Unkindled
May 30, 13,013
Everything hurt.
From their head to their toes, Krista and Rhea hurt.
One might think they'd been sparring and training with D.
No.
They weren't sure how, but they'd managed to trip and fling themselves down the rocky incline leading to the river. Hitting every pointy piece of earth possible.
"Rocks," Rhea groaned. "Pointy pieces of earth are called… rocks."
"I don't care!" moaned Krista in turn. "They stabbed us! Now we are dying!"
Yes, there were a few gashes littering their body. Blood dripping down their face and into the water.
Although, if asked, D would say they'd looked worse.
He'd also not expected to find them in such a position.
Face up.
Naked.
He'd merely smelt their blood on the breeze and rushed to their defense. But it seemed they only needed protection from themselves. And rocks.
"Hi, D," they murmured. Unmoving aside from a small wave in his general direction as he maneuvered down the incline. And there they stayed as he crouched over them. Eyes firmly affixed to theirs as they practically lounged in the pit of soft soil and grasses. "All these reflexes and we still manage to look like idiots."
Despite their seeming lack of care, however, Miss Haldwyn whispered at the back of their mind. Urging them to cover their no-no squares.
It was the logical option.
If D did not desire a forever with them and did not love them, they should be covered.
They couldn't find it in themselves to truly care at that moment.
If anything, they just wanted to pull him in and cuddle for a while. Have his warmth surround them and fill them. Which they supposed was a strange want, but… they just wanted to overflow with it.
"You should probably get up," said Hand.
"Nah."
"At least take your bath like you were?"
"Nah."
They would just rather have a moment to fantasize about the Hunter's warmth and reflect on life as they knew it. Which wasn't saying much. But they were content for just a moment.
"Hey, D?" Krista murmured.
He tipped his head.
Silence.
"Never mind. Forgot."
What would he say if they told him they just wanted him near? That they didn't really have anything of value to say?
That they were pathetic?
Clingy.
A waste of space.
Needed to get their shit together and quit pining after him like a lovesick puppy.
There was a moment of quiet, wherein the Hunter eyed the girls thoughtfully. Certainly aware of the thoughts buzzing about their minds. However, he said nothing. Watching as they eventually rolled to one side. Back to him as they wiggled into the cool waters.
Just before they rolled beneath the surface, they said, "Hey, D? Would you mind just… sticking around while we bathe?"
"Something bothering you?"
"… no. Not really. But… please?"
With a soft sigh, he settled back. Pricking his ears while closing his eyes.
"You don't have to close your eyes."
He did not open them. Giving a very slight nod in acknowledgement.
A few soft splashes.
"Say we wanted to try to explore our no-no square…"
And at that, he lurched to his feet.
"For fuck's sake! We ain't doin' it right now!" Rhea called.
He halted in his retreat. Hand braced against a nearby tree as he listened.
"We just wanna know why it… tickles?"
Krista did not seem so certain that was exactly the description she would necessarily use, but he understood. Backtracking until he stood at the river's edge and gazed down upon the girls as they floated there. Knees tucked against their chest.
"Y'know, every time we try to explore ourselves… something stops us. We don't have time. We get snatched up. But the biggest thing? It fuckin' tickles."
They pouted. Continuing to bob along in the waves.
"And it's weird. Makes me think something's wrong with it," Krista finished unhappily.
Another moment of silence stretched between them. Something the girls were, for once, not comfortable with. Scratching at their arm but saying nothing. Merely waiting and hoping the Hunter would impart some of his knowledge upon them.
Yes. They'd tried a few more times to explore themselves. But the results remained the same.
The fact that they were thinking about such a thing now was a tad odd.
However, they figured it was a matter of how busy their minds had been. Especially since discovering the 'kind-of' identity of the winged demon.
And that they were not natural.
And that they'd met D before.
It just all seemed to be compounding. Once again.
At least it wasn't over things that made them feel dirty this time.
"Do you ever feel the desire to touch yourself there?" D eventually questioned.
"No."
"Sometimes."
Their face scrunched up. Conflicted.
"I don't," Krista maintained.
"I do," Rhea insisted.
"When?!"
A long silence.
"When we wanted pets. That's it."
Ultimately, that's what it all boiled down to. That they didn't seem to experience much sexual desire. That Rhea was definitely more of a sexual being than Krista, but that wasn't saying much if her desire to masturbate was limited to their heat.
"And it's highly unlikely you've ever kissed anyone," Hand added.
Now, their face flushed red. And with a few grumbled curses, they sank beneath the surface of the water for a brief moment. Popping back up long enough to spit, "Not like we've really wanted to! Or had much of a chance to!"
"I'm not trying to heckle you," the creature said. "I'm just saying. Point is, it probably tickles because you don't want it."
