Post by Stage on May 31, 2018 0:43:08 GMT
Alex received odd look after odd look as he staggered through the sparser, mainly residential southern portion of Mival. His forearms and shins were slick with blood from nicks by jungle foliage and his dark, curly hair was matted against his forehead with sweat. Normally, all the attention would have him warm with embarrassment. He had even caused a ruckus at the south city gate. Most of the guards had been suspicious of his panicked, disheveled state, prepared to bar him entry on sight, but Danell, an acquaintance among them, had vouched for him. He should feel grateful to the young guard. But he was only cold with fear.
Sam. And Molly. He had betrayed their trust.
He had to warn them. He had to tell them about the Storm Lord. About how foolish he was.
Sam would be angry. Not surprised, but upset nonetheless. He did not know how Molly would react. Disappointment perhaps? He hoped she would not fly into another panic. Guilt struck him suddenly and heavily. He was so terrible to her. This might be the second time in one day he caused her distress. But perhaps more he feared Demmy's reaction. The fair woman frightened him when she was angry only for herself. He could not imagine what her anger was like when it was for her dear friend.
But more than anything he feared the Storm Lord and what he might do with the knowledge he had betrayed to him.
Though he had just met Molly, he was heartened by her willingness to trust, as well as her optimism. It made him feel less alone. And Sam was irreplaceable to him. Even after last night.
"Alex?"
Ocean green eyes rose in surprise. Sam herself was standing before him. Her chest rose and fell notably, and her pale, freckled skin was damp. It looked as if she had been running as well.
"S- Sam, wh-"
Strong hands seized him by the shoulder and lead him into a secluded alley. Alex could feel the heat radiating off of Sam's body, combating the chill off his. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"I- Sam.... I... I'm sorry."
"Alex, what happened?"
"I... found a monster. It- It spoke. Like Xipil. But it acted like Croder and- and it made me answer questions. Or it would- w... or it wouldn't let me go."
Sam lowered his blond eyebrows. "Questions? What questions?"
"I.... I told it your name. It asked and- and I didn't want to risk lying and... I'm sorry. I don't know if it actually means something or if it was just messing with me, but-"
"Alex," Sam sharply. Her grip was tight. "I don't care. What I do care about it you running off to chase every rumor you hear. It almost got you killed today, do you understand?"
"Yes."
Sam released Alex and stepped back. She seemed taken aback.
"I know," Alex said numbly. "I was stupid and it almost killed me and... and you might be in danger too now. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sam."
"Just... don't do it again, okay?" Sam sighed. She reached out and took his arm again, though gently this time. "Let's go back to Stage."
Alex shook his head. "Not yet. I need to warn Molly too. I... I gave it her name too. Let me-"
"No."
Alex's head shot up. "W... What?"
"No, Alex. You're not going anywhere near them."
"S- Sam, I know you don't like Demmy, I... I think she's pretty scary, but-"
"She's not human."
"W... What?"
"She ignored an arrow through her neck like it was nothing."
"Oh my God, who hit her with an arrow?"
"That's not the point, Alex! She acted like it wasn't there! And when I told her to talk, she dodged the question."
"Sam, she was hurt. She p- probably had other things on her mind. Are you sure she's okay? We should go make sure."
"No!"
"S- Sam!" Alex gasped. "You're hurting me. Let go."
She persisted though. "I'm not letting you go near that monster," Sam hissed.
"Sam, she's not a monster. P- People can survive things like that. I... I mean I hope she survived..."
"That's bullshit, Alex! I saw it with my own eyes. She has to be something like Feylar. Hell, maybe she is that bitch."
Alex pulled futilely against Sam's iron grip. "What are you trying to accomplish here, Sam? She can't be Feylar. Feylar isn't here."
"Don't pretend like you can predict anything that monster does. What if she's been acting as part of some new game to mess with us?"
