The portal ride was an interesting sensation to say the least. Marbh felt as if he were about to throw up when he got to the other side. He stumbled across the grass right onto a short pointy black fence.
"Ow!" he squealed in pain
Omeo gave a disappointed sigh. Killara chuckled quietly before taking charge.
"I'm guessing we must collect some sort of tribute for Athol. A sort of house warming gift?"
Marbh pulled himself off the fence and unhooked his tank top from one of the shiny black points.
"Yes." he winced
"What sort of house warming gift would we find here?" Omeo's question was met with snickers from the other two. He looked back and forth between them with a confused look on his face before rubbing his biceps.
"Jesus it's cold out here."
"Well we are in Norway." Killara pointed out
"NORWAY."
Marbh laughed boisterously, he laid a hand on Omeo's shoulder as he wheezed.
"Enough Marbh it's not funny." Omeo spat, he gave Marbh the stink eye as his teeth chattered against each other inside his chapped mouth.
Killara smiled slightly before pulling their long blue hair into a messy bun atop their head.
"There's a convenience store less than a block away from here, once we retrieve what we need we can get you two a genuine norweigan dollar store hoodie before we get on the bus."
"Y-yeah that sounds good." Omeo muttered
"I don't need no hoodie I ain't cold!" Marbh crossed his arms definitely, his elbows tinted purple against his pale freckled skin.
Killara rolled their eyes before hopping the pointed gothic fence with a delicate bounce.
Once on the other side they gestured for the other two to follow. They walked silently, weaving through the grave stones and somehow managing to keep their feet from stepping atop the graves of the ancient mages.
"So I take it this ain't an ordinary gravesite?" Marbh whispered loudly; breaking the silence,
"And I take it that you didn't pay an ounce of attention during the mage orientation."
"The what now?"
Killara gave a sarcastic huff in response.
Omeo whipped his head to either side, surveying the surroundings as he walked. He had always been quite the worried wreck --especially when he was expected to protect the people around him. The boy absolutely hated to be the bodyguard friend, he knew the second that they were in danger he would freeze up. As his mind wandered off, Omeo's fingers dug into the thick scars littered across his carmel chest. Lost in thought, he bumped into Killara.
"Woah there buddy, watch where you're going." They chuckled
"S-sorry." he laughed nervously.
Killara bent down near a small marble gravestone, long overgrown grass brushing against the cracked letters it gave off an unnaturally eerie vibe despite being the smallest least ornate tombstone on the site.
They plucked a chip off of the stone and slipped it into one of the many pockets of their patchy skirt.
Standing upright, they gestured for the others to follow. They led the others through a shortcut into the woods. A thin wall of trees stood between the gravesite and an empty highway, which housed a small convenience store on the opposite side. Killara pointed to the store, the fluorescent blue and red sign giving their slim face a purple glow.
"We'll stop there and grab some basic supplies, there's supposed to be a bus coming around in about an hour. It should take us to the base of Athol's mountain."
"Sounds gucci."
"Don't talk like that idiot." Omeo mumbled.
Marbh snickered before bolting off into the road, the other two walked calmly across the empty highway behind him, watching his figure grow smaller and smaller as he sped with unnecessary speed towards the store.
Once they arrived inside the musty store it was apparent that Marbh had already found the energy drink section. He peered ecstatically over a full armload of variously colored monster cans as he stumbled over to his friends.
"Put those back!" Omeo demanded
"Screw you, they've got strawberry! I've never even tried strawberry." Marbh mumbled the last bit under his breath as he twisted his pile so that he could see his array of flavors.
"Just let him Omi, it's better than having him run around all crazy." Killara reassured.
Omeo groaned loudly, the gutteral noise of disapproval echoing throughout the tiny store.
"Can I help you with anything?" The voice came from a teenage girl standing behind the counter. She looked to be about Marbh's age; 17. Tapping a pen against the counter in an aggravated manner, her messy platinum blonde hair dangled around her hips as she swayed softly to the muffled pop music playing from the water damaged speakers overhead.
"Yes! I would like to buy these." Marbh then proceeded to dump his pile of monsters onto the counter, the cashier girl barely managed to catch them before they rolled off onto the grimey tile flooring.
"Well this is gonna end well." she muttered sarcastically as she adjusted her backwards neon pink snapback.
"Actually it makes him much less annoying."
"I'm not annoying."
Omeo glared at Marbh in response., as if to convey his fatigue without words.
The girl snickered.
"No I get it, it does that to me too. Caffeine and stuffs got a reverse effect that's why all my friends wanna get high off my meds." she chuckled, the gap in between her two front teeth causing a fairly prominent lisp. Which Marbh found strangely cute.
