Mystic Heart Odyssey
Part 8: Th Wound Awakens
Chapter 3
Scrying, emotions, and an unexpected visit, wheee~
-Llox
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The next morning, Lykou was the first one awake. Although he'd slept solidly due to exhaustion, he was restless soon after he got up, and ended up pacing around the camp while the other two slumbered. The news from Kuna's scrying had his mind racing. On the one hand, he was excited and relieved to think that his friends, family, and tribe hadn't given up on him- though he was incredibly curious to know more. Even if he had his strong suspicions, he still couldn't be sure exactly who it was without knowing more details.
And on the other hand, what were they doing so far from Lakefire? From what he understood, Kuna's old hidey-hole was well outside Asher territory. Sure, he was grateful to know they cared enough to come looking for him, but knowing that he was who-knew how far away, and stuck using magic to make his way home, he was worried about them getting themselves lost in the process. Who would even be allowed out that far?
He had no doubt Naira would defy anyone to come looking for him if given the chance, but he also knew she wasn't a great survivalist. Any time they'd gone camping out in the woods together, he'd ended up looking after her- gladly, of course, but still. And Oren was more or less the same. Hopefully if it was them, they at least had someone more experienced with them.
But then, he also felt bad if they'd brought any of the tribes more skilled hunters with them. The tribe needed those individuals to protect it and provide food, after all. Either way, it worried him a bit, even though he was glad to know they were looking for him. He wondered what Naira must hav said after her encounter with Zyn- and, for that matter, how she might have convinced anyone she was telling the truth.
Then, of course, there was another possibility he'd been avoiding, but it had gradualy been itching at the back of his mind more and more- what if it wasn't someone from his tribe that Kuna had seen at all? The only other tribe he knew of was the northern tribe- `Frost Fang' or whatever they called themselves. And they were a long way off, and tended to only visit in the late spring, when they did. Could Kuna have seen strangers from a tribe previously unknown to him? If so, what were they doing there?
He shivered and shook the thoughts off eventually. While it was a strange possibility, he realized it was pointless pondering it. In fact, as much as he wanted answers, he knew he wasn't going to get them from pacing around stressing about it. He sat down by the fire he'd rekindled after getting up and began idly poking at it to distract himself. As he did so, his mind wandered to other matters. A content smile crossed his face as he thought about Kuna, and just how talented he was.
The sereva was clearly a clever and talented individual, even if he didn't always acknowledge it. Sewing, herbology, singing, and making huge strides in his magic since he first started learning it- no doubt he was a special individual. Not to mention his growth as a person. I knew there was more to him when we first met, he thought to himself. I'm so glad I could be part of helping him slowly realize it.
He sighed contently as he leaned back and watched the flames dance. His mind wandered back to those early days of their journey, when Kuna was still struggling and eventually broke down. ``When we were in that cave that first night... it's like something cried out to me. I don't know if it was spirits or magic, or just that look you get in your eyes, but I think part of you is screaming out against the pain and loneliness in a way I just can't ignore.'' The words echoed in his mind, and he was starting to wonder if there was even more to it- he was pretty sure `love at first sight' was nonsense, but still, he couldn't shake the idea that maybe there'd been more than a surface-level attraction to the sereva right from the start.
Every time he looked into the sereva's eyes, he felt those butterflies again. Every time they touched, he wanted to just pull him into his arms and hold onto him, never letting go. Whenever they faced some danger, he was more afraid for Kuna than himself. There was no denying it- he was falling hard for him.
He sighed and grumbled. I hate that I have to give her credit for anything, he thought. But I'm glad Ink brought us together. Now if only we could hurry and get home soon so I can-
``Mmm mornin' Kou,'' Gleam mumbled, interrupting his thoughts and mildly startling him as she trudged out of the shelter and came to join him by the fire. She stretched after plopping down, then rubbed her eyes. ``How long ya been up?''
``Oh! Hey Gleam,'' Lykou replied cheerfully. ``Eh, a while... you sleep okay?''
The squirrel nodded as she dug a tuber out of her food bag, then started munching on it. ``No visits. Slept normally for once. Was nice. Kinda weird not remembering any dreams again tho. How about you?''
``Yeah, just... woke up earlier than I expected,'' Lykou answered with a shrug. ``Lot on my mind I guess.''
``Thinking about what Kuna saw?'' Gleam asked, smirking. ``Just remember to let him wake up a bit when he comes out, before you start bothering him about checking again.''
