In the whisper of the cold night…
Three days after Ashena received the book… There in Chifya's room, a loud snore howls through the atmosphere. Outside the bed was Chifya, gazing with a displeased expression at Natalak as he slept. Drooling saliva and mouth slightly open.
"This idiot," Chifya said, swinging her sight at the small vial whose content was no more than three drops left.
"I can't believe this man." Chifya continues after picking and scrutinising the vial. "You've been using this for consecutive days." She gazes back at Natalak.
True enough, from the deep slumber and the loud snoring, Chifya was convinced of an overdose. But something more was on her mind… she looked through her palm, and when she saw the three moons engraved on her skin, Chifya frowned. Unable to gaze longer at the mark, her fingers slowly curled shut.
Natalak shifted in his sleep, mumbling incoherently as his loud snoring eased. Vulnerable and completely unaware of the wolf gazing down on his destiny.
"Sorry, Natalak, but I don't have any choice…" Chifya said, lip tightened, and through the tip of her fang, a single bite of her bottom lip drew blood.
Yet before she could act, she paused, hesitating.
"To hell with it!"
Chifya bit her lip harder, gushing more blood than ever, slavering more blood down on her chin. And without hesitation, slowly and carefully, she moved over him, pressing her right hand on his shoulder. Chifya then grabs Natalak's left wrist, preventing him from any further movement. The strands of her raven silk hair fell beside his face, unaware of how close she was.
As she stared at him quietly, her blood dripped to his lips. What followed was a long stalemate, at the same time as conflict soon flickered across her expression. From the open window, it welcomes a soft, cold breeze, fluttering towards the two, as though it whispers at Chifya's emotion. And when the moonlight begins to crawl towards the two, her raven hair slowly glimmers into silver, reminding her of her elven heritage.
She still wished she could stop herself before crossing the line, something she herself feared. And so, with trembling hesitation, she leaned down towards him, finally letting the distance between them disappear.
Warmth met warmth, flesh meets flesh… and through her sharp fang, she wound his lower lip, drawing out his blood. As her blood mixed with his, mouths clamp together, and breath clash like waves… the mark on her right palm burns. She felt the sting of pain, yet the bridge had already been crossed; she didn't stop. For something deeper had grief her more than a mere burn to the flesh.
Of such, filled with many emotions, of guilt, fear, desperation and all things. And the searing pain, crawling throughout her body. Her hand, which was once resting at Natalak's shoulder, was now clawing deeper into his skin. Her left hand that faintly grips his wrist begins to tighten. Chifya's eyes didn't shut, but stayed open, staring, anticipating his vivification. Alas, the sleeping potion was strong enough for Chifya to continue.
The night was restless, so were they and every other thing. Nevertheless, night was temporarily as morning soon followed… And when Natalak awoke from his slumber, what greeted him was—
"Ouch!" Natalak groans, licking his wounded lip. "And why does my shoulder hurt?"
Overdosed and paralysed by the sleeping potion, Natalak moves his sight to his left wrist.
"Are those?" He frowns, staring at the punctured wounds on his wrist.
Sensing Chifya by his side, he tries to nudge her from her slumber, except he can't even move a single muscle nor a flick of his finger.
"Wake up, you bitc—" Natalak groans, hoping his annoyance would wake Chifya's slumber. Sadly, she, too, had used the vial.
Stiff and exhausted, Natalak waits for more than an hour until the half-elf finally awakens from her bed. Oddly, Chifya pay no attention to the paralysed man. She didn't even speak or show concern at his grumbling; however, there was discontent in her expression.
Ignoring the man, the half-elf then fished out a gleaming green vial from the cupboard. Dropping three drops of the vial from his mouth, Chifya quickly left the room without giving a single word. Yet before she could leave, Natalak caught a glimpse of her wounded bottom lip, prompting him to ponder what had happened last night.
It took time, but only after half an hour did his paralysed body begin to move, and ten more minutes until he was fully recovered. Gently nudging his injured lips was like prodding a loose tooth, as if part of his lip was about to detach. He shifted toward the shoulder and saw five-inch claw marks that stained his shirt.
Pondering for five minutes straight, and with a final weary groan, Natalak rushes to the first floor—
"S-Sheila, can you heal this?" Natalak said, pointing towards his wounded lip.
Sheila leaned closer, "Just what did you do to have this kind of laceration?" Sheila said, keenly inspecting the wound.
"I don't know, ask her." Natalak then points his fingers at Chifya, as he too revealed his punctured wrist and claw marks.
"That's what you get for overdosing yourself last night," Chifya replied flatly.
"W-what? Then what does that have to do with my lip?" Stammers Natalak
"You were thrashing like a rabid wolf, so I have to return the favour." Chifya scowl. "We can use the Eye of Adra if you don't believe me. And if the scrying ball reveals I am true to my words, there be no more sleeping concoctions for you." She continues, giving Natalak a straight expression.
"I-I apologise for my outburst." Natalak looks away, dare say, the potion was much more valuable to him than to prove his point.
Sheila, on the other hand, says otherwise.
"This doesn't look like a punch to me…" Sheila ponders. "Claw? No, more like a bite injury." She glanced at Chifya, to whom the half-elf quickly hid her face.
"Is there something wrong?" Natalak spoke, sensing Sheila's silent.
