Fleeting moments
Ch. 12
Words From The Wise
As the lock clicked shut, Marco stared at the front door, waiting for a few tense seconds before letting out a long overdue sigh of relief. It felt good to have that smile broadening between his cheeks. His parents were finally gone, and he had a whole week to enjoy some privacy, some intimacy, and some celebration.
He'd always been a pretty good kid, he never broke the rules, always tried his best in school, never strayed too far off the safest course. But that was alllll gonna change this weekend. With his parents gone, he was about to host his very first high school party, a kickoff for senior year that would bring him to the highest echelons of the popular groups, and make him the talking point for the rest of the year.
Not to say he wasn't already somewhat popular; he was fit, as he boxed for the school team, and had a shot in early fall for his golden gloves, with fifteen of his friends already holding tickets. And after tonight? There was a good chance that number would explode.
He'd finished junior year in honor rolls, had a good job, friends, and over the course of the summer, he'd even managed to finally get Jackie's attention. He could have had half the girls at school vying for his affection, but Jackie was, simply, perfect. And who knew, maybe at a real high school party, he'd get past first base.
The hard part had been convincing his parents to take a vacation, as they'd never allow the kind of debauchery scheduled for the evening, but they ultimately gave in. Promises were passed around to take him somewhere nice for graduation next year, but Marco wasn't interested in planning so far ahead. Not when he had a night of magic to prepare for, and enjoy.
In a hurry, Marco flew about on autopilot, cleaning the house to near perfect condition, some semblance of his old self still washing through. He made sure to lock his parents door, and his own, but the guest bedroom was fair game. He busied himself setting up pleasantries and drinks and snacks and drinks, plus whatever he'd stashed away for just such an occasion. As long as nobody brought anything illegal, they'd be fine. Or at least, theyd be fine as long as they took care of things outside. Even Star could find ways to entertain herself with this much drink and music, which made it even easier… to… focus…
Marco stopped, standing in the middle of the living room, his train of thought screeching to a halt. 'Who?' He had to wonder, turning around to look into the darkened kitchen, up at the stairs, and towards the door. That name was foreign to him, but it resonated with something deep, something that shouldn't have been there. He shook the plans from his mind, taking a steady breath to take in his surroundings. He was… back home. He was really here? But where was-
"Oh my…What an interesting specimen, I'm surprised you broke free so quickly. Even the girl spent more time under my spell." A voice noted from behind, Marco whirling about with raised fists. But after a split second of recognition, he felt his blood run cold.
"Your reaction to the Wine was… interesting, to say the least. It should have drained you until you shriveled into a blood-ravaged husk, but I suppose that much could be expected from a Human. With no magic for it to ravage… How curious that you even made it your own."
What stood before him was the last person he wanted to see, in the one place he wanted to be. A middle aged man with snow white hair, a purple cloak, and four arms held behind his back gave Marco a smile beneath a set of electric blue eyes. "Relax, child, you're among friends here, right?" Zaleeth asked slowly, his pearly white teeth pulled into a tight grin, "or atleast, you were, until you killed your parents, partying and fornicating while they died. I wonder just what they might say about the man you've become. About how you pushed everyone you knew away in shame, and guilt."
Marco narrowed his eyes. There was no earthly way he could have known about that- nobody knew about that. It was over before the week was up, and life kept moving on without them. He could still feel the vice on his heart when he got the phone call, and he could still see the confusion and worry on his friends faces when he demanded they all leave. He never told a soul about how their vacation was his idea, he just shut himself off and hid from the prying eyes and questions, until everyone stopped asking, or stopped caring. "How-" Marco made to demand, but Zaleeth held two fingers to his lips, taking a wide step around him to make his way into the kitchen.
"Put your fears to rest, boy, it will be our little secret," he noted casually, like their conversation and location were both perfectly normal, "I'd just like to have a little chat, and then you can go back to sleeping in the arms of a trained killer, the Princess of Blood, as she's known amongst the Monsters."
Zaleeth picked up a bottle of whiskey and flicked his wrist, summoning two goblets in which to pour it. Marco watched him carefully, weighing his words and choosing not to move a muscle. He was definitely in danger, but smart enough to realize that Star had given him an invaluable piece of leverage. This man could conjure visions, make you see things that weren't there, and burrow deep into your mind to make you a puppet. He was dealing with a manipulative wizard, demon, thing, and he needed to play it safe. "If you're messing with my head, and you're not disguising what you really are, then that means you want something from me that you can't get alone, right?" He asked, folding his arms and leaning against the sofa.