"But we do!"
"But not in the way that matters?"
Their cheeks puffed. A retort on the tip of their tongue.
But Hand was not having it. He turned up to stare at them. Laughing out, "You go play suck-face with someone and maybe you'll get what I'm sayin'."
Silence.
"The fuck is suck-face?"
"It doesn't sound very… pleasant."
Hand did not have a chance to answer. Immediately silenced by D's fingers curling inwards. "It's a crude way to describe kissing."
"Oh."
They were back to floating. Eyes lidded as they watched him. Observing. Thoughtful. Fingers gently dragging through their tangled tresses. Working the lather from their bar of soap into the curly mess.
Suck-face.
Such a strange word.
Or descriptor.
It didn't matter much.
But it did make them terribly curious.
Thoughts best left for a later date.
They would simply enjoy D's company for a moment longer. Drifting in the cool waters. Fingers and toes tickled by the aquatic grasses.
Perhaps someday they would be brave enough (or stupid enough) to speak their mind.
The horse plodded over the uneven terrain with many a snort and huff. Seeming to cast its riders some very nasty looks. Continuing on regardless as rain dripped and splashed around them.
"What's with all the stank-eye, horse?"
It snorted and whinnied. Stomping at the slick rocks without ever faltering in its stride.
"You need a treat?"
Now, the horse perked up. Shaking its head from side to side. Practically prancing. It'd been so long since they'd come across something sweet. And he was very tired of all the greens.
"D? Do we even have any fruit left?"
There was a pondering hum from the Hunter before he murmured, "No."
The most deranged noise to date left the large beast before it began stomping and hopping about. Shaking its head and slinging saliva from side to side. Stringing it across the travelers with all the fury he could muster.
"Stahp!" the girls yelled, flinging themselves over the beast's neck to avoid the slime. "We'll buy you whatever treat you want at the next town!"
More slinging.
A cautionary glance back at the Hunter revealed that he was… very much a victim of the head-slinging nastiness. One brow lowering just the slightest bit as he seemed to reconsider his choice for his steed.
"Two! We'll buy two treats!"
Moderately less slinging, but still quite a bit.
"Please! We'll buy so many treats, it would take you at least a week to eat through them!"
He was still slinging his head.
"Horse."
They looked back at D. Shocked at the ire in his voice. And the horse seemed to be of the same mind. Head twisted back to stare at him.
"Take the offer and continue on."
A snort in response.
"Otherwise, the only thing you will eat for the foreseeable future will be stale nutritional supplements."
Silence.
Yes. If they were the horse, D's look alone would be enough to straighten them out. And without fuss, the horse did just that. Turning its wide, dark eyes back to the ground to continue the trek onward.
The next town was… minuscule. Stocked with only the barest of essentials. The dry goods grocer was, admittedly, the largest building in town. Packed to the brim with dried commodities and long-lasting goods. No doubt meant as a convenience for the traveling people who happened to pass through.
And because they didn't seem to have much in the way of farmland. Just enough to provide for the small community.
It was quaint but nice.
And as they stabled the horse for the night, the travelers were graced with the fiercest stink-eye the beast could manage. Watching as he furiously chomped at the hay in the pail.
"I swear on all that is good, the next town we get to that has fresh food is when you'll get your treats," Krista quietly promised.
She wasn't sure it was good enough.
June 02, 13,013
The girls awoke, for the first time in quite some time, gasping. Heart pounding as they looked about the room they occupied.
Confused.
Trying desperately to remember what they'd been dreaming of.
"Come to me…"
An unpleasant shiver snaked up their spine, and they decided they would rather not remember. Because they were certain it had something to do with the winged demon.
The Sacred Ancestor.
They'd never brought it up with the Hunter. After he'd recreated Krista's old drawing from the cave, he'd left for a bit. Likely to think. And the girls had been too bothered to bring it up. Perturbed beyond belief that they'd been dreaming of a man they'd never met (as far as they knew) and had been dead for a while.
Fingers dragging through their short curls, they took a deep, calming breath. Rolling over to look at the Hunter and snuggling up to Erembour, who snuffled and eyed them sleepily.
The man in question sat in a nearby chair, hand clasping a whetstone that he ran along the edge of one of his blades.
Naturally, this was the best time to bring up a topic that was liable to trigger the Hunter.
"Hey, D?"
He did not look at them or pause in his actions. Merely gave a slight nod to show that he was listening.
"Who is the Sacred Ancestor?"
The noise that broke the silence was sharp and shrill. Of metal being sheared and teeth grinding as his jaw worked and his gaze blackened. His narrowed eyes shining with a lurid light in the dark of the room.
It wasn't exactly the response they'd hoped for, but it was one they should have expected.