"I know right! Like no you can't have my ritalin! Too bad the circus doesn't let us take prescriptions anymore."
Killara elbowed Marbh in the ribs so hard he squealed.
"What the hell man!" he cried, his shaggy brown hair falling over his furrowed eyebrows.
"You can't mention the circus… are you stupid?" They spat through their teeth so venomously that by the time they were done Marbh practically looked like a furious cat who had just been attacked with a spray bottle for getting on the counter. Killara tugged him back to the counter where Omeo and the girl were talking whilst Omeo piled some more things onto the counter for her to bag.
"I hope you got the essentials." Killara chided
"Yeah yeah, protein bars, bandaids, bactine, and cigarettes." he mumbled the last word sheepishly
"Omi!"
"Listen I'm gonna be a bitch if I don't have them, I don't wanna put you guys through that." he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, averting eye contact with Killara he picked up the bags.
The girl stood there awkwardly, her smile twitched like she had no idea what to do.
"Hey! Is that a Children With Knives Hat?" Marbh questioned his face conveying the joy of a child in a candy store. The girl looked utterly shocked, she averted her eyes and began to flap her hands wildly in excitement.
"Oh my God! I've never met another CWK fan! Are you serious, bro?!"
"Dude they're like my favorite band ever! are you kidding me!!?"
The girl jumped up and down, her hands still in full motion. It didn't take long for Killara to notice something was off about her. They had a sort of knack for seeing small details that went over other people's heads-- especially ones that could mean life or death. Even so, they were ashamed for taking so long to notice this one. The girl's eyes shone a brighter and brighter pink the more excited she got, and the points of her pale ears poked out of her hair, waving her hands around vigorously she fangirled with Marbh.
Killara hated to be the party pooper, but this really was life or death.
"Weh pawt ih deh!" their voice boomed throughout the tiny one roomed store so loudly it knocked half of the food items of the shelves into the floor.
"What the hell Killa-" Omeo was stopped short as he realized what was happening, despite having no magic. He had been raised by a kriol speaking mother, he knew the language and he knew what they were asking for.
Marbh the confused scot stood confused and awkward in a pathetic guard base ready for a fight. The blonde girl stood frozen behind the counter, her cherry tinted lips began to quiver, she picked at her skin tight t-shirt in an attempt to keep her tears at bay.
Killara broke the silence.
"I see you know what that means?" they spoke in an oddly assertive--yet still reassuring-- manner
The girl nodded. Her now fluorescent pink eyes filled up with tears. Killara reached out and pulled the girls hands onto the counter, cupping their own on top of hers. They looked straight into her eyes as if trying to stabilize her.
"Listen I know this is stressful but you must tell us what breed you are and let us take you somewhere safe to talk about this."
The girl's face was painted with fear, her skin coated in tears, her skillfully placed eyemakeup leaving faded stains down her rosy cheeks. Omeo silently gestured for the girl to walk out from behind the counter, to which she obeyed without a word.
Once out she was out, Killara grabbed her trembling hand and led her out the door.
"Do I get to hijack a car now?"
"Marbh! This is serious, she's having a breakdown!" Killara spat as the girl fell against Killara for balance.
"But yes we will need a ride, It wouldn't be wise to walk to the bus stop with her, she is vulnerable."
Omeo grabbed the largest cheesy tourist hoodie off the back wall and followed the others outside. He threw a slightly smaller red one at Marbh and strode up next to Killara to spy on how she was comforting the newly adopted mage.
Marbh trailed behind keeping a lookout on his targets. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a faded grey ford F 250 pull up to the gas station portion of the store. He gestured to the others to hide while he did his business. Killara dragged the girl into a nearby bush, Omeo unsuccessfully hid behind a tree, his bright yellow "I heart Oslo" hoodie peaking out on both sides.
Marbh crouched low to the ground praying to whatever god would listen that his muted red hoodie didn't stand out against the damp concrete. The man who got out of the car was tall and business like. Marbh recognized his kind immediately, this was a noble disguising himself in a civilian car.
Marbh would be glad to wipe this scum off the planet. He snickered as he crept up on the man, he clutched the jimmy rigged spell bomb in his sweaty palm. A mason jar filled with goat urine and twizzlers may not be an effective weapon to most… but to a mage it could be everything.
He put the jar in his mouth, and the bear crawled up to the pump the truck was stopped at. He then leaned back against the pump carefully to stay out of sight of the man.
This was obviously a first level noble, he would be no trouble. He was even foolish enough to be unarmed and have his forearm branding exposed.