"Sam, you're just picking at straws now! Besides, Molly has known her for a long time now. She can't have been Feylar the whole while."
"Fine. She was killed and replaced then."
"S- Sam. Just... just stop. I know you don't like Demmy, but- but making this story about her... about her being Feylar up to justify it is-
Alex was forced to stop by an especially ferocious squeeze on his arm.
"The answer is no and that's the end of the conversation, Alex! You are not putting yourself in danger again! You just promised not too."
Sam stumbled due to an uncharacteristically violent tug from Alex.
"I wasn't asking you! And this isn't a conversation, Sam! You- You're just telling me what to do! I am going to see them."
"No, you aren't!"
"Sam, I- why are you being like this? I don't understand how you can be so pigheaded! They could be in danger!"
"I don't care! You'll be the one in danger if you go back to that monster!"
"I- okay, fine! Fine, Sam. So what if Demmy is a monster. What about Molly? Why should we abandon her?"
"Alex, you met her two days ago! And she's already glued to that freak's side!"
"Why are you so... so untrusting, Sam?"
"Because it's safer!"
"Only for you! Sam, just because you're afraid of some... some boogeyman, you're willing to let two more people die!"
Alex's heart plummeted as he heard his own angry words. His stomach quickly sank to join it as his feet flew out from beneath him. He only avoided bashing his head on the alley wall because his elbow caught it first, gashing it open. He landed hard on his bottom as the hot blood began spilling down his forearm.
Sam had pushed him.
He could not blame her.
"S... Sam, I-"
"Quiet."
The red-blonde woman stood over him with an expression of indescribable anger. Betrayal as well. She had never looked taller to Alex.
"Go to that freak and her pet. I don't care anymore. Bahn wanted to move here, so you can join her. I'm done looking after ungrateful children who are trying to kill themselves."
"Sam, I didn't mean that."
"Don't care. Go get yourself eaten while she drinks herself to death. Neither of you are my problem anymore."
"Sam," Alex called after her as she exited the alley. He tried to rise to follow her, but his legs failed him.
"Sam, I'm sorry!" His voice was a thick gasp, almost a sob, but it fell on deaf ears. "Sam, I... Sam..."
"I really an idiot," Alex mumbled, dead-eyed and hoarsely, into his cupped hand as his face fell.
Sam. And Molly. He had betrayed their trust.
He had to warn them. He had to tell them about the Storm Lord. About how foolish he was.
Sam would be angry. Not surprised, but upset nonetheless. He did not know how Molly would react. Disappointment perhaps? He hoped she would not fly into another panic. Guilt struck him suddenly and heavily. He was so terrible to her. This might be the second time in one day he caused her distress. But perhaps more he feared Demmy's reaction. The fair woman frightened him when she was angry only for herself. He could not imagine what her anger was like when it was for her dear friend.
But more than anything he feared the Storm Lord and what he might do with the knowledge he had betrayed to him.
Though he had just met Molly, he was heartened by her willingness to trust, as well as her optimism. It made him feel less alone. And Sam was irreplaceable to him. Even after last night.
"Alex?"
Ocean green eyes rose in surprise. Sam herself was standing before him. Her chest rose and fell notably, and her pale, freckled skin was damp. It looked as if she had been running as well.
"S- Sam, wh-"
Strong hands seized him by the shoulder and lead him into a secluded alley. Alex could feel the heat radiating off of Sam's body, combating the chill off his. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"I- Sam.... I... I'm sorry."
"Alex, what happened?"
"I... found a monster. It- It spoke. Like Xipil. But it acted like Croder and- and it made me answer questions. Or it would- w... or it wouldn't let me go."
Sam lowered his blond eyebrows. "Questions? What questions?"
"I.... I told it your name. It asked and- and I didn't want to risk lying and... I'm sorry. I don't know if it actually means something or if it was just messing with me, but-"
"Alex," Sam sharply. Her grip was tight. "I don't care. What I do care about it you running off to chase every rumor you hear. It almost got you killed today, do you understand?"
