated the gesture and sensations and with effort, a gold glow ignited over the wound, and with a soft, golden fire like appearance seared around the shaft of the spear. Thirteen pulled out the pointed shaft from Nirah’s back as the healing fire burned the wound away leaving swollen peachy, silvery scaled skin in its wake. Anxiety and excitement welled up in Thirteen. He had done it… Right? He wondered to himself. He focused the healing magic further, forcing the cleansing fire through Nirah’s body, isolating the bleeding, the burns from the barn and any internal wounds.
The magic started to exhaust Thirteen quickly, consuming his stamina at a ravenous pace. As Thirteen’s strength wavered and his vision began to narrow, Nirah’s eyes fluttered into consciousness. Thirteen released the magic with a few deep breaths and held Nirah with his lower claws, falling back onto his upper elbows in exhaustion, panting deeply.
“I shall return momentarily, I must find your bag before it is consumed by the fire.” Thirteen explained, setting Nirah down and jumping into the air weakly, exhausted. He beat his orange trimmed wings against the night air thrusting him a few feet above the ground with each long stride to the barn. It was nearly a raging inferno inside at this point, he cautiously entered, the end Nirah had been restrained was completely consumed by fire. Several rafters and supports had already collapsed. Thirteen checked the footmen, archers and mage and found the bag tied to one of the horses saddles. The horses fled at the sight of him while keeping a safe distance from the fiery barn.
Thirteen took the time to pull the bodies of the unconscious, dead, or paralyzed footmen and mage into a line away from the inferno. He channeled his energy to shift into human form to rope in the horses. It took a few minutes and once he had, he still felt the fiery orange aura licking around his body harmlessly. Quenching it again, Thirteen caught the horse with Nirah’s bag and tied it off on a fencepost next to the footmen and mage. He caught one of the other horses before he got impatient and left the other four to wander. He tied the second next to the first and after taking a few steps away from the animals to not spook them, he shifted into his chimeric form and hurried back to Nirah. He landed heavily looking to Nirah with anxiety.
“Are you okay?” he asked betweening panting breaths.
“You’re like a scary angel flying around like that” Nirah said awestruck.
“Don’t try to flatter me” Thirteen responded.
“Why not, I got impaled. An angel saved me. That doesn’t happen everyday.” Nirah joked with a weak cough.
“Can you walk?” he asked.
“I think so” she answered, rolling to her feet and swaying unsteadily and leaning on Thirteen, “Yea. Can you fly?”
“No, healing your wound consumed nearly all of my strength.” Thirteen answered, “I require a few minutes to rest, we can find time enough for that within the shelter of the trees. Your belongings are near the barn with the bodies of the footmen and mage.” Thirteen replied.
Thirteen helped Nirah to the treeline, safe from the eyes of any villagers that may try to extinguish the abandoned barn. They took a solid hour to rest before Thirteen and Nirah were stable enough to chance walking back into town, that was after Thirteen was able to completely suppress the orange glow of his fiery aura. Nirah’s armor was cut and torn in several areas not to mention the gaping hole where the spear pierced it.
After that hour of rest, the two returned to the now collapsed and burning remains of the barn. Nirah and Thirteen took time to gather any clues and valuables the footmen and mage had left. The few soldiers who had survived due to the grace of being paralyzed and not shredded, skewered or crushed, shook helplessly as they eyed Thirteen and Nirah with panic. Nirah looked at them, then to the mage, then to Thirteen.
“You didn’t kill them all?” Nirah asked surprised.
“They were incapacitated, it did not seem applicable at that moment to take time to deliver a coup de grace [finishing blow] to each one” Thirteen answered. Nirah sighed and knelt down next to the survivors. She unsheathed a dagger and with a precise slash opened a lethal gash in their necks.
“My orders were to ensure no survivors” she sighed. Thirteen nodded, helping her to her feet. Together the two tied up the salvaged gear on the second horse. Nirah mounted the horse with her bag and gestured for Thirteen to join her on the other. Thirteen looked at her nervously and shook his head in defiance.
“Look, I’ll lead your horse, just get into human form and get on the stupid thing” she commanded. Thirteen growled in apprehension but shifted into human form anyway. He walked over to the animal and clumsily straddled the saddle, nearly falling off during the endeavour. Nirah walked her horse parallel to the fence to untie Thirteen’s, then fastened those reigns to the back of her saddle. She led her horse to the road at a slow canter dragging Thirteen’s along behind her leaving the barn and corpses behind them.
The disguised Thirteen and Nirah made it back to town after sunrise but before the bulk of traffic started bustling about the town. They drew a few concerned glances, but they waved it off. They moved quietly to the inn, and tied off the two new horses. She motioned over the stableboy, who ran up to her politely.
“Yes Miss?” he asked, his curly golden locks bouncing with his curt bow.
“I need these horses watered and stabled, and please take my previous horse to the city stables and collect my deposit, have the innkeep credit it to the cost of my stay.” Nirah ordered.
“Yes Miss!” the boy said excitedly bowing again. Nirah smiled and tossed him a silver for the effort. The boy beamed at his tip, grinning from ear to ear as he untied the horses and held them while Nirah and Thirteen secured their gear from them. The pair carried their parcels to Nirah’s room and deposited them, then with a shared glance they proceeded to the basement to bathe. Thirteen’s true form was covered in scalded blood, soot, and detritus, luckily the basins were large enough to accommodate several individuals or one Thirteen sized individual, not to mention the hot water invigorated the weary chimera.
“Thirteen?” Nirah asked from across the wooden privacy divider between basins.
“I am Kitsu in this establishment Nirah” Thirteen chided, neck deep in his basin, black fur flowing in the eddies of steaming water.
“Right… Sorry, nevermind.” Nirah sighed, sinking into her bath.
Thirteen exited his washroom disguised, first after dressing in his cleaned shirt and kilt and second, ensuring that any evidence of his monstrous form bathing there was discarded. He proceeded up to the lounge and found Trisha.
“Miss Nirah would like two breakfast platters delivered to her room when possible please” Thirteen asked Trisha.
“Absolutely Ser Kitsu” Trisha responded walking down to the kitchens and Thirteen walked up to the third floor room. He opened the door and started taking inventory of the recently acquired goods. The staff was of particular interest but there was also a spellbook, a pair of magical accessories, a wand, a pair of scrolls, a whole belt of potions, and a set of two magical daggers. Thirteen was studying the magical patterns of the goods spread across the floor when Nirah walked in dressed in her spare casual linens. She looked at Thirteen then at the goods, took a brief inventory, then looked back at Thirteen solemnly. <Keep it together Nirah. Don’t you dare fall apart in front of him.> She chided herself. She bit her lip then smiled.
