Author Note: Time for the second chapter! I am pretty tired and unsure if I will release another chapter this week. Maybe next week, but I do promise to continue working on both stories, so don't worry. Anyway I have been excited to work on this since a lot of you lovely readers have been looking forward to it. So enjoy and hope you all have a lovely day!
P.S: I had to change the name of the Oculus amulet to make more sense since I got the Latin wrong.
You're all lovely readers!
The sun was setting as Bandit Princess clashed a piece of flint against stone near a pile of dry twigs and leaves. The sparks clashed against the dry plant material and combusted into a small fire, lighting up the small cave in the ravine. Bandit was sitting on a flat stone near the fire, she was deep in thought and was startled by moans of discomfort nearby. She looked across the cave to see Finn unconscious with his shirt and jacket folded into a square and laid under his head. Finn's chest was covered in bandages, three dry blood stains across the bandages. Bandit Princess bit her lip as she gazed at the human's pale bare muscular chest. "Not bad, not bad at all." She shook her head as shameful thoughts filled her mind. She let out a sigh as Finn settled back into a deep slumber as the pain faded again. "So far you heal pretty fast, but you are way too risky with your life, I get the feeling you're not going to be the most cooperative partner in crime, but we only have each other now, so I guess I can settle with this result for now." Bandit Princess said this to an unconscious Finn with frustration in her voice as she gazed from Finn to the fire.
"I honestly looked up to heroes when I was a child… even through the rabies and the love I was never given as a child. Yet when I needed one of you heroes the most…. You failed to save me." Tears began to well up in her eyes as the sad memories returned to her like an old wound being re-opened. Her mind flashed back to the time twelve years ago when she was only six, her horns were only small grey stubs on her head, she had a long ponytail and a lime green blouse with a black skirt that went down to her knees, she was barefoot at the time. She shook at the memory as it played without pause like a dream.
She was at her grandparents' house, the only people who showed her love and taught her about her family history and how to live in the world. She remembered the smile, the happy memories, the birthday parties, the stories and fairy tales about heroes bringing hope and saving those in their time of need. Then it flashed to the night that tore her fragile world to pieces.
The child ran through the house giggling innocently as her grandfather chased her, trying to tickle her as he let out a raspy toned chuckle, his grey skin wrinkled and a white circle beard being the only hair on the horned old man's head. His horns were looped like a ram's. He wore a red knitted sweater and black pajama pants. The house was a simple rectangular building with an open doorway between the kitchen, dining room, and living room. The only doorway with a door was the bedroom of the child's grandparents. Her grandmother was smiling on the couch with a light blue knitted sweater over her black full body dress, she had her grey hair in a bun with shorter horns that were similar to her husband's horns. A decorated pine tree was in the corner of the living room as the grandfather finally caught the child and began to tickle her. Everything was happy on a snowy holiday celebrated throughout Ooo by many, some differently, some the same as the horned family. Yet the day began to turn in a different direction as a loud ruthless knock at the door caused the child to flinch and the family to go silent. The grandfather's face grew serious as he stood up from the child with fists clenched, the grandmother had a concerned look as her husband answered the front door revealing a hooded figure with light steel armor plating covering his chest, shoulders, and ankles. He held a sharp shining dagger that made chills fill the air and frighten the child as she watched the blade be driven into her grandfather several times as the man screamed in sadistic joy. "For the Blood King! Die heretics!" The grandfather didn't go down easily though, he held the man back with a enraged rawr, his old body not allowing him to overpower the attacker as blood poured from his fatal wounds like a fountain. "Get Cleo out of here now!" He screamed with a new found energy as the attacker laughed, their eyes filled with murderous intent. The grandmother picked up the child known as Cleo and ran to the bedroom taking out the Oculus Quaerere amulet and using it with mastery as the portal formed within several seconds, showing the Candy Kingdom gates. Cleo felt hope fill her chest, knowing help and heroes were within reach. Suddenly her grandmother's body stiffened as blood flowed from the corner of her mouth, before the woman gritted her teeth and falling through the portal with the child in her arms as it closed behind them, leaving the murderer with a disappointed yet sadistically cruel expression. The girl began to cry as guards rushed to their aid, no one else dared to help in fear of the horned stranger. The grandmother's eyes were glazed, a stab wound through her back leading to her heart clearly visible and soaking her clothes and the snow around them with blood. She placed the amulet around the child's neck and smiled, mouthing 'I love you, my beautiful princess.' before her body went limp and her gaze faded. The last thing in the memory being a wail of tears.
Bandit Princess, or Cleo didn't realize she was crying until the memory faded, several tears stained the stone below her, she wiped her eyes quickly leaving the red tint around her eyelids as the only reminder that the tough as nails bandit was crying. She had no idea why the memory had arisen in her mind until she looked at Finn, reminding her that someone was hurt try to protect her, that no one would save them from the damnation that would fill their lives. A weak smile crossed her face though as she gazed at her partner. "At least I have you, thank Glob you didn't die ya crazy jackass." She thought as her heart lifted with ease, before she let out a tomboyish laugh, her sharp white teeth exposed as she felt herself return to normal once again.