``I know, I know,'' Lykou responded, flicking his tail around a bit. ``I'm just so full of questions and worries, though.''
``Oh yeah?'' the squirrel asked between mouthfuls. ``Like what?''
The konuul explained his thoughts from earlier, before his mind started dwelling on his crush again. ``I just hope whoever it was is safe and being careful, especially if it's Naira. She's not a great hunter, and if it is her, she better at least have a couple other people with her.''
``Well if she's in such unfamiliar territory, I'm sure she did,'' Gleam said. ``I can't imagine she'd go there by herself.''
``Normally no,'' Lykou agreed. ``But who knows where her mind's at right now? Especially after meeting Zyn. Remember, nobody in Lakefire has even seen magic in person before, as far as I know. She's one of the few people besides me that even seems to have any interest in any of the old stories. Well, her and maybe a few of the elders. I can see her getting obsessed enough to take unusual risks.''
``Well, hopefully she was at least smart about it either way,'' Gleam said.
They carried on chatting a bit, and around half an hour later, Kuna finally made his appearance, yawning on the way over to join them. ``Morning, you two.''
Gleam gave a little wave. ``Mornin'.''
``Good morning, Ku!'' Lykou replied a bit too excitedly. He wasted no time bringing some food and water over to the sereva. ``Sleep okay?''
``Mhmm,'' Kuna said looking down at the fruit and nuts being offered to him. He smirked at the konuul as he took them. ``Yes, I'll scry soon. Just give me some time.''
Lykou became a little frazzled ``Wh- I wasn't-''
Kuna snickered, while Gleam watched on in amusement. ``It's okay, I don't blame you for being excited.''
``But- I-!'' Lykou protested, then sat back and crossed his arms. ``Okay, so I am, but that's not the only reason-''
``I know, you're always a sweetheart, Kou,'' Kuna interrupted again, then chuckled and leaned over to bump him playfully. ``I'm just messing with you. Your eagerness is adorable.''
``Not as adorable as you,'' Lykou mumbled, then grinned when it had the expected effect of making the sereva blush and nudge him again. ``Hehe, point for me.''
``Yeah yeah,'' Kuna replied then munched on a few of the nuts. ``Too early for that.''
``Never too early for that,'' Lykou said, then stretched a bit. ``So did you sleep okay?''
``Mhmm,'' the sereva replied around a bite of fruit. ``You?''
``Yeah. Could've used a little more, but my body woke up and I couldn't shut my head up,'' Lykou replied with a shrug. ``I got enough though, I'll be fine. Definitely feel better than yesterday.''
Kuna nodded. ``I know that feeling too well,'' he said sympathetically. ``How about you, Gleam? All done with your... visits?''
``Yeah, like I was telling Kou, it's the first uneventful night I've had since... well, you know,'' the squirrel replied, gesturing to herself broadly. ``Being peopleified.''
``That's good,'' Kuna said, then paused for a moment and arched a brow. ``...huh. I guess this is the first night in a while where there wasn't at least one of us up to weird dream stuff.''
``I guess so,'' Lykou agreed. ``Hopefully that means we'll make good progress today.''
``Assuming nothing else slows us down,'' Gleam said, then shivered a bit. ``Like another spirit or something.''
The three continued to chatter idly for a short while, but Kuna tried to make his breakfast reasonably quick. Even if the konuul was clearly trying to be patient, the sereva picked up on his eagerness as they talked. And truth be told, he was excited as well. The idea of finally seeing someone else from Lykou's life, albeit remotely, was plenty motivating in itself, even setting aside his eagerness to make his best friend happy.
So, when he finished the last bite of the fruit he had in hand, he washed it down with a big gulp of water, and announced that he would start meditating right away. On queue, Lykou and Gleam paused their conversation and found other, quieter things to do in the meantime. Initially they began packing things up as quietly as possible, to save time later, but it didn't take long. With that done, Gleam alternated between pacing around, playing with some flowers and grass, watching some birds up in the trees, and laying on the ground, bored. Boredom was largely a new concept for her, and she hated it- it was all she could do to keep quiet. Eventually, she ended up dozing a little.
