''The least you could have done was warn me'' the disgruntled female walked through the halls, this time leading the way. Her pace was quick, though still not a problem for the spectre to keep up with her. He had a bored expression on his face, softly mumbling to himself. Ever since Mordekaiser had left she had complained to him non-stop about his appearance. She asked who he was, what his task was, his position. But what was worse is that she complained and even accused Thresh for him threatening her existence. Mordekaiser had wanted answers. Who she was and why she had come to the isles. It probably looked like an interrogation.
''He came in unannounced'' Thresh said for the hundredth time. The woman sighed and stopped walking, looking down at the ground. She looked over her shoulder at him and gave a ghost of a smile. ''I was just... caught off guard''. The warden nodded in understanding. ''I wouldn't be surprised. You would have still been disoriented when you came out of your slumber'' he explained, both of them thinking back to the extraction of her soul.
Ah yes, her soul. It was why she was asleep in the first place. It was now residing in his lantern, safe and sound. It was silent, unlike the other souls, and it quite stood out in his lantern. It was also never huddled up with the other souls in the center of his lantern, but rather looking outside as if curious.
With her soul had come memories. Memories that were bound with it. When he had taken it he could see her past play in front of him like a movie. Within seconds he had seen 20 years of her life. He had expected a horrible past, something that would haunt someone forever. She had been haunted by guilt, betrayal, but surprisingly also happiness and love. The emotions still lingered on the soul. He had shuddered when he touched it, the raw emotions floating into him momentarily before returning to its rightful owner.
The woman nodded slowly. ''Yes. I must thank you. You really helped me lose a heavy burden'' Thresh only acknowledged the apology with a nod. ''It was benefitting me as well'' he admitted. He saw her frame start to shake a little, and her eyes darted from side to side.''yeah... well I - oh'' In a wave of dizziness and nausea she fell through her knees. She crumpled to the ground in a heap, panting heavily and sweat starting to form on her forehead. She was hot all of a sudden. It felt like she had suddenly caught a fever. She was gripping the ground, trying to hold herself up before she would fall to the ground. But she didn't know what was up and what was down. Then she felt arms around her.
Thresh, having seen her sudden condition had come to her aid. He had expected this, but not this late. He would have expected this to happen as soon as she would wake up. Then again, the adrenaline she had gotten from being threatened by Mordekaiser might have suppressed the effects of the extraction. An overwhelming sense of worry washed over him as he looked at her condition. Her condition was way worse than he was expecting. Her body was taking the change hard, and was trying to fix it but instead it put her into heavy stress.
''I will take you to your room'' he said to her, but he doubted she'd be able to comprehend what exactly he was saying. It must have sounded like incoherent murmurs to her. He looped an arm under her knees and one around her shoulders before lifting her up. He held her to his chest as he carried her to the room he presumed she had rested in during her stay.
He placed her on the bed when he arrived, looking her over to try and determine what he should do. So far the panting had stopped, but the fever was still going as well as the heavy sweating. He knew she needed to be taken care of.
He went around the mansion, gathering the things that he needed. Once he had everything gathered he went over to her. He placed a wet cloth on her forehead and tucked her in with blankets. It was odd, seeing someone he considered undead in such a... humane condition. The undead did not get sick, but somehow this woman seemed more alive than anyone else. This could both be considered a good thing and a bad thing.
But that was not what bothered him. What bothered him most was that he now got her soul, but he still had that pull. That... desire that pulled him towards her. He wanted something of her, but he didn't know what. He looked down at his lantern, which sat by his side. He stared at it, thinking, wondering.
He was snapped out of his trance when he heard a low groan. He looked at her. Her breathing had calmed down. She was still sweating and there was some movement in her limbs, but other than that she seemed to be fine. The only thing that seemed off was the deep frown that was shown on her face. It was not one of pain, but one of discomfort.
He stepped close to her bed. Gazing down at her face. For some reason unknown, even to him, he reached forward and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face, his finger lingering behind her ear. A sigh escaped her as he did so. ''This has to stop...'' he mumbled to himself. He turned away from her and intended to walk out of the room, but something stopped him.