"Yes."
Sam released Alex and stepped back. She seemed taken aback.
"I know," Alex said numbly. "I was stupid and it almost killed me and... and you might be in danger too now. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sam."
"Just... don't do it again, okay?" Sam sighed. She reached out and took his arm again, though gently this time. "Let's go back to Stage."
Alex shook his head. "Not yet. I need to warn Molly too. I... I gave it her name too. Let me-"
"No."
Alex's head shot up. "W... What?"
"No, Alex. You're not going anywhere near them."
"S- Sam, I know you don't like Demmy, I... I think she's pretty scary, but-"
"She's not human."
"W... What?"
"She ignored an arrow through her neck like it was nothing."
"Oh my God, who hit her with an arrow?"
"That's not the point, Alex! She acted like it wasn't there! And when I told her to talk, she dodged the question."
"Sam, she was hurt. She p- probably had other things on her mind. Are you sure she's okay? We should go make sure."
"No!"
"S- Sam!" Alex gasped. "You're hurting me. Let go."
She persisted though. "I'm not letting you go near that monster," Sam hissed.
"Sam, she's not a monster. P- People can survive things like that. I... I mean I hope she survived..."
"That's bullshit, Alex! I saw it with my own eyes. She has to be something like Feylar. Hell, maybe she is that bitch."
Alex pulled futilely against Sam's iron grip. "What are you trying to accomplish here, Sam? She can't be Feylar. Feylar isn't here."
"Don't pretend like you can predict anything that monster does. What if she's been acting as part of some new game to mess with us?"
"Sam, you're just picking at straws now! Besides, Molly has known her for a long time now. She can't have been Feylar the whole while."
"Fine. She was killed and replaced then."
"S- Sam. Just... just stop. I know you don't like Demmy, but- but making this story about her... about her being Feylar up to justify it is-
Alex was forced to stop by an especially ferocious squeeze on his arm.
"The answer is no and that's the end of the conversation, Alex! You are not putting yourself in danger again! You just promised not too."
Sam stumbled due to an uncharacteristically violent tug from Alex.
"I wasn't asking you! And this isn't a conversation, Sam! You- You're just telling me what to do! I am going to see them."
"No, you aren't!"
"Sam, I- why are you being like this? I don't understand how you can be so pigheaded! They could be in danger!"
"I don't care! You'll be the one in danger if you go back to that monster!"
"I- okay, fine! Fine, Sam. So what if Demmy is a monster. What about Molly? Why should we abandon her?"
"Alex, you met her two days ago! And she's already glued to that freak's side!"
"Why are you so... so untrusting, Sam?"
"Because it's safer!"
"Only for you! Sam, just because you're afraid of some... some boogeyman, you're willing to let two more people die!"
Alex's heart plummeted as he heard his own angry words. His stomach quickly sank to join it as his feet flew out from beneath him. He only avoided bashing his head on the alley wall because his elbow caught it first, gashing it open. He landed hard on his bottom as the hot blood began spilling down his forearm.
Sam had pushed him.
He could not blame her.
"S... Sam, I-"
"Quiet."
The red-blonde woman stood over him with an expression of indescribable anger. Betrayal as well. She had never looked taller to Alex.
"Go to that freak and her pet. I don't care anymore. Bahn wanted to move here, so you can join her. I'm done looking after ungrateful children who are trying to kill themselves."
"Sam, I didn't mean that."
"Don't care. Go get yourself eaten while she drinks herself to death. Neither of you are my problem anymore."
"Sam," Alex called after her as she exited the alley. He tried to rise to follow her, but his legs failed him.
"Sam, I'm sorry!" His voice was a thick gasp, almost a sob, but it fell on deaf ears. "Sam, I... Sam..."
"I really an idiot," Alex mumbled, dead-eyed and hoarsely, into his cupped hand as his face fell.