ZaiWin sighed, crossing his arms.
"It's like you said. I feel … unbalanced. You know? Like when you're fourteen and you get angry at the slightest thing, and your markings react even without your consent."
VinWei nodded, her anger vanishing, her eyes glowing with interest.
"It's kind of like that. The difference being that I didn't have these many markings when I was fourteen, and they weren't so strong. So it kind of feels as if I'm walking on a tightrope. And when people like you, or ZenTar, that have strong markings, get close to him, it kind of sends an alarm throughout my entire body, no matter how much I trust that you won't do anything to harm him."
VinWei smiled and nodded.
"Well, that's normal."
"I should probably feel relieved that at least something about this whole shit is normal," he snorted and she laughed at his disgruntled expression.
"Yeah. Like I said, it is the Chosen One's duty to protect their Tien'Elhar. And you are a skittish person to begin with, always distrusting everyone around you. Since you still haven't consolidated your bond it's totally normal that you'd react like that, for fear that someone might come and take him from you."
ZaiWin frowned annoyed at her wording.
"I'm not afraid! Much less of that!"
"Well, that's what your mind says. You're even considering the possibility of killing him, after all. But our thoughts are our thoughts, our hearts are our hearts, and our instincts are a completely different matter. And that impulse to protect him, to keep him safe, has nothing to do with what you think, or even with how you feel about it. It's pure instinct. Just learn to live with it!" she mocked him, patting his arm, and he glared coldly at her. "Although, it kind of suits you, if you ask me. Genuinely caring for another person, not because you were told to, or because you are honor-bound to do so. I'm sure this whole thing has been a complete new experience for you."
"It has been a pain in my ass, that's what it has been!" he immediately shot back and she gave him a few more comforting pats, that did more to annoy him than anything else.
"Don't worry. You are not the only one feeling like this. He will also do whatever it takes to keep you safe, you know?"
ZaiWin had to look away so she wouldn't catch his embarrassed expression, the memory of the kiss he'd given him flashing vividly through his mind. That damn brat! He'd hit him silly if he ever dared pull a stunt like that again!
"Hmm, you said he didn't know anything, that he didn't even know about his own daitai. Does that mean he has never actually used them?" VinWei asked, looking surprised at her own conclusion, and ZaiWin took a deep breath.
"He has used them. I've seen him use those ice markings twice. But, like I said, he can't control them."
She looked even more surprised at that.
"That's what we were doing, when you found us. The last time he almost froze me to death!" he grunted. still annoyed, and she crossed her arms.
"You do know he can't hurt you, right?"
"As if I would ever trust that bunch of bullshit!" he immediately retorted, a momentary glint of fury crossing his gaze. "But even if I manage to survive … can you be sure you will as well? Or any other person for that matter?"
"You have a point," she admitted with a nod. "But will that work? You're using the Ver technique, right?"
"Is there any other?"
"That is the only safe one I know. But that's not the problem. Unlike us, Tien'Elhar are born with all their daitai, except in the cases I mention before, when they are born outside the Temple. In either case, however, they naturally learn how to control their daitai until to the age of six. That's why the Temple doesn't allow them to select a Chosen One before that age, even if they were able to do so. A Tien'Elhar this old, unable to control his daitai, is completely unheard of."
"Completely unheard of?!"
"Well, there was the case of Ren JinWan's Tien'Elhar. Like Snow, she was born outside the Temple, and the Finders only delivered her when she was past her first year of age. The Jundai that directly cared for her reported that, at that time, all her daitai were completely sealed, but there was nothing that indicated that the seal was someone else's doing."
"So she did it herself?"
VinWei nodded.
"That was the general conclusion. Of course she was too young to be aware of any of that. Also, like Snow, she possesses elemental daitai, water if I'm not mistaken. The Jundai's general belief on the matter is that she probably unknowingly used them, and the result wasn't … in accordance to a Tien'Elhar's nature. Coincidentally there were reports of a big flood on her birth Province half a month before, where two villages had been completely destroyed."
"And they thought that was her doing."
VinWei nodded again.
"They believed that she had unconsciously sealed her own daitai, so that something like that would never happen again. And it took another full year until she was able to finally unseal them again. But even then, the water markings never became active again."
"Like some kind of … trauma?"
"I guess you can put it that way."
ZaiWin pondered for a moment and looked up at her.
"In the brat's case, his markings aren't sealed. I believe they're all active. It's just that he can't control them and, like what happens with young children, they react to his emotions. That's why that woman had him drugged. And why that bastard had a qinrien around his neck."
"A qinrien?!" VinWei repeated in outrage. "They dared??"
"For a while I forced him to wear it as well," ZaiWin admitted and VinWei's outrage quickly turned to anger. "You can be angry at me all you want. You didn't see what that brat can do when he screams. My men were terrified of him. You can still see how HawkEye is when he's around, even after all this time traveling together without any incidents."
VinWei sighed, her anger waning.
"So he's a … well, I guess I'd have to call him Songster, since he is a boy."
ZaiWin raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"A what?"
"Like us, Tien'Elhar have their own, natural ways to help them control their own daitai, or to increase their effect. We call Songstresses to the ones that use their voices to do just that. Normally because the Temple will teach them songs, instead of plain words."
"Humph! All so that they may be even better dolls, able to properly entertain their owners and their respective guests," ZaiWin spat and VinWei sighed, knowing that it was no use arguing with him about such matters.
"So that's why he's so quiet. He must have figured it out himself," she guessed. "It's he's own way of sealing his daitai."
"Well, it's a shitty way. He didn't utter a single sound and still almost froze me to death!"
She chuckled at his annoyed expression.
"You're such a poor looser!" she mocked. "Admit it! You're just pissed that some kid caught the big Lun Calzai off guard!"
"As if!"
She smiled and took a deep breath.
"Well, at least knowing this, if the Ver technique doesn't work, you can always try and teach him songs."
"Over my dead body!"
"Come now, weren't you the one always saying the the method is irrelevant as long as one achieves their own goals? What's the problem with a few songs if that means he'll never offend your pride again?"
"My pride wasn't offended! As if I would ever take that brat seriously enough for that!"
"Yeah, yeah. You're absolutely right, like always," she conceded, stretching her arms and back. "Well, it's getting late. And I am tired from speeding all the way here. That's right! What did you ask of my father that landed you on border patrol?"
"He is to manage Nox as his own until I can settle this matter, one way or the other."
"Really? So you gave him your land and still ended up working for him?" She shook her head, clearly pitying him. "You suck at doing business, you know? That's why you always end up with the shittiest end of the bargain."
ZaiWin sighed and begun his way back to camp.
"Beggars can't be choosers. And if the worst comes to pass he won't be in an easy position either."
"Bah! My father is the last person you need to worry about. A few words from him and not even the El'Dur would be safe. And the royals know it."
"And you shouldn't say such things out loud."
"Even though you're not denying them?" she asked, an amused smile on her face, and he sighed again.
"I may suck at conducting business, but I know how to choose my allies."
She smiled again, a devious glint dancing in her purplish eyes.
"That you do. Well, as far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't mind it even if he had sent you to the end of the world. It only means I get more time to solve the mess you got yourself into."
And he didn't doubt she would try her best, that she wouldn't give up until the last second. If anyone could be annoyingly persistent like a damn hound on a hunt, that person was VinWei. He did doubt, however, that she'd be successful in her endeavor.
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Weekend is almost there! Yay!! I can finally catch up on my sleeping hours! 😴 (did you think I'd say I can finally write a lot? 😏 Well, that too, of course! 😁