An hour passed, the array of stars and the moon in the sky replacing the light of the sun. Cleo was thankful she made a fire, because that's all the stars and moon did in place of the sun. The night was complex to her, it always seemed to be cold and depressing, yet beautiful and mysterious at the same time. Her attention snapped towards Finn when she heard movement from his direction. Finn was awake, holding his sore wounds as he winced from the sudden movement of waking up. "What the fuck happened?" He didn't even bother to prevent himself from cussing, he was too fatigued, and in pain to even care. "You were shot, by playing your idiotic role as 'hero' you dumbass, thank Glob you gained a minor amount of my respect, and that I need you alive." Cleo hissed the last part, causing Finn to look down in guilt, a frown forming on his face as he let out a dejected murmur. "Oh…" She sighed at his reaction and gave him a half smile. "Hey I didn't mean to be ass about it, look can we just look forward to the fact that you did save both our hides and that you're alive?" Finn's moral seemed to lift at Cleo's words causing both of them to smile at each other.
Finn moved closer to Cleo by the fire, he did not know what to think of their current situation, his mind was still anchored on the hard truth that no one would save him, no matter how many he saved before this had occurred. He felt tears fall down his face as he felt a deep cut to his heart, betrayal from his closest friends, and family. He thought back to when he was only a baby and he went 'boom boom' on a leaf and fell on it. No one would help him as he cried out, until after so long Margret and Joshua, his adoptive parents took him in. He felt so alone then, and that's how he felt now. He felt a hard pat on his back, knocking the air out of him slightly, turning to see a raised eyebrow from his former enemy. "Hey Finn did I tell you my name yet?" She asked with curiosity, causing Finn's own curiosity to rise over his depressed state. "No I don't think you have, but wouldn't you prefer to be called Princess? You are of royalty after all right?" Finn asked this question boldly which only earned him a mischievous smirk, making him regret his wording quickly. "Why aren't you such a gentleman, sadly I don't care for that formality crap when it comes to those I trust. My name is Cleo, remember it well. Besides I'm not respected as a Princess among other kingdoms. They only see a bandit, a criminal… An animal." Cleo had a teasing tone, but it grew dark when she mentioned how other kingdoms saw her. Finn took the moment to return the favor from earlier by patting her back, but more gently than she had to him. "I don't see you like that… Not anymore anyway, you're the only one who hasn't betrayed me and left me to die, even if you have committed so much evil in the past, I can still find it in my heart to forgive you, because you were the light in my darkest moment." Cleo was awe-struck before she began to roar with laughter, tears streaming down her eyes from laughing too hard. "Glob you're so cheesy! Go take your shift as look out, I need some sleep." Cleo was still laughing as she took Finn's jacket that was on his shoulder and used it as a pillow well she she curled up in the fetal position for warmth not too far from the fire, Finn let out a sigh as soft snoring began to fill the room, leaving him to maintain the fire and remain on watch for any hunting parties. Though Finn knew almost every part of the Grasslands by heart, the ravine they were in was far to the east of the Tree Fort, his home. The area was separated by very thick and deadly swamps, only small villages or tribes habiting the area. The ravine would be hidden without investigation for what Finn could assume to be two week at most. "So far the closest kingdom would be… Lizard Kingdom if I'm right, thankfully they are a closed off kingdom. That should buy us more time if any kingdom is foolish enough to enter their territory without their consent." Finn knew they would not have much time so he tried to think of all the factors in the area, then he remembered he had nothing on him besides a small amount of money in pockets and his clothes. "Fuck, so I'm left with my fists in one of the most dangerous areas of Ooo. Alright calm down Finn, we can do this, we just need to find a weapon at some point." Finn said to himself trying to stop doubt and anxiety from gaining a foothold on his mind, but the floodgates were already open, Finn's knee was bouncing as he tried to think of where he could get a weapon without being spotted easily, he was almost impossible to miss after all. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Finn began to panic until a rock smacked against his face from Cleo's direction, Finn's surprised filled eyes meeting an obviously tired and annoyed glare from Cleo. "Shut the fuck up already, I have some tools, and I know where we can find some loot, now shut up already so I can sleep, I didn't stay up all day and tend to your injuries just to be woken up by your boo-hoeing!" Cleo growled and quickly faded back to sleep leaving Finn silent with a dumbfounded expression, the only sound the crackling of the fire and the sounds of the wilderness outside. "Mental note: Cleo is very grumpy and hostile if you disturb her sleep." As the thought passed by with the time Finn was left to be lookout, he felt his body begin to grow stiff as he struggled to stay awake, but it had been a long day for him as well, he laid several feet from Cleo and began to fade into the welcoming arms of slumber once he was sure the ravine and cave was completely safe for the night.
End Note: So there is chapter two, I hope you all like the name and backstory I have for Bandit Princess, I tried to go for tomboyish name to fit with her character. I am tired as hell, but I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter, I was having a lot of fun writing this when I was not covered in chores or writer's block. Hope you all have a lovely day. Thank you very much for the support and reading!
You're all lovely readers!