Minutes crept by, feeling more akin to hours as they waited. Fearing they'd made a grave error.
"We will talk about this at a later time."
"But what if there isn't a 'later'?!"
The look he cast her left no room for argument. Sending a very unpleasant twang straight to their gut.
They didn't like that look.
They didn't feel they deserved it.
But…
'We gotta respect that, Sis.'
She supposed they did.
'Unless he keeps blowin' us off. Then we fuck him up.'
And that was one idea she was moderately okay with.
They had their stuff.
The horse was still giving them the dirtiest look it could muster.
Erembour smelled like puppy paws.
And the Hunter appeared as blasé as ever.
But there was still that underlying sense of agitation. Something that seemed to grow until it hung above their head like a guillotine. Mocking their ignorance.
However, they'd not receive an answer.
Not for another half of a month.
A half-month that was filled with a bit of training and traveling. The girls doing very well to maintain their distance, at night and otherwise.
But the answer came in a form they were not expecting, but honestly should have been.
A dream.
Creeping upon them with all the speed of a snail.
They'd barely begun to drift, lulled by the sway of the horse and the light pitter-patter of warm rain on the jungle canopy, when strange thoughts began swirling about their mind. Visions that terrified them for the short amount of time they could remember them.
They didn't like it. They just wanted D. Wanted to wake up and affirm that he was not… not…
What was he not?
The same?
A monster.
A creature birthed from the crimson sea.
And suddenly, Rhea could remember calling their beloved Hunter 'Prince'. Accusing him of being no better than the beast in the sea. But…
They were confused.
Were they the same man? Men?
There were two.
Two who looked the same. Sounded the same.
Utterly different.
Looking towards the Sacred Ancestor.
Two different views.
And the Sacred Ancestor hoping his dreams would come to fruition through the one that had no desire for such things.
His one success.
That wanted an end to it all.
The other was still alive. Somewhere.
And the Sacred Ancestor? Deceased.
Kinda.
Something… was confusing them. He both was and was not.
Somewhere in between.
Where was this coming from?
"Come to me."
How?
"Come to me!"
The world seemed to collapse in upon itself. Twisting and churning until the sky blackened and the ground was stained red.
Heaving beneath their feet.
And the demon was there. Hands pressed to the underside of the glass. Attempting to push through.
For the first time, there was a gentle touch in the dream.
A touch that was cold.
Yet warm.
Pleasant and comforting.
It was D.
It had to be.
Had he been there all along?
He must've been.
They reached up and grabbed hold. Fingertips meeting cold steel that was tarnished and well worn. Creaking gently as the fingers shifted to return the hold.
"He's your father," they murmured. Squeezing all the harder as their eyes fluttered open. Struggling to keep the sudden and strange sleepiness at bay.
"He is."
A startled yelp erupted from the confines of his coat but quickly quieted.
"But you don't like him."
The Hunter released an uncharacteristic sigh. Eyes closed as he pondered on how to answer. "I do not," he eventually breathed. "You could say I despise him."
A long, pregnant pause stretched between them.
"You killed him."
"Long before your birth."
Together, they nodded. Still attempting to shake the fog hanging about their mind as they leaned back into his chest. Not knowing what to say. If anything could be said.
But they quickly decided that lounging wasn't helping, so they patted his arm and grunted, "We need to get up for a minute. Can't shake these sleepies."
Silently, the Hunter watched as they slumped out of the saddle before the horse could stop. Toddling about unsteadily. Stretching and shaking themselves with a few soft moans.
He wasn't sure how they'd managed to dream the answers to their question. How they'd also managed to discover the existence of his brother. However, it was… fascinating.
Even more fascinating was the fact that they did not have contact with his blood to find it. They'd practically magicked the answers into existence.
The girls suddenly came over. Unsteady. Eyes hazy and dulled out.
"What's wrong?"
They pointed at their head. Grunting out a noise that was a failed attempt at speech.
The sleepies would not release their hold on them. And they were beginning to sound more like a stroke victim. Mind and mouth not connecting to voice their very real concerns. But they prayed that their eyes conveyed just how terrified they were becoming.
Wondering why they couldn't escape the fog.
Why Rhea seemed to be slipping into it faster than Krista could rouse her.
Hand raised, Krista slapped herself.
It had no effect…
She prepared to strike herself for a second time as her vision blurred about the edges. One hand gripping her sluggish sister in the Garden in an attempt to pull her out of her sleep. But her sister was limp. Unresponsive.
Or perhaps she was becoming weaker.
"Can you take me to the Garden?"
She wasn't sure, but she would try.
She allowed herself to fully slip into their place. Vision fading in and out.
It was… hot.
Fiery.
Yet there was no source.
No flames licking at her clothes and face, although it felt there should be.
