Glade 7th, 524
It wasn't uncommon that an overcast day would strike Ecith. It wasn't glum, and the wind was warm enough, but Aya was a creature who needed sunlight to feel truly at peace, and Dot was even more so.
Her work for the day had concluded before midday, and there was nothing better to do than to move restless feet. She strapped on her pack, wrapped it taut around her torso with her cloak, and placed dot securely within the pocket. He loves it in there. What a weirdo.
After years of living in Drathera, she was accustomed to uphill climbs. Not as accustomed as those born-and-raised, but shoot, she could keep up just fine. Fine enough to spend a good part of the day just hikinh around the rough terrain of the city. She let the houses and businesses and butcheries and people blend into blobs around her, focusing only on the road ahead. Easier that way, so she wouldn't notice all the eyes on her. She had a bit of a trek today, because today she was going to try to break her personal record on Jarkor's Tail. That windy, unending, forty degree incline staircase was hell on anyone not acclimated to city living. Of course, Aya had climbed the tail before, but with breaks and huffing and puffing and sweat. Like an outsider. Well, like the outsider that she was, but even so. She hated knowing it was out of her capabilities, and angled on changing it.
The plaza entrance was wide and busy, but functioned instead as a swarming, festered, gaping, thrumming maw within which was nothing but pain and sweat and more sweat and a healthy springling of additional pain. Phinneas sometimes spoke about life inside the Imperium, and for all of its challenges, Aya was silently jealous of them because she was sure they would never suffer something as barbaric as Jarkor's Tail.
Dot yawned in his cat nest on her back, and she could hear the quiet clicking of his two sharp jaws meeting back together. So are we just gonna go home again? Because I wouldn't mind that.
"Not this time, cat." She stood facing the maw of Jarkor's Tail, backpack straps in hand, allowing the crowd to move around her. You know, like a local. "This time I-"
Oh!
"What?" Dot unfurled and stood up on her back, poking his nose into the air. Aya could feel him hesitate. "Well?"
He sat back down in the nest. Nothing I was mistaken, sorry.
Aya rolled her eyes and started striding towards the maw.
'I am power,' she grit her teeth as she thought, 'I am swiftness, I am the unmoving mountain and the majestic eagle, I am-'
Oh! Hold on! Dot stood back up and smelled again.
"Dot."
He sniffed. No, really. I smell something I just... He sniffed again. I don't know if its something to... His eyes got wide, and Aya could feel him tense. She stopped in her tracks.
"What? What is it?"
It's... He sniffed deeply. It's bad. Aya, it's bad. It's a bad smell! Bad smell! Bad smell! Ba-
Meeeeeooooooooooowrrrrrrooooooooooowwwwwwww! The cat yowled.
Immediately, the crowd began to back away from Aya in surprise. Believe it or not, housecats are not as common in Ecith as cats made half out of shadow, go figure.
Aya's cheeks turned cherry red all at once, "Dot, Dot, buddy, can we maybe chill out?" She murmered out of the corner of her mouth.
YeeeeeeeeeeeOOOOOOOOwwwwwwwwrrr! Dot continued.
In the space the crowd made, Aya's eyes drifted from the faces pretending to not notice her on the circumference of her social space, and locked with two sky-blue peepers in deep purple sockets.
Dot stopped yowling immediately. Oh, it's Zargus Org. I smell Zargus Org. Head's up. He yawned and crawled back down into his pocket.
"Thank you, Dot." Aya murmered.
Zargus looked... Well, he had looked better. That solid bone structure betrayed a shining black eye and a puffy jaw on his left side. No doubt her doing. His chest was rising and falling heavily and he was the only one unable to stop looking at Aya, even now as business returned to normal and the public began to forget Dot's outcry. "You know, Dot,"
Hm?
"I almost feel bad for big, dumb Zargus Org."
Oh, why? Did somebody beat him up?
"Whatever, cat." She began walking towards Zargus. "Try to be a good person. What a double standard." She muttered. As she got closer to the young Orkhan, she noticed that his usually indignant stare had a tinge of fear to it, like he knew he couldn't afford to not stand his ground here, but he sure looks like he wants to.
She stood before him.
"Hello." She said in Ecitharese.
"Aya." He replied.
They took a second. "You look terrible." Aya said.
"What are you doing here, human Aya?"
"Doing the stairs up."
"Hm." Zargus stuck his hands in the folds of his pants.
There was another little silence. Hard not to fill it with insults.
"You look bad."
"You mentioned this."
"Do you want to come with me?"
"What?"
"Do you want to do the stairs up with me or no? I won't ask three questions, Zargus Org."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Yes, fine.
Aya furrowed her brow. "Yeah. Fine." She pushed past his shoulder and soldiered towards the carved entrance to the Tail, putting her first foot on the first step, her second foot on the second, and resolving herself to not stop until she reached the top this time.
The sun changed position a bit before Aya cared enough to look behind her and check if Zargus, indeed, decided to follow. Much to her chagrin, he was there. Steel-eyed and even keeled, even as she began to huff.