With another flick of the wrist, Zaleeth sent a goblet of whiskey to Marco, the young man catching it before promptly tossing it over his shoulder. Zaleeth frowned, but shrugged, draining his glass in one go before tossing the goblet behind him. "I suppose you are wise to be wary of consuming anything I offer you. A shame you didn't employ the same practice with my Wine," he noted dryly, folding his hands behind him, "but yes, I believe it's quite obvious, you do indeed have something that I want."
Marco grimaced. "You really think I'm gonna help you get to Star?" He asked with a scoff, glaring at the creature with all the malice he could muster, "we may be close, but you don't know her. She'd put me in the ground before I even finished saying your name."
He expected the man to get angry, or to cut to the chase and call in some crazy bullshit to fuck with his head. But Zaleeth only smiled, moving past him to gaze at the pictures dotting the walls. He stared at the happy faces and caricatures of a better life with… it almost looked like nostalgia. "In this place, you are all that killing machine desires, and she can see through my magic too easily, so I believe that venture to be a fool's errand… for now," he offered in a low growl, like even suggesting it was beneath him. "No, I bore witness to your recent struggle, and I believe that you, and you alone, will be far more capable of bringing her to me than any garrison I throw at your little band of savages."
Even as Marco made to give some comment or retort about how that would still end with both of them dead at the princess' hands, Zaleeth held up two index fingers on his right side. "Before you waste both your breath and our precious time here, know this: I will not harm either of you, provided you follow my orders," he continued, turning to face the young man with an expression of stoic resolve. "Keep the girl in line, and when I reveal myself, you will follow my instruction. No tricks, no armies, no need to worry, and no harm will come to the girl, you have my word "
"You must be pretty stupid if you think I'd lead Star to you of all people," Marco scoffed, noting the way Zaleeth's eye twitched, "you're showing me this place like you can take us here, like it means something to me, but I'm not going anywhere without Star. And if that means helping the Rebellion kill you, then yeah, I have no 'need to worry'."
Zaleeth frowned, like he was holding back a gale force wave of anger that threatened to shatter his composure. But at the last moment, just before his resolve could capsize, he smiled pleasantly at the boy. "What makes you so sure I don't intend to employ the two of you, rather than use you for your… previously intended purposes?" He asked with mock delight, "I could harvest her for enough magic to bring this land to heel, and subjugate my world, yes. But if you were to follow my orders? If you were to bring down the Crown for me, what use do I have for the girl besides as the weapon she was destined to be?"
"Thats a stupid question, and you know it. Why the sudden change in interest?" Marco barked with a glare, "you were screaming bloody murder in Primrose about how bad you wanted Star, so what gives? You think we just forgot about all the fucked up shit you did?"
Zaleeth didn't answer right away, but instead let his body fall into a cloud of black sludge, the tar-like substance congealing and reforming until it had taken on the shape of Marco. He stood there, staring at himself as the copy answered, "I would mind your tongue in my presence, boy, before I cut my losses and harvest the magic you stole from your organs and bones." It wasn't an idle threat, but Marco knew the shape change was to prove a point, if nothing else. He wanted to show him that he couldn't trust anyone, that Zaleeth could take on any form and be anyone, but that ship sailed a long time ago. All he had was Star, and there was no point trying to replicate that walking hurricane.
"As for the change of aspiration… if I were to rule the kingdom, I could have a limitless supply of magic without such a fruitless struggle. I can't very well force the girl to concede to my errands on my own, and she'd put up too much of a fight, so why not enlist her, and see to it that you both are out of my hair for good?"
Marco stayed silent for a moment, weighing the prospect with difficulty. "You want us to work for you?" Pointedly, Marco kept any mention of going home from coming up again, not that it wasn't obvious that the wizard could see into his head.
"Ahh, you really can teach a monkey to dance," Zaleeth nodded, smiling as he strolled around the living room, eyeing the decor and architecture with distaste. "Rather than waste precious energy subduing a force equal to my own, I want you to fight on my behalf, in a war you're already raging."
Marco stayed silent, watching the shadow of himself carefully. There was no way he could be trusted, they both knew that, but here they were, and there was no telling what he could or would do. "Against the crown?" He asked, for no other reason than to read him further. But to his surprise, Zaleeth seemed to be well and through with the game of 'get to know you'. The odd creature shifted to Star, eying him with devilish delight, as if he already knew the answer.
"Remember, boy: this is our little secret. I'm asking out of the kindness of my heart, but I can force you to do my bidding all the same," he chided, producing a dagger in one hand, and dragging its edge along his delicate throat. There came a gurgle before he spat blood onto the carpet and gestured to the black substance with enthusiasm. "You are a part of me now, and with the Wine flowing through your veins, I see everything. I will come for you both with orders and intersections to benefit us all, but stray from the path I set, and the girl will fall to the hands of the one man she trusts most."