“Quite a haul, that staff looks like quite a find” Nirah observed.
Thirteen looked up at Nirah, a paused for a moment, his eyes shining emotionally. “I lost control, I let it all go when I saw you impaled” Thirteen admitted, “I killed them and I’m not sorry. I feel no remorse or guilt and I feel like that should be wrong. I murdered them, in fury, and anger, and revenge, and no matter how I look at it I know it’s supposed to be wrong or inhuman, but all I can see is prey, they were my prey, they were weaker, they were wrong.” Thirteen stammered losing his detached demeanor.
“Hey…” Nirah started.
“I Am a monster, an Animal...” Thirteen admitted with emphasis.
“Yes. You are. But so were the men you killed.” Nirah said straightforwardly. “You killed them. But you didn’t kill them all. I was there too. You didn’t kill me. You may be a chimera created by a monstrous man in a monstrous experiment. You may look like a monster, you may think like a monster sometimes. But, right now, you are ‘my’ monster.” Nirah admitted, kneeling down next to him and hugging his limp form.
“Monsters don’t have friends, and they sure don’t try to kill themselves trying to save those friends”.
“...and also with you” Thirteen reminisced with a stroke of connectedness.
Nirah paused confused for a moment at the lack of context, “What?” she asked.
“The shadows be with you…” Thirteen started. Nirah covered her mouth. “It sparked another sensation of reminiscence. It ends with, ‘and also with you…’” he finished.
Nirah started shaking, tears welled up in her eyes, “I knew it… I just knew it!” she exclaimed.
“This Korun’e may be a part of me Nirah. There are too many commonalities to be coincidence. You are likely to be correct but, I don’t know what it will take to dredge those memories to the surface in a way that won’t break or change me. I am afraid. I am afraid for you. I am afraid for who I am now. What will awakening those memories do to me? Who will I become then? Who am I now?” Thirteen whispered emotionally.
“You’re my dark angel” Nirah whispered. “I loved Korun’e and I never told him, now here you are, a living incarnation of him or… a part of him… or whatever! I get a second chance! That’s lifetimes more than most people get, even if we have to do some work to get you back on your feet. I saw you ya’know…” she stammered, tears flowing down her cheeks. “I was conscious after he impaled me and I saw you, I thought you were to be my angel of death. A fiery four armed angel wreathed in the brightest flames, cleansing all that he touches, a white halo blinding those who look up to his face. The one to bring me to Pharasma. But it all went black. Then I saw you again, not as brilliant, but just as angelic, holding me close to you, pouring your strength into me. Ain’t this some bullshit...” Nirah gasped, hiccuping through tears, “My old crush is now a monstrosity created by my worst enemy.” she laughed through tears.
“I cannot promise you the outcome you hope for Nirah. You seem the best bet for recovering the memories of my past lives, thus I follow you. I cannot promise that I will reciprocate your feelings for Korun’e should we unlock his memories within me.”
“You are impossible Thirteen. I just said I never told Korun’e I loved him. I love you!” Nirah exclaimed.
Thirteen opened and closed his mouth several times in shock. “I literally assaulted you a week ago, held you against your will, coerced you, and since then you’ve known me for a week, wherein you insinuated I am naive, impossible, insufferable, childlike, the worst, monsterous, and most recently angelic only after I killed eight people.” Thirteen said matter of factly.
“Glad to know someone is keeping track. What are you trying to say?” Nirah asked.
“That I ‘am’ a monster, even by your own words and not worthy of something as pure or noble as love.” Thirteen answered looking down at his crossed legs.
“That is my choice to make” Nirah said, lifting Thirteen’s human chin and leaning in for a kiss.
“Room Service!” Trisha nearly shouted while knocking outside the door of Nirah’s rented room. Nirah clenched her jaw in irritation looking into Thirteen’s eyes. She spun, rubbing the wetness from her face and dusted her clothes and answered the door.
“Trisha, thanks so much!” Nirah exclaimed a bit more excitedly than she should have. Her eyes still puffy from the tears.
“You’re two breakfast platters ma’am.” Trisha presented a bit taken-aback by Nirah’s overly-excited response.
“Of course. Thanks so much.” Nirah said calming down and taking the two bronze dishes into the entry-room and setting them on the table. Thirteen bit his lip and averted his eyes from Nirah’s, thankful for the timing to have interrupted her at that moment. He felt confused and scared with Nirah’s most recent revelation. Trisha bowed and closed the door.
Nirah’s gaze went straight for Thirteen, seeing his evasiveness, she relaxed.
“Let’s eat at least you loon” she chided, “You have to be hungry.”
Thirteen stood up and instead of sitting across from her, sat next to her on the small couch. “I will not promise that I can reciprocate something as fickle or human as love at this time, but I shall compromise with companionship. I am glad I was able to prevent your death.” Thirteen admitted, “and your assumption is accurate, apparently detonating a barn to splinters and healing a half-dead companion is ‘especially’ famishing”.
“When you say things like that, you sound just like him. Korun’e that is…” Nirah says with a sigh, lifting the jammed bread from her platter and nibbling on it lost in thought.
Thirteen chose not to respond, instead, pouring himself a heavy glass of the amber liquor from the day prior and in a roll of his wrist, emptying the glass. Nirah looked over to him concerned.
He took the bottle again and poured another glass, looked at Nirah and said, “To your continued life.” She looked up at him and giggled weakly. With a light sip he sits next to Nirah and looks to her, “You have been under the thumb of this Doctor for a significant amount of time, unable to trust or leverage even your minute freedoms. Then I come along, this re-incarnated friend of yours, and while the introductions could have been… improved upon, you immediately chose to confide in me. Since then the relationship has been entirely you providing for me, up until this morning. I gave back, and I hope to keep giving back. You have been an invaluable resource and dare say a good friend. However, I’m afraid. I am not a knight in shining armor, I struggle with morality and my instincts drive me more than my knowledge. Most importantly, I am me, with my own goals in mind, and that me is transient. Tomorrow I could wake up and the phoenix or serpent could awaken within me and consume my current sense of self. I do not want to hurt you, or abandon you, so if you choose to pursue your heart, that is your prerogative. I can only inform you of the risks. I do care for you beyond the idea of you helping me reclaim my memories, but it may not last.” he finishes, taking another long sip on his glass.
