Sisters
Event: Escape from Loriindton.
Characters: Eliis @Suicharte, Rae@viera
For a moment, Eliis thought she was about to meet her end. Talit was strong. She was beyond strong, an otherworldly strength possessed of only the avatar of the gods. And yet, she was fine. And not entirely there? She’d never felt the way she felt as she floated through reality, led by the hand by the ally of the timewalker. Walls and floors and solid matter were nothing to them, as they slipped out of existence, and traveled. They didn’t stop for quite some time, until they were more than far away. At first, anger, rage, guilt and resentment towards the one legged traitor filled her mind and so she had no will to speak. No conversation was had for what seemed to be hours. And before long, she had the urge to ask questions, and know who this guide was, but she didn’t have it in her to speak, to cry, to even feel at this point. She just wanted to sleep. Until they finally stopped. They were definitely a few miles out from Loriindton at this point, and the fires were long past them, though a thin trail of smoke barely visible in the distance sat behind them as she felt her flesh against the ground once more. If she hadn’t been so shellshocked by the experience, perhaps she’d have been more thankful for the absurd experience of phasing through matter, but all that was on her mind was knowing who this stranger was, and why she had helped her.
“So…” the interruption of silence was sudden, and the voice that cut through it was a bit rough. Rae didn’t realize how long she’d gone without speaking until she finally did, and her vocal cords strained.
She normally wouldn’t have let the quiet stretch this long, wouldn’t have the patience, but the same reason that made her get involved in the first place had been keeping her lips sealed. She had liked to tell herself it was because of some appreciation for the timewalker and what she represented, but that was a shallow lie. She wouldn't live long enough to have much stake in what remained in the world after she was gone.
The actual reason was that the timewalker, knowing precisely what button to push, had told her Eliis didn't have anyone else to help her.
And, look, Rae hated that it worked, which is why she lied to herself about her own actions, but her cold, dead heart still held a candle for someone like herself, someone that had been abandoned, even without knowing any other details. The only problem was that, empathy aside, she had no idea what to say that could possibly be helpful. It had been long since the last time she cared to portray herself in any meaningfully positive light.
“Thank you. I owe you my life, however little that means now. You didn’t have to save me, but you did. So, thank you.” she spoke, choking on her words and struggling to get them out. It hurt. And she’d begun to realize that since they’d fazed back in. Not her body, but her soul. She was supposed to be strong, she was supposed to have no feelings, and yet, she was on the verge of tears for the second time in a day. It hurt.
“Hey,” the word came out so quickly it almost cut off Eliis. Rae turned so she was standing in front of the other woman, instead of beside her. Eliis was much taller, and so Rae had to look directly up. Her eyes held fire in them. “Do not make little of it. Your life is invaluable, however much other people treat it like it's nothing.”
It surprised Rae herself to hear what she’d said, she felt almost like she was talking to a mirror. She never thought she would externalize it to someone else.
“Take it as a favor. You won't have long to repay me, anyway.”
What a strange girl. Eliis didn’t know what to make of her. And such a cryptic response. She wouldn’t ask, but it rang in her head, a little too strongly. Still, she was thankful for the words.They helped, if only a little.
“Can I ask you something?”
The moment of intensity had passed, but Rae didn't step back, merely continued to look with a tilted head. From an outsider's perspective, they seemed like snakes analyzing each other.
A shrug, “Sure, aim for the stars.”
“Why did you help me?” she spoke, looking down at the girl. Her voice was softer, but she found herself regaining her ability to speak now.
Now that made her move away, to get out of her face for a second. Rae looked to the ground instead, kicked a rock as if she was pondering the question, and not whether or not she should answer it. “The timewalker asked me to,” she said, and it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either.
Don't trust her, said any rational part of her brain.
Whatever. Might as well. “She said someone backstabbed you. I figured we could bond over that.” Her tone carried enough nonchalant irony that it was hard to tell if she was serious. And without leaving enough room to answer, she extended out her hand; “I'm Rae, by the way. Don't get attached. I'm going to die soon.”
“Eliis. I’ve never really felt like this, but it’s nice to have a friend at times like these.” she smiled for the first time in the day, and shook the shorter woman's hand. She too wondered if she should trust her, if her words held weight, but doubt was gone from her mind. She could not dwell on the past, only move toward the future. Not just for the sake of her people, but for herself. She had to live, to take revenge while she drew breath, lest her words mean nothing. And if she trusted nobody, that goal was far out of reach. “I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, so I don’t know if you plan to backstab me, but I think it would be stupid for lightning to strike twice in the same place... So I’m going to trust you. And I’d like you to trust me. May I call you suunei, Rae? ”
There was a long pause, hanging heavier the longer it lasted. It was too much, too fast. Rae stared at their joints hand with wide eyes, and that was about the only thing betraying what was going on in her mind, other than her fingers tightening around Eliis' until the shades of the knuckles were whiter than pale skin.
At first, the shock stopped any feeling from getting through. Her ears rang with that one word, a word she heard many times when she was young. A word she trusted, until she didn't. She never believed it could ever have a nice ring to it again, that it would only ever be coated in bitterness so deep it stains you all the way down to your bones.
The rage was somewhere buried there, the screams of a child that's grown past sadness and developed it into hatred. She felt it bubbling up her throat, had the urge to screech and push Eliis away like she and Vianca were the same person.
Then her fingers flickered. She felt the numbness come to her limbs as her body momentarily faded. Blind panic took over, not because she thought she would die, but because the separation was sudden and forced. Her body was back in reality almost instantly, but the force of the fear made her stumble forward, practically crashing into the other's arms, clutching her torso in a desperate hug. Voice weak, she mumbled; “Yeah, okay.”
Eliis wrapped her arms around hers, and returned the hug. Her hand was a little sore from the squeeze, but it didn’t hurt. Only the pained look on Rae's face did. She’d obviously been through so much before getting here. They both had. But enduring the indifferent cruelty of the universe was so much easier with a friend by your side. She patted her head softly, and sat in silence for just a little while.
“Where should we go, suunei? North or south?” she whispered, keeping the embrace tight.
She didn’t think of her answer, merely spoke. “North.”
And so they walked.
