A/N: Here's chapter 13! Enjoy~~~~~~~ *laughs maniacally*
Flau had enough of lying in bed wasting away. She sighed and rolled over, only to have pain etch through her side like needles, causing her arms to give out. Collapsing to her stomach, she let out a cry into the pillow, muffling any noise. Weakness gave her more nausea than her actual wounds.
Morphinn hobbled up the stairs at the sound of the muffled cry. He had a tray of medicines with him. "I knew you'd be awake at any moment, Miss Flau!" he said cheerily. "And I've just finished concocting your medicines."
Tilting her head up, she managed to catch sight of him as he set the tray on a cot beside hers. Truth be told she had been awake since the silence encroached her sleep. Morphinn helped her to sit up and she cringed the whole way, feeling a hundred needles prick her belly. "The wound is almost completely healed so what you're feeling is the stress of the new tissues," he explained, pulling away the bandages and preparing a salve to spread over the newly healed site.
Once the salve was spread and medicine administered, Morphinn gave her a quick check up and helped her to her feet. The pain was lessened greatly, to Flau's relief, and she could even stand up straight and walk without trouble. "Thank you," she bowed to Morphinn before turning and walking out of the clinic.
He laughed warmly and went off, muttering something about new medicines, leaving her feeling a little uneasy. Synelia waved her goodbye before going back to work. It would be another boring day. It had been quiet since Jack Russell had left Radiata Kingdom. Even after his return, he'd been stuck at the castle. Synelia wondered if he was faring well. She dismissed the thought and returned to work.
Flau wandered the streets of Olacion, thinking over the last few days. Eon had been so sincere… and she hated him for it. But Kain had been so cold. If he loved her, then he shouldn't be ashamed of it! Sure it was a scandal… but… She sighed, pushing her selfishness aside. Leaning over the ledge in front of the shrine, she let out a heavy sigh. "I… I want to see him… but he doesn't want anything to do with me…" Her fists clenched, stressing the leather of her gauntlets. All of these emotions ripped and tore at her insides. Biting her lip, she refrained from the tears threatening to overcome her completely. What stopped her? Religion? Hah! She was merely a 'follower' of the Olacion way… Turning on her heel, she stomped into the chapel.
The Usuals littered the pews. Vitas, Lulu, Cosmo, Fernando; all once familiar faces. Some of them gasped in surprise and others in shock. It was the first time she entered the chapel during a service. Kain's voice gently swept over the congregation as he delivered messages from the talkative gods. Stepping forward, she reached the first seats and walked past them. Achilles—at Kain's left on the floor looked up in confusion and shock. She wasn't stopping. He reached out an arm and followed her. But having seen him move from his post, she hastened to Kain's side. Flora even tried to follow Achilles up the steps and then stopped.
Kain closed his eyes. He had been in a trance delivering the sermon; so much so that he hadn't even noticed Flau beside him until she grabbed him by the elbow and turned him to her. When he was face to face with her, she pulled him close in the embrace and kissed him upon the lips. For a moment, he was lost in wonder, his eyes fluttering closed. Seconds later the realization poured over him. Gasps filled the room followed by murmurs and sharp whisperings. Flau's expression softened as she allowed herself to feel the one thing she longed for since departure. His lips against hers. Slowly, she pulled away and then bowed her head to him. "Consider… I'm the one who pushed you into this…" she muttered to him. "So this scandal: it is my doing."
He placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her chin up to his view. Though his stoic façade, she noted the flushing of his cheeks. "Flau... you… I…" he stammered, lost for words.
"WHAT'S THIS? SUCH DISRESPECT!" A loud screech filled the room. Strutting to the front of the chapel was Lady Anastasia flanked on either side by Elena and Adina, her twin apprentices. "FLAU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING PRESSING YOUR VIRGIN LIPS AGAINST THE HIGH PRIEST!?" With each bellow, a strand of hair came undone from her tight bun atop her head. Veins pulsed visibly at her temples, bulging out of her flesh.
The first thing that Flau registered… Virgin lips. Wishful thinking, Mistress Anastasia. She refrained from a cheeky smile and immediately bowed her head in shame. Obedience was mandatory around this banshee of a woman. The pews were clearing as Godwin and Fernando had begun to usher the members out of the chapel.
Fernando let out a small chuckle as he passed Godwin. "What's so funny, Fernando?" Godwin asked, looking up at the taller man.
