We had stopped for the night after putting a great distance between us and the sadistic cackling of my once friend Melissa. Everyone was silent, not wanting to say something to upset me even further, however Frakkal's curiosity finally got the better of him. "So what happened?" La'el snapped his eyes to the Dwarf's face.
"Now is not the time Frakkal…" He glanced over at my form, looking to see if there was any change. I had sat myself on the edge of the camp away from everyone the moment we stopped and I hadn't moved since. The only image that flew through my mind was Melissa's twisted face and the only sound, her ragged breathing and raspy voice.
Marcus growled under his breath, "this is stupid…we'll never get anything done if everyone is tip toeing around our little princess…" He had gotten up now and was moving towards me.
Michael tried to intervene, but not being used to his new body yet, Marcus was able to just push him away, "Marcus don't!" Marcus ignored him.
"Come on then…" La'el had almost made it to him but Marcus was faster, he grabbed my elbow and hauled me upwards.
I screamed out at him, "let me go! Let me go Marcus!" Tears were falling as he shoved me down in front of the campfire and stood over me.
"Tell them what happened!" He yelled at me and I looked down at the ground crying. La'el was standing a few feet from me afraid to move. Kure was frozen as well, watching my broken form in sadness. Marcus growled again, "tell them Airi!"
I shook my head, "no! I don't want too!" He glared and raised his hand up as if to hit me but La'el was quick and grabbed his hand, flipping him onto the ground and pinning him down.
"Don't you ever…ever hit her…" he hissed at Marcus, eyes narrowed. Marcus snatched his arm from La'el's grasped and shoved La'el off of him.
He got back up, looking at La'el who had taken up a position next to me and snorted, "you're too soft on her La'el…she needs to face this sooner or later and move on." With that said, he whipped around and walked off to sit in the darkness away from the group. Michael came over to me then and placed a hand on my back kneeling next to me. La'el looked at Michael's hand then at him but let it go, I was hurting and he knew it.
"Airi…he's right you know…Melissa wouldn't want you to drown in sorrow about what happened to her." Michael rubbed my back gently. I sobbed softly and shook my head.
"It's my entire fault…it's all my fault…I could have done something…I could have…" I had my face in my hands.
Kure spoke up then and stared intensely at La'el, "La'el…what happened…we need to know." He sighed and nodded getting up, leaving Michael with me. I heard him whispering to her about the whole incident. I didn't want to think about it but I knew that I had too. I started to get myself under control and sat up straighter wiping my eyes. Michael looked at me worriedly but I shook my head and smiled softly at him.
"I'm alright Michael…thank you…" I sighed softly.
"Airi…I'm not going to leave you, not ever…" He slowly wrapped his arms around me, but before he could get them locked completely, I was snatched away. La'el had literally leapt over the fire, grabbed me and whirled me away from Michael in one swift movement. I heard him growl low in his throat. Michael jumped upward to his full height, which was taller then a Blood Elves since he was a Night Elf. La'el didn't back down however, of course he wouldn't, I was involved. Michael threw his arms in the air and glared at La'el, "what is your problem!"
"You are…" La'el tightened his grip on me, "ever since you appeared you've been staring at Airi in a lewd way. She hasn't noticed but it hasn't slipped past me. You may look like a noble Night Elf now but you are still a hormonally challenged human teenager inside. I know of your feelings you hold deep inside for Airi…I will not allow them to come to fruition. Never…remember this." Everyone was quiet and then Kure sighed, I saw her put a hand to her temple and massage it.
"You know…I had enough to deal with Marcus and La'el fighting over Airi…now we have another one? Honestly girl…you attract men like magnets." She looked up at me and smirked.
"It's not like I try too!" I yell out to no one in particular. I then turn my gaze to Michael, "is it true? That you love me?"
Michael fidgeted under my peering eyes and he looked down to the ground. He slowly nodded then and whispered, "yes…"
I couldn't believe this, one of my best childhood friends was in love with me? The next thought that crossed my mind was, great…another one.
