The ground is soft and warm under me, with patches of grass tickling the side of my face. But I hardly register any of it. My complete, undivided attention is focused on Ike.
His face looms just a few centimetres above mine— a haunting echo of that moment in the kitchen— but this is worse. The heat of his presence presses down on me, his breath ghosting across my skin. Our bodies are painfully close, each shallow exhale causing my chest to brush against his. I wish I could look away, but there is no escape; his arms cage me in, framing my head, while his eyes silently burrow into mine.
I know… I know this situation is purely accidental, devoid of meaning, entirely random. After all, I would have been crushed under the others' weight was he not shielding me right now.
Yet, it does nothing to quell the furious heat spreading on my face and the wild beating of my heart. All I can think about is how unbearably close his body is to mine and feel extremely aware of his slightest movements. My thoughts have been reduced to a single, uncontrollable scream, so loud that my ears begin to ring, drowning out everything else.
Thankfully, not long after he leans back, allowing me to finally regain control over my mind and body.
"My back…"
"I swear, that spider… He needs to learn how to transport people."
Most of them are already stretching or observing our surroundings by the time I sit straight. Ike extends his hand to me, and I mindlessly take it as he helps me up. For some reason my legs feel shaky.
"We are really outside," Ewa says while patting the dust off her outfit, "and here I thought we would have had to fight our way to freedom… I'm kind of disappointed."
"That spider, Dalisso, he was acting oddly…" N'jobu says.
"I saw that too. Not long ago he wanted to keep Vyswe'eyaga at all costs, but then he showed up and couldn't wait to kick us out." Kayin adds, then turns to me, "Do you have any idea?"
I stammer for a fraction of a second. "I-I… I am not sure… I felt like he was nervous about something."
"I believe he was threatened or felt threatened by something else." Ike says having let go of my hand, "I may be wrong, but felt another presence behind him."
Kayin scratches his chin as he mutters. "A presence you say… Then he was pressured into letting us go?"
His conclusion makes me frown. What could possibly threaten an Anansi in its own territory?
"It does not really matter, anyway. Whatever the reason, it benefitted us." Ewa pipe in.
"True."
"It leaves us with another issue. What do we do about these two?" Azikiwe points at N'jobu and Sazayi.
The pair stiffens when all fall quiet and turn to them.
"What about us?" N'jobu hisses aggressively.
"Besides the fact that you are not supposed to be here and know something you should not know? Nothing, really." Kayin responds. My gaze meets with N'jobu's when he peeks in my direction.
"I suggest with silence them both. They know too much." Ewa waves her dagger when she says that. Looking squarely at them.
"What?" Sazayi makes a step back.
"You bluff," N'jobu taunts, "that would be murder."
"And who would know it was us? I bet you didn't tell anyone of your departure; it would be normal for anyone to think that you died in the wild… or simply declare you missing. It will never be linked to us."
Her smirk grows more sinister, and the pair visibly pales—particularly Sazayi, he seems on the verge of fainting.
Wait.
"You are not really going to kill them, right?" I exclaim. This is too extreme… and I can't be an accomplice to a murder.
"Vyvy, don't you get it? If they spill the beans about you, it will just be a matter of time before people try to capture you, then you will be forced to divulge every secret about your people." She turns to me seriously, "You don't want that to happen, do you?"
I falter.
"Still… They could make an Oath to keep my identity a secret."
She scoffs. "And what stops then from not respecting it?"
"They will be cursed, obviously."
Six pair of eyes point in my direction as silence falls. I shift in place at the sudden attention.
"What?"
"What do you mean by cursed?" Kayin asks me with round eyes.
"Well… That is what happens when an Oath is broken. Violating one's word made under the Divine leads to retribution as a result." I hesitate before adding. "In general."
"Oh?" Ewa raises an eyebrow. "What kind of retribution?"
"It depends, really. Death, agonizing and incurable disease, misfortune… You name it."
"H-Hold on," Kayin approaches me, his face has become even paler than usual. He grabs my arms with shaky fingers, as he mutters in my face, "You made me and my uncle swear to keep your identity a secret, and you called it an Oath, are you saying that I can potentially die from it?"
The tremor in his voice and distress in his eyes makes me come to an appalling realization.
"You, you did not know?"
"How could I have known?!" He presses.
"I am not making any Oath." Exclaims N'jobu, having heard us.
"Me neither." He friend adds.
"That leave us with no other choice then." Ewa sighs heavily. "Let me put you out of your misery."
N'jobu takes a defensive pose, the temperature increasing by several degrees as he glares at Ewa advancing figure.
"Wait!" Kayin and I yell at the same time which makes her grunt in frustration. "What do you want me to do then?"
Someone clears his throat, and we all turn to Azikiwe. He waits several seconds as the situation diffuses before saying, "I was thinking, let's take them with us… until we figure out what to do with them. We are wasting time here."
"Huh…" Ewa tilts her head slightly, "We make them our hostages? I like it."
"I don't like it. I want to go back home."