"Lady Anastasia's boisterousness. Also, I'm surprised she's just now finding out about Flau and Kain. It is rather cliché, isn't it?" Fernando grinned.
"How is that?"
"Just that the gods may have different plans for them both," he answered.
Godwin laughed and followed Fernando out of the chapel as well, leaving Anastasia and her group to confront Flau along with Kain, Achilles, and Flora.
Flau looked from Anastasia to the twins who looked a bit surprised and a little apologetic. Shaking with fear, she leaned against Kain. "You will come DOWN from that scaffold and accept your punishment! As long as you are on Olacion grounds, you are under MY jurisdiction!" Her voice seared just as bad as it had years ago during previous reprimands.
She opened her mouth to argue and then closed it. Turning from Kain, she made her way down the steps, only to have a firm, warm hand stop her in her tracks. "I believe, I have business with you, Miss Flau," came the High Priest's threatening voice. Though his voice shook with fury, his hold was loose and she could pull away if she wanted to.
"I…" she turned to him and saw the glint of danger in his eyes. That glint silenced any argument. She obediently hung her head.
"Oho! So he's going to take care of you himself!" Anastasia bellowed. "Well, I'm fine with that… maybe he'll have you locked away in Void Community where you belong! Hmph!" She turned and stomped out, closely followed by Adina and Elena—whom paused to give Flau an apologetic glance before hurrying to keep up with Adina. Flora left the chapel and proceeded to help Godwin and Fernando calm the populous. Achilles retreated and waited patiently.
Kain's grip tightened as he started moving off of the scaffold, forcing Flau to follow him as he led her by the wrist. She tugged against him experimentally which caused his grip to tighten almost painfully. As he walked off of the scaffold, Achilles attempted to follow. Kain merely turned which stopped the monk in his tracks. He gave a humble nod and backed away.
The two walked through the hallway to the right. They walked to the wall with a giant statue of a tree and stopped. Kain raised his hand and closed his eyes. A light grew in the center of his palm and he placed it upon the tree's leaves. A loud scraping noise was heard as the wall pulled away, revealing a bright corridor. It took them walking through the wall and it closing behind them for Flau's eyes to adjust to the brightness. They stood in a simple, circular room. Glass windows set in each slight curve and were covered with linen drapes. The floor was a warm beige tiling and the ceiling a dull green. There was an arrangement of plants along the wall and a fountain lay placidly in the center of the room. Underneath one of the windows was a wooden desk which matched the floor tiles. A cot was on the opposite side of the room.
Papers and books littered the white desk, but more interestingly there was an obsidian necklace atop a gold basin which had a mirror in the center of a pale gold lining. She looked from the basin to Kain and then back. Was it possible that he was also a practitioner of dark magics? Even a high priest… perhaps there was more going on than she wanted to understand. "What is that?" she asked bluntly pointing to the set up on the desk.
"What's what?" he asked, looking in the general direction.
"That." She pointed again.
"There are many things in that direction. Care to specify?"
She glared at him. Was he really going to behave so shortly with her? After all, he DID shun her affections and treat her like a criminal… maybe she did deserve a bit of his wrath. She had interrupted his sermon to show public display of affection to him. Not to mention he only shunned her affections to protect her.
With a sigh, she went over and picked up the obsidian stone and pointed to the basin while holding it up. "What is this?"
He looked down. "Ever hear of dirty little secrets?"
"Dark magic, Kain? Really?" She threw the necklace down and placed her hands on her hips. "Explain yourself, oh great and high priest of Olacion Order!"
Kain closed his eyes and removed his hat. It had been years since Flau was able to lay eyes upon his sandy blond hair. And she hated to admit that the sight caused her face to flush. Walking to a small table, he set the hat upon its surface. He took his time observing its structure, running his fingers over the flaps and readjusting the way it sat, preventing it from wrinkling. "I've been searching for Priestess Enjela…"
"Though dark magics?" she pressed.
"No." He turned to her and walked over, holding her by the shoulders. "Flau, it's not dark magics… it's earth magics."
She furrowed her gaze. "What's the difference and why do you know the differences? Who taught you this art?" Shaking her shoulders, she pushed his hands away.
"Cecil." When she looked at him disapprovingly, he held up one of his books. "He set a whole parameter of guidelines. I simply followed them. Look, I have to find Enjela. I know she's alive. And she's still searching for the Stone of Miracles."