Marco stared at him, the gravity of the threat not going unheeded, but returned it all the same with a casual scoff. "We both saw what she could do to me," he suggested, watching as Zaleeths smile creeped aside to give way to a frown, "she'll rip you out of my head before you ever get the chance. You have no leverage over us, and we'll fight both the Crown, you, and Hekap-"
He stopped, his eyes growing wide as he felt an icy chill ride up his spine. Gone was the dissent in his voice, and gone was the frown from Stars fabricated lips. Zaleeth nodded, inching closer with a powerful presence that made Marco's teeth ache. "And now you know who the real enemy is, boy," he whispered with a crazed grin, pressing Stars bloodied body up against his own, "I am bigger than you can possibly imagine, I am more minds than all your rebellion combined, and I am older than the trees you monkeys swing from in my wake. But the Immortal One, she is stronger still, and I will need either the kingdom, or the girl to see her bested, and your soul returned to its home."
Marco was speechless, watching the copy of Star slink back like a panther, her eyes narrowed in a predatory way, and her power creeping back down to a dull roar. "Two things to consider, as I leave you to your devices, human," Zaleeth growled, shifting back to his original form, his snow white hair replacing the golden locks, "first, the Immortal One has brought many to be her playthings. And none will escape before I do."
If he had a question, Marco never got the chance to ask. There came a groan as the house around them began to dissolve, the bright and painted walls of that fateful night crumbling into a state of disrepair. But Zaleeth continued smiling, his gaze locked with Marco's as the fake world began to cave in on itself. "And second, before you go chittering to the girl about what you've seen, I wonder: would she remain by your side, if she knew you couldn't be trusted? That I was in your head, playing with your memories and aspirations?"
Before Marco could protest, or reason with the information he'd been given, the house finally gave into its own weight, the ceiling caving downward with a deafening crash of wood. He was swallowed by the floor as Zaleeth floated above him, the house sinking into nothing as his world fell apart for the second time.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
Marco thundered awake with a flurry of disheveled sheets, gasping for air as he threw his gaze around to all four corners of the room. His chest felt like a vice, and his body felt heavy and cold, a shiver riding up his spine. He wasn't back home, he wasn't back at the party, and… he wasn't alone. Apart from the wounds that threatened to reopen as he threw himself up into a sitting position, the weight he felt was actually from the naked princess draped across his chest, bleary and confused as she was, and staring at him with worry.
He slowed his breaths as he realized his cold sweat was abading, and with reluctance, he sighed, closing his eyes to shake off the wisps of sleep. Not to mention the touch of modesty he felt was warranted in his situation. He could still see that smile, and hear those words, echoing just out of sight.
"Are you okay?" Star pulled herself up, wrapping a blanket around her chest as she carefully moved off his bruises and sores, "was it… just a nightmare?" As if every day here hadn't been a nightmare. As if what he'd just seen could be summed up in such a simple word. She wasn't trying to downplay the severity of a bad night's sleep, but to call it 'just' an anything was inappropriate.
"Y-yeah… just… a nightmare," Marco breathed, letting out another steady breath before opening his eyes, meeting hers with a tired grimace she was used to seeing. "I'm sorry I woke you up, you'd think I'd be used to-"
She was on him in a heartbeat, letting the blanket fall where it may to press herself against him and assault his lips with another round of heated desire. For a moment he was tense, but after a few soft kisses, he relaxed, reaching around her wings to hold her closer, until she finally pulled back with a smile. "Don't be sorry. And I don't think you'll be used to any of… that, for a while," she purred.
It'd been a long night, with a lot of pent up emotions and desires between the two of them, not to mention the shock at her… anatomy. But even as she said it, she knew it wasn't what he was talking about. He still looked as uneasy as last night, maybe even more so, and it was likely that some of those reservations were coming back with the hangover. "I won't try to pretend like I'm something I'm not, but if you're still unsure about things, I can dial it down for you a bit?" She offered carefully, delicately treading their precarious situation.
Marco seemed to regard the proposal with surprise, his eyes wide and confused. "We can go slow, and take our time with this if that's what you want. There's no need to rush into-"
"I'm glad we did this."
Star stopped in her tracks, staring at him as Marco of all people gave her a warm smile. Carefully, he reclined until the two were laying back down, as close as they could be under the returning covers. He had a lot to think about, and a lot to consider after his interaction with Zaleeth. But, right now? "I'm not good at this kinda thing. I'm not used to… any of this. But I do want to try, with you, if you'll have me."