Meanwhile, Lykou initially toyed with the axe quietly, seeing if he could `attune' to it any further. But his own ability to focus was limited, distracted as he was by his thoughts. Eventually he just made himself comfortable and waited. He found himself looking over the sereva as his mind wandered. Initially, his thoughts were on the people back home, and wondering what Kuna would report. But he started dwelling on Kuna's features and smiling faintly as he appreciated them all in silence. He swore he could never get tired of looking at that cute twink. And besides the physical attraction, he couldn't help thinking about holding him and caressing him, and genuinely being intimate and close with him, in ways he was too anxious to make a reality just yet.
All the while, Kuna cleared his mind and focused. When he felt that he was in the right headspace, he grasped the soul energy flowing through himself, and concentrated on that familiar link to his old blanket. And gradually, the vision began to manifest in his mind...
*****
Naira woke up that morning a bit early as well, unknowingly mirroring her missing best friend. Though she could have used more sleep, her mind wouldn't let her doze back off. Only in her case, rather than simple excitement, her mind was racing with questions and curiosity. The vision she'd seen in the woods the previous night were still fresh on her mind. On the one hand, she was frustrated that they hadn't led to any more information about Lykou's whereabouts; but on the other, she was fascinated by the mysterious stranger she'd caught glimpses of, and whose camp she'd found and been frequently staying at.
And then there was the magic itself. Real magic, at her fingertips! She had no clue how it worked, but it was no longer just the stuff of old stories- she'd finally seen it with her own eyes. She would definitely have a litany of questions for Kitza later on, though she knew better than to expect any straightforward answers. In the meantime, she wanted to see what else the orb might be able to reveal.
She rolled it around in her hand as she ate her breakfast. Given what it had shown her the previous day, she knew what at least one of its capabilities was, and she wanted to try it out in some other areas. Her hope was that if she could just find the right place, she'd get a better look at what happened to Lykou- and whoever this `Kuna' individual was. But it was a big forest, and she wasn't sure where to start looking. Given the prep for the ritual, it'd be a pain to just keep picking random spots and trying it over and over again as well.
But as she was mulling over where to start her search, she suddenly paused mid-bite and glanced around. She had the strangest feeling she was being watched all of the sudden. She slowly lowered the piece of jerky in her hand and reached for her knife as she scanned her surroundings. She couldn't see anything moving, but the feeling was unmistakable. After a moment, she noticed her fur started to stand on end slightly in some spots, and she thought she could feel a faint change in the air, though she couldn't describe it.
She was so on edge that she practically leaped out of her fur when the orb suddenly twitched on its own in her grip. The orb dropped to the ground in her panic, and on impact, there was a brief flash of light from one of the symbols. She eyed it warily, momentarily forgetting her initial reasons for unease. When nothing else happened, she slowly reached down to pick it up again. As she did so, it twitched again and she recoiled.
Again, she waited. Finally, she picked it up and looked it over as it gently jostled and twitched around in her grasp. It seemed to only do so while she was holding it. A few symbols faintly glowed while it was moving, as well. After a moment, she realized that it seemed to be tugging weakly in a particular direction. She held it out in front of her and glanced around as she tried to follow its urging. The glowing bits grew brighter as she approached a seemingly arbitrary spot near her pack, until eventually the orb jostled more urgently in all directions, with the glowing bits flashing intermittently and brightly as it did so.
She looked around in confusion and growing concern, trying to make sense of it. ``What? What is it??'' she asked the orb, unsure if she should even expect an answer. ``What do you want? What am I supposed to do??'' As her frustration built, she started waving the orb around with growing fervor. Suddenly, when it passed through a specific part of the air, she yelped as the orb flared brightly, accompanied by a popping, sizzling sound and a faint sensation that she'd struck something.
All at once, the orb grew inert again. It stopped moving, and the lights went away. She stood there, staring at it, dumbfounded, for a few minutes. ``...the fuck was that all about?!'' she finally blurted out after a moment. After a brief pause, she looked at the forest around her in exasperation. ``Well?? Spirits?? Visions? Other magic shit?! Anyone?! I'd love to ask someone besides myself questions for once!''
*****
Lykou and Gleam helped Kuna up, looking him over with panicked concern. In the middle of his meditation, he suddenly got knocked sideways, accompanied by a burst of magical light that dissipated almost immediately. Though he didn't appear to be physically injured, he was clearly a bit disoriented and dizzy. ``Ku, are you okay?!'' the konuul asked urgently. ``Talk to us! What happened??''
``Mmngh, wha? Gramma?'' the sereva replied as he somewhat clumsily rubbed his head. For a brief moment, his eyes crossed, until he shook his head and seemed to snap out of it. ``Ouch... that was... weird...''