“So the race is on” Nirah responds. “We awaken Korun’e first.”
“If dominance is even ordered by priority…” Thirteen rebuttes.
“Eat your food before it gets cold” Nirah chides him, returning to her reminiscence of Korun’e’s sword. Thirteen complies, cleaning both his and half of Nirah’s platters.
“I would like to retire for the rest of the day Nirah” Thirteen says after breakfast and half the bottle of liquor.
Drawn out of her inner thoughts by his comment, she focuses back on reality and asks, “Sorry, I wasn’t listening, what did you say?”
“I would like to lie down and rest for the remainder of the day” he repeated.
“Oh, yea, of course. Before you do, what did you discern from the loot?” Nirah asked. Thirteen rattled off a list of magical auras and schools describing the basic magical theory for each piece. “Do you wish to keep any of them for yourself?” she asked before letting him retire.
“I don’t understand?” Thirteen asked.
“Do you want any of these items for yourself?” Nirah repeated.
“Why?” Thirteen asked.
“To use?” Nirah asked like it was the stupidest question ever.
“Oh, I had not perceived it in that manner. No, they are yours to do with whatever you please” Thirteen answered.
Nirah furrowed her brow and deflected, “You look tired, get to bed, I’ll fence all these, and prep for the next leg of our trip.”
Thirteen dropped his kilt and leather shirt at the foot of the bed and collapsed onto the blankets, exhausted. Nirah packed up the loot into her pack and left for the market taking the opportunity to catch a glance at Thirteen. On her way out she paid her outstanding tab to the innkeep, making sure the stableboy had finished his errand. She also was careful in letting them know she was going to stay another night and that ‘Kitsu’ was still occupying her room. The total neared almost twenty platinum and was largely due to Thirteen’s evening meal two days prior, which Nirah determined, was totally worth it.
She took the white mare she had procured from earlier to the small Mages Guild first to liquidate the most valuable assets there and then would fence the rest at the other dealers around the market.
“Thirteen….” Nirah coaxed. “Thirteen.” she continued. He rustled and rolled over, looking at Nirah groggily, blinking the sleep from his eyes.
“Huh?” was his simple response.
“It’s been almost twelve hours, its evening” She whispered.
“Oh, more sleep then.” Thirteen said dropping back onto the pillow.
“You’re not hungry?” Nirah baited.
Thirteen opened his eyes, “I could eat” he admitted.
“Good, why don’t you dress and prepare for dinner?” Nirah recommended. Thirteen rolled his neck and stretched heartily, rolling out of bed and belting on his kilt and throwing the simple half shirt over his head. He spent half a minute in the washroom, brushing his wild mane into a more tempered but still mane-like ensemble. He slipped on his sandals and proceeded to the lounge. There Nirah waited at a set table dressed in a elegant slip. Too recently-awoken, Thirteen sat across from her groggily. A server approached Nirah and awaited an order.
“A pot of coffee and two cups” Nirah requested.
“A pot miss?” the server asked incredulously.
“My date has a dwarvish fortitude.” she explained.
“Of course Miss, a pot right away, would you like the Varisian blend or roasted Osirioni style?” he asked before leaving?
“Whichever you feel complements the servings better” she offered
“Very well Miss.” the server said, descending into the kitchen.
“What’s this all about…” Thirteen asked groggily.
“Fifty Thousand Gold” Nirah replied quietly, accenting every word.
“Which means?” Thirteen continued, confused.
“Right. That staff you ...commandeered from that mage was worth fifty thousand” she responded.
“...and that’s a lot?” Thirteen asked.
“Enough to stay at this inn for half a year with your dietary needs in mind” Nirah answered.
“That's good?” Thirteen asked.
“It could afford a literal mountain of goats, like twenty thousand goats.” she answered.
“That… is a large quantity of goats.” Thirteen grasped, “what of the rest of it”
“Average, but still worthwhile.” Nirah answered, “I got you this with it.” She says, producing a silver crystalline pendulum attached to a gold chain. “It’s an amulet that has been enchanted to ensure any natural melee strike hits harder and more accurately” she explains.
“All of my …attacks are natural” Thirteen accurately observes, being discrete.
“Precisely” she follows, stepping out of her seat and placing the silver crystal amulet around Thirteen’s neck and securing the clasp. “It suits you” she comments judgingly, before taking her seat again.
“You have my gratitude” Thirteen answers, rolling the smooth crystal between his fingers.
“For what? Buying you a trinket? You earned that with your own strength, I just sold the stuff you got, and bought that with some of the earnings.” Nirah chided.
“The thought then.” Thirteen counters, “I gave you all the material wealth I liberated from the individuals dispatched yesterday”.
“You’re welcome I suppose.” Nirah smiled. She watched Thirteen quietly, as he squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze.
The server returned with the pot and cups on a tray. He expertly set and poured each of them a cup, leaving the pot on the table and provided a wooden board decoratively loaded with cheeses, fruits, and meats.
“Thank you” Nirah offered as the server departed. Thirteen was already forking cheese and sausage onto his small plate. Nirah made no protest and watched, sipping the freshly poured coffee. A few long quiet minutes of companionship passed as Thirteen nibbled on the charcuterie platter under Nirah’s gaze.
“What are you thinking?” Thirteen asked her, breaking the silence.
“More feeling than thinking, just enjoying the moment” Nirah answered.
Unimpressed with his attempt to start a conversation Thirteen tried again, “How did your other errands go today?”
“Uh,” Nirah paused then answered, “quick mostly. I sold the goods and made it back to the inn by mid-day. I laid down for a few hours rest and woke up about an hour before I rousted you.”
“I failed to notice” Thirteen admitted.
“I was purposefully sneaky” Nirah said, comforting him.
“This… appearance,” Thirteen says, again being discrete, “does not have the acuteness of senses I normally have. It’s very limiting which is… uncomfortable sometimes”
“I can understand” Nirah admits, “The doctor didn’t hold back when he formulated your ‘recipe’.”
“Perhaps not.” Thirteen sighed. The server returned for the second course, removing the charcuterie board along with Nirah and Thirteen’s plates and replaced them with a pair of bowls containing a thick soup and spoon. Thirteen stirred his soup quietly, lost in thought.