He spoke up again with eyes pleading and hand gestures looking almost frantic, "Airi…I've loved you for so long that I can't even remember when I started. Please don't tell me that you're going to choose this man over me? I've known you much longer, not to mention when this is all over and everything returns to normal, how is he going to take care of you?" He pointed at La'el, "you have to realize, he's from that world! He'll probably disappear when everything is over!" I froze then, Michael had brought up something I hadn't thought about. La'el could disappear when I set the worlds back in order? I heard Frakkal curse under his breath and Kure shook her head out of the corner of my eye.
"Really boy…you have no tact do you?" Kure glared at him
That only solidified it in my mind, "you'll disappear?" I looked up at La'el then, eyes wide with fright and sadness. La'el glared at Michael then, along with the rest of the group.
He sighed and ran a hand gently through my hair, "it's…a possibility yes…" I shook my head.
"Why do I have to loose everyone that I love?" I whispered sadly and collapsed to the ground.
"Airi…" La'el tried to comfort me but I batted his hand away. He looked at me hurt, "…Airi…"
I flopped over in my bedding, "I'm going to sleep…" And I stopped moving, feigning sleep.
That's when it started, it was all in hushed whispers but I could hear it nonetheless. La'el was furious, "how could you! How could you say that to her now? When she's already hurting?" Michael wasn't backing down.
"It's the truth damnit! When you suddenly disappear, she'll be left broken inside. And I'll be the only one there to pick up the pieces of the beautiful woman you left behind!" Still trying to feign sleep, I flipped over again and covered my eyes just enough so they wouldn't see me watching. Michael had gotten into La'el's face now, a very dangerous move. He jabbed a finer into his chest, "I will take her, she needs someone better then you who is just going to disappear on her! How did you even let this happen if you knew it was only going to end in heartbreak!" La'el didn't fight back for some reason, he looked at the ground.
"I didn't have a choice…neither of us did. I am her Protector…foretold by the prophecy that existed in my world. We were destined for each other before we were even born. Do you understand? The moment we laid eyes on each other our fates were sealed!" La'el pushed back now, his eyes were ablaze.
Michael stopped then, "Prophecy? You were fated for each other? Don't make me laugh…I loved her first…" Kure stepped in then and pushed them apart.
"Honestly…Michael, I will explain the prophecy to you in detail so you understand better…" With that, she sat him down and story time began. About an hour later, Michael sat there stunned. His eyes were huge and he was looking right at La'el.
"You…you bastard…you get to…" He couldn't say it. La'el sighed and looked at me, I quickly closed my eyes praying he hadn't seen anything. He didn't, I think. Michael held his head in his hands, "I have no chance then…not even a little…"
La'el smirked then, "good now that you understand, you can quite trying to take her from me."
Michael glared at him, "don't forget, it's only going to end in heartache for both of you." La'el fidgeted with his hands.
"I'll find a way to stay with her…I will…"
Kure smacked them both upside the head then, "alright you two we all need some sleep. Gruk! First watch!" The Orc nodded and took up position, "you all know the drill, now get to bed!" There was movement around the camp and I felt La'el settle in next to me, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"I know you're awake darling…I love you…goodnight." Darn it, he'd seen.
I groaned quietly, a bright light was pulling me from my peaceful slumber. My eyes blinked slightly and I registered a shaft of sunlight falling right on my face. I rolled over angrily and kicking out my leg, however I had forgotten that I had someone else next to me. He gave out a grunt as my foot connected with his kneecap. I felt an arm wrap around my waist and his mouth pressed against my cheek, "you could just say good morning you know…you don't have to break my leg…" I groaned again and tried to bat him away, "oh someone doesn't want to get up I see…" Suddenly I was in the air, wrapped tightly in his arms. My legs flailed about and my eyes flew open.
I was up now, "La'el! Put me down!" He laughed as he swung me around. The others were already up and moving around, I heard Michael chuckle to the left of me as La'el put me down. The second I was out of his arms I stomped my way over to my best friend and decked him, "don't laugh at me!"
I huffed and put my hands on my hips, he chuckled again as he rubbed his head, "now, now Airi…it was just so funny seeing you waving around like a fish out of water!" He started to laugh again and I fumed.
A sudden glint in my eye appeared, "alright then…" He didn't know what hit him. I leapt at him, slamming into his body and we tumbled to the ground, "I always win this you know that!" I struggled with his new body however and suddenly found myself on my back, my arms pinned above me and Michael on top of me.
