Zara is centimeters away from Dior's face, yelling at her full capacity; yet Dior still nonchalantly munches away at her sweet and spicy borito chips.
"-You're always the one behind trouble. You wanted this to happen didn't you? I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. Seke said that we needed Tyde, you're just an extra side piece. I should've known to leave you behind when you burned me in that cave. You're an annoying little bitch." Zara's spit fly's everywhere as she screams.
"Careful..." I warn, "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her, so be grateful that she convinced me to tag along. She could easily burn you again if you keep running your mouth like that."
Perada gets up from his chair but his height doesn't change. He steps up closer to me and stares into my soul. The fear tremor creeps into my chest and down my spine. Fuck, I hate this handsome devil's blessing.
"Alright alright, I'm sorry, no need to fight amongst allies..." Zara gets inbetween us to break it up, "I was just frustraited and took it out on her. I didn't mean to get that worked up. It's just... I have a lot riding on this mission. Please, let's make this work, otherwise we're going to be that much further from our goal."
"Why can't we just storm them? Assassinate them? You're a daughter of one, couldn't you get a Seke follower close?" Dior breaks her silence and asks.
"These aren't just any regular people that we're trying to kill. They are sovereign. Practically gods. Myth call them half man and half god. These demigods can only be killed by one another. Even an overwhelming force of the most powerful vessel's would struggle to deal lethal damage to the weakest of them."
"Okay then... why hasn't Seke killed one yet? I mean, you claim he's been scheming for years; we have to kill all seven of them, he hasn't even managed to kill a single one?"
"He is the weakest of them, and he's forsaken. All the sovereign have banished him and kept his island on siege for decades. He's working in the shadows to provide us with his tactics and guidance but that's the most he can do until we free him from his shackles."
"Hold on... we're supposed to kill all seven of them right? What about Seke himself? Are we supposed to kill him too? What about your father? Do you not care about him?"
"Seke has vowed to allow his most trusted follower to kill him and my father's death was promised to me by Seke himself. It is my soul purpose of joining the cause." Zara looks menacing, scary almost how determined her eyes are when she says those cold words.
"Damn, you really want your father dead?" I ask.
"Don't you want yours?"
"Wait, how do you know that?"
"You don't think we did a background check on all of you guys before recruiting you?" Zara scoffs, "Get used to it, we have spies who can link minds and reap its content without anyone even noticing the telepathic invasion, our organized rebellion is not a scrappy business; we are cunning, lethal and precise with our tactics. After all, we are rivaling six greater demigods who could wipe us out in an instant if we aren't careful."
"You hear that kids? BE. CAREFUL. Stop dinking around and screwing up our plans. Zara, this situation is fucked, we can't do anything about it in two days. We'll just have to wait and see what my father does, there's a slight chance he may not react to it." Perada proclaims.
"And what happens if he does?" I ask with concern.
"Dior will remain enrolled. You however, will have to be repurposed elsewhere. Seke has great things in store for you. You are a standout resource, he's taken a liking to you." Zara explains.
"No. I'm not going anywhere without Dior. Wherever I go, she goes, and vice versa." I say boldly.
"That option was flushed down the drain when your girlfriend decided to edge you on with this bullshit hellhound popularity. Either this works in your favor in enrolling or you scare my father shitless and we're forced to split you both apart." Perada says firmly.
"And that's final. Second chances are over. We're in the business of killing gods, our room for error is thin and if you don't pay heed to our warnings you'll have to pay by facing the gods themselves. DONT EVER CROSS THE LINE AGAIN!" Zara is centimeter away from my face.
I can smell strawberries she ate for breakfast on her breath. Her pearly eyes reflect cold malice and I avert my gaze, nodding to her earnest words.
Zara and Perada leave us to attend to other business. They've been suspiciously abscent every night; then again, Dior and I have been missing all day hanging out with our new peak friends so I'm assuming that's when they sleep.
I link up with Dior's consciousness to directly discuss our issues; I'm not putting up with her inattentive behavior.
She still continues to eat though, even while aware that I've initiated the tether. She used to be thin and a bit too lean to be healthy; but after about three weeks of the peaks great culinary foods she seems to have put on some healthy weight.
"Why are you making things difficult?" I ask telepathically.
"What do you mean? I've only made things better."
"Gods Dior, be for real."
"I am being for real. I didn't come all the way here to do petty little missions. I'm here to take this shit by storm and your my storm cloud."
"What the fuck. That analogy is not it, I'm also not buying it. These sovereigns don't sound like push overs. We're just kids, we barely started this journey. Have a little patience. You're the one that taught me that. Remember how I used to jump into things too quick? Use my mistakes as an example not to repeat it."
"Stop preaching Tits you're boring me. My analogy was perfect, don't taint it. You and me… we're like thunder and lighting. Without a storm we're just ordinary kids; but with it, in the midst of conflict… that's when we flash and roar. We don't need a soft path in this war. I'm planning on taking it with all the might of a raging storm."
Damn, and she called me preachy, this girl about motivated me to challenge a sovereign in war right now.
"Between thunder and lightning which of us flashes and which of us roar?"
"It's obvious isn't it?" Dior winks at me and it melts my heart.
She breaks the telekinetic mind tether and leans in close to whisper in my ear.
"You're my lightening." Her lips grazes my lobes, "and I'm the commanding thunder that rings the warning bell; but by the time they hear us Tits, it'll be too late for them."
She pulls back to look me directly in my eyes. I blush from the proximity.
"I did the hard part of brewing the storm for us. Now rage and rain down your sparks. Strike down our enemies with frenzy. Be my lightening. Flash bright and burn their damn islands out of their sacred sky."
I feel pride well up inside me, and for a brief moment I feel invincible. I look at the beautiful girl in front of me, and remember how I've made it this far.
I used to cower in fear of the ghouls in abyss, ashamed of my marking, scared of confronting my past, and insecure about every part of me.
Now I kill ghouls for sport. Now I've become a legend to a crowd that adores me. I've enrolled in elite academy inside in the walls of the peaks and have the courage enough to challenge my enemies.
All because of this one girl who changed my life. There, as I get lost in her eyes, memories of our past shared between us flashes and I'm overwhelmed by my need for her.
Without her beside me, I will rust away, grow brittle to temptation, wither and die without a trace of meaning or purpose. She may be pushing me past my desires but her will to change drives me to be better.
And there as I contemplate the bizarre outcome of the last month of my life, in the close proximity of the girl that I love, even while the danger of my curse looms over my blessing, I lean into her and plant a kiss on her forehead.
When I pull back I'm met with her precious smile and it fills me with warmth. The same warmth that my mothers candles lit inside my heart.
My candle scented pendant hangs around my neck but the arms of a new comforter wraps around my waist and pulls me in for a warm embrace.
This is what I'm fighting for. This is where I belong. I am her lightening, and she is the thunder that roars. In her presence I can tear the heavens apart.