Ruby set up a comfortable spot for herself by the fire, lying back to stargaze quietly. Nexus moved swiftly to sit by her side before anybody else had the chance. Odeen clicked his tongue, nudging Nexus's side with his foot. "I was going to sleep there. Move."
Nexus barely gave Odeen a shifted glance before gesturing to the seemingly endless, rocky banks. "There are plenty of places for you to lay your head. Why must you sleep beside Ruby? I got here first. Deal with it, muscles."
Odeen felt a nerve twitch as he lowered himself, attempting to push Nexus from the spot, fighting against the deity for the right to stay by Ruby's side for the remainder of the night. "Will you just move?! You don't even sleep!"
Nexus wacked Odeen over the head with his closed fists, snarling like an animal. "And just what will you do to protect her if we're attacked? You can't sense the danger that surrounds her! Go sleep with the other mortals, you incompetent, maniac!"
Ruby let out a disgruntled groan, clambering to her feet to take Odeen's cloak from his shoulders, storming over to Safire and Jasher, who had made themselves quietly comfortable leaning against the tree. She threw the cloak over them and nestled into Safire's side, leaving no room for either of them.
Odeen shoved Nexus's head down as he got up, brushing himself down with a dissatisfied hiss. "This is all your fault. If you want to talk about arrogance, maybe you should look in the mirror."
Nexus clenched his fists, grinding his teeth. "My fault?! I'm not the one getting bent out of shape over an asexual creature! I'm merely acting in common sense! It would make the most sense for me to rest closest to Ruby in case of an attack."
Safire turned an annoyed expression to Ruby, who, in turn, sat up to shout. "If you two don't pipe down this second, I will force you both to sleep side-by-side! Odeen, go sleep by Vatic! Nexus, go rest with Genis! You're both interrupting what should be a restful sleep!"
Odeen and Nexus shared a heated sneer before separating. Ruby let out a relieved hum, cuddling back down to get comfortable. Safire snorted in amusement, running her fingers through Ruby's hair. "Atta girl. Get some rest now, okay?"
Ruby nodded happily; it wasn't difficult to find sleep with how exhausted she'd been. The majority of the night passed by peacefully without incident until Ruby felt a heavy weight press down on her without warning. She shuffled back, only to feel the same crushing weight follow her.
Ruby blinked her tired eyes open to find Jasher, out cold and seeking her warmth in his unconscious state. She couldn't hold back the amusement, shoving him back. "Go snuggle Safire, you weirdo." Ruby cuddled back down against Odeen's cloak; the realisation slowly setting in. "Wait – Safire?"
Ruby sat up, finding herself alone with Jasher. She looked around the area cautiously. Her eyes fell upon Nexus, who was perched in a nearby tree, watching over the remainder of the group. "Safire?" He called toward her. "She went into the forest with Genis. Something about them needing to talk."
Ruby didn't ask. She slipped from the cloak, getting up to approach the tree line. "Watch over the rest. I'm going to make sure that they're okay. Don't just abandon them, Nexus. I'll find Genis."
Nexus hung forward on the branch, his jaw agape when Ruby disappeared into the forest. "You want me to stay behind and watch these idiots for you?! Ruby, you can't just leave my sight!"
He agonised over the right choice to make, but he couldn't bring himself to ignore Ruby's request, throwing himself back against the tree to sulk. "I'm not some overglorified nanny. I'm only here for you. Damn it."
Ruby cautiously stepped through the forest, finding an odd sense of peace wash over her the deeper in she got. Before long, soft voices came from ahead. Ruby began to pick up the pace through the forest; her only goal was to find Safire in that moment.
"I don't know about this." Genis's voice came out clearer than before. Ruby's eyes fell on the glint of Jasher's divine weapon, halting her in her tracks swiftly. "I know you're pissed off, but do you really want to become a murderer?"
Ruby ducked behind a nearby tree, her heart beginning to pound rapidly in her chest. Especially with Safire's response. "I do. As long as we follow the plan, we'll be able to end him once and for all. You just focus on the rest, and I'll take care of the messy stuff."
Safire twirled the blade between her fingers, beginning to pace. Ruby held her hands over her mouth in shock, sliding down the tree to continue eavesdropping. Safire continued. "I don't think it'll be too difficult to take him down. You just need to ensure that I get a clean shot."
Genis sighed deeply, leaning against one of the trees. "You don't see the problem in this plan, do you? Ruby is attached to Nexus, so this won't exactly go down easily. Are you sure you want to undertake such a dangerous assassination?"
Safire held the blade up, catching the glint of the moon in her blade. "I'm afraid I don't have much of a choice. As it is, our team is fractured, and I don't see a way out of this. He's just dead weight at this point."
A chill ran through Ruby's spine when Genis let out an amused chuckle. "I never took you for the bloodthirsty kind. Well, I've said this before; if you wish to kill, I won't stop you. This is a mortal's affair after all. I'm just a deity."
Safire chortled in response, holding the blade up toward Genis. "I'm far more cutthroat than you'd think." Genis's head whipped toward the river, the area growing silent swiftly. Safire's cocky smirk fell fast. "What is it?"
Ruby began to tremble, fearing the beating of her heart was audible in that moment of pure silence. Genis took Safire's arm, beginning to pull her back toward the river. "We are about to have company. It's time to wake the rest and flee. It seems we've been caught."
