What moves your heart
Nuni scanned the forest in thought then turned to Rea. "Why are you helping us anyway?"
"I don't know," Rea frowned as if she didn't know the answer herself then shrugged. "I guess the real reason is Scars, she's my best friend. If I can help you while helping her that'd be a bonus right? I mean, what do I have to lose?"
"Time?" Nuni questioned. "I imagine we are baggage to you guys at most....."
"That also means more fighting force if I need it,"
"Again, that implies more enemies against you if we all get possessed,"
"I guess..." Rea shrugged, again, suggestively then grinned. "I never thought of it that way,"
Nuni stared at her in surprise for a moment then sighed and shook her head. "You are really an adorable child aren't you? Enough chit chat though, let's find the fire wood least it gets dark while we are on it,"
The two trended deeper into the forest picking dry wood for camp any where they could find. That was what lead them to the river. Rea sighed then crouched down at the edge of the narrow water body to drink and fill her water skin. She fetched with her hand and brought it towards her face then froze as she felt an itch in her mind. Something evil was staring at her! The protagonist dived to the side just in time for a knife to stab past the space where she had been.
"My my, what have we got here?" A man drawled.
"Ah, I told you not to get involved ancestor!"
"Mui....."
"What Sinny? He promised me,"
Rea lifted her head to look. Three people stood at the other side of the river, clad in black coats and dress, all masked completely with not even holes for their eyes. The man was tall and thick, with a pot belly; the other was slender and almost as tall, a youngster giving by his worried voice and aura; the last was a petit girl that could be just Rea's age or a particularly small woman. Rea couldn't make out their faces or hair but the young man felt familiar.....
The black girl rose to her feet and drew back cautiously, readying for battle. If these are bandits then she have to be on look out for any cheap tricks. She glanced at Nuni to instruct her on how they should handle this but..... Nuni was swaying on her feet in rhyme with the gentle breeze. Her eyes were wide open and fearful, she was shivering badly too. Rea realized she hadn't got the worse of the attacks. A Mind attack! She finally realized who the masked youngster was.
Sin.
But she cannot reveal what she uncovered if she hopes to survive this unscathed. They must wear masks for a reason right? "Who are you guys?" She finally asked.
"Ah, now how should I answer that?" The one called ancestor asked.
"Her worst nightmare?" Sin chuckled to himself.
"Enough of it you two," the lady said, Mui was it? "Let me handle this. Hello Rea!"
"Hi...?"
"Good to see you, now, we are here for Kara,"
"Wha.... What do you want with her?"
"Saint sent us to deliver a message,"
Rea didn't believe them. "Can you release my friend from whatever spell you casted first?"
"Do it!" The lady said amicably.
"Sure," Sin snapped his finger. Nuni lolled for a moment before opening her eyes. Immediately she cradled her head and screamed falling to her knees.
"What did you do?!" Rea snarled resisting the urge to rush to the older girl. All that held her back was the certainty that she didn't wish to take her eyes off her opponent.
"It's side just effect," Mui replied indifferently.
"Just side effect," Rea echoed, her heart sinking. These guys are ruthless.
"Listen..." Mui went on Impatiently. "I know you don't like this Rea girl, but we are in a bit of a hurry here,"
Rea frowned weighing her options. Could she take them all on, all by herself? She doubted it, if they could subdue Nuni this easily with one blow then they are not easy. Plus the so called ancestor gives her the creeps. Finally she sighed. "Come along my lords and lady," she bowed and turned around. But her senses were fixed desperately on the three Highvoids.
As she lead them towards the camp she whispered to Nuni that was leaning against her for support. "I know is you in there,"
Nuni was silent.
"Don't be coy now, I know you have got the others too. I don't like these guys a bit myself if you know what I'm saying.... so why don't we work together for today,"
"The girl can hear you," Nuni said with a different inflection from her normal self. That and her slight change of body language is how Rea spots when her friends' body is hijacked.
"Can she? I don't care,"
I walked through the camp whistling tunelessly in my head. The place had the disarray of people that were not expecting to stay long there, though not expecting to leave either. A tent or two lay crooked to their side but no one bothered to fix them, the place stank of piss and shit too but everyone ignored it. Why waste the strength while tomorrow we'd all be dead either way? The soldiers all had that quiet assuredness of those that cannot see their future past the next day, but a carefreeness of those that does not give a damn about it.
They joked more than usual, laughed more than usual, but did not speak of their family. Those were the only sign that they were nervous. That they are men too, and even if they do not fear death, like every other person loaths it.
I am a man that died once and I could assure you that death is not a comfortable blanket, it marks you.... It's the lost of everything you hold dear. It's a farewell more painful than any. It's our final destination. The only certainty in life.
I found my friends sitting around a table under the shade of a giant rock slab playing cards. "See who's here already," Jakesean called jovially.
"How's your leg?" I asked as I took a sit between him and Mace. Gera was opposite me with Mace and Yakub at both sides of her.
"Coming along fine. Lord Natt spoke to you?"
"Nah," I said and started shuffling the cards. "He said something?"
"Said he'll be sending us home," Mace frowned. "It's like he don't trust us to hold our own,"
"Are you seriously offended?" I asked curiously.
"You are not?" Gera questioned. Her face unreadable. Her emotion calm. But I felt a spark of expectation there.
I shrugged then turned back to the cards. I couldn't well tell them I couldn't be happier could I? But sending us home.... That explains many things in the novel. While everyone died holding Crane pass, lord Natt had already sent away the youthful prodigies, that's how Yakub survived. That solved many problems for me too. I was actually planning to compel Natt to do just that.
Why you ask? I'm not a do goody I assure you. The thing is, I like this guys. Since I came to this world I think they are my only friends. Celestine is different, she's more of a bossy fiancee, Kara... Well she's my best friend I guess, but my bond with her is something more..... What's the word... complicated. This guys felt like how friends felt in my former life. No bossing, no unspoken words, no sexual tension. Except Gera of course. I find myself beginning to like her more and more, like in a sexual way.
Her pale face, her feirce blue eyes, her hair; have I mentioned redheads has always been a turn on for me.
But shit man, I don't know what's wrong with me, it's like I want all the women in the world for myself. It's crazy, I don't know if anyone ever felt like that. I want to be loyal and romantic and honest, and I was with Sarah. She was the only woman in my life. But deep down I wanted more, though I just stored that hunger in the back of my mind as just my fantasy in my former life.
But now I'm in a fantasy world, don't mind the pun, where it's purely legal to pursue my fantasy. And suddenly it's not an elusive fantasy anymore.
The problem was, I know if I played my cards well I'd end up with many women in the future. Celestine, Cvela, Kara, Kina, I could make a move for Gera, and maybe even Rea.....
But I feared that too. Will I hurt them? Will I be miserable because of them? It'd be better to have just one woman that I can keep happy than five or six that are displeased.
Still, seeing death so close these past days made me realize something. Even though I'm not that grateful about my reincarnation it might be a blessing, a second chance of sorts. In my former life I lived in constant fear of doing what moves my heart. Will I end up a coward in this life too?
I smiled at Gera to hide what I was thinking, then we started playing cards.
Time will tell I guess.
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