He made a disapproving noise and smirked, "dear Airi…I do believe I've won this one…" I couldn't believe it, he'd beaten me, I usually beat him. Michael grunted and disappeared quickly from my immediate field of vision. I heard a crash and whipped my head to the side. Michael lay slumped against a tree trunk, he moved slightly and rubbed his neck. A pair of hands quickly picked me up and held me roughly.
La'el's smooth voice echoed in my ear, "how many times do I have to tell you Michael…don't touch her…" Michael looked up and glared at him.
"We were just playing! Good lord are you that insecure about her love for you?" La'el's eyes narrowed and flashed, that's not good.
"Don't fuck with me boy! You're 200 years too late to threaten me…I know exactly what you were doing…don't even try to hide it." Michael blushed and looked away, "as I thought…don't try it again…" He then pulled me with him towards our bedding again and started to pack up. I was so furious with La'el, Michael was my best friend! I couldn't understand why he was being so mean to him.
"La'el…" I whispered quietly, I knew he'd hear it though.
"Yes?" He continued busying himself with packing.
"I don't want to lay with you anymore…I'm sleeping near Michael." La'el froze and looked at me slowly.
"What? You're joking right?" I glared at him and shook my head, "Airi…listen to yourself…this is crazy."
I looked over at Michael, he was packing as well but I saw his ears perked up listening to us. I sighed, "I'm tired of seeing you treat Michael so cruelly."
La'el threw a glare in the man's direction, "he's trying to take you from me, of course I'm going to be mean to him. I thought Kure explained that to you…about how I'm a Protector? I get 'protective'?"
I shook my head, "well…Michael's my best friend…and until you can treat him nicer, you won't see me near you at night." I got up then with my pack and walked over to Michael, I dared not look back at La'el. I knew that his face would reflect how I felt right now, broken, lost. Michael heard me approach and turned to face me, he smiled brightly. I kneeled down next to him and patted his back, "hey…how're you doing?"
Michael shrugged as he put the last thing in his new pack that Kure had given him, "I'm alright…are you sure your lover is alright with this?"
My face darkened and huffed, "I don't really care if he is…I'm tired of him treating you like that." I was referring to the fact that La'el had literally thrown Michael against a tree. Michael smiled and hugged me tightly, I happen to see La'el near us, he was staring at me. I had to look away or risk losing my resolve. I knew I was hurting him tremendously, but he needed to know he couldn't treat my friend like he had been without consequences. Oh boy was I going to hear it when I finally went back to him.
I was jabbering happily to Michael about all our little inside jokes. I could see La'el looking at me now and then, his eyes were blank and lifeless. I didn't understand why that was. At one point I saw Kure and Gruk near him, they were whispering to him about something. He almost looked like he wasn't hearing them, he looked dead. I brushed it off as him being a drama queen though and continued on with Michael. About noontime, I had no idea for sure but the sun was really high in the sky, Frakkal signaled we should stop for lunch and rest to regain our energy. I was happy, my feet were hurting me. I noticed Kure helping La'el sit down, he looked even worse then he did this morning. Just what was going on? I couldn't comprehend why he looked so, well, grey. Michael was saying something to my but I couldn't hear him, I was too busy thinking. Just then Kure came up to me and laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her, the face that greeted me was full of concern, "Kure…what is it?"
She smiled at Michael, "may I borrow her for a moment?" Michael just nodded, he knew something was wrong too. I got up and followed her off to were La'el sat with Frakkal and Gruk near him. I didn't want to see him right now, but I knew Kure had her reasons. She sat me down La'el, much to my chagrin, but I noticed that for some reason, a tiny bit of color returned to his skin. Kure settled down in front of us and sighed quietly, "Airi…what happened?"
I blinked at her for a moment, "what do you mean?"
She shook her head, "you know what I mean Airi…why are you ignoring La'el?" I stared at her, why did she care? Can't couples have arguments? Hasn't she ever heard of a Lover's quarrel?
