Note: The contents of this story are taking place with some sexually charged themes between two people of legal age. Yuri tones apply here, so if it's not your thing, you might not wish to read further. Thank you.
"Damn, you've been at it for almost an hour now. Shouldn't you ease up a little?" Meel inquired as a ball of lightning escaped my grasp jetting towards the clear afternoon sky. My right arm grew numb.
"I'm splendid!" I remarked with a full grin to reassure her. Sparks flew from my fingers into the lake with a flourish. Bolts of electricity flew playfully around Meel.
"Will you watch the lightning!?" she yelled, placing up a barrier as a precautionary measure. "Some of us don't like the idea of being a crispy critter."
"Oh, loosen up a little! You'll never enjoy life if you always act like something crawled up your ass and died!" I smiled, batting my eyes at her.
"You lunatic! One stray bolt and this forest will go up in flames!" She preached as if I had no idea. One thing I hate above all else is someone assuming I'm stupid.
"Why do you think I picked the forest to practice my lightning spells? It's so I can practice control and restraint!"
"At the cost of this eco system?" her words had more venom. If she were a snake I already would had been bit.
"Silly Meel, why did you think I selected a place with a lake? So we can put out any possible fires!" Meel screamed, scaring the birds. "Now look what you did! You scared the birds and I was enjoying their songs."
Moments later my breath grew shorter, my hands shook. I collapsed to the ground after conjuring several varieties of lightning spells in rapid succession. I could feel my chest ablaze as I gasped for air on the wet forest ground.
"Nephina, I really think you should take a break." Meel cautioned. I looked into my Koopa traveling companions blue eyes.
"I'm fine…I just need my second wind-"
"You've been going at it for an hour straight! RELAX, you're going to kill yourself at this rate!" I ignored her warning and in an act of defiance conjured fire in my hands, juggling it about in an effort to show I had the will to keep on and suddenly everything faded to black.
I awoke in my blue tent with a towel over my masked forehead. I noticed Meel by her green robes. I was too weak to lift my head.
"Well, are you done trying to kill yourself today or shall I get you a casket?" she pondered.
"Okay, you win. I'm too drained to fight right now." I smiled weakly. Meel looked far from content.
"Well, just in case, I'm seeing to it that you don't cast anymore spells today! I had to treat you for internal bleeding!" she chastised. "Stop being so goddamn reckless!" I noticed her short blue hair was frizzled.
"Yes, mother" I sighed. There are three things I hate more in this world then anything, and one of those being the limitations of my body. As I tried to argue, blood seeped out of my mouth. "You got a cup I can rinse with?"
"No magic for the rest of the day. If I catch you trying even a low level spell I'm kicking your ass!" she cautioned as she handed me the cup.
As I heard the rain come down, I noticed Meel was refining her own magic. I couldn't quite make out what was happening. My eyes were blurred and the rain was too thick. I managed to make out a faint glimmer of red light, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. I saw something red come in the tent.
"That's it for today." The figure said as it placed something on a side table, hanging something green on a line. It was then I realized that it was Meel's red shoes I saw earlier.
"Had fun playing in the rain?" Meel turned around. I noticed her under a blanket while her clothing dried. I strained in an attempt to make out her facial expression.
"I wouldn't call it playing. I was attempting to cast under inclement weather conditions. It's serious stuff." She took a bite out of something red.
"That's an apple, right?" I pondered. It was obvious now that I was having vision problems.
"When you go cast crazy, you really do wreck yourself." Perhaps I did push myself a little too hard. It was a nasty habit of mine since childhood. Though this is the first time I bled internally as an end result of pushing my limits. Until now it varied from weakened immune system, blacking out, or overly long periods of sleep to just having a ravenous appetite. Then again I was messing with lighting for an hour straight.
"Well, at least I can use my body to control magic. You still depend on a wand of all things." I snapped followed by a cough.
"Only a nutcase would be foolish enough to use their body as a direct channel." She scoffed "Had your training session been an actual fight, chances are this would be your final day!"