You're doing better than last time.
"Shove it, cat."
"Speaking to me, Aya?"
She glared behind her shoulder at him, just a pace behind. "No, Org." She pressed out in between heaving breaths. She waited for an inhale, and then, on the exhale, "Mind yourself."
"You are struggling."
Aya rolled her eyes. She could hear his jeering smile from three paces ahead. Not to mention how infuriating the sureness of his voice was. As if he were sitting down and not forcing your legs to conquer the tallest mountain on the island in one continuous trip. "I-" a breath "am fine."
"You sound fine, human Aya."
"Shove it."
The sun had moved farther, almost ready to touch the horizon, and was nearly placed behind them. And by now, Aya had been heaving for the past fifteen minutes. In all fairness to her, she had obliterated her personal record. But there was no way for Zargus to know that. Stupid, dumb Zargus, who strode up beside her so effortlessly.
"Aya."
"What-"..."Do you want?"
"You should stop."
"I am-"..."Not-"..."Some shrinking-"..."Of violet."
Zargus patiently waited for Aya to choke her sentence out. "I do not know what you are talking about."
"I-"
"Stop, Aya." He took her by her shoulders and turned her to face him. She struck his arms away.
"Zargus, when you sleep, mice crawl in your mouth and wind blows between your ears! I was trying to do up in one go!"
"Your breath is bad."
Aya crossed her arms. If he didn't say something worthwhile he'd be taking a very short trip down the stairs.
"My father taught me young. If you can make your breath right, you can do almost anything better."
"Are you going to say something new?"
Zargus looked contemplative. "I can't find better words. You just have to do better. Breathe good, try." He started walking ahead of her, and once he had gotten some way, he turned back around and glanced back at her, waiting for her to follow.
Aya sighed. She took a deep breath in, and started paying attention to where in her walking cadence her breathing cycle landed, and tried to synchronize them. It hurt her lungs, but she could. Then, she gradually slowed down her breathing without slowing down her step. And all of this gave her time to contemplate. Specifically to contemplate something Zargus said. 'I can't find better words.' Can't find better words? What did he mean? They were talking about breathing, and trying to teach her something that his own dad taught him. There were words. There were words he knew. Was it possible that dumb, stupid Zagrus Org-
"Zagrus Org." Aya commanded, not having noticed she caught up to the orkhan.
"Yes?"
"You change how you talk when you talk to me."
He was quiet.
"So you do, then."
"Yes."
"Why? Do you think humans are not competent?"
"No. I want to make-..." He stopped. "I wanted to make sense to you when I spoke."
"Yes, because you use such big words."
"You are easily confused!"
"I speak twice the amount of languages you do, Org."
"Hm."
They continued. The sun was getting lower.
"Don't do that anymore." Aya said.
"Okay, I agree." He replied. "Do not call me stupid or dumb anymore."
"Maybe, Zargus. If you stop being stupid and dumb."
He snarled at her. He really must break that habit, it's quite embarrassing.
"Aya."
"What, Zargus?"
"Why do you have magic?"
Aya fixed her vision to the ground as the moved. "I don't like talking about it," she said, "people change how they talk to me after."
"I know what magic does, I am not incompetent."
"Oh, that is the word for incompetent. Nice."
"It changes you, yes Aya? Many die."
"But not Aya!
"They say it changes you so you never stop, like with smoking herbs or gambling, but worse."
"Is that what you're learning in that school? Because it is not fighting."
"No. From adults. Fine."
There was another silence between them.
"Aya, is it true?"
"No."
"Be honest."
"I am."
"Do you use it when we fight?"
This time, Aya was quiet.
"So you do."
"I stick to our terms. I have never cheated you."
"But you use it."
"It's not like how you think."
Zargus laughed. "Thank you."
"Stop."
"Thank you so much, Aya. I know now that I did not lose to a small, soft-handed, hu-"
Aya took his arm and swung him against the inside wall of the stairwell, but it wasn't long before Zargus Org was able to shake off the impact, brush Aya off his arm, and kick her swiftly in the chest. Through all of her ability and martial prowess, there were a few moments where Aya was reminded quite forcefully that, being her size and her weight, if she did not constantly keep the advantage in a brawl, she would lose.
And that STUPID spellplague!
Aya's light body betrayed her, spewn back by Zargus' kick. mmROW! Dot exclaimed as he leapt from the backpack nest before Aya made impact with the stairs behind her.
Woah woah woah woah woah!
Aya struggled up to her elbows as Zargus balled his fist and took a step forwards, only to be interrupted by the sound of impeding footsteps echoing from up the tail. Aya scrambled to her feet, snapped twice, and Dot took a leap back into his nest, and Zargus leaned back against the wall. Aya and Zargus did not break their mutual glare as the stranger Orkhan trodded down the stairs between them, sharing an awkward glance with both teenagers before moving onwards.
"Not here." Zargus said.
Aya spit on the ground next to her. "Whatever, quit-loser. I can take you."