Ruby flinched when they walked past. Neither seemed to notice her in their haste. She finally let out the quivering breath that she'd held back, slumping to the forest floor in shock to mutter to herself. "They want Nexus dead?"
Genis and Safire stormed through to the river banks, finding the others already being roused by Nexus. Genis sighed in relief. "There's no time to explain. Get your asses up, we have to – where is Ruby?"
Nexus whipped his head toward Genis with wide, panicked eyes. "She went into the forest to find you two! You haven't crossed paths yet?" Genis and Safire shared a knowing glance before Nexus pushed past. "I knew I shouldn't have let her leave my side! Get the others to safety, we'll find you!"
Genis clenched his jaw, grabbing Nexus's shoulder. He looked back at Safire with a chilling expression. "I've got it. You handle the evacuation with Safire. That way, if he gets the drop on the group, you can at least bring Safire to Ruby's side. Now go!"
Nexus shook his head, going to refute before Genis broke out into a sprint, breaking through the trees. "That makes no sense! Genis! Fuck, why is nobody listening to me today? Right, let's get out of here fast. Don't slow me down. I will leave you all to rot if I sense danger around Ruby."
Genis huffed as he scoured the forest, desperate to find Ruby. The sounding of a branch snapping nearby caught his attention fast. Genis rushed toward the sound, finding Ruby wandering through the trees. When her eyes fell upon Genis, she suppressed the urge to scream. Ruby tried to act natural, forcing a smile. "There you are. Wait, where's Safire?"
Genis seemed taken aback for a moment before he cleared his throat, approaching Ruby calmly. "I brought her back to the river. Didn't you hear us? There's a threat approaching, and we need to get out of here now."
Ruby halted in her tracks, feigning shock. "No, I came in looking for you two when I woke up and found her gone. Who's coming? Does Nexus know that? I don't want the others to be in danger, too."
Genis seemed far more relaxed now. "I left Safire in Nexus's care. I wouldn't leave my mortal union with him unless he was made aware that she wasn't in any danger. I came back to get you because I've walked this forest more. Come on, time is of the essence when it comes to this creep."
"That hurts my feelings when it comes from the biggest traitor of our kind." Genis sucked on his bottom lip, turning to find an enormous man looming in the shade. The sheer size of this deity would be enough to tower over Odeen. Nexus's evacuation halted when a sensation travelled through the air.
"Get to the forest! He's found Ruby!" Nexus grabbed Safire's hand. Not giving any other explanation, he pulled her back to fall through one of his portals, leaving the rest to fend for themselves.
Genis stepped in front of Ruby, holding his arm out defensively. "You only know what you've been told. We should never mess with mortals' affairs. We are high above them, so their lives and actions are not ours to judge."
Ruby took a shaky breath, having to remind herself that Genis wasn't human. But that left a far bitterer taste in her mouth as she was forced to accept that the plot for murder was being carried out by Safire's will.
Nexus crashed into the scene in his usual dramatic display, shoving Safire into Ruby's arms to stand by Genis's side. "Stay the fuck away from her, Aram. She's not someone I'll let you mess with blatantly without consequences!"
Aram let out a booming laugh, daring to take a step closer. "I can't believe it! Nexus, of all deities, you?!" His eyes grew wild with frantic excitement as the world around them began to warp and become unrecognisable. The visuals were too much for Ruby and Safire to handle. Even Nexus and Genis seemed to struggle with the swaying, swirling backgrounds. "Forgot my gift, didn't ya?"
Genis held his head, grinding his teeth in annoyance. "No, we just never liked it. It's such an obnoxious power. Haven't you wondered why no other deity uses your gift to the Inbetween? You have such power and stature, yet you have to stun your opponents like a coward!"
Aram snarled, disappearing into the swirling distortion. "You will pay for those callous words, Genis." Nexus stumbled back, shielding Ruby and Safire. Genis never moved, beginning to become breathless with the assault on his sensations.
Nexus and Genis shared a glance before Genis nodded. Nexus wore a pained expression, turning back toward the girls. He wrapped them in a tight embrace, his form trembling. "Ruby, no matter what happens or what you see, never leave Safire's side."
Ruby's eyes widened as the flickering light of fire began to roar toward them. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! MOVE!" Nexus squeezed her tighter, gritting his teeth in preparation for the agony he was about to endure. Safire screamed in Nexus's arms, trying to get to Genis.
Time seemed to slow to an agonising pace. As though it was teasing the mortals. Ruby stared up at Nexus before her brows furrowed. "No, you fucking don't. you will not self-sacrifice for me!" She reared back suddenly, slamming her forehead against Nexus with such force that the shield it conjured sheltered them from the blast.
Nexus shuddered, finally releasing the girls to turn back to the burned, charred surroundings before rubbing his forehead with a pained wince when the collision began to ache. "OW! I can't hit you! That doesn't mean you can't hit me!"
Nexus caught Ruby's furious glare, finding her panting and clenching her fists in betrayal. Genis let out a humourless chuckle, grateful to still be alive. Aram stepped out from the flames, bursting into hysterical laughter. "You dare say two fucking words about my power when that one can only come from one source?!" His eyes narrowed toward Ruby, a sadistic grin stretching across his lips with amusement. "Hello, my brother's mortal union."
-End of chapter 30-