Having toppled the hindrance that is the guard's station, the tenseness of shoulders ease.
"This is the farthest I have ever been in my life", Obrecht says, as we both catch our breaths at the edge of Lumea's border.
The shiny blue barrier that encompasses a third of Inferis' forest and Lumea's city shines brightly despite the lack of sunlight. The peculiar barrier didn't seem like the ones I thought it would be. Instead, it looks a bit like a dome of water rippling here and there as they cradle everything inside.
"...Let's go", I tell Obrecht after a while. We need to find a safe place by nightfall.
Making one foot fall after the other, I step out of the barrier, first with one hand testing its reaction. After a silent pause, I press forward only to obtain the feeling of being submerged and the emerging outside. The first thing I notice is the heavy contrasting atmosphere inside and outside the barrier. In a split second, my vigilance heightens.
I understand now why the Lumeans call Aovialutre their protector. The feeling of unease you'd feel inside a dark forest is irrevocable. Like prickling needles, the restless feeling caresses the skin, making the tiny hairs on my arms and nape stand straight. I wouldn't be surprised if one or two predators have their eyes out on us at the moment, and this is at the border.
Or perhaps it's because it's at the border that's why they gather here? Simply waiting for the next foolish young person to come out and enter into their hungry mouths.
Obrecht's smile falters as he steps out beside me. One glance is all it took for us to dash out in the fastest sprint we could muster. Obrecht takes out his sword as I unleash my own domain both to defend from attacks, and to minimize those who can tell where we are by manipulating the air flow as we run.
A hundred feet away, I gradually lose my restlessness. A tiny sense of release is kept at the back of my mind, thankful that those beasts didn't chase after us. But I don't plan on relaxing just yet. We continue running, not stopping until we reach our first decided checkpoint.
The sweat on my forehead drops a little due to the amount of concentration I'm pouring to my control. It's similar to having a big tank full of water, with only one small faucet facilitating the export of water. My amount of concentration can only yield as much power as the faucet can release water, therefore if I lose my concentration, the faucet, either breaks to collapse itself close, or breaks to release my unfiltered, unhindered power all over the place. But what bothers me most isn't that, but that the tank is expanding ever so little by the day. If the tank becomes a small dam one day, I might just cry for the pitiful faucet that is me.
"Videre!"
Startled out of my thoughts, Obrecht jumps and snatches my waist mid-air and starts to run faster, carrying me along like some ragdoll. Jostled a bit, I wrap my legs on his waist to keep myself from falling, with my head leaning on one side, and hands gripping his shoulders so I don't hinder his sight, nor disrupt his momentum and slow us down. One look at his face is all I need to know that he wants me to pour my attention to navigation and defense as he runs and attacks if necessary.
But doesn't this kind of position challenge every aspect of one's concentration?
Oh, you poor faucet. You poor, poor faucet. You can do this, don't break—concentrate!
With red cheeks, I motivate myself, half trying to ignore completely the awfully awkward position Obrecht and I are in. The feeling of having moving, flexing muscles under my palm, near my skin separated by the few layers of cloth—
I don't even have to use my powers to feel the satisfaction radiating off of Obrecht at this moment.
"Ob", I say as I use a shadow vine like a compass to navigate the way.
I found a small safe area with no tracks or breath of any beast; a small crack between a stone that opens to an empty space—too small to be called a cave, but big enough to hide three people standing up.
I try to jump off Obrecht the moment we arrive. The key term here is 'try'.
"...Hand." Impatiently, I pinch Obrecht's shoulder. Having ran while carrying me, Obrecht supported my weight by holding that unspeakable place. And now that my feet are on the ground, he still does not let go, leaving me in an awkward position of half standing, and half sitting on his hand. Meanwhile, the other person is smiling at me like nothing is wrong in the world.
Can you get any more shameless than this?!
Obrecht tilts his head a bit, acting oblivious.
"..." Annoyed! I'm so annoyed!
I pinch his arm hard. Just a second from me completely losing it, Obrecht lets go and raises his arms up before flashing me another innocent look, as if that look would ease my anger. I look away furiously.
The tiny cave could only accommodate one person sleeping on the ground, so we can only take turns to rest, but that was already part of the plan. The only unplanned thing is that Obrecht keeps objecting about me sleeping alone inside the cave.
"...Can you let go?"
"No!" Obrecht straight-facedly objects, gripping and hugging the bed roll. It took a lot in me to fight back the urge to start hitting this unreasonable entity. Just when I thought I understand him, I am once again proven wrong.
"..."
I stop pulling and let go. Obrecht smiles wider, as he takes over for me, placing the bed roll beside him before working on making an impromptu fire pit on the ground. He takes a dried branch from a pile he gathered who knows when, and stares at it. After a while, the fire sparks a little and quickly catches fire.