``Are you alright??'' Gleam asked as she and Lykou helped him carefully sit up again.
``Yeah, yeah I'm... I'm fine, I think,'' Kuna said as the dizziness subsided. ``Uh. Remember when Daisy... `kicked me back' that one time? I think something similar just happened, but... much harder.''
``Huh??'' Lykou asked, frowning. ``But... that doesn't...'' He sighed. ``Well, no way it was someone from Lakefire, then. Nobody there uses magic, let alone that powerful.''
``Well that's the thing,'' Kuna explained, still rubbing his head as he recalled the vision. ``I don't think she was doing it herself. She had this... thing. A magical ball thing, it looked like it was made from sunstone, but it had a bunch of runes on it, and some were lit up. And it was doing... something, but it didn't seem like she really knew what she was doing with it.''
``Really? Sunstone?? I don't think the northern tribe has much of that...'' Lykou said, perking back up. ``Never heard of something like that though. What was it doing?''
``Kind of... jerking around in her hand. Looked like it startled her at first, so she's definitely not used to it, whoever she is,'' Kuna continued. ``I think it was... leading her towards me. And when it hit wherever I was viewing from, it... well, knocked me out, so to speak.'' He winced a bit and rubbed his eye. ``Really hard.''
``Strange,'' Gleam said. ``Remind me not to touch it if we ever get close to it.''
``Wait... `she' huh?'' Lykou asked, starting to grow hopeful again. ``Can... can you describe her?''
``Oh, yeah um. Well, she was definitely a konuul,'' Kuna said, trying to remember as many details as he could. ``Got distracted pretty quick, but... she was wearing an outfit very similar to the one you had on when we met. Same kind of knife, too. A bit smaller than you, but not too much. Had long hair tied back, black like yours. She had a sort of stripe-like bit on one ear. Oh, and she had some kind of necklace I think- a pair of feathers with a big shiny bead between them. Maybe sunstone too?''
Lykou stared at him for a moment, mouth hanging open slightly. Slowly, his eyes started to tear up a bit. ``D... did she h-have different colored eyes?''
``I... actually yeah, I think so, now that you mention it,'' Kuna said, rubbing his chin. ``I didn't get a good look, but I did notice something about them looked a little unusual.''
Lykou slowly slumped back as a faint smile crept across his face. ``Naira... that... that's Naira...'' Suddenly, he tackled the sereva into a tight hug as a tear escaped and trickled down his cheek.
Kuna yelped and smiled a bit as he returned the embrace. ``Yeah?'' he said once the grip around him eased up a little. ``You think so?''
``No question,'' Lykou replied, leaning back to rub his eye after a moment. He smiled bashfully. ``S-sorry, just...''
``No need to apologize,'' Kuna said, chuckling a bit, then rubbed the canid's shoulder. ``And hey, it's nice to finally see this childhood bestie of yours.'' He rubbed his head again and smirked. ``Even if the circumstances are... strange.''
``Heh, yeah,'' Lykou said, then the smile faded a bit. ``Wait, is she on her own? Did you not see anyone else there?''
Kuna shook his head. ``Nope. Looked like she was by herself. She seemed pretty alert, though,'' he assured him. ``And well equipped. Besides the knife, I saw a bow laying with her stuff.''
Lykou mulled it over for a moment, rubbing his neck thoughtfully. ``I wonder what I've missed since I've been gone,'' he pondered aloud. ``That... doesn't sound like her. And what's that ball thing she's got??''
``Something else to ask Zyn when he shows up again,'' Gleam chimed in. ``Who knows? Maybe he gave it to her.''
``Well I certainly hope someone is helping her out,'' Lykou said, growing a bit worried. ``Way out there by herself like that... a lot must have changed in the past couple months.''
``Hey, she had a pretty damn good motive,'' Kuna pointed out with a smile, giving the canid a side-armed squeeze. ``She looked like she was in good shape, at least.''
``You said two different colored eyes,'' Gleam pointed out, growing curious. ``Is that a common thing?''
``First I've heard of it,'' Kuna said.
``Really? Huh,'' Lykou said, then shrugged. ``I wouldn't say it's common, but there's several people like that in Lakefire. I actually found it kind of strange we haven't encountered anyone else like that on this trip so far.''
``Must be a konuul thing,'' Kuna replied. ``Kind of interesting, honestly. Gives her a striking look.''
``Was she saying anything?'' Lykou asked.