"Pfff, of course I will, you idiot," she laughed, "We slept together, I don't think either of us have any room to be shy about dating."
"Oh so now you know what sleeping together means," Marco laughed, much to Star's annoyance. She flicked his nose, but he continued past her glare. "I meant what I said last night: I'm not a good person, Star. And you might find things in me that you don't like. So when that time comes, don't feel like you're stuck with me, you have an out whenever you want it."
If anything, her glare only seemed to deepen. "I am stuck with you, but not in that sort of way," she reasoned with him, desperate to break through that stubborn exterior, "I know enough to know that I don't plan on going anywhere unless you want me to. And seeing as you don't seem to want me to? I think you'll be fine, 'as long as you'll have me'."
She gave him another kiss on the nose. It was such a lovely promise that he so badly wanted to believe in. "And what happens when- if we do finally get to go home," he reasoned, eying her with not scrutiny, but curiosity, "you only have one person here, we can only rely on each other. If we make it back, you might find that you don't have to settle for a guy like-"
She flicked his nose, and even with a flick, it still hurt when she did it. Star was wearing a look of muted frustration and impatience, her eyes narrowed at him to keep his trap shut. "I trust you, Marco. But that doesn't mean you're my only option, and it doesn't mean I'm helpless to figure out what I want." She leaned in again, kissing him once and relieved to feel him return the gesture. "Here, Earth, Mewni, I want 'a guy like you'. I'm not settling, I don't even have to date if I don't feel like it. But I do, and only because it's 'a guy like you', got it?"
At his slow nod, he finally seemed to be catching up with her. She could be patient enough with him, given just how… closed off he could be, but she wasn't going to tolerate any more doubt than she had to. For Cob's sake, they were sleeping together.
But Marco's doubts weren't just partitioned for their precarious new direction. 'Would she stay by your side, I'd she knew I was in your head? Stray from the path I set, and the girl will fall at the hands of the one man she trusts most.' He was a danger to her as he was now, even if she'd shown the whole rebellion that she could handle him at his worst. He couldn't say a word to her about it yet, he needed to be patient, and see what move Zaleeth would make. If he could really see everything as he claimed to, then for now, he had to sit as though nothing had changed.
"I don't want to hurt you, Star. Even if I know you're what I want, even if this… works? I want you to be prepared to lose me, no matter what happens, until we get home. Deal?"
He'd said it in a near whisper, but after a moment of watching his serious expression, Star deemed it best not to argue. It was a reasonable request, given everything that had already happened, so she nodded in assent. "I know you don't need to be told, but I expect my courter to be careful too. I can understand if things fall to pieces, or the two of us decide this isn't working, but I can't lose you regardless. Even if you don't want someone to… love you, I still trust you, and I need you by my side."
After a long moment, she watched as Marco's uneasy grimace fell into a sigh. He nodded as though he understood, and for now, that would have to be enough. "We should… probably head back soon," he offered, giving no protest as Star moved closer, "if we set out by daybreak, then we can be back in time for lunch."
"Definitely," Star sighed, settling in and lacing her fingers through his, "a deadly picnic sounds fun."
"Then, we have that debriefing, and we need to explain things to Duwen. There's a good chance they're gonna try something, if they don't already think we're the spy, so be ready to run."
"Asking me to run away with you, and here I thought you weren't romantic."
"I'm being serious, Star."
"Ohhh so serious."
"We can't slow down. These guys need us for the raid as much as we need them. If the cleaver works, we can go home. We need to give it our all."
Star pulled herself up, giving in to their lack of sleep, and pulled him into another kiss. For a moment, neither said a word as their passionate embrace continued, until Star once again met his chocolate brown eyes. They were still creased in their usual show of worry, but for now it was for her. "I don't expect it to be that easy, just like everything else here," she reasoned, with Marco quick to agree, "but I will be careful. We might slip, we might make mistakes, but if we pull this off right, we have a chance. Trust each other, stay close, and keep our eyes peeled for anything suspicious. I've got your back, and you have mine."
Marco found himself nodding, letting her drape herself across him as the two kept warm from the night. "R-right. I'm… right behind you. …always."
"There you go. And as for the spy thing, we should wait to show our hand, and see what happens. We're not the only people who have to be worried about leaked information, and we're not the only people they're gonna suspect," she noted, and for a moment, Marco caught himself. She sounded like she was… used to this kinda thing? Like she was every bit trained to be the queen she was told to be. "They'll probably accuse us, but we have nothing to gain, and everything to lose. We don't know enough to be useful as spies, and they know it. For now, keep close and watch, and when things start to go south, we need alibis, and witnesses to keep our names clear."