Sheila sighs, "Nothing, hold still, this won't take long." She said before giving him the aid he needed.
Moving on to his other injuries, Sheila cannot help but contemplate their relationship.
"Did these two bite each other?" Sheila took another glance at Chifya, to which Chifya tried her best to hide her guilt. "Or perhaps something more was made from last night by these two." Sheila shifts at Natalak, pondering whether both Chifya and Natalak are acting, hiding. "Or maybe not." She adds, upon sensing that Natalak was not giving a show.
Through and all, after the trivial aid and breakfast filling his hunger, Natalak swiftly headed towards the market, towards the blacksmith. Yet his enthusiasm quickly faded—
"Sorry, lad, but you might wait for another three days," Barry said. "It seems that the material you brought was more ancient than I anticipated."
"Ah, I see, then I'll be back when the item is done." Replied Natalak before strolling through the bazaar.
The crowd from today has lessened. Even the streets that were once littered with vendors and peddlers diminished. Still, people stroll through the market, trading their coins for another day of survival.
Natalak looks through the merchants' wares and can't help but be captivated by the diverse items they display. Sadly, he had no decent wealth to buy those items even if he wanted to. At the end of his promenades, a sausage wrapped in paper was all his pocket money could afford.
Sitting on an isolated fountain where he can watch the people in peace, where he can contemplate his mind into tranquillity. Over time, with nothing to fiddle with, he slowly brought out his neck pouch. Tuck underneath his clothes, hidden from thieves.
Natalak sighs, holding the pouch's lightness. "What should I buy?" He paused upon seeing five gold Shars. "Wait, the minute, am I hallucinating?!" Natalak looks around, and once he sees no one lingering near his position.
"It really is five gold Shar?!" His eyes widen, his heart skipping from such sight. And for the very first time, there was joy and ecstasy in his soul. "But how? Could it be Lady Ashena? But all she gave me was a single gold coin?"
"I think I should give her a new story," Natalak whispers, before returning to the market, purchasing a blank book.
Little did Natalak know that Chifya and Sheila were hiding, tracking, and watching his every action.
"Sister Chifya… can you just ask him directly?" Sheila whispered, masking themselves as a commoner.
Chifya didn't reply; she didn't even have the interest to glance at Natalak's doing.
Sheila sighs heavily, "I'm heading back. Riya and the boys will be arriving from their training."
Upon Sheila's withdrawal, Chifya quickly stood and followed her in silence. And when Sheila stares at the half-elf, Chifya eagerly looks in any direction, avoiding Sheila's gaze.
"This sister of mine…" Sheila kneads her forehead. "I don't even know which one of us is the older one."
Five days passed…
Late night at the Shilvia estate, enter the Lord's room. Ashalain sits silently, watching, holding Ariendal's hand. The windows were open, as a cold breeze fluttered the curtains. But in the room full of lavish items and noble presence, Ariendal was still chained to the bed. Worse, his health gradually deteriorates. And no matter how hard Ashalain's healing flame shrouded her father's flesh, there was no change.
She thought to herself that— 'if Natalak might have been right beside her side, maybe her healing hands might cure her father's mysterious illness. If only Ashena hadn't helped Natalak leave the estate, things would be different. If only—'
A knock came from the door—it was Ashena, clutching two books, the very books that Natalak delivered.
"Sister," Ashena calmly spoke.
Ashalain didn't say a word; she showed no interest in her sister's call or even her presence. Upon fixing their father's blanket, Ashalain quickly departs from the room. Stubborn and infuriated by Ashalain's behaviour, Ashena followed her to the hallway.
"Sister," Ashena said, grabbing Ashalain's wrist.
Ashalain tries to jerk her sister's grip, but Ashena is too persistent to let go. The books fell as the two struggled, one trying to free herself while the other clutched tightly around her arms.
"Let go of me!" Ashalain voiced.
"I won't, not until you stop sulking like a child."
Ashalain twists once more, trying her best to wriggle out of her sister's tight embrace. Ashena's breathing came in ragged bursts. One arm wrapped around Ashalain's waist while the other hooked around her left arm, locking the two together.
The two went on for a couple of minutes, and, through their struggles, the sisters slid against the wall and collapsed to the floor. The two gasped for air, not from exhaustion but from weary emotions. Still, Ashalain didn't dare to look down at her sister; instead, she stared through the ceiling as her golden hair framed her brooding expression. And what followed was a total silence, only their tired breathing.
After a quarter of an hour—
"Why did you let him go?" Ashalain calmly shattered the silence.
"I-I thought you two were already companions," Ashena replied, loosening her grip. "I thought letting him go would be temporary." She adds, pulling herself away as she picks up the two books.
Ashalain didn't respond, but slowly she pushed off the wall, helping her stand. Still recovering both emotionally and physically, she tries to distance herself from her sister only to be stopped again—
"Ashley, I'm sorry," Ashena said, gently grabbing her hand. "Here, take this." She continues, extending the first book Natalak sent. "It does have good stories and strange ones, too. But they are worth the read, I promise you that."
Observing, pondering, then something came from Ashalain's mind, easing her brooding emotion.
Ashalain sighs. "You should go see father." The paladin said, admitting the book. "I'm quite tired for tonight."