Zargus Org thinned his eyes at her. "Follow me, human Aya. If your breathing isn't mud in your lungs."
He turned and left, climbing the stairs before them expeditiously. And expeditiously, Aya followed. He had never beat her before, he won't now, magic or no magic.
They climbed.
And climbed.
Until the sunset ended and the light began to fade and the stars made a welcome return to the sky, and they continued to climb.
And climbed.
And climbed to where the sweat on Aya's forehead felt like refreshing rain and she wondered why Zagrus Org did not have a curfew either.
Then, she did it. Zagrus did it first, damn him, but she did it. She crested the tail. Placing her feet on the flat ground of the mountaintop was so euphoric she didn't feel the chill of the thinned air through the insulating layer of swet on her exposed skin. She dropped her arms from her pack straps, and took a few deep breaths. When she opened her eyes, Zagrus was staring. As she focused her eyes, she realized he was staring at her bicep. Her marks.
"What if I told you I did them myself?"
He snapped his gaze to her and sneered. "I would say you tell lies."
Aya tilted her head. "And what if I told you I had to kill six people for each of them?"
He held her gaze, and she made sure not to blink.
He turned away. "Follow." She did.
What are we even doing here? Dot asked from the back.
"Not sure," Aya whispered, "I think I might actually kill Zargus Org tonight."
What?
"Yeah. I don't even really want to, I just think the feeling is right tonight, I don't know."
Zargus turned on his heel, and Aya froze. He started to walk towards her.
How you wanna do it? Push him off the hill?
Zargus stared her down, the same way she would stare him down. 'What a charming little role reversal,' she thought.
"Why do you keep whispering in your language?" he asked.
"You look real pretty with that black eye."
He pointed at her arm. "Two marks. You move things. What's the second one for?"
"Do you want to know, Zargus Org?"
"Tell me, human Aya."
"It's the mark that I use-" she began to whisper, "to fuck your mother,"
Zargus turned on his heel and kept walking. The enraging process had begun once again. If she could just make him angry enough, maybe he would slip up, and she could grab his arm, and put a foot under his chest, and kick his stupid ass off of the entire mountain.
Have you ever considered being diplomatic?
"YES, DARK SPIRIT, TONIGHT I SHALL OFFER YOU THE SPIRIT OF ZARGUS ORG!"
Zargus glared over his shoulder at her. Aya pulled her eyelid down at him.
"No, I have not considered being diplomatic."
So we kill him tonight, I guess.
After a few minutes, Zargus led them to a small park with a tree and a few benches close to a downward slope, so that the whole of the mountaintop seemed to fall away beneath the park itself. Aya had to compliment Zagrus' taste.
"Zagrus... This is..."
Zagrus, who made a space for himself near the tree and begun to stretch, looked over with softer eyes than she deserved.
She smiled at him brightly and dropped her pack to the grass. "Such a beautiful place for you to die."
Zargus frowned mid stretch, holding both palms above his head. It was then that Aya noticed the scabbard strapped around his waist to the small of his back. Then she recalled her strategy of making Zargus Org as angry as possible so he swings as violently as possible. And she also recalled her recent revelation that most of her established strategies only work if she consistently has the advantage. Which, based on his sharp edge, her empty hands, and her previous words to the emotional Zargus Org, she had the unshakable feeling that she may not actually be able to kill Zargus Org tonight.
Hey, heeeeyyyyy, look, look Dot popped his fluffy head from the backpack pocket. I may not agree with your decision to take this fight, I certainly don't agree with how you've gone about it, frankly I think you owe Zargus an apology, but if there's one thing I know for certain, it's that Aya Art does not lose fights, and certainly not to big, dumb, brutish Zargus Org.
"...Yeah."
Don't lose the mental fight, Aya.
"Thanks."
No problem, I don't want to walk back down the stairs. Win, please, thank you.
What a good cat. She would absolutely win for Dot, though. She balled her fists and walked to the center space in the park. "Come on, then, dumb little Zagrus." he dropped his arms. Aya smiled. "small-village Zagrus." He picked up his head and looked at her. The moon was rising. And it was bright. "Cannot-win Zagrus. Cannot beat small human girl Zagrus." He stood across from her, silent. She assumed silence as well.
"Set your terms, human."
They began to circle each other. This was new. He always chose. "Do you not want the honor, Zargus Org?"
He nodded. "I do."
"Be my guest."
"Thank you, human. No terms."
"None?"
"No."
"Not even my witchcraft, Zargus Org?"
He reached behind his back and squinted at her through his black eye. He drew his short sword. "No. Use as much as you like."
Aya's mouth hardened. This was real. He was going to do this. She had crossed a line and she knew it. She called him a name he hadn't given her in front of his village, and it was a bad one. This wasn't just getting even, it was getting satisfaction. This was a real fight - with real consequences.
"You have me at a disadvantage, Org. The aether creep."
Zagrus shrugged. "Then do not use your magic."