I huffed, "I got tired of him treating Michael like dirt…he's my best friend. So, I told him that I wouldn't lay with him at night till he stopped." Frakkal threw his arms up in the air while Gruk and Kure just looked at the ground and shook their heads. I looked at them surprised, "what? I can't have a fight with him?" Kure took my hands in her large ones and motioned me to look at the sunken man next to me. His ears drooped and his hair hung over his face blocking it. I blinked, "and why is he being such a drama queen about this…" Frakkal scoffed at me.
"He's not bein a drama queen, whatever that is…dis is what 'appens when the Protector is shut out from the Escapist."
My face must have been very confused for Kure started to clarify, "Airi…when the Protector and Escapist realize their love for each other a bond is formed. It's invisible but it links your souls to one another." I blinked, we were bonded? "Now…when the Escapist, that's you, becomes angry or hostile towards the Protector, La'el, the bond is momentarily severed. Or for however long the argument lasts. It doesn't affect you at all, but it severely hurts La'el. The bond is how he is able to feel you, to know you are alright, to draw power from you. He was fine before because he hadn't seen you yet, but like I said, the moment that bond was formed, his well being became completely dependant on your mood. Now, usually he's fine, you're both in tune, you both love each other, end of story. But now that you have severed that bond, he's dwindling…and fast." I looked at La'el in shock, he was affected by my moods this much? Kure went on, "this is why he was so against Michael getting close to you. Because La'el knew, that if you got separated from him…this would happen. And he wouldn't be able to protect you if something were to happen. Do you understand now? Why he was treating Michael lie he was? Mind you, I don't condone what he did, but I understand why. He didn't want Michael to get between the two of you. Airi…it gets worse, if you two had actually…done the deed…he could have died by now." I whipped my head to look at her, my eyes were huge. He could have died? I looked back at La'el.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" I stared at him, almost not blinking.
"Well…we didn't think this would happen…that another man would come between the two of you." Kure looked over at Michael, he was trying really hard not to listen.
"But…I don't love him like I do La'el…he's just my friend…" Kure shook her head.
"It doesn't matter dear, he's another male. It would be the same no matter what, the bond does not differentiate." I sighed and shook my head looking down at my hands.
"But…I'm still mad at him…Michael he…" Frakkal huffed, I looked up at him
"Who's more important to ya missy? Some boy who doesn't even know how ta take care of ya? Or your soul mate? The man who'll die for ya?" I looked over to Michael, he looked sad. I knew he had heard everything. I knew what the right choice was, and now that his actions had been explained to me, I wasn't as angry with La'el as before. He was just trying to prevent this from happening, I looked at him again.
"That answer should be a given…" I slowly wrapped my arms around the broken man next to me, "La'el…I'll always love you…please…" I closed my eyes and hoped that it worked. I felt something then, like a snap from inside me. My eyes scanned his body, his color was beginning to return, the beautiful golden hair was shiny again. His back was straightening up and I heard a small sigh come from his mouth. I backed away a bit and watched him, "incredible…you weren't kidding…" The man who only moments before had no color to him, was almost dead, lifeless, now sat before me as if nothing had happened.
He looked at me then, his deep emerald eyes penetrating, "Airi…" in a flash his strong arms were around me, I felt his strong heartbeat in his chest and smiled. He kissed my forehead gently and continued hugging me, tucking my head under his chin and stroking my hair softly, "thank you…I'm sorry I was so mean to him…but like Kure said, I was just trying to keep him from making this happen." I hugged him back, then thought of something.
"But…" I whispered, he looked down at me and I stared into his eyes. "Marcus…he's another male, why doesn't it-"
La'el cut me off gently, "you hate him too…we're in tune…" Everyone laughed at that, Marcus just snorted from the other side of the camp. La'el shrugged then, "and anyways, remember that ring I had given you? I didn't complete hate the boy...I allowed the ring to let him near you for crying out loud. I was just…jealous" he smirked at me and I smacked his arm playfully.
"Well…mister…don't think you're completely off the hook." He quirked an eyebrow at me, "that's right! No kisses for a day!" He chuckled and nuzzled my neck gently.
"Oh…whatever shall I do…" He kissed my neck then and I felt a deep red blush shoot down my body. Everyone was laughing and didn't notice Marcus make his way over to Michael. He was talking hurriedly to my friend, I couldn't hear him, but I was sure it was nothing good.