"You're still after that bloody stone…" she breathed. "Look, if you want it so bad… I'll go and get it for you! Maybe she'll come back if I do!"
"Flau… please don't mock me…" he sighed.
"Mock you? Really? You think I'm mocking you? When I pour my heart out to you and you ignore my feelings for the sake of my safety? Do you trust me so poorly that you believe nothing of my ability to defend myself? Am I so… dangerous to your career that I've become a liability?" She took steps toward him with each accusation, eyes flaring with anger when underneath her sorrow spiked. "So you're giving me over to Eon? Why? What makes you think I want him? We're just… allies. That's it. Maybe not even that! If only you could understand my feelings maybe you would understand how your words make me fe—"
His lips were pressed to hers and almost instantly, she became submissive to his touch. He held her close about the waist and cupped her head in his hand, tilting her up to his lips. The kiss was gentle—as it always had been. His touch made her mind swim comfortably and carelessly. Her arms wrapped around him, one of her hands brushing into his sandy hair whose strands were as soft as feathers. When her hand entangled itself, he let out a small moan and pulled her closer, opening his mouth to catch her lips between his in a small nibble. They both pulled away, leaving only a few seconds of intermission before the two of them could not bear the painful phase of separation.
He kissed her again and she happily obliged, taunting him with open-mouthed nibbles. The two of them eventually found a place on the floor of his room. He had stripped off his priest robe and set it on the floor. Beneath he wore a beige tunic and green trousers. Breathing heavily, he looked down to her, suddenly aware of their actions. But his duties seemed distant and in a faraway place. He lay next to her and nuzzled her shoulder.
She wanted to say something, but instead opted to enjoy the silence with him. She wrapped an arm around him and settled herself atop his chest. At some point they had ended up on the floor, lost in the ecstasy of the moment.
"I'm searching for Enjela… to ask her advice… Even if she doesn't return, I'd like to know if I am truly not allowed to have the feeling of love. A feeling I long for so much, but can only experience it at a limited pace. I cannot give in…"
"Haven't you already sinned?"
He looked to her with a lazy smile and nodded once. "Twice."
She grinned. "So are you going to confess your sins?"
Kain let out a small chuckle. "I probably should…" He sat up and removed his glasses, running his hands through his hair. "But would you really care to hear such petty things?"
"Am I a high ordained priest?"
"Well, no."
She grinned and crawled over to him, perching her hands on his knees and stealing a kiss from his smile. "Well, sirrah, I don't think I could warrant you such an honor. I'm not a priest… and I too have my sins… whereas you are supposed to stand sinless."
He stole back the kiss from her. "Me?" Kiss. "Sinless?" Another kiss. "My dear you are mistaken…"
"I suppose I am. But maybe I like being mistaken."
Wrapping his arms about her waist, he pulled her atop him and laid back. "I've never… been like this with anyone… it is… very nice…"
Flau nuzzled into his shoulder. "Yeah…" She was glad her head was buried to his shoulder. She knew her face was flushed. And quite dramatically.
As they lay there, he absently ran a hand through her hair.
"Have you had any luck? Finding Enjela?" Flau asked, trying to change the subject so she wasn't as nearly as flustered as she felt.
"Enjela is… in a very large labyrinth. Have you ever heard of the Dragon Lair Cave?"
She shifted to look into his warm, green eyes. "No… not really."
He chuckled. "If you had, I'm sure certain sources would have silenced you long ago. It's a cavern where the dragons sleep. Only one particular man knows of its full depth."
"Whom?"
"Genius Weissheit. And another. Jack Russell."
She sat up and took a deep breath in. Without a word, she smiled to him, kissed him briefly and stood, sprinting out of the room as if she was just a mirage or a figment of his imagination. "Flau! Wait! Where are you…?" he trailed off, his outstretched hand reaching toward the door. After she was gone, he stood and hurried to close the wall she left out of. Turning quickly, he headed toward the desk. There was no telling what kind of magics he would have to initiate to secure her safety. Dragon Lair Cave was almost uninhabitable. If she couldn't survive Septem Cave alone, it was doubtful that she would be able to survive a minute alone in the Dragon Lair Cave. This was a death mission, but he could inquire the gods for her protection. He wondered if they were angry with him for the earth magic he'd utilized, but he had found Enjela. It was now Flau's destiny to confront that which she was deeper intertwined with than she expected.