With a steadying sigh, she reached out through the veil. Grasping for that familiar presence that seemed to drift further and further away. Practically within spitting distance, yet unreachable.
"Little spark…"
Her heart lurched. But still, she continued to sink. Even as chilled fingertips brushed against her palm. Sliding up and grabbing hold.
She wrenched her arm back.
"I've found your flame. It is only a matter of time before you heed my call."
"I don't… don't want to."
"Come home, little spark."
A whimper fled her lips as she clapped her hands over her ears. Hoping it would somehow drown out his hollow, breathy voice. Put out the awful heat permeating her body to her very core.
"You will have your love. Your family."
"I have a family."
"No. You have a facsimile."
"Sis…"
She kept her eyes shut tight. Relieved that Rhea was rousing.
Terrified that she couldn't shake the voice.
"Come to your true home. A place where you will be properly loved."
But she was already loved. Perhaps not in the way she wished, but in a way that mattered all the same.
"Where your belly will grow heavy with young."
Nausea suddenly reared its ugly head. She wasn't sure how one's belly could grow heavy with young, but she didn't want it. Not…
Not…
Her eyes flickered open to find the Hunter. Watching as he, in their Garden as a mere silhouette, pulled Rhea up. Speaking to her and attempting to keep her lucid.
The heat around them flared with a vengeance.
"He will not give you what you both desire. Did he not say so himself?"
He did, but…
She wanted…
He did not…
Damn it!
She would not have her life decided for her! Neither would Rhea!
"So, I cannot persuade you?"
No!
"Such a shame, little spark."
A whispering sigh flooded her thoughts.
"Then I will take you, despite your misgivings."
Fuck you…
"Oh, if only, little spark. Imagine the flames we would create."
Another longing breath as Krista forced down the rising bile.
"But you are meant for another. Now, come. Or I shall bring hellfire down upon your beloved Dhampir's head."
Try it, you billowy bastard!
"Very well, little spark. Your flame shall reveal all I need to know."
Pain.
White-hot.
Gripping them in places they couldn't see or give a name to.
In ways that hurt more than words could describe.
Ears ringing as the being stripped out the information he desired.
They hated it.
"Ah. The heat of your desire. So warm and bright. And such a shame that the Dhampir cannot feel it."
'Get the fuck outta our heads!'
"No, my dear little spark. Not until I have all the information I desire."
Their mouths tasted of copper.
Filling and dripping.
Was it a psychological attack?
Or just an attack on their souls?
On a scale of one to ten, how fucked were they?
"You are in the depths of the rainforest. How nice."
He did not sound as if he truly thought so.
"I think I shall send one of my cohorts in my stead."
Gods, they didn't want more asshats coming for them…
"Or perhaps I can attempt something a bit… different."
Never mind. They would gladly fight every mercenary in the world to avoid whatever he was about to suggest next.
"A shift in perspectives, if you will."
Augmented reality?
Nope! They were good!
And yet, how could they fight when they'd not been able to wake up on their own?
"Twisted Willow, Bend Your Branches. Hide Away That Fetid Core."
A great creaking and groaning disrupted the air of their Garden. Drawing the girls' petrified gazes to the tree at the center. Its once beautiful and healthy bark ashy and gnarled. Appearing burnt from the inside out despite the lack of fire.
"Now Prick Your Eyes. That Tepid Heart, It's There For All To See."
Against their will, their eyes turned back to the Hunter.
He was at the base of the willow as it twisted in upon itself.
Untwisted.
Seemingly conflicted in what it was doing.
But he stood steadfast. Watching and waiting. Still a mere silhouette.
Yet, somehow not.
"So Hide Away, Little Sparks, From The Man You So Adore.
"Nor Love Nor Want Will Warm His Soul. Nor Bring Him To His Knees."
But they wouldn't want to bring him to his knees. It didn't make sense.
Yet, it all made so much sense that it was painful to think otherwise.
It was something at the forefront of their minds. Had been for the better part of the past month or so. Lingering like a dark cloud over their thoughts anytime the Hunter was concerned.
He did not love them.
Did not want them.
Why should they continue expending emotional energy on such a childish thing? Fighting with their heart for a love they would never have…
There was a better lover out there for them. They simply needed to find them.
With a resounding crack that shook the very foundation of their Garden, the willow crumpled in on itself. Brittle branches curling about the trunk with finality. And with little more than a grunt, D disappeared from the Garden.
"Now Come Home, Little Sparks."
D drew away from them after an attempt to reenter the Garden, met with a firm rejection. A frown pulling lightly at the corners of his lips.
Truth be told, he was unsure of how to proceed.
The girls had managed to succumb to the creature's persuasion, but only because they, on some level, agreed that they needed to move on. And one in three odds wasn't great, but it was better than some people he'd met over his journeys.