``Hard to say,'' Kuna said with a shrug. ``So far the visions don't include sound.''
``For that matter, it'd be nice if you could talk to her,'' Gleam pointed out. ``Let her know Kou's here with you and safe.''
``Oh tell me about it,'' Kuna agreed, nodding. ``Though I wonder if she'd even listen to me.''
``She might think you're a spirit,'' Lykou pointed out with a faint smirk, then sighed. ``In any case, I just hope we get back sooner than it'd take to figure something like that out...''
``I'm sure we will, Kou,'' the sereva said, rubbing the canid's back a bit. He then straightened up and looked around. ``On that note though, we should head out. I see you guys finished packing up while I was meditating.''
``Uhh, before we do, you mind if I use the shelter for a little bit?'' Gleam asked with a slightly sheepish expression. ``Kinda want to-''
``Really, Gleam?'' Kuna asked somewhat incredulously. ``Again, already?''
Lykou chuckled and nudged him slightly. ``Hey, cut her some slack- everyone's like that when they first discover it. And she's got a lot of lost time to make up for,'' he pointed out with a wink, making the sereva blush, then looked back to the squirrel. ``That said though, why don't you wait until tonight? Do it too often and you won't appreciate it quite as much, trust me.''
Gleam shifted uncomfortably for a moment, pouting slightly, then shrugged. ``Okay, yeah, sure, no problem. Tonight then.''
*****
As the trio made their way through the hilly landscape, it gradually started to smooth out, and the foliage started growing denser. The land began to slope steadily upwards. But after passing through a dense patch of shrubbery, they stopped in their tracks as they looked down into a large gorge, filled with raging rapids, with small, rocky islands scattered among them. Impressive waterfalls cascaded down from several spots along the tall cliffs, both nearby and far away. Several buzzards flew around lazily overhead, and a few large lizard-like creatures were scattered around on the islands, basking in the sunlight.
Some jagged crystalline minerals jutted out of the islands in small clusters, making for very pretty, if dangerous accents to the scenery. Some bones near some of the dingier-looking crystal protrusions reinforced just how dangerous it could be to fall into the rapids, since several of them swept right around their islands, and there were likely more masked by the rolling waters, just under the surface. Some of the cleaner crystals high up on the cliffs caught the sunlight in just the right way that they cast small rainbows across the gorge, painting the dangerous landscape with a deceptively beautiful aura.
Gleam gasped and gawked wordlessly at the sight, unable to find words for such a sight.
``Woah,'' Lykou said, eyeing the gorge with awe. ``Reminds me of when we saw those giant tortoise- things fighting early on.''
Kuna nodded, then furrowed his brow. ``Unfortunately this time I think we're going to have to, uh... go down there,'' he said, then gestured towards one of the larger islands, which was covered in both foliage and large rock clusters. ``Can't quite see it, but I sense the arch down around there somewhere.''
``H-how.... How are we-'' Gleam started stammering, still unable to pull her gaze off the awe-inspiring sight in front of her. ``How are w-we gonna... get down there...??''
``Good question,'' the sereva replied. ``I don't see any safe, let alone easy ways down there, and that's not even considering crossing that water.''
``Hmm, okay, one problem at a time,'' Lykou said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. ``First, how to get down there. No paths I can see... pretty long way down. I don't suppose you could use your magic to grow us a way down, could you? Like back in the giant beehive, but down instead of up.''
Kuna cautiously knelt down and peered over the cliff towards its base. He frowned and shook his head. ``I dunno, not much to work with down there. Lot of solid rock, not much exposed soil, not much plantlife to work with... even if I could, it'd take a while and leave me too exhausted to continue traveling aftewards. And I don't think camping down there's a great idea.''
``Damn,'' Lykou replied, then looked around some more. ``There's gotta be some way down there...''
``What about there?'' Gleam said, pointing to a section of cliffs on the side of a peninsula jutting out into the gorge a bit. It was a little lower down, but not much. On the side were a number of boulders jutting out at different levels- climbable distances apart, but very risky looking.
``Hmm, maybe,'' Lykou said, letting his eyes scan over the cliffs some more. ``Ku, what about there? Some bushes at the top. Maybe you could grow a thick vine we can hold onto while we make our way down.''
As the trio eyed the cliffside in the distance, a shadowy figure hung down upside-down from a tree limb behind them, arms crossed, and opened a pair of glowing indigo eyes. A crooked matching grin lit up a moment later as the figure watched them.