“Tonight I want to go over the plan I have with you” Nirah offered, coaxing Thirteen back to reality. “It’s a little out of the way but I have a good feeling about it.”
“Oh?” Thirteen queried, prompting Nirah to elaborate.
“I want to pursue some of Korun’e’s effects. Specifically his black katana.”
“Black katana…?” Thirteen wondered, the image conjuring a fleeting but familiar thought, <Koruken?> he thought and paused for a moment, unsure of the meaning or value of the word.
“Yea, Korun’e always had it with him, it was like an extra limb for him just about”
“I see” said Thirteen his eyes dropping back to his soup.
“Try this” Nirah said gesturing at his coffee. Thirteen looked at the innocent chocolate-brown concoction in the white china cup and shrugged.
“Is there a trick to this one?” He asked before engaging, having learned his lesson from the liquor. Nirah giggled and shook her head, sipping the hot coffee while continuing to watch him endearingly. Thirteen emulated Nirah and sipped the beverage carefully. It was bitter and sweet, like a creamy espresso.
“This potion is a bit odd, why the bitterness?” Thirteen asked.
“It contains the straining of roasted beans which stimulate the body” Nirah answered. Thirteen hummed at her answer and finished his small cup in a mouthful. He wasn’t partial to the drink, but didn’t want to admit it that it wasn’t to his taste either.
The rest of the meal consisted of Nirah trying to re-engage with Thirteen who answered briefly or intermittently and kept reverting to his quiet and disconnected self as he mechanically consumed the food set before him. Once the two were behind the closed doors of Nirah’s room again, Nirah had experienced enough of that.
Thirteen was sitting on the small couch looking at the floor when Nirah sat next to him and put a hand on his leg concerned.
“Is everything okay?” Nirah asked.
“I’m scared” Thirteen admitted.
“Of what?” Nirah pried, “What could stand against you and survive unscathed?”
“Myself…” Thirteen answered, “I can feel the same primal instinct that was awakened yesterday night pressing down on me like a heavy blanket. I feel like it’s going to consume me. I’m drowning in my own consciousness Nirah” he looked to her pleadingly.
“Do you have to consciously control it, or is it just like… there?” Nirah asked, concerned.
“It’s just, there, in my chest, burning…” Thirteen said, placing his hand over his breast. “...I thought it would go away, but it’s still there.”
“When you lost control, how did you come back?” Nirah asked.
“The barn started collapsing, I heard a part of it fall and I glanced toward it out of instinct. I visualized the interior of the building and the constituent parts that must have collapsed and I saw the footmen and you in there still impaled. That realization pulled me back into control.” Thirteen explained.
“Why?” Nirah asked.
“I suppose it’s not in my animalistic nature to jump into a burning building to save a friend” Thirteen explained.
Nirah sighed, <This isn’t good, I need to get him out of this funk. A good distraction. Nirah bit her lip and thought about it for a second. Am I really going to court him? I love him, but… Hell with it.> She decided.
“Well, how about a distraction then?”
<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>
Thirteen rose back to consciousness strung up in the barn with chains and ropes around all of his limbs. He shook violently rattling the chains about noisily.
“Ah, you’re quite a resilient monster” the mage remarked from across the barn upon noticing Thirteen had regained consciousness pointing at the arrows still penetrating his torso.
“Release me and my comrade!” Thirteen demanded.
“Oh ho! It speaks!” the mage exclaimed, “You mean this lump of meat?” the mage responded poking Nirah roughly with his staff. Thirteen narrowed his eyes at the human that was provoking him. “I think not, she cost me three of my men. As for you, you are our prize for the mainland. Proof of the monstrosities this Island has lurking about for the pathfinder society” the mage cackled. “You, prepare to depart,” he said pointing at the nearest guard, “we have what we came for. Once we’re ready, I’ll put the monster under once more to get him chained up for transport.” the mage explained to the footman nearby.
“As you say M’lord. What shall we do with this other one?” he asked gesturing to Nirah.
“Dispose of it” he answered matter of factly.
“As you say.” the footman answered.
Thirteen struggled against his bonds, testing the length, width, breadth, strength, and resiliency of each. They were reinforced against the iron-bound wood bolted to the foundation of the barn. The mage was smart and Thirteen couldn’t get the leverage to break any of his bindings with brute force. There was a blur of activity as Thirteen continued to struggle against his bonds desperately trying to save Nirah. Blood trickled down his wrists as the iron shackles cut through the fur and skin of his wrists and ground against his bones. The wounds started to heal and were forced open again, and again. He roared in frustration shaking the building with his continued attempts. Panic set in as horses were drawn and dressed. The lone footman grabbed his spear and warily walked over to Nirah keeping a close eye on Thirteen. Nirah had finally started to come too with all the noise Thirteen was creating. She lazily blinked into wakefulness to see the footman raise the spear over his shoulder ready to impale her through the chest. She threw a hand up in a momentary act of self-preservation.
Thirteen roared again in panicked desperation as he saw the spear cut through Nirah’s torso and sink into the wood beneath her. Fear was replaced by anger, a fiery red hot fury that bubbled up from the deepest part of Thirteen’s persona. It flooded him, consumed him, he stopped thinking or remembering and reverted into feelings, urges, emotion... instinct.
A thunderous explosion radiated from the center of the barn. The chimera dropped to his feet wreathed in orange fire. His eyes held only a bright flickering orange hunger as he set them upon the footman who had been blown to his feet by the explosion. The fiery monster dashed across the barn and with merciless precision smashed a yellow-orange fire wreathed claw through the footman’s chest and heart. Boiling blood dripped from the chimera’s claw which held the soldier’s burning, still beating heart. With a gesture of disgust he crushed it and dropped it next to the gurgling, spasming soon-to-be corpse of the soldier. The chimera turned to face the rest of the prey, scuttling about to find out what was happening in the barn. As he stalked to the door he instinctively bent the light of the barn around himself, displacing his image almost two meters away.
The mage turned on his horse with his staff readied, and re-approached the barn. As he came around the corner with the archer and others, they saw the flickering form of the fiery chimera; wings, claws, tentacles alight with orange fire and the vicious, hungering eyes that saw them. The previous arrow that had found its mark by had already burned to bits and the iron arrowhead plopped to the ground glowing a hot dull red having been pushed out of the wound by the monstrosities’ regenerative healing. The archer knocked an arrow and fired, but it flew through the illusionary image harmlessly. The iron shackles that did survive the explosion still hung around the chimera’s wrists and ankles which glowed a dull angry red like the arrowhead and rattled noisily with every step.