It was still… bothersome.
With a quiet hum, he ran his tongue across his lip. Cleaning off the smear of blood that'd dripped from his nose at the violent ejection from the Garden. Ignoring the sharp, stabbing pain behind his eyes as he pulled the girls across his lap and urged the horse onwards.
He wasn't sure of how to change what had happened. If it could be changed. However, in his long life, there weren't many things he couldn't change once he set his mind to it.
It would just take a bit of time.
The girls did not rouse for the remainder of the day. Hazy eyes fluttering open to stare at their surroundings in a daze.
Once that gaze landed upon him, however, they were shoving him away with all the force they could muster. Which was enough to shove themselves out of the tree.
True, they'd been avoiding sleeping by his side. But he'd not expected them to throw such a venomous glare at him. As if he was the reason they were suddenly sprawled out on the damp ground. Covered in splatters of mud and grass.
"You okay, kid?" Hand asked after a moment.
"Oh, fuck off with your 'kid' shit."
Hand recoiled as if burned, and small lips curled in outrage. "The Hell crawled up your ass?!"
Their gaze blackened. Lips pulling back until their fangs were bared. And if they were closer, the Hunter and Hand were certain the girls would be attempting to bite a chunk out of them.
It was worrying. And something the Hunter had not considered a possibility.
What else could that creature have affected with his meddling?
As it was, a major shift in personality was a downright terrifying prospect.
When they stopped to rest the next night, after a long day of tense atmospheres and vicious glares aplenty, D did not sleep. Would not even consider such a thing. Not when the girls looked to be plotting his demise during every waking moment.
Sure, they could attempt an attack at any point. But they all knew what the result of such a foolish venture would be.
For this alone, he could commend them.
As he rested against the tree, Erembour stretched across his lap, the girls prowled. Agitated, but not on the hunt for sustenance.
But that look.
The damnable look that was so painfully out of place on their heart-shaped face.
"… should sleep, girls."
"And you can fuck off too, mutt."
The hackles along Erembour's spine rose like a defensive spider's legs, twitching in much the same fashion as he prepared to rise. Yet, he was stayed by the Hunter's hand. Quietly cautioned to rest and ignore them.
He did. But only barely.
And in that manner, the hours passed. With any suggestions aimed towards the girls immediately being met with hostility.
With any attempts at conversation ending in snarled retorts.
Something in them all ached.
The next day, the girls opted to walk. Prolonging their journey, but absolutely refusing to touch any of her companions.
"… if you're so damned unhappy, why not leave?"
They provided no answer. Perhaps because they themselves did not have one.
At the end of the week, the hostility had decreased marginally. Nothing to get their hopes up over, but enough to take the edge off. This, however, did not seem to be because they were reverting to their normal state.
No.
Not a chance.
They simply seemed… resigned. As if traveling with the group they'd known for the better part of a year was a necessary evil instead of a jolly good time (as it had once been to some degree). And perhaps their exhaustion did not help.
Seven days and not a wink of sleep. The underside of their eyes dark and sunken just the fairest bit.
They looked… haunted.
Possessed.
The Hunter found his eyes snapping to the small woman at the thought. Latching on to the idea like a starved beast that'd been presented a slab of meat. And he would chase after it until he collapsed if the need arose.
"Keep looking at us like that, Hunter, and we might try to gouge out your eyes."
Unthreatened and having theories to test, D reached into his coat and nudged the Demon that rested there. Silently prodding him into action. And with a grunt, Erembour crawled out of his nest with an exaggerated yawn.
"… 'm hunting. Do you want to come?" he grumbled after a solid minute of sitting on the Hunter's knee. Bobbing with the horse's stride as he waited for an answer that did not come. "… I'll bring something back."
It was just as he dropped to the ground that the girls growled out, "We don't want any part of whatever carcass you drag back."
And that was the end of that.
Erembour didn't mind being disturbed by D. Not when he'd been peckish for a few days.
But the girls…
He wasn't sure he liked what was implied. Skeeved out by the mere thought. Not because he found issue with eating people (so long as the party deserved it). Just…
It wasn't them.
With a disgusted grunt, the Demon turned into the trees.
He would bring something back. See if that didn't change their mind.
It did not.
In fact, he didn't think he'd ever feared for his life with this woman aside from their first meeting. But now, now he did.
Perhaps he shouldn't have worn his shit-eating grin.
Perhaps he shouldn't have said, "Not a carcass. Now eat."
They'd promptly closed the distance between them, teeth bared. And D was there just as quickly. Arm coiled about their neck. His opposite hand braced against the back of their head as they toppled to the damp ground.
The girls scrabbled. Clawing at anything they could reach as Erembour cautiously watched.
The ground.
The Hunter.
