It was a night like any other. She had barely settled underneath the heavy blanket when she fell into a sleep like death. For the six bell duration of the potion, it was nearly impossible to rouse her, even in the event of emergency. Edda did not dream. There was some shame in being so dependent on alchemy to sleep, but the body required rest, and she would not begrudge its necessity.
Doubtless aches and pains would plague her when she woke, her body only used to the softest of beds, but it would be only temporary. A vision of a hot bath and warm bed could be seen in her mind’s eye as the potion began to take effect. Surely they would await her in Ishgard within the next two suns. The two had already made it out of the woods, and they would be able to continue the journey in the morning, unhampered and unharmed.
-
The screaming was not what woke her.
Rather, enough time had elapsed that the potion began to wear off, the discomfort of the cold and hard earth cutting the full duration of the medicine short. The tent that had collapsed during the night was not enough to wake her. The proximity of the leather and wool provided extra warmth, her breath shallow enough as to not be hindered by her coverings.
Edda began to stir, still drowsy from sleep, her eyelids bearing considerable weight. When she managed to open her eyes, she very suddenly snapped to attention, the total darkness and unexpected enclosure sending her into a panic. The woman tossed and kicked at the blankets and tent around her in a pathetic attempt to break free. Had she been abducted? She was not moving, the ground beneath her unmistakable. What of Khadai? Edda glimpsed a sliver of light at her feet as she struggled, and immediately twisted her body to dive for the opening.
The collapsed opening of the tent gave way to a blonde head of hair as she managed to crawl out of her makeshift bonds. She let out a heavy sigh and hung her head in embarrassment. It would be easy to pass it off as waking from a nightmare, and so she scanned the area for Khadai, who had hopefully not witnessed her display. His tall stature was unmistakable, the dark of his features standing out even in the poor light. He stood a ways away, the top half of his body visible behind a small boulder from her current position on the ground.
Edda turned away from him, shifting her position to sit on the earth. Her legs had become tangled in the blanket, now bound together as one instead of two, and so the woman began to remove herself from the tent. What Khadai was already doing up and about she did not know, and she wondered if he even slept at all. Perhaps he was scouting the area, or obeying nature’s call. The very thought made her face heat, and so she waited for a few moments to give him time. Gullinbursti was already quite awake, standing to attention and looking toward Khadai. Her raincoat lay dirtied on the ground, and so she stood to retrieve it before throwing it atop the pile of cloth and leather that had once been her tent. She hissed at the soreness in her back and shoulders as she stood, before making her way over to Khadai.
Now that she stood at her full height, Edda could plainly see what had the Au Ra and chocobo so fixated. A steady stream of red pooled on the other side of the boulder, and half of an upturned body from which it flowed could be seen. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, her skin turning a deathly shade of white. As she stepped closer, the dismembered arm of a lalafell had up and flown towards the road, the supposed body of its owner laying several fulms away in multiple pieces. Her stomach lurched.
Tearing her focus away from the scene, Edda looked Khadai in the eye with a steady gaze. He seemed rather pleased with himself, like a cat that dropped two vermin at its owner’s feet. The woman stood on the opposite side of the small boulder, and looked between the Xaela and his prey. An axe and knives lay discarded on the ground, presumably owned by the two corpses. There was a small degree of comfort knowing that Khadai had not slaughtered two unarmed civilians. He seemed unhurt and unfazed, of course, and Edda let out a long sigh. She was unsure what disturbed her more: That he had killed two more people as if it were nothing, or that she was becoming used to seeing such brutality.
Khadai now had her full attention. She gave him a severe look, a quiet rage and frustration in her eyes that could hardly be mistaken for anything else. Edda did not know the two that now lay dead, and she did not care to. It was sad that they died in senseless violence, and their deaths could potentially put the two travelers at more risk than simply scaring them off would have. They had the appearance of simple mercenaries. It would have been easy to pay them off. That Khadai would not think of it – or would even understand it – was logical, but it did not make Edda any less upset. If his gut reaction to a perceived threat was violence, there would be little she could do to curb him outside of stopping threats before they became one. Truly, it was a wonder he did not lop off her head the moment he first laid eyes on her.