"I guess we probably shouldn't have snuck out last night then, if we want to look like we're not planning anything," Marco offered, but Star shook her head.
"We definitely needed this. And we already have our ace in the hole. If you or I were a spy, we would have just killed the other when we had the chance. If we were working together, we would have done more than just fight each other. You drank the wine, and they know you should have died. They can't afford to mess with us until they know more."
Marco let his gaze wander to the ceiling, staring at the beams in thought. 'The Princess of Blood, as she is known by the Monsters,' he reminded himself. Star wasn't the lost idiot he sometimes took her for, and she wasn't as clean as she made it seem. What struck him was that this wasn't her first rodeo after all, she had waged war before, and apparently? She was good at it. What kind of life had she lived where dealing with spies and deception and bloodlust was all but second nature, yet she could still be so vulnerable to someone like Zaleeth?
He remembered her rage when she saw him again, her ability to attack without question, her skill in battle against the Wine in the Cathedral… It ultimately dawned on him that he'd never truly noticed before just how much of a fighter Star was. She was practically a barbarian, powerful but coordinated when she needed to be. He couldn't blame her for not talking about it, that would just be hypocritical, but she likely had a side she kept locked away from everyone, for their safety as well as hers.
"So what should we do then?" He asked, trying his best to not sound completely unhelpful, "if they can't accuse us, and we can't trust anyone, how do we know the mission isn't gonna be a trap?"
Star was silent for a moment, and after some difficulty on her part, she met Marco's gaze with a look he hadn't seen from her before, and one he couldn't quite understand. She looked serious, and scared, but at the same time she practically oozed a confidence to see it through… She looked bloodthirsty.
"In this world? With these people? We don't."
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
At daybreak, when the sun was just beginning to crest over the treeline hills in the distance, Lucite sat upright and stretched. The air was crisp as an apple at this time of day, and in the forest, it was just as sweet. She sat reclined on a branch high at the top of a pine tree, watching the clouds start to burn away at the sun's presence, and she felt the warm rays against her cold face.
Not to say she didn't like sleeping in the Cathedral, but since the attack, it'd just gotten so noisy, and she'd already lashed out at enough people. Sleeping outside was peaceful, despite her temperament, and calming, despite her vulnerability to the elements. It was better up here, not feeling trapped in the ant colony that sat buried below.
And of course, no one would bother her as she let her memories play games in her head, her hands desperate to cling to what little she could remember, and what little she had left. So many years of… grey, until that little fire in the campsite, and that little boy, strong and scared despite the world around him.
"Lucy! Do you have a minute?" A voice called from below. It sounded like Pezmal, a jarring interruption to her little morning routine. Naturally, her peace and quiet wouldn't last, so without much reluctance, Lucite rolled from her branch, and climbed down, vaulting over limbs and darting from tree to tree to make her descent. With a thud, she landed in front of Pezmal, and gave him a bright, fabricated smile. "Mornin', Dickhead. Get enough beauty rest?"
Pezmal Deckard rolled his eyes at his demeaning nickname, but they'd known each other long enough to brush it aside. "As a matter of fact I did, thank you for asking," he offered, much to the redheads annoyance. He knew she hated when he didn't bite back. "We have a meeting with Duwen this afternoon, so I just wanted to make sure you didn't run off or pick any fights. We want to be presentable if we hope to get more assignments."
"Aye, I know. You don't have to treat me like some stupid little girl." She glared past him, but again Pezmal rolled his eyes, stepping around her to take in the sunrise she'd been enjoying.
"Just looking out for you, that's all," he noted with fondness, "you may not be the same woman that wandered into my camp, but you are just as stupid. So I believe I'm here to stay."
"Eh, stay all ya want, I'm gonna grab a shower, and somethin' to eat," Lucite tossed back at him, already heading towards the Cathedral when she heard him scoff. "I presume you're trying to look presentable for your knight in shining armor?"
She stopped cold in her tracks and turned a withering glare back at him, finding his expression smug at best, and provoking at worst. "What?" One word was all she needed to carry that creeping malice, but Pezmal barely reacted. "I believe you heard me, Lucy. If given the choice, choose the green necklace, it really brings out your-"
She was suddenly there, a fist sent forward to clock him across the cheek, but he ducked low and carried her momentum to send her to the ground with pressure to her neck and side. With fury she lunged to get back up, but Pezmal pressed her neck and locked her arm, holding her still. For a moment she struggled to push him off, the offender staring lazily at the treetops until she muttered, "Ya win, Dickhead. Now get off."
"Thank you very much," he chided, pulling her to her feet and brushing a twig out of her hair, "Remember, I'm the one who taught you how to fight, so I know all your little tricks. Now spill the proverbial beans."