"..." Magic?
Stunned, I subconsciously sit on the bed roll beside Obrecht, curious how Obrecht made such a spark. Can anyone blame me? I've seen numerous Lumeans doing magic at the Circ, but I've never seen Obrecht do it, not even during practice.
"Curious?" Obrecht cheekily says.
I stare at him blankly.
"..." I'm curious but your attitude annoys me.
Obrecht chuckles as he grabs my mask and stares at it. He then raises an eyebrow at me, reminding me of our previous promise to not wear it when it's just the two of us, to which I roll my eyes at.
"..." This is the first time I see him casting a spell, and yet he keeps me in suspension. What kind of treatment is this?! Why does he keep teasing me?!
Flashing me another satisfied cheeky grin, my reason finally snaps.
"..." Why are you so cheeky?! Who allowed you to be so annoying lately?!
I pinch his cheeks and stretch them as far as possible, as hard as I am able. My attack forces Obrecht to lean backwards but I don't release his cheeks, thus I am pulled along with him. But that escape was simply a trap that lured me in. He snakes a hand around my waist, as he lays on the grass, cheeks red but not from blushing.
"..." Although I was caught during my revenge, I regret nothing!
Yes, I regretted nothing, until he started squeezing my waist. I hit his chest in demand to be released.
"..." Let go!
He shakes his head. I huff angrily and slap his chest again.
"..." I said unhand me! I can't breathe—!
"You're so adorable when you're angry", he says, staring at my face fondly and tracing the markings on it with his eyes.
I palm his face, trying to dislodge myself away from him, but the hand on my waist steadily refuses to let go. Not unless I break my waist backward, I can't escape.
A moment later, a feel a pair of soft lips nipping at the fleshy part of my palm, nearest to the thumb. I cannot fathom what kind of expression I am displaying anymore, but it sure amuses Obrecht. Resigned, I simmer down and hide my face on his chest—I mean, there is nowhere else to go hide, and I just, I just...
...Faex.
"Do that thing you did yesterday when I found you", Obrecht says after he issues a satisfied hum.
I don't move for a while, thinking of what he meant. Was he pertaining to my shadow vines? I ease away the concept of a water tank in my head and just imagine a free pond, slowly unwinding the strings of my restraints like a marionette master snapping off the strings on his marionette doll. It's easier and faster to do now as I have done it already yesterday. Darkness stretches out slowly from below me and Obrecht, encompassing a wide area around us covering and graying out the area, and blackening the ground. Glancing at the lost colors of the trees, I urge my domain to simmer down to the ground. I hear Obrecht chuckle softly. When I looked back at him, I am stupefied.
Half of his body is submerged and covered by many smaller shadow vines, each one vying for his attention. Obrecht lovingly caresses one with his freehand, as other vines try to steal the attention from this favored vine, like scheming concubines.
"I can see why you don't always use your power. You didn't want me to realize how much you love me, right", Obrecht asks the vines, cooing at them as he watches them nod instinctively.
I open my mouth to say something only to close it again. These are not mine! I deny these treacherous vines!
I swat a few away from Obrecht's hand. He grabs my hand before I can slap away a few more.
"Don't hit our children just because you're jealous of them. I'm still yours don't worry", he seriously says to me.
Ashamed and speechless, I hide my face in my hands.
"…" I give up. I can't win against such an unreasonable entity. I don't care anymore. Let what happens happen.
Just as I have internally come to peace, a new disruption of said inner tranquility occurred when my domain picks up the movement of a fast approaching being. It didn't seem malicious, so I let it come nearer, yet fully aware that should it attack, my shadow will most likely strike first. Finally, a tree shakes nearby, as someone jumps down to the bush, making loud rustling sounds.
Escaping the thorny clutches of the shrub's branches, a figure emerges haggardly, with one cheek cut and her elbows lined with some scratches.
"Vera?" Obrecht blankly gazes at her, like how one would stare at an apparition.
"Oh, Obrecht! Finally—Krael and I, we—", Vera stops talking as we end up staring for a couple seconds before I awkwardly shift my gaze away, thinking hard how to justify this situation.
I don't know who's more surprised—me and Obrecht seeing her outside Lumea in what looks to be her chasing after us, or her seeing me and Obrecht in a compromising position surrounded by baby vines.
It doesn't help that the shadow vines beside Obrecht act like they're watching a show!
"Vera, have you found…" Krael trails off as he emerges behind Vera, vigilantly watching their back until he turns to where Vera's eyes are directed.
What's a good decision at this time? Right, let's sleep never wake up, shall we? Okay? Okay.