Aya stared him down. He was more confident than usual. His form was unwavering. He was going to move differently. He thinks he's going to win. And he will. If Aya turns her back, there would be nothing stopping him from driving that shortsword directly into her back and then tossing the evidence down the Big Hill. Aya would be willing to reckon a human body wouldn't attract much attention for long in a big city like Drathera.
But Aya Art does not lose fights. That's what papa taught her. She would have to be careful, and very precise. Pushing too hard here could be bad. She would have to be extremely mindful of her state.
But she could do it.
She could.
She took a deep breath, looked him up and down, closed her eyes, exhaled, and opened them.
"I agree to your terms, Zagrus Org."
He did not smile this time. He was serious. But so was Aya.
He darted forwards - solemn or not, a leapard will never change its spots. Aya couldn't use her aether sense, though. Turning it on and off didn't take a lot of focus, but it took some, and she had to conserve as much of her ability as possible.
Aya's fights are short. This one would have to be short, too. Otherwise, Aya would run out of energy and that would be it. Zargus' sword arm twitched, and Aya fell for the feint. She ducked away from it, right into a backhand slap from Zargus' offhand. She stumbled backwards, and felt her jaw. 'Wow. Ouch.'
Aya stood back up and fixed her stance. Zagrus took a couple explorative swipes at Aya, but her training with her father was extensive enough to improve her reflexes, and she was able to establish the proper distance before each swing. She held up her hand, flexing her fingers. "C'mon," she said in common.
Big bad Zargus Org came at her with that blade with swift jabs, and Aya had no choice to stay at distance for each. It wasn't what she was looking for. While focusing on his blade, Aya was unmindful of Zargus' offhand again, and he was able to punch her squarely in the jaw. As she reeled, he swiped at her, streaking his blade across her forearm.
Aya rolled backwards, establishing distance. Her adrenaline was pumping so hard her body forgot to feel the cut, and stupid Zagrus Org accidentally gave some good advice. Aya was feeling great.
She stood and assumed her fighting position.
Jab. Jump. 'No, not it.'
Slice. Jump. 'Not that.'
Then Zagrus Org did something that Zagrus Org could not help himself from doing whenever he became frustrated. Swinging wildly forwards. The moment Aya saw that blade go behind Zagrus' hips for a swing at her chest, Aya positioned her dominant hand over where the blade's swing would be. He released his arm, falling right into Aya's trap. She made a small arc with her floating hand, sensing the moving waves of aether, and with that arc of her hand, focused solely on the waves made by her motion, and then pushed them downwards. She had no time to see if her trap had worked. She immediately dropped the Push as soon as she felt it connect with something, and then felt the aether for the knife, and stuck it to the ground with Seeming.
She focused her eyes and looked downwards.
YES! She got the knife!
Quickly she planted her foot on it, dropped her Seeming immediately, and reared her back foot into a nasty kick to Zargus' chin. "Yeah you want some witchcraft, bitch?" she muttered in common. Zargus Org's fingers left the handle of his shortsword as he was blown backwards on his big, dumb, egotistical ass. Aya bent down and picked up the blade.
"Zargus," she said, and walked towards him with the blade. She massaged her temple with her offhand. As she approached, the young orkhan swiped at her ankles with his hands from the ground, which quickly abated when Aya pointed the short sword between his eyes.
"I change my words because you are supid." He breathed out.
She was taken aback. This was unlike him. He was not himself today.
"You're stupid and you move like an animal without toes. Ugly and clumsy and freakish."
Zargus. Stupid, stupid Zargus Org. The dumbest boy to draw breath. Her chest hurt.
"You're ugly." She whimpered.
'What was that!?' she thought, 'Did I just whimper?'
"You are repugnant. I hate looking at you. I don't care that you aren't of Ecith or that you cheat. I take your fights even though I lose to your cheating magic because if I push through your pillowfort, I know I could separate your arm from your torso."
"That's a lot, Zargus-"
"I want to. I hate you. I hate you!" Zargus was yelling. "I hate you ugly Aya!"
Aya's frown turned to an indignant sneer. "Fix your words when you speak to me, pig." She pressed the tip of the blade into his brow, drawing a bead of blood. "I am not stupid. Are you listening to me?"
He lifted a corner of his mouth. He spit at her feet. She pressed the blade further into his brow.
"Are you listening?"
"Yes."
"Give me the scabbard. Now."
Zargus unlatched the belt from behind his back and handed it to Aya, who snatched it from his hands. "If you touch me I will crush your skull with my mind." She fastened the harness around her waist, buckled it for size, and sheathed Zargus' sword. She walked over to her backpack, slung both straps over her shoulder, and walked back the way she came. Behind her, Zagrus stood up.
"I meant it!" he yelled at her. "Every word!"
She balled a fist and clenched her cheek muscles. She would not cry over Zargus Org. Stupid, brutish, ugly, annoying, loud Zargus Org. She gripped the hanle of her new shortsword on the small of her back.
He's wrong. You're not ugly. Dot poked his head from the pocket, and rubbed his forehead and cheek against the back of Aya's head. He was being hurtful. You're not.
"I know, Dot." The stars were nice. "Thank you."