He turned around to see a hand on his cloak, holding it firmly. The runes on his cloak protested by glowing brightly. Looking at the woman on the bed he saw that her eyes were slightly open. She did not seem to have the power to say anything, only look at him pleadingly. Thresh sighed almost in frustration. ''I have some things to take care of. I will be back soon'' he promised. She seemed to be satisfied with the answer, for she let go of his cloak.
Back on his path he left the room, and after that the mansion. He had some souls to harvest. Something to keep him distracted from his thoughts, which lately seemed to have only her in them
Once again she woke up, but this time on a warm bed with at least three blankets to cover her. She was feeling hot, but not as hot as she had been before. She couldn't remember much from when she collapsed, only that she was hot the entire time and movement around her. She had already guessed it was just one of the side effects of the extraction. As a undead she did not become sick easily after all.
She blinked her eyes open, finding it easy to adjust to the light due to the lack thereof. It was dark in the room, the usual green light being the only light in the room. She looked around, almost expecting a armor clad man with a giant mace to jump forward and ask questions. Luckily that was not her wake-up call this time. Instead she was greeted with the sight of Thresh, who was sitting in the corner of the room. His lantern, instead of floating, now sat on the floor of the room. The flames that came from his neck were calm, not like usual. His position was also a little slouched, not upright.
She guessed he was resting, a half sleep like trance that the undead used to recover from any fatigue or exhaustion. She had never seen Thresh rest, so it was quite fascinating for her to see.
Curiosity took over as she found her hands start to remove the heavy blankets from around her. Ever so silently she got up from the bed and cautiously made her way over to him. She didn't know if he was a heavy rester, so it was very risky to do this. When she was close she knelt in front of him, observing his face. There were no green eyes like usual, they were closed, pressed together. She gulped slightly as she wanted to see.
She wanted to see if what she saw in her 'dream' was true. If he truly was a human instead of the spectral appearance he now had. There was so much she didn't know about him. She wanted to uncover the mysteries that shroud him. She wanted him to tell her, but he would always leave her with vague answers or none at all. It was what frustrated her. No, He frustrated her.
It was because... she didn't want him to be human. Or more like she didn't want him to have to hide himself. She would feel like he had tricked her, deceived her. It would make her feel betrayed even.
Her hands moved on their own accord. Maybe his appearance was just an illusion, something to trick all of them. something to make them believe he was a true undead... Her hands moved to the side of his face, all reason and caution leaving her. One more gulp. Her hand moved to touch his bony cheek and she could feel...
bone.
It was still bone. No soft flesh. Only the feeling of bone beneath her fingers and the warmth of his flames. She smiled softly, a relieved sigh escaping her. So he wasn't a human. He was a undead just like she suspected. This was one worry less.
But she forgot one thing. Fear struck her heart as she looked into the wide and fiery green eyes of the warden. She could not see any emotion due to the lack of facial features, but she figured he was angry judging from his stare. The flames from his neck roared up, and she could see a tinge of red in them from the corner of her eyes. He must be seething.
Neither of them said anything, they just looked at each other. Blood rushed to Zaphara's cheeks from frustration and embarrassment and also a hint of fear. Fear of what he would do to her now that he found out she had been... invading his privacy.
''I-I was just wondering...'' she mumbled, trying to break the tension that was threatening to choke her. As soon as she spoke his eyes went to their normal width, and the red streaks in his flames lessened. ''While I was unconscious after the extraction... I saw something...'' She didn't know if she should speak the words, but she knew he would want an explanation for her actions.
''I saw you...'' she said, looking away from him. It was obvious she hadn't finished that sentence, judging by the way she dragged on. She couldn't handle the stare he was giving her. She could almost feel the confusion radiating off of him. ''Continue'' he said calmly. She took a gulp. Here goes nothing. ''I saw you... as a human''
Again his eyes changed. She closed her eyes, afraid of his reaction. Would he dismiss her? Punish her for her curiosity? No, she wouldn't even allow it. She was undead and she was strong. She would be able to get away from him if she wanted.