By the time the mage was in position, the chimera accelerated to three great strides and leapt on the center footman, his displaced image appeared to leap on the left soldier which flinched and fell to the ground. The center fell under the full assault of his fiery claws, the footman on the right fell immediately after from a pair of invisible tentacle attacks while the one on the left, appearing to be tangled up in the displaced image of Thirteen got to his feet and attempted to flee. Thirteen snagged him with the pads of his two left tentacles and dragged him back toward him. Moments later, the center guard gurgled into his death throes as Thirteen ripped his neck out with his teeth. The left footman had his chest crushed under Thirteen’s heavy footpaw, and the right had fallen to the ground envenomed and convulsing in paralytic spasms.
Thirteen then faced the mage with animalistic hunger. He dropped his displacement and faced the mage fully. The mage, now alone but confident, let his spell loose with a flourish of arcane power. As it rolled toward Thirteen and collided with the chimera, it contacted his fiery aura and with a momentary clash of magic, slid harmlessly off the chimera’s magical aura. Seeing the result of his magic fail and realizing he didn’t have time to safely cast another, he turned his horse to flee. Thirteen responded with a deft whip of a tentacle catching a solid grip on the mage’s clothing and ripped him from his saddle and onto the ground. With a slow, deliberate revenge, the chimera placed his fiery foot-paw over the mage’s chest and doubled the strength of his aura while slowly crushing the mages ribcage as the fiery aura surrounding him burned the man alive. By the time the mage had lost consciousness, only bone and charred flesh was visible around his upper body, the rest of his limbs covered in second and third degree burns.
A loud crash pulled the chimera’s attention away from his tortuous activities and back to the barn. His fiery explosion had damaged the structure of the barn and his aura had caused several hay fires earlier. The barn was collapsing. A tentative thought of realization pulled him from his instincts, <Nirah!> he thought.
A few strong strides took him into the fiery building. The flames licked at him harmlessly but the smoke burned his lungs and stung his eyes. He saw her, still impaled on the spear, collapsed near the ground. He rushed over, snapped the wood of the spear like a toothpick, went to lift her up still penetrated by the short length of spear and stopped for a second before picking her up.
He looked at his fiery claws and paused, feeling the magic of the aura around him. With significant trouble he forcefully quenched his aura so as to not burn her. He gently lifted her, feeling the bloody wetness on his pawpads soaking through her cloak. He made a few long wing-assisted jumps into the cool night air away from the burning building and set Nirah down. His throat tightened up as he checked if she was breathing or if she had a heartbeat. The spear had impaled her below the lung, but through the gut, potentially hitting a kidney or the liver. Blood dripped from around the spear shaft still piercing her.
She drew no breath but had a faint heartbeat, the spear must have cut or damaged her diaphragm. Thirteen immediately went for her bag but… they had taken it from her, it was back at the barn. Panicked, he set her down and scoured for options. He needed healing magic. Now. <Phoenix’s have healing magic!> He realized, but how to use it? He focused on his aura, the dim fiery aura that surrounded him, the feelings and emotions associated with it. He set a claw over the wound and willed it to close, wished it to close. Using the same feeling as the minor magic he had used near the marshes, but forcing more power through it using his fiery magic as fuel.
The memory of when he first saw Nirah’s draconic heritage, the unfamiliar hand and feelings jumped out at him. He emulated the gesture and sensations and with effort, a gold glow ignited over the wound, and with a soft, golden fire like appearance seared around the shaft of the spear. Thirteen pulled out the pointed shaft from Nirah’s back as the healing fire burned the wound away leaving swollen peachy, silvery scaled skin in its wake. Anxiety and excitement welled up in Thirteen. He had done it… Right? He wondered to himself. He focused the healing magic further, forcing the cleansing fire through Nirah’s body, isolating the bleeding, the burns from the barn and any internal wounds.
The magic started to exhaust Thirteen quickly, consuming his stamina at a ravenous pace. As Thirteen’s strength wavered and his vision began to narrow, Nirah’s eyes fluttered into consciousness. Thirteen released the magic with a few deep breaths and held Nirah with his lower claws, falling back onto his upper elbows in exhaustion, panting deeply.
“I shall return momentarily, I must find your bag before it is consumed by the fire.” Thirteen explained, setting Nirah down and jumping into the air weakly, exhausted. He beat his orange trimmed wings against the night air thrusting him a few feet above the ground with each long stride to the barn. It was nearly a raging inferno inside at this point, he cautiously entered, the end Nirah had been restrained was completely consumed by fire. Several rafters and supports had already collapsed. Thirteen checked the footmen, archers and mage and found the bag tied to one of the horses saddles. The horses fled at the sight of him while keeping a safe distance from the fiery barn.
Thirteen took the time to pull the bodies of the unconscious, dead, or paralyzed footmen and mage into a line away from the inferno. He channeled his energy to shift into human form to rope in the horses. It took a few minutes and once he had, he still felt the fiery orange aura licking around his body harmlessly. Quenching it again, Thirteen caught the horse with Nirah’s bag and tied it off on a fencepost next to the footmen and mage. He caught one of the other horses before he got impatient and left the other four to wander. He tied the second next to the first and after taking a few steps away from the animals to not spook them, he shifted into his chimeric form and hurried back to Nirah. He landed heavily looking to Nirah with anxiety.
“Are you okay?” he asked betweening panting breaths.
“You’re like a scary angel flying around like that” Nirah said awestruck.
“Don’t try to flatter me” Thirteen responded.
“Why not, I got impaled. An angel saved me. That doesn’t happen everyday.” Nirah joked with a weak cough.
“Can you walk?” he asked.
“I think so” she answered, rolling to her feet and swaying unsteadily and leaning on Thirteen, “Yea. Can you fly?”
“No, healing your wound consumed nearly all of my strength.” Thirteen answered, “I require a few minutes to rest, we can find time enough for that within the shelter of the trees. Your belongings are near the barn with the bodies of the footmen and mage.” Thirteen replied.
Thirteen helped Nirah to the treeline, safe from the eyes of any villagers that may try to extinguish the abandoned barn. They took a solid hour to rest before Thirteen and Nirah were stable enough to chance walking back into town, that was after Thirteen was able to completely suppress the orange glow of his fiery aura. Nirah’s armor was cut and torn in several areas not to mention the gaping hole where the spear pierced it.