It wasn't uncommon that an overcast day would strike Ecith. It wasn't glum, and the wind was warm enough, but Aya was a creature who needed sunlight to feel truly at peace, and Dot was even more so.
Her work for the day had concluded before midday, and there was nothing better to do than to move restless feet. She strapped on her pack, wrapped it taut around her torso with her cloak, and placed dot securely within the pocket. He loves it in there. What a weirdo.
After years of living in Drathera, she was accustomed to uphill climbs. Not as accustomed as those born-and-raised, but shoot, she could keep up just fine. Fine enough to spend a good part of the day just hikinh around the rough terrain of the city. She let the houses and businesses and butcheries and people blend into blobs around her, focusing only on the road ahead. Easier that way, so she wouldn't notice all the eyes on her. She had a bit of a trek today, because today she was going to try to break her personal record on Jarkor's Tail. That windy, unending, forty degree incline staircase was hell on anyone not acclimated to city living. Of course, Aya had climbed the tail before, but with breaks and huffing and puffing and sweat. Like an outsider. Well, like the outsider that she was, but even so. She hated knowing it was out of her capabilities, and angled on changing it.
The plaza entrance was wide and busy, but functioned instead as a swarming, festered, gaping, thrumming maw within which was nothing but pain and sweat and more sweat and a healthy springling of additional pain. Phinneas sometimes spoke about life inside the Imperium, and for all of its challenges, Aya was silently jealous of them because she was sure they would never suffer something as barbaric as Jarkor's Tail.
Dot yawned in his cat nest on her back, and she could hear the quiet clicking of his two sharp jaws meeting back together. So are we just gonna go home again? Because I wouldn't mind that.
"Not this time, cat." She stood facing the maw of Jarkor's Tail, backpack straps in hand, allowing the crowd to move around her. You know, like a local. "This time I-"
Oh!
"What?" Dot unfurled and stood up on her back, poking his nose into the air. Aya could feel him hesitate. "Well?"
He sat back down in the nest. Nothing I was mistaken, sorry.
Aya rolled her eyes and started striding towards the maw.
'I am power,' she grit her teeth as she thought, 'I am swiftness, I am the unmoving mountain and the majestic eagle, I am-'
Oh! Hold on! Dot stood back up and smelled again.
"Dot."
He sniffed. No, really. I smell something I just... He sniffed again. I don't know if its something to... His eyes got wide, and Aya could feel him tense. She stopped in her tracks.
"What? What is it?"
It's... He sniffed deeply. It's bad. Aya, it's bad. It's a bad smell! Bad smell! Bad smell! Ba-
Meeeeeooooooooooowrrrrrrooooooooooowwwwwwww! The cat yowled.
Immediately, the crowd began to back away from Aya in surprise. Believe it or not, housecats are not as common in Ecith as cats made half out of shadow, go figure.
Aya's cheeks turned cherry red all at once, "Dot, Dot, buddy, can we maybe chill out?" She murmered out of the corner of her mouth.
YeeeeeeeeeeeOOOOOOOOwwwwwwwwrrr! Dot continued.
In the space the crowd made, Aya's eyes drifted from the faces pretending to not notice her on the circumference of her social space, and locked with two sky-blue peepers in deep purple sockets.
Dot stopped yowling immediately. Oh, it's Zargus Org. I smell Zargus Org. Head's up. He yawned and crawled back down into his pocket.
"Thank you, Dot." Aya murmered.
Zargus looked... Well, he had looked better. That solid bone structure betrayed a shining black eye and a puffy jaw on his left side. No doubt her doing. His chest was rising and falling heavily and he was the only one unable to stop looking at Aya, even now as business returned to normal and the public began to forget Dot's outcry. "You know, Dot,"
Hm?
"I almost feel bad for big, dumb Zargus Org."
Oh, why? Did somebody beat him up?
"Whatever, cat." She began walking towards Zargus. "Try to be a good person. What a double standard." She muttered. As she got closer to the young Orkhan, she noticed that his usually indignant stare had a tinge of fear to it, like he knew he couldn't afford to not stand his ground here, but he sure looks like he wants to.
She stood before him.
"Hello." She said in Ecitharese.
"Aya." He replied.
They took a second. "You look terrible." Aya said.
"What are you doing here, human Aya?"
"Doing the stairs up."
"Hm." Zargus stuck his hands in the folds of his pants.
There was another little silence. Hard not to fill it with insults.
"You look bad."
"You mentioned this."
"Do you want to come with me?"
"What?"
"Do you want to do the stairs up with me or no? I won't ask three questions, Zargus Org."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Yes, fine.
Aya furrowed her brow. "Yeah. Fine." She pushed past his shoulder and soldiered towards the carved entrance to the Tail, putting her first foot on the first step, her second foot on the second, and resolving herself to not stop until she reached the top this time.
The sun changed position a bit before Aya cared enough to look behind her and check if Zargus, indeed, decided to follow. Much to her chagrin, he was there. Steel-eyed and even keeled, even as she began to huff.
