I awoke from the pure darkness that had surrounded me, blinded by the intense blazing sun. It towered higher than the very sky and it burned the desert.
Sweat poured down from my forehead into my eyes, burning and blurring my vision. My whole body was drenched with sweat, making me gag from the smell alone. I pushed myself up with my aching arms, trying to get up from the puddle built up around.
The same sand as before, reaching farther than the eye could see, though this time it was distorted by the rising hot air. Light that bounced off of the blanket of sand refracted through the different densities of air. I've heard many tales of men going insane from witnessing these things, now though we have the technology to understand these phenomena.
I turned my head around the cart, finding Lucet jotting down more notes in her journal. Wait. Something is different. She wasn't wearing her dress from before, just a dark blue one piece bathing suit. It put on display all of her god-like curves. I don't know if the heat of the sun was making blush or it was her appearance but I could feel a heat stroke coming soon.
(''Oh, Abby, you're awake! Wonderful!'')
She poked her head up from the journal as soon as she felt my eyes creeping on her. Crap! Why does she have to be so blessed, a super model in the mask of a goddess. My eyes were hooked on her figure, unable to escape her charm.
(''Oh, uhm yeah. I am up.'') Interpret that as you will.
(''You did great last night, slaying all six Sand Serpents on your own. I think you deserve a treat~'') She tugged the edge of her one piece, revealing a tiny bit more skin around her chest.
Nope. Nope. I don't need this right now, I need cold water. Not to be put in heat by this vulpine-like woman who has the impurest of minds.
(''Ah, I'll have to decline. I appreciate the offer but I lik-'')
Eep. A bolt of light struck directly between my legs, cutting my sentence short. She stared me down, burning a hole through my chest with her eyes alone.
(''Surely I didn't hear that correctly. You don't mean that you like someone more than me right?!'')
(''Lady Lucet, please calm down. Jealousy doesn't look good on you.'') Alia came in with the assist, sweeping in to save me like a princess in distress. She bit down on her thumb and lowered her head back inside the journal.
Alia stuck up his thumb and was matched by an expressionless face, I felt certain about what emotion he was trying to convey. Maybe this has happened before and he was stuck as the clean up crew after a messy, jealous Lucet.
She is a fearsome woman, but she wasn't stupid either. Lucet knows exactly what she has under her control and in which fields she shines brightest. If I didn't have feelings for Zeraf I might've succumbed to her temptations. Smarter, hotter, more powerful and richer than any woman in Kine. Who would be fool enough to pass up such an opportunity? Me, I am. For Zeraf, the person I hope to marry.
(''Hey boy, please stop thinking such sappy shit. I'm trying to relax.'')
Oh, Void was talking to me in my mind. Did she really hear every bit of the conversation?
(''Every. Single. Word.'') She sounded incredibly annoyed, as if someone had stolen her favourite toy away.
(''You aren't a toy, boy. That woman is dangerous, be careful. I won't lie, you've caught my attention too. The first of my prey to escape my grasp, you are one lucky man.'')
I tried to gulp, but the saliva built up in my throat, refusing to go all the way down. Her chuckle echoed through my mind like the clattering of stones.
(''Don't worry boy, I don't bite…well I can't anymore. But in all seriousness, there is more to her than you think. Everyone has a secret agenda up their sleeves.'')
Lucet having an agenda? How would that concern me or even include me? I am still quite powerless compared to the greatest mages in Kine. Surely she would reach out to someone who could stop a nation.
(''I don't know either yet, boy, but keep an eye on anything she might slip. I'll be listening too, formulating a plan on how to avoid reaching her desired outcome.'')
You are quite reliable, you know that? It's nice having someone rational to talk to for once. Lucet is constantly flirting and Zeraf is brutish.
(''Don't give me too much credit, I haven't done much yet. But the most dangerous thing about that goddess is…-'')
(''Her charm.'')
Her charm? Well she is quite beautiful, just about anyone would fall for her just by her looks. And when you factor wealth and power it's an easy yes. Her personality is very flirty, honestly it would be my type of I wasn't interested in Zeraf.
(''I don't mean her looks or anything materialistic like that. It's her aura. We all have auras boy, this is something you will have to learn later down the line after you get closer to mastering frin.'')
You give me more to wonder about than answer my question, at least give me a hint.
(''I can't tell you anything if you keep interrupting me. An aura is what defines us. It's something that appears from birth and sticks with you for life, though on some occasions it's possible to modify it.'')
(''Something from birth? And modifying it? This all seems too complicated.'')
Wrapping my head around this felt damn near impossible. Another hidden power that requires years to master? There certainly is a lot more to unveil of this world than I originally thought.
(''Here is an example. Israh, the goddess of death. I haven't seen her personally but by her magical affinity I can assume what her aura is.'')
Israh?! Surely it would be something grim or menacing.
(''You are a little off. While she is the physical incarnation of death and cruelty, her aura is a death most pure and liberating. Wherever she walks, her aura follows, reaping those whose time has come painlessly.'')
I understand. So our auras are the opposite of our natural magical affinities from birth. That's why we receive them at birth!
(''You are wrong again boy. The real answer is that our auras correlate with our personalities. Israh may appear as a cruel empress but at heart she cares for those who obey the natural laws of life.'')
(''When peasants say that the king has the air of royalty or authority about him, that's because his aura enacts its effect on the people.'')
I think I get it this time. But why is Lucet dangerous then? Surely her aura can't be harmful.
(''It isn't harmful, but what is dangerous is the fact she has two auras.'')
Two?! How could that happen? You must be kidding!
(''This is most common among gods, but on rare occasions can be manifested by commoners. The reason she has two can be for one of two reasons.'')
(''She either manifested one later through her life on top of the one she was born with-'')
I guess that would make sense-
(''Or she was born twice.'')
No. That's simply not possible. Being born twice is not something that just happens, that's forbidden magic banned and enforced by the Church of Kronos. There is no way this could happen.
(''It's a theory I'm still developing, so I don't have the full answer. But if I am right, then things will turn out to be more difficult than originally thought.'')
We haven't known each other for very long, and half of that time was spent fighting. But I trust you will figure it out and keep us all safe. I will do everything in my power to aid you in any way you may need me.
(''Gosh boy, you are making me blush. But thank you, I'll keep working on it. You just have to keep Lucet convinced you know nothing about her.'')
(''Oh and one more thing. Her two auras…'')
I peeled my ear open despite the sound resonating through my mind. This was important information that I couldn't afford to miss out on.
(''Jealousy and Charm.'')
Thank you, I'll do my best not to succumb to this. This explains quite a bit about the thoughts that have been going through my mind since I've met her. I now have an answer to another one of my questions.
I stuck my head over the side of the cart, looking onto the desert oasis that we were approaching. Finally! Some fresh water to drink and bathe!
(''Lucet, Lucet! Look, an oasis. Can we stop to resupply our water and bathe our filth away?'')
She nodded her head while keeping her gaze locked on the notebook. I'm starting to wonder what she is writing there, and if its related to what Void said.
(''Hey Abby!'')
I turned my head back towards her while she was pulling her one piece down further. (''Let's bathe together.'')