After that hour of rest, the two returned to the now collapsed and burning remains of the barn. Nirah and Thirteen took time to gather any clues and valuables the footmen and mage had left. The few soldiers who had survived due to the grace of being paralyzed and not shredded, skewered or crushed, shook helplessly as they eyed Thirteen and Nirah with panic. Nirah looked at them, then to the mage, then to Thirteen.
“You didn’t kill them all?” Nirah asked surprised.
“They were incapacitated, it did not seem applicable at that moment to take time to deliver a coup de grace [finishing blow] to each one” Thirteen answered. Nirah sighed and knelt down next to the survivors. She unsheathed a dagger and with a precise slash opened a lethal gash in their necks.
“My orders were to ensure no survivors” she sighed. Thirteen nodded, helping her to her feet. Together the two tied up the salvaged gear on the second horse. Nirah mounted the horse with her bag and gestured for Thirteen to join her on the other. Thirteen looked at her nervously and shook his head in defiance.
“Look, I’ll lead your horse, just get into human form and get on the stupid thing” she commanded. Thirteen growled in apprehension but shifted into human form anyway. He walked over to the animal and clumsily straddled the saddle, nearly falling off during the endeavour. Nirah walked her horse parallel to the fence to untie Thirteen’s, then fastened those reigns to the back of her saddle. She led her horse to the road at a slow canter dragging Thirteen’s along behind her leaving the barn and corpses behind them.
The disguised Thirteen and Nirah made it back to town after sunrise but before the bulk of traffic started bustling about the town. They drew a few concerned glances, but they waved it off. They moved quietly to the inn, and tied off the two new horses. She motioned over the stableboy, who ran up to her politely.
“Yes Miss?” he asked, his curly golden locks bouncing with his curt bow.
“I need these horses watered and stabled, and please take my previous horse to the city stables and collect my deposit, have the innkeep credit it to the cost of my stay.” Nirah ordered.
“Yes Miss!” the boy said excitedly bowing again. Nirah smiled and tossed him a silver for the effort. The boy beamed at his tip, grinning from ear to ear as he untied the horses and held them while Nirah and Thirteen secured their gear from them. The pair carried their parcels to Nirah’s room and deposited them, then with a shared glance they proceeded to the basement to bathe. Thirteen’s true form was covered in scalded blood, soot, and detritus, luckily the basins were large enough to accommodate several individuals or one Thirteen sized individual, not to mention the hot water invigorated the weary chimera.
“Thirteen?” Nirah asked from across the wooden privacy divider between basins.
“I am Kitsu in this establishment Nirah” Thirteen chided, neck deep in his basin, black fur flowing in the eddies of steaming water.
“Right… Sorry, nevermind.” Nirah sighed, sinking into her bath.
Thirteen exited his washroom disguised, first after dressing in his cleaned shirt and kilt and second, ensuring that any evidence of his monstrous form bathing there was discarded. He proceeded up to the lounge and found Trisha.
“Miss Nirah would like two breakfast platters delivered to her room when possible please” Thirteen asked Trisha.
“Absolutely Ser Kitsu” Trisha responded walking down to the kitchens and Thirteen walked up to the third floor room. He opened the door and started taking inventory of the recently acquired goods. The staff was of particular interest but there was also a spellbook, a pair of magical accessories, a wand, a pair of scrolls, a whole belt of potions, and a set of two magical daggers. Thirteen was studying the magical patterns of the goods spread across the floor when Nirah walked in dressed in her spare casual linens. She looked at Thirteen then at the goods, took a brief inventory, then looked back at Thirteen solemnly. <Keep it together Nirah. Don’t you dare fall apart in front of him.> She chided herself. She bit her lip then smiled.
“Quite a haul, that staff looks like quite a find” Nirah observed.
Thirteen looked up at Nirah, a paused for a moment, his eyes shining emotionally. “I lost control, I let it all go when I saw you impaled” Thirteen admitted, “I killed them and I’m not sorry. I feel no remorse or guilt and I feel like that should be wrong. I murdered them, in fury, and anger, and revenge, and no matter how I look at it I know it’s supposed to be wrong or inhuman, but all I can see is prey, they were my prey, they were weaker, they were wrong.” Thirteen stammered losing his detached demeanor.
“Hey…” Nirah started.
“I Am a monster, an Animal...” Thirteen admitted with emphasis.
“Yes. You are. But so were the men you killed.” Nirah said straightforwardly. “You killed them. But you didn’t kill them all. I was there too. You didn’t kill me. You may be a chimera created by a monstrous man in a monstrous experiment. You may look like a monster, you may think like a monster sometimes. But, right now, you are ‘my’ monster.” Nirah admitted, kneeling down next to him and hugging his limp form.
“Monsters don’t have friends, and they sure don’t try to kill themselves trying to save those friends”.
“...and also with you” Thirteen reminisced with a stroke of connectedness.
Nirah paused confused for a moment at the lack of context, “What?” she asked.
“The shadows be with you…” Thirteen started. Nirah covered her mouth. “It sparked another sensation of reminiscence. It ends with, ‘and also with you…’” he finished.
Nirah started shaking, tears welled up in her eyes, “I knew it… I just knew it!” she exclaimed.
“This Korun’e may be a part of me Nirah. There are too many commonalities to be coincidence. You are likely to be correct but, I don’t know what it will take to dredge those memories to the surface in a way that won’t break or change me. I am afraid. I am afraid for you. I am afraid for who I am now. What will awakening those memories do to me? Who will I become then? Who am I now?” Thirteen whispered emotionally.
“You’re my dark angel” Nirah whispered. “I loved Korun’e and I never told him, now here you are, a living incarnation of him or… a part of him… or whatever! I get a second chance! That’s lifetimes more than most people get, even if we have to do some work to get you back on your feet. I saw you ya’know…” she stammered, tears flowing down her cheeks. “I was conscious after he impaled me and I saw you, I thought you were to be my angel of death. A fiery four armed angel wreathed in the brightest flames, cleansing all that he touches, a white halo blinding those who look up to his face. The one to bring me to Pharasma. But it all went black. Then I saw you again, not as brilliant, but just as angelic, holding me close to you, pouring your strength into me. Ain’t this some bullshit...” Nirah gasped, hiccuping through tears, “My old crush is now a monstrosity created by my worst enemy.” she laughed through tears.