"If I died right now would you cry for me?"
"What!?"
"Would you cry if I died? I would cry for you." Dying is all too easy. Living is a challenge suited for the strong of will. I could tell Meel was such a person.
"I don't even know you that well so who could say for sure." Meel placed an apple in my hand. "Besides, I don't think tears would be worth wasting on someone so foolish."
"And yet here we are, in a tent, on a rainy afternoon. I lie here as you tend to me. Admit it, you like me." I couldn't help but wink.
"It's called decency. There's nothing more to it." My vision was coming back, and I could almost make out the object in her hand that she was polishing.
"Is that so?" I tried to lift my head in futility. The mind was willing, but the body was not cooperating. She noticed my struggle.
"Don't bother. I hexed you so you couldn't make any sudden moves for awhile."
"Is it for my safety, or did you wish to have your way with me?" I ribbed. Her face was flushed from the remark. I had to change the subject around. Varity is the spice of life after all.
"You're unbelievable!" she objected. Perhaps I came on too strong.
"At least I'm honest with myself. Can you say the same thing, Meel?" My vision hadn't returned fully. I was assuming she had a stoic look.
"Sure I can!" but the voice oozed with uncertainty. The rain had ceased and the birds chirped joyfully. "Just because Kammy says I'm no good hasn't bothered me a bit!"
"Who said this was about Kammy?" I replied weakly. Her composure was shaken and she walked out of the tent, just now realizing she was in nothing but a blanket. It was cute and I couldn't help but laugh that by striking so close to home that she forgot she was nude. "Blush is a rather lovely color on you."
"Just shut up before I hang you by your hair!" Meel yelled. I had visions of being tied by my long blue hair. I shivered at the thought.
"So let's talk about you."
"I don't feel like talking about me. I may travel with you but it's because you're going to the same place I am. This is a traveling arrangement forged by convenience…not trust."
"So I am to trust that your intentions of restraining me are for my sake and not to fulfill any perverted desire?" Meel gazed at me sternly while promptly going to her own devices.
Night came and went verified by the songs of the birds and the intrusive sunlight. I attempted to stand, managing to stumble out of the tent face first. I gazed upward towards the lake. Meel was bathing and I noticed the scent to grilled cheep cheep wafting in the air. I used magic to conjure a glowing purple tentacle to grab a large stick and used it for stability.
"I see you lived through the night." She said dryly. "Well, I suggest you eat up, we got ground to cover and your stunt held us up."
"What's the hurry?"
"I got places to be, things to do." She replied rather hotly. I noticed bags under her eyes, and the eyes themselves were bloodshot. "I can't spend all my time roaming aimlessly."
"Must you be there at a particular time?"
"No. but-"
"Then there's no need to rush!" I persuaded while taking a bite of fish. "It's no good to hurry through theses things. Take a little time to appreciate those little moments. You go through life barreling through towards the finish where will you end up?" She seemed rather firm on her stance as she climbed back into the tent. "I'll tell you…you'll one day find yourself on your deathbed filled with a shit load of regrets."
"That might be your way of doing things, but I prefer my methods thank you very much." It was like talking to a brick wall. She's all business, only agreeing to travel with me because I happen to know the layout of this forest much like someone intimately knows their lovers endogenous zones. The bush was gawking at us like a lecher as a nude beach.
"Fine, be a bitch. But before we proceed I want to tell you something." I drew her close to me with a hug. "You get more flies with honey then vinegar."
"Are you always this touchy feely with people?" she grilled me. I don't know what to make of the green birds in our vicinity but I swear they were watching us!
"It's only if I like them. Do you like me?" I said looking directly into her brown eyes.
"If this is about last night, again it was merely common courtesy." She huffed pushing away from me. "Not out of some warped perverted fantasy you may have." What a cold fish! Perhaps in time she'll warm up to me. It's as my father once told me, the harder the fight, the sweeter the conquest.
"Fine, let's get you to Shelltown." I said taking down the tent. And I thought my recovery would be more pleasant.