Sazayi objects, then he turns to me with a pleading expression. "Look, I promise to keep your secret—just, let me go. I will even make that Oath if you wish to."
"Are you out of your mind? Did you forget what she just said a while ago? Don't be an idiot."
Sazayi slaps N'jobu's hand when he tries to hold him and sneers.
"I will be fine as long as I keep my mouth shut. You should do the same, N'jobu. Whatever they are doing is none of our business, let's end it here."
N'jobu quietly inspects his friend's face.
"No."
Huh?
"Ha?"
N'jobu turns away from him to stare at Kayin and I. "I am going with you. Not as a hostage, but of my own free will."
"Are you out of your mind?" His friend mirrors. "You can't seriously be considering it—"
"—I have made up my mind. You can leave if you want."
Sazayi's face goes through several emotions all at once, astonishment, confusion, anger, frustration, then resignation.
"Damn it," he finally says, he sighs, pinches the bridge of his nose before scowling at N'jobu, "and damn you too."
~~~~~~~~~~~
I am dying.
I am out of breath, it feels like my lungs are on fire My legs—no, my entire body—is numb with exhaustion, yet somehow still throbbing with relentless pain. I am tired, and thirsty, and the thought of quitting weighs heavily on my mind. I just want it all to stop.
Dragging a trembling hand across my sweat-soaked brow, I take another step forward, and my muscles scream in protest. I can't do this; it is too hard.
Surely, this must be what dying feels like.
"Can we… take a… a break…" Every word sends blinding pain in my chest. I can't do this.
"We took one just two minutes ago." Kayin says. I glare at his back. I really, really want to zap him again. How can he be so unfeeling, a woman is in distress right behind him and he does nothing?
"Come on, Vyvy, we let you rest for half an hour. You are not tired already."
"I am!" I manage through bated breath.
I glare at Ewa who is eyeing me with a half-amused half-worried expression. She is in a perfectly good shape, walking near me with perfectly even steps while I am staggering about like a newborn. So are the others who show no sign of being remotely fatigued.
The warriors are one thing, but why are even the non-warriors like Kayin and that N'jobu fine as well?
Life is just so unfair.
"Haa… I wouldn't… I wouldn't be against another break, you know… Since the lady seems so tired."
I turn to Sazayi, he would be a lot more convincing was he not wheezing and sweating just like I am. At least there is one normal person here.
N'jobu sneers. "Now who's pathetic."
I flash a glare in his direction. He was not addressing me when saying that, true, but I can't help but feel insulted by his remark.
I hate it so much. And it is just the third day since we resumed our journey.
While heaving a sigh, I retrieve the compass from my back pocket and study it, it is still pointing straight north. Last night, Kayin and I reviewed the map once again to assess our next destination. The terrain ahead is nothing but vast, uninhabited landscapes—interspersed with occasional travel routes—yet devoid of any human settlements.
We were supposed to cover that distance in a couple of weeks, that is if we were still in possession of the horses. My mind inevitably goes back to Dalisso, causing a surge of anger in me. How could he have lost? Why did it have to happen? I had worked so hard to learn how to ride a horse. All those early morning hours of pain, for nothing.
Now that we have to walk on foot, the journey time will be prolonged double the estimated period. I don't think I will be able to last that long, hiking this mountain already is too much for me—I will surely die from exhaustion somewhere along the way.
"You will be fine, Vyvy," Ewa hands me a gourd from which I drink, "I know you can do it. You know what they say… what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
I am not sure if she is really trying to encourage me or tease me at this point. I am too tired to think about it.
My eyes widen at a sudden thought, stopping me in my track.
There is no need for me to go through all this…
I can fly for goodness' sake!
Why am I even bothering with this?
I retrieve my staff and seconds later I am floating a few centimetres above the ground. I sigh escape from my lips as I feel all the tension in my body melt away.
"Hey! That's cheating." Ewa exclaims.
Under normal circumstances, it would be considered ill-mannered to fly in the company of people who cannot—namely non-sorcerers—but it does not count now since the people here are either sorcerers or people with inhuman abilities. Besides, I'm far too exhausted to care.
"Life is unfair Ewa." I try to smirk, but I am afraid it came out as an odd grimace. I am so tired.
My gaze shift upward, to a flat field at the side of the mountain.
"I will wait for you over there." I say pointing at the spot.
"It is not a good idea to go on your own." Kayin calls.
"I'll take the risk," I breath out, soaring higher and higher, "you are going to catch up quickly anyway."
"W-wait!"
I turn to Sazayi. He is bent over, his hands on his knees and breathing heavily.
"Take me…" He says in between puffs of breaths, "take me with you… Please!"
I feel a rush of sympathy as consider him for a moment. It would be cruel to leave him here, with them. He lets out a gasp when he suddenly loses his footing and starts gliding upward but quickly calms down.
From the corner of my eye, I notice Ike scrutinizing us with a placid expression. Maybe it is just me, but I feel some mild irritation in his gaze as I draw Sayazi at my side.
…Hmm.
Strangely enough, I feel remarkably proud of my decision.