Blood painting fingertips that were buried in too-soft flesh.
And for a moment, as they twisted and kicked as best as they could, D seemed to struggle with getting them under control.
"Get… off… you fuckin'… prick!"
He did not. Tightening his hold as he wound his legs about theirs and pinned their arms to their chest.
Another moment of them gasping and clawing at his arm passed.
"Fine!" they choked out. Face flushed in an ugly way as they struggled to breathe.
And that was that.
With a sigh, blood dripping down his cheeks from his eyes, he pushed away. Dusting himself off as he went. Head angled down into an approximation of a threatening glare. An unspoken promise of the ramifications to come should they continue their nonsense.
Lack of eyes or no, they would understand he would not tolerate their behavior.
He did not want to kill them.
Some part of him reckoned he might even hesitate for just a fraction of a second.
But he would do it if push came to shove.
There was a small community nestled amongst the trees. High walls camouflaged to look much like the surrounding forest at a glance.
D wanted to enter. Gather anything they might need and allow the horse a proper rest.
However…
He could not trust the girls.
There were a handful of men milling about the outside. Logging and performing maintenance. Men who wiped sweat from their dark brows and plucked miserably at their shirts as they labored in the mid-day sun.
Men who froze like startled deer as the girls looked them over. Never edging closer. Stalking from afar.
"Temper your gaze," he warned as he turned the horse away from the town.
"There is no harm in looking."
"You aren't looking. You're hunting."
And if the cruel smirk that pulled at their lips wasn't enough of a warning, they murmured, "Maybe so."
He refused to let them travel down that path.
Before he could think otherwise, he snatched them up by the back of their armor and kicked the horse into high gear. Removing them from temptation and fleeing the town. Wholly ignoring their fury.
And the horse's.
'Soon, beast.'
That night, for the first time since the change, the girls slept, and they slept soundly.
Almost… too soundly.
Far be it from him to drug anyone.
But desperate times call for desperate measures.
So, he hit them.
Perhaps a tad too hard.
But they slept.
"… don't think you went overboard?"
D cast Erembour a pointed stare. Gesturing with one hand at the girls as they slept.
"Are you saying you weren't afraid they would stab you in your sleep?" Hand interjected. Sounding highly incredulous.
"… no."
For a moment, they were silent. Staring at the girls.
Unsure of how to proceed.
Assuming he would not need to plan around the barrier he'd struck before, it would be simple. They just needed to access the Garden.
He needed it.
Needed the girls to be… themselves.
Quietly, he shifted their slim body. Securing their arms behind their back and calves to their thighs. Ensuring they'd be unable to run should something happen. An unfortunate but necessary precaution.
And certain that Erembour would watch over them while he delved, he pressed his left hand to their temple.
Down the rabbit hole he went. Past the stream of memories.
Down until he found the very culmination of their being. Something very few would ever give access to.
Blessedly, nothing stood between him and the Garden. He slipped through the veil without issue and dropped onto the scorched grass.
It was queer and depressing.
When he'd first come through, it had been beautiful. Overflowing with flowers and soft grasses, flowering bushes and creeping vines. Absolutely awe-inspiring.
Now?
Fiery brambles stretched throughout. Twisting and weaving themselves into every nook and cranny. Including the girls.
They stood in the same positions he'd last seen them. As lifeless and inert as the blackened vines curled about them.
Into them.
Holding them hostage in a way that was absolutely despicable.
"Hello, Dhampir."
He turned his gaze towards the husk of the willow. Watching passively as the bark split and spit flames. Searing the ground.
"Amazing how easily love and doubt can be manipulated into bitter disdain. And yet, such a shame."
To this, D could agree. "Not intending to play matchmaker, are we?"
"Ha! No!"
The flames surged forward. Licking at the Hunter's form, yet they caused no harm. Warm, but it was more akin to the warmth one feels when wrapped in a plush blanket on a cool day.
Comforting.
"The shame is… that I cannot keep their hate for you solidified."
It might have been surprising had the man not already decided that nothing about how they were acting was genuine. But if the only way to release them from the possession had been to kill them, he most likely still would have.
Hotter the flames burned.
Searing.
But only for a moment.
"Fleeting. A handful of moments that amount to a puddle of anger when I require a steady stream."
D drifted into the fire. And with each step closer to the twisted willow, a bit of the flames died away.
"Little sparks, indeed. Able to cause the most virulent of fires. Wild and out of control."
Now, D pressed his hands into the core of the tree. Cupping the flames there almost reverently as he murmured, "Provided tinder and left unchecked, yes."
But their flame?
It was contained.
Perhaps a little unruly at times.
But well-tended. Gently stoked.
With all the care of a mother with a newborn, he pulled the flames out of their confines and cradled them against his breast. Mindful to not smother them.