Marbh took a deep breath and chucked the spell bomb at the feet of the man.
"BÀSACHADH!" he spat, the bomb cracked open spreading shattered glass all over the concrete. Then a puff of red smoke exploded from the bottle leaving nothing but a pile of dust where the man used to be.
"CLEAR!" he yelled. Killara glared at him as she walked out of the bush.
"Don't be so loud, what if someone heard you?"
Marbh shrugged.
"I can't drive and work on the spell gift at one time so Omeo will drive, you sit in the back with the girl and make sure she is ok."
"What? Why does he get to drive?!"
"Because he won't drive into things just to see what sound they make when they crash." Killara spat.
Marbh huffed before turning his attention to the girl.
He hoisted her trembling body into the back of the car, he hopped into the car next to her and shut the door.
She sat with perfect posture, her body rocking back and forth as she stared aimlessly into the back of the seat.
Marbh could see she probably didn't want to talk but decided to try and get the basic information that they needed to keep her safe.
"Hey there, what's your name?" he questioned awkwardly.
The girl began to breathe slightly heavier, she looked over in Marbh's direction and shook her head furiously, Beginning to flap her arms, she put her head down and shut her eyes.
Marbh faltered, he didn't know exactly what to do but he assumed demanding the information wouldn't help.
"Ok, so um… You don't have to say anything but I think it would be better if you put your seatbelt on." he suggested.
She lifted her head up and nodded once again staring into the center of the seat in front of her. Then she reached for the seatbelt with shaky hands, after a few tries she finally got it.
"Um… you can put my backpack on your lap if you want… it's pretty heavy. I know weighted things help me when I get overwhelmed. It's kinda weird but ya know." He laughed nervously as he said this now tattered and gasoline stained hoodie dripping onto his pants.
The girl nodded furiously at this, a seemingly inappropriately placed smile sneaking across her face as she continued to rock back and forth in her seat, her rocking was now a bit softer which was good, Marbh was beginning to worry she would hurt herself slamming her back that hard against the seat.
Marbh slung his backpack off his back just as Omeo pulled the truck out of the parking lot, and began to coast along the empty highway.
"Could you tell me your name? If it helps I think I may remember the sign language alphabet you could finger spell it." Marbh suggested.
The girl grinned. She lifted her arms off the bag which they had previously been resting on, despite her trembling limbs she managed to sign three very important letters.
"Z-zoe?" Marbh questioned, hoping that he got it right.
She nodded.
"Zoe! Her name is Zoe guys!"
Killara turned to look into the back seat.
"I'm sorry that happened Zoe, once we get somewhere safe we'll fill you in. You're gonna be ok." Killara reassured, placing her hand on Zoe's knee which stuck out from under the backpack.
Zoe breathed in deeply her fidgeting seemed to have lessened.
"T-thank you." she managed in a raspy yet nasally voice, she then wiped her nose with her bare wrist, which according to her face she immediately regretted.
"Here wipe it on my sleeve, things thing's already as good as worthless." Marbh chuckled holding out his damp hoodie sleeve.
Zoe grabbed his arm and wiped her wrist with it.
"Thanks" she chuckled, her voice now a bit more lively. She continued to flap her hands a bit against the bag as she looked out the window. But it wasn't nearly as aggressive as before and she seemed content so Marbh let it be.
He turned to face forward again.
"We got any music in here?"
"I doubt there's much connection here the radio probably won't work." Killara responded hoping for a quiet drive.
"No worries," Marbh exclaimed, "I have my cds!" He then carefully pulled a few cds from a pocket on his bag sitting on Zoe's tattered black skinny jeans.
"Of course you do." Omeo mumbled
"Children with knives?" Marbh asked
She nodded dramatically before happily pointing at one of the discs.
"The original album, a woman of culture I see!" he then chucked the cd into the front seat.
"Play that sucker Kill Kill!" he bellowed
"Never call me that again." they said reluctantly placing the cd into the slot and pressed play.
To which the entire truck was filled with booming bass and guitar riffs.
Zoe squealed and began to sing along perfectly. Her once honeysuckle sweet high pitched voice now as deep as a tigers growl she hit the guttural notes verbatim.
"Woah you can scream?" Marbh's jaw basically dropped to the floor.
Zoe continued to roar along with the music, throwing her long blonde hair back and forth as she headbanged to the drums blasting out the speakers. The backpack tumbled onto the floor as a result.
"Great now there's two of them." Complained Omeo.
Once Marbh got over his shock the two began to head bang in sync in the backseat of the truck whilst Omeo and Killara sat in silence staring out the windshield into the snowy scenery with contempt.