Lucite grumbled something intelligible as he waited, but ultimately she slouched, glaring at the treeline. "He saved me life, that fuckin' bastard. I owe him a drink, and an arse whoopin'. Simple as that," she grumbled. But Pezmal didn't look convinced in the slightest, plopping down on a stump and eying her with interest.
"Seems as though you paid him back by carrying him thirty miles back to camp," he noted with a wave of his hand, "and you seem just taken with the idea of him coming to thank you." He noticed the way her cheeks seemed to burn, but her eyes narrowed in anger as she whipped back to face him. "And what about you, ya daft blockhead?! I's heard all about yer little vacation with the other one! How's about we talk about your little trek and yer bout of incorrigible flirtin'?!"
Pezmal brushed her remark aside and smiled knowingly at her, his grey eyes all but sparkling. "That didn't sound like a nooo," he prodded, much to Lucite's irritation, but he too didn't seem to refuse her projections. "If we're done talking about your little crush, give me some time. She seems rather nice, and I'd love to spend more time with her, given the chance. She's strong-willed, smart, and boasts a beauty I haven't seen since-"
Lucite was glaring at him, so he let the notion die where it sat, coughing into his glove. "The point being, I believe it would be beneficial for you to look into… male prospects such as him," he noted, narrowly dodging the pine cone thrown at his head, "the two of them seem so fascinating, and I was assured that there's nothing between them. So, use those ladylike charms you've surely buried deep within yourself and burned at the stake, and try to win him over. I'm rooting for you."
He expected another pine cone to come flying at him, but Lucite only slouched further, glaring at the ground as her cheeks flushed. "It ain't as simple as pinin' after a dunce like that, even if he was prince charmin'," she reasoned, either to herself or to Pezmal, "nevermind the obvious problem of hatin' the bampot, we had plenty of time fer talk while they were discussin' how to torture us. That lads got a tough set of walls. He ain't got no interest in that kinda thing, and neither do I."
"All the more reason to pine then, Lucy," Pezmal noted gently, drawing her attention, "You've got history all your own, and a tougher exterior than even Alwen. You've certainly been alive long enough, and you could use a good partner, so I think you should try."
He was waiting for her to get angry and throw the advice back in his face, to outright refuse the idea of chasing after some guy instead of fighting a war. But she didn't. She just stayed still, staring at the blades of grass at her feet with a sullen look on her face, not a trace of the flush left behind. "It's not just that, dumbarse. It's-"
"You think he may actually have feelings for Star?" Pezmal interrupted, eying her with intrigue, "You won't know unless you pursue it. Even if that were the case, Lucy, it's not like you're going anywhere-"
"But he is!" She shouted over his advice and bullshit, glaring at him with fury and worry in her eyes. "I've lived longer than anyone else here, including you. So what happens if I… if things… I'll have to… I ain't gonna bury the man I end up with, ya knob."
"So what then? You'll spend the rest of your time here alone and unhappy, waiting for something to finally kill you in your sleep?" She looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. "Lucy, I've known you for eight years now, and you wandered aimlessly for seventy before that. I know how hard it is for you to see things the way someone like me does, but I can promise you this: If you like someone, even if you're too proud to admit it, you deserve to be happy too. Even if its short, even if it's hard to let go of the past, you owe it to yourself."
She stared at the sunrise, the sun now fully crested between the trees. She was silent for a long time, her eyes narrowed in dissent, but just as Pezmal was about to offer more unwanted advice, she muttered, "...maybe I do. But I'm not gettin' me hopes up for any of that tripe. He's still a bastard, and I'm just pinin' is all, so it ain't a big deal. Besides, I got you, and one bampots enough to deal with."
At that, Pezmal let himself smile. "We've got each other, you foolish old headache. I promised you when we first met, when you stumbled into my life, that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, right?"
"Gettin tortured woulda been somethin."
"Details, Lucy, details. But for now, how's about we go have a chat with them? I could come up with a good excuse to get you and Marco alo-"
"Another word and I'll skin ya alive," Lucite grimaced, shuddering at the thought. But Pezmal could see the way she glared, and it was softer than her usual brand. "As you wish. Now c'mon. We do need to talk to them, and learn a little more about… what we saw."
"What, ya mean that crazy Butterfly thing? Or ya talkin' about Mister Black Wine?" Lucite demanded, trudging after him as the two made their way back. "What else is there to say? She's a fuckin monster and he's a-"
"A fine young man for you to profess your affection?" Pezmal suggested with delight, the sound of angry stewing behind him only getting louder, "or perhaps he's a simple dolt just here merely due to happenstance, and his approximation to Star. Who's to say."
