*bit of a shorter chapter cuz I'm not really feeling it today. Peace out and Deus Vult*
The two walked closer to the ledge, watching Jiaoqiu stand there, turned in the direction of the sea. Feixiao's gaze, while still looking calm and relaxed as usual, had a few softer traces of grief that only a sharp eye could catch, and Mark had such an eye.
"The sounds of those footsteps," said Jiaoqiu, keeping his back turned to them. "They must belong to General Feixiao, and the other set seems to be from someone I don't know. May I ask who it is that is accompanying you, General?"
Mark's gaze fell to the side to where Moze was watching from a distance, making eye contact for the briefest of moments. With a sigh, the man spoke, his tired gaze dancing from side to side, moving between people.
"I'm Mark, a member of the Astral Express."
Short and concise, lacking in vitality, filled with a cold base, stiller than any body of water ever could. Silence fell in their midst, yet Jiaoqiu broke it, turning his head slightly over his shoulder, eyes closed.
"You're up and about despite the doctor's orders?"
Feixiao scoffed slights, an amused smile gracing her lips for the briefest of moments.
"Seems like I'm not the only one. Don't try playing tough; you were hurt during the battle."
Mark felt a little nudge in his chest, the emotion overtaking his hollow being. Thanks to him, the group didn't hear about the poison from Hoolay, and Mark hadn't heard Bailu nor Lingsha mention anything about it. Thus, the information had been lost, and he was about to witness the moment it came out. A quick glance over his shoulder took him to Moze, who was simply watching from afar.
"I'm sorry, Jiaoqiu. I should have been able to solve the crisis sooner, to find you before you could get hurt. I shouldn't have sent you to the Shackling Prison."
Jiaoqiu turned around, his eyes closed. She found it odd but didn't know for sure why he was doing it.
"The way you're speaking, is it really the Feixiao I know? Or could it be a borisin assassin, imitating your voice to take my life?"
She shook her head, looking at him sadly, and Mark felt the sight affect him a little more than he would've liked. With a firm yet vulnerable voice, she spoke, her gaze fixed on his closed eyes.
"Jiaoqiu, please, look at me."
The foxian allowed a heavy sigh to leave his lungs, his eyes remaining closed.
"I'm sorry, General, but... I've lost my sight thanks to ingesting poison to weaken Hoolay."
The world fell on her head in that very moment, the action visible only in the shift her eyes betrayed, the slight quiver in her lips. In a moment of unexpected vulnerability, she stepped closer, standing before the one who had saved her life a long time ago, simply studying his closed eyes.
"You... poisoned yourself to poison him with your blood?"
Mark clenched his jaw, blaming himself. He could have done it differently, could have reached a different outcome, and yet he had been stuck thanks to his own mistakes. Before he could think much, he focused on the powers within. Meanwhile, the conversation carried on.
"I don't know how to offer words of comfort, nor do I know much about curing others ailments. I'm just a warrior, so my pledge to you is simple," she said, her voice carrying within her inner-most determination, focusing on the one simple wish that lingered in her heart in that very moment. Still, before that, Moze stepped closer, speaking calmly, as if knowing what she meant.
"An eye for an eye," he breathed out, arms crossed in that very moment.
"So you were here too," said Jiaoqiu, now able to hear the assassin. Meanwhile, the eyes that did work glanced at Mark, whose own mind was somewhere else, with his eyes closed. Still, their conversation went on, with Feixiao finishing her idea.
"In this vast universe, there's bound to be someone who can heal your eyes. I'll find them, but until then..."
Mark sighed, the tips of his fingers glowing in that dim yellowish light, a tainted pure light that would never reach the stage it wanted. He took a step closer to Jiaoqiu, unwavering. His cold face was the same, but his palms moved up, pressing softly against his closed eyelids.
