What was going on!? What had Einervaene done!? What was she doing!? What was going on with Salahma!?
Those were all the questions going through my head as I watched the sight before me. That wyvern that had cooked me alive was burning from the inside out. She was violently spasming and Einervaene had disappeared in a flash into Salahma's mouth! The glow of flames no longer leaving her mouth!
Instead, it was like lightning was forcing itself down her throat and choking her! Surging into her soft insides and tearing them apart! Her body was even treating it as such, with her claws slicing away at her neck. She even reached out to me with smoke and tears coming out of her eyes...
And then, it happened. Salahma collapsed and Einervaene was seemingly spat out. All that magic quickly shifting back into its true shape. The heat Salahma let out quickly going away too.
The human woman that had just appeared cried in pain, but the wyvern made no noise. It just laid there, not moving meaningfully beyond twitches, smoke leaving its eyes, nose and mouth! Had she done it!? Had Einervaene won!?
"MISTRESS!" all the lesser wyverns suddenly cried out as their anger acknowledged the idle woman. But, before they could do anything, I learned something in that moment. I learned to ignore my pain and I reached out for her. I grabbed Einervaene and I ran away with her in my arms. Leaping away from the mountain with a boom before then going into the clouds.
And just like that, I was through them and I remembered something crucial, "SHIT SHIT SHIT!" I began to repeat over and over. I had forgotten that this was a mountain and about my current state of injury. So, well, it looks like we were now rocketing towards the ground to die.
"It's okay..." the woman in my arms barely got out before we suddenly went up again. My body turning into lightning alongside hers before we came down again. It felt almost instantaneous and it was making me want to vomit. So I held Einervaene close and choked on nothing.
"Please let's not do that again..." I told her with a shudder before I collapsed properly. My back leaning against whatever we landed by after I put her down. Only for her to then lean on me again while panting. The signs of tears present as she shivered against me.
I knew how to heal her, so I was now going to try something and hoped it worked. I put one claw into her mouth, confusing her while I also let my magic flow out. And with my free claw, I began to carefully feel up her arm. Looking at her uncomfortably before I began to make my grip firm.
"What are you...?" she began to weakly whisper past my digit while I grew increasingly nervous.
"Bite down, I cannot guarantee this will feel nice." I warned her before her teeth gently went down on my digit. A single breath going into my lungs before I then squeezed. Clenching my teeth harshly as Einervaene's threatened to bite my digit off. Her screams shaking my arm while I tried to heal her.
And, it was like I was once told by Futhans back when I was in his town. If I let my magic flow out and focus it, I could heal someone. Unfortunately, it seems like I could only give Einervaene a slight heal. Just enough to get her arm sorted out but not fixed.
"Make sure to give them back, okay?" I then joked before I began to take my bandages off and wrap them around her arm. Grabbing whatever I could to at least frame it so the arm would not go back to its prior state.
"The sticks and stones or the bandages?" she then joked with a wide smile and flowing tears in her eyes. All before she then seemingly leapt against me to hug me. Her tears soon flowing down my back as she hugged me tightly. A smile coming to my face as I hugged her back.
"Thank you for saving me, Einervaene." I then told her as one of my claws stroked her messy hair. Somewhat straightening it back out as I did so. But, she did not say anything else to me after I thanked her. She just kept holding me and crying.
And so it was like that for a short amount of time. Us two, in the dark under the night sky somewhere in either a mountain or valley. Just holding each other and letting it all out quietly or noisily. With lots of little movements or heavy hiccups.
"Don't ever do that again..." she then let out with a sniffle. Her eyes having been dried out on my exposed fleshy bits. Tickling them slightly as she did so.
"I can't just leave your arm snapped like that." I said back to her as I looked at my crude work. Frankly, I was surprised I was able to apply bandages like that in a medical situation. But, I suppose wearing them so much has given me some degree of skill in putting them on!
"Not that! Getting kidnapped by wyverns!" she corrected with a pained laugh before she gently shoved me. Only to then collapse against my chest and rest her head under my chin. Her still soft hair pressing up against me, filling in the gaps between my carapace plates.