You're doing better than last time.
"Shove it, cat."
"Speaking to me, Aya?"
She glared behind her shoulder at him, just a pace behind. "No, Org." She pressed out in between heaving breaths. She waited for an inhale, and then, on the exhale, "Mind yourself."
"You are struggling."
Aya rolled her eyes. She could hear his jeering smile from three paces ahead. Not to mention how infuriating the sureness of his voice was. As if he were sitting down and not forcing your legs to conquer the tallest mountain on the island in one continuous trip. "I-" a breath "am fine."
"You sound fine, human Aya."
"Shove it."
The sun had moved farther, almost ready to touch the horizon, and was nearly placed behind them. And by now, Aya had been heaving for the past fifteen minutes. In all fairness to her, she had obliterated her personal record. But there was no way for Zargus to know that. Stupid, dumb Zargus, who strode up beside her so effortlessly.
"Aya."
"What-"..."Do you want?"
"You should stop."
"I am-"..."Not-"..."Some shrinking-"..."Of violet."
Zargus patiently waited for Aya to choke her sentence out. "I do not know what you are talking about."
"I-"
"Stop, Aya." He took her by her shoulders and turned her to face him. She struck his arms away.
"Zargus, when you sleep, mice crawl in your mouth and wind blows between your ears! I was trying to do up in one go!"
"Your breath is bad."
Aya crossed her arms. If he didn't say something worthwhile he'd be taking a very short trip down the stairs.
"My father taught me young. If you can make your breath right, you can do almost anything better."
"Are you going to say something new?"
Zargus looked contemplative. "I can't find better words. You just have to do better. Breathe good, try." He started walking ahead of her, and once he had gotten some way, he turned back around and glanced back at her, waiting for her to follow.
Aya sighed. She took a deep breath in, and started paying attention to where in her walking cadence her breathing cycle landed, and tried to synchronize them. It hurt her lungs, but she could. Then, she gradually slowed down her breathing without slowing down her step. And all of this gave her time to contemplate. Specifically to contemplate something Zargus said. 'I can't find better words.' Can't find better words? What did he mean? They were talking about breathing, and trying to teach her something that his own dad taught him. There were words. There were words he knew. Was it possible that dumb, stupid Zagrus Org-
"Zagrus Org." Aya commanded, not having noticed she caught up to the orkhan.
"Yes?"
"You change how you talk when you talk to me."
He was quiet.
"So you do, then."
"Yes."
"Why? Do you think humans are not competent?"
"No. I want to make-..." He stopped. "I wanted to make sense to you when I spoke."
"Yes, because you use such big words."
"You are easily confused!"
"I speak twice the amount of languages you do, Org."
"Hm."
They continued. The sun was getting lower.
"Don't do that anymore." Aya said.
"Okay, I agree." He replied. "Do not call me stupid or dumb anymore."
"Maybe, Zargus. If you stop being stupid and dumb."
He snarled at her. He really must break that habit, it's quite embarrassing.
"Aya."
"What, Zargus?"
"Why do you have magic?"
Aya fixed her vision to the ground as the moved. "I don't like talking about it," she said, "people change how they talk to me after."
"I know what magic does, I am not incompetent."
"Oh, that is the word for incompetent. Nice."
"It changes you, yes Aya? Many die."
"But not Aya!
"They say it changes you so you never stop, like with smoking herbs or gambling, but worse."
"Is that what you're learning in that school? Because it is not fighting."
"No. From adults. Fine."
There was another silence between them.
"Aya, is it true?"
"No."
"Be honest."
"I am."
"Do you use it when we fight?"
This time, Aya was quiet.
"So you do."
"I stick to our terms. I have never cheated you."
"But you use it."
"It's not like how you think."
Zargus laughed. "Thank you."
"Stop."
"Thank you so much, Aya. I know now that I did not lose to a small, soft-handed, hu-"
Aya took his arm and swung him against the inside wall of the stairwell, but it wasn't long before Zargus Org was able to shake off the impact, brush Aya off his arm, and kick her swiftly in the chest. Through all of her ability and martial prowess, there were a few moments where Aya was reminded quite forcefully that, being her size and her weight, if she did not constantly keep the advantage in a brawl, she would lose.
And that STUPID spellplague!
Aya's light body betrayed her, spewn back by Zargus' kick. mmROW! Dot exclaimed as he leapt from the backpack nest before Aya made impact with the stairs behind her.
Woah woah woah woah woah!
Aya struggled up to her elbows as Zargus balled his fist and took a step forwards, only to be interrupted by the sound of impeding footsteps echoing from up the tail. Aya scrambled to her feet, snapped twice, and Dot took a leap back into his nest, and Zargus leaned back against the wall. Aya and Zargus did not break their mutual glare as the stranger Orkhan trodded down the stairs between them, sharing an awkward glance with both teenagers before moving onwards.
"Not here." Zargus said.
Aya spit on the ground next to her. "Whatever, quit-loser. I can take you."
Zargus Org thinned his eyes at her. "Follow me, human Aya. If your breathing isn't mud in your lungs."
