WHOOOO WHEN YOU DIDN'T FAIL FINALS!
Catharsis
By Gold Sparrow
Chapter 3: Cost
"Ugo?"
"U-uh, yes, Ma'am?"
"You're not afraid, right?" The man blinks, and shakes his head. Bathsheba smiles softly, happy with his response. "Nathan was. He cried the first time I took him out."
"Did not!" Said magician interrupts, steaming. He carries his usual pack on his back, filled with all the tools and papers they need for the trip. His nose crumples at his boss's description of their first ever outing together, back when he was student at the university.
"Well, I could hear your soul crying." Bathsheba clears up her statement, turning back to the trail. "Now, you two, let's get going. We need to be at the site by noon."
"H-hey, Ma'am?"
"Yes?"
"Um...It's a very lovely day out." The timid voice of Ugo makes Bathsheba giggle. She nods, looking up at the baby blue sky.
"It is, isn't it?"
She doesn't notice Nathan shaking his head at Ugo in disappointment.
Adventure, for her, was a continuously changing thing.
A trip out to study the other species was an adventure.
Going out to dinner with her friends was an adventure.
Learning something new was an adventure.
She contented herself with all these adventures, and made herself docile to the machine that chugged out endless horrors. She made herself push down the hatred of those who discriminated against the other beings in the planet for the sake of her life, of her duty. And what duty was that?
Even I do not have the answer.
What I do know is that together, Bathsheba and I will embark on the final adventure the both of us will ever take.
"Oh, Nathy, tell me you didn't!" Nathan scratches the back of his head, avoiding his professor's earnest gaze. "You've applied?!"
"Well, Sara told me to, so…"
"Oh, Nathan," Bathsheba laughs, picking up the application. "I'd love to have you aboard."
"R-really?"
"Yes! But be sure to be ready for the call. Being a Species Analyst is a very demanding job."
"Y-yeah, but I want to do it! I want to learn more!" Then, realizing what he said, "I-I mean…"
A small chuckle.
"Yes, I know what you mean, Nathan. It's good to have you on the team."
There was a time in her life that meeting someone new was sort of like a game.
There was the greeting, the chance to be original with what she said...There was the excitement of picking their brains to learn what's inside of them. There was even the goodbye, which signified to her how an encounter went.
But meeting David Jehoahaz Abraham, all those things became ice cold.
"...Sir, it's an honor to meet you." She says primly, sipping her tea delicately. Looking down at the rose-colored liquid made his uncomfortable staring feel less awkward.
"Is it?"
"That it is." Blue versus blue. He wins. "Why have you called me, if I may be so forward?"
"If I say no?"
"Then I'll drop the entire thing...Though that would also mean you have nothing to speak on." David chuckles, a sound not entirely unpleasant. At the same time, it's low and slow and full of predation.
"I have a proposition for you."
An eyebrow raised. Opportunities, though not foreign to her, still stirred an interest that held just as much weight as the desire to run away did.
"What would that be?"
His smile is plastered to his face, sewn on.
It's unnatural.
"How does publishing anything you'd like sound?"
"..." Her eyes widen. Anything. No editors blasting her works because they're too uncouth or not showing enough reverence to the Lord. A chance to write whatever she wants and not be attacked by the Church nor threatened with excommunication.
"...Costly." His smile moves upwards more, something she thought impossible.
"A wise answer. How about, in addition of course, sitting in on private council meetings for a chance to debate new laws and bills?"
She frowns.
"That's all well and good, but-"
"New laws and bills over the governing of the other species?"
She becomes as cold, colder than a greeting or a goodbye.
"...What's your price?"
He shows his teeth for the first time, rows of pearly white bone.
"I knew you'd want to talk." He leans forward. "Let's bargain, Bathsheba."
Footsteps ringing against the marble floors. A name called out.
"Bathsheba!"
A pause, as the woman turns toward the voice.
Heavy breathing.
"Bathsheba, what- what's going on? They told me, they told me you're meeting with Elder David today."
"..." Crisp as the first leaves of spring, Bathsheba nods. "I am, Ugo."
"...Why? T-those rumors aren't true, right? You're...You're not a possible candidate to become his wife, are you?"
A longer pause.
Softer this time, full of gentleness and resignation and the sadness of what could've been,
"I am."
"You can't marry him!"
"Ugo, quiet down-"
"What about all the things you showed me?! What about the things you said?! I believed in you when you said you didn't trust the elders!"
"Ugo-!"
"I thought- I thought we were in this together, Bathsheba...How...You can't marry him…"
"...I don't think I have a choice, Ugo." A tender smile, not made of the goodness within her. More as if the energetic grin she usually sports was taken and beaten into a pulp so that it rings with harsh pain whenever she touches it. "I've always...I've always thought I'd never give in so easily, that I'd keep on being able to live the way I please without bothering anyone...But I was wrong. I can't…"
A deep breath.
"I know that there are many wrong things with this world. I want change it all, so maybe this is the way or maybe it's a mistake...No. Thank you, Ugo. Thank you for everything."
"But I-" She turns away, showing her back to one of her precious friends. "But I love you."
The words echo down the hall, but Bathsheba doesn't stop.
I have avoided it long enough.
The reason I pay such special attention to little Bathsheba.
It's very glaringly obvious, though I wish not to jot it down should it decide to grow lips and taunt me in the future.
Despite this, I shall, because what's the price of power but pain?
I do not need anyone else in this world.
However, Bathsheba is just like me.
I don't wish to let her, who glows with naivete in the face of her power, out of my sight. She will be the Queen I treasure, and I will be the God she worships.
You were born for me, Bathsheba. Never forget that.
Next chapter of this will be out after the next chapter of SS. Because writing this is easy (bc short chappies) and writing SS is sofreakinghardbclongchappiesugh. I hope you like the chapter, LOOKS LIKE BATH IS MARRYING DAVID? Sorry Ugo-kun.
Got any questions or suggestions? Something wrong about the chapter? Grammatical errors, something you didn't like? PM me or leave it in the reviews, I will reply and see what I can do to make the story better/clearer for y'all to understand. ILY MY DARLING READERS!
BYE~~~~~~~