Could they feel him there?
Could they feel how tenderly he clasped them?
If they did, did they realize how effortless it'd be for him to simply… extinguish their life?
He wouldn't dare. Not when he knew they could be saved.
But for a moment, something dark whispered that he could easily end everything.
Their suffering.
The claim the Council had on them.
With just… a… squeeze.
But the flames in his hands warmed.
Trustingly.
It was… pleasant.
He turned his gaze back to the tree and sucked in a hearty breath. Staring into the flames of a different color that clung to the meat of the tree like a parasite. And finally, he blew. Extinguishing the foreign fires with the burst of unnaturally cold air.
The warmth of the Garden went with the flame.
And there D stood as briars and brambles crumpled to ash. Filling the air with a thick haze.
Yet, their flames were lively.
Beautifully vibrant.
While the tree was still a twisted, charred mess, D was certain it would go back to its prior state. Perhaps not completely, but for the most part. Given time and care. And gently, he lowered their flames into the trunk.
Slowly, over the span of a few hours, the girls roused in the blackened Garden. Bodies sore in the worst of ways. Minds terrifyingly bereft of information.
They ignored the destruction. Ignored the pain it brought them to see everything they'd worked so hard to build up burned away. Because they knew that the brightest and prettiest grass always came from burned land.
Instead, they focused on the tree. Twisted and warped as it was, they felt it needed the most attention. And while they were unsure of where to start, they could only start where they knew to.
By guarding their tree.
They never wanted to lose who they were. Control of their faculties. Never again.
And with no small amount of guilt, Rhea realized just how terrible it felt to be put in that situation.
True, Rhea had played the role of hostage up until just a few months prior. But she'd never not had control of who she was.
"I'm sorry, Sis," she murmured after a long while.
"What for?"
She turned her grey-eyed gaze upwards. Taking in her sister's equally tired and worn-down appearance. Wondering if they'd have been able to fend off the possession had she herself been stronger.
But she didn't say that. "For how we started off."
"Ain't we been over this before?" Krista grunted as she sank her fingers into the warm earth of the Garden. "It's past. But I guess everything has been put into perspective, huh?"
"Yeah… it has."
Rhea moved to the other side of the tree. Mimicking Krista's actions. She'd demonstrated the ability to cultivate their Garden once. After being caught in the act, of course. But then, she'd only just figured out how to do it when it happened.
"So… what're we doin'?"
She could practically feel Krista's shrug. "Dunno. But be creative. Make it some of the thorniest shit you can imagine. Maybe a bit poisonous. But make it look pretty and… not all that shit I just said."
Rhea felt her brow twitch. "The fuck? I don't know any plants like that!"
"Who's to say we can't create our own in this Garden?"
And slowly, a flowering vine crept over the gnarled trunk to her side. A beautiful, bristly thing with vibrant green leaves that twisted and curled over the bark. And each flower that bloomed was a different color. Glistening and dripping a sweet-smelling nectar.
Beneath the beauty, however, was a plethora of thorns. Sharp, well-camouflaged spikes that seemed to retract as soon as they came to rest against the tree.
The vines were beautiful. And looking at them gave her a bit of inspiration. She spread her fingers and closed her eyes.
Typically (at least the few times she'd 'cultivated' something), it was as simple as recalling the name or an attribute. And while she felt her sister's creation begin to sprout beneath her fingertips, she wanted to attempt her own.
It was terrible.
And not nearly as imaginative as she'd hoped for.
It was something akin to a honey suckle plant.
That shotgun-blasted grass burrs at assailants.
To which Krista lamented her inability to think of projectiles.
But aside, the willow looked rather unassuming. Perhaps beautiful again, with leaves unfurling along its gradually straightening branches.
There was only one thing left to do.
Test the defenses that did not activate with them.
They called upon D, brain invader extraordinaire.
Nothing happened. Even as he pushed aside the vines, they did little more than curl about his ethereal fingers.
"Perhaps if you declare me a threat?" he suggested calmly. Continuing to idly toy with the plush flowers and wriggling creepers as they considered the idea.
It was really the only option they had.
But could they do it?
They weren't so sure. Especially not when they spent the better part of an hour attempting to do so.
"I got an idea!" Rhea suddenly shouted, leaping to her feet. "Hit me!"
She received a very stoic stare.
Not that she could see much of his features, but she was sure he did little more than cock a brow at her. If his cross-armed stance was much to go by.
"For real!" She slapped his chest three times. "Knock me the fuck – heugh!"
And just like that, as Rhea stumbled backwards clutching at her abdomen, the plants sprang to life. Shooting a volley of sticky, spikey balls and thorns at the 'invader'.
In a matter of seconds, the 'threat' was gone. Just… gone.