''That still does not explain why you are sitting on my lap and touching my face''
Her whole 'acting tough' act crumbled into tiny little pieces when she realized that she was indeed sitting on his lap. She wanted to scramble off of him out of sheer embarrassment, but two hands on her hips stopped her from doing so. The hands dug into her side, just inches away from piercing her skin with its sharp claws. Looking back at his face she could faintly see an amused smile in his features. She did not dare comment on his actions, and secretly... she didn't mind it.
''I wanted to see if it were true...'' The smile faded from his face, leaving a neutral look. Oh how she hated that she couldn't see what he was thinking. He just... stared at her. It made a shiver run up her spine. The silence continued on for ages. She started to fidget in his lap, not knowing what to do or where to look at.
For the first time in ages, Thresh was at a loss of words. He didn't know what to say or do. his first instinct was to threaten her for asking such a ridiculous question, but a second voice told him it was merely curiosity that should not be punished, but rather rewarded. But that would be ridiculous. He never rewarded anyone and he wasn't about to start now. This woman was making him soft but he wouldn't dare admit it. Why was she having this affect on him? Why was it that she could make him be lost deep in thought about a million things. Why did he always try to predict her next move? Why did he like to embarrass her so, instead of torturing. When had this started? He knew this was starting to get out of hand. He had told this himself before, but he never did anything about it. Now however, he knew how to do it. He would turn this into a game. A game to enjoy himself with selfishly. Something to keep the last sliver of sanity.
''Could you at least tell me if I am wrong or not?!'' she finally exclaimed in frustration. Thresh looked at her, a hint of surprise on his face. He had been so deep in thought that he did not realize she was expecting a answer.
''There are a few things you will need to know about me while you live here'' he started, sounding like a father trying to teach his child a life lesson. ''First, you never invade my personal space again without facing the consequences''. The fearful shudder surfaced again upon hearing those words. They held a promise. Oh how Thresh loved to see that he could get a reaction like that. ''Second, that dream was a situation specially designed to make you calm down. An image that would take on anyone's form and do anything that the person wants''
was he making her embarrassed on purpose? She could hear a quiet chuckle coming from him as he saw the blush creep up on her cheeks. ''So basically... you just said you want me to be human'' Her eyes slightly widened. ''NO! no! I mean...'' she cleared her throat. ''I-I mean I just wondered if you were or that I was just being delusional... I mean. I wouldn't be surprised after you actually k-'' she stopped herself before she could say anything else. ''What I mean to say is I just want to know if you are or not''
She could almost see a glint in his eyes, and she was scared to see it had a mischievous look.
''Tell me. What did I do in order to calm you down?'' he asked, speaking lowly and softly... daringly. Zaphara's eyes widened slightly, not knowing how to react to it. Yes, Thresh was already starting to turn it into a game, and he was starting to enjoy it already. He leaned in closer to her face, still holding her in place by her hips. She backed farther away the closer he got, her embarrassment getting the better of her. The combined sensation of the memory of him almost kissing her and his proximity was overwhelming her mind, causing it to go blank.
''Y-you spoke to me...'' she mumbled, not wanting to admit the embarrassing thoughts that roamed her mind. Thresh however didn't buy it. ''Aaaaand?'' he pressed. The woman gulped again, knowing he wouldn't stop until he would get a answer that satisfied him. ''You hugged me...'' she continued, her blush deepening.
It was obvious that the chain warden wasn't buying it, for he narrowed his eyes at her and searched her eyes, looking for the real answer... as if the blush didn't tell enough. She wanted to try and distract him, not wanting to endure this torture any longer. ''Y-you never answered my question...'' she managed to blurt out. Thresh looked at her questioningly before realization crossed his face.
''well wouldn't you like to find out'' He loved her curiosity and how he was able to use it against her. It gave her that look on her face, that stubbornly determined look. It made a desire rise up in his body. A desire to tease her, torture her even.