Kuna squinted at the rocks and winced. ``I dunno, those rocks look awful sharp and a bit slick. Even with the vine, it'd be dangerous.''
``I guess it might be kind of windy out there too, now that I think of it,'' Lykou added with a sigh. ``It was a nice thought though, Gleam.'' He rubbed the squirrel's shoulder lightly. ``Don't worry, we'll figure something out.''
``Afraid of a little fall?'' a voice asked behind them, startling all three. ``You've both handled worse.''
The surprise caused Lykou and Kuna to nearly stumble off the edge of the cliff, but a cluster of vines rose up to save them. Lykou's expression went from surprise to loathing in an instant. ``Inkari...''
``Long time no see,'' Kuna said, eye twitching. ``Not long enough, unfortunately.''
Meanwhile, Gleam's instincts drove her to jump up into the lower limbs of a tree and stare down at the shadowy figure, shaking fearfully. The moment she saw the glowing eyes, she shuddered. She briefly thought of Zyn and their first meeting, but this was different- besides being a different color, the eyes were accompanied by that unsettling grin. And the wide-brimmed hat and dark robe that somehow defied gravity on the upside-down individual's body seemed surreal as well. But more than anything, the stranger had a palpable aura of power and borderline predatory mystique around her.
``Nice to see you both as well,'' Ink replied, dropping down in such a way that she gracefully landed on her feet despite her previous position. The closeness to the ground shouldn't have given her time to flip so smoothly, but she did anyway. She immediately lit up her pipe and took a puff, allowing the embers to briefly light up her face in a dim orange-red light. ``I'd ask if you missed me-''
``Haven't even taken a swing at you,'' Lykou interrupted, gripping his axe tightly and gritting his teeth. ``Yet.''
``-but I prefer to leave stupid questions to other people,'' Ink continued nonchalantly, smirking and shooting a meaningful glance at the axe. ``Well done on that, by the way.''
Kuna sighed and glanced back up at the shivering squirrel up in the nearby try. ``Come on down, Gleam. This is... ugh... Inkari.''
``I'mgoodupherethanks,'' Gleam hastily stammered out, half hiding behind the tree's trunk as he stared at the jarzin nervously.
Ink glanced up at her curiously and arched a brow. ``Hmm, that won't do.'' Without warning, she teleported up beside Gleam, lounging nonchalantly on the large branch near her, head propped up on her hand. ``It's high time we got acquainted, miss... Gleam, was it?''
Gleam let out a startled shriek and nearly fell out of the tree in surprise. Luckily, yet again Ink's magic brought some vines out to catch her. Still, as she tried to scramble away in a panic, the held her on the spot and Ink dropped down to join her.
Part of the way to her though, a certain axe embedded itself violently in the tree inches in front of Ink's nose.
``Don't you fucking dare hurt her,'' Lykou said through gritted teeth. Next to him, Kuna was already manifesting his own magic and conjuring up some vines as well.
Ink stared at them blankly for a moment, then chuckled and slid around the axe in a smoky form before re-manifesting. ``Relax, boys. The last thing I'd want to do is hurt such a unique and fascinating individual,'' she said, turning her attention back to the shaky, frightened squirrel. ``I just want to properly introduce myself.'' She narrowed her eyes and sized the squirrel up for a moment, then smirked again. ``Those instincts really aren't helping matters though, are they? Poor thing.''
``W-w-what do you w-want??'' Gleam nervously stammered out.
Nearby, Lykou worked on prying the axe out again, though it was proving unusually difficult to do so- no doubt something to do with Ink's magic. Kuna considered intervening, but was somewhat at a loss- he knew his power was nothing compared to Ink's.
``Hey,'' Ink said, gently holding Gleam's chin in her hand. ``C'mere.'' Suddenly, the jarzin took a drag on her pipe, before suddenly leaning in and pulling the squirrel into a very unexpected and intimate kiss. When they pulled apart, the smoke left both their mouths and Gleam seemed slightly stunned and dazed.
Lykou and Kuna both gawked at her. Suddenly Lykou pointed a shaky finger at her. ``D-did you just.... it'll kill her!!''
``No, no, relax,'' Ink replied, waving him off dismissively. ``This isn't my usual stuff, it's much milder. It'll help her relax.'' She turned back to the squirrel and grinned, putting a hand on her hip. ``Isn't that right?''