"And what the piss would I even say?" Lucite demanded, slapping the back of his head and glaring at proud fool, "'Oi, sorry I beat the snot out of you, thanks for savin me arse, yer welcome for doin the same, care to sleeze atound in the woods'?"
Pezmal gave her a thoughtful bit of silence before he offered, "how about we skip the sleeze and the snot beating, and just say thank you?"
"I'll rip yer Johnny off and shove it up your-"
"No no, definitely not. Guys don't like hearing that kinda thing. Try again."
Lucite hissed in frustration, her face turning two shades of red before she pulled back her fist, raring to punch his lights out. But he had a point, as daunting and grotesque as it was. If she ever wanted to chase after such a lofty dream of… settling down with someone, eventually she'd have to come to terms with her lifespan. And, more importantly, how to open up to someone. "We talked, Pezmal. We thought we were done fer, and we really talked," she whispered, "There's somethin' there, somethin' I ain't seen in a very long time. He's… me."
Pezmal slowed his walk, but he kept his eyes forward. On one hand, it was impressive that Lucite spoke more than a few sentences to anyone besides himself, especially without a fight. But on the other hand, she needed to be careful, and she couldn't afford to make her secret known. With an odd shift of tone, one both caring, but serious, he nodded before asking, "I'm glad you were able to connect with someone like that, even if it was in your anticipated final moments… but does he know?"
She looked away, her eyes creasing into a frown. "No, obviously I kept me trap shut. We just broke bread over what we were like, and how we wished we could go back and do things differently. He's… been through a lot too. Not like either of us got into detail, but… there was something there. Like he understood what I've been through; the fear, the loneliness, the isolation… the walls. He saw right through me, reached in and pulled somethin out that I forgot was there. He made me feel like I was… like I was back home, and I wasnt alone, ya know?"
He didn't acknowledge her, but his silence made it clear that such an act didn't go unnoticed. Perhaps Marco was something more than what he'd given him credit for, but in the end, Pezmal nodded. "As I said, I think you should pursue it," he offered, turning to give her a warm smile, pulling up her chin to meet his grey eyes, "You've been through so much, and spent so long by yourself. You deserve the world, and I'd give it to you if I had only the strength to do so. But in lieu of the world, I think he would suffice in bringing you companionship, and peace, if he really is someone with whom you can share that loneliness. Isolation breeds independence, but it also cultivates contempt, and I would not see you accept defeat to such a feeling so easily. You're too strong to give up on a happiness you've suffered enough to earn a hundred times over. You deserve someone who can share in your pain, and wash it away."
Lucite met his caring expression the same way she always did when he gave her something genuine to hold on to. She smiled at him, a small, weak, and timid little grin, but a show of her strength all the same. Even when he was a kid, he always treated her with wary respect, but he also knew what she needed, most times before she did. "Thank you for bein there for me, Pezmal," she offered to him, pulling the idiot into a tight hug, "I hate yer guts, and ya piss me off every second yer around me, but… thanks for bein me friend. And not changin' too much while you were at it."
Pezmal returned the rare gesture, noting wryly over her shoulder, "well, if things don't work out, at least try to add those two to your very limited list of friends. If Marco's someone you feel so strongly for- which, mums the word- then atleast he sees you in the same light. Enough to let you in all the same, he'd make a very fine friend."
She didn't know how much she really believed that: that someone like Marco would ever consider things in the same way. She couldn't say how she really felt about him, but there was something there, a similarity, a shared pain, and a will to keep fighting. He saved her life, ready to sacrifice his own to see her returned to safety, an act of selflessness she'd only received once before in her life, from the bampot she was hugging. Sure, Marco may be harboring something for the girl, the one he'd been asking for on that long journey back, but if he was anything like Pezmal? As careful, compassionate, strong, and unshakable?
Lucite would have to do more than just apologize for almost breaking his nose. But… she had time.
All the time in the world.
"Then there's the ironclad issue of how he was able to survive the Black Wine," Pezmal continued, moving past their pining issue for the greater problem at hand, "the virus should have killed him. He should have succumbed to it before you ever made it back. I'm glad he didn't, don't misunderstand me, but… it is a curious oddity."
"Maybe the bampot just got too stubborn to die," Lucite scoffed, immediately finding the irony almost palpable, "I've been around fer a long time, I've seen crazier things than a fool too pissed off to give up. Dunce was certainly angry 'nuff, maybe he used it too much for the stuff to do anything to him."
As they walked, she noted the way Pezmal seemed to grimace, something he wasn't fond of doing often. "Or perhaps… our new friends are harboring a secret," he muttered, like even saying it out loud made him sick, "you did say that someone talked, that your mission was doomed to fail before it even began."