He turned and left, climbing the stairs before them expeditiously. And expeditiously, Aya followed. He had never beat her before, he won't now, magic or no magic.
They climbed.
And climbed.
Until the sunset ended and the light began to fade and the stars made a welcome return to the sky, and they continued to climb.
And climbed.
And climbed to where the sweat on Aya's forehead felt like refreshing rain and she wondered why Zagrus Org did not have a curfew either.
Then, she did it. Zagrus did it first, damn him, but she did it. She crested the tail. Placing her feet on the flat ground of the mountaintop was so euphoric she didn't feel the chill of the thinned air through the insulating layer of swet on her exposed skin. She dropped her arms from her pack straps, and took a few deep breaths. When she opened her eyes, Zagrus was staring. As she focused her eyes, she realized he was staring at her bicep. Her marks.
"What if I told you I did them myself?"
He snapped his gaze to her and sneered. "I would say you tell lies."
Aya tilted her head. "And what if I told you I had to kill six people for each of them?"
He held her gaze, and she made sure not to blink.
He turned away. "Follow." She did.
What are we even doing here? Dot asked from the back.
"Not sure," Aya whispered, "I think I might actually kill Zargus Org tonight."
What?
"Yeah. I don't even really want to, I just think the feeling is right tonight, I don't know."
Zargus turned on his heel, and Aya froze. He started to walk towards her.
How you wanna do it? Push him off the hill?
Zargus stared her down, the same way she would stare him down. 'What a charming little role reversal,' she thought.
"Why do you keep whispering in your language?" he asked.
"You look real pretty with that black eye."
He pointed at her arm. "Two marks. You move things. What's the second one for?"
"Do you want to know, Zargus Org?"
"Tell me, human Aya."
"It's the mark that I use-" she began to whisper, "to fuck your mother,"
Zargus turned on his heel and kept walking. The enraging process had begun once again. If she could just make him angry enough, maybe he would slip up, and she could grab his arm, and put a foot under his chest, and kick his stupid ass off of the entire mountain.
Have you ever considered being diplomatic?
"YES, DARK SPIRIT, TONIGHT I SHALL OFFER YOU THE SPIRIT OF ZARGUS ORG!"
Zargus glared over his shoulder at her. Aya pulled her eyelid down at him.
"No, I have not considered being diplomatic."
So we kill him tonight, I guess.
After a few minutes, Zargus led them to a small park with a tree and a few benches close to a downward slope, so that the whole of the mountaintop seemed to fall away beneath the park itself. Aya had to compliment Zagrus' taste.
"Zagrus... This is..."
Zagrus, who made a space for himself near the tree and begun to stretch, looked over with softer eyes than she deserved.
She smiled at him brightly and dropped her pack to the grass. "Such a beautiful place for you to die."
Zargus frowned mid stretch, holding both palms above his head. It was then that Aya noticed the scabbard strapped around his waist to the small of his back. Then she recalled her strategy of making Zargus Org as angry as possible so he swings as violently as possible. And she also recalled her recent revelation that most of her established strategies only work if she consistently has the advantage. Which, based on his sharp edge, her empty hands, and her previous words to the emotional Zargus Org, she had the unshakable feeling that she may not actually be able to kill Zargus Org tonight.
Hey, heeeeyyyyy, look, look Dot popped his fluffy head from the backpack pocket. I may not agree with your decision to take this fight, I certainly don't agree with how you've gone about it, frankly I think you owe Zargus an apology, but if there's one thing I know for certain, it's that Aya Art does not lose fights, and certainly not to big, dumb, brutish Zargus Org.
"...Yeah."
Don't lose the mental fight, Aya.
"Thanks."
No problem, I don't want to walk back down the stairs. Win, please, thank you.
What a good cat. She would absolutely win for Dot, though. She balled her fists and walked to the center space in the park. "Come on, then, dumb little Zagrus." he dropped his arms. Aya smiled. "small-village Zagrus." He picked up his head and looked at her. The moon was rising. And it was bright. "Cannot-win Zagrus. Cannot beat small human girl Zagrus." He stood across from her, silent. She assumed silence as well.
"Set your terms, human."
They began to circle each other. This was new. He always chose. "Do you not want the honor, Zargus Org?"
He nodded. "I do."
"Be my guest."
"Thank you, human. No terms."
"None?"
"No."
"Not even my witchcraft, Zargus Org?"
He reached behind his back and squinted at her through his black eye. He drew his short sword. "No. Use as much as you like."
Aya's mouth hardened. This was real. He was going to do this. She had crossed a line and she knew it. She called him a name he hadn't given her in front of his village, and it was a bad one. This wasn't just getting even, it was getting satisfaction. This was a real fight - with real consequences.
"You have me at a disadvantage, Org. The aether creep."
Zagrus shrugged. "Then do not use your magic."