"The one you seek might be here, but I'm unsure," he said, closing his eyes as he focused. In his mind, he could see Jiaoqiu's being as a whole as the energy traveled from him to the other being. Having been 'blessed' by the Abundance, his powers were of a similar origin to the thing that turned them into long-lived species. Thus the process began, where he focused on the mental image of the foxian, beads of sweat trailing down his forehead. It was difficult, hard to do, even with his precise control over energy as a whole.
"You... you can heal him?" asked Feixiao, not even believing the words that left her lips. Perhaps she hadn't heard of Luocha, but he was the one that Mark got this idea from—to try and use the power of Abundance to heal. Still, the process was tiring.
"I can try," he said bluntly, not wishing to give fake hope. Up until that point, the healing happened not thanks to him, since that was pure Light, not of his own making. It acted where it deemed fit, and he had no clue how it worked. Thus, it boiled down to the hands-on approach suitable for a selfish person.
Silence all around, his own mind showing him things he couldn't understand properly. It was like seeing the whole creature in black and white in front of him, drawn out and separated to the very last cell. It was too much information, and he didn't know how to use most of it. Still, he pushed whatever energy he could into the eyes, trying to order it to rebuild the right way to not trigger mara or any other possible illness with his actions.
"Is it working?" she asked softly, hopeful, leaning closer to try and see if anything visible took place besides the soft light. Mark didn't react, his mind lost in the work, bearing witness to Jiaoqiu's entire being. Silence, so they waited.
Time seemed to stretch into eternity as Mark finally pulled his palms back, gasping for breath.
"There... try and open your eyes," he said, calming down and returning to his state.
Moze and Feixiao watched curiously, caring for their comrade more than they dared show. His eyelids moved up slowly, revealing his eyes, looking fine and well. In that instant, the General's eyes were glistering with a few soft tears that she held in, while Moze's lips betrayed the tiniest of smiles.
"I didn't expect to see you two be so worried for me, you know? General, the tears are unlike you, and Moze, is that a smile I'm seeing?"
Instantly, she pulled both of them to her side, laughing merrily like a child. Mark watched from the sides, crossing his arms as the sight took his mind away from trouble, quenching his inner turmoil ever so slightly. His eyes were shut, memories flooding in from when his friends would do the same type of thing with him. He'd simply yank them all together and start singing some random song like they were drunkards. No one could ruin their moments.
Warmth. It was sudden and unexpected, followed by a strong grip that nearly pushed the air out of his lungs. The soft feeling of fluffy fur brushing his cheeks was calming. His eyes opened just to see Feixiao holding him, speaking softly.
"Thank you."
He nodded, just standing there, tense and reluctant to return the gesture. It felt weird for some reason, yet actions like that were what he loved most. Still, it was the opposite in those moments.
"Why is it weird? I don't get it... do I get this just because I'm useful and do stuff?"
That question sealed his deal. Acheron had left, saying he'd hurt himself for her. He suddenly saw it as him being unable to do things that led to her leaving. Feixiao's gesture snapped this idea into his mind, and his thoughts went back to Himeko comforting him. It had happened after he managed to clear all the damage caused by the Stellaron. The twisted realization that plagued his already darkened mind broke his heart to bits. He was just useful as a tool. People came to him when he had to offer something.
As she let go of him, he nodded, then turned around to leave.
"I'm off," he said coldly, then just began walking in whatever direction he felt like going. No one could call out for him since he simply dashed away at high speeds, using his ice to make a quick getaway by sliding on the ground wherever he saw fit. The Wardance was to take place after. He'd probably just go and sign up for it. Hoolay's blade, forgotten on his back, swayed from side to side, enclosed in ice. His appearance was still rough, but he didn't care about anything.
Thus, he was on his way to get a new blade, the one promised as a prize for the winner of the Wardance. None of the enemies were able to fight him, thus he was in for an easy win.
"Now that I think about it, the crisis just ended. I need to give it some time to settle before I can start this thing. Also, maybe, just maybe I can spice things up a little. I still had something I wished to do."