As he said those words a fire ignited in her eyes. A sudden ferocity overtook her as she grabbed two handfulls of his cloak, bringing him closer to her face. The runes on his cloak hummed with energy as it was tugged and for a moment she saw something flicker across his form, something white. ''Listen here...'' she said darkly. ''You obviously know something that I want to be let in on. I have a right to know. Now either you tell me or I will find out myself'' He didn't like her tone. His eyes narrowed to tiny slits, this time not the teasing or searching kind, but the suspicious and angry.
A deep chuckle escaped his throat. The metal gauntlets encircled her wrists, gripping them tight enough for her to wince at the pain he was causing her. ''You have no right to know whatsoever. You have no right to know anything about me. You only came here two weeks ago and yet you act like you've lived here for years. Do you not think there is something wrong with that?'' he said, his words oozing with danger.
Zaphara was perplexed. Did he really think that way? Did she really act like that? ''I might have taken your soul and did you a favor, but it was for my own benefit as well'' She growled at his words. ''I know that you only did it because you wanted to have it. I have seen the way you looked at it ever since we met. But I know that already, and right now it is not what I want to know!'' she told him, trying to sound calmer than she actually was. If she were to yell or growl at him she would get nowhere.
Thresh studied her for what seemed like an eternity. Finally he took a deep breath. ''very well. If you so wish'' he said. He shifted his form, his hands leaving her hips to instead settle on her hands that still gripped his cloak. Upon touching her hands he felt her relax, allowing him to pry her hands off of him. When she finally released him he ordered her to close her eyes. She heard a soft humming, gradually becoming louder until it was like someone was humming directly in her ear. ''It is true'' Thresh said, but his voice sounded different... less echo in his tone. She slowly opened her eyes, and for a second she thought she was dreaming again. She now sat on the lap of a human, looking exactly like when she first saw him in her dream. His long white hair was still in braids, with the sharp hooks at the end. His face was neutral as he observed her reaction, wondering what she would do.
''But... how?'' she finally managed to say. ''This cloak is laced with runes. Runes that allow me to change my appearance into that of a spectre, the one you know me as. They are both me, this body is just my old one, from when I was alive'' he explained. She could tell it was his old body, for she saw a few stitches here and there, especially by the neck area. It looked like it had been cut off at least once. ''While this one is the form I took after I passed''
So it was both him. Technically he wouldn't be hiding anything then, but she still felt uneasy. ''why?'' ''I use this form for a few other purposes, like blending into a crowd'' She shook her head defiantly. ''I just don't get why you would hide it from me'' Thresh rolled his eyes, wondering why he was even explaining himself to this woman. ''There was never any reason for me to show it to you. I never felt the need to either'' he said, a bored tone evident in his voice.
She sighed and rubbed her temples, getting up from his lap and turning away from him. ''Though if I knew that this form would be able to calm you down I would have used it a lot sooner'' he said, his smooth voice almost like a purr in her ear. How had he gotten this close in such a short time? His slender fingers moved a strand of hair behind her ear, causing her to shiver. His touch was so cold, even colder than her own abnormal temperature. She could feel his cold breath on her neck, causing another pleasant shiver to run up her spine.
''hmmm so smooth'' he said as his fingers trailed from her ear to her jaw line and to her neck. She could not help but slightly lean into his touch, finding it surprisingly pleasant. She felt a soft pressure on the side of her neck. Looking to her side she could only look into the deep silver eyes of the man that stood behind her. ''Rest some more. Your body needs to be strong when we go back to the institute'' he said.
She had almost forgotten that they were supposed to go back to the institute tomorrow. The institute had bound her to a contract, saying that she would be at the institute for 5 days from 8 till 6. She could do anything in the meantime.
She watched as Thresh turned to leave. Just before he left through the door she could see his image sway like a ghost, before the ghostly green flames and bony skull reappeared. He then turned the corner, leaving her to mull over her thoughts. With a sigh she slumped back on the bed. She wondered if she would be able to get any rest now considering what happened. She knew she would be plague with questions once more. She also knew that it would be take incredibly long to get rid of them, what with the warden's tendency to keep answers from her.