Aya stared him down. He was more confident than usual. His form was unwavering. He was going to move differently. He thinks he's going to win. And he will. If Aya turns her back, there would be nothing stopping him from driving that shortsword directly into her back and then tossing the evidence down the Big Hill. Aya would be willing to reckon a human body wouldn't attract much attention for long in a big city like Drathera.
But Aya Art does not lose fights. That's what papa taught her. She would have to be careful, and very precise. Pushing too hard here could be bad. She would have to be extremely mindful of her state.
But she could do it.
She could.
She took a deep breath, looked him up and down, closed her eyes, exhaled, and opened them.
"I agree to your terms, Zagrus Org."
He did not smile this time. He was serious. But so was Aya.
He darted forwards - solemn or not, a leapard will never change its spots. Aya couldn't use her aether sense, though. Turning it on and off didn't take a lot of focus, but it took some, and she had to conserve as much of her ability as possible.
Aya's fights are short. This one would have to be short, too. Otherwise, Aya would run out of energy and that would be it. Zargus' sword arm twitched, and Aya fell for the feint. She ducked away from it, right into a backhand slap from Zargus' offhand. She stumbled backwards, and felt her jaw. 'Wow. Ouch.'
Aya stood back up and fixed her stance. Zagrus took a couple explorative swipes at Aya, but her training with her father was extensive enough to improve her reflexes, and she was able to establish the proper distance before each swing. She held up her hand, flexing her fingers. "C'mon," she said in common.
Big bad Zargus Org came at her with that blade with swift jabs, and Aya had no choice to stay at distance for each. It wasn't what she was looking for. While focusing on his blade, Aya was unmindful of Zargus' offhand again, and he was able to punch her squarely in the jaw. As she reeled, he swiped at her, streaking his blade across her forearm.
Aya rolled backwards, establishing distance. Her adrenaline was pumping so hard her body forgot to feel the cut, and stupid Zagrus Org accidentally gave some good advice. Aya was feeling great.
She stood and assumed her fighting position.
Jab. Jump. 'No, not it.'
Slice. Jump. 'Not that.'
Then Zagrus Org did something that Zagrus Org could not help himself from doing whenever he became frustrated. Swinging wildly forwards. The moment Aya saw that blade go behind Zagrus' hips for a swing at her chest, Aya positioned her dominant hand over where the blade's swing would be. He released his arm, falling right into Aya's trap. She made a small arc with her floating hand, sensing the moving waves of aether, and with that arc of her hand, focused solely on the waves made by her motion, and then pushed them downwards. She had no time to see if her trap had worked. She immediately dropped the Push as soon as she felt it connect with something, and then felt the aether for the knife, and stuck it to the ground with Seeming.
She focused her eyes and looked downwards.
YES! She got the knife!
Quickly she planted her foot on it, dropped her Seeming immediately, and reared her back foot into a nasty kick to Zargus' chin. "Yeah you want some witchcraft, bitch?" she muttered in common. Zargus Org's fingers left the handle of his shortsword as he was blown backwards on his big, dumb, egotistical ass. Aya bent down and picked up the blade.
"Zargus," she said, and walked towards him with the blade. She massaged her temple with her offhand. As she approached, the young orkhan swiped at her ankles with his hands from the ground, which quickly abated when Aya pointed the short sword between his eyes.
"I change my words because you are supid." He breathed out.
She was taken aback. This was unlike him. He was not himself today.
"You're stupid and you move like an animal without toes. Ugly and clumsy and freakish."
Zargus. Stupid, stupid Zargus Org. The dumbest boy to draw breath. Her chest hurt.
"You're ugly." She whimpered.
'What was that!?' she thought, 'Did I just whimper?'
"You are repugnant. I hate looking at you. I don't care that you aren't of Ecith or that you cheat. I take your fights even though I lose to your cheating magic because if I push through your pillowfort, I know I could separate your arm from your torso."
"That's a lot, Zargus-"
"I want to. I hate you. I hate you!" Zargus was yelling. "I hate you ugly Aya!"
Aya's frown turned to an indignant sneer. "Fix your words when you speak to me, pig." She pressed the tip of the blade into his brow, drawing a bead of blood. "I am not stupid. Are you listening to me?"
He lifted a corner of his mouth. He spit at her feet. She pressed the blade further into his brow.
"Are you listening?"
"Yes."
"Give me the scabbard. Now."
Zargus unlatched the belt from behind his back and handed it to Aya, who snatched it from his hands. "If you touch me I will crush your skull with my mind." She fastened the harness around her waist, buckled it for size, and sheathed Zargus' sword. She walked over to her backpack, slung both straps over her shoulder, and walked back the way she came. Behind her, Zagrus stood up.
"I meant it!" he yelled at her. "Every word!"
She balled a fist and clenched her cheek muscles. She would not cry over Zargus Org. Stupid, brutish, ugly, annoying, loud Zargus Org. She gripped the hanle of her new shortsword on the small of her back.
He's wrong. You're not ugly. Dot poked his head from the pocket, and rubbed his forehead and cheek against the back of Aya's head. He was being hurtful. You're not.
"I know, Dot." The stars were nice. "Thank you."