"I'll see what I can do about it, then." I told her as I grin came to my face. But, to be serious, I was going to heed that. I did not want to be held hostage by a psychopath again. And now that I thought about it...
Was I just cursed or something? Both times I have been on an airship I have been imprisoned by magical monsters! Yet, it also worried me a little. Despite what Salahma had done, I was a little dull to it all.
It just did not stick in my head as well despite it only just ending... A certain moment stayed fresh in my mind but the rest just seemed to be set aside. As if my mind only had enough room for one period where I was a hostage. I was still thankful I was out of it, though.
"Nin... Can I talk to you about something?" she then asked me as she got up slightly so her face was in front of mine. A nervous glint coming to my eyes as I was very certain I knew what this was about. Here we were, just us two and her heart and body had been through a lot. She was confident in this moment...
"Sure, let me just..." I began to mumble before I moved back against the stone formerly behind me. Leaning against it and having her lean on my side so we could be comfortable.
"Can I ask you about it now?" she nearly said with a stutter as her face went pinkish. Not really the red she normally went when she was embarrassed.
"Sure." I just said as I thought on how to avoid what was about to happen.
"I know I sort of said this before, but... I think I wasn't clear enough about it... So, uh, Nin... I... I... I would like to try out a relationship with you. Not a friendly one, you know... A romantic one! I would like to get to know you better in a more intimate way! Nin I..." she began to say while moving about back and forth. Her blush deepening as her fingers pressed themselves against whatever. Only for her to stop when I faked a snore.
And I was nervous the entire time and felt like I needed to just jump off a mountain. I was so unforgivably rude in this moment that I don't think I can look her in the eye. Well, later, when I am done pretending to be asleep. And that noise she made when I let out that snore, it hurt.
"Oh... Well, I guess it can wait for the moment." she said in a surprisingly relaxed tone before I felt her breath. Then, a high pitched noise as her face pressed up against the side of mine. Had she just kissed me on the cheek!? She had, hadn't she!?
That alone nearly made me give up the attempt to pretend I didn't hear this. But, I kept it up, I kept it up and died on the inside. She was hugging me and lovingly spreading herself over me before she then went to sleep herself. And I then opened my eyes and stared blankly ahead.
I wanted to swear and run away to hide to swear some more. But, instead, I was stuck here. Under a woman who had saved my life and opened up to me about something precious... And I ignored it because I didn't want to tell her no.
And then I looked down at the bracelet I was given back on that ship when I was just a soul. Could I solve the issue if I just took it off? Confront Einervaene about it with it off and see if she was still able to say it? But was that even right?
She had just, once again, declared to me that she did in fact hold me in particular regards. She was happy and wanted to share that happiness. Yet, here I was, so desperately trying to undermine it because I wanted to love another. Could this seriously be justified?
"Ah, should have just died in Salahma's custody..." I so very quietly moaned out loud as I clutched my face. Frustrated breaths coming out onto my bug shell covered palms while I kept my eyes shut. A sense of anger boiling away inside me and bypassing the lid of the pot the longer this went on. I was so close to just shouting, but, I calmed down.
I calmed down and I looked at Einervaene. I could just tell her no, just get it over with. A clean-cut and snap, no jagged edges left behind. Or, I could accept her feelings and drop what I felt for Lari.
But that just once again frustrated me, why did I have to argue with myself over this!? If I did not care for Einervaene with the same degree of affection... Then why did I have to undercut myself!? Or would it have been possible to accept her but still chase Lari...?
A sort of middle ground where I guess nobody wins but we all get something? No... That was preposterous. It was cruel to them and cruel to myself.
I just needed to be blunt and clear with Einervaene... Make it official with Lari and guide her towards someone else. She had her whole life ahead of her, a life she wasn't going to be spending with me. Especially not given how close to going home I was.
"Whatever decision I make, please forgive me..." I whisper in apology to the sleeping beauty. Trying my best not to disturb her as I stroked her hair. A sharp cutting-like sensation going past my heart as I heard her purr as I did so. And while my grip was tender, my teeth were grinding harshly while my mind was a battleground.