In the end, it was nothing she couldn't cover up. She had used a decorative scarf to hide the imperfection, though was sure she could put together some sort of concoction to heal it rapidly.
Nyxia's main concern, though it shouldn't have surprised her, was that when she had awoken the next morning, there was hardly any trace of him. Aside from the hickey on her neck, the only proof that he had ever been there was the scent of his cologne on the sheets. He had gathered all of his clothes, even the red scarf he had used to wrap the parcel.
Perhaps it was best that way. Whatever it took to avoid any questions.
Trying to act as normal as possible during her daily routine, it was hard not to think about him. She needed an excuse to get away from people once in a while. If they asked her what was wrong, she simply told them that she hadn't gotten enough sleep... which wasn't entirely false.
After her visit to the clinic, she escaped to the gardens. Her hopes were that she would be able to train with Aranea at some point today, but as the hours ticked by, she was beginning to get the impression that her trainer would not be coming tonight.
I need to get out, she told herself in desperation. If she had to do it on her own, so be it, but she was feeling too restless to stay inside the palace.
She took her new sickle that had been gifted to her, as well as her usual staff. The blade was secured to a holster in such a fashion that was safe for her to not get cut as she walked.
Nyxia didn't stray too far from home. In fact, she took the Stella GT out on the road with intentions to keep going until she came across some daemons. There was no other routine than that. Finally, she came across the Burbost Souvenir Emporium outpost, where it seemed a couple of wraiths were on the hunt for a life to take.
The car skidded to a halt, the wheels screeched, and Nyxia's green eyes narrowed. She'd be happy to let them try, but this time, she was ready.
She stepped out of the vehicle, her heeled boots clicking on the asphalt as she readied her blade that she was itching to get some use out of. They spotted her right away, and as green flames grew around the both of them in defense, Nyxia remained determined.
She growled, driving the scythe into a swing as one of them came at her. The wraith swept away from her, dodging away from the blade. Nyxia struck again, and the second time had missed as well.
Then, something interesting caught her attention as her thumb brushed over the short hilt of the sickle. Embedded in the metal was a carefully located button. Curious as to what it did, though bracing herself for anything, she pressed it down.
Suddenly, the hilt extended into a long rod. Nyxia was amazed as the weapon enlarged its range, but again, she pushed the button. This time, the rod dropped, morphing into a long chain.
"Damn," she muttered to herself. "Best birthday gift ever."
She smirked a little, swinging it a couple of times so she could get a feel for it. Again, the daemon came at her, green flames spreading out in every direction. Nyxia leapt into the air to dodge it, and the blade swung down like a pendulum on its hooded head. It released an angry, pained noise that she couldn't quite describe - only that it sent chills down her spine when she heard it.
She landed on the ground, spinning the weapon over her head as she readied herself for it to come at her again. Behind her, however, the other Lich attacked, and green fire glowed, alerting her. She spun around, swinging at it with a maneuver she hadn't planned, but she imagined looked cool, had someone else been watching. The scythe flew almost nonstop. Once got the momentum going, it was easy to keep up, though the daemon managed to dodge a couple of strikes.
Then, the chain extended, sending the blade farther out on the next cast. Nyxia yanked it back towards her, driving the scythe clear through the wraith's midsection as it came back.
The first one was wounded, though not completely down. Nyxia used a spell of light to finish it off. Ribbons of glowing yellow shot across the air from her staff, and like snakes, they wrapped around the bony arms of the wraith before they would tear them from the rest of its body. Like the other Lich she had just killed, it dissipated into a pile of ash.
"Teaches you guys not to mess with the wrong princess," she scoffed, looking down at her knee, which was bleeding. She hadn't even noticed until now that her landing on the road had scraped it, though it didn't really hurt. Not until she started walking, at least.
There was a waterfall not far from here. She made her way down the stairs, limping slightly as she did so, but it wasn't unbearable pain. Just an annoyance.
The sound of rushing water told her she was close, and as she rounded the corner of rocks to the right, she saw Callatein's Plunge, clean and peaceful as it ever was.
She had always wanted to jump into a waterfall. The child in her wanted to see what it was like, though rumor had it that the grotto beyond wasn't of ice like it used to be, warming the waters outside.
Nyxia looked around first, making sure the coast was clear before she set down her weapons, then pulled up her pant leg so as to allow the water to cleanse the wound.
Both feet in the pool created by the waterfall, she winced slightly as the blood and gravel washed away. No doubt, it would be fine in a couple of days. There was no need to waste a potion on it. Nyxia was certain she had a bandage in the glove box for it.
Before she could realize what was happening, her body was yanked into the water and under. There was a shooting pain in the back of her head, and she could barely begin fighting for breath before everything started going black. She didn't even have a chance to see what was trying to drown her.
Fresh blood pooled around her, but briefly after consciousness had left her, a giant blade punctured the water's surface.
She awoke coughing up warm water, and her stomach tensed and tightened painfully as she did so. Nyxia was lying down on what seemed to be a small bed, and there was a blanket over her, sticking to her cold, wet clothes.
She didn't see anyone in the room with her, but it seemed like she was in the trailer at the outpost. She shivered, pulling the blanket tighter around her body as she sat up.
The back of her head was pounding, and the bright streetlight outside didn't help matters. Yet, she saw another vehicle parked by the Stella. It was the burgundy convertible, though its owner seemed to be nowhere in sight.
"Ardyn..." she murmured weakly, staggering further out into the parking lot. However, her legs could barely handle her weight as she fell to the ground. She was still without her energy. She had been thrown completely off guard. How was she supposed to know that daemons could live in the water?
She crawled to the car, hoping to find some sort of trace as to where he might have gone. She only got as far as the front wheel when she had pushed herself beyond her limit. Her body ached, and even breathing still proved difficult.
Laying limply on the asphalt, she coughed and shivered.
"Damn," she heard him behind her, followed by the shuffling of his boots. "You shouldn't be out here." She was picked up from the ground and brought back inside, and the blanket was re-positioned to keep her warm.
Nyxia gave him a tired smile. "My hero yet again. At this rate, I'm probably looking like a pitiful damsel in distress."
"Hush." Ardyn kissed the top of her head. From his robe, he drew out what appeared to be a potion. "Here, drink." She did so, and as she swallowed the substance down, he continued. "You're bleeding. You must have hit your head on a rock."
"That explains a lot," she murmured, though her energy was gradually returning to her. "How did you find me?"
"Something in the air felt wrong. I only followed your aura. I suppose I just knew you were in peril."
She nestled against his chest, feeling much warmer this way. "I need to get back home, but...I can't drive."
"Don't be silly. We will stay in the camper."
"Is it safe?"
"I made sure of it. You are safe with me always." Brushing her hair from her face, Ardyn re-positioned himself so that he could stretch his legs out on the bed, and Nyxia laid on top of him.
Her father would be worried sick if she didn't return home. Still, she was in good hands, knowing that Ardyn must have somehow cleared the area to make sure they could sleep without disturbance.