“I cannot promise you the outcome you hope for Nirah. You seem the best bet for recovering the memories of my past lives, thus I follow you. I cannot promise that I will reciprocate your feelings for Korun’e should we unlock his memories within me.”
“You are impossible Thirteen. I just said I never told Korun’e I loved him. I love you!” Nirah exclaimed.
Thirteen opened and closed his mouth several times in shock. “I literally assaulted you a week ago, held you against your will, coerced you, and since then you’ve known me for a week, wherein you insinuated I am naive, impossible, insufferable, childlike, the worst, monsterous, and most recently angelic only after I killed eight people.” Thirteen said matter of factly.
“Glad to know someone is keeping track. What are you trying to say?” Nirah asked.
“That I ‘am’ a monster, even by your own words and not worthy of something as pure or noble as love.” Thirteen answered looking down at his crossed legs.
“That is my choice to make” Nirah said, lifting Thirteen’s human chin and leaning in for a kiss.
“Room Service!” Trisha nearly shouted while knocking outside the door of Nirah’s rented room. Nirah clenched her jaw in irritation looking into Thirteen’s eyes. She spun, rubbing the wetness from her face and dusted her clothes and answered the door.
“Trisha, thanks so much!” Nirah exclaimed a bit more excitedly than she should have. Her eyes still puffy from the tears.
“You’re two breakfast platters ma’am.” Trisha presented a bit taken-aback by Nirah’s overly-excited response.
“Of course. Thanks so much.” Nirah said calming down and taking the two bronze dishes into the entry-room and setting them on the table. Thirteen bit his lip and averted his eyes from Nirah’s, thankful for the timing to have interrupted her at that moment. He felt confused and scared with Nirah’s most recent revelation. Trisha bowed and closed the door.
Nirah’s gaze went straight for Thirteen, seeing his evasiveness, she relaxed.
“Let’s eat at least you loon” she chided, “You have to be hungry.”
Thirteen stood up and instead of sitting across from her, sat next to her on the small couch. “I will not promise that I can reciprocate something as fickle or human as love at this time, but I shall compromise with companionship. I am glad I was able to prevent your death.” Thirteen admitted, “and your assumption is accurate, apparently detonating a barn to splinters and healing a half-dead companion is ‘especially’ famishing”.
“When you say things like that, you sound just like him. Korun’e that is…” Nirah says with a sigh, lifting the jammed bread from her platter and nibbling on it lost in thought.
Thirteen chose not to respond, instead, pouring himself a heavy glass of the amber liquor from the day prior and in a roll of his wrist, emptying the glass. Nirah looked over to him concerned.
He took the bottle again and poured another glass, looked at Nirah and said, “To your continued life.” She looked up at him and giggled weakly. With a light sip he sits next to Nirah and looks to her, “You have been under the thumb of this Doctor for a significant amount of time, unable to trust or leverage even your minute freedoms. Then I come along, this re-incarnated friend of yours, and while the introductions could have been… improved upon, you immediately chose to confide in me. Since then the relationship has been entirely you providing for me, up until this morning. I gave back, and I hope to keep giving back. You have been an invaluable resource and dare say a good friend. However, I’m afraid. I am not a knight in shining armor, I struggle with morality and my instincts drive me more than my knowledge. Most importantly, I am me, with my own goals in mind, and that me is transient. Tomorrow I could wake up and the phoenix or serpent could awaken within me and consume my current sense of self. I do not want to hurt you, or abandon you, so if you choose to pursue your heart, that is your prerogative. I can only inform you of the risks. I do care for you beyond the idea of you helping me reclaim my memories, but it may not last.” he finishes, taking another long sip on his glass.
“So the race is on” Nirah responds. “We awaken Korun’e first.”
“If dominance is even ordered by priority…” Thirteen rebuttes.
“Eat your food before it gets cold” Nirah chides him, returning to her reminiscence of Korun’e’s sword. Thirteen complies, cleaning both his and half of Nirah’s platters.
“I would like to retire for the rest of the day Nirah” Thirteen says after breakfast and half the bottle of liquor.
Drawn out of her inner thoughts by his comment, she focuses back on reality and asks, “Sorry, I wasn’t listening, what did you say?”
“I would like to lie down and rest for the remainder of the day” he repeated.
“Oh, yea, of course. Before you do, what did you discern from the loot?” Nirah asked. Thirteen rattled off a list of magical auras and schools describing the basic magical theory for each piece. “Do you wish to keep any of them for yourself?” she asked before letting him retire.
“I don’t understand?” Thirteen asked.
“Do you want any of these items for yourself?” Nirah repeated.
“Why?” Thirteen asked.
“To use?” Nirah asked like it was the stupidest question ever.
“Oh, I had not perceived it in that manner. No, they are yours to do with whatever you please” Thirteen answered.
Nirah furrowed her brow and deflected, “You look tired, get to bed, I’ll fence all these, and prep for the next leg of our trip.”
Thirteen dropped his kilt and leather shirt at the foot of the bed and collapsed onto the blankets, exhausted. Nirah packed up the loot into her pack and left for the market taking the opportunity to catch a glance at Thirteen. On her way out she paid her outstanding tab to the innkeep, making sure the stableboy had finished his errand. She also was careful in letting them know she was going to stay another night and that ‘Kitsu’ was still occupying her room. The total neared almost twenty platinum and was largely due to Thirteen’s evening meal two days prior, which Nirah determined, was totally worth it.
She took the white mare she had procured from earlier to the small Mages Guild first to liquidate the most valuable assets there and then would fence the rest at the other dealers around the market.
“Thirteen….” Nirah coaxed. “Thirteen.” she continued. He rustled and rolled over, looking at Nirah groggily, blinking the sleep from his eyes.
“Huh?” was his simple response.
“It’s been almost twelve hours, its evening” She whispered.
“Oh, more sleep then.” Thirteen said dropping back onto the pillow.
“You’re not hungry?” Nirah baited.
Thirteen opened his eyes, “I could eat” he admitted.
“Good, why don’t you dress and prepare for dinner?” Nirah recommended. Thirteen rolled his neck and stretched heartily, rolling out of bed and belting on his kilt and throwing the simple half shirt over his head. He spent half a minute in the washroom, brushing his wild mane into a more tempered but still mane-like ensemble. He slipped on his sandals and proceeded to the lounge. There Nirah waited at a set table dressed in a elegant slip. Too recently-awoken, Thirteen sat across from her groggily. A server approached Nirah and awaited an order.