"Nah, why'd he drink the stuff if he was one of 'em?" Lucite scoffed, waving the idea under the rug before it even took off, "if he was the spy, I'da known it. Someone else squealed to the enemy… but ya have got a point. Somethin's off about those two, and I gots half a mind they are hidin' somethin'."
As the two approached the main entrance to the Cathedral, the gruff man keeping watch nodding in affirmation and throwing the lever, Pezmal kept his eyes out of focus. He was thinking hard, that much she could tell, but what he was blasting his brains over was anyones guess. "That girl, she tell ya anythin' off while you two were frolicking on yer mission?"
Just as fast as a powderkeg, Pezmal lit up and shook his head with a beaming smile spread between his cheeks. "Not in the slightest! I do admit, I maaaay have come on a little strong, so she didn't give away much," he noted with an embarrassed grin, "that being said, however, clearly they're both different from the usual cut of our ranks. Star can transform into that… creature, which bodes no lack of ill possibility, and your dear Marco took on the Black Wine for over two days."
"Quit your shite and be serious!" Lucite demanded, slugging his shoulder with enough force to knock him sideways into the cave wall, "I ain't foolin' around with anyone who's gonna get me killed, and I got a feelin' those two are gonna be even more high and mighty in the mission, now that they're the big guns."
With difficulty, Pezmal peeled himself from the wall and dusted himself off, nodding along as Lucite ranted about the obvious. "They most certainly will, and we'd be a fool not to put them up front," he admitted, watching as those green eyes narrowed in distaste, "so our best bet in the meantime is to keep an eye on them, as I'm sure everyone else is."
"Then for now, as much as yer gonna bellyache, keep yer John in yer pants, and keep yerself decent," came Lucites simmering retort, watching as Pezmal rubbed the back of his neck, "she don't like me in the slightest, and she don't trust me worth a damn, so I'm countin' on you to not make a mess of-"
"Lucy," Pezmal began, patting her head like she wasn't ninety years older than him, and like she wasn't going to kill him for it, "she doesn't trust you, because she knows you're a threat. And before you complain, I mean that in every facet you're thinking. You were alone with Marco when he drank the Wine. You were there when the one person she trusts in this world almost died, and you did save his life when she wasn't around. She can likely see it more than he can, just how valuable that action was. For now, don't provoke her, but Marco is fair game, and she knows it."
For a minute as the two walked towards the barracks, Lucite grimaced at the walls, forcing down a flush of both embarrassment, and boiling anger. "He ain't fair game, as far as I care," she muttered under her breath, "but I'll play it cool, and watch 'em. If they aint enemies, if they ain't already sleezin', and if I even have a chance, then maybe somethin'll happen. But don't hold yer breath, and don't go forgettin' that it's still just you and me. Got it?"
As they stopped in front of Marco's quarters, Pezmal gave her a curt nod, mockingly locking his lips, as she'd shown him. "Won't tell a soul. And again, Goodluck. I'll be rooting for all fronts that we aren't currently about to get everyone here killed."
Lucite nodded. "Only one bitch in this whole dimension I wanna flay with me own two hands, and she's sittin on top of the world. So… fingers crossed these two might be able to help me get home."
The cave seemed a little colder standing next to her, but Pezmal had felt that kind of anger from her before. It had been a very, very long time since she'd arrived, and he shuddered at the thought of what that fresh hatred could have been like in its prime. "I'm so glad ya found me, gave me food, taught me to fight, made me strong," Lucite noted, acutely aware of his presence, and his assessment, "but with power like that? It might just be enough."
For a short moment, the thought came and went through Pezmal's mind of the day that Lucite Duvante would be free again. That he'd be back where he was when they first met, and she'd be back where she was before she was stolen. It was a cold world he imagined, but just as quickly he brushed the notion aside, relishing in the uneasy confidence she was showing. "The reality of this world is that struggle is intrinsic to hope. Have too much of one, and the other will follow. …I'm with you all the way, to carry whatever burden you bring down on yourself, but be careful. Just as I have to be. Don't reveal too much, don't give away your hard earned trust, and like you said: it's just you and me, until the day it finally isn't."
"Words are a powerful thing, given their ability to topple the mightiest of men, deceive the most cunning of liars, and break the hopes of a dying people. But in their absence, there is just as much danger. Words left unsaid can carry no shortage of pain, guilt, and loss. Say what you feel, and hold nothing back, because even if you feel as though your words have hurt someone, even if your honesty does not benefit, saying nothing at all will hurt not only them, but you as well."
~Mr. Ronald Reagan
~H