She breathed in deeply, her nostrils flaring. “What happened?†She asked slowly, her voice as grave as her expression. “Explain yourself.â€
Doubtless aches and pains would plague her when she woke, her body only used to the softest of beds, but it would be only temporary. A vision of a hot bath and warm bed could be seen in her mind’s eye as the potion began to take effect. Surely they would await her in Ishgard within the next two suns. The two had already made it out of the woods, and they would be able to continue the journey in the morning, unhampered and unharmed.
-
The screaming was not what woke her.
Rather, enough time had elapsed that the potion began to wear off, the discomfort of the cold and hard earth cutting the full duration of the medicine short. The tent that had collapsed during the night was not enough to wake her. The proximity of the leather and wool provided extra warmth, her breath shallow enough as to not be hindered by her coverings.
Edda began to stir, still drowsy from sleep, her eyelids bearing considerable weight. When she managed to open her eyes, she very suddenly snapped to attention, the total darkness and unexpected enclosure sending her into a panic. The woman tossed and kicked at the blankets and tent around her in a pathetic attempt to break free. Had she been abducted? She was not moving, the ground beneath her unmistakable. What of Khadai? Edda glimpsed a sliver of light at her feet as she struggled, and immediately twisted her body to dive for the opening.
The collapsed opening of the tent gave way to a blonde head of hair as she managed to crawl out of her makeshift bonds. She let out a heavy sigh and hung her head in embarrassment. It would be easy to pass it off as waking from a nightmare, and so she scanned the area for Khadai, who had hopefully not witnessed her display. His tall stature was unmistakable, the dark of his features standing out even in the poor light. He stood a ways away, the top half of his body visible behind a small boulder from her current position on the ground.
Edda turned away from him, shifting her position to sit on the earth. Her legs had become tangled in the blanket, now bound together as one instead of two, and so the woman began to remove herself from the tent. What Khadai was already doing up and about she did not know, and she wondered if he even slept at all. Perhaps he was scouting the area, or obeying nature’s call. The very thought made her face heat, and so she waited for a few moments to give him time. Gullinbursti was already quite awake, standing to attention and looking toward Khadai. Her raincoat lay dirtied on the ground, and so she stood to retrieve it before throwing it atop the pile of cloth and leather that had once been her tent. She hissed at the soreness in her back and shoulders as she stood, before making her way over to Khadai.
Now that she stood at her full height, Edda could plainly see what had the Au Ra and chocobo so fixated. A steady stream of red pooled on the other side of the boulder, and half of an upturned body from which it flowed could be seen. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, her skin turning a deathly shade of white. As she stepped closer, the dismembered arm of a lalafell had up and flown towards the road, the supposed body of its owner laying several fulms away in multiple pieces. Her stomach lurched.
Tearing her focus away from the scene, Edda looked Khadai in the eye with a steady gaze. He seemed rather pleased with himself, like a cat that dropped two vermin at its owner’s feet. The woman stood on the opposite side of the small boulder, and looked between the Xaela and his prey. An axe and knives lay discarded on the ground, presumably owned by the two corpses. There was a small degree of comfort knowing that Khadai had not slaughtered two unarmed civilians. He seemed unhurt and unfazed, of course, and Edda let out a long sigh. She was unsure what disturbed her more: That he had killed two more people as if it were nothing, or that she was becoming used to seeing such brutality.
Khadai now had her full attention. She gave him a severe look, a quiet rage and frustration in her eyes that could hardly be mistaken for anything else. Edda did not know the two that now lay dead, and she did not care to. It was sad that they died in senseless violence, and their deaths could potentially put the two travelers at more risk than simply scaring them off would have. They had the appearance of simple mercenaries. It would have been easy to pay them off. That Khadai would not think of it – or would even understand it – was logical, but it did not make Edda any less upset. If his gut reaction to a perceived threat was violence, there would be little she could do to curb him outside of stopping threats before they became one. Truly, it was a wonder he did not lop off her head the moment he first laid eyes on her.
She breathed in deeply, her nostrils flaring. “What happened?†She asked slowly, her voice as grave as her expression. “Explain yourself.â€