Together, they opened their eyes.
They hated what they saw.
The Hunter seemed to be hemorrhaging. Blood dripping from his eyes and nose. Coloring his lips in a tantalizing way.
'The Hell, Rhea?'
'Sorry. Really hungry. Besides, red suits him.'
While she agreed, then was not the time.
"You okay?"
More of the substance painted his lips and chin as he huffed out a small, amused breath. "Quite."
They supposed they would just need to take his word for it. Silently watching as he cleaned up with his eyes closed thoughtfully through the entire process. But even still, they could see that glimmer of red. The shine of the blood light as he made himself presentable.
Eventually, he turned that piercing gaze upon them. Something they would not readily admit made their belly feel aflutter. "He'll have a bad time should he try again, girls."
And that was all they needed.
There were so many days they were missing. Days that they could recall fleetingly, but nothing beyond small glimpses into what had happened. Something they were glad for. But in the same token, they wanted to know.
What had happened after Erembour presented them with a meal?
There was an anger there. A blinding rage.
Nothing more.
They'd said some pretty nasty things. Things that Erembour and D assured were not held against them.
They still didn't like it. Not one bit.
They weren't sure they could apologize enough to make themselves feel better, however.
July 03, 13,013
D did not take them back to the town they'd bypassed a few days prior. He'd decided it was best to carry on. Mentioning that they weren't far off from the tribe. With a pep in their step, they agreed. Bouncing along behind the man in black as he walked the horse through the tightly packed trees and uneven ground.
"Are you thinking they are still where they were?" Krista asked after a time.
"I'm not so sure."
This did surprise them. But they appreciated his honesty. "How come?"
He pressed on through the undergrowth and said, "We are on the outer edges of what was their patrol grounds."
"Oh…"
Indeed. The statement did not bolster their confidence. And they felt their chances of finding the village quickly dwindling.
By evening, they stood at the outer edge of the tribe. Homes standing tall and yet…
Empty.
Bereft of life (if one excluded natural wildlife).
"What now, D?"
The man did not immediately respond as he turned his eyes to the ground. Observing things they did not immediately notice. Eventually, however, he beckoned them close with a crooked finger. "Look here."
They followed his gaze.
Scuffs.
Unhurried marks in the dried mud that signified a good amount of movement without any urgency.
They'd simply relocated. And not that long ago.
"So, they've moved. And they're still alive!"
"It would seem that way," he responded. Before they could celebrate this revelation, however, he reminded them, "We will still need to find them."
And just like that, they deflated. Groaning loudly. "The world's gonna end before we find our family!"
"Perhaps."
And just like that, they were squawking and squealing, demanding they run to the next possibility. But D held out a hand to calm them and said, "We will find them. For now, we'll sleep here. See if you can't dream of something."
It was certainly… an idea. A sound one. But also, a bit unreliable.
There was no harm in trying, at least.
"Alright. But do you at least remember where our Grandpa lived?"
He did.
He led them towards the central area and gestured at a pair of homes decorated in symbols. One for the Chief. One for the Spiritual Leader. Both no larger than some of the others surrounding them, but distinctive all the same.
It was… familiar, and it made their heart ache for something they couldn't remember.
Perhaps if they tried, they could.
They didn't want to.
Not right then.
Not when they had other objectives in mind.
And above all else, they did not want to be alone.
"Hey, D?"
He inclined his head.
"Will you sleep with us. Just for tonight?"
Honestly, he should decline.
He did not, and together, they walked into the small home.
The smell was of… something musty. A strange mix of must and nature. Yet, it's something familiar.
They wished they could bottle it. Carry it with them.
Silly.
Childish.
But they only wanted something they'd be able to hold on to…
Gods, help them.
They wanted a home.
And they didn't look to be getting one any time soon.
Darkness descended around them. Thick. Oppressive.
Yet… it was a comfort. The cooler air practically serving as a balm for their fried mind as it pushed through the abandoned village and into the small home. Enveloping the travelers as they settled in.
The girls knew they shouldn't, but they wanted nothing more than to have a night curled up with their favorite person. Especially when, despite the fortifications to their tree, they could still feel something poking and prodding at their defenses.
But there was silence in the Garden. Flames that sparked were snuffed out before they could catch, and it was… somewhat reassuring.
"D?"
A soft hum was their cue to continue. But they did not immediately. Instead, they took a moment to hunker down and burrow into his side. Squeezing Erembour as he curled beneath their hand. And for a moment longer, they pondered Erembour's state of being.
He just seemed to sleep so much.
Thoughts for another day.
They squeezed the Hunter just a bit harder. Gathering their thoughts.
But they'd lost them for the moment.
Instead, they simply murmured, "Thanks. For staying with us. For everything."
Honestly, what more was there to say?