“A pot of coffee and two cups” Nirah requested.
“A pot miss?” the server asked incredulously.
“My date has a dwarvish fortitude.” she explained.
“Of course Miss, a pot right away, would you like the Varisian blend or roasted Osirioni style?” he asked before leaving?
“Whichever you feel complements the servings better” she offered
“Very well Miss.” the server said, descending into the kitchen.
“What’s this all about…” Thirteen asked groggily.
“Fifty Thousand Gold” Nirah replied quietly, accenting every word.
“Which means?” Thirteen continued, confused.
“Right. That staff you ...commandeered from that mage was worth fifty thousand” she responded.
“...and that’s a lot?” Thirteen asked.
“Enough to stay at this inn for half a year with your dietary needs in mind” Nirah answered.
“That's good?” Thirteen asked.
“It could afford a literal mountain of goats, like twenty thousand goats.” she answered.
“That… is a large quantity of goats.” Thirteen grasped, “what of the rest of it”
“Average, but still worthwhile.” Nirah answered, “I got you this with it.” She says, producing a silver crystalline pendulum attached to a gold chain. “It’s an amulet that has been enchanted to ensure any natural melee strike hits harder and more accurately” she explains.
“All of my …attacks are natural” Thirteen accurately observes, being discrete.
“Precisely” she follows, stepping out of her seat and placing the silver crystal amulet around Thirteen’s neck and securing the clasp. “It suits you” she comments judgingly, before taking her seat again.
“You have my gratitude” Thirteen answers, rolling the smooth crystal between his fingers.
“For what? Buying you a trinket? You earned that with your own strength, I just sold the stuff you got, and bought that with some of the earnings.” Nirah chided.
“The thought then.” Thirteen counters, “I gave you all the material wealth I liberated from the individuals dispatched yesterday”.
“You’re welcome I suppose.” Nirah smiled. She watched Thirteen quietly, as he squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze.
The server returned with the pot and cups on a tray. He expertly set and poured each of them a cup, leaving the pot on the table and provided a wooden board decoratively loaded with cheeses, fruits, and meats.
“Thank you” Nirah offered as the server departed. Thirteen was already forking cheese and sausage onto his small plate. Nirah made no protest and watched, sipping the freshly poured coffee. A few long quiet minutes of companionship passed as Thirteen nibbled on the charcuterie platter under Nirah’s gaze.
“What are you thinking?” Thirteen asked her, breaking the silence.
“More feeling than thinking, just enjoying the moment” Nirah answered.
Unimpressed with his attempt to start a conversation Thirteen tried again, “How did your other errands go today?”
“Uh,” Nirah paused then answered, “quick mostly. I sold the goods and made it back to the inn by mid-day. I laid down for a few hours rest and woke up about an hour before I rousted you.”
“I failed to notice” Thirteen admitted.
“I was purposefully sneaky” Nirah said, comforting him.
“This… appearance,” Thirteen says, again being discrete, “does not have the acuteness of senses I normally have. It’s very limiting which is… uncomfortable sometimes”
“I can understand” Nirah admits, “The doctor didn’t hold back when he formulated your ‘recipe’.”
“Perhaps not.” Thirteen sighed. The server returned for the second course, removing the charcuterie board along with Nirah and Thirteen’s plates and replaced them with a pair of bowls containing a thick soup and spoon. Thirteen stirred his soup quietly, lost in thought.
“Tonight I want to go over the plan I have with you” Nirah offered, coaxing Thirteen back to reality. “It’s a little out of the way but I have a good feeling about it.”
“Oh?” Thirteen queried, prompting Nirah to elaborate.
“I want to pursue some of Korun’e’s effects. Specifically his black katana.”
“Black katana…?” Thirteen wondered, the image conjuring a fleeting but familiar thought, <Koruken?> he thought and paused for a moment, unsure of the meaning or value of the word.
“Yea, Korun’e always had it with him, it was like an extra limb for him just about”
“I see” said Thirteen his eyes dropping back to his soup.
“Try this” Nirah said gesturing at his coffee. Thirteen looked at the innocent chocolate-brown concoction in the white china cup and shrugged.
“Is there a trick to this one?” He asked before engaging, having learned his lesson from the liquor. Nirah giggled and shook her head, sipping the hot coffee while continuing to watch him endearingly. Thirteen emulated Nirah and sipped the beverage carefully. It was bitter and sweet, like a creamy espresso.
“This potion is a bit odd, why the bitterness?” Thirteen asked.
“It contains the straining of roasted beans which stimulate the body” Nirah answered. Thirteen hummed at her answer and finished his small cup in a mouthful. He wasn’t partial to the drink, but didn’t want to admit it that it wasn’t to his taste either.
The rest of the meal consisted of Nirah trying to re-engage with Thirteen who answered briefly or intermittently and kept reverting to his quiet and disconnected self as he mechanically consumed the food set before him. Once the two were behind the closed doors of Nirah’s room again, Nirah had experienced enough of that.
Thirteen was sitting on the small couch looking at the floor when Nirah sat next to him and put a hand on his leg concerned.
“Is everything okay?” Nirah asked.
“I’m scared” Thirteen admitted.
“Of what?” Nirah pried, “What could stand against you and survive unscathed?”
“Myself…” Thirteen answered, “I can feel the same primal instinct that was awakened yesterday night pressing down on me like a heavy blanket. I feel like it’s going to consume me. I’m drowning in my own consciousness Nirah” he looked to her pleadingly.
“Do you have to consciously control it, or is it just like… there?” Nirah asked, concerned.
“It’s just, there, in my chest, burning…” Thirteen said, placing his hand over his breast. “...I thought it would go away, but it’s still there.”
“When you lost control, how did you come back?” Nirah asked.
“The barn started collapsing, I heard a part of it fall and I glanced toward it out of instinct. I visualized the interior of the building and the constituent parts that must have collapsed and I saw the footmen and you in there still impaled. That realization pulled me back into control.” Thirteen explained.
“Why?” Nirah asked.
“I suppose it’s not in my animalistic nature to jump into a burning building to save a friend” Thirteen explained.
Nirah sighed, <This isn’t good, I need to get him out of this funk. A good distraction. Nirah bit her lip and thought about it for a second. Am I really going to court him? I love him, but… Hell with it.> She decided.
“Well, how about a distraction then?”
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 1280 x 574px
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