Gleam blinked a few times, whiskers twitching slightly. She glanced back and forth between Ink and the boys, then bashfully down at the ground with a slightly silly grin and a suddenly glassy-eyed look. She coughed up a little more smoke, then giggled. ``Mmm yeah... feels... nice...'' she said with a silly grin. ``So... confusing though...''
``You'll learn more about that kind of thing later on,'' Ink said, tussling her hair playfully. ``For now, just relax so we can all have a nice chat, alright?''
Lykou growled a bit. ``That was still fucked up.''
``Yeah, surely you could've at least found a better way-'' Kuna agreed, only for the jarzin to interrupt.
``Oh relax,'' Ink interjected, slowly pulling away the vines holding Gleam in place. ``She certainly isn't objecting, are you dear?''
Gleam was busy feeling her lips curiously, and glanced over after a moment, seemingly on a slight delayed reaction. ``Huh, wha? Oh. Um.... yeah.... `` she mumbled, then folded her ears down and looked a bit bashful. ``Was... that a uh. Um... whassit called.... kiss?''
``Yeah, she just stole your first kiss,'' Kuna pointed out, glaring at Ink through narrowed eyes as he did.
``Well someone had to,'' Ink retorted. ``The girl's obviously craving experiences like that, and long overdue- and it seems like neither of you were going to anytime soon.'' She grinned. ``Besides. I figured it was a lot more fun than just stuffing the pipe in her mouth.''
``Fun for you, maybe,'' Lykou remarked after finally pulling the axe out of the tree.
``Oh she enjoyed it,'' Ink said, then grinned over at the squirrel again. ``Didn't you?''
Gleam blushed a bit and nodded, giggling, clearly a bit loopy. At the same time, there was a certain honest giddiness buried under her insobriety. ``It... felt kinda nice...''
``That's just the... whatever-it-is speaking,'' Lykou said.
``No, it isn't,'' Ink retorted, then tapped the side of her still-glowing eyes. ``Can see her soul you know. Girl's craving all kinds of intimacy she's been missing out on, including things she doesn't even consciously realize.''
``Isn't it rude to stare at peoples' souls without their permission?'' Kuna asked, crossing his arms. ``Not that I'm surprised you'd do it anyway.''
``Fair enough,'' Ink said, dismissing the omni-sight. ``Still, given her origins, I just had to take a peek. Speaking of which, congrats on surprising me there, you two. I had a feeling you'd discover something even I hadn't worked out or seen, somehow. And, lo and behold,'' she continued, gesturing to the somewhat wobbly and giggly squirrel. ``Here she is. Well done.''
``Great. Thrilled to have your... `approval'. Now,'' Lykou replied sharply, tightening his grip on his axe. ``Can you please fuck off again?''
``Unless of course you're here to take us back to Lakefire directly,'' Kuna chimed in, arching a brow. ``But something tells me you're not inclined to be that helpful.''
``Your intuition is correct, my student,'' Ink replied playfully. ``But no, I just thought it was high time I check on you boys personally... and see your new companion here first hand.''
``Great,'' Kuna said, rubbing his face in frustration. ``I guess our day was just going too well...''
``Now don't be like that,'' Ink said with very obvious faux-offense. ``I missed you two! We're long overdue some casual chit-chat, don't you think?''
``We're overdue something, alright,'' Lykou commented bitterly. ``Like an apology. Or at least an explanation. Maybe letting me smack you around some.'' After a moment, his anger faltered and he couldn't help but tear up slightly despite his best efforts. ``Or at least letting me talk to someone back home! I know you jarzin fuckers are all about messing with people, but-''
Ink cut him off with a finger to his lips as a surprisingly genuine sympathetic look crossed her face. It was all the konuul could do to hold back from biting it in response. ``Lykou, I know you hate my guts, and you're right. It's high time I at least explained myself- as best I can anyway. I can't promise you all the satisfying answers you want, but I promise I'm not as heartless as you think. So yes, let's have a real chat.''
With a wave of a hand, a set of comfortable, if wildly unnatural looking flora sprouted up for all four of them to sit down on. She wasted no time lounging on one and invited them to join her. Gleam stumbled over and sprawled across one awkwardly, giggling and staring off into space afterwards. Kuna and Lykou shared a look, then the sereva reluctantly flopped down across from the jarzin. Lykou plopped down in the spot next to him a moment later, bitterly burying the axe in the ground next to him, then crossing his arms.
``Fine. Start talking, then,